The Midtown Gazette

A Columbia Journalism School newsroom covering Midtown Manhattan in the heart of New York City.


Meet the Reporters 2019

Nina Bambysheva is a journalist from Russia, currently pursuing an M.S. degree at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She received her B.A. in economics and finance with a minor in political science from New York University Abu Dhabi and is finishing her law degree atKalmyk State University. She is interested in environmental economics, emerging markets, and media rights. She can be reached at nb2946@columbia.edu or @ninabambysheva via Twitter and Instagram.

 

Jonathan Carter is an M.S. student at the Columbia Journalism School. He is from North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.A. in political science. At NCS, Jonathan edited the student newspaper, Technician, reporting local news for the campus community in Raleigh, N.C. His areas of interest include local politics and justice issues. He can be reached at jtc2173@columbia.edu.

 

Amanda Christovich, a Los Angeles native, is a reporter and M.S. candidate at the Columbia Journalism School. She has written about sports for The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. She received her B.A. in English and minors in history and French from Georgetown University. She can be reached at amanda.christovich@columbia.edu.

 

Kara Grant was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from Barnard College in 2017 with a degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Now, she is an M.S. student at Columbia Journalism School. Her reporting interests include criminal justice, education, and religion. You can reach her at keg2141@columbia.edu.

 

Jingyi He is an M.S. student at Columbia Journalism School. She graduated from Renmin University of China with a degree in English Literature in 2019. Previously, she interned at China Daily Africa Weekly in Kenya and worked on the documentary Return of the Lotus-Born Master at Shambhala Studio. Contact her at jh4167@columbia.edu.

 

Meenketan Jha is an M.S. student at the Columbia Journalism School. Born in India, he spent the better part of the last decade living in Hong Kong and is a graduate of the Symbiosis International University, Pune where he studied journalism. He has special passions for sports and politics.  Contact him at mj2930@columbia.edu.

 

Ariana Lee is a writer and podcaster. She came to New York City from Boston, where she wrote for The ARTery and WBUR’s Arts and Culture Team, and managed events at the Museum of Fine Arts. She co-hosts the Whitest Cube, a podcast she co-founded about the art world’s racial politics. At Columbia, she is exploring her interest in reporting on artists from underrepresented groups and investigating arts institutions.

 

Fei Lu is a Chinese-American journalist based in Los Angeles and New York. She holds an M.A in fashion studies from Parsons School of Design, and a self-designed B.A from The New School focused in journalism. Her work has been featured in L’Officiel USA, Paper, HYPEBAE, the BIAS Journal of Fashion Studies, and Out magazine. Contact her at fl2541@columbia.edu and @thisisfeilu.’

 

Kaitlyn Martin is a journalist from Brooklyn and an M.S. candidate at Columbia Journalism School. She graduated from Stony Brook University in 2019 with a B.A. in journalism and a concentration in public affairs. Her reporting interests include politics, social justice, and arts and culture. She can be reached at klm2242@columbia.edu.

 

Clarisa Melendez, 22, is a graduate student at the Columbia Journalism School. She previously attended the University of Florida, where she worked as an anchor and multimedia journalist for the PBS affiliate, WUFT News. As a Peruvian American, Clarisa is proud of her Hispanic roots. She interned at Telemundo Enterprises and NBC6/Telemundo51 as a digital producer. Contact her at cam2392@columbia.edu.

 

Sarena Snider is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. She received her B.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked on documentary projects for National Geographic Television, Discovery Channel, and PBS/Frontline, as well as on several feature-length documentary films. She most recently managed social media for the documentary film Eating Animals. She is currently pursuing an M.S. at Columbia Journalism School. She can be reached at sarena.snider@columbia.edu.

 

Will Walkey is an M.S. candidate at Columbia Journalism School. Raised in Tacoma, Washington, he is interested in climate change, labor relations, and music. He is a graduate of Colby College, where he majored in history and worked on the school newspaper. As a freelancer, he has written for U.S. News & World Report and the New America Weekly. Reach him at wcw2121@columbia.edu.

 

Anmargaret Warner is an M.S. candidate at Columbia Journalism School. She was raised on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina and graduated from Wake Forest University. She has worked for CBS This Morning and Concordia, a nonprofit supporting social impact initiatives. Before moving to New York, she taught English in New Delhi, India. While curious about everything, she is particularly interested in families, education, and mental health. Contact her at a.warner@columbia.edu.

 

Laura Wise is an MS student at the Columbia Journalism School. She was born in London and grew up in West Sussex. She graduated from the University of Edinburgh in July 2019 where she studied English Literature. During her time there she was an active member of the Features section of the student newspaper as first a writer and then the editor. Contact her at lew2155@columbia.edu.