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Bear Facts

The student news site of Vestal High School, Vestal, NY

Bear Facts

Bear Facts

2025-2026 Staff

Administrator

Mr. McKinley

As a student of History and a former journalist I take great pride in being an advisor to Bear Facts.  Journalists write the first draft of History and that is important on a local, national and international level.  I am greatly...

Journalist

Giovanni Gili

Hi, my name is Gio. I'm a Senior this year and a Journalist in Bearfacts. In my spare time, I enjoy sports, writing, and spending time with friends.

Journalist

Alexandra Schleider

Hi, I’m Alexandra and I’m a junior and a journalist here in Bear Facts. Outside of Bear Facts I love to read and write, spend time with my sister, go for walks with my dog, and play viola. I am also a captain of our school's...

Journalist

Deya Rashid

Hi! I’m Deya Rashid, a junior at Vestal High School and a writer for Bear Facts. One of my favorite pieces I’ve written is “The Life of an Only Child,” where I share my perspective and experiences growing up solo. In my spare ti...

Journalist

Aghna Naeem

I moved to Vestal in my junior year from Pennsylvania. I play basketball and have run track and cross country. I like to read and write for fun.

Journalist

Alvin Dzigbede

My name is Alvin, and I am in 10th grade. I am a journalist currently refining my writing and photography skills. I am also in the Chess Club and like playing the flute in my free time.

Unique Instruments Columnist

Rowan McCollum

Rowan McCollum writes the Unique Instruments column for Bear Facts, enjoys playing trombone, and reading poetry in her free time. She wants to learn new instruments, and her next goal is to learn how to play the musical saw and...

Music Dept. Columnist and Social Media Manager

Matt Zahirovich

I’m Matt Zahirovich, a senior returning to Bear Facts this year as the Social Media Manager, writer for Beyond The Bear Den, and Tales From The Music Department. I’m in the musical for the winter, volleyball for the spring, and ...

Underwater Science Columnist

Adelaide Smith

Hi! I’m Adelaide, and this is my second year in Bearfacts. I have a strong interest in marine sciences as well as linguistics, and I plan to pursue a career in law. Art is very important to me, and I spend a lot of my time dr...

Flower of the Month Columnist

Anny Yan

My name is Anny Yan, and I am a junior. This is my third year participating in Bearfacts. I am responsible for the Flower of the Month column, where I discuss a flower with significance to said month, usually the birth flower...

Cultural Lense Columnist

Maheen Kashif

Hi, my name is Maheen Kashif. This is my third year doing Bear Facts and this year I will be doing the Cultural Lens Column where I'll be discussing different cultures. I enjoy reading, baking, and journaling. In my freshman year...

Technology Coordinator

Seema Patel

Hi, I’m a junior and this year’s Technology Coordinator for Bear Facts! I’ve been in Bear Facts for three years and look forward to creating and editing new pieces this year. Outside of the paper, I play tennis, practice...

Editor-In-Chief

Sindi Zhou

Hello! I’m Sindi, this year’s Editor-In-Chief. When I’m not doing homework, I love to read. In addition to Bearfacts, I’m also involved in Science Olympiad.

Production Manager

Ephraim Sun

Hi! My name is Ephraim Sun, and I'm a senior working as an editor and science columnist for BearFacts. This is my second year writing, and I hope to share unique and interesting topics in science. Outside of BearFacts, I compete...

History Columnist

Beckett Schafer

My interest is in becoming more familiar with creating and writing articles that can get people's attention. My goal in Bear Facts is to learn more about how to make compelling and eye-catching articles. Bear Facts can be a g...

Book Review Columnist

Arya Panta

Hello, I’m Arya Panta, and I’m a junior Columnist at BearFacts. My column is called ‘Arya's Anthologies’, in which I review a book every month— of course, I’m an avid reader and love to spend my free time with a go...

Movie Review Columnist

Audrey Gabel

This is Audrey’s first year writing for Bearfacts. When she’s not writing articles or watching movies for her cinema column, she’s playing music with her friends, acting in drama club, and knitting sweaters....

Crime Columnist

Madison Cramer

I'm in Bear Necessities and Interact. I enjoy singing and acting. This is my second year in BearFacts. I'd like to go to college for Forensic Journalism.

Video Game Columnist

Holden Schafer

My name is Holden Schafer, and I’m a columnist for BearFacts. I have a large family comprised of 11 people, 9 dogs, and 6 cats, which ends in a loud, noisy house full of shouting, barking, and the occasional mess left behind...