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In just 10 years at Northampton High School, teacher Jeromie Whalen created a visual media program that poached statewide awards from schools with much larger budgets. That’s why, when I found out he was challenging representative U.S. Rep. Richard Neal — the highest recipient percentage-wise of PAC funds in Congress — I knew Jeromie would give the incumbent a run for his money.

I met Jeromie in my sophomore year at NHS when I took Intro to Photography. Each day, we took photos with cameras Jeromie received through his relationship with the local nonprofit Northampton Open Media. Then, we edited the phot

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