Letter from the Editor
Dear Reader,
I’m so honored to have been chosen as the Pixel Journal’s new editor-in-chief for the 2022-2023 school year!
My heartfelt thanks go to Rachel Hu who has been our amazing leader this past year. She has contributed what has now become an invaluable part of the publication, the Pixel Journal’s Mental Health Column, and her guidance, passion, and creativity in furthering the Journal’s mission will be missed.
I would also like to recognize our incredible Assistant Editor-in-Chief, Maddy Manning-Bi; Stories Editor, Zoe Huml; and Clubs Editor, Sophia Risin as their final year at OHS comes to a close. As our dedicated members of the Editorial Board, this year of the Pixel Journal would simply not have been possible without them. From everyone at the Journal, we wish Rachel, Maddy, Zoe, and Sophia all the best in college and beyond!
As for the future of the Pixel Journal, I’m super excited for the upcoming school year and look forward to leading the Journal in continuing its now 6-year legacy. Since 2016, the Pixel Journal has aimed to bring the OHS community closer together by sharing the inspiring stories of our fellow students, the fascinating work of our student-run clubs, and the unique experiences that come with being an OHSer.
Community is a theme that rings true not only in the Journal’s mission, but also in the words of its previous leaders, articles, as well as my own experiences with it. From my time as a reader, contributor, and editor these past three years that I have been at OHS, engaging with the Pixel Journal has truly connected me to our diverse student body. It has even encouraged me to branch out to different parts of the community that I never would have participated in otherwise. However, forming connections in an online school doesn't often come easy.
Especially as an international student, I know how quickly you can be consumed by the physical distances that separate us, and it truly takes work and effort to find a sense of belonging to our uniquely global school community. There are other challenges that come with our school environment too, from stress to self-doubt that many of us have struggled with or continue to struggle with. These are important issues that need to be recognized, and I hope the Pixel Journal and the articles we publish can continue to shed light on them as they have aimed to do in the past.
But I think simply knowing that you are not alone is your first step into the OHS community. I hope sharing our collective experiences, celebrating our peers’ accomplishments, as well as analyzing our school culture using the skills our OHS classes instill in us can all help to accomplish this.
Ultimately, the difficulties and challenges we all face give us the opportunity to face them together. All the relationships you form will all the more be something you can be proud to have built from the ground up during your OHS career. In leading the Pixel Journal this next school year, I can only hope and strive to continue its mission of connecting us to one another, to our student body, and to our larger school community, as I have found it has done for me.
As the world is beginning to return to some senses of pre-pandemic normalcy, the avenues are perhaps opening up again for us to further cement our relationships face-to-face. In the meantime though, reach out to your classmates, stay in touch with your friends, and don’t forget to relax and recharge this summer break to return refreshed for a new school year in the fall. This is definitely advice I need to remember to keep in mind as well!
Wishing you a wonderful summer ahead,
Eryn