Hi! My name is Adyan Al-Shamri. I have been involved in The PENNANT Newsmagazine since my freshman year. Currently, I am a junior, and look forward to another great year of writing. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies, and I read anything from fantasy to romance. I’m hoping to be able to further my writing and photography skills during my time on The PENNANT.

Welcome to the newsmagazine! My name is Elena Krueper, and this is my second year writing for The Pennant. I am a junior at Elkhart High School, and I decided to stay in this class because I had a great time in it last year. I made a lot of friends, wrote articles that opened up a lot of opportunities for me, and I got to learn more about how journalism works and operates inside of a real newsroom....

Hello! My name is Nerlyn Martinez-Esqueda. I’m a senior this year. During my sophomore year, I was a staff member at Elkhart-East, and I really did enjoy it. I had a free period in my schedule, so I decided to rejoin. I hope to experience a new kind of writing style and collaboration with the other staff members. I love listening to music while I work and reading during my free time. Something not...

Hi! My name is Ryann Ottman! I am a junior at Elkhart High, and this is my second year as a member of The PENNANT. I’m really looking forward to another year on staff, writing about the newest trends and updates to interview and inform my peers about. I, myself, am an avid reader. I love all types of books--from mystery and thriller to fantasy and romance. I also enjoy being in theatre productions,...

Hi! My name is Abby Rauguth. I am a Junior this year, and it is my second year with the school's newsmagazine. I really enjoyed working in this class last year, and I’m hoping to have just as much fun this year. It’s exciting to get to work on new articles, and it’s even better when you get to learn new things throughout the process of writing! I spend a lot of my free time reading and listening...

Hello! I’m Hanna Al-Aloosi, and I am a junior. This is my second year with The PENNANT, and I really enjoy writing. I believe writing is a universal language in a way and lets everyone communicate with each other. I can’t wait to look into more topics that people in the school are interested in and care about. I’m also excited to get to know people of different backgrounds and interests. This...

Greetings! My name is Danny Bolen, and I am a sophomore at Elkhart High. I decided to join the publication staff because I believe that it’s necessary for my peers to be updated on current events. I also hope to experience a better understanding of what’s going on near me and being a possible role model for other people. Some of my hobbies consist of cooking, and going on “adventures” to explore new ...

Hi! My name is Joclynn Cochran. I am currently a sophomore in Elkhart High School. I love to play basketball for both teams and also for fun. This year, I’ve decided to conquer new challenges by trying new things, in hopes of enjoying the task. As a result, I chose to join the publication staff to learn to make the voices of others heard and to further my education.  I'm hoping to experience the...

Hello! My name is Liliyana, but I go by Lili. I’m a sophomore, and this is my first year being a part of The PENNANT. This is one of the classes that I did not choose for my schedule,but I think I will really enjoy it. Outside of school, I enjoy doing almost anything art related--specifically fine arts. I also love listening to music and playing instruments, like the piano and guitar. Something most...

Hello! My name is Ella Hubbard. I’m a sophomore at Elkhart High School. This is my very first year writing for The PENNANT. I decided to join because I enjoy writing, and I think it will be a fun experience. I hope to learn and be able to spread important information in this class. My hobbies consist of running, baking, reading, and spending time with friends and family. Something people may not...

Hi! My name is Sophia Ibarra. I am a sophomore at Elkhart High School, and this is my first year working with the school newsmagazine. I decided to join the staff because I love spreading important information and also like to learn what's happening in our world. During this experience, I'm hoping to learn loads of new information and be able to spread the news to people in an exciting way. My hobbies...

Hello! My name is Elaina Malcom. This is my first year on The PENNANT  team; I’m joining as a sophomore. The reason why I joined The PENNANT staff was to pursue my strong hobby of reading literature and turning it into something great. This class gives me awesome opportunities to publish my work to the public and assist me along the way. Another hobby I enjoy doing is playing tennis. I’m on the...

Hi! My name is Emily Martinez-Esqueda. I am a sophomore at Elkhart High School. I decided to join the publication staff because I enjoy writing on my own, and this class seemed like a lot of fun. I am hoping to experience some sort of independence by being on the staff. Some of my hobbies and interests include reading and watching movies. Something most people don’t know about me is that I can be...

Hi, I’m Destinee Middleton, and I am a sophomore at Elkhart High School! I like baking, photography, and any other forms of art. This is my first year being a part of The PENNANT. This class has been more than amazing so far--as well as the teacher and classmates. I thought that joining the publication staff would be fun, and this helps me express my opinion with others (as many may share the same)...

Hi! My name is Ayelen Pichardo Hernandez. I am a junior at Elkhart High School. I decided to join the publication staff so I could help inform students about what’s happening in our school. I hope I’ll be able to keep developing my writing skills by being a part of The PENNANT staff. I enjoy reading. I like graphic novels, fantasy, and romance novels. I look forward to seeing what this year will...

Hi! My name is Alayna Robertson. I am currently a sophomore, and I do cheerleading at Elkhart High School. I decided to join the publication staff because I enjoy writing a lot, and I think it will be a fun way to express my thoughts and help spread information. I hope to be able to learn a lot of new things from my teacher and other classmates.

Hello! I am Claudia Rosales--or Cleo, for short. This is my first year on The PENNANT Team, and I am joining as a junior! I’ve always appreciated good literature and have thought about pursuing it myself, or at least dabbling in getting my writing out to the public in some way. This class allows me an attempt at this and gets me out of my comfort zone, as well! I love graphic design, reading, creating...

Hello! My name is Fabiola Talavera Lopez. I’m a sophomore at Elkhart High School. This is my first year as a staff writer for The PENNANT. I decided to join the publication staff because it sounded very interesting to me. I do enjoy writing in my free time whenever I get the chance to. Something I hope to experience by being on staff is learning about new things I have never known before and increasing...

Hi! My name is Ava Taylor. I’m a sophomore at Elkhart High School. This is my first year writing for The PENNANT. I don’t exactly know what to expect, but I have always enjoyed writing. I think this is going to be a great experience for me and other students to get more involved with Elkhart High.

With a degree emphasizing both English Literature and Journalism, Mrs. Leslie Smith has been the adviser for The PENNANT Online Newsmagazine (in its many various forms) since 1993. Prior to her taking on this role, she was an editor at The Goshen News. Deciding to turn her attention toward teaching, her first 29 years were spent at Elkhart Central High School--or, more recently, Elkhart High School-East--where...