Marcella Zaffari Flammia, Oli Turner and Alexis Brown, join The Cricket newspaper this summer as intern reporters.
Olivia Turner joined The Cricket as a guest writer in the spring of 2020 to write feature stories about the local youth. Her pieces range in subject matter from pandemic-era graduations to political campaigns, and she is passionate about social activism, interesting people, and powerful words.
Turner recently graduated from Manchester Essex Regional High School, where she was co-editor-in-chief of the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Independent. At the high school, she worked with her classmates and adviser Mary Buckley-Harmon to produce a year’s worth of digital issues remotely during the pandemic.
In November, she reported on the 2020 election live from Manchester and Essex for 1623 Studios, and in the following months, she created a video series for the outlet. Generation Zoom with Olivia Turner explores innovation, creativity, and passions in the MERHS community through the lens of a global pandemic.
Turner is passionate about writing of all kinds, and she attended multiple conferences for young writers in the Northeast throughout high school. In 2017, she was named a GrubStreet Young Writers Program Summer Teen Fellow and completed a three-week fellowship at the organization in Boston. In the years that followed, she attended the Champlain Young Writers’ Conference in 2018, the New England Young Writers’ Conference at Bread Loaf in 2019, and the North Shore Young Writers’ Conference in 2020, where her love for writing grew.
In the fall, Turner will attend Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. to study creative writing and computer science. She hopes to make a difference by using journalism to illuminate algorithmic injustices in technology.
Olivia will use her time at The Cricket to deepen her journalistic experience. After all, she loves learning more about Manchester every day.
Alexis Brown is a rising junior at Syracuse University, where she is majoring in film and minoring in business. Alexis has grown up in Manchester, living here from the age of seven. She loves returning home from college because she’s gained an appreciation for Manchester's beauty. Alexis interned at 1623 Studios in Gloucester for her ME High School SCORE project, where she helped edit, film, and interview people. Alexis recently produced, wrote, and directed a short film this past semester called, “Strangers Again,” her first short film that she produced by herself with cast and crew. (You can find this film @alexis.filmsb23 on instagram in her bio.) Alexis also has a passion for environmental awareness and integrates it in her work whether it be by trying to spread awareness on a crisis or just showing nature's beauty to remind people to take care of their home. From a young age, Alexis has always had an interest in cameras and movies since a young age, at age eight she had a green screen that she would spend hours playing with. In high school, Alexis took a film class and decided that is what she wanted to study at college. Alexis enjoys film editing, cinematography, and scriptwriting. Alexis has an interest in documentaries, stop motion, and animations. Alexis was given the opportunity two summers ago to observe Hubies Halloween set when they were filming in Marblehead. Alexis aspires to work for National Geographic one day, travel the world, and document it. This summer Alexis will help report, edit videos and podcasts, and capture events happening around Cape Ann.
Growing up in southern Brazil, Marcella Zaffari Flammia, has always been drawn to and had a passion for writing. So, when the opportunity arose early in the spring to join The Cricket to write about current events in the Cape Ann area, she was excited.
Flammia graduated from The Governor’s Academy in 2019. There, she deepened her interest in writing with extra-curricular writing clubs and activities. This past fall, she attended Bentley University where her passion for writing flourished through Her Campus Media; the #1 global women’s online magazine with a network of more than campus chapters worldwide. Writing about growing up, the pandemic and first year experiences for students in college, Flammia learned just how authentic writing can hold immense power to bring people together, even when apart.
This fall, Flammia will attend University of Miami to pursue a pre-law track, with a concentration in business law and a minor in communications. She is excited to start this new chapter of her life. She is excited to start writing this summer at The Cricket about local events, businesses, and people.
