BHS North student named top journalist

The Indiana High School Press Association named Bloomington High School North senior Aliya Mood Journalist of the Year at the annual First Amendment Symposium at the Indiana Statehouse last week.

During her junior year, Mood helped create two new publications at Bloomington North – a sports magazine called Adrenaline and a literary magazine called Polaris, made up of students’ poems, artwork and photography. She also oversaw the transition of Bloomington North’s student newspaper into a newsmagazine called Fused.

Mood said she and her co-editor wanted the new publication to reflect the cultural diversity and unity at their school.

“We have so many people from different countries, nationalities and ethnicities, and yet we are all kind of fused together under one roof,” Mood said.

Mood began working for Bloomington North’s student newspaper as a reporter and features editor but has developed a passion for design and visual journalism.  

“She is one of the few students I’ve ever had who has tried everything and has succeeded at all levels,” said Ryan Gunterman, adviser for student media at Bloomington North. “The sheer amount that Aliya has contributed would be overwhelming to most students.”

A self-described “journalism dork,” Mood spends her free time studying page layouts in magazines such as Real Simple and Wired to get inspiration for her work.  

Although Mood has demonstrated an affinity for design, Gunterman said he wouldn’t be surprised to see her doing something completely different as she pursues her journalism career.   

“I’m really fascinated as to what she is going to do from here on out,” he said. “I can only imagine how she is going to grow and improve her skills.”

Although she plans to continue her path toward a career in graphic design, she said the entire field of journalism has always appealed to her.

“You get to experience things that other people don’t get to experience,” she said. “It’s like an exclusive club of people who get to know the story first and then share it with everyone else.”

As editor-in-chief of Fused, Mood said she has learned a lot about journalism and leadership. She found a way to balance her managerial responsibilities while producing her own creative material and excelling academically – but finding that balance was harder than she thought it would be.

“I look back, and it wasn’t the best time in my life, but I’ve definitely enjoyed it,” Mood said. “I love doing this stuff. It’s so cool to find something you really enjoy doing and that you want to do for the rest of your life.”

Next fall, Mood plans to attend either IU or Ball State University to pursue a major in journalism with a focus on graphic design. Her dream is to design pages for a
magazine in New York City.