OPINIONS
As a student journalist, I've often struggled with when and how to put my voice out there. In a profession that traditionally demands impartiality, opinion pieces initially represented an uncomfortable leap to the other side. As the years have gone by, though, I've gradeually become more confident expressing my opinion on both TJ and non-TJ matters.
OPINIONS
Podium Promises
Our lead editorial for the November print issue covered ways that we could make our student government elections more engaging and substance-based. One of the challenges of the piece was grounding the article in facts and legitimate solutions. In order to do this, I included statistics about voter turnout in student elections Additionally, I highlighted measures that would engage more voters such as town halls and debates. Following publication, I heard from members of student government that they would be working to implement several of our proposals.
*ILLUSTRATION BY CAT TRAN
*ILLUSTRATION BY PRAMODANI ARULKUMAR
Parental Control
As parents all over Fairfax County campaigned to ban select books and alter aspects of the curriculum, I and the rest of the editorial board agreed that we needed to write our October lead editorial on the issue. After an in-class discussion, we wrote an opinion that acknowledged the benefits of parent advocacy, but also proposed ways to make it more respectful of teachers and School Board members. The article, which we published in both the magazine and our online website, made waves throughout the community. While some parents attacked us for the piece and wondered "what sort of punishment" we deserved, others praised us for our approach to the matter.
*PHOTO VIA NETFLIX
"The LoveBirds" Review: Kept in Flight by its Lead Actors' Chemistry
In this movie review of "The Lovebirds," I praised the performances but questioned the outlandish plot. The piece was just my second movie review at the time. As a result, I initially struggled with how to deliver nuanced, concise feedback without revealing spoilers. In the end, after working with my editor, I managed to craft a piece that clearly communicated my opinion without ruining the film for any readers.
*PHOTO VIA DISNEY
Disney’s Plan for Mulan May Become the New Model for Pandemic Movie Releases
Following the direct release of Mulan on Disney+, I decided to write an opinion on the implications for the theater industry going forward. As a box office fanatic, the rise of direct-to-streaming releases fascinated me. In order to write a convincing opinion, I included statistics on revenue-sharing with theaters as well as on streaming viewership.