Being a part of my school’s debate team has led me to better my commitment to diversity.

Minnesota classic debate requires participants to research and create arguments for both sides of the resolution. This has led me to not only diversify my research and news reading, but also allows me to hear different perspectives on issues.

I take this to the newsroom when researching for my own stories, diving deep into new perspectives on topics I may not have thought of if I hadn’t diversified my knowledge through debate. The experience has also helped me to bring up new issues when we discuss our staff editorial, finding new arguments to the story.

Vincent Pilling, Staff Writer for the Minnehaha Talon.

“During my years in debate and student reporting, I’ve learned to recognize the rare type of person who can hold truth and empathy in the same hand, and Sophia Blew is one of the few who embodies that balance with an almost disarming naturalness.

I first met her when she was still finding her footing as a writer, and even then there was something unmistakably steady in the way she approached complicated stories; this quiet insistence on understanding the people behind the claims, not just the claims themselves. Over time, I’ve watched her move from hesitantly asking questions to drawing out perspectives that would’ve remained invisible without her patience and genuine curiosity.

Whether she is interviewing a classmate with an unpopular opinion or navigating a topic that requires great sensitivity, she has an instinct for creating space where people feel both heard and respected. That instinct, paired with her unwavering commitment to accuracy, has shaped her into someone who seeks the fuller picture rather than the convenient one. In rooms where voices collide and nuance is often the first casualty, she brings a steadiness that keeps conversations anchored in good faith.

Seeing her grow more confident, more discerning, and more attuned to the moral weight of telling someone else’s story has truly been a highly rewarding part of my time in both debate and journalism.”

Examples in my Work.

I had the opportunity for our 2025 winter issue to interview and write about a girl named Nylah Hawkins at our school who wrestled.

Not only is it rare to hear about wrestling at Minnehaha, it is even rarer to hear about a girl taking on a mostly male dominated sport.

I took on the story looking to shed light on a new angle of women’s sports, informing our student body of something they might not know about a fellow peer. I take this commitment to diversity into account when looking for new stories to write about, seeking to shed light on topics or people many may not know about.