Throughout their three year tenure, senior Raine Wang has undoubtedly acted as the driving force behind the KO News, especially during their time as Editor-in-Chief. Their dedication, sharp editorial judgment, and thoughtfulness has shaped the KO News into what it is today.
Raine joined the staff their sophomore year as an Associate Features Editor and transitioned to Managing Editor of Opinions and Reviews their junior year. Each of these two positions allowed Raine to express their journalistic voice and ideas in different ways. “I really liked being in features as an associate because I didn’t have a lot of editing responsibilities,” Raine said. “I enjoyed the simplicity of that, but managing Opinions and Reviews was also fun because it was a little bit looser.” Although those lighter positions offered more free time and less weight, Raine emphasized that being Editor-in-Chief was by far the most rewarding experience on the KO News. “I really liked reading everybody’s work,” Raine explained. “Some people had fantastic writing, and I was always excited to read their articles.”
Over the years, Raine has written an impressive array of articles that reflect both their journalistic versatility and intellectual curiosity. From thoughtful opinion pieces to the Wyvern’s Tale, their writing has always carried a clear voice and careful attention to detail. Among their many outstanding contributions, one article is Raine’s favorite: a piece on contemporary art titled “Modern Art is Killing Creativity.” In it, they critique the often inaccessible and over-intellectualized world of modern and postmodern art, questioning whether abstraction has lost touch with genuine human expression. “I do really enjoy being that passionate and opinionated about something,” Raine said. “I feel that showing your opinion in that way can be really fun.”
KO News has been a significant part of Raine’s high school experience whether in regard to the people they have worked with or the articles they have written. Raine reflected on the undeniable impact the KO News has had on them. “How has it not shaped my high school experience?” Raine questioned. “I feel like half of my high school career has been spent doing KO News. It’s just been such a big part of my life, especially senior year, because I had more responsibility. And it is the people that I’ve worked with that have really helped shape it.”
Raine has shared a particularly close bond with English teacher and KO News advisor Cathy Schieffelin, someone they’ve felt comfortable being open and vulnerable with during their time at KO. Whether sharing their poetry or pieces for the paper, Raine has valued Ms. Schieffelin’s thoughtful feedback and trusted her as someone who truly saw and understood their work.
Raine has repeatedly stressed the fact that the community that the KO News fosters is one that thrives on collaboration, creativity, and mutual inspiration. “I think just working with other writers again is like one of the best experiences you can ever have,” Raine explained. “I just love reading what other people write and taking inspiration from them.”
Raine has learned countless lessons from their time on the staff, with communication skills and time management being among the most important. “It really emphasizes hard work, timeliness, and being really, really, really honest in your writing,” Raine reflected.
As Raine moves on to Northwestern University this fall as a journalism major, we wish them the best, knowing that the mark they have made on the KO News is everlasting!
