Riley McCoy is a junior at John Adams High School, much to her own dismay. Though she knows the dreaded academic sufferings soon to come, she’s still amped and ready to become an avid writer for the Tower newspaper. She’s most excited to report on the ceaseless albums scheduled to release this year (holding many prayers for Phoebe Bridgers to come out of hiding), with hopes for readers to discover new artists through her writing. Aside from personal goals within the Tower, Riley is looking forward to doing “literally ANYTHING but prepare for SATs” and can’t wait to become a National Parks ranger.

When she’s not avoiding schoolwork, Riley is often found with her earbuds in and a guitar in hand. She’s known among her friends for being musically inclined, and usually uses it as an excuse to escape her other responsibilities- like doing the dishes and engaging with her two younger sisters. Alongside painstakingly learning every Hozier song, she also frequents the phone to call her closest friend and JAHS graduate Saisa Gadal. Though the 9-hour time difference from South Bend to Kathmandu, Nepal, is difficult to manage, the two continue to support each other from afar. Saisa says she’s “soooo excitedddd” to watch her friend embark on a creative and constructive journey with the newspaper, and is prepared for every article to revolve around an artist she introduced Riley to in the first place.

Riley’s personal accomplishments include playing eleven instruments, winning the JAHS Marching Band-lympics alongside her section, and being neighbors with Thom Yorke when she lived in England. Marching band takes up a significant amount of her time, but she’s confident she’ll be able to balance the demands of writing for the Tower with leading her fellow saxophones. Riley is anticipating an incredible year with the newspaper team, and hopes readers are willing to read to an in-depth analysis of Clairo’s latest album Charm in the near future.