The Media Art Center opened its doors 10 years ago, changing the landscape of student journalism at Palo Alto High School. A collaborative space for student writers, reporters and broadcasters, the building has become more than just a building — it is an incubator for student journalists and a place to make new connections.
In this episode, we sat down with alumni who were here during the start of the MAC. Through their stories, we see a different perspective of the building and how it has developed today. Listen down below to find out more.
Read the full transcript below:
Veronica & Allison: Hi everyone!
Allison: I’m Allison. I’m the culture editor for The Paly Voice.
Veronica: I’m Veronica and I’m the news editor of The Paly Voice
Veronica & Allison: And welcome to the MAC 10 podcast!
Allison: If you’re not familiar, the MAC or the Media Arts Center is the home of student journalism at Palo Alto High School. It opened 10 years ago, giving student journalists a dedicated space to report, design and publish their work.
Veronica: Over the last decade, the MAC has shaped the way Paly students tell stories. But what was it like before and how has it changed?
Allison: Which is why we talked to alumni who are here from the beginning to now, to see how the MAC has shaped student journalism over the last decade.
Veronica: To figure this out, we reached out to a bunch of people who were students when the building opened through LinkedIn. Thanks for the following for talking to us:
Joshua Yuen, former managing editor of The Paly Voice, who graduated from Paly in 2016 and is now a scout for the Miami Marlins.
Bianca Al-Shamari, former EIC of The Paly Voice who graduated from Paly in 2017 and is now an Investment Analyst at Health Tech Capital.
Esmé Ablaza, former EIC of Verde, who graduated from Paly in 2016 and is now a product manager at Spotify.
Sidd Srinivasan, former managing editor of Verde, who graduated from Paly in 2016 and is now senior engineer AI researcher at Meta.
Amy Leung, former EIC of The Paly Voice who graduated from Paly in 2016 and is now a customer success manager at Mergey.
Jasper McEvoy, former EIC of Verde who graduated from Paly in 2015 and is now the asset manager at NV five.
Dhara Yu, former EIC of The Paly Voice who graduated from Paly in 2017 and is now a PhD student at UC Berkeley.
Veronica: Okay, so the MAC wasn’t always the fancy newsroom we know today. Some of our alumni had a, well, let’s just say, very different experience, like Josh.
Josh: Yeah, if I remember correctly, the MAC was being built probably my freshman and sophomore years at Paly, and then when I was a junior, I joined The Paly Voice. Best publication.
Allison & Veronica: We agree!
Josh: And that was really the first year exception, the structure, the rooms, yeah, that was my, you know, I was very blessed that my junior and senior year, when I was there, those were the first two years that we had the building. So before that, I think there were English buildings or something else there, you know, I was very fortunate, like I said, to have been there right from the beginning.
Veronica: And here’s Esmé talking about the Pre-MAC experience.
Esmé: But back then, we just used a classroom in the English building, and there’s, this one classroom that connects to this computer lab, like in the middle of the English building that, like, has, has no windows or anything, but it connects the classroom. So that’s where we would have class. But also then, like, do production in the computer lab.
Allison: That’s crazy. I can’t imagine working on a story without the MAC.
Veronica: So clearly having a dedicated space for journalism changed things. But how much?
Allison: Here’s Bianca talking about her experience.
Bianca: Okay, so having the MAC was amazing for two reasons. One, it became like a physical testament to the value placed on journalism. And I think for students, that’s really important to see that what you’re working on has impact, even if it’s in within, like your space, your community, and the other people you’re working with, and being able to work with and see other people like in different publications like Campanile, Voice everything working photojournalism or sports projects, everyone was seeing people at work, whether they’re passing or working right in the middle section. It just elevated the sense of community and that what we were doing mattered.
Allison: And that actually connects really well to what Dhara told us.
Dhara: Well, I think, yeah, so I think it was, it’s funny, it was more at the time, I kind of just saw it as like,, here’s this, really nice building on campus where, like, you know, I can hang out and, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s nice and shiny and new. But I think what I kind of came to realize is that it was more than just, like, a nice building, right? Like, of course, there was a lot of, like, infrastructure and resources available for, you know, student journalists. But I think arguably even more importantly, it was kind of just like a shared space for people to kind of congregate and work, right? And so I mean that obviously was within the individual publications, you know, they were housed in, you know, those classrooms there. But it was sort of like a nexus for Paly journalism as a whole. So, you know, people from the other publications who kind of, like to exchange ideas. And you know, you’d go, like, late one night, and people are, like, still there, like, you know, working on production, you know, it was always, it was always, like, very impressive and cool, like, even from the outset. But I think, you know, as I actually got to kind of realize the benefits of the MAC and I really started to see the unique sort of community and space it really afforded.
Veronica: Yeah, Jasper, I think you had a similar experience too, right?
Jasper: I’m very impressed by it. I mean, no, I don’t think any of us really took it too seriously, until it just appeared on campus. We were, you know, just kind of doing our thing, and then suddenly there was this, like, big, beautiful building that we just got to like, I mean, it, honestly, I probably took it for granted at the point, like it felt like it was made for us, almost like, obviously, there was all this planning and effort that had nothing to do with with us, you know, the particular students, but we felt like we were royalty, like, here’s this big, beautiful new building, and we get to just walk in and sort of act like we own the place. You know. We get to run classes here. We get to stay late at night and in the computer lab. So I think it’s a great building. As I said, a lot of happy memories there. And I think it was just also really well designed in the way that you could, like, see and feel the creativity coming from different aspects of the journalism program. You know, we see the podcasters and their audio booths down the floor from us. You know, like my twin brother was in the he’d be in the Viking room across the way, so, like, you could walk in there. And there was a sort of palpable sense that there was a lot of interesting journalism stuff happening all at once.
Veronica: That’s great to hear. I’m so glad the MAC is still standing today.
Allison: Yeah, what would we do without the MAC? I would literally cry.
Veronica: Okay, but we also have to talk about camp MAC.
Allison: Camp MAC is a summer program designed for rising eighth and ninth graders who are interested in joining Paly’s journalism program. It started around 10 years ago as a way to introduce students to the fundamentals of reporting, design and broadcasting before they step into a real newsroom.
Veronica: It’s a hands-on experience where students get to write articles, create multimedia projects, and see their work published by the end of the week, basically a crash course in everything journalism and with Paly’s strong tradition of student run publications, it’s been a huge part of preparing the next generation of journalists.
Allison: Now back to the MAC itself. Let’s hear some interesting stories from Sidd and Amy, who are part of the team that started the camp.
Sidd: I think during the first camp MAC, we had, like, a ridiculous idea to have, like, a giant ping pong tournament and have everybody participate. So I think we wheeled in, like, somehow 10 ping pong tables, which we thought would be easy, but then you don’t think it required, like, a whole pickup truck for each table, or something like that. But it ended up being absolutely crazy with like, all these ping pong tables I think after that they switched this back. While they’re like, this is too much like, this was too much chaos. But we go then all those ping pong tables, and there was literally, like a massive ping pong tournament going on in the main lobby area, and like, people were recording it for and writing articles on it at the same time. So obviously it was like a simulated sports event, but for the camp purposes, an event of that size was pretty cool and chaotic and good way
Veronica: Yeah, building on the idea. Amy, I think you had a similar experience about Camp MAC.
Amy: Yeah, my friends and I were, like, kind of helped start that, which is crazy to think about that. It’s still going on now. So obviously that was huge, because, like, all of Camp MAC is hosted within the media arts center, so that was obviously a big part of, like, what I worked on, too, when I was in high school. So, yeah, pretty special place, I guess.
Veronica: What would you say was your favorite or best memory in the MAC?
Allison: Here’s Bianca’s response to the question.
Bianca: I remember, actually, we had a former Mexican president come in and do a speech, or, like, a speaking event, and then we were, like, working, and we were prepared with questions, and that was really exciting. I feel like there wasn’t a single moment. It was just the fact that so many moments happened here. I think that’s my answer, because, you know, there’s late nights that we’re working, you know, there was when we were very close to like, if we needed to scramble and edit and do things all together, and there was deadlines, it was kind of exciting that the energy was in the air. And that’s all here, learning, getting our feedback from Mr. Kendall, getting pretty brutal feedback that helped us learn. Yeah, it all happened here in these classrooms. And everyone that we worked with together was here, you know, the relationships and and, like, really good friendships that were formed through this was really lovely. So it’s just all the little moments that happened here.
Veronica: Jasper also has a fun memory to share.
Jasper: So we did this like my senior year, our last production week. We did a company wide, sorry, not Company, publication. We did a Verde wide lip sync of it as a backstreet boys song. I want it that way. And so it was all of us like in the computer lab, singing along to the song and finding costumes and rolling around in chairs. And then a couple people, Kelly Shi and someone else whose name I should be remembering, stuck it all together and made a really sweet video that was equal parts funny and nostalgic and I think for a lot of us, sort of felt like a little capstone on our experience. It was a really sweet video, so I really enjoyed making that.
Veronica: All right. So now that we’ve gone over the MAC experience, what message would you like to share with the MAC community for its 10th anniversary? Let’s listen to Dhara’s message.
Dhara: My message maybe is like, you know, the MAC is like, this amazing resource, like it’s, you know, Palo Alto High School has all this, like, great infrastructure set up to get, you know, student journalists kind of up and running, and I think that they should really, kind of like, lean into it, like, you know, maybe it feels like kind of incidental, like low stakes, whatever, like, this is just local news, but I think kind of that, like core, sort of like skill set that you learn through journalism, you know about, like, you know, finding sources and interviewing and fact checking, and, you know, if you’re writing opinion pieces, writing, you know, making compelling arguments, like, all that, all that is, is so, so important. So, the extent to which, you know, people are able to, sort of, like, take advantage of the MAC, you know, I think, that would be, yeah, it’s a really wonderful resource. And I hope as many people as possible can really sort of reap the benefits.
Veronica: That’s great. Josh also had an insightful answer
Josh: Obviously, like when you grow up in, you know, school you learn about, writing essays, introduction, body and then conclusion, whereas, when you’re writing for Voice or Viking or campy or whatever is still there at this point, it’s just a completely different style of writing. It’s a completely different way of like, the fact that you’re communicating not to a teacher but to a larger audience, I think, just teaches you, like different ways that as you grow in your careers, whether it’s in journalism or not, like being able to communicate different topics and cater it to your audience is just like a really effective, like a really valuable skill. So I think that the MAC and Voice as a whole, like that was really where I first learned about how to, again, break different concepts or stories down into digestible terms for the specific audience.
Allison: That’s totally true. Esmé also has something to add.
Esmé: I think that it’s really cool to have a space dedicated to the arts and to writing at a place like Paly, and I think that it should be preserved. And yeah, I mean, if they were willing to invest in it in the first place. So it seems like the MAC is in good hands.
Veronica: Definitely. Here’s Amy sharing her response.
Amy: Paly journalism is really special. And I think when you’re in it, you realize it, and when you look back on it, you realize it even more of just like, how special and like, privileged, honestly, of a place like having something like that, of having such a strong journalism program is and like, like I mentioned, I think the agency and independence you learn from being a part of journalism at all at Aply, let alone having that dedicated space and having, I don’t know, just like, there’s so much that you can take advantage of and learn and grow at Paly, what can be a stressful place I feel like to be at, and so just navigating that is sometimes difficult, But hopefully it’s helpful to have like, other people around you who are also going through the same things and able to support you too. And like, I feel like the Media Art Center generally is a great place to like, have those friendships form and be like home to those memories too.
Veronica: That’s such a great point. And actually, Sidd also touched a bit on this.
Sidd: It’s crazy that it’s been 10 years since the MAC opened, and I think it’s awesome to have such an incredible space, to host a large journalism program, probably one of the largest in the country. And it’s, I remember the feeling when it opened, and feeling like how amazing and privileged we were to have such a space. And it’ll be good to always, I guess, appreciate that, and I’m sure the celebration will honor the space in that way.
Allison: Here’s Jasper’s reflection for the MAC community.
Jasper: I would encourage students to keep pursuing interesting work. I think journalism is in a really kind of interesting place in the world right now, even in the last 10 years or so since I graduated, the landscape has really changed in a way that doesn’t necessarily favor journalism, but at the same time, we’re a more media driven society than ever. So the underlying tenets of journalism are understanding how to investigate information, understanding what smart questions to ask, being able to evaluate critically, understanding how bias comes into your work, and attempting to avoid it. You know, developing in those for interesting stories, boldly chasing them down, stepping outside of your comfort zone to talk to people. These are all things that really serve anyone particularly well in life. And so I mean, I’m not in a journalism career path, but journalism absolutely shaped the work that I do for the better. So I would encourage anyone at Paly to take advantage of the incredible space. You have incredible teachers in the program, because the skills you’ve learned really will kind of stick with you the rest of your life, and you will probably meet great people and have great experiences. So you know, go for it. Join the programs. Get involved. Enjoy the wonderful space that is the MAC. It’s pretty unique, like, really, there are not any comparable places or programs, probably anywhere in the world.
Veronica: And finally, Bianca concludes with her message.
Bianca: So what I would like to share with the MAC community is that as a student, for me, I think it was very transformational to be part of the community that valued student expression in journalism. I think journalism is such a unique thing, and not many schools actually have that space to have qualified teachers to teach it, to have the resources to develop their own publications well, and to the extent that Paly does, and I think the MAC provided such a positive space for people to first of all, feel that they’re important enough to have that space, and also a space large and interesting enough to collaborate with their people, like even if I was in Voice, I was able to see my friends in Campanile or in photojournalism, doing all sorts of other things. And I don’t know, I just think placing value, placing time, placing resources for students to actually blossom. For me was a very transformational part of my high school experience, and I really hope that continues and has continued the last 10 years.
Veronica: That’s so sweet. Yeah, like this place is more than where we just do journalism.
Allison: It’s kind of where we found our people.
Veronica: Okay, so we’ve heard the stories, the memories and the impact, but at the end of the day, the MAC is more than just a building.
Allison: Yeah, it’s where we spent so much time. It’s kind of our second home, and for a lot of people before us, it was the same.
Allison & Veronica: So happy 10 years MAC, and here’s to many more.
Veronica: Big thanks again to all the alumni we interviewed. We had a great time talking to all of you.
Allison: Also thanks to Carson Packard and Isaac Moore for composing the ticker theme from audio music production created exclusively for MAC 10. Also huge shout out to Mr. Kandell for helping us along the way.
Veronica & Allison: And most importantly, thank you to you guys for listening!
