Whether your scrolling on TikTok or Instagram, you have probably seen the posts from The Morning Devil, Poly’s very own student-run media web series. Their videos of asking Poly students their opinions on various topics have racked them up over 900 followers on both social media platforms. What originally started as a news reporting club when co-leader Ava Buckley ’25 was a sophomore has grown into an integral part of the Poly community. “It gives people who aren’t friends a connection that brings them together,” said co-leader Sasha Gilyadoff ’26.
The Start of The Morning Devil
This year, The Morning Devil took a different approach under new leadership. Instead of news reporting, co-leaders Ava Buckley, Ellie Warwick, and Gilyadoff decided to turn it into an interactive platform for Poly students. Sasha Gilyadoff ’26 brought her experience in marketing to the table. After participating in journalism teacher and Faculty Adviser of The Polygon, Rachael Allen’s summer SLT, Gilyadoff grew interested in running a social media account for Poly. Allen then recommended that she contact The Morning Devil, which focused on broadcasting Poly events. “[The videos told] you what’s going on with the school and other news, but through one video format every week or month,” Gilyadoff mentioned. “I [felt] like no one ever [listened] to it.” Her solution was to make much shorter videos that don’t require a lengthy attention span. Gilyadoff then proposed her new changes to The Morning Devil to Buckley.
Warwick also joined The Morning Devil around the same time that Gilyadoff did. Warwick discovered her passion for journalism, not just writing, but also video journalism, in Allen’s Advanced Journalism Class. After expressing her desire to expand her learning beyond the classroom, Warwick was also recommended to join The Morning Devil. “I’m going off to college the year after next, so I really wanted to…discover my passion in a way, and I did through this,” mentioned Warwick. “I knew Ava Buckley; she was running it, so I went to her and asked how I could get involved.”
The Poly Community Impact
Through fun Q&As, which encourage students to participate in their videos, the club has had a positive impact on the Poly community. “Our videos, though they may just look like online posting, have brought many friendships and just our Poly community closer in general,” said Gilyadoff. “I think people have come together more. I’ve had friends come up to me and tell me how much they love The Morning Devil,” mentioned Buckley. “Also, as somebody who’s seen it grow for the past couple of years, a lot of the time, people were just super hesitant to be in videos…now people are asking me if they can be interviewed for The Morning Devil,” she added. “So I think it just inspired people to become more outgoing and to answer things… What we want to do with this account is once again, foster a sense of community, and create more of a connectedness within our space,” added Warwick.
Favorite Hot Takes
One of the most popular series on The Morning Devil is asking students for their hot takes, a bold, sometimes controversial opinion on any topic. I asked Buckley, Warwick, and Gilyadoff for theirs.
Buckley’s hot take: “I would say my favorite hot take is that I don’t like Glimore Girls. I think it’s a bad TV show. I only got past three episodes, and I was like, Yeah, I can’t get past it,” she admits. The show, which ran from 2000 – 2007, remains a favorite for many teens and adults, though more people might agree with Buckley’s opinion than you think.
Warwick’s hot take was inspired by something another student brought up on a Morning Devil video: a bowl of fruit is often better than dessert. “I feel like that’s a good one,” she agrees and adds. “I feel like sometimes, even last night, I just had a bowl of raspberries instead of having ice cream.”
For Gilyadoff, her hot take was more Poly-focused. “I feel like we take Poly’s campus for granted. It’s so pretty, and when I first came here, I was like, wow — you have all of this right here in Brooklyn.”
The Future of The Morning Devil
As this school year ends with Buckley graduating and attending Fairfield University in the fall, Gilyadoff and Warwick will completely take over the account. Gilyadoff and Warwick have some ideas for the future of The Morning Devil. “We definitely want to incorporate more people because this year it was Ava Buckley before, with other seniors, and now it’s just the two of us left,” said Warwick. For the future of The Morning Devil, the two rising seniors are excited to incorporate more features of Poly sports teams and arts programs. Judging by the positive impact of The Morning Devil, it is safe to assume that the student-run show is here to stay, and Poly is excited to see what next year brings.
