Staff Photos: (Top row from left to right: Mairen Brown, Sarah Meiselman, Cray Brown, Evyn Firestone, Kemmie Jackson, Andrew Mbow, Eliza Peddi, Paola Orellana, Sophia Rios, Phoenix Rivera).
Mairen Brown (Co-Editor in Chief)
This year I am co-editor of the North Springs Oracle, along with Sarah Meiselman. I am so excited to be in this position, not for the title, but for the change I am thrilled to be a part of. The articles you will read by me will cover a wide range, but I can assure you that every single one of them stems from a place of passion, adherence to facts, and personal experience. A few fun facts about me are that I love the color orange, I have lived in four states (Nevada, Michigan, Maryland, and Georgia), and my first word was “Diego”, from the show Go, Diego! Go! I absolutely despise honeydew and cantaloupe. My writing is one of the best ways to get to know me. I hope you are as excited as me for a new Oracle year filled with great staff, great writing, and so many things to say.
Sarah Meiselman (Co-Editor in Chief)
This year I am co-editor of the North Springs Oracle. I’m a sophomore and thrilled to help lead this incredible staff in giving you a newspaper that will make your jaw drop. If I’m not doing homework or adding to the Oracle, I’m probably reading or baking (and yet my cakes still come out dry). I’m always walking my dog while listening to a podcast, but I’ve switched my focus from gruesome true crime to news that keeps me up to date. I’ve just started driving and can proudly say I’ve only nearly gotten into an accident… twice. For the Oracle, I’m planning to write more news stories and opinion pieces, with the hope that my experience from last year has taught me how to make my articles extra interesting and helpful for you, the reader. I can’t wait to continue sharing my work with you. Good luck to everyone in the 2022-2023 school year!
Cray Brown (Staff Writer)
I am a Junior for the Echo Literary Magazine and the Oracle. When it comes to my writing, I pride myself on my potency and emotional rawness. Most of my ideas are drawn from Esotericism and/or Psychology, specifically the stress we as humans both endure and inflict. My greatest inspiration for my writing is the Japanese author Yukio Mishima; although controversial, he wrote provocatively and without a filter. His eloquence in expression is one I hope to one day capture in my own writing.
Evyn Firestone (Staff Writer)
I am a sophomore at North Springs; however, this is my first year taking journalism. I love to write, but some of my skills could use some work, so taking this class will help me sharpen them. I’ve lived in Georgia my whole life and have never moved. I love to read and I love listening to music, although I have no musical talent. I also have two dogs who couldn’t be more different. I’m excited to write for the Oracle this year and to see what I can learn from this class in the future.
Kembriell Jackson (Staff Writer)
I’m in 9th grade and I just moved to Georgia from South Carolina. I’ve never lived in Georgia before, so it’s all very new to me. I play volleyball, and my position on the North Springs team is outside hitter. I’ve been playing volleyball for about three years, so I’m very excited about this season. I’ve always loved writing; it’s been my strength in every subject no matter what we’re doing. Writing for me is a form of expression where I can pour all my feelings and thoughts into it and make it my own. I have many career paths that I’m thinking about pursuing, one of which is being a journalist because I love writing, and learning and experiencing new things. Journalists are headstrong, confident, and intelligent, and those are some qualities I want to possess as I mature. I believe joining my journalism class will help me progress as a writer and expand my thinking. I’m very excited about this school year and what the future holds for me. I have high expectations for myself, and I hope to exceed them!
Andrew Mbow (Contributor, Sports and Op-Ed)
Andrew Mbow: I play baseball at North Springs High School; I pitch and I play second base. I enjoy going outside and walking as well as swimming during the summer. I also enjoy working out with my friends; my favorite exercise is to bench press. I am a junior and former staff writer for the Oracle who is freelancing this year.
Eliza Peddi (Assistant Editor)
I am a huge theater kid, and a devoted Twenty-One Pilots fan. I have a big sweet tooth, with my favorites being chocolate, gummies, and macrons. I love playing Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. Cooking, baking, reading, and playing music are my favorite hobbies.
Paola Orellana (Staff Writer)
I am a sophomore, and this is my second year taking journalism. I have a cat that had 2 kittens recently. Some of my favorite movies are Coraline, the Nightmare Before Christmas, the Child’s Play franchise , Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (both the live action version and the original animated one). I also love listening to music and drawing. I love spending time with family; its always fun and such a good time to be with them. My hope for this year is to get better with having strong ideas for articles and figuring out how to put the web paper together.
Sophia Rios (Staff Writer)
Most people I know call me Sophie. I’m Puerto Rican; I absolutely love my culture and everything around it. I was born in New York City, and I enjoy reading, playing video games, and learning about history. My favorite novel series is The Witcher (including the books, games, and the show). I aspire to be as good of a writer as the author of that series, Andrzej Sapkowski. My favorite animal is the octopus, and tomatoes are an abomination to mankind. I’m looking forward to getting to know more about the art of writing in journalism!
Phoenix Rivera (Social Media Editor)
I’m in love with naps and fantasy books in the wintertime. Autumn is my favorite season because of the horror movies and the “sweater weather”. Chocolate is the superior kind of candy, and you can’t tell me otherwise. I love arguing with my brother over Mario Kart, and I do still owe him his favorite cookies from our last match, but don’t mention it to him. I’m learning to play the bass, but I only know a few chords. My favorite pastimes are roller-skating and baking with random ingredients, and I’m pretty good at both!
