2024 Annual Report: Student Voice Shines in MISD

Editor’s Note: This story appeared on Pages 10 & 11 of the 2024 Mercer Island School District Annual Report which was delivered to all Mercer Island residents via regular mail on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

By Jordan Balousek, MIHS Senior

With the growing influence of artificial intelligence, it’s not uncommon to hear people mutter that journalism will soon be a lost art. However, in MISD, that statement is far from the truth. Whether a student is in the IMS News Club or the Media Tech class at MIHS, the common denominator is students who are passionate about sharing their voice within our community. 

At MIHS, there are quite a few student publications, covering a range of mediums. 

• The MIHS Islander is the student-run newspaper, running both a website (mihsislander.org), and producing 6-plus print issues per year, distributed to both subscribers and the student body. 
• The Isla puts out a 300+ page yearbook to students at the end of the year. 
• Pegasus, the school’s creative arts magazine, releases a full-color magazine at the end of the year, featuring physical and written student art, in addition to running a website (mihspegasus.org). 
• MIHS.tv covers school news and produces various segments in a broadcast format, and won “Best Newscast” in a nationwide contest this past March.
• Finally, the radio class runs KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, which recently won the honor of “Best High School Radio Station” in a nationwide competition at the John Drury Awards. 

   

Radio teacher Joe Bryant said that the impact his class has on students is what he finds most inspiring about teaching the class. “Some former students are making a real name for themselves in the broadcast industry,” Bryant said. “It always makes me super proud to know that the little light bulb went off right here in this room, that pointed these students to what they wanted to do with their future.” 

At IMS, students are able to participate in the IMS News club, which meets after school and runs their own website (imstimes.net). Taking Yearbook is another option for students interested in learning about media publications; the class produces one 116-page edition per year. 

“I really like designing, and I thought that yearbook would be a really good class to take because I would be able to express something [in a way] that everyone could see,” seventh grade yearbook student Margaret Shea said. She said she is excited to take photos of her fellow classmates throughout the year. 

Sixth grader Kayden Pham said he joined IMS News club out of his excitement to learn how to edit family Christmas photos, and says he really enjoys filming vlogs for the club. He also said he’s “looking forward to writing the newspapers and the podcasts.” 

The elementary schools also have their own unique ways of broadcasting student voice. At Island Park, students have opportunities to participate in morning meetings with their classes, help create class rules and display their work on bulletin boards. They are also able to participate in student council and help plan assemblies. 

Lakeridge is hosting four assemblies on belonging this year that are written and delivered by students, as well as “Culture 5!” assemblies, where students are able to teach their peers about an upcoming cultural event that they have a connection to. Additionally, fifth-grade students are able to participate in student council, whose responsibilities include running the daily announcements and periodically publishing a newsletter. 

At Northwood, fourth and fifth grade students are also able to participate in the student council, who plan spirit days and support the school’s clubs, and provide input on various matters. Additionally, Northwood plans to form a Principal Advisory Team that will meet regularly, and introduce a student suggestion box to gather students’ ideas, comments and questions about the school for the leadership team to review. 

West Mercer recently hosted its Veterans Day assembly, where students were able to perform various skits and music. Students were also able to participate in the Culture Fair, which featured dances and homemade food from various students’ families. Similarly to the other three elementary schools, students are also able to serve on the student council. 

Overall, the district’s robust media programs and focus on highlighting students’ perspectives have given students the opportunity to find their voices, making an impact beyond just the classroom. 

“Whatever you're passionate about outside of school, you can always bring it into radio,” junior Aaliyah Khan said, who works on the Sports Team for KMIH. “There's just so much freedom to do whatever you want, and talk about what you're truly passionate about.” 

“I discovered what I want to do with my life,” senior radio student Maggie Blohm said.