For two years, the Mountaineer has been fortunate to have SHS Seniors Alanna Christman and Jasmyn Sanchez as its Co-Editor-in-Chiefs. 

The Editor-in-Chiefs are responsible for running the newspaper. Some of these jobs include editing, assigning stories, working with staff members on side jobs, and working with the adviser to keep the publication running smoothly. 

Christman and Sanchez have both been a part of the SHS Newspaper for three years. Each of these years, the Mountaineer achieved the “Distinguished Site” status. 

As sophomores, the duo was able to learn from the now-alumni staff members of the Mountaineer. They took these skills and have built upon them considerably since taking over as Editor-In-Chiefs at the beginning of their junior year. 

“We typically have one editor-in-chief, but Alanna and Jasmyn brought different strengths to the job, so we made them Co-Editor-In-Chiefs,” said SHS English teacher and Mountaineer adviser Mr. Matthew Sobrinski. “I really believe that’s allowed us to work more successfully together, as well as with the individual staff members. And it’s helped our newspaper grow and become more diverse.”

The Chiefs have also been able to implement their own ideas into the newspaper. Because of this, the Mountaineer has grown in outreach in a variety of areas, including social media, new article sections, and new features. 

“These last two years, we decided to start writing about more controversial topics that are occurring all over the world,” said Sanchez ‘21. “I think that this has grown to be a great addition to the newspaper because it brings awareness to certain topics that are important for people to know and learn about.”

Christman and Jasmyn have put in a significant amount of time and effort into the paper. They spent most of high school working on it. 

“It has made high school a very different experience,” said Christman ‘21. “I’ve had to put Journalism first in a wide variety of ways, and it has paid off in teaching me a wide variety of valuable lessons.”

The Mountaineer staff works with the Chiefs on a daily basis, and they clearly have a very good relationship.  Christman and Sanchez work hard to make sure that each staff member is able to choose assignments of personal interest to them.  This openness and flexibility are greatly appreciated.

For many of the students, it was their first year working on the Mountaineer. The Chiefs made it easy for students to understand how a distinguished publication works. 

“Alanna and Jasmyn were able to help me edit my stories fast and efficiently, and were able to give me suggestions that made me an overall better writer,” said staff writer Kevin Clark ‘21. 

However, the job went beyond the students. 

Sobrinski has worked with Christman and Sanchez for many years and has watched them grow into their leadership roles.

“Alanna and Jasmyn are just great characters,” said Sobrinski. “They are very professional; they have represented the Mountaineer as well as anybody could. I really appreciate that. It shows how much they care about our school and our entire school community.”