Originally Published by: Bethesda Magazine on 06/29/2021
Written by: Elia Griffin

In a year defined by separation as COVID-19 spread, dozens of high school students from across Montgomery County came together to create a publication documenting teen life, culture and pandemic experiences.

The goal for the publication, called “Coming of Age in a Pandemic,” was to give an authentic view into the life and minds of teenagers. Magazine contributors hoped to dispel the idea that teens were glued to their phones during the pandemic and didn’t care about school.

“I think we wanted to kind of break the disconnect that there has been between teens and the rest of the world because there was kind of this notion that because of online school … a lot of kids don’t care anymore, and they’re just sitting in their bed, like, with their camera off,” said Nikki Mirala, a junior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and the managing editor of the magazine’s mental health section. “But most of us … stay dedicated to our education and academics.”

“Coming of Age in a Pandemic” is an 84-page print magazine, plus a website featuring podcasts, videos and other student work that did not make it into print.

A free copy of the magazine can be ordered through a Google form, while supplies last.

Students wrote about an array of topics, including vape culture, climate change, eating disorders, teenage survivors of sexual assault, transgender student athletes, police brutality, and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Read the full article at www.bethesdamagazine.com