Hibiki is a Japanese word that means echo. And as this online student newspaper approaches its one year anniversary, we hope that it has accomplished its goal of amplifying and echoing IISJ student voices. 

The start was rough. We originally conceived of an online journal. Bagged that idea and then moved onto a WordPress site. Bagged that also and finally landed on our current incarnation as an online student newspaper. Next came learning how to report and write. Under the guidance of Hibiki advisor Ms. Monika, we learned how to structure a newspaper article, what pictures can be used without violating copyright, and even how to layout articles. 

What started with three students grew to include 12 writers. We wanted a medium through which students could express their ideas and creativity. In just one year, we published articles across a wide range of themes. From articles that relate information about recent and important events that occured at IISJ to ones that convey our opinions on various topics like culture, health, and policies, we aimed to bring IISJ students together.

Our first edition was published in March of 2020, pre-pandemic, with only a handful of reporters. It’s been an incredible journey and as we seniors graduate, we welcome our new editors Manasvi Bardia and Jahnavi Kumar to lead Hibiki for the year 2021-2022. We hope that Hibiki continues to grow and amplify the voices of the students.