Evelyn Sagor (12) and Naima Sheikh- Mohamed (12) have been a part of The Ville for the past three years. As Juniors they decided to step up their leadership by becoming co-editors-in-chief. In this article we will recap their accomplishments and their commitment to The Ville as they will be moving on to college this fall.

Evelyn Sagor and Naima Sheikh-Mohamed started getting involved with The Ville sophomore year. Sagor said, “I took the newspaper class in sophomore year with Naima. We had a great time. At the time we were a little involved in the club and then our junior year we applied for Editors in Chief.”

They each have contributed many stories to The Ville, both with a different perspective and depth. How can they choose their favorite? Sagor said, “Junior year I wrote a story about athletes’ mental health and following it up with the coach’s perspective. That was my favorite because it highlighted a perspective that is not talked about much.”

Sheikh-Mohamed also chose a hard news story as her favorite. She said “My favorite story was the one about D lunch.  A lot of people read that story which was really crazy. It also got to the principal and was a surprise to teachers that kids weren’t getting lunch or they weren’t getting diverse food options available.”

They both reflect on their favorite memories while contributing to The Ville. Sagor said, “My favorite memories are the meetings and hanging out with the staff every week,  along with taking the journalism class.”

Sheikh- Mohamed shares “My favorite memories are meetings in general, and the community interaction, it feels like a family.”

Changes were made to the meeting schedule as it switched from after school to before school, which helped students who had after school sports. Sheikh- Mohamed said, “Switching meetings to Thursday morning was really impactful because it shows who’s committed and who is ready to get stuff done.”

Both have some advice to those who are interested in joining The Ville or interested in writing stories. Sagor shared, “It can seem really easy to write a story, but in order to write a good story you need to give it the time it deserves.” Additionally she added that stories have a lasting impact.  She said, “The stories that you really commit to are the stories you will be proud of for a long time.”

Sheikh- Mohamed agreed and added, “Even if you do it for the college resume, it helps you with college applications, it helps with having your own voice, it can still be beneficial even if it’s for college. If you enjoy writing or even if you want it for college I think you should still join, after seeing viewership it will boost your confidence and serotonin.”

If you are interested in The Ville or already a member and want to step up your leadership Sagor and Mohammed share their ideas. Sagor said, “Be good with the fact that not everyone is at the same place, not everyone has the same interests. Some people do newspaper for a resume builder and you have to understand that and meet them where they are at.”

Sheikh- Mohamed said, “Be mindful of what is talked about like writing mistakes.  It’s hard to unlearn writing style; have patience with people, fix your own mistakes and set an example for others.”

We admire both of them individually for their commitment and participation in The Ville and their contributions over the last three years.