Letter from the Editor

Dear Reader, 

I am honored to have been chosen as the Pixel Journal's editor-in-chief for the 2020–21 school year! I look forward to another transformative year, and I’m excited to lead the Journal as we continue sharing thoughtful, inspiring stories of our student body.

I would like to thank Hannah Yang for her incredible dedication to the Pixel Journal this year and for entrusting me with the publication. The Journal wishes her the best of luck in her future endeavors beyond OHS, and we look forward to seeing where her unfailing commitment, enthusiasm, and ability take her!

Since 2016, the Pixel Journal has been a place to share the wonderful stories of OHS students and to reflect on OHS as an online space with its own unique culture. This past year, we introduced the new Culture column to share stories of the OHS community—stories that provoke discussion around shaping or reshaping OHS culture. I hope for the Journal to continue documenting stories of both the wonderful individuals of our school and our incredible student body as a whole.

At OHS, each of us plays a role in cultivating a culture that promotes learning and being inspired by—rather than comparing ourselves with—others. Above preparing you for college and a career, high school should be a part of a lifelong pursuit of learning.

The OHS education invites us to think critically about important ideas and engage with our communities both within and beyond OHS. Drawing from the goal of an OHS education to help us grow into thoughtful and aware individuals, the Pixel Journal hopes to continue facilitating discussions around how to build and strengthen our school community in a way that makes it inspire each of us to learn and grow.

This year in particular, the world has been in a state of panic. With schools shifting to online learning and a number of people suggesting that a virtual classroom is not as ‘real’ as a physical one, I’m sure that you know the OHS classroom, community, and culture are indeed equally real and valid as their physical counterparts, and that you’re aware of the importance and potential impact of building online cultures and communities.

At the Pixel Journal, we stay true to our mission of capturing the culture of the OHS student body and creating discussion around how it shapes our experiences. We’re interested in learning about your individual pursuits—how you’re choosing to define your own path. And we’re interested in building a community that involves all of us at OHS, connected by our common experiences such as the classic Adobe Connect issues that we face.

Ultimately, the Journal emphasizes that it is up to you to shape what it means to be an OHS student. Whatever your plans may be for this summer, I implore you to continue engaging with others’ ideas and knowledge. Read a book, keep up with the news, watch a film, or just talk with your friends. And always be prepared to participate in as well as facilitate discussions that are difficult, important, and fascinating all at once.

Cheers,

Paige Yeung

Editor-in-Chief