St. Christopher’s school newspaper celebrated its 100th anniversary in March with a chapel talk by Editor-In-Chief Alyx McKinnon, journalism teacher Kathleen Thomas, The Pine Needle staff and several guests.

Newspaper staffers gave a short talk, sharing messages ranging from the importance of staying informed to the necessity of free press to a democracy. “News has the power to set an agenda for government, decide what the people should and shouldn’t care about, and make or ruin people’s careers and lives,” said Alyx. Senior Editors John Szymendera, Max Dodge and Nick Sherod and staff writers William Rodriguez and Kinloch Nelson also spoke of how working on the newspaper has improved their lives and helped them realize their passions. “I have discovered a love of writing and reporting that I plan to use next year in college,” said Nick ‘16.

Three guest speakers volunteered to share their experiences. Upper School Librarian Marsha Hawkins talked about why she chose journalism as a major and its importance in our society. History teacher and Varsity Basketball Coach Hamill Jones shared how he became a more articulate writer as a journalist for The Pine Needle in the 1990s. Cafeteria Manager John Ernst thanked the paper’s journalists for their profiles on each member of the cafeterias staff published. Mr. Ernst’s emotional attempt to convey the gratitude of the cafeteria workers helped cement what was already a well-made talk into a speech that was generally agreed on by students and faculty alike as one of the most powerful student-led presentations in recent memory.

CLICK HERE to read the special issue.