About Us
Dear Participants,
It's hard to believe that our Symposium is just days away! It's been in the works since last spring, when we decided that we needed to bring folks together to discuss the current state of journalism in our country. In a world in which "Fake News" was the Collins Dictionary Word of 2017 and "alternative facts" is a term that even exists, there's a problem -- and what better way to address it than by bringing seasoned journalists and fresh-eyed students from around Chicago together for discussion? We're so excited to host a forum in which everyone can learn from each other's experiences and to connect the journalism community a little more.
We can't wait to see you there!
-Sophia, Emma, Lindsay, and Molly
"Journalism and Society Today" Symposium Student Coordinators
Sophia Saker
Sophia is currently a junior, and this is her third year being a part of The Weekly. This year she is the Features Editor, last year she was a Copy Editor, because of this she is very excited to provide guidance and thoughtful feedback to the early rounds of writing articles. When not editing and writing articles, Sophia will be conducting an independent study on Queen Victoria first semester, another thing she is very passionate about.
Emma Butler-VanderLinden
Emma Butler-VanderLinden is a junior and this is her third year on staff for The Weekly. Her column "Emma's Dilemmas" explores and analyzes current events in connection to Francis Parker with a focus on politics and social justice. In addition to her love of journalism, Emma also enjoys playing tennis and soccer for Francis Parker, participating in Model UN and debate, and creative writing.
Lindsay Carlin
Lindsay Carlin is a sophomore and this is her second year as a Briefs Writer on The Weekly. She looks forward to expanding the scope of the position, which is also in its second year, to cover more events and more perspectives. In addition to her role on The Weekly, she is also a Model UN captain, Student Government Media Manager, the Social Justice Committee Head, a member of the FWP Girls' Tennis team, and a member of a club soccer team in Chicago.
Molly Taylor
Molly Taylor, a sophomore, is in her second year with The Weekly. Having previously served as a staff writer, she eagerly takes on the role of brief writer. Molly enjoys reading and playing soccer in her free time.
Matt Laufer
In his eighth year as adviser of “The Parker Weekly,” Matt has been either studying or teaching literature--and to a lesser extent journalism--all his life, nine of those years in the English Dept. at Parker. Before completing a PhD in English at Columbia University, he studied journalism briefly at Boston University and freelanced for small newspapers in Cambridge, MA--writing about Howard Zinn’s work with area high school students, youth soccer aspirations in the town of Newton, and Jimmy Paige and Robert Plant’s visit to a local World Cup party.
About Parker's Newspaper, "The Weekly"
Over 50 Upper School students contribute to the eleven, monthly-published issues of "The Weekly" and our website, which is regularly updated with online-only news briefs, videos, podcasts, and more.
Mission: “The Parker Weekly” is a student-run limited forum that strives to present the Parker community with productive stories and commentary, as well as to educate student contributors in journalism. “The Weekly” is a meaningful news source whose content explores important questions and serves as a platform for student expression and valuable discussion. In acting with empathy, courage, and clarity, “The Weekly” works to advance the cause of social justice and to uphold Parker’s democratic principles.