On May 10, the Pascack Hills Trailblazer announced its editorial staff for the 2021-22 school year. Interviews for these positions took place the week before over Google Meet. Applicants were evaluated by advisor Vani Apanosian, outgoing Editors-in-Chief Mackenzie Blowers and Jared Mitovich, and incumbent editors that applied for different positions.

Most of the editorial staff are new to the editor role, with the exception of Justine Marinkovic, Riley Solomon, Briana Keenan, and Kate Zydor.

Marinkovic and Solomon, both rising seniors at Hills, were selected for editor-in-chief. Both have been part of the Trailblazer since their freshman year, with Marinkovic recently editing the Arts and Entertainment section and Solomon editing the College Corner section. Both have helped revive the Pascack Recap this year and will be taking journalism this fall.

“I am looking forward to being able to be more involved in the website design and layout and the social media outlets we post on,” Marinkovic said. Solomon added that she looks forward to “all of [her] new responsibilities as Editor-in-Chief.”

The 2021-22 school year will see the formal creation of a new section, Hills Life, edited by rising senior Scianna Scott. The section will feature what students and staff are doing around Hills.

Scott said, “One of my main goals is to bridge the gap between different students at Pascack Hills, and to show hard work that goes on behind the scenes of different clubs.” 

Rising junior Briana Keenan will edit the School News section, which will continue to cover Board of Education meetings, district decisions and other happenings at Hills and throughout Pascack Valley Regional.

Aidan Berson expressed his goals as Sports Editor for the upcoming school year. “[As a Sports Editor], I want to get more students in the school involved, and make interesting content,” Berson said.

Shaan Dalal, rising junior and Berson’s co-editor for the sports section, wants to “make the sports section more consistent and also write more athlete showcases” in the upcoming school year.

Darcy Bergstein and Kaitlyn Verde are the new editors for the Trailblazer’s Arts & Entertainment section and a rising senior and sophomore, respectively.

“I know a lot of students at Pascack Hills that read, so I’m thinking for next year I’ll find more ideas for articles that have to do with books and book news. I also want to focus on the artistic achievements the students at Hills are receiving,” Bergstein said.

Verde echoed similar thoughts, noting that she wants to “maintain the high-standard articles the Trailblazer has produced thus far.”

The new editors for Life & Style are rising sophomore Julia Bang and rising junior Rebecca Lovett. They are both looking forward to editing for this section and communicating with staff writers.

“I’m excited to be a figure writers can rely on for genuine advice and support,” Bang stated. Lovett added, “I am most looking forward to interacting with other writers and editors.”

In addition to helping writers, editors are looking forward to giving feedback on articles.

Dylan Cochin and Saya Ross are rising juniors and the new College Corner editors. Cochin said that she is excited to “have the opportunity to edit and contribute to other people’s work,” while Ross said she is “looking forward to investing more” time into the Trailblazer.

The Opinion editors for next school year will be Anabelle Joukhadarian, a rising sophomore, and Madison Saks, a rising senior. They hope to write and edit content that makes an impression on the student body.

“I strive to make all readers feel that each article resonates with them one way or another,” Joukhadarian stated.“I hope to inspire [other Trailblazer] writers to be editors as well,” Saks said.

Sabrina Moe is a rising junior and the new In-Depth Editor for the Trailblazer. Zydor has been an In-Depth Editor since her sophomore year. Like Bang and Lovett, they are eager to begin working with other staff members. “I am excited to start working with the other editors and help other people with their writing,” Moe said.

As an incumbent editor, Zydor said she is “looking forward to writing with all of the new editors in the coming year.”

The new editors will continue to work with the 2020-21 editors as they transition into their new positions, which will be effective this summer. They will start editing for their respective sections next school year, continuing to report with Hills Pride for the Hills community.

Here is the full list of the 2021-22 Trailblazer editors: