By Emma Westerhof

Sentry Staff Reporter

As the school year draws to a close, the summer light at the end of the tunnel is gradually coming into focus. Challenged with the not-so-easy tasks of studying for finals and pulling up any remaining bad grades, few students would think to read the newspaper during this stressful time. Before everyone completely switches to summer mode, the Sentry would like to formally recognize a few of the newly-accepted staff members who will begin their work for the school newspaper in the fall. All applicants demonstrated great interest, promise and dedication to writing, making it an extremely difficult decision-making process. The current staff is grateful to the administrators, teachers and student body for supporting and encouraging investigative journalism. Graduating reporters and editors will be missed, but they are leaving the newspaper in capable hands.

Introducing…

Reporter Beth Gentsch

Rising junior Beth Gentsch is thrilled to join the Sentry staff and develop her writing skills. Talented at communicating with others and meeting deadlines, Gentsch has discovered that using laughter and humor brings people together and promotes a sense of unity that will be instrumental on the newspaper staff. Gentsch is excited to have the opportunity to channel her inner creativity outside of English class and work on a team where everyone pitches in to make a professional final product. When asked about the direction journalism in the modern world is heading, Gentsch expressed her support for both online and print articles depending on the situation.

“Print newspapers may become obsolete in the future just because of how fast technology is advancing. However, you can’t really beat the feeling of physically flipping through pages in front of you. Both mediums are important to the public,” said Gentsch.

While this is her first time writing on a team of sorts, she is eager to learn new things and draw upon her background in factual writing for her future articles.  Lacrosse, field hockey and swimming are important to Gentsch, who finds the sports section of the newspaper particularly appealing.

As a future reporter, Gentsch is intrigued by the idea of crossing paths with different types of people.

“I would enjoy interviewing people because it’s a rare chance to discover things about them you may not have otherwise. I would love to write about different controversies that affect our school life. It’s crucial to show direct input from different students and teachers so the reader is able to get a glimpse of both sides of any story,” said Gentsch.

Gentsch emphasizes the importance of forming close relationships between reporters and photographers. She hopes to contribute a sense of teamwork, willingness and motivation. She is happy to be able to participate in this special opportunity.

Reporter John Trainum

Among his classmates and friends, rising junior John Trainum is well-known for strong political views and witty insights. Interested in writing for the opinion section, Trainum believes the key to producing a successful newspaper is contributing good topics for conversation and dialogue that will get people thinking about things that affect our community and society the most.

“I’d like to focus on topics that may have gone untouched in previous years. I think this will better allow the student voice to be heard. Covering topics that students are more focused on, or that affect them either in school or in the real world is necessary. Writing more opinion pieces would encourage more people to read the paper, and maybe even join it,” said Trainum.

Trainum is no stranger to writing thought provoking pieces. Stating that he is best at writing in a way that explains information well while adding his own take on the issue, Trainum excels at writing persuasively yet factually- something he believes is a critical component of good journalism. He enjoys training in jiu-jitsu, snowboarding and following current events in world news. Trainum is drawn to non-fiction literature about economics and political philosophy and his favorite books are The Machinery of Freedom by David Friedman and Chaos Theory by Bob Murphy.

According to Trainum, the future of journalism will be almost entirely online in the form of videos, articles and blogs.

“I’m certainly more drawn to online news in all its different forms. I get most of my news through sites like Reddit and Twitter, along with reading Russia Today or The Intercept on occasion. Information is just so much more accessible and easily distributed online,” said Trainum.

Conversation skills and logical thinking are two things important to Trainum. To ensure a cohesive team dynamic he suggests the newspaper continues to look for ways it can improve and develop.

“If a team lacks communication, it doesn’t stand a chance, be it a sport or a newspaper. Discussing the topics we’re writing about is something I want to do more of when I am on staff, because gaining new perspectives and lenses is crucial,” said Trainum.

Trainum is looking forward to expanding his writing portfolio and incorporating both humor and thoughtful thinking in his future articles.

Reporter Maddie McNamee

Rising sophomore Maddie McNamee is a dedicated, cheerful and extremely hardworking person. Her talents include (but are not limited to) being able to finish a whole box of thin mints in one sitting, annoying her siblings by blasting the Frozen soundtrack throughout the house, stressing out over math tests, quoting High School Musical, playing field hockey and watching endless hours of Grey’s Anatomy. Her favorite book is John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and she loves to read romantic and heart wrenching stories. McNamee is a diehard baseball fan and follows the Washington Nationals and her favorite player Bryce Harper religiously.

“I am probably one of the weirdest and most outgoing people at Yorktown. I love making others laugh and sharing funny stories,” said McNamee.

McNamee chose to apply for the Sentry because journalism has always sparked her interest. Passionate about English and writing, she hopes to further her progress under the guidance of fellow reporters, editors and Chrissy Wiedemann. McNamee becomes ecstatic when she considers utilizing her knowledge of baseball and other sports to write for the sports section of the newspaper. McNamee is also thrilled by the prospect of peer-editing and working with upperclassman to polish articles. As far as improving readership, McNamee has a lot of ideas.

“Everyone loves to see their name in the paper, even if it is only one sentence. Students would then also want to show others how they made their way into the newspaper. Doing so will help more students voices be heard,” said McNamee.

For McNamee, it is most important to have a positive attitude when working with others.

“A positive outlook on something helps manage stress and makes your interactions with others more harmonious. If you have a positive attitude, everything seems to get done easily, along with boosting self-esteem for yourself and others around you,” said McNamee.

McNamee believes that eliminating print newspapers could benefit society because paper would be saved and articles on the Internet would be more accessible to students. That being said, McNamee cannot imagine a world without print published news.

“I love print newspapers because they have a classic feel to them and encourage students to read more and rely less on technology,” said McNamee.

After learning that she had been accepted onto the Sentry staff, McNamee felt like her high school experience was getting more rich and exciting.

“This sounds like such a fantastic experience and I feel so lucky. I cannot wait to meet new people and learn new things,” said McNamee.

Featured Image by Alex Brandolino