Middle School students Rishaan Chowdhury ’29, Rafay Desautels ’29, and Jasper Ingenthron ’29 created The Times of Boston after seeing a need for a student-led newspaper in the Middle School. Hoping to cover world events and express individuality through writing, the trio began recruiting classmates to contribute articles and art. Now–two years later–The Times of Boston has become a robust reflection of the unique interests and perspectives of Middle School students.
At my old school, I had started a similar newspaper. When I came to Beaver and I learned they didn’t really have that sort of thing, it felt sort of like, ‘well, of course there needs to be a newspaper!’ So that’s why I started it.
Rishaan Chowdhury '29
Meeting every other Monday, The Times of Boston team writes and routinely publishes editions that cover a wide range of topics. From global news and editorials to niche interests like art, cooking, Pokémon Go, and sports, the publication empowers students to write about whatever interests them. Recent articles include “Artificial Intelligence in Art,” “NHL Trade Deadline,” and “Baking Recipe Guide.” As Rishaan explains, “it’s all about sharing whatever people are really interested in while still focusing on the main ideas, which is news.” The website even features an immersive gallery to display students’ art, which visitors can click around as if touring a real gallery.
As the founding members of the publication near the end of their time in Beaver’s Middle School, they’ve strategized ways to ensure The Times of Boston continues thriving. One idea was increasing the team’s marketing efforts, which is how Caroline Mitchell ’30 got involved. “I love writing for anything,” Caroline shares. “When Rishaan brought up how he was wanting to get more people interested in The Times of Boston, I thought that was a great moment for me to join.” Caroline has been working with the group to expand their outreach and increase visibility for their work.
For our age, we write really mature articles. We write about a lot of different niche interests, so there’s most likely a section that will interest you.
Caroline Mitchell '30
Beyond writing, the experience of working on The Times of Boston has helped students grow as collaborators and critical thinkers. For Rishaan, the experience has helped him develop confidence as a leader; “I think the biggest skill I’ve attained from this is collaboration and working with other people, getting people interested in my ideas.” For Caroline, The Times of Boston has helped formalize and expand upon her interest in marketing. “I feel like the community of people who work on the newspaper have taught me a lot,” she says. “I also think I’ve learned a lot about websites and creating something for the public.”
As Rishaan prepares to pass the baton to the next generation of student editors, he feels confident about the future. “I started this and worked on it for these three years. So, handing it over to Caroline, I feel pretty excited about what’s going to happen with it in the future.”