The Student News Site of Traverse City West Senior High

The Occidentalist

The Occidentalist

The Occidentalist

2023-2024 Staff

Avery Hollister
Page Designer

Avery Hollister

Avery Hollister is a senior in her first year of newspaper. She chose to take this class to improve her writing and communication skills. Outside of school, Avery enjoys playing lacrosse and working out. ...

Tessa Gryc
Podcast Coordinator, Photographer

Tessa Gryc

Tessa is a freshman and this is her first year on newspaper as a reporter. She is taking newspaper because she likes to be involved in the community and be aware of current events. In her free time she likes to read, volunteer, a...

Riley Burkholder
Social Media Specialist

Riley Burkholder

Riley Burkholder is in her first year in newspaper as a reporter in her freshman year. Riley wanted to take newspaper for something different and to take converge on our school & community. Riley is in the senior dance co...

Audrey Kohler
Social Media Specialist, Business Manager

Audrey Kohler

Audrey Kohler is a Junior in her first year of newspaper. She decided to take this class because she wanted to try something new. Audrey is currently a reporter for the newspaper team. Outside of school, she enjoys running and ...

Sydney Fleming
Podcast Coordinator, Photographer

Sydney Fleming

Sydney Fleming is a freshman at West Senior High. She is taking the newspaper because she enjoys writing, and wanted to try something new and different from any class she has taken before. Her current position in the newspaper is a ...

Isla Wien
Graphic Designer

Isla Wien

Isla Wien is a Freshman in her first year of newspaper.  Isla chose to take this class, because she enjoys design, and working on the web.  She creates stories and takes photos.  She enjoys spending time outside doing things such ...

Lainie Rintala
Podcast Coordinator

Lainie Rintala

Lainie Rintala is a freshman at WSH. Lainie took newspaper because she loves writing and editing and has an interest in journalism. Her current position in the newspaper is a writer. In her free time, Lainie plays volleyball a...

Ashlyn Cummings
Business Manager

Ashlyn Cummings

Ashlyn Cummings is a sophomore in her first year of newspaper. She chose the class to expand her writing abilities and try something new. Ashlyn is currently a reporter in the newspaper. Outside of school, she enjoys playing s...

Coral Cravey
Page Designer

Coral Cravey

Coral Cravey is a freshman this year at WSH. Coral Took newspaper as her love for designing and writing would be of great use. Coral is a reporter on the newspaper team.Outside of school Coral is a swimmer for the TC Tritons sw...

Olivia Kandow
Social Media Specialist

Olivia Kandow

Oliva Kandow is a freshman here at west senior high. She signed up for the newspaper because of her love for writing and interest in journalism. Olivia is also on the Jv volleyball team here at west and plays as a middle on t...

Riley Makowski
Graphic Designer, Photographer

Riley Makowski

Riley Makowski is a sophomore in her first year of newspaper. She decided to take this class because she wanted to try something new. Riley is currently a reporter, working on fun stories for the school to read in the school ne...

Jayden Thomason
Page Designer, Graphic Designer

Jayden Thomason

Jayden Thomason is a Junior in his first year of newspaper. Jayden chose this class because he was recommended by Mr. Dumon, and he enjoys writing. Jayden is currently a reporter for the newspaper. Outside of school, Jayden enjoy...

Samantha VanWingen
Section Editor, Photographer

Samantha VanWingen

Samantha VanWingen is a senior and is taking the newspaper for the first time this year. She chose to take this class because she enjoys writing and has an interest in journalism. Outside of school, Samantha loves to be in nature,...

Marissa Ansorge
Page Designer

Marissa Ansorge

Marissa Ansorge is a freshman in her first year of newspaper. Marissa chose to take this class because she wanted to try something new that the middle school didn’t have to offer. Marissa is a journalist for the newspaper te...

Ashley Beeler
Photographer

Ashley Beeler

Ashley Beeler is a senior and is taking Newspaper for the first time this year. She is taking Newspaper because she wants to get more experience with life skills. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, hanging out with family...

Brynn Turnquist
Section Editor

Brynn Turnquist

Brynn Turnquist is a senior in her first year of newspaper. Brynn chose to take this class because she enjoys writing and editing, and is interested in journalism. As a student athlete, she plays on the WSH girls golf and TCU g...

Christopher Chase
Graphic Designer, Photographer

Christopher Chase

Christopher chase is a sophomore taking newspaper for the first time. He is taking newspaper because of his deep appreciation for reading and writing, and fondness of factually accurate stories. Christopher enjoys walking his ...

Brody Weston
Business Manager

Brody Weston

Brody Weston is a sophomore in his first year of newspaper. He took the class to be able to express his ideas in his school community. Brody is currently a reporter working on stories for the school newspaper and website. Outside ...

Emilia Shoemaker
Social Media Manager

Emilia Shoemaker

Emilia is a Senior and in her second year of newspaper. She chose to take this class because she wants to minor in journalism in the future and it's overall an awesome class to take in order to learn about life skills. Emilia...

Solè Demeuse
Section Editor, Social Media Specialist

Solè Demeuse

Solè Demeuse is a Junior in her first year of newspaper. She decided to take this class this year to pursue her interest in journalism and get a head start in it for college because at this time that is her preferred study. So...

Alexa Bageris
Social Media Specialist

Alexa Bageris

Alexa Bageris is a Junior in her first year of newspaper. She decided to take newspaper because she wanted to try something new. Alexa is a reporter for the newspaper team, writing lots of exciting stories. Outside of school, she...

Morgan Orth
Co-Editor in Chief

Morgan Orth

Morgan Orth is a senior in her second year of newspaper and is one of the co-editor in chiefs. She chose to take this class because she has an interest in journalism and graphic design. Outside of school, Morgan spends her ti...

Nola Raven
Assistant EIC, Lead Page Designer

Nola Raven

Nola Raven is a senior in high school and is in her second year of newspaper. She is taking this class because it provides good life skills and she enjoys writing stories and is interested in getting a journalism degree in the futu...

Kendall Kaberle
Co-Editor in Chief

Kendall Kaberle

Kendall Kaberle is a senior in her second year of newspaper. This year she decided to take on a larger leadership role as co-editor-in-chief as she really enjoys writing and editing stories. She chose to take this class as a b...

Arden Prieskorn
Assistant EIC, Social Media Manager

Arden Prieskorn

Arden Prieskorn is a Senior and in her second year of taking newspaper. She chose to take this class because journalism has always sparked her interest, and that it would give her important life skills. Arden is assistant edit...

Tess Tarchak-Hiss
Section Editor, Page Designer

Tess Tarchak-Hiss

Tess Tarchak-Hiss is a sophomore in her second year of newspaper. She is currently a journalist and chose to take this class to improve her AP writing skills, and because she has an interest in journalism. In her free time, T...

Aubrey Lawless
Section Editor, Podcast Coordinator

Aubrey Lawless

Aubrey Lawless is a sophomore in her second year of newspaper. She made the decision to take the class because she enjoys writing, editing, and photography as well as being involved in the school community. Aubrey is a staff wr...

Emma Howell-Leman
Podcast Coordinator

Emma Howell-Leman

Emma Howell-Leman is a sophomore in her second year of newspaper. She likes to learn about current sports and people's opinions on certain topics. She has decided to take newspaper to broaden her knowledge of current events, ge...

William Collins
Section Editor, Social Media Specialist

William Collins

William Collins is a sophomore in his second year of newspaper. He loves to read and write so he is trying to improve on those skills. Out of school Will loves to sing and involve himself in performing arts. ...

Koa Sheppard
Section Editor

Koa Sheppard

Koa Sheppard is a Junior here at West and this is his third year in newspaper. Koa took this class because he is skilled at editing stories and looking for typos.

Cici Copenhaver
Photo Editor, Assistant EIC

Cici Copenhaver

Cici Copenhaver is a senior in her second year of newspaper at WSH. She decided to take the class because she loves to write and edit stories, and also wants to assist with the photographic portion of the newspaper and website. C...