Editor-in-Chief

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: reading novels, the paper, philosophy, street signs, anything and everything; working with elementary schoolers.

As editor-in-chief, I help organize and direct the efficiency and productivity of our staff. I’m involved in every part of the article process; I follow each story from its beginning as an idea to its final presentation on the site, editing every article to ensure a high quality of writing on the paper and paying attention to detail. As part of our design team, I work on coming up with innovative new ways to deliver the news through creative design and multimedia presentations. I also work as a reporter, writing articles; I write everything indiscriminately but when possible prefer to focus on education, as I find the information topical and relevant, and in-depth investigative pieces, as I enjoy the tedium of extensive research.

Editor-in-Chief

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: lacrosse, cross-country hiking, skiing, biking, swimming, reading, discovering new music

As editor-in-chief, I help organize and direct the efficiency and productivity of our staff. I’m involved in every part of the article process; I follow each story from its beginning as an idea to its final presentation on the site, editing every article to ensure a high quality of writing on the paper and paying attention to detail.

As a writer, I have a passion for tackling opinion articles and news pieces. I’m an athlete and served as Sports Editor last year, so I also enjoy a good sports article. In general, I love everything we do in journalism because it involves some of my favorite things: writing, asking questions, and being part of a team.

Managing Editor

Grade: Senior
Hobbies: Classical piano, piano theory, reading (newspapers, novels, science journals, The New Yorker), cross-country, basketball, tending to a house full of cats, hiking, appreciating nature

As managing editor, I direct a group of writers, organizing their stories, workload, due dates and progress, while keeping them on task and hopefully enjoying the projects that they are working on. I extensively read and edit my group’s work for grammar and usage errors, as well as stylistic concerns. I also manage quality control for the entire website, attempting to read every story published and tweak final drafts to correct any uncaught errors. As a writer, I enjoy the freedom afforded to journalistic writing, and try to take advantage of that freedom through opinions, choosing topics that interest me or that I feel will challenge me as a writer, as an individual, or both.

Managing Editor,  Spanish Editor, Executive Producer of Bearly News
Grade: Senior
Hobbies: Biking, dancing, hiking, languages, reading, traveling, convincing people that Quentin Tarantino is amazing

As a leader of several different departments, I work to keep people productive, interested, and loving what they do. I’m passionate about acquiring new skills then teaching people to use them and apply it to our website. I have many different interests and participate regularly with blogs, columns, videos, slideshows, and writing to make full use of our website and ensure its quality and development.

Managing Editor, Spanish Translator

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: playing volleyball, hiking, reading

As copy editor, I manage a group of writers, monitoring their progress and ensuring that their stories are posted in a timely manner. I also edit each story before it is posted in order to maintain the high caliber of writing on the website.  I especially enjoy covering breaking news and going further in-depth for larger investigative pieces, and also hope to convey my love of sports by reporting on the teams in my beat, which requires in-depth knowledge of the players and team history.

Website Designer/Manager, Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: mountain (downhill) biking, track bike riding, bmxing, reading philosophy, writing code, and criticizing movies

As the website designer and manager I write the code for the website and design the pages through a combination of php, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and MySQL, using WordPress as an interface. I design new pages for the website in order to tailor our paper to our staff and I add aspects to the website in order to make it more dynamic. I also write opinion pieces and write for my blog, Music Snob.

Sports Editor

Grade: Senior

As sports editor, I manage the site’s sports page; I delegate coverage of our various games, previews of all the different varisty teams, and other miscellaneous articles relating to the sports world to our other writers, as well as covering a handful of games myself. I also write a blog, Schmitt Ballin’ (not my name for it, I wanted Schmitt Happens), which is an excuse for me to complain about what is wrong with the sporting world (and occasionally offer constructive criticism, or, in a very rare instance, praise). I also enjoy venturing out of the wide world of sports to cover political and local news.

Editor of Investigative News, Spanish Editor

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: tennis, skiing, reading

As editor of investigative news, I direct research and write in depth stories. I particularly enjoy writing stories concerning the way the school functions and how decisions concerning our education are made. I also help increase readership by promoting social media advertising among our staff.

Photo Editor, Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: photography, swimming, harp, cooking, listening to music

As photo editor, I help keep the photos on our site looking good, as well as helping people learn how to take better photos, and keeping all our equipment organized. As a writer, I love writing breaking news because it allows you to bring local important events to a wider audience. I also love to write investigative pieces, an being able I get really deeply involved in an issue.

Breaking News Editor

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: tennis, baking, hiking, reading

As the Breaking News editor of the mabearnews, I am responsible for finding
and assigning all breaking news stories. I oversee the Breaking News team,
which writes articles on school-wide news, local news, and relevant
national current events. I also write general articles, and most enjoy
in-depth investigative pieces that often develop from breaking news
stories.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: bellydancing, yoga, blogging

As a second-year writer for M-A Bear News, I concentrate my stories on topics of personal interest to me and focus the majority of the time editing my comedic video segment with Ryan Wentz. Overall, I enjoy following the progress of the site and the transformation my role in M-A Bear News as I complete my last year of high school.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: Tennis, Reading, Politics, Ranting about Politics, Photography, Eating, Fun Stuff

Having been a reader of news for a long time, I asked myself as a sophomore, “how hard can it be to write it?” I soon found out, it is much harder than I had thought. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, I decided to be part of journalism yet again this year. I am passionate about covering politics, education, and the policies made by our school and the district governance teams, because as students those policies, which often go unnoticed, affect us directly. I also enjoy snapping action shots of our great athletes. Mostly, though, I’m in journalism because I like to be around good people. Take a glance up and down our staff page and you’ll quickly realize, journalism is good people.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: dance, hiking (especially new trails with beautiful views), crew (rowing), and spending quality time with my friends.

As a Menlo-Atherton High School journalist, I work to help create sports articles, assist in the “Bearly News” web shows, and attend and report on any breaking news which occurs. These positions require me to attend sports events and make notes on the games and players involved. I am relied on to be at a certain place and time if breaking news occurs in a local spot. The research, investigations, and thought put in to creating articles will not only help me grow as a writer, but as a student as well. From these experiences, I will learn responsibility, reliability, and what goes into the work of becoming a journalist.

Staff Writer

Grade: Sophomore

I am a writer at the M-A Bear News, and as one of the only sophomores, I try to cover storys relating to underclassmen. I also like writing about current events in the Middle East and Asia. I love books so I will try to write book reviews and related artlicles.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: skiing, soccer, debate
I’m a junior at M-A, where I participate in soccer and debate. I enjoy reading good books, when I can find the time. I’m interested in current events around the globe and closely follow politics. I have also worked on the M-A Bear News mobile app.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: playing the piano, cross-country, hiking, spending time with family and friends

 
As a new member of the journalism team, I am very excited to write for and be a part of the M-A Bear News. I look forward to researching and writing articles that are relevant to students at M-A and residents of the Bay Area, and am most interested in news stories that are underreported on or that people want to know more about.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: swimming/waterpolo, soccer, photography, skiing, hiking, traveling, being a grammar nazi

In journalism this year, I would love to write in-depth, investigative pieces- getting to the core of otherwise shallowly discussed, yet interesting topics. I will be part of the Bearly News team to help write for and organize the program. As an athlete, I would also love to report on sports occasionally, and incorporate my love for photography into my role in the class as well. Ultimately, I look forward to growing as a writer, and successfully elevating conversations through this process.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

I joined Journalism out of a desire to expand my horizons. Currently, my “horizons” include theater, schoolwork, and spending time with friends. My interest in journalism, writing as well as reading, has allowed me to look beyond myself and see the bigger picture.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: soccer, guitar, listening to music, reading

This is my first year on the M-A Bear News staff after two years on the staff of the MArk, the school’s literary arts magazine. I was layout editor last year for the MArk and am using my design skills to work on the design of the Bear News website. However, my main function on the site is one-half of the Music Blog as the Music Slob. I post to the site daily with reviews of new albums every Tuesday. Beyond albums, I also update the blog with recent news and reviews of concerts that I attend.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: cross country, track, music

As a staff writer, I write informative and investigative news pieces that contribute to and elevate the conversation, going in-depth. I like that through journalism, I gain a deeper understanding of the subjects I write about and discover new perspectives. I’ve always enjoyed writing and I look forward to improving my skills while developing as a journalist.

Staff writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Singing, Dancing, Acting, Guitar, Songwriting, Talking

I am an adventurous spirit that does what I’m told and writes what needs to be written. I enjoy taking photos for the MABearNews Instagram and Tweeting any trending M-A gossip. I write beats for Wrestling and Baseball, manage the Virus blog, and am a regular movie reviewer as well. Most importantly, I am part of the super selective Sleuth Squad that goes undercover to gather top-secret information for investigative or in-depth pieces.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: Travel, Music, Lacrosse, Cooking, Cars, Skiing, Planes, Photography, Comedy, Nitpicking, Libel

Having worked my way out of the mailroom, I am a staff writer and photographer who enjoys composing reviews, satire pieces, and opinion articles.  I also write general news stories and have a running comedic segment on the Bearly News.  With an inkling of self-diagnosed OCD and heavy doses of colorblindness and humor, I see the world in a unique perspective and hope to provide a new viewpoint for the Bear News.  I enjoy covering the latest news around campus and keeping M-A’s student body informed.  Off the clock I follow international news and can often be found on culinary pursuits to local establishments.  I adore proper grammar, two spaces after periods, and the Oxford comma.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: listening to music, playing water polo, stretching and sleeping in class
As a journalist, I want to be involved in sports writing, keeping everyone up to date on our teams. Also, I’m interested in breaking news stories within the community.

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior
Hobbies: Drawing, listening to music, watching TV, reading, playing video games
This year I have worked on graphic design on the site, making images and helping to redesign the music blog. I also do comics for the site, which are fun to make and I hope everyone enjoys. Along with some miscellaneous articles, I’ve written a few covering the MA Robotics team.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior
Hobbies:  reading: behavioral economics, psychology, The Economist.  Squash, biking, and listening to electronic music.

In my second year with the M-A Bear News, I’ve continued reviewing music and film and tried my hand at book reviews.  I try to spread awareness of and interest in my hobbies, from 3lau’s mixtapes to Kahneman’s ’Thinking Fast and Slow’. I also also enjoy researching national and international issues in politics and policy in order to expand my own as well as my classmates’ concern for issues beyond Menlo-Atherton.  In all my articles I enjoy exploring beyond the fixed curricula and subjects of other high school classes while improving my writing.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: I enjoy swimming and playing water polo whenever I have the chance to do so. My favorite pass time is listening to music on my phone as loud as I can.

I enjoy writting story about the M-A staff. However, I prefer writting about sport and taking action shots. I hope that my stories make an impact on the M-A Bear News website.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

I am a writer for the MA Bear News, and an editor-in-training for next year’s M-A Journalism team. In the fall of 2012, I followed the Football and Cross Country teams during their successful seasons. Also, I have utilized my knowledge and experience communicating in the Spanish language to contribute to the translation of top stories published on the website. Pasé tiempo estudiando en Guatemala, y he tomado clases de Español por casi 10 años. Tengo una pasión por la lengua, y quiero usar mis habilidades para traer nuestros artículos a toda nuestra comunidad. I have a passion for traveling, community service, art, and cultural exchange, and hope to incorporate those topics into many of my articles to come. I dream of utilizing the experience I have gained through participating in the rigorous, but rewarding, Journalism program at M-A, to explore the diverse cultures of the world and bring that knowledge home in writing.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

In this class, my main job is working on our school’s tv show, The Bearly News. I am one of the anchors and am the head writer of the show, as well as sometimes doing the editing. Outside of the show i enjoy writing satires and opinions dealing with current events, occasionally i will dip into sports and news, but I prefer pieces that deal with humor.
Hobbies: Soccer, running, eating, reading while eating, eating while writing, not Spanish, watching movies, hiking, and listening to good music.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: Art, Music, Cross Country

I joined journalism because I enjoy writing and after hundreds of literary analysis essays, writing articles on everything from the latest news to my personal opinion will be a welcome break. I hope to have a successful year, and improve my abilities.

Staff Writer

Grade: Junior

Hobbies: soccer, tennis, hiking, loving Harry Potter, watching/listening to  politics

As a returning journalist this year, I am continuing my work on the sports team and am paying a further interest into politics. I not only enjoy covering politics of the US, but I also enjoy covering news from all over the world. I have a great interest in writing opinion pieces, which challenge me to go in-depth on current events and problems around the world, analyzing both sides of the issue. This year I aspire to improve my journalistic abilities and broaden my interests on the subject.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

Hobbies: traveling, hiking, biking, tweeting, watching movies, and writing.

I enjoy writing opinion pieces and contributing to the Bearly News, as my classmate Hannah Ellefritz and I run the M-A On segment of the show.

Staff Writer

Grade: Senior

My interests include playing saxophone, listening to music, seeing live music, swimming, snowboarding, puns, scenic views, and engaging in lively discussions on a variety of topics. I pride myself on the hard work I put into every aspect of my life, as well as the way I enjoy life.  I work hard and I play hard.  Some day I hope to be involved in the live music business in some form or another.  I love going to concerts and feel that nothing can come close to the exhilaration of seeing a really good band live.  In this journalism class I hope to quench my near insatiable thirst for truth.

-Benjamin K. Wiener

Staff Writer

Grade: Sophomore

Hobbies: cross country, track and field, listening to music, watching Giants games

As a journalist, I cover many of the sporting events at M-A. I also run the sports opinion blog, “Schmitt Ballin’”.