Ari (he/they), a 17-year-old junior, is kicking off his second year with The Tower. Ari brings a unique blend of creativity and dedication to his role as a sports photographer and writer for the paper. With a passion for capturing the intensity and emotion of athletics, Ari’s work is gaining recognition rapidly, particularly after achieving the milestone of 1,000 followers on Instagram last April. His photography journey has also led to a significant accomplishment, as he secured the position of sports photographer for the South Bend Cubs in June, proof of his skill and commitment.

Despite missing a large portion of school last year due to knee surgery, throughout his recovery, he continued to contribute to The Tower to the best of his ability. While working alongside last year’s sports writer duo Ari Shemesh and Issac Shrader and former sports editor herself Sofia Nevala, reporting on topics as wide as the National Football League and as narrow as a preview or recap of various Adams sports seasons, it’s safe to say The Tower audience got more than their fill of sports on every level.

Back to Ari, the photography person. OUTSIDE of writing and photography, Ari is known for his outgoing and engaging personality. When not on the field or typing out a piece on your favorite sports team, he is often found listening to 80s music or engaged in the Marvel universe. Ari has also been participating in taekwondo for almost nine years. He has competed regionally four times and at the state level twice. It’s no surprise that Ari’s long-term goal is to work for a professional sports media team, where he can continue to merge his love for sports and photography on a larger scale. 

Coming into year two, almost completely healed from surgery, Ari is ready to grind out some of his best work as a sports reporter and Tower contributor. He plans to not only expand on topics he covered last year but bring new stories and subjects to light, including the recent breakthroughs of the gender barrier in sports, how the new NFL rules are going to affect the game we love, and many more. Stay tuned to see what Ari can cook up for the Adams newspaper team this year.

If you would like to see Ari’s photo work, go check out his Instagram, @kiddwitdacamera, or the newest edition to his online visual repertoire, his portfolio website, https://www.kiddwitdacamera.com/.