In 2017, newspapers in the United States saw a collective boost in readership after the 2016 election, and have been integral in investigations and coverage that have kept Americans informed in our increasingly fast-paced news cycle. Similarly, Zephyrus has seen an unprecedented boost in readership after Edina High School faced chaos and division over issues of race, free speech, and dress codes.

Thanks to the hard work of the outgoing Zephyrus seniors, we have received national recognition for our reporting. An article by senior Tanner Jones about accusations of liberal indoctrination in EHS, received over 40,000 views, ten times the website’s average, and investigative reporting on the YCC lawyer received nearly 20,000 views. Additionally, diligent reporting by seniors Jenna Simon and Will Schwinghamer about the dress code protest received 5,000 views, and coverage of the Veterans Day protest received upwards of 10,000 views. This year, quotes from Zephyrus articles have been cited by Fox News and the Star Tribune, and photography by senior Zoe Cheung has been featured in the Edina Sun Current.

Unfortunately, along with increased readership has come criticism from community members. Zephyrus has been accused of liberal bias, with several adults leaving disparaging comments on student articles and sending harassing messages, despite our repeated attempts to get writers from more diverse perspectives, and our vigilance in writing objectively.

Next year, Zephyrus will continue our upward trend of increasingly important and sophisticated reporting. Edina High School students: whether you read the whole paper, skim one page or don’t take one at all, know that when rumors and chaos plague EHS, Zephyrus will be there to find the truth. Thank you for your continued support of student journalism at EHS, at a time when it is most needed.