Other

Over the past two years, two of the largest projects I’ve led have been Harker Aquila’s live coverage of the 2025 Homecoming game and the 2024 Presidential Election. Both events marked major moments in our high school experience and required collaboration across nearly every member of our staff. Leading these projects was one of the most rewarding parts of my role as Editor-in-Chief and News Editor.

Live Coverage: 2025 Homecoming Volleyball Game

One of the biggest challenges of this year’s Homecoming game was its unusual format: instead of the traditional football game, the school hosted a volleyball match on the field due to a shortage of football players. We had never covered volleyball outdoors before, let alone done live coverage of it, and the last-minute nature of the change meant there were many unknowns: how the court would be set up, where reporters would be stationed, how the match’s format would run, and infinite other questions. We stayed in close communication with administrators to adjust our plans in real time.

Almost the entire staff signed up to help cover. To coordinate such a large team, we created a detailed spreadsheet assigning specific roles: writers, photographers, social media managers, interviewers, and SD card runners responsible for transferring photos between photographers and editors. Assignments were based on each staff member’s experience and availability, which required careful balancing.

Centralized spreadsheet containing assignments for every reporter

On the day of Homecoming, we faced several unexpected challenges due to the novelty of the setup. We relocated from the bleachers to the opposite side of the court to give photographers a better vantage point, and because volleyball moves much faster than football, writers initially struggled to capture every play in real time. To adapt, we reassigned additional reporters to help fill in missing details and maintain the pace of coverage.

Despite the unpredictability, our team successfully produced minute-by-minute updates, integrated audience and player interviews, and coordinated live social media posts throughout the match. It was one of the most fast-paced projects we’ve ever done, and I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork and adaptability that made it possible.

Published live coverage article

Staff photo during halftime

Live Coverage: 2024 Presidential Election

I began planning a few weeks in advance, working with my advisor and the EICs to map out our coverage plan: timing, roles, sourcing, visuals and community engagement. We originally hoped to host a school-wide watch party with in-person live coverage, but that idea, which we discussed with the Head of Upper School, was ultimately turned down. Still, I wanted our coverage to be interactive and grounded in real student and teacher voices.

Excerpt of meeting notes from initial planning meeting

One of my top goals was to collect real-time reactions from people across our community. We scheduled interviews with 19 Harker students, teachers, and alumni across different states, aiming to capture a wide range of perspectives. Although not everyone we contacted was able to participate, casting a wide net helped us create a diverse set of perspectives as results came in.

Interview source brainstorming

On election night, 23 staff members helped out. Since it was a school night, I organized shift schedules so no one had to stay the entire time, and I made sure each time slot was covered. I assigned specific roles: live copy updates, interviewers, video editing and infographic updates, so that everything ran efficiently.

Slack messages

Shift assignment spreadsheet

One of the biggest challenges during the night was coordinating and publishing live interviews. Several interviews we had planned didn't come through as interviewees were unable to make it. Each interview required quick editing to be published simultaneously with our updates. Ultimately we published eleven live reactions to the election, strengthening our coverage with key community voices.

Published live coverage article

To make the page visually engaging, we coordinated the use of infographics through a shared Flourish account. I integrated Flourish graphics with Canva and our SNO website so they could update in real time.

To better inform our audience, we included an explainer of each California proposition. Readers could learn more about the propositions as they watched the results for each one come out.

In the end, I’m so proud of what we created, especially the thoughtful interviews, infographics and collaboration! The page ended up getting nearly 700 views, and it’s one of the projects I’m most proud of from my time on staff.

Presentations

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to present sessions at conventions with Harker Journalism, including leading the “Leadership Roundtable” at this year’s JEANC Media Day and presenting the “Humans of [Your School]” session at the 2024 conference. Both experiences were incredible opportunities to share our work and exchange ideas with passionate student journalists, and they reminded me how meaningful this work is to so many people.

"Leadership Roundtable" session, 2025

"Humans of [Your School]" session, 2024

Back to Leadership