Amid the flurry of students rushing to their classes this past week, they are preparing for a year full of growth and change. Students will be busy studying, learning how to drive and completing college applications. Some will cast a ballot for the first time, while others will be registering as an eligible voter in future elections.
As students begin to explore and form their opinions, they are also confronted with debates on pressing issues within their local community, the nation and the world at large.
The Student News column writers consist of five high school journalists from across San Mateo County who are eager to share their perspectives: Josie Belfer, Jeannine Chiang, Ellen Li, Jackson Sneeringer and, me, Eileen Liu.
Belfer is a senior at the Nueva School. She has been writing for her school newspaper for the past four years and will serve as editor-in-chief this year. Outside of journalism, she loves reading, swimming and knitting.
Jeannine Chiang is a senior at Burlingame High School. She is the managing editor of the student newspaper, The Burlingame B, and her work has been featured in The Nation, Microsoft Network, The Los Angeles Post, Ethnic Media Services, and KTSF Channel 26. In her free time, she is an avid swimmer and loves jamming out to The Smiths. This year, she plans to explore topics in the column such as current events, community and schoolwide news, and all things related to the environment.
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Ellen Li is a senior at Aragon High School, and the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Aragon Outlook. She has loved writing since she was in fifth grade, often writing short stories and poems. She decided to participate in journalism in ninth grade as a way to expand her writing experience. She has grown increasingly interested in investigative journalism, which she sees as a way to spread awareness in the community about issues that are often unseen, helping to initiate conversations. As an engineer who participates in robotics, she hopes to explore the intersection of technology in her columns as well as focus on her opinions of the world around her.
Jackson Sneeringer is a senior at Carlmont High School. She has been involved in journalism since 10th grade and is the editor-in-chief for her school newspaper, Scot Scoop. She also writes for her school’s newsmagazine, The Highlander. Jackson is interested in writing about environmental policies, college admission, male bodies in Hollywood and the concept of license plate frames as free advertising. She enjoys swimming, water polo, Girl Scouts and debate.
I am a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School. In addition to working as a journalist for my school’s The M-A Chronicle, I have been a Student News columnist for three years. I am interested in sharing the voices of local immigrant-owned businesses and startups. In addition, I enjoy covering student perspectives and initiatives on local environmental issues and policies. When I am not writing, you can find me tabling at different environmental events, hiking The Dish and photographing the beauty of nature and friendship.
We are all excited to share our voices and perspectives in the Student News column this year, contributing to more awareness on a variety of issues that affect the world around us all.
Eileen Liu is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.
Thanks very much, Ms. Liu, for introducing us to the students who will be writing for the Student News. I look forward to their, along with your continued, viewpoints and contributions to the Daily Journal. It’s always enlightening to hear student viewpoints. It’d be more interesting to understand how they arrive at some of these viewpoints – nature, nurture?
I, too, look forward to reading what our local student columnists have to say.
Weekly opinion pieces submitted by our student columnist cohort come with an added bonus. When someone (present company included) reads the well-crafted writing, their writing skills improve. The student columns not only inform... they can also improve the exchange of ideas. That is a bonus.
Good luck to you and the rest of your team in 2024-2025!
Welcome all of you to this forum. As in the past I am looking forward to balanced perspectives on current issues. You have big shoes to fill but I am sure you will do well. Don't be afraid to go against the prevailing grain of most writers in this County and express your unindoctrinated opinions.
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(5) comments
Thanks very much, Ms. Liu, for introducing us to the students who will be writing for the Student News. I look forward to their, along with your continued, viewpoints and contributions to the Daily Journal. It’s always enlightening to hear student viewpoints. It’d be more interesting to understand how they arrive at some of these viewpoints – nature, nurture?
Hey, Eileen... welcome back!
I, too, look forward to reading what our local student columnists have to say.
Weekly opinion pieces submitted by our student columnist cohort come with an added bonus. When someone (present company included) reads the well-crafted writing, their writing skills improve. The student columns not only inform... they can also improve the exchange of ideas. That is a bonus.
Good luck to you and the rest of your team in 2024-2025!
Welcome to all of our new colleagues! I look forward to learning from you all.
good luck. we need more columns like this, but with more schools represented.
Welcome all of you to this forum. As in the past I am looking forward to balanced perspectives on current issues. You have big shoes to fill but I am sure you will do well. Don't be afraid to go against the prevailing grain of most writers in this County and express your unindoctrinated opinions.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.