The Perennial has finalized its new staff for the 2024-2025 school year. Juniors Prisha Mohapatra and Jolyn Ding will be the new editors-in-chief, with junior Abigail Kamenetsky as managing editor.
Mohapatra and Ding, who are taking on the role of current Editors-in-Chief Sophia Cheng and Karina Aronson, have been on The Perennial for their entire high school career, progressing together from writer to copy editor to section editor.
“I’ve been in every single role leading up to editor-in-chief,” Mohapatra said. “So I really have an idea of what each person on the writing staff is looking for and the sort of guidance that they need.”
Mohapatra said she strives to supply new ideas for the paper and transfer her leadership qualities obtained through her prior experiences. Her ideas range from expanding the readership of the paper to partnering photographers and illustrators per section.
The previous Sports section Editor, Ding, also believes her experience as a copy editor and section editor will help facilitate the transition to editor-in-chief.
“I got to get a feel for what being a part of journalism truly feels like and what it feels like to be in a leadership role,” Ding said.
Ding states that her motivation for accepting this new position is her passion for writing and sharing insights.
“I really enjoyed being able to connect with people and also help them improve their writing,” Ding said.
On the news team, freshman Katie Maier is replacing senior Raghav Ramgopal as the second news section editor, along with junior Christina Tanase.
Additionally, junior Annabelle Eaton will serve as editor of the new Breaking News section, with the intent of providing a news outlet for events that need immediate attention. She hopes to employ her previous experience as writer and copy editor to give sound feedback to other writers.
“I am excited to take on the role of starting a new section that The Perennial has never had before,” Eaton said.
Junior Violet Negrette, who currently serves as copy editor, will be taking over the position of opinion editor, formerly occupied by junior Abigail Kamenetsky.
“I really want the people I work with to explore all facets of their lives and write pieces on anything inspirational to them,” Negrette said.
Sophomore Lara Parikh has been selected as the Perennial’s new Science & Tech Editor after being on the team as a writer for two years. Next year, she aims to highlight more global events through the lens of STEM.
Sophomore Mailey Wang’s passion for sports has driven her to the position of Sports Editor. She wants to achieve a deeper connection with her fellow writers to help them grow.
“I hope to continue to explore the technical articles about sports games but also explore the community and enthusiasm behind Pinewood sports,” Wang said.
Freshman Alisha Ramani and sophomore Dhruv Gupta will transition from writers to copy editors, positions previously occupied by senior Brandon Ge, Eaton and Negrette.
Next year, The Perennial’s online website will be managed by sophomore Jake Reynders, the new Web Editor.
On the visual side, freshman Elizabeth Liang is taking the role of Illustration Editor. She hopes to utilize her skills not only in drawing art, but also leading others and striving to produce the best newspaper possible.
“Becoming Illustration Editor for journalism motivates me to spend more time on my passions,” Liang said.
On the photography team, junior Rose Xu is the new Photo Editor. Her objective is to employ various methods to help students improve communication to better meet deadlines.
