Staff Officers:
Olivia Clemmensen, Editor-in-Chief
Olivia is a senior and The Lightning Rod’s two-time Editor-in-Chief. She has been a dedicated writer since her first year at Saratoga Springs High School and has written numerous articles for The Rod from her series “Global News Updates” to life in Saratoga. She is extremely proud of the paper and all its accomplishments and is excited to continue writing and exploring journalistic styles during her final year at Toga. When she isn’t running the paper, Olivia is dancing at the Saratoga City Ballet studio, listening to music, creating art and spending time with her friends and family.
Elias Prodger, Publishing Editor and Arts & Entertainment Manager
Elias is a senior serving as the two-time Publishing Editor of The Lightning Rod for the 2025-2026 school year. Elias has been writing for The Lightning Rod since his sophomore year ,creating reoccurring segment “Prodger’s Playlist” covering the biggest music news of the time. When not writing for the paper, Elias is playing guitar, going to concerts and playing basketball with his friends.
Max Greenblatt, Senior Photographer
Max Greenblatt is a senior at Saratoga Springs high school. He is an experienced photographer and videographer. Through his company Mira Media he has created marketing material for local non-profits and co-produced multiple award-winning short films. Max is deeply committed to photography within his community, both in and outside of the high school.
Savannah Winter, Public Relations
Savannah is a senior and The Lightning Rod’s Public Relations officer. She has been writing various types of articles for The Rod for the past 3 years including sports-related topics and events in the community. She looks to expand the club to more students and write more about interesting news! Savannah hopes to participate in a similar club next year in college and will be a dedicated officer during her last year at Saratoga. In addition to writing, Savannah enjoys playing tennis, traveling, running, and hanging out with friends and family.
Sarah is a senior and the graphics editor of The Lightning Rod, as well as the author of the newspaper’s art collection pieces! Although she occasionally branches out, her main focus is usually art history or cultural art styles. As an artist herself, she is always ready to dive deep into the intricacies of the pieces she covers. She is ecstatic to keep working for The Lightning Rod!
Olivia is a SSHS senior and Secretary of The Lightning Rod school newspaper for the 2025-2026 school year. She enjoys writing articles about holidays and international news through her column, “Festivity Finds.” Olivia is eager to pursue journalistic opportunities through an upcoming spring 2026 internship and has written pieces for her local community newsletter, “The Inside Edge.” In her free time, Olivia enjoys practicing violin, taking hikes with her dog, and reading novels.
Emilia Hall is a senior and currently serves as the treasurer for the school newspaper. She is also part of the varsity field hockey team, which she absolutely loves. When she isn’t on the field, Emilia is involved in Unified Sports and Best Buddies, where she enjoys building connections and supporting an amazing community. She is looking forward to this year’s paper!
Staff Writers:
Katie is a junior at Saratoga and started writing for The Lightning Rod at the beginning of this year, and she already loves it. She enjoys writing about fashion and likes exploring all the current trends that people come up with. She hopes to go to college for journalism and continue writing about what interests her. In her free time, she is most likely in Philly, reading, or out shopping with her mom.
Daniela is a senior at Saratoga Springs High School and started writing for The Lightning Rod last year. She makes comics about school life and works on her series of book reviews, “Five Stars.” Outside of The Rod, Daniela is the president of NHS and loves to stay active with her friends. She’s excited for another great year of the paper!
Julia is a freshman at Saratoga Springs High School and started writing for The Lightning Rod at the start of this year, and has loved being a part of this club. She loves writing about astrology and zodiacs, along with making the weekly Rod Mini. In Julia’s free time, she does ballet and modern dance, plays guitar and listens to music, and explores new kinds of art. She is excited to be a part of The Rod for the remainder of this year and looks to continue for the rest of her high school experience!
Sophia is a freshman at Saratoga Springs High School and has been writing for The Lightning Rod since the beginning of this year. She enjoys covering scientific discoveries and local news. In her free time, Sophia loves drawing and painting, practicing the cello, and watching sunsets. She’s excited to continue contributing to the paper!
Max is a senior at Saratoga Springs High School and started writing for The Lightning Rod in late 2024. He is interested in and writes about world and political news, as well as local events and sports. Max enjoys studying famous historical events and sites and often catches up on daily news too! In his free time, Max runs track, studies the craft of flight and aviation, and makes music.