If this is not your first time flipping through The Choate News, you might have previously stumbled upon the crossword puzzles created by Zainab Khokha ’24, one of the School’s word puzzle enthusiasts.
Intending to add an interactive and engaging feature to the paper, Khokha has designed several crossword puzzles over the past few issues. “There should be a fun aspect of The Choate News, and a lot of the time the masthead is concerned about if people are reading all the articles … So I tried to [make] the crossword to bring some incentive to read The Choate News,” Khokha said.
To create these crosswords, Khokha first reads the articles slated for publication and creates terms and hints from the content. “It’s a creative outlet for me, trying to come up with a hint. Usually, crossword hints are very skillfully worded … to make sure that it’s just enough of a hint where you get it, but it’s not too obvious,” she said. “Trying to find that balance is challenging, but also rewarding when I get it right.” After finalizing her hints, Khokha inserts them into Armored Penguin, a website that forms a structured crossword for her. Lastly, she puts her work into Canva to adjust the layout and sends it to the Masthead.
Khokha’s passion for crossword puzzles stems from her family, who often compete in playing the daily New York Times (NYT) Mini Crossword, and other NYT games. “My family has a group chat for the Wordle and all the New York Times puzzles,” she said. Whether through collaboration or competition, these games have allowed the family to bond and spend time with one another.
Khokha’s younger sister, Zahabiya Khokha ’27, is not as fond of crosswords. But, like her sister, she finds satisfaction in winning or getting the answer on the first attempt. “My family has influenced me to play these games, because they’re really big on doing little challenges to help you get smarter day by day,” she explained, “Zainab has had an effect [on] me by also creating her own crosswords and inspiring me to be more creative.”
Whether by providing a fun aspect to The Choate News or increasing readership, Khokha’s impact on the School’s newspaper has been significant. Ryan Murray ’27, who frequently played Khokha’s crossword puzzles, said, “[Khokha’s] crosswords [are] super fun and creative, and they make me want to read The [Choate] News.”
Khokha’s crossword contributions to The Choate News have successfully engaged regular readers and new subscribers alike. Her work will be missed, and her departure after graduating leaves shoes that will not be easily filled.
