Editors-In-Chief
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
SW: I get to exercise endless creativity in a community of some of the most motivated and passionate people I’ve ever met, and seeing our ideas and designs come to life through the paper is absolutely priceless. (plus *virtual* backroom access to A1 quality memes)
YR: The opportunity to develop transferable life skills as an editor while mentoring younger students is a combination that is hard to find. It’s rewarding to see the hours you put into a story become tangible when it’s posted on our website or printed in our newspaper. Also, the Google accounts are DOPE.
What do you like best about your section?
SW: Having a hand in all of the Smoke Signal’s moving parts means I get to know and learn from every single person in our Smokie family. It’s incredible being able to help guide the paper’s creative direction. (and I dare you to come up with a better nickname than broskEIC’s).
YR: Getting to work closely with every single person in the Smoke Signal is amazing. I’m constantly learning from the people around me while becoming closer friends with them. And of course, no BSI 😉.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
SW: Speed-walking and talking to fit a whole conversation in during passing period.
YR: Extreme biking from my house to school and then running into my first period class in the nick of time.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
SW: Depending on what hour of the day/night it is, the chats can be either a fever dream or a corporate meeting. Sometimes it’s both at the same time.
YR: It’s like The Office. We always get our paper out (now virtual) while still having a blast.
What is one fun fact about you?
SW: I find myself the owner of a cardboard cutout of Pitbull, aka Mr. Worldwide, despite only knowing one song by him.
YR: I’ve flown an actual airplane.
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
SW: Explore tide pools and go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to visit my favorite sharks and sunfish in the deep ocean exhibit. Sunfish are like giant dinner plates with fins, and I love them with my whole heart.
YR: Play basketball and football with my friends. Then get food from Halal Wings Plus. And then play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And then fall asleep blissfully, ready to start the same cycle tomorrow.
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
SW: May 2, 1933, so I could be there for the first reported sighting of the Loch Ness Monster. She’s real I swear.
YR: First grade. That was a time of pizza parties, four square tournaments, and constant happiness.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
SW: An animal translation machine. Think about how many scientific mysteries we’d solve. I would also be able to interview the Loch Ness Monster.
YR: Pokémon. They are just fascinating. Imagine a Charizard that can fly you anywhere, instantaneously give you fire, and be your lifelong companion. That would be LIT.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
SW: She’s just a hardworking mother, trying her best.
YR: I’ve really been resonating with this one in distance learning. The reactions from doing this are absolutely priceless.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
SW: Warning: human in mirror is taller than she appears. Will also spontaneously send you photos of phrogs.
YR: Warning: Do not bring Krispy Kreme donuts within close proximity if you still want them. They will be devoured immediately.
What would your spirit animal be?
SW: Brontosaurus. While I may not relate to their height, I definitely feel their energy.
YR: Siberian tiger.
News
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
AZ: You get to work with so many talented and dedicated people to create a beautiful spread or a unique story from just an idea. It’s really rewarding, especially with the bagels on pub day (I miss Smokie bagels)
What do you like best about your section?
AZ: My favorite part about News is the diversity of stories we get to cover, the people we get to meet, and how essential news is to pretty much everyone. Also, breaking news stories make you feel like a professional journalist running around the city covering the latest news 😌
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
AZ: I weirdly miss struggling to get through E-wing hallways, walking from E-wing to N-wing at record speed, and waving at random people in the hall.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
AZ: Lots and lots of Among Us, memes, the occasional assignment at 1 a.m., and an overflow of Smokie love and support <3
What is one fun fact about you?
AZ: Chocolate is my favorite flavor for almost everything.
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
AZ: I would walk around Kyoto, Japan, get an endless supply of onigiri from their stacked 7-11, and ignore school and the rest of my life for a day.
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
AZ: I would go to 2022 because 2020 is bad, and 2021 is probably also going to be bad, so I’m hoping that 2022 won’t fail us.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
AZ: Definitely the Time Turner from Harry Potter. Because it lets you be in more than one place at one time, I would probably be sleeping, eating, taking Zoom classes, and doing homework simultaneously.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
AZ: The surprised pikachu is the description of my life. But also, shoutout to the Class of 2022 Sophomore deco 🙂
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
AZ: Warning: Walks really fast (may or may not randomly start speed walking)
What would your spirit animal be?
AZ: A penguin, 100%. Because penguins just chill.
Opinion
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
AL: My favorite part about being an editor is seeing the articles I’ve edited being published (either physically in print or on our beautiful website) – I love seeing writers scan the paper for their articles. I still remember how excited I was when I saw my first article in the paper, so seeing other writers feel that same excitement about pieces I’ve helped guide is so gratifying.
What do you like best about your section?
AL: Opinion provides a unique opportunity for unapologetic self-expression. I believe that getting the chance to take an issue, organize your thoughts on it, and put it out there is so valuable in finding your own voice.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
AL: Though it’s only a small part of our day, I really miss passing period. Walking between classes during those five minutes always gives me a chance to talk with friends, reflect on what I just learned, and in general, get a breath of fresh air before my next class.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
AL: Besides the messages about pending work, our editor chat is chock full of snapshots of funny articles we stumble upon, journalism puns, and relatable memes.
What is one fun fact about you?
AL: I can raise both of my eyebrows individually (try it, it’s harder than it seems!).
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
AL: If I could do one thing all day, I would go on a really long hike with some friends and music – it’d be a nice way to get exercise while spending quality time with people I love!
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
AL: I’d time travel to January 6, 2021 because I’m interested in seeing the results of the electoral vote for the presidential election.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
AL: The perfect black pen (which is something I’m on the quest for finding right now) – one that never skips, doesn’t smudge, and doesn’t bleed through paper.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
AL: I too can’t think.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
AL: Warning: consumes unbelievable amounts of matcha.
What would your spirit animal be?
AL: My spirit animal would probably be the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland because we’re both constantly smiling!
Feature
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
IP: Aside from the immense gratification I get from seeing our hard work translated onto our print issues or as stories on Web, I love the tight-knit community I’ve found with my fellow Smokies. As Ms. Cohen says, we work hard and we play hard, and I have fond memories of our yearly San Francisco trips, bonding game nights with the editorial board, and Bagel Days (even though I’m not personally a huge fan of them).
What do you like best about your section?
IP: I’ve always said the F in Feature stands for fun, and that’s really what our section is. We have so much freedom and variety to be able to make some really creative story ideas work. Just look at DieHard TryHards, for example — it’s something that’s unique to the Smoke Signal, and I’m honestly really proud of how far we’ve come as a section. Feature has also been using more and more multimedia platforms, such as frequent video & audio that supplements or even makes up a story’s content.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
IP: I feed off of the energy and motivation of people around me, and I’m really sad that we’re going to be missing the excitement of being a senior during such an important time of our lives. I also miss going out for lunch, chilling in the backroom with the editorial board, and the chaotic cacophony that is N7 during fourth period.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
IP: Sometimes it’s Mahek and me gushing over Kid Cudi’s albums and interviews, sometimes it’s us squeezing in a couple quick games of Among Us during asynchronous time, but it’s mostly just communication between editors for tasks that need to get done.
What is one fun fact about you?
IP: As everyone close to me will certainly know, music is a huge part of my life, and a fun little side project that I started over the summer is annotating songs and albums & doing work for lyrics on genius.com. I started with a couple of pretty bad annotations that just restated the surface-level meaning of lines, but I kept at it and honed my craft. Through some pretty big annotations and story bios on new releases like Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die and Big Sean’s Detroit 2, I became a verified community contributor, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for my genius.com “career.”
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
IP: I’d go with the easy answer and say just sitting around listening to good music all day without a care, but that pretty much describes a day in my life already. Instead, after a long quarantine, I would want to meet up with my friends and just spend a whole day playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (I’m beating you this time, Yusuf).
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
IP: I would kill to go to 2018’s Kid Cudi and Kanye West’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival set. The set has gone down as one of the iconic hip-hop performances in recent history, and I’ve been dying to see my two favorite artists perform live. I’ve watched video recordings of the full set time and time again, and I still get goosebumps when my favorite song of all time Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare) comes on.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
IP: 100% Hogwarts. Reading the books and watching the movies growing up, there was nothing I wanted more than to be going to such a dope boarding school while I’m learning magic, of all things. I’d definitely fail the potions classes, though.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
IP: The perfect meme that describes my life would be the surprised Pikachu memes. I think it pretty accurately encapsulates my facial expression whenever I’m in any of my classes trying to understand lectures. I have to catch myself on Zoom calls sometimes when I have to lean really close to my computer to try and make out whatever’s being projected on the screen. I do this squint and my jaw drops a little, exactly like Pikachu’s does.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
IP: Warning: do not disturb when sleep < 5 hours. Whenever I wake up in the morning after a particularly long night, I can get really grumpy and I never say anything at the breakfast table. My body just glues my mouth shut and everything I hear just goes in through one ear and right out the other.
What would your spirit animal be?
IP: My spirit animal would definitely be a worm because worms go hard.
Centerspread
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
LO: My favorite part of being an editor is that I get to be a part of the fabulous and entertaining relationship between the Editorial Board.
AP: My favorite part about being an editor is the Editorial bonding time. Aside from working hard to publish stories and making spreads, we also have a lot of fun just talking about random things, which makes me feel like I am part of a family.
What do you like best about your section?
LO: Centerspread has one spread per cycle, so I like that I get to focus on one big topic and focus all my editor work around that.
AP: The best part about Centerspread is that I can cover community topics around me and be creative when designing spreads. Having such a chill co-editor is also great.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
LO: I miss the promised bread-filled back rooms — Mahek, I was SO looking forward to your baking!
AP: Something I miss about being at school in person is that I do not have to stare at my computer screen for around 14 hours a day.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
LO: I’m honestly a major lurker in the editor chat, but there’s a lot of “worshipping” between editors and fun back-and-forths.
AP: Most of the time, the editor chat is pretty productive — we get reminders about upcoming due dates and events for the week. Other times, we hype up each other’s articles and send random thoughts and GIFs.
What is one fun fact about you?
LO: One fun fact is that I have 13 piercings and that I got nine of them in a month and a half.
AP: One fun fact is that when I was younger, I got bored and learned to write with my left hand, so now I can write with my left and right hands.
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
LO: If I could do one thing all day, as of right now, it’d definitely be sleep!
AP: If I could do one thing all day, I would probably snowboard. The one time I tried, the nice people operating the ski-lift stopped the lift every time I got off because I would fall as I got up. It would be really nice to learn how to snowboard without crashing into the snow and making an embarrassment of myself.
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
LO: If I could travel to any point in time, I would go 15 years in the future to see what I’ve done with my life.
AP: I would time travel back to fourth grade and tell myself to cherish all the breaks we had between subjects. I would also like to relive the monthly pizza parties.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
LO: I wish instant coolers existed in real life. I can’t tolerate hot foods, so if I heat something for a bit too long in the microwave I have to wait around for it to cool. I’m impatient!
AP: Something that I wish existed in real life are Minions, like the ones in Despicable Me.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
LO: I resonate with the meme of Elmo in flames — I honestly can’t explain why, though.
AP: I resonate with the one about the derivative of a potato. I just like potatoes in all forms.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
LO: If I had a warning sign, it’d definitely say, “Sleep-deprived and Hangry.”
AP: If I had a warning sign, it would say “Will freak if you give me chicken noodle soup.” I have a strange obsession with soup, particularly chicken noodle soup.
What would your spirit animal be?
LO: My spirit animal is a panda. I relate with those dark circles too much.
AP: Panda. My name rhymes with panda.
Arts & Entertainment
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
MB: I love being a part of every step of the process — it’s so gratifying to watch an article grow from an idea pitched during BSI to becoming a full story online. And along the way, I get to collaborate with the best people and creatively challenge myself by making spreads!
What do you like best about your section?
MB: I truly think the arts are the ultimate unifier — everyone consumes some form of art and entertainment really has a way of bringing people together. A&E covers such a diverse range of stories and there’s something for everyone to love in this section!
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
MB: I miss sitting on the couch in M2 SO MUCH. I would be squished in between four other Smokies, but I don’t know how viable that is anymore. There’s isn’t really room to socially distance on that couch.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
MB: “Hi guys, please complete ______ by tomorrow!” *ten heart reacts*
What is one fun fact about you?
MB: I have a really big fear of anthropomorphic animals in movies. (The Lion King would make me uncontrollably cry as a little kid.)
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
MB: My perfect day would include watching Parks and Recreation while eating ramen (my two favorite things).
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
MB: I would go to whenever in time Lorde’s next album is released. (Lorde, please come back, we miss you.)
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
MB: A machine that provides an endless supply of Chipotle burritos whenever you want!
What meme do you resonate with the most?
MB: 
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
MB: “Caution! Talks About Harry Styles Too Much”
What would your spirit animal be?
MB: I’d definitely be a cat, the kind that sleeps in the sun all day.
Sports
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
AA: My favorite part of being an editor is watching younger journalists grow in a position that I once was in. And there’s also nothing as rewarding as the process of taking ideas and expanding them into graphical displays and articles that anyone can read.
What do you like best about your section?
AA: Through being Sports editor, I get to combine my athletic nature and knowledge to spread awareness about the sports community at MSJ, something that I’ve always wanted to do.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
AA: Even though I wasn’t an editor last year, I’ll miss occasionally peeping into the back room and listening in on their conversations. I hope we get to return to the classroom so I can first hand experience the hype of being a full time back room resident.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
AA: Among Us memes, deadlines, “LOOOLs,” and laugh reacts
What is one fun fact about you?
AA: I’ve accumulated six Kobe Bryant jerseys since I was in fifth grade. They all still fit me since I haven’t grown much!
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
AA: I would eat Hot Cheetos all day if that was possible without getting diarrhea every hour.
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
AA: Most definitely I would go a few days into the future to see the winning lottery numbers
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
AA: If there were phone controlled flying plates of food that served me in my bed, that would be pretty dope.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
AA: The amount of messages I’ve responded to with this … you don’t even want to know.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
AA: Warning: May forget to respond to texts
What would your spirit animal be?
AA: Perry the Platypus is my actual vibe.
Graphics
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
AA: I enjoy having the freedom to create my own layouts from scratch and implement new ideas for the Smoke Signal. I also really like being part of a very entertaining Editorial Board! :))
What do you like best about your section?
AA: I like the fact that Graphics specifically focuses on other types of content such as photography and animations. It’s also extremely fun experimenting with different features and effects while video editing, especially since I’m learning it for the first time.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
AA: I miss being able to be a part of the editor backroom that is supposedly always stocked with cake and bread. I hope we will have a chance to return so that I can see for myself if this is a reality or just a myth. Also, driving to school was one of the highlights of my day. Although it was a short five minutes, the vibes were immaculate.
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
AA: Memes, Google Docs, and of course, many heart reacts <3
What is one fun fact about you?
AA: I used to have blue eyes until I was around six months old. But my eyes decided they didn’t want to be unique anymore, so now I have brown eyes.
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
AA: Sleep. That’s it. No need for an explanation.
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
AA: I would go to the moment when the Big Bang happened because who doesn’t want to see the beginning of time and space and everything as we know it.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
AA: I wish element bending from the Avatar universe existed in real life. Pro-bending would be the superior sport.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
AA: This image just encapsulates all my emotions into one very strong message.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
AA: “Beware: Will Eat Your Food”
What would your spirit animal be?
AA: K. K. Slider from Animal Crossing
Web
What is your favorite part about being an editor? Be honest — it doesn’t have to be work-related.
MB: Being Web Editor is incredible, but during a pandemic? A dream. Every Zoom class period, every late night spent on getting the website to cooperate, and frantically messaging the other editors on a regular basis to send in their articles for publishing truly feels like a lucid dream. My laptop really is my ride or die.
What do you like best about your section?
MB: I have so much creative freedom over what we can incorporate into the articles. I’ve been implementing new interactives with our recent articles, so there are a lot of new hidden treasures on the website. I also love and hate how everything is on Web because while I think no section should have so much power, I am revelling in it and savoring it for what it’s worth. It was overwhelming for the first few days, but I quickly wielded it because such is the Power of The Web Editor.
What is one thing you miss about being at school in person?
MB: I miss interacting with everyone and seeing our new J1 slowly become acquainted with how we do things at the Smoke Signal. Sure, it’s only one period in the entire day, but it is a demanding lifestyle, the most swagalicious part of my day, and a whole grind. If you don’t think time in the Smoke Signal passes faster than time in the rest of your life, are you even in the class?
What really goes on in the editor chat (would’ve been back room)?
MB: I scrolled through our chat for this question. It’s a delicate balance between editors sending essay-formatted messages with classified information at 1 a.m. and sending Among Us memes. There is no in between.
What is one fun fact about you?
MB: I can recite most of Alexis Rose’s iconic lines from Schitt’s Creek from memory, which also happens to be the extent of my memory capabilities. Ew, David.
If you could do one thing all day what would it be?
MB: I would binge watch Schitt’s Creek and Avatar: The Last Airbender back to back without any breaks because champions, a.k.a Web Editors, don’t take breaks. The website never sleeps, so neither do I.
If you could time travel to any point in time, past or future, where would you go?
MB: It would be cool to see the first year our website was implemented and to meet the first Web Editors, which I imagine would be like Aang meeting his past avatars. But, I would also like to go back to August 23, 1968, which was when Pigasus, a domesticated pig, was nominated for president by the Yippies. Pigasus was confiscated before he could give his speech and is thought to have ended up as bacon, but that aside, what a time to be alive and see it happen. Did the public believe the news coverage on it? How did journalists refer to Pigasus … Yippie Nominee Piggy? These queries plague me.
What is something that doesn’t exist in real life but you wish it did?
MB: Normal sleeping hours. They don’t seem to exist in my version of real life, and just about all of my friends and their mothers have told me I need to sleep at a normal time. However, my skills as an investigative reporter have led me to this revelation: normal isn’t compatible with my swagalicious lifestyle as Web Editor of the Smoke Signal 2020-21.
What meme do you resonate with the most?
MB: There were a lot of fantastic contenders, but the winner is this one:
Everything from the blurriness to the seamless photoshop of Shrek Wazowski resonates with me. I, too, feel 😐 a majority of the time, and have been a Shrek fan since my toddler days. There is evidence.
If you had a warning sign what would it say?
MB: Warning: Will Message You Between 4:19 and 4:21 a.m.
What would your spirit animal be?
MB: My favorite animal is an elephant, but an online quiz on www.animalinyou.com told me that I had TWO spirit animals — a rooster and porcupine. Like any sane person, I’m going to believe what an online quiz tells me about myself. I guess I’m loud, quiet, spiky, soft, and unusual all in one.
I’m so proud of you all
These are some of my favorite people and they rock steady every day to bring it. A pleasure and privilege to guide this group.❤️