“Journalism is a bastion for democracy, an agent of change and a way to break boundaries!” my grandfather, a former journalist in the Soviet Union, expounded in a heavy Russian accent over dinner at the beginning of my freshman year. Though his words did not completely resonate at first, I took his advice and joined The Minuteman. While I enjoyed my time writing about campus events and improving my writing skills, that was all I thought I was doing.

Last month, four al-Jazeera journalists were arrested in Egypt. While one has been released, three remain in custody without any charges. Correspondents from news organizations across the globe have joined together to call for their immediate release. This prompted me to remember the words of my grandfather three years earlier. Journalism is much more than a self-serving way to improve one’s writing ability; it has a much greater purpose: to push boundaries.

On a radically different scale, students at Newark Academy push boundaries – and the journalists of The Minuteman are no exception. However, I think it is oftentimes forgotten and overlooked that prompting such discussion is exactly what The Minuteman strives to do on a set-to-set basis. We delve into topics that we feel are untouched, investigate unanswered questions, and in our own way, push boundaries. For example, this set, the Feature Section presents an in-depth look at feminism and its implications at the Academy, a topic we hope encourages an informed dialogue within the community.

The paper often seems unattached and even sheltered from the greater journalistic community, since we only write for our peers, parents and faculty. Despite this, however, what connects us to journalists around the globe is our shared yearning to express ourselves beyond simple regurgitation of the well known. At times it seems that the role of the journalist at the Academy is trivial, especially when professional journalists are facing jail sentences in foreign countries. Yet the journalists of The Minuteman do face many of the same challenges as professionals. We must deal with anonymous sources, define a level of appropriateness, and keep a busy high school audience engaged.

As my final year with the paper winds down, I am beginning to understand what my grandfather had told me: journalism, whether one writes for The Minuteman or The New York Times, is a powerful platform for change in any community. So, as you peruse the work of your peers and students in the latest set, I urge you to remember the power of journalism, and the greater purpose we always have in mind.