5: Midway memories

Declan Smith, Assistant Editor

December 19, 2024

Hundreds of student journalists have carried the Midway through changes within the school, city, nation and world. Here are memories from 10 Midway alumni reflecting on their time as student journalists.

1. “It developed in me the desire to communicate clearly and use words to tell a story. I have been in sales for 40 years and every day — I mean EVERY DAY — I need to effectively and efficiently communicate, and the lessons and skills I learned working on the Midway are at the root of those efforts.”

— Richard Letchinger, 1979, now a sales executive

2. “I learned to get comfortable talking to people I didn’t know, the tenets of journalism, how to write concisely and under tight deadlines, and learning the value at an early age of keeping at it until the job is done, no matter how late the hour — all skills that I have consistently employed through college, law school and the entirety of my legal career.”

— Joyce Maxberry Milliet, 1980, now a federal prosecutor

3. “Mr. Brasler truly was just a hilarious character. He got it done, but he was just hilarious. He did some singing, he did some dancing on the tables. He let you know when he didn’t like your work and when you had let him down, but he was a delight to work for and really made me realize what journalism people are like. And that’s probably why I’m still in the business.”

— Monica Davey, 1982, now deputy national editor, The New York Times

4. “I did a number of illustrations for the Midway and U-High yearbook, which encouraged me to be creative, even kind of insane, and have fun reimagining our school and lives … it was my first chance to be published for an audience, which I’ve continued as a bible scholar and writer about the music I first got into.”

— Seth Sanders, 1986, now a theologian and professor

5. “Amidst the hard work, the Midway was always a place of fun and excitement, making it the most memorable and rewarding experience of my high school years. The thrill of meeting deadlines, the joy of seeing our work in print and the camaraderie of the team made every moment memorable.”

— Ramit Mendi, 1995, now an anesthesiologist

6. “I got to interview teachers about faculty disputes (dealing with adults in a context far different from being a student); approach businesses to sell ads (a real challenge for me, a very shy kid); supervise other students’ work; and take on more and more responsibility for a newspaper with real deadlines. This was the Lab Schools’ ‘learn by doing’ philosophy at its finest.”

— Arielle (Levin Becker) Harrison, 2000, former reporter now communications manager for a health care nonprofit

7. “It taught me time management. You’re actually working on a deadline, in a different way than just turning in papers, and an article has a lot of moving pieces that aren’t just on your time. You’re reliant on a lot of outside sources, so you can’t just be researching in bed at three in the morning on a Sunday.”

— Sydney Scarlata, 2012, now working at the State Department

8. “The level of excellence that [Mr. Brasler and Mr. Aimone] both instilled to us to great, great work and to set our own standard for excellence”

— Michael Glick, 2015, now a manager for Bain & Company

9. “Working different positions on the paper, becoming EIC, it was just a very great experience because we felt like we had real autonomy over the paper. … Definitely something that completely changed my life path.”

— Marissa Martinez, 2017, now working for Apple News

10. “The Midway was a great experience to go and interact with and learn about the Lab community in my time there. Not only did it provide the opportunity to really interact with my peers and community members on a deeper level than I necessarily would have if I wasn’t a part of the Midway, it really helped me develop a sense of motivation.”

— Téa Tamburo, 2023, now a student journalist at Case Western Reserve University

U-High Midway

U-High Midway

U-High Midway

5: Midway memories

U-High Midway

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