In the midst of a pandemic, iUniversity Prep has been one of the few constants; iHoot is the same. It’s brought out special qualities in us and has kept us connected to our friends and our world even though we may feel isolated. While writing isn’t for everyone, iHoot has something for everyone.

After talking with iHoot staff writers Eylee Pennings and Ezra Rajagopal, they gave examples of the way that iHoot has changed their lives for the better. “I have learned so much from iHoot this year. The editors who give me feedback are always very helpful and their insight is important to me and to my articles. The lessons that we have every iHoot meeting have also taught me about so many writing skills!”(Eylee Pennings) and “I learned about things I would never know otherwise”(Ezra Rajagopal).

When talking about articles they have written, they gave me an insight to(in their opinion) what makes an article worth writing; for example: “In general some topics are just more appealing to people, but sometimes boring topics can be turned into quality articles, so it really just depends on what people like. However an article worth writing should be a topic that is intriguing and unique. It shouldn’t be a topic everybody is going to write about. It should have a cool angle. It should also include positivity! Many articles tend to focus on the negative aspects of things instead of the optimistic sides.”(Eylee Pennings) as well as “The information you are giving makes an article worth writing”(Ezra Rajagopal).

Another interesting topic they answered was which skills and qualities they learned. “When I write, I don’t write like I’m speaking. It’s helped me with my speaking skills, especially to adults and it’s helped me to learn to speak like an adult and cut out the gen z stuff.”(Ezra Rajagopal) and “One of the most valuable skills I have learned in iHoot this year would be how to cite my sources! Plagiarism is a serious issue and it is important to know how to avoid it! Learning how to use APA was definitely very handy!”(Eylee Pennings).

All of these are qualities that each iHoot writer learns from each article they write. Whether self-taught, editor-learned, or even skills gained from the weekly meetings, iHoot has something for everyone. While not everyone enjoys writing, iHoot still has things to offer; Owlside News is proof of that. Whether as a writer or a reader, come check out the articles from 2020-21 iHoot here at iUP.