High School Insider year in review: Reflecting on students’ stories in 2022

In 2022, High School Insiders from across the country and throughout the world told important stories about their schools, communities and the issues that matter most to them. Team HS Insider has gathered a collection of these stories to reflect on and celebrate the end of the year.

Feature enterprise stories by HSI summer interns

Camila Salas: Changing the Latinx community through food, from those who know best

“They speak to people through food, a language understood regardless of language or motherland. Change can be as simple as the amazing smell coming from la cocina.”

Valeria Macias: “It is no longer a city where you can raise your kids”: How SoFi Stadium changed Inglewood

“For the people in the city of Inglewood, the SoFi Stadium changed their home when it opened back in September 2020. What was once a city filled with Black and Latinx culture is now filled with tourists and commotion, disturbing its local residents.”

Pamela Garcia: Anaheim’s Chain Reaction: The heart of the alternative music scene

“However, for many pop-punk and hardcore fans in L.A. and Orange County, it’s a different sight. They know they’ve come to the right place when they can see a lengthy line of people, dressed head-to-toe in black attire, wrapped around the block to cram into a small venue.”

Meera Hatangadi: Around 8,000 miles away, Indian American volunteers give back to their homeland through volunteer organization eVidyaloka. 

“When speaking with some of the Indian American teacher volunteers at eVidyaloka, the passion for fostering change in the world is palpable in the air. As they speak about their volunteering work, their voices carry enthusiasm and passion for giving back to the community”.

Sungjoo Yoon: Breaking barriers: how high school students of marginalized backgrounds are raising good hell through debate

“Amidst an activity dominated by elite private schools and wealthy, predominantly white students, his team at VHTPA is a rare yet emblematic success story that reflects the potential of high school forensics to change lives. The public school, a member of the Los Angeles Unified School district, sits on the outskirts of the South Bay”.

Delilah Brumer: More than a game: Los Angeles Scrabble Club creates community through competition 

“Some are writers, while others work in finance or education. Some are young parents, while others have grandchildren. Some have played for decades, while others started a few years ago. But, all these players have one thing in common — they are not “Scrabble civilians.”

Frankie Smith: Women in the food truck industry: Turning adversity into empowerment

“By nature, food trucks drive around Los Angeles serving customers from all different walks of life, creating unexpected gathering places which promote community building and serve a wide audience. Although underrepresented in the industry, female food truck owners intend to make an impact on their broader community.”

Thank you to our mentors and guest speakers that supported our interns throughout the summer internship.

L.A Times Editorial Mentors

Ashlea Brown
Ben Oreskes
Faith Pinho
Heba Elorbany
Julia Wick
Kate Linthicum
Priscella Vega
Suzy Exposito

Guest Speakers

Ada Tseng
Asal Ehsanipour
Calvin Alagot
Darrell Kunitomi
Doug Smith
Jaclyn Cosgrove
Karen Garcia
Monika Khare
Steve Padilla

In May 2022, HS Insider welcomed Rebecca Castillo as the HSI Project Lead.

New HS Insider Project Lead Rebecca Castillo

HS Insider, the CSU Northridge journalism department and Southern California Journalism Educators Association came together to host our annual youth journalism competition at CSUN in October.

At the 30th annual CSUN J-Day, high school students learned from journalism workshops and competitions

Spotlighted Stories

Education: 

Column: The proverb to success by Amy Lin

“If one asks a question, he would only be seen as foolish for five minutes — temporarily. However, if one never asks a question, he would be trapped in the unknown and remain foolish forever, for he will never have the answer to his questions and will never be awarded the newfound knowledge.”

News: 

Protesters rally in Los Angeles after Roe v. Wade ruling by Cathy Li

“Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles Friday hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that made abortion a constitutional right.”

Opinion: 

Opinion: Mental health crisis within the African American community by Talya Ryngler

“In our culture, we are supposed to always be tough and strong, never burdening our family and community with any problem. Some people within my community even regard mental illness as a form of ‘craziness’.This is why many people in my community feel too afraid to seek therapy or other forms of help for their mental health struggles.”

Arts & Entertainment: 

Review: ‘King James’ at the Mark Taper Forum by Jolie Wang

“I had the joy of watching this play at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. The play was directed by Kenny Leon, starring Glenn Davis and Chris Perfetti. Together on stage, Davis and Perfetti navigated through their friendship and appreciation of LeBron James, their role model”

A note from team HSI:

The L.A. Times High School Insider published hundreds of stories throughout the year. Our team is grateful for every student’s contribution to our community of young journalists storytellers. We encourage you to stay involved in the new year by sharing stories from your communities.

Applications for the Student Advisory Board are due January 8, and students are welcome to submit stories over winter break.

Sincerely,

Team HSI

Rebecca Castillo, Shehreen Karim, Laila Wheeler, Isabella Balandrán