Every year, the Friends of South organization – made up of parents and community members who have a common goal to raise money to support South students and staff – selects new inductees for the Axe Hall of Fame. They do this to celebrate the accomplishments of South alumni and inspire students by showing them examples of dedication, teamwork, and success. It helps us to recognize the amazing alumni achievement in the arts, academics, business, public service, athletic achievement, and coaching that has helped form the history and culture of South Eugene High School. These people are community leaders who represent the dedication, character, and achievements of the highest levels at South. 

Saturday, Feb. 22, will mark the 13th year of the event and will include this year’s banquet at the ceremony. It will be a night full of fun, including a reception, a silent auction, entertainment, and a dinner starting at 6 p.m. Friends of South will be honoring alumni and raising money to support South Eugene High School. This year they have a goal to raise $25,000, and so far they have raised $16,494. The Axe Hall of Fame hopes to inspire students with the many accomplishments of alumni and raise money for different needs across the school. In efforts to fundraise, sponsored tables will be available to people and directed to the club or team of people’s choice. 
By Sofia Bell

Washington Post journalist Karin Brulliard is being inducted into the Axe Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in journalism. Brulliard graduated from South in 1993, where she was editor of The Axe newspaper, on the tennis team, and in band. Her interest in journalism began at a young age, and she recounted how as a kid, her parents got the newspaper every day.

“I always remember sitting at the table, reading the paper,” she said, reflecting on the early media influences in her life, which also included reading comics and Dear Abby, and watching TV with her dad. She remembers seeing Jane Pauley on TV and being inspired by her serious demeanor.

High school was formative for Brulliard’s interest in writing and journalism, and she spoke about the teachers who were most impactful during her time at South. Sue Barr, her journalism teacher, was “fantastic”.

“Clearly, my time on The Axe motivated me to pursue journalism,” she said. “I had an experience there that I enjoyed and learned from with a really excellent advisor.”

In addition to being part of The Axe newspaper, the English department also played a large role in helping her grow as a writer.

“My favorite teacher at South was probably my English teacher Bob Bumstead, who I had for three years. He was a very rigorous teacher,” she explained, a critic “but in a good way, a reviewer of writing.”

Brulliard’s classes with Bob Bumstead included AP Literature, and she described how his approach to teaching encouraged her and her friends to do their very best on every essay. 

“He really made me want to write those papers well,” she said. “I also credit him and those classes for making me think about writing and think about language and appreciate it.”

After South, Brulliard studied journalism and Spanish at the University of Oregon. After graduating she taught in South America for a year, and then in Texas, through Teach for America. During her time teaching, her aspirations for journalism never left.

“The whole time, I wished I had done more with journalism,” she said. My ultimate goal was to be a foreign correspondent.”

Brulliard got a Masters degree in Latin American studies at UT Austin, and in her second semester of graduate school got a job as an assistant for an Austin-based Washington Post correspondent. 

“That job involved helping him a lot – interviews, research – but also doing writing on my own,” Brulliard explained. 

When she completed her Masters program, she got a summer internship in the Washington Post’s metro section. She moved to DC, was hired after her internship ended, and has been working at the Post ever since.

As a correspondent for The Washington Post, Brulliard has traveled and written all over the world.

“It’s been such an incredible opportunity,” she said.

Brulliard spoke about trips to Mali, Timbuktu, Madagascar, Nicaragua, and more. She currently works as a national correspondent based in Colorado, and covers the Rocky Mountain region and other areas. Her previous roles at The Post included deputy foreign editor and bureau chief in South Africa, Pakistan, and Israel. She has also done immigration coverage from Washington and reported on health and science.

Most recently, she traveled to Alaska for the first time, writing about President Trump’s executive order to change the name of Mt. Denali back to Mt. McKinley. 

“Now Trump has ordered it changed back against the wishes of the Alaska legislature, who passed a resolution,” Brulliard explained. “Senators don’t want this changed. And importantly, Native Alaskans do not want this changed.”

Brulliard spent four days in Alaska hearing how people felt about the change, recording the thoughts of people connected to the region like business owners, community members, and Native Alaskans.

“The work I’ve done has been in a lot of different sections,” Brulliard explained when reflecting on her career. She has reported on a variety of topics all over the world, and has met countless fascinating people through her travels. 

Brulliard talked about how grateful she has been for how journalism has given her the chance to meet and write about many different people.

Read more about Karin Brulliard on the Friends of South website.

Article by Aria Lynn-Skov