SOUTHERNER - Key Persons


Abby Ippen

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Associate Managing Editor

Aerin Jones

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Alek Sibilsky

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Section Editor

Alex Brendle

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Amauri Perrier

Job Titles:
  • Writer
Amauri is a sophomore and is in his first year writing for the Southerner. Amauri is a tenor drum player for the Midtown Marching Midknights and likes playing drums in his spare time.

Andrew Copeland

Job Titles:
  • Teacher

Anna Rafferty

Job Titles:
  • Associate
  • Managing Editor
  • Writer
Anna Rafferty is very excited to write for the Southerner this school year. She graduates in the class of 2023 and also participates in Extemporaneous Speaking on the Midtown Jesters.

Ansley Engstrom

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Anya Parssinen

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Audrey Lyons

Job Titles:
  • Comment Associate Managing Editor

Ayan Amin

Job Titles:
  • News Section Editor

Brennan Fritts

Job Titles:
  • News Associate Managing Editor

Callan Cucchi

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle and a & E Managing Editor
  • Writer
Callan is a senior and Managing Editor of the Lifestyle A&E section of the Southerner. This is her third year on the paper. When she is not working on the paper, she enjoys playing soccer and hanging out with friends.

Carly Hallett

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Carolyn Harty

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief
  • Senior and a Sports Editor in Chief
Carolyn Harty is a senior and a sports editor in chief. This is her third year writing for The Southerner. When she's not writing, she enjoys playing soccer and hanging out with friends. She is excited to continue writing for The Southerner.

Carys Brightwell

Job Titles:
  • News Managing Editor

Cate Barton

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief
  • Teacher Andrew Copeland Smiles While in Teacher Taylssa Hunter 's Math Class
Teacher Andrew Copeland teaches AP Psychology. Copeland said outside of school he enjoys playing video games. "I started [playing video games] during Covid-19," Copeland said. "It's a fun way for me to stay connected to friends that have moved away and that I don't see very often, so it's just my way of catching up with them once or twice a week." Cate Barton is a senior and this is her fourth year writing for The Southerner. She enjoys soccer, basketball, running and hanging out with friends. She is excited to continue writing for The Southerner.

Colin Kovac

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Connie Erdozain

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief
Connie Erdozain is a senior and this is her fourth year writing for the Southerner. When she isn't writing, Connie enjoys painting, playing the piano, reading and spending time with her friends.

Courtney English

Courtney English is a candidate for Atlanta City Council President. English is an Atlanta native. He began serving on the Board of Education at 24 and helped to increase the graduation rate at Atlanta schools.

Dabney Bond

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Daniel Hyken

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Doug Shipman

Doug Shipman is a candidate for Atlanta City Council President. Shipman was the Founding CEO at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights for 8 years. He worked to open Howard Middle School and improve Freedom Park.

Dylan Gnatt

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Dylan Knight

Job Titles:
  • News Section Editor

Dylan Seinberg

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Emily Eckmann

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Emma Young

Job Titles:
  • Social Media Managing Editor
Emma Young is a senior and this is her third year writing for the Southerner. When she's not writing, she is playing lacrosse or hanging out with friends.

Erin Smearman

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Fairlie Mercer

Job Titles:
  • Comment Section Editor

Farris Duwayri

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief

Glo Zen

Job Titles:
  • Student Starts Vegan Skincare Business

Grady Parent

Job Titles:
  • Teacher Student Association

Greta Gustafson

Job Titles:
  • Co - Editor in Chief
Greta Gustafson is a senior and this is her third year working on the Southerner. She is on the Midtown lacrosse team, and in her free time, you can find her hanging out with friends and family, relaxing outside, eating food and baking. She's excited to continue writing and learning more about the Midtown community this school year.

Hannah Silver

Job Titles:
  • Social Media Managing Editor
Hannah Silver is a senior and this is her fourth year writing for the Southerner. When she's not spending her time writing, she is doing cheer, is beta club co-president, plays violin, is a company member at her dance studio, jewish student union co-president, and enjoys hanging out with her friends.

Hayes Patton

Job Titles:
  • a & E Section Editor

Henry Eckersley

Job Titles:
  • Writer
Henry Eckersley is a sophomore and this is his first year on the Southerner. When he is not writing, he spends most of his time playing for the Midtown baseball team, practicing or listening to music, or working on his podcasts. He looks forward to his time on the staff and hopes to make a difference.

Henry Moye

Job Titles:
  • Comment Managing Editor

Ivy Sinitiere

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Jack Sullivan

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Jacki Labat

Jacki Labat is a candidate for the City Council Post 3 At-Large. The Atlanta native is a member of the L.E.A.D Advisory Council and was the First Lady of the City of Atlanta Department of Corrections. This is her first campaign for office.

Jamie Marlowe

Job Titles:
  • Co - Editor in Chief
Jamie is a senior, and this is her third year on the Southerner staff. Along with writing, she loves traveling, spending time with her friends and family and running cross country and track.

Joshua Washington

Job Titles:
  • Teacher
Washington has taught at Midtown for three and a half years despite coaching for eight and a half years. Joshua Washington teaches PE and health, and has coached Midtown track for eight and a half years. Prior to teaching at Midtown, Washington was a Grady student. "My favorite part of coaching is being a part of a team that I was a part of when I was a student here as well," Washington said. Washington understands the importance of high school in developing students' maturity, and said the best part of being a teacher is being able to build relationships with students and getting to know them personally to support them through their journey.

Julia Barton

Job Titles:
  • Sports Associate Managing Editor

Julia Diener

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Kai Chen

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Kate Durden

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Managing Editor
Kate Durden is a senior and this is her fourth year writing for the Southerner. She enjoys volunteering at an animal shelter, running the 21st Century Leaders communication, helping register students to vote with Midtown High Votes and hanging out with her friends.

Katharine Carter

Job Titles:
  • Teacher
Katharine Carter stands in the hallway outside of her classroom where she teaches Dramatic Writing and AP English Language and Composition. Katharine Carter is a Language arts teacher at Midtown. She covers the classes of AP Language and Composition and Dramatic Writing for Film and Television. In Dramatic Writing, students have the unique opportunity to write scripts for short films, plays and television episodes. "I think that [Dramatic Writing] is unique because students are able to take everything they have ever learned in English and in life and apply it to storytelling for a medium in which they are absolute experts," Carter said. "The incredible, genius work that happens is exciting and it's truly unmatched in any other class I've taught."

Katie Sigal

Job Titles:
  • Comment Managing Editor and Social Media Editor
  • Senior and Comment Managing Editor and Social Media Editor
Katie Sigal is a senior and Comment Managing Editor and Social Media Editor for the Southerner. She is on the swim team and, in her free time, she likes spending time with friends, swimming, reading and listening to Taylor Swift. She is super excited to continue writing for the Southerner this year.

Lara Hodson

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Section Editor

Lela Hart

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Liam Geissler-Norseng

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief

Lillian Aynes

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Lilly Amato

Job Titles:
  • Sports Section Editor

Lilo Cassimatis

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Lily Carter

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Lily Rachwalski

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief

Little Rey

Little Rey's is family-friendly and conveniently located

Lizzie Jarrell

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Lizzie Lyman

Job Titles:
  • Writer
Lizzie Lyman is a sophomore at Midtown and writes Lifestyle and A&E stories. She enjoys theater and art, and is excited for her first year on staff.

Maia Barron

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Mariam Darb

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Associate Managing Editor

Max Zelniker

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Maya Rallu

Job Titles:
  • a & E Associate Managing Editor

Meredith Bell

Job Titles:
  • a & E Managing Editor

Mike Russell

Job Titles:
  • Retired Army Officer

Mira D'Agostino

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Molly Thompson

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Managing Editor

Natalie Hall

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Oliver Grosse

Job Titles:
  • Comment Section Editor

Penelope Keenan

Job Titles:
  • Lifestyle Associate Managing Editor

Presley Lindsey

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Quincy Jones

Job Titles:
  • Producer, Composer, Leaves Legacy of Influence and Innovation
Quincy Jones, renowned producer, composer, leaves legacy of influence and innovation

Ralph Long

Ralph Long is a candidate for the City Council Post 3 At-Large. Prior to this campaign, Long held office as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives District 61 from 2009 to 2013. In 2016, Long was a special election candidate for District 58 but was beat out by Park Cannon in a runoff.

Ranbir Sharma

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Reese Seinberg

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Rose Silver

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Rowyn Chekanow

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Sadie Teras

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Sam Silcock

Job Titles:
  • Sports Managing Editor

Sara Centner

Job Titles:
  • Sports Section Editor

Shalin Bhatia

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief
Shalin is in his fourth year of the Journalism pathway and is in his third year on the Southerner staff, serving as the Editor in Chief over the News Section. Besides writing stories, Shalin is a member of the Speech and Debate team and plays for the tennis team. He is very excited to help lead the staff this year.

Shay Bowman - President

Job Titles:
  • City Council
  • President
  • Lifestyle Managing Editor
Shay Bowman is a senior and this is her third year writing for the Southerner. When she's not writing, she's playing club and school soccer, practicing piano, or starting a new craft. She is excited to continue writing stories and meeting people in and around the Midtown community.

Sienna Burton

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Sierra Pape

Job Titles:
  • Editor in Chief
Sierra Pape is a senior and this is her fourth year on the Southerner staff. When she is not writing, you will find her running for the Midtown cross country team, working for Midtown Votes and political organizations outside of school, and singing in the school musicals. She is so grateful for the caliber of the journalism program at Midtown!

Sinclair Richman

Job Titles:
  • Sports Managing Editor

Sophia Greeson

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Sophia Moscaliov

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Stella St. Clair

Job Titles:
  • Multimedia Managing Editor

Tamela Cosby

Job Titles:
  • Teacher
Teacher Tamela Cosby teaches Geometry, Algebra II and Precalculus for Midtown. Cosby said she was inspired by her 5th grade teacher to become a teacher herself. Cosby said she hopes to help her students to the best of her ability this year.

Xavier Frazier

Job Titles:
  • Writer

Zelda Lerner

Job Titles:
  • News Associate Managing Editor

Zephy Schroeder

Job Titles:
  • Senior Class President