News
Formerly incarcerated get fresh start sanitizing flooded basements
It was my third day with my apprenticeship at the Free Press. I met my mentor, Nushrat Rahman, via phone call. We discussed several pitches and stories that morning and landed on this one. After the floods in Detroit, a lot of houses -- particularly basements were damaged. This provided a source of jobs to many people who were formerly incarcerated. I reached out and conducted thorough interviews for this story including those who were formerly incarcerated. The feedback I received from my editor, Melanie Scott-Dorsey was super helpful for this piece. Writing this piece was hard, but it's my favorite one. I mastered how to capture someone's voice, while also learning more about the importance of journalism.
River rats react to Oxford High School shooting
Following the Oxford High School shooting on Nov.29, students at Huron walked out. Due to this happening so close to Ann Arbor, it impacted students in a way that they were afraid of coming to school. I conducted extensive interviews from the students who stood up and talked at the walkout to science teacher Regina Friske who lives in Oakland County, very close to Oxford. I still remember when she cried during the interview when talking about the parents who lost their kids in the shooting. She said: "As a parent, I don't think anything could be said to me. If I were to be put face-to-face with them I would just be speechless and crying, like I am now. " Hearing her say this gave me chills, writing out the quote she said gave me chills and it still gives me chills.
Unwrapping the stigma: Addressing period poverty
For this third issue, we had already made a plan to have a period spread given the news that Ann Arbor is the first city to require menstrual products in public restrooms. To know more about the ordinance that was set on January 1, 2022, I emailed Mayor Christopher Taylor for an interview. I had no idea whether I was going to get an interview, but I did. I had the pleasure of talking to him about what made him propose this idea. Hearing how a high school student approached him to voice her concerns about a lack of access to menstrual products was inspirational.
- MIPA 3rd place News Story
(After this piece was published and printed, Huron started placing menstrual products within the restrooms, despite the University of Michigan not placing it in their restrooms)
Huron senior Zach Mayrend shot at Gallup Park
On May 12, 2022, Zach Mayrend was shot. Rumors flooded the school and several news outlets. When I interviewed the sources, I asked very specific questions and clarification questions, making sure I got every single detail correct. I wanted the reader to experience and immerse themselves in the situation like they were there witnessing the entire thing when they read the story. This helped me improve on how to "show" instead of "tell" and also enhance my fact-checking process. As journalists, we have the responsibility, to tell the truth.
(Fun Fact: I finished writing the story with editor Jackson Pollard through communication in google docs, right before I underwent surgery)
The ever-changing reality of school safety in Ann Arbor
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Following the several fake threats -- direct and non-direct -- and the lockout conducted at Huron, I was curious to see how the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) District works with Huron High School administration when it comes to the safety protocols and working with law enforcement. I noticed a lot of opinions and misinformation amassing the halls of Huron about administration and AAPS when it comes to safety. I wrote this piece so the student body and AAPS families are aware of the entire process when it comes to a school receiving a threat, real or fake, including what happened on the day of the lockout. The role of safety today, especially with social media, has affected students' daily lives at Huron.