December in photos
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About the Contributors
Maya Hernandez, Photo Editor
Maya Hernandez is a senior and this is her third year on staff. Outside of photography her passions include avoiding finishing any of the paintings that she’s ever started on, decorating her room with as many cute, small objects as possible and buying any item of clothing that’s in a fun color. She’s looking forward to telling stories through her photos and to a great year on staff!
Tara Connick, Managing Editor
Tara Connick is a senior and this is her third year on staff. She’s a designer but also has a soft-spot for photography. She spends most of her time in front of her computer stressing over fonts and layouts in the back newsroom while drinking way too many energy drinks or iced coffees, but when Hale finally kicks her out you can find her going on hikes or changing up her hair... again. Tara is so excited to be this year’s managing editor and see staff create amazing content in unprecedented ways.
Alyssa Cheatham, Reporter
Alyssa Cheatham is a senior and first year member on staff, but is only beginning to achieve her goal of having a career in writing. She is well known for her plethora of weird facts and shark knowledge, as well as her passion for sharks and ocean predator protection and education. Her time is split between being a member of the Drumline and Band, being on staff, and balancing her class load during the year. Although this will be Alyssa’s first and final year on the Marquee staff she is excited to spend it with so many amazing people, the amazing paper, and hopefully some amazing articles of her own.
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/2ODq8vrOno0w9ZA4GMpuTm?si=-p0QS6p2Sf-vSj8lqnzCnQ
Adriana Pueskens, Assistant Sports Editor
Adriana Pueskens is a senior, and this is her first year on staff. She is very involved at Marcus High School - in addition to being on staff, she is a part of the swim team and also plays water polo for the school. She enjoys singing and spending time with her family and friends in her free time. Adriana plans to make the most of her senior year by trying new activities and learning how to cook before college.
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/3DYfsZ4mw5mHLQ40T57wkD?si=GnZ1UT6wQi-mCqm937T-xg
Ayra Charania, Copy Editor
As a traveler of nearly every continent (sorry Antarctica) and speaker of four languages, Ayra Charania is a senior and joined staff this year, although she has had a love of writing for many years. Outside of newspaper, Ayra loves to play the violin, shop for heels so she can pretend she isn’t tiny at 5’2, and read. Her current Netflix addiction is Lucifer.
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/6EorWBqZZHybcbyug59lmD?si=YOM7LHf5T9ON1NGjQGf9fw
Samantha Thornfelt, Editor in Chief
Sam Thornfelt is a senior this year, and it is her second year on The Marquee. While her favorite pastime is hanging out with her family and friends, she also enjoys spending time alone and can usually be found listening to music while rereading her favorite book, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn." Sam was also passed down the title of “Staff Mom,” so she knows she has several big shoes to fill. She plans to make this last year her most memorable by sharing many meaningful, impactful stories with the help of her incredible staff and cannot wait to see what this year has in store for them.
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/2lFtm36waWXHji5ZaQVZro?si=CGcQ8U1UQ4S_bvVRwnxTuA
Emily Seiler, Design Editor
Emily Seiler is dead inside. She’s a senior who blames her laziness on senioritis, but it's really because she doesn't like to think. She’s always tired and rarely has the time of day to care about anything but newspaper and college applications. You should see her attempting to learn in government.
Amber Luther, Graphics Editor
Amber Luther is a senior and this will be her second year on staff as a designer. She is excited to finish her last year of high school with her closest friends on staff. When she isn’t designing graphics or fixing her layout on a spread, she is watching Netflix or shopping. Amber is very excited to be this year's graphics editor and create new content for the newspaper.
Madi Olivier, Editor in Chief
Madi Olivier is a senior and third-year staffer, although most people know her as the short girl who talks too much. The newsroom is her favorite place to be and she spent most of her time last year convincing Hale to let her stay after school for “just five more minutes.” However, if the door to C108 is locked, you can normally find her at gymnastics practice or in the kitchen trying to bake. Her speciality is anything burnt or overflowing from the pan. She’s so excited to be the editor in chief of The Marquee and to see what amazing, impactful stories her staff will publish this year.
Reya Mosby, Feature Editor and Business Manager
Reya Mosby is a junior, and this will be her second year on staff. She has a passion for giving a voice to the voiceless and telling people’s untold stories through journalism. When she’s not cutting thousands of words off her stories, stressing out over deadlines and trying to convince Madi to let her keep an Oxford comma, she enjoys singing in choir and Marcus’ all-female a cappella group, Fusion, scream singing 70s music and eating mac and cheese. Reya wishes she could live in the 70s with her endless supply of scrunchies, her high waisted pants, huge pink Janis Joplin glasses, and an immense love for Elton John. She has been dubbed staff’s token extrovert and talker, so she is always down for a good conversation with any and everyone. She is so excited to make this year amazing and full of impactful stories and great memories with an amazing staff!
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/6qTsopCbT1LAdcBvOLlTxB?si=xEnq4T3uTQm3WuZ32GOHLg
Nikhita Ragam, Entertainment Editor
Nikhita Ragam is a senior, and this is her first year on staff. She runs UNICEF Club and is involved in DECA. Outside of school, she partakes in activist efforts. She enjoys dancing and is always down to get coffee. Nikhita wants to travel as much as possible with her family before she goes to college.
McKenna Cowley, Opinion Editor
McKenna Cowley is a senior and although this will be her first year on staff, she has a long-lived passion for journalism. She spends most of her time practicing with the band during the fall but still manages to make time for her other four loves: reading, writing, and her two dogs. She plans to study journalism and writing in college and she takes inspiration from Queen Elizabeth, Fran Drescher and Audrey Hepburn. Finally, she is beyond excited to spend her senior year with an incredible staff where she hopes to leave a lasting impact on the community while learning about journalism and expanding her skill set as a writer.
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/5fPxmMAbvJrOQzWFSkOvYq?si=JstZgOHkQPuVqWTyFzaeDw
Michael Minton, Sports Editor
Michael Minton is a senior and this is his second year on staff. He joined the staff after getting to know everyone and falling in love with the amazing team. In his spare time he enjoys cooking because it requires precision, patience and skill. In the future he hopes to attend UT Austin and study engineering with a minor in political science. By working as a politician Michael hopes to help others on a massive scale.
Check out his playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/37UreOwZ1SQzacBCYD6Mxs?si=Nv0axqa0TpWpwckLFgJinQ
Esmeralda Arellano, Designer
This is senior Esmeralda Arellano’s first year on staff. This is her last year at Marcus and she hopes to make a big impact with the paper. It is her dream to pursue a career in cosmetology by attending beauty school and getting her license to do both hair and makeup professionally.
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/0SsW3Dhutr2oySlQOpIlxl?si=PAlI0xz0RMyEjIYzLAIcHQ
Shriya Mukkavilli, Managing and Online Editor
Shriya Mukkavilli (she/her) is a senior and this year’s managing and online editor. When she’s not finessing the online publication, she spends wayyyy too much time buying jewelry on Etsy or looking up indie artists to fuel her individuality complex. Since this is her third and final year on staff, she’s looking forward to what the staffers create this year and helping them grow.
Kaitlyn Hughes, Social Media Manager
Kaitlyn Hughes is a senior and this is her first year on staff. Ever since she was a kid photography has always been a strong passion of hers and she hopes to pursue it through college. When she’s not taking pictures, you’ll find her singing! Kaitlyn has been involved in the choir program since her freshman year as well as Marcus’ all-female acapella group, Fusion. Kaitlyn is so excited to see how this next year unfolds!
Check out her playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/user/mhsmarquee/playlist/4jZRQWHg01L02LiWDWQupk?si=WP6Sxt6YQCm7TVicvJFCdA