Summary
As an former editor for Scot Scoop, Carlmont's award-winning electronic newspaper, I revised and published articles written by other Staff Writers, many of which have won awards. I've also published several of my own articles ranging from in-depth features to detailed coverage of Bay Area events.
Now, as the Social Media Editor-in-Chief, I oversee all four social media platforms for Scot Scoop, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat.
Now, as the Social Media Editor-in-Chief, I oversee all four social media platforms for Scot Scoop, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat.
Features
Teenagers need understanding, not fixing
"I hate you!”
Her words echo down the hallway, followed by the slam of a bedroom door and the distinctive click of a lock. Her parents are left gaping at the barrier between them and their teen child, wondering, “Where did we go wrong?” Does this sound familiar? This is how the media presents a typical teenager: temperamental, ungrateful for their parents, and emotional over insignificant things. It’s what parents expect, and it’s how teenagers are treated. |
When a Tower Falls
If you took an image of any of the 15 fires that have afflicted California in the last week, it would look like a snapshot from hell.
Here in the Belmont-San Carlos area, the air pollutant PM 2.5 lingers in the air, a cautious reminder of the fires that burn not so far away from where we sit in our classrooms. The fine particle can cause both short-term symptoms, such as eye, throat, and lung irritation, as well as long-term symptoms, including bronchitis and exacerbated respiratory and cardiovascular issues. According to the Sacramento Bee, wind speeds have reached highs of over 100 mph in Alpine Meadows and Pine Flat Road. Sonoma County is the most deeply affected by both the high winds and wildfires. High winds have prompted electric company PG&E to shut-off power in approximately 30 counties across the Bay Area in an attempt to prevent further wildfires. At one point, over 1.5 million Bay Area residents were left without power. |
Carlmont Smash tournament is a "smashing" success
Bystanders watch eagerly as the two characters onscreen exchange blows back and forth. The players sit hunched, eyes alert, entirely focused on the battle. Their fingers fly across their controllers with practiced ease. Murmurs fill the air as one character takes a direct hit and is launched off the stage, but is able to recover. The battle continues, anticipation heavy in the air as all eyes are on the same screen.
This is no friendly challenge. This is the Carlmont Super Smash Bros. tournament. |
2020 Super Tuesday
All you need to know to prepare for the Democratic primaries and 2020 presidential elections
What do Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia all have in common?
They’ll be casting their votes in the Democratic primaries on March 3, 2020, also known as Super Tuesday. Super Tuesday marks the single day when the most voters and states have a chance to participate in the polls and determine the future of the country. According to the Washington Post, more than a third of all delegates for the Democratic National Convention will be up for grabs. Each aspiring candidate needs 2,376 delegates to win the nomination, which means Super Tuesday has the potential to affect the rest of the 2020 presidential race. |
2020 Super Tuesday
The roar of the crowd echoes in her ears as the spotlight beams, highlighting her still figure. All eyes are on her, and yet, she doesn’t falter as she explodes into movement, the tapping of her shoes against the floor dominating the gym.
Cheers fill the air as she pauses, but her performance isn’t over yet. Her hands reach up and begin to clap, and soon, the crowd is clapping along too as the music comes on, a backdrop for the star onstage. Chelsea Plunkett is only a freshman, but her performance captured both the heart of Carlmont’s student body and the essence of the Heritage Fair. Every year, Heritage Fair welcomes clubs to celebrate their culture and raise awareness through the assembly, and this year was no exception. |
Bay Area News
Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival means business
For many people, the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival is a perfect way to celebrate the fall fervor. This year, the festival was open from Oct. 13 to Oct. 14, bringing back its traditional autumn-themed activities, food, live music, contests, and pumpkin carvings in anticipation of Halloween.
Perhaps the most stunning aspect of the celebration, however, is the colorful range of displays set up in the midst of the festivities, advertising everything from donuts to pottery. Each year, hundreds of artisans apply to the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, looking for a chance to sell their creations. |
Leap Sandcastle Classic builds support for art education
The sun shines brightly overhead as children and adults toil beside the ocean waves, working together to create beautiful sand sculptures in honor of the Leap Sandcastle Classic.
On Nov. 3, the art education organization Leap hosted their annual Leap Sandcastle Classic at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Every year, the event’s main attraction is a sandcastle building contest with live music providing additional entertainment. The Leap Sandcastle Classic was created 36 years ago by Leap, a nonprofit organization aimed towards supporting Bay Area schools without sufficient art education. |
Stanford Splash takes students beyond traditional school curriculum
Purple-colored schedules flutter in students’ hands as they rush to class, relying on paper signs to find their way around the Stanford campus.
This is no ordinary day, however. It’s the weekend of Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, and Stanford Splash is in session. Splash is an educational program founded by Learning Unlimited. The program spans across the U.S. and gives students the opportunity to explore a variety of unique topics beyond normal school curriculum. Splash especially aims to support students that come from traditionally underrepresented areas. |
Opinion
Opinion: Stop storming the stores and stockpiling supplies
You walk into a local store after it took you nearly an hour to find parking. Your eyes scan the shelves, looking for hand sanitizer, wipes, supplies to keep you and your family safe from coronavirus. But instead of the neatly ordered products you’re used to seeing, you’re greeted with blank, empty spaces.
You step farther into the store, roaming up and down aisles, but it’s no use. The cashier shakes her head when you ask when they’ll restock, and you’re forced to leave empty-handed. You drive from store to store, but it’s the same every time. |
Opinion: Podcasts are the future of audio
The average American spends more than 4.5 hours each day listening to music. But in a few years, that may change.
This is not because music is going out of style. Rather, a new trend is coming to the forefront, rising in popularity throughout the past couple of years. Please welcome to the stage … podcasts! As humanity continues to feed their addiction to technology, electronic reporting has become the norm for news outlets. Why buy a newspaper when you can get the news at a click of a button or, better yet, delivered right to your email in a handy-dandy newsletter? The alternative? Listen to a podcast, so you don’t have to read and strain your brain. |
Editorial: Fat isn't the villain you think it is
“Fat is bad for you.”
We hear it every day. Whether we’re told by society or by our parents, it’s a never-ending cycle meant to instill fear of fat and a desire to avoid it at all costs in us. It’s why we check the nutrition label before eating and are biased toward buying anything that’s labeled “no saturated fats” or “fat-free." We, as a society, have villainized fat, claiming it is the cause of the increasingly unhealthy condition of the American population. However, we need to realize that these stereotypes are outdated and based on faulty studies. They should be considered a thing of the past whereas we should be looking to find the actual reason behind our unhealthy lifestyles. |
Layton Greene's 'Tell Ya Story' strikes at the heart
Layton Greene’s debut album is a rollercoaster of emotions, but you won’t hear me complaining. Arguably, it’s the very real aspect of “Tell Ya Story” that brings each individual track together, uniting the album as a cohesive whole.
Although this is only her debut album, Greene has already started to gain attention. Earlier this year, she signed a major label deal with Quality Control, while Billboard pegged her as the “First Lady of R&B.” In “Tell Ya Story,” Greene doesn’t hold anything back — not from her listeners nor herself. Her debut album confronts issues that tend to be swept under the rug in society, hoping to inspire others to share their own stories. “It’s okay not to be okay sometimes. It’s okay to go through stuff,” Greene said. “We’re all human. Sometimes we forget that.” |