Out with the old, in with the new

It’s fresh news, fresh faces in ’26

By Manor Ink Staff

As many readers may remember, at one of Manor Ink’s weekly newsroom meetings, many of the paper’s young staffers were looking somewhat glum. When asked why the long faces, the kids were clear. “This journalism business is a lot of work! It’s like a job,” they said. “Nothing but deadlines, deadlines, deadlines! We never have any fun!”

Yes, as they had learned after months of doing interviews and writing stories, reporting the news is work – often hard work. So it was decided that something should be done to add a little levity to the labor. Because local schools take a long break over the December holidays, Manor Ink traditionally did not publish a January issue. This omission had long rankled one adult member of the production team, and he had a bright idea.

Why not print an abbreviated issue each January, consisting solely of articles the junior staff wished to write? On whatever was of interest to them? Video games? Of course! The latest pop hits? No duh! Because those sorts of stories usually could be found in the “Inkwell of Happiness” pages in our regular issues, we decided to call our January paper the “Happiness” edition.

So here it is, the 2026 Happiness Ink. But what to put on the cover? One of the staff suggested baby pictures, their baby pictures, representing the start of a new year of issues. The birth of another twelve months of reporting, with maybe a little fun added in.

Who we are: Ink staff, now grown, tells all

By Zoey McGee | Manor Ink

To introduce our staff to readers, I asked each of the members six questions, five serious and one not so serious. The questions are listed in the box below, and each reporter responded in turn, starting with myself. Many of us also contributed baby pictures for the cover, signifying the birth of a new year with a great team of journalists who are now all in their teens.

Zoey McGee, editor-in-chief
1. I’m 17.
2. I’m homeschooled.
3. I love pottery, writing and reading.
4. I plan to get a full-time job.
5. It makes me feel like my writing is meaningful.
6. I’d choose a bear (a friendly one, like Smokey)

Savannah Chaboty, social media editor
1. I’m 17.
2. I’m a student at Tri-Valley.
3. I like watching men’s volleyball on YouTube.
4. I want to get more sleep.
5. I think mentor Duncan’s cool.
6. My butler would be a monkey.

Jameson Barrera, reporter
1. I’m 15.
2. I’m a sophomore at Rockland CS.
3. All things video games and programming.
4. In 2026, I want to be me, try new stuff and make people happy.
5. Game reviews and talking with people are what I like about the newspaper.
6. I’d choose a monkey or a peacock

Connor Casey, sports reporter
1. I’m 13.
2. I’m a student at Rockland CS.
3. My current interest is basketball.
4. My goal for this year is to keep my grades as they are.
5. One major thing I like about Manor Ink is that the mentors always welcome new story ideas for the paper.
6. My personal butler would be an ostrich because they are big and strong and can protect me and my family.

Kara Didrich, reporter
1. I’m 13.
2. I’m a student at Rockland CS.
3. I’m interested in writing poetry and stories, drawing and woodworking.
4. This year I hope to gain more knowledge of the medical field because I want to be a forensic pathologist.
5. There are wonderful mentors willing to support my ideas and my growth as I continue to write and learn.
6. I’d like a deer or an elephant shrew (due to their quiet and peaceful nature)

Carol Gugliotta, reporter
1. I’m 16.
2. I go to Sullivan County BOCES.
3. Basketball.
4. For the new year I want to focus on the positive.
5. I like the writing where you can express yourself and your feelings through it all.
6. I’d pick a Chihuahua because it’ll protect me and do as I say.

Elias Horn, reporter
1. I’m 12.
2. A 7th grader at Rockland CS
3. I collect Pokémon cards.
4. I’m not really sure.
5. The people.
6. Mine would be a squirrel.

Anahi Rodriguez, reporter
1. I’m 16.
2. I attend Rockland CS.
3. I love basketball.
4. I hope to make a three-pointer in a game.
5. The flexibility Manor Ink has.
6. I have to pick my dog William because he is my baby!

Adriana Serafino, reporter
1. I’m 16.
2. I take classes online at SUNY Empire State University.
3. Drawing creatures like rats, frogs, and landscapes, and also listening to artists from the 1960s and ’70s.
4. I want to listen to different albums to find music for different moods.
5. It provides an opportunity for me to meet amazing people and artists who give me new perspectives on different ways of life.
6. Mine would be a crow because they are smart.

Erick Slattery, reporter
1. I’m 16.
2. I go to Rockland CS.
3. Cheerleading, volleyball and child physiology.
4. To improve academically to reach my all-time goal of achieving a 98.5 GPA instead of my regular 96.
5. Each of the reporters is allowed to have a flair of their own in each of their pieces.
6. Mine would be a monkey.

Ethan Sprouse, reporter
1. I’m 14.
2. I’m a student at Rockland CS.
3. Working to unlock and fill out a collection of monsters in a video game.
4. I want to unlock the mastery camo as a gamer.
5. No opinion.
6. My butler would be a werewolf.

Rachel Zuckerman, reporter
1. I’m 15.
2. I go to Rockland CS.
3. I love reading romance novels.
4. Less procrastinating and be a better person.
5. Manor Ink’s snacks and friends I’ve made on the staff.
6. My butler would be a wolf or a leopard.