Writing
Writing
The reason I took up journalism in the first place was to improve my writing. I’ve learned many other skills along the way, but, at the end of the day, a journalist is a writer. The real content is made when the fingers hit the keyboard – it’s the culmination of the news-gathering process, the transformation of interviews and research into stories. I started out writing briefs and secondaries as a staff writer, occasionally helping out older students with bigger stories, but learning the fundamentals. As Issues Editor, I moved up to CVIs and Ubers, often writing at least two major stories per cycle. I learned how to multi-task and was eventually entrusted with a cover story. Now, as Editor-in-Chief, cover stories are the norm, and my writing usually appears somewhere on page one. With the increased attention comes an added layer of responsibility; it is my job to tell stories the best I can, use the full extent of my writing prowess, to deliver premium content to my community.
Insulin’s deadly spike
Learning about rising costs of insulin, I visited with a student who has type-1 diabetes to learn the impact these cost increases were having on him and his family. Interviewing our school nurse allowed me to explain the critical importance of insulin to diabetes patients.
Punitive or positive
When a local state representative introduced legislation exploring whether a correlation exists between a student’s suspension and the possibility of prison, I felt this offered an interesting possibility to present to readers. To localize, I spoke with members of our school’s Discipline Council to get their opinions and reactions.
The testing standard
This story questioned the practice of administering ERB (the Educational Records Bureau) tests annually to students in four grade levels when these test scores had no role in the college admission process. These tests are designed to collect basic information about achievement, but are not used in by colleges and universities in their admission process.
Their gun, their badge, their dream
This story is an overview of three campus police officers — their backgrounds, how they decided to enter the field of public safety, and their impressions of life at 10600 Preston Road.
Hungary - The Csaky Family
This was my first cover story to coordinate and write — it involved an in-depth look at the school’s first new daily schedule in more than 35 years. Here, I interviewed the headmaster, ensuring that every component of the new schedule was presented clearly and accurately. I chose to use “quick read” copy to break down the key components of the change so readers could quickly go to their areas of interest. I also wrote a background story on how the headmaster and his administrative team worked for more than seven years to research and forge the next schedule.
Return of the spurs
This story updated readers on the re-implementation of the Spurs, the men’s spirit group that is found on the sidelines at football games and other assorted athletic events throughout the year. Highlighted in this piece were reasons for the group’s re-emergence, along with the new sponsor.
Food for thought
Written for Focus magazine’s issue on “The Homeless in Dallas,” this story profiles a food pantry being coordinated by a private school in South Dallas. This gave me the opportunity to realize first-hand the critical need for focusing on the need for providing not only shelter for homeless citizens, but food for their every day survival.
Before the ballot
This story ran right before the mid-term elections and highlighted ways the school educates its students on how to participate as an informed citizen in the voting process. I interview voting and election officials, history instructors and students to get their opinions.
More than college credit
This article looks at the newly introduced practice of seven Washington, D. C. private schools to eliminate “teaching to the test.” Interviews with former teachers here, the college counseling director and various current instructors offered insights and opinions on the new policy in D. C.
Beneath the stripes
This was my first feature-length story for The ReMarker and it was a story in which I interviewed several sports officials, attempting to learn what goes on “in their heads” as they go about their work of refereeing high school athletic events. The story gave insights into some of the things they experience — some not so pleasant, too — in serving as officials at sporting events around the area.