News Writing
Misconduct increase poses concern
After I wrote a short news story for our website, ProspectorNow.com, about the sexual harassment and assault allegations from the homecoming dance, I knew there were more questions about how the school's administration was going to respond. As I interviewed sources for this staff editorial, I realized that there was an even broader topic that needed to be discussed: the general misbehavior of the student body this year. Our principal planned an assembly for each grade level to address the bullying, homecoming dance and other misconduct. This led me to make the decision to create a two-page spread with both a news-feature and a staff editorial on the topic of the dance. While many of my sources had different experiences, they all shared a same distrust and heavy disappointment in the student body. At first, I struggled on how much of my voice to put in these stories to weave them together, but I realized that the most important part of explaining these students' pain was showing them through each individual's story. This story won second place for social justice reporting for NSPA Best of Show and first place for best newswriting in NSPA's Clicks and Clips contest.
*This story originally ran in the print edition
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What's the reach on free speech?
This wasn't originally front page, nor was it a story that was being worked on until the issue cycle was halfway through. But at the time, when the news was coming out about a Supreme Court case on the power of public schools over off-campus speech, I knew it needed to be covered. What started as a news story ended up being a longer feature story on what free speech means and what rights students at my school have inside and outside of school.
*This story originally ran in the print edition
Affirmative action outcome
As college decisions continue to weigh on the minds of high school seniors, competitive universities are deciding who to give a seat to at their campus. This is a notable conversation topic because the Supreme Court decided to hear a case against Harvard University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the basis of affirmative action causing unjust discrimination. This story discussed the wider impacts of diversity on campus and misconceptions surrounding the admissions process.
*This story originally ran in the print edition
Coronavirus devastates local economy
I started writing this story as soon as students and staff were sent home a week before spring break for what would later be known as the start of 2020 quarantine. From home, I made a number of calls to local businesses and interviewed them remotely. The owner of a restaurant that had just opened before the pandemic shared her concerns that other businesses in the area seemed to echo.
*This story originally ran in the print edition
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Asking for answers
This is a reflection on the impacts of the new tutoring programs at my school, which were created in response to the academic gaps left behind by remote learning. I discussed with people involved in the creation of this program and students that reap the benefits of it, breaking down the stigma of asking for help.
*This story originally ran in the print edition