Two Edina High School seniors believed that readers used to a bite-sized social media diet wouldn't want to pore over long articles to understand the important news of the day.
So Arvind Veluvali and Matias Figari launched the Argus Chronicle, a nonprofit blog that breaks down news into pieces of 500 words or fewer.
Beyond broadening knowledge, the organization has a second purpose; online donations go directly to Fundación Niños del Arcos Iris, a school that serves disadvantaged children in Urubamba, Peru, where Figari interned this summer.
Figari and Veluvali, who are involved in speech and debate at Edina High School, have only a certain amount of time to understand issues while preparing for competitions. They found themselves preparing briefs for one another, and then realized they could expand.
Most Argus Chronicle articles are formatted with a paragraph of need-to-know information, followed by a longer analysis. They range from global issues such as the civil war in Syria to domestic ones, including analyses of presidential candidates.
"People … kind of prefer information that comes to them in these small bite sizes," Veluvali said.
The pair founded the blog in April. Veluvali said the partnership with the school in Peru supported the organization's goal: to expand education.
The students' graduation from high school won't end the Argus Chronicle, as both want to continue the organization into college.
