Of all the impermanence and change that I’ve had in my high school career, the confines of Mr. Hara’s H-1 classroom have always remained a fixture I can come back to. Feedback has always served as the anchor I needed, cultivating in me an utmost sense of responsibility, yet simultaneously being the source that has fueled some of my most personal growth.
As I reflect on the last three and a half years, I remember my first introduction to the team. I was, at the time, a titillated yet nervous freshman, saying hello to seniors who would soon become my peers. In this newfound opportunity, I felt great joy at the chance to contribute to something larger than the group in the room, yet I also had concerns, given my experience, which was dwarfed by the others’.
Yet, all of these qualms would be quickly washed away as it didn’t take me long to understand the true spirit of the magazine. Conventions like grade level had little importance; instead, being a part of Feedback meant being part of a united team. A place where everyone had the chance to give their input, ask for help, and, most importantly, cultivate their personal voice. It was also a space for us to relay funny stories, build bonds with people we might not have expected, and, above all else, share food.
I take great pride in the work I’ve been able to create, whether it’s crafting opinion pieces on ideas I strongly hold or writing about members of our community for the “Features” section. Yet, if there’s anything that I’m most proud of, it’s the relationships I’ve been able to build here, and the incredible team dynamics we’ve been able to foster over the last three and a half years.
To Mishka, our fantastic editor-in-chief, I often call working with you “entering into a flow state,” but that’s because of how easy it is to be your collaborator. Your dependability, unbelievable skill, and kind presence have made this experience so amazing—I’m so lucky to have been editor partners-in-crime with you.
Mr. Hara, I can’t thank you enough for your belief and graciousness over the last four years we’ve known each other. Your honesty and kindness have extended far beyond the words on the page; it’s left a lasting impression on who I’ve become as a person.
And finally, to the rest of the team: I have so much faith in each of you. Whether you’re continuing your tenure or not, it’s been a privilege to watch you grow, regardless of how long we’ve known each other. I thank you so much for teaching me many valuable lessons and will miss you all tremendously.
Thank you so much to Feedback!
Kendra W.
Managing Editor
If it wasn’t for one last-minute decision to switch from vocals to journalism—partly because robotics was full, ironically enough—I genuinely don’t think I would’ve ended up in Feedback at all. Which feels strange to think about now, considering how much this team ended up shaping me.
No matter how rough a day I had at school, H-1 became the room where things felt lighter. Where conversations, arguments, jokes, and random observations could spiral into our next article idea before the end of class. Or how a rehash of today’s NYT Crossword puzzle could suddenly become a discussion on the socio-political ecosystem of JIS and our oddly intricate hut culture. It was the room where conversations wandered into places they were probably never intended to reach, yet somehow were always meaningful.
And I think that’s why so many of the most important lessons I took from Feedback came from those side tangents rather than the articles themselves. In one of them, Mr. Hara introduced us to the Japanese word Komaru—the image of a tree boxed in by walls reflected the idea that “frustration is proof that we’re trying to grow.” It’s strange how a single word mentioned in passing could so perfectly articulate something I had struggled to explain for years.
While those moments of frustration often existed outside the walls of H-1, Feedback became the place that helped us grow through them. Whether it was peer-editing sessions that dissected the etymology of a single word, the constant yet chaotic support during layout days, or the collective stress-eating of popcorn before deadlines, there was always a sense that none of us had to navigate those moments alone.
Before Feedback, I had always shied away from writing, utterly convinced that while I could maybe sound verbose in conversations, writing in itself was never really “my thing.” However, after four years in an atmosphere of unconditional support, it ultimately changed the way I viewed it altogether. Instead of something solitary or purely academic, writing became something grounded in the openness to question, reflect, and grow alongside the people around me.
So thank you to everyone at Feedback, I don’t think I would’ve been able to grow through those moments without the people in that room. No matter how stressed or frustrated we all were, there was always someone willing to listen, challenge, or encourage one another. And to our future and current writers: while there will undoubtedly be moments of setbacks and creative blocks, do not worry if your branches are peering out of the box; just know there will always be people in H-1 ready to help you find the space to keep reaching further.
Marsha W.
Staff Writer
I joined the Feedback team in my senior year, and when I learned I could write about anything I wanted, writing transformed from a mere school assignment into a space of freedom. It became an opportunity to explore, in depth, the topics I could talk about for hours. Writing down my jumbled thoughts and opinions and turning them into polished, tangible pieces of writing was a memorable experience. With every issue, I felt like a new person with a fresh perspective. I was growing alongside my work.
While writing helped me grow individually, Feedback also changed my understanding of journalism as a deeply collaborative process. Having previously seen writing as a solitary activity, I was fascinated by how openly team members discussed different viewpoints and challenged one another’s ideas. This experience taught me to welcome constructive criticism and to see conversation as an essential part of the writing process. Receiving feedback from my peers was invaluable; my writing would not have flourished without their input.
I would have loved to join the Feedback team earlier, but I am grateful I had the chance to be part of it during my final year of JIS. I also want to thank Mr. Hara. While giving feedback on one of my pieces, he told me that he was not a mentor or an instructor, but an advisor to the Feedback team. He stays in the background, allowing us to write freely while guiding us whenever we need help. I am thankful for that guidance, as it helped me feel confident and proud of my own writing. I would also like to thank my fellow members of the Feedback team. Their encouraging and thoughtful perspectives made the experience even more inspiring. It was a pleasure to write for Feedback.
Seowoo K.
Staff Writer
Long before I became editor-in-chief, I was an eighth-grader flipping through copies of Feedback and admiring the publication from afar, never thinking that I would one day help lead it myself. From the moment I entered high school at JIS, Feedback was the dream. When I joined the magazine as a staff writer in my sophomore year, I already felt incredibly grateful just to be part of the newsroom I had looked up to for so long. By junior year, I stepped into the role of editor-in-chief—and now, somehow, I am writing this in my final issue, still struggling to fully process that my time here is coming to an end.
When people ask me what writing means to me, I call it “love”— a sincere and unfaltering one. Over the years, that answer has only become more true. Writing has brought me purpose, joy, connection, and some of the relationships I value most deeply. Serving as editor-in-chief for the last two years has been one of the most meaningful, rewarding, and genuinely unforgettable opportunities I could have ever asked for.
What I will miss most is the feeling of seeing the newsroom in motion. The overlapping chatter and conversations that begin even before class officially starts. Printed A3 copies being passed around the room, covered in different colored scribbles and margin notes. Veteran writers helping newer ones rework a sentence or refine a headline. The small eruptions of excitement whenever snacks appear on the back table, the smell of freshly microwaved popcorn floating around the classroom, and the constant coalescing of voices, ideas, and personalities that make the newsroom feel so alive.
More than anything, however, I will miss the people who made Feedback what it was.
To Kendra, my editor partner-in-crime: thank you for being by my side throughout these past two years. From our late-night texts and calls to impromptu early morning meetings before deadlines, your dependability, dedication, and care for the magazine made every stressful production cycle feel lighter. I truly could not have asked for a more talented, thoughtful, and endlessly hardworking person to navigate this experience with. I am so, so lucky to have had you as both a collaborator and a friend, and I will miss you tremendously.
To Mr. Hara, thank you for trusting me with this role long before I fully trusted myself with it. I do not think words can fully express how indebted I am for the constant guidance, patience, and unrelenting belief over the years. You taught me not only how to become a better writer, editor, and leader, but how to approach people, responsibility, and storytelling with greater care and sincerity. I hope that I have made you proud and done justice to the legacy of Feedback you have dedicated yourself to upholding.
And finally, to every writer and editor I had the privilege of working alongside: thank you. Thank you for your passion, creativity, dedication, trust, and for caring so deeply about what we have created together. Watching this team grow has been one of the greatest privileges of my high school experience, and I have no doubt that the next generation of writers and editors will continue shaping Feedback in ways uniquely their own.
As difficult as it is to say goodbye, I know Feedback will remain with me long after I leave H-1 for the last time. It has shaped the way I write, lead, collaborate, and understand the people around me, and I will carry these lessons far beyond high school. Ultimately, I simply hope I have left something meaningful behind within its pages—something worthy of the publication that has given me so much in return.
Mishka F.
Editor-in-Chief
Amidst the uncertainty the past four years have brought me, Feedback has always been a constant part of my high school experience. From discovering the magazine during freshman year in Introduction to Journalism, seeing my name in the staff writers column for the first time during sophomore year, to finally writing in my last issue, my time in high school has grown around Feedback Magazine, the H-1 classroom, and Mr. Hara.
Looking back on my first year, I remember myself as shy and afraid to step out of my comfort zone when it came to writing. I kept to the same article type and topics while navigating my first semester. But I soon realized that stepping out of my comfort zone wasn’t just about being more vocal in class, it was about letting my writing represent me authentically. Although over time, I found my voice in the classroom, Feedback taught me that being brave doesn’t equate to being loud; it means being myself.
Stepping into H-1 to see A3 printed drafts covered in Mishka’s purple pen, writers experimenting with InDesign, and the pleasant surprise that would be freshly popped popcorn or even peanut butter brownies distributed on every table is a routine I’ve come to love. While the batch of writers inevitably changes every year, the feeling of community has never faltered. My reflection of Feedback would not be complete without mentioning the people who gave the classroom its warmth, whom I will miss the most. It was so easy to build connections in that class, regardless of the differences our grade levels brought, and it was undeniably because of the thoughtful people who shaped the magazine to what it is today.
I can only hope that my past three years writing for the magazine have upheld the heritage behind Feedback, and that my part in the community has brought as much warmth as I have received.
While my last day with the magazine was admittedly a hard one, I leave Feedback with wholehearted confidence in its future, and it’s thanks to every writer I have had the privilege of working alongside; you all have taught me more about writing, teamwork, and myself than you can imagine.
Thank you, Feedback, I’ll miss you!
Shaikha H.
Staff Writer
As a junior, I joined Introduction to Journalism with few expectations for how much I would enjoy the class. By the end of the semester, it was as if I had unlocked a genuine love for writing, one made possible by the support of Mr. Hara. Thank you for being an encouraging source of inspiration and guidance, for making the classroom an always-welcoming space, and for introducing many new, fascinating titles to my bookshelves.
Then I joined Feedback, and the newfound joy I felt in writing was magnified by the knowledge that I would be able to share my work with the people in class. To the beloved Feedback team: although Advanced Journalism may appear as a class with a mark on my transcript, I will always carry with me most the conversations and laughs we shared in between the hard work. More than anything, what made Feedback such a memorable part of my high school experience was the people. There is no other space in JIS like it, and I will always cherish the bonds I formed here long after I graduate.
I hope to continue developing the skills I’ve gained as a staff writer over the past three semesters, from the diligence and wit it takes to write a compelling article to the consideration and thoughtfulness needed to express my comments to fellow writers. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunities for growth that Feedback has given me.
A week after my last day of school, I visited the classroom with my fellow senior writers. Standing there and seeing the focused Nexus groups all over the room, I couldn’t be more assured that the magazine is in good hands. I’m so excited to keep up with future issues from a reader’s perspective, while always remembering the passion and teamwork that went into every article.
Naiara W.
Staff Writer
