Abby Mclaughlin
By Ashley Buckingham ’24
The KO News has been fortunate enough to have had senior Abby McLaughlin on the staff for three years, serving in two different roles. Abby joined the KO News as a sophomore, starting as an associate sports editor and most recently serving as the head sports editor.
Abby’s favorite articles to write were “Senior Spotlight” and “Athlete of the Month” articles because they home in on one athlete. In particular, one of her favorite articles was writing about senior Allie Wildstein as Athlete of the Month.
Abby is thankful for the friends she has made in her time on the staff, especially in the sports section.
Abby encourages anyone considering joining the staff to do it. “My advice to students joining the KO News is to really focus on planning out your time,” she said. “Send out your emails and set up interviews right after planning meetings so you have plenty of time to write your articles.”
We will greatly miss Abby on the staff and thank her for her contributions!
Aliza Sadiq
By Keira Sullivan ’23
For the past three and a half years, the KO News has been lucky enough to have Aliza Sadiq as an associate editor in the news department. She applied for this position after taking journalism during the first semester of her sophomore year. While she initially wanted to be an editor in departments other than news, she’s super happy she ended up where she did.
Aliza said that her favorite part of being on the KO News was being able to connect with different members of the community. “By conducting interviews and getting information for articles by reaching out,” she said, “I got to talk to a lot of new people.”
Her favorite article experience was writing about the 100 Day Breakfast last spring. When writing this article, Aliza was able to get in touch with multiple seniors in order to get their take on the breakfast.
She encourages any new staff members to make the most of their time with the KO News. “Make friends with the other staff members,” she said. “Do not shy away from new or uncomfortable opportunities!”
Even though Aliza will be thoroughly missed by everyone on the KO News, we are so grateful for all the amazing work she has done and can’t wait to see what she’ll accomplish in the future as she heads off to Vassar College in the fall!
Ben Baby
By Keira Sullivan ’23
Senior Ben Baby is certainly a veteran of the KO News, as he’s been on the staff since his freshman year. During his time on the staff, Ben has worn many hats. He began as an associate photographer capturing pictures for the monthly issues. He then wrote for the paper as an associate editor in both the arts and reviews departments.
Ben said he appreciated being able to write as well as take pictures for the KO News, as it gave him the opportunity to get involved in different departments and roles.
His favorite part of being on the KO News staff was collaborating with the other staff in his section. “We could bounce ideas off each other,” he said. “It was a lot easier to come up with more creative article ideas that way.”
Ben shared some advice for anyone looking to join the staff. “Write the articles you want,” he said. “Try to find a section that speaks to you and run with it.” By finding your niche within the paper, Ben said you’ll always be excited to write your articles because you find the topics interesting.
While Ben’s voice as a writer will surely be missed by the KO News, we are looking forward to seeing him succeed in whatever he pursues next!
Caroline Dawson
By Ashley Buckingham ’24
The KO News is sad to wave farewell to senior Caroline Dawson after her two-year tenure on the paper. Caroline joined the KO News during her junior year as an associate sports editor and has since continued to hold that position during her senior year.
Caroline’s favorite articles to write are the “Player of the Moment” articles because they allow her to tell the story of one athlete. “I like to focus on one single player and why they play their sport, why they like it, and what their plans are for the future,” she said.
Caroline’s favorite moments with the KO News were spent on News Days. News Days take place once a month on Sundays when the whole staff gathers to edit the final paper that will be produced for that month. “My favorite memory is News Day,” Caroline said, “because I like being with all the writers all at once collaborating to create the newspaper, and it’s a really good feeling when you finally finish it.”
Caroline encourages all students to join the KO News, reflecting on her positive experience. “You get to talk to and meet so many new people when you go for interviews,” she said. “I think it’s a really good way to be a part of something larger than yourself and produce something that gets read by the entire school and let your voice be heard.”
Caroline says what she will miss most about the KO News is the people, especially those in the sports section who she loved collaborating with each month. We thank Caroline for her contributions to the KO News, and we wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!
Ashleigh Stepnowski
By Jordan DiMauro ’23
Senior Ashleigh Stepnowski has been a member of the KO News since her sophomore year and has left a positive mark on the investigative department during her time on the paper.
During her first year on the KO News staff, Ashleigh worked as the associate investigative editor. Most recently, she held the position of the head editor of the investigative department.
Ashleigh joined the KO News because she always enjoyed reading the paper and wanted to contribute. “I have been reading the KO News since I came to KO in Middle School,” Ashleigh said. “I also really enjoyed taking journalism, so I thought it would be a fun experience.”
Ashleigh has enjoyed all of her roles on the KO News, and she couldn’t pick which of her roles she enjoyed the most.
Ashleigh’s favorite memories from being on the KO News all come from Sunday News Days. “My favorite memory would have to be helping with InDesign pages on News Day,” Ashleigh said. “I know InDesign is difficult, so I really had fun helping people learn to use it.”
The KO News will miss Ashleigh next year, and we wish her the best of luck in college and beyond!
Emma Levinbook
By Ava Cashman ’24
Senior Emma Levinbook has brought her empowering leadership skills, writing expertise, and journalistic drive to the KO News for the past three years, finishing out her tenured as the 2021-2022 Editor-in-Chief.
Emma’s journey as a journalist began in her freshman year journalism class, where she developed a passion for feature writing. As a sophomore, Emma joined the staff as an associate features editor. Following that role, Emma took on the position of Managing Editor of features and arts during her junior year, showing her leadership and dedication during an unprecedented COVID-19 year for the newspaper. For her final year on the staff, Emma fulfilled her goal as a journalist of being the Editor-in-Chief of the KO News, a role in which she truly shined.
Emma was originally drawn to feature writing because it gave her the opportunity to talk one-on-one with a variety of people and learn about their stories. “With features, you have the creative liberty to go deeper into subject matters and really learn about the experiences of others in the community,” she said. Through feature writing, Emma loved learning about what teachers and students do beyond the classroom and the KO community.
Her favorite article that she wrote for the KO News was a feature piece on Mark Mazzetti, an investigative reporter for the New York Times. Mazzetti made a visit to speak at KO in 2019, and Emma’s article, co-written with Alyssa Pilecki ’20, detailed his career and story. “It was my favorite article that I wrote, but it was also one of the most difficult articles I had to write,” Emma shared. “There was so much to work through in trying to figure out what were the most important points that we needed to get out of the article versus what was interesting to me personally. It was my job to really bring forward his story and what was most important to him.”
Her experience in interviewing Mazzetti was both daunting and gratifying, and it provided her with an unparalleled lens into the field she was passionate about. “I was very intimidated for the interviewing part of the article, and I had a lot more nerves for that interview than for any interview I had done prior,” Emma said, “but it was also really rewarding to be able to talk to someone who actually does journalism for a living.”
Emma’s favorite part of being on the KO News is getting to work with people that she might not have otherwise had the opportunity to work with. “I love the community aspect of the KO News in terms of having a group of people come together on Sunday mornings for News Days to work together,” she said.
As Editor-in-Chief of the KO News, Emma embraced the role of overseeing the KO News staff with passion and excitement. Her favorite aspect of her role is the lens it provides her into each section of the newspaper; she enjoys getting to see everyone’s work and bringing it together into one, cohesive publication each month. “I’m really passionate about journalism, and I’ve always wanted to be editor-in-chief,” Emma said, “so I feel really lucky to be able to have had the role of overseeing the paper.”
Emma advises anyone interested in being a part of the KO News to welcome risk-taking as a key part of their journalistic practice. “There are a lot of things that you might be hesitant writing about, but those always end up being the best articles,” Emma said, “when you’re trying to push through, trying to get to the heart of the story and the heart of the message.”
She also touched on the difficulty and reward that come with writing about topics that are especially meaningful to you. “Sometimes the most meaningful things can take a lot of work to get perfect,” she shared. “I think taking risks and putting yourself out there, especially in interviews, is so important. [Interviewing] is learning how to converse with another person in a meaningful, efficient, and effective way,” Emma advised, “and I think that can be taken outside of a newspaper setting.”
Emma’s impact on the KO News across her three years on the staff is seen far and wide throughout the publication and in the KO community. We are so beyond grateful for her contributions and wish her the best of luck in college as she heads off to Cornell University in the fall!
Garrett Gallup
By Teddy Crowther ’22
As the 2021-2022 school year comes to the end, the KO News will say goodbye to senior Garrett Gallup, a crucial and reliable addition to the staff during his three years with the paper. Garrett joined the KO News after taking journalism during the first semester of his sophomore year, taking a role as an associate opinions editor before moving to the reviews section last year for the remainder of his tenure.
Throughout his time on the KO News, Garrett has written articles on a multitude of subjects, ranging from sports to COVID-19 to his favorite movies, but one topic that stands out is his passion for cars. In a reviews section with a wide variety of ideas, Garrett’s articles have always stood out due to his musings on truck models, spacers, or the best type of Jeep shoes. “My favorite article I wrote was a review of the 2022 Ford F-250,” Garrett said.
For Garrett, his favorite part of his experience on the KO News was attending news days and assembling the paper to publish for the KO community.
While Garrett may not know his future plans at the moment, he can rest assured knowing that his time on the KO News has allowed him to develop meaningful relationships and gather numerous experiences that he can recall later in life. As the paper moves forward after his departure, Garrett asks that the staff continue to pursue their passions, writing and exploring what is interesting to them. “My piece of advice is to write about what you are passionate about or interested in,” Garrett said.
We will miss Garrett as he leaves the KO News staff, and we thank him for his contributions to a fantastic year on the paper.
Katharine Doar
By Ava Cashman ’24
Senior Katharine Doar has brought her enthusiasm, creativity, and style to the KO News for the past three years in the features section. She has held the role of an associate features editor during her time on the news and is also a member of the KO News social media and promotions team. Most notably, Katharine has been a contributor to the Fashionista of the Month column for the past two years.
Katharine’s interest in journalism sparked during her freshman year journalism class. “I learned to express myself and really have a creative outlet to write authentic articles,” she said.
Being a part of the KO News was always a goal for Katharine, and after completing the journalism course, she served as a writer and ultimately joined the features section. She was inspired by the work of many of the past KO News features journalists and wanted to continue their legacy in this section. “I have always been passionate about journalism,” Katharine shared. “I always read the articles of Sophia Kaufman ’20 in the Fashionista of the Month section, and I thought they were interesting and fun, and I liked how she interviewed a diverse range of people.”
Katharine’s favorite article that she has written for the KO News is a Fashionista of the Month profile on senior Teddy Crowther. “He had been wanting to be Fashionista of the Month for forever, and I finally caved in and gave it to him,” she jokingly shared. “The interview was just really fun, and the article came out great.”
Being a part of the KO News has given Katharine a community she is grateful for. “The camaraderie between the people on the KO News is really great,” she said. “I love being able to communicate with lots of people and be a part of something that is so rooted in our community.”
Katharine advises anyone new to the KO News to not be afraid to take risks. “Be creative and step out of your comfort zone,” she said, “and write things that you are passionate about and you feel will make a change when people read it.”
Katharine’s contributions, experiences, and skills as a member of the KO News will last during her time in college and beyond, and everyone in the features section and the rest of the staff wishes her the best of luck as she heads off to Southern Methodist University next fall!
Koby Braunstein
By Teddy Crowther ’22
The KO News will be losing a valued member of the staff in senior Koby Braunstein when he graduates this spring, leaving behind a strong impact on the sports section and on the paper as a whole. Koby joined the news during his sophomore year, writing for the news department for a year before moving to his current position as an associate sports editor.
Koby has found a passion for writing in the sports section, exploring the vast landscape of KO athletics and sharing the successes of our athletes with the rest of the community. “I chose to write for the sports section because it’s something I’m really passionate about,” Koby said. “Giving a spotlight to all the KO teams, players, and coaches that showcases their hard work and dedication over the course of a season has been a joy.”
Koby has played an important role within the sports section, mentoring younger writers while being a reliable contributor for his own work. Most recently, Koby has written about both squash teams, as well as the varsity ice hockey team. “I love seeing the finished product of every article,” Koby added. “Writing can be a long and meticulous process, but reading something over the final time before sending it off to get published is a great feeling.
Outside of the KO News, Koby has been attending KO since Upper Prep. He manages the boys varsity basketball team and will be a captain on the boys varsity tennis team this upcoming spring. Koby has also been a Shield and Dragon member for three years, and spends time outside of the school volunteering for the Friendship Circle, an organization that connects teens with disabled persons.
Koby will miss the tight bonds and relationships he has formed during his time on the KO News. “What I will miss the most about the KO News is the camaraderie among everyone on the staff,” Koby said. “I wish next year’s staff the best of luck and to continue to represent the many aspects of KO’s amazing community.”
We thank Koby for his hard work and dedication towards the KO News and wish him luck in all of his future endeavors!
Nate Welsh
By Samhita Kashyap ’22
Senior Nate Welsh has been a staple in the KO News community ever since he arrived at KO last year. Starting the year as a new junior, he took a journalism independent study with English and journalism teacher Cathy Schieffelin during his first semester and then joined the staff as an associate investigative editor during the second semester. As an investigative journalist, he has been able to closely examine and interact with the KO community.
“My favorite article that I have written while on the KO News is probably my article on political engagement,” he said. In that article, Nate detailed his experience as a poll worker and also explored different ways KO students engaged with the 2020 election. It was one of his first articles published in the KO News, and since then, he has brought an undeniable enthusiasm and passion in his journalistic pursuits.
Nate’s favorite part of the KO News is News Day, which is when the entire KO News staff gathers one Sunday morning a month to eat bagels and lay out pages.
We thank Nate for his stellar contributions to the KO News and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors!
Samhita Kashyap
By Annabelle Jacobs ’23
Senior Samhita Kashyap has been a three-year contributor to the KO News staff and will be greatly missed as she says her final goodbyes to the paper.
Samhita began her time on the KO News as an associate arts editor. She was excited about this position because she has always been very involved with the performing arts at KO as a member of the choir and of the many productions that have been put on over the years. Samhita then went on to assume the position of the head arts editor during her junior year and, this year, she was managing editor of features and arts.
Samhita has enjoyed her time being part of the staff and will especially miss the News Days. “It’s a really fun time because you just get to hang out with friends and layout pages, and it’s super low stress” she said.
Samhita expressed that the most challenging part of being a part of the KO News is finding more topics to write about within the KO community. “There are a lot of community events that happen and sometimes we just don’t know about them,” she said. Samhita has improved her abilities of reaching out to people in the community to gather plenty of information.
Samhita has loved feeling connected to the community by hearing other people’s stories through the KO News. She has greatly appreciated how being a part of the KO News has taught her to manage her time, and she can’t wait to take that skill with her to college.
The KO News staff will miss Samhita’s amazing contributions to the arts and features sections next year, and we wish her all the best in college!
