After being a part of Mililani Times for the past three years, I never imagined myself sitting here writing this letter. It feels just like yesterday I was a rookie reporter going out to conduct my first interview, and yet here I am, the Editor in Chief of Mililani Times. My first year in journalism was also the first year that Mililani Times started after Trojan Times was dissolved. Being a part of it since the getgo has been rewarding because I have been able to see the paper grow through all of its ups and downs. I also had the opportunity to see it grow from the bottom up. So, all in all, I’m honored to carry on the legacy of the former Editors in Chief.

    With this being only the third year of Mililani Times, since taking the place of the former school paper Trojan Times, I still feel the pressure to make Mililani Times as good as it can be. I love the fact that the paper is still new and we, as a staff can help mold it into what we want it to be. This year we have 33 staff members — with a big staff I’m excited for the endless opportunities that lie ahead. Although it can be stressful: tight deadlines, finding the right stories, getting photos, making designs — I know that we can accomplish anything that we set our minds to. 

   We like to say that our staff is a family and it really is. We may all come from different activities around school: sports, theatre, band, gaming and more — but we share the commonality of wanting to produce the best possible newspaper for the Mililani community. We spend hours together before, during and after school working on the different aspects of the newspaper. Not only do we have a print edition which features the community, student and teacher profiles, along with some major news stories; we also have our online website which is updated frequently with recent news and sports updates. Along with that we also have a YouTube channel that does both video features and some fun videos too. 

     The power that journalism holds is a great responsibility, not only for myself, but for the staff as well. Journalists are the “information gatekeepers,” as our adviser Mr. Sato says and it is true. With Mililani Times being the only student produced newspaper that gets sent out to the community, it’s really special. It isn’t just a school newspaper, it’s a community hub —  it’s where parents, family and community members can read stories not only about MHS, but their community as well. One of my goals for you, the reader, after reading any issue of Mililani Times is to educate, entertain, and ultimately have you take action after reading one of our stories — whether it’s going out to vote, being more knowledgeable about a person or community issue, or just having a simple conversation with a friend. So with that in mind, I hope you enjoy the first issue and the many issues to come of the 2019-20 school year of Mililani Times.