Reporting and Writing

Reporting and writing is the essence of journalism. Hearing from others, telling stories that would otherwise be unknown and expressing personal conviction are all the cornerstone elements of working on a newspaper. Creating a publication that educates and highlights the previously unknown should be every journalist's goal. From the start of my work with the Statesman, I wanted to explore a variety of topics through journalism, and out of that desire many Op-Eds, Features, News pieces and Entertainment pieces have been created.

Proper response or prejudicial recklessness?

2022

Best of SNO award

In this Op-Ed, I explain my view that America's response to the invasion of Ukraine is well-intentioned but only escalatory and harmful to innocent people. I also touch on how the response has personally affected people I know and am close with.

https://lhsstatesman.com/2022/03/proper-response-or-prejudicial-recklessness-19024/

Compromise, civility and Congress

2021

Best of SNO award

When the Build Back Better plan was still being discussed in its older form, I strongly disagreed with what seemed to be the conventional wisdom of the time regarding compromise on such pieces of legislation. In this Op-Ed, I laid out my ideas on the then-current events surrounding Build Back Better and looked to multiple examples in support.

https://lhsstatesman.com/2021/11/compromise-civility-and-congress-17407/

How local musicians have adapted to the ongoing pandemic

2020

Best of SNO award and Superior from South Dakota Scholastic Press Association

In my first story in the turbulent 2020-2021 school year, I knew I wanted to discuss a concept that was very important to me. While I at first thought about covering local business, I realized that little attention was given to local musicians and how concerts, recordings, rehearsals and more had to change due to the pandemic. Thus, I interviewed a couple very successful local musicians, and in the process I found two contrasting yet not opposing outlooks.

https://lhsstatesman.com/2020/09/how-local-musicians-have-adapted-to-the-ongoing-pandemic-13512/

Biden won; what now for the left?

2020

Best of SNO award

In this story, I gave my perspective as to why Biden won and explored potential options for how his term could proceed; I then critiqued certain aspects of his ideology and offered a personal viewpoint as to means of ensuring a successful, prosperous term.

https://lhsstatesman.com/2020/11/biden-won-what-now-for-the-left-14376/

Student Council: methods of modification

2021

Written on the week of LHS Student Council elections, this News story highlights a few contrasting viewpoints on how the Student Council election process was structured. I interview current members to see their perspectives but also students who felt that certain aspects of the group, e.g. its examination of social media and lack of term limits, were unjust: https://lhsstatesman.com/2021/02/student-council-methods-of-modification-14957/

No matter who won, Iowa is lost

2020

Best of SNO award

The 2020 Iowa Democratic Party Caucus was replete with issues, conflicting reports and the like. As someone who was there when the caucus app malfunctioned and witnessed the caucuses firsthand, I wanted to write an op-ed explaining my view of how the caucus's procedural errors harmed the Democratic Party going forward. I analyzed many sources and came to the conclusion that some of the errors might have even been intentional.

https://lhsstatesman.com/2020/02/no-matter-who-won-iowa-is-lost-12553/

A better way to vote

2019

Best of SNO award

My first story that won an award, "A better way to vote" analyzes and critiques America's first-past-the-post voting system, explaining its relevance to students. I then offered an alternative system, ranked choice voting, while explaining its benefits and implications for students that can already or will soon be able to vote.

https://lhsstatesman.com/2019/12/a-better-way-to-vote-11932/

Best actor: Cameron Rhode

2021

As part of the 2021 LHS Senior Issue, I was tasked with featuring the student who won Best Actor (and who also happened to be Editor-in-Chief of the Statesman). The winner, Cameron Rhode, was unique in that he technically was not an actor but rather a tech crew member ("techie"), so part of this feature includes explaining what that vital facet of theater entails. I interviewed friends, teachers and more to reveal the mind and the mentality behind Rhode. Since this story was not published online, the text is below.