Welcome back, Blue Tide! After a ten-year hiatus, I am honored to revive our school’s beloved newspaper. The last edition of the newspaper was in print was September 14, 2014. In that ten-year period many things changed: newspapers went from primarliy print to digital, Twitter became X, there was life before and after COVID, and the Dodgers won the World Series twice: 2020 and 2024. I am sure you all have your own list. But, some things remain the same: most days in Southern California give us the best weather, In n’ Out will always have a long line, and, despite more access to technology through our phone and social media apps, we still crave human connections. Now, perhaps more than ever, we need reliable and accurate news. Our last edition featured TV personality Mario Lopez and journalist Lisa Ling, visiting the school with the message of a “no phone zone” as promoted by Oprah Winfrey. Perhaps, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. We are still trying to figure out how technology, more portable and powerful than ever, can help us, and not hurt us.
This is why Blue Tide is back. Strong writing skills, curiosity and a collaborative work environment are just some of the skills our student-journalists are learning in an ever-changing media landscape. Fake news (aka “lies”) is dividing our nation, to say nothing of our immediate community. Students need to learn to think for themselves, ask thoughtful questions, engage in rigorous inquiry into how and where they get their news, and learn that they can play a pivotal role in our community in not only reading and sharing of news, but they can make it too. This is leadership in action.
I asked my co-adviser, Mr. Bretton Boyd, the filmmaking teacher (Campus News) to join me in creating stories and media that directly connect and impact the lives of Barristers. Our newspaper will have not only stories in text-form, but media including high-quality videos and photography highlighting issues and events our students care about.
I hope you will join us in becoming regular readers of the Blue Tide. We need your support. Tell a friend about us. As the paper grows, so will the opportunities to contribute. Thank you in advance for your patronage.
Sincerely,
Ms. Benin Lemus
Blue Tide Adviser and Librarian
