By Harper Kois
Staff Reporter
Senior News Editor and Community aficionado Fiona Shepherd is returning for her third and final year on The Sentry. Though she is heavily academically inclined, Shepherd has a lot of time on her hands for other hobbies, including her love of music.
“I played piano for 5 or 6 years, then I moved on to guitar, ukulele, then I got an electric guitar a couple years ago. When I’m bored, I like to sit down and just learn random songs on the piano, just so I can have something to play,” Shepherd said.
Although she does not want to pursue music on the collegiate level, Shepherd is proud of how far she has come and hopes to continue music after high school.
“I bet even if I don’t plan on it, I’ll end up doing [music] anyway. Because I’ve been doing it for so long, I feel like it’s kind of dumb to stop,” Shepherd said.
Though music is Shepherd’s main hobby, she still has a surprising amount of time to master her favorite mobile game, Plague Inc.
“Oh my god, it’s so fun. I love Plague Inc. so much. So, basically, on the app, you have a disease, and you have to infect the whole world,” Shepherd said.
When Shepherd isn’t playing violent video games or singing, you can find her daydreaming about beautiful California, where she hopes to attend college.
Although she adores The Golden State, when asked what fictional universe she would want to live in, she chose a place halfway across the world from the sunny west coast.
“I would choose the Harry Potter universe, because I’ve always wanted to go to Hogwarts. It sounds so fun,” Shepherd said.
Considering her magical demeanor, Shepherd is perfect for both the Harry Potter universe and The Sentry family. We are delighted that Shepherd has come back to the newspaper this year, and we are eager for her time as our News Editor. The combination of her driven personality and her love for writing and journalism will undoubtedly make her final year on The Sentry a memorable one.
By Fiona Shepherd
News Editor
Sophomore Harper Kois has many passions, but her longest-standing interest is finally being recognized as she enters The Sentry this year. Coming from a family of journalists, Kois’ investment in media is lifelong.
“My dad is a journalist, so I was exposed to it at a young age, and we have always had newspapers at our house. We have a bin of old newspapers I always used to read,” Kois said.
Despite this long-term interest, Kois’ decision to apply for The Sentry was somewhat spur-of-the-moment.
“I’ve always liked writing and journalism and found it very interesting, but I guess I never really put two and two together to join the newspaper,” Kois said.
Outside of journalism and media, Kois also has an interest in advocation and networking as a member of Arlington’s Teen Network Board.
“I’m a co-chair of a committee within [Teen Network Board] called Peer to Peer, which is a teen-led county commission that strives to bring teens together and give teens more of a voice in Arlington,” Kois said.
Kois’ passion for helping people extends into her career aspirations, and she hopes to channel her interest in English and language into her job as well.
“I have always wanted to be a reading specialist for elementary school kids. I’ve always thought it could be rewarding to help kids who have trouble reading,” Kois said.
Outside of academics, Kois spends her time honing her artistic skills.
“A hobby I really love to do is face painting. During quarantine I did a lot of it … I have so many pictures on my phone of crazy stuff I would paint on my face,” Kois said.
While Kois may seem like your usual high school sophomore, her choice of food combinations reveals a side of her that toes the line between quirky and unhinged.
“I love goldfish and apple sauce. I have a bowl of each, and I eat it like cereal,” Kois said.
Kois’ open-mindedness towards food combinations is indicative of her willingness to accept diverse viewpoints, which is one of the things she appreciates about journalism.
“Reporting shows people things that they never really thought of before, especially with opinion articles. With journalism, you can get all sides of the issue and actually see what’s going on,” Kois said.
Aside from journalism and The Sentry’s annual One Day Issue, Kois has a lot to look forward to this year.
“I’m looking forward to softball season in the spring, because it’s always really fun. Playing softball is fine, but my favorite part is the bus rides, because we have a ginormous speaker, and everyone just sings on the bus,” Kois said.
As Kois enters her first year on staff, we are so lucky to have her. With her lifelong interest in journalism and magnetic personality, Kois will be an excellent addition to The Sentry family.
