New Wordsmith Hannah Weaver
Joining the Indy staff this summer is our latest Arts, Culture, and Community Intern Hannah Weaver. She has a passion for journalism because it allows her to learn and share the stories of people in the community that she might never otherwise meet.
Where are you from originally? What brought you to Santa Barbara for the summer? I grew up in Seattle, in the Ballard neighborhood, a k a the land of bikers, (craft) beer drinkers, and big tech workers. It used to be more known for its Norwegian heritage and older demographic, but when Amazon and Microsoft came crashing in, so did the hipsters. I go to Scripps College now, where I’m a rising senior, cross-country/track runner, and media studies major. My brother is a rising sophomore at UCSB, which inspired me to come work for the Independent this summer.
What got you into journalism? And why did you choose the Independent? I got into journalism in my senior year of high school when my school’s paper needed a copy editor. Since then, I’ve worked every semester of college at the Claremont Colleges’ newspaper, covering stories across the seven schools for basically every section. I chose the Independent because of its strong arts and culture focus and the opportunity to live in such a beautiful place!
What has been your favorite story that you’ve written so far? What is one you hope to write about in the future or are looking forward to writing? My favorite story so far was the one about Miss Angel’s story time at Chaucer’s — it turned out to have many more layers than I expected. I’m looking forward to writing about the “Cat Meowseum” on State and Ortega, which closes in about a week. I suggest everyone go check it out while you still can!
