Within the Sentinel journalism department, we oversee three different publications. The newspaper, the Konah, the yearbook, the Bitterroot, and our weekly video broadcast, Spartan TV. In each program I use different editing techniques to make sure our publications are the highest quality work.
For the newspaper I oversee a staff of 14 members. Each piece of work is submitted to me first to be edited for the publication. I make sure all the punctuation, citations, sources, and formatting are in proper journalism style. I make sure the reporter has answered all the questions properly, covered all sides of an issue, and did not misinterpret or misrepresent their sources.
Our adviser stresses credibility is key, and that if lost, we will have a difficult time getting it back. It is my job to ensure that we are a credible publication, that maintains a high level of integrity. If a piece is biased the reporter must gather more information and opposing views, to not only support their argument but to tell the whole story. These skills I've learned not only apply to my staff but to my own writing. I will go through multiple drafts before an article is prepared for printing.
In yearbook we use much more creative design and layout rather than focus on writing. A staff member will assemble a page with all the correct photos, captions and copy for that page. Then it is submitted for editing. Here my fellow editors and I will go into the page and fix all the minor mistakes. This includes spellchecking the labeling of students on pictures, verifying if it is the correct person, and aligning the photo with proper spacing. In addition I will read through all the captions and check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical mistakes. Finally we will add any additional design elements to the page and index the page for the book as a whole.
While I am not the main producer for broadcasting I still take on many of the editing tasks in SpartanTV. I will assemble, edit, and export my own projects and submit them for approval while assisting other members with their projects. This includes filming, writing, editing audio and visual elements, and assisting in assembling the packages and the episode as a whole. This process can take anywhere from two to five edits as we have to check for consistent elements throughout the package and make sure they are consistent with the rest of the episode.
Through the process of being an editor, I've found there are several key elements to always remember. First, it is okay to fail. The first draft of something may not be the best writing, but that's okay. The learning comes from the process of re-writing, and re-cutting, and re-vising. Second, editors should always be aware of others' feelings. I've been on both sides--the person giving the feedback and the person receiving it. It is difficult to accept criticism of one's work. It is even more difficult to give criticism to one's peers. The people on staff, for the most part, are my friends, and it's a delicate balance to maintain friendships while helping students to do the best work they possibly can. Third, I believe I can make the most difference by leading by example, offering advice, and working as a mentor or coach to the staff. I must be willing to put in the time, effort and energy to have our publications remain at the top of the state, otherwise, no one will respect me.
For the newspaper I oversee a staff of 14 members. Each piece of work is submitted to me first to be edited for the publication. I make sure all the punctuation, citations, sources, and formatting are in proper journalism style. I make sure the reporter has answered all the questions properly, covered all sides of an issue, and did not misinterpret or misrepresent their sources.
Our adviser stresses credibility is key, and that if lost, we will have a difficult time getting it back. It is my job to ensure that we are a credible publication, that maintains a high level of integrity. If a piece is biased the reporter must gather more information and opposing views, to not only support their argument but to tell the whole story. These skills I've learned not only apply to my staff but to my own writing. I will go through multiple drafts before an article is prepared for printing.
In yearbook we use much more creative design and layout rather than focus on writing. A staff member will assemble a page with all the correct photos, captions and copy for that page. Then it is submitted for editing. Here my fellow editors and I will go into the page and fix all the minor mistakes. This includes spellchecking the labeling of students on pictures, verifying if it is the correct person, and aligning the photo with proper spacing. In addition I will read through all the captions and check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical mistakes. Finally we will add any additional design elements to the page and index the page for the book as a whole.
While I am not the main producer for broadcasting I still take on many of the editing tasks in SpartanTV. I will assemble, edit, and export my own projects and submit them for approval while assisting other members with their projects. This includes filming, writing, editing audio and visual elements, and assisting in assembling the packages and the episode as a whole. This process can take anywhere from two to five edits as we have to check for consistent elements throughout the package and make sure they are consistent with the rest of the episode.
Through the process of being an editor, I've found there are several key elements to always remember. First, it is okay to fail. The first draft of something may not be the best writing, but that's okay. The learning comes from the process of re-writing, and re-cutting, and re-vising. Second, editors should always be aware of others' feelings. I've been on both sides--the person giving the feedback and the person receiving it. It is difficult to accept criticism of one's work. It is even more difficult to give criticism to one's peers. The people on staff, for the most part, are my friends, and it's a delicate balance to maintain friendships while helping students to do the best work they possibly can. Third, I believe I can make the most difference by leading by example, offering advice, and working as a mentor or coach to the staff. I must be willing to put in the time, effort and energy to have our publications remain at the top of the state, otherwise, no one will respect me.
This project took three redo's, as we had to incorporate more information and add additional b-roll to lay on top of the interviews.
Opinion - School Board cheats Sentinel seniors out of Valedictorian
FinalThe MCPS school board made a choice in the spring of 2013 to repeal and replace the nationally recognized title of Valedictorian and replace it with a Medallion Medal, a decision that would go on to affect every academic class from 2018 on. While not only depriving students of tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships, this choice also diminished the value of work students have put into their educational careers.
Students from the beginning have been misinformed of the requirements, the school has procrastinated its efforts to create the new award along with implementing it upon the Senior class of 2018 without finalizing the selection process of the “Highest honor given to any MCPS student,” from the 2013 criteria brief for selection committee. The school board has made this decision without asking the students or families if this change was needed or wanted. While this honor allows students to set themselves apart from their peers and be recognized for their well-rounded efforts, it does not hold the same weight and accolades that come with the title of Valedictorian, resulting in many potential 2018 Valedictorians to say, “It’s just not fair.” The medallion was created to replace the title of valedictorian, an honor awarded to the student normally with the highest grade point average, and gives the final commencement speech for the graduating class before diplomas are handed out. Unlike most schools Sentinel awarded multiple valedictorian titles because of an unweighted grading system allowing for multiple students to tie with a 4.0 by the end of their senior year. This resulted in anywhere from 4-16 valedictorians from the graduating class. Yet as Principal Ted Fuller said, “We don’t have a true valedictorian. When you look at the definition of valedictorian, it finds its origin in a weighted grading system.” However there is no standard definition for valedictorian, as many schools across the country use different systems of grading, rewarding students for taking more rigorous courses, and have varying systems of grading scales. Additionally it is not a requirement for the valedictorian to be the student with the highest GPA. This newly established title is not recognized outside of the MCPS district, if you were to put Spartan Medallion on your transcript or resume it wouldn’t hold the same weight as the nationally recognized title of valedictorian. Valedictorian is not only used by the U.S. but it is also used internationally by countries including Canada, Central America, and the Philippines. So is it fair to replace this traditional and highly revered honor with an award that doesn’t even require the same academic achievement? Senior and potential valedictorian recipient Jamie Seifert said, “If you put anywhere on your resume or for colleges nobody is going to know what it is or care. Whereas valedictorian, even if you don’t like it, carries with it a sense of pride. People recognize that when you’re getting into college, or getting a job.” The decision made back in 2013 came with general requirement for the individual school to decide upon what students would need to do to achieve this award. With components of community service, activity participation, and high academic achievement, these outlines were given to school after the decision was made, allowing schools to determine how their school would give out the award. Meaning that even though the title means the same across all MCPS schools, the standard for achieving it was different from each school. Another valedictorian candidate Grace Stayner said, “It seems that it means a little less because you’re recognized as the same but for different things, but you could be great at one school, well rounded, but not the same outside of the school.” While this new award is not only recognized for achieving different accolades in each school in MCPS, Sentinel High School is implementing a changed and unfinished award to the class of 2018. The senior class was presented with an initial award requirements at the beginning freshman year, consisting of 30 logged community service hours, maintaining a 3.92 GPA, a required five AP or Dual Credit courses, three years of foreign language, and documentation of participation in extra-curricular activities or clubs. Then during our freshman year we had a change in principals, as Fuller joined the staff. “The ’13-’14 school year was when Sentinel created the first round of criteria, and when I became principal in ’14-’15 and looked at that original criteria, I realized it was not in line with the Board’s criteria, so I formed a committee in ’15-’16 to develop this (current) criteria,” Fuller said. The new criteria has made it easier, and harder, for many students to attain this title. With an increase to 75 community service hours, adding eight teacher evaluations, and now requiring a minimum of six participation points (sports, academic programs, and performing arts) for all applicants, all while maintaining an even lower GPA standard than valedictorians did or that the original draft required with a current 3.75 instead of a 4.0 or a 3.92. It creates a ridiculous amount of unneeded documentation to receive a reward that students didn’t want in the first place, yet with no other option, students begrudgingly apply for this award. Senior Paige Childers felt very strongly about her view that the medallion, “Favors rich people that have money to do stuff outside of school vs. poor people who lose an opportunity.” Childers believes students who do not have the time or the ability to participate in extra-curricular activities in and outside of school lose out on the ability to receive this award. Childers also said the replacement “makes me feel like there is no point in trying because you’re telling me that what I did and what I worked for doesn’t matter anymore because I was able to do other things.” Childers would have received Valedictorian status for maintaining her outstanding 4.0 GPA through her four years of high school. It is not right to implement this award on the class out 2018, as seniors from the beginning have been misinformed of what the award is and have lost out on a traditional and prestigious title that is actually recognized and understood outside of MCPS. The first draft stated “We invite you to sign on to an exciting four years of challenging work.” With the fact that this award has changed during our four years at Sentinel, it is not right to apply it to our class as we did not have the full time to attain it. This award should have been put into effect with the newest incoming freshman class after it had been finalized, not on to the senior class that had already been attending the school for two years. Furthermore, even if the School Board wanted to implement a new award such as the Medallion Pledge, why then must valedictorian be removed? Why cannot both titles be recognized? What harm is there with retaining a nationally recognized title earned for achieving a high grade point average? |
Original DraftThe MCPS school board made a choice in the spring of 2013 to repeal and replace the Nationally recognized title of Valedictorian and have it be replaced with a Medallion Medal, a decision that would go on to affect every academic class from 2018 on. While not only depriving students of tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship, this choice also diminished the value of work students have put into their educational careers.
Students from the beginning have been misinformed of the requirements, the school has procrastinated its efforts to create the new award along with implementing it upon the Senior class of 2018 without finalizing the selection process of the “Highest honor given to any MCPS student,” from the 2013 criteria brief for selection committee. The school board has made this decision without asking the students or families if this change was needed or wanted. While this honor allows students to set themselves apart from their peers and be recognized for their well rounded efforts it does not hold the same weight and accolades that come with the title of Valedictorian, resulting in many potential 2018 Valedictorians to say, It’s just not fair. The medallion was created to replace the title of valedictorian, an honor awarded to the student normally with the highest grade point average, gpa, and gives the final commencement speech for the graduating class before diplomas are handed out. Unlike most schools Sentinel awarded multiple valedictorian titles because of an unweighted grading system allowing for multiple students to tie with a 4.0 by the end of their senior year. This resulted in anywhere from 4-16 valedictorian from the graduating class. This newly established title is not recognized outside of the MCPS district, if you were to put Spartan Medallion on your transcript or resume it wouldn’t hold the same weight as the nationally recognized title of valedictorian. Valedictorian is not only used by the U.S. but it is also used internationally by countries including Canada, Central America, and the Philippines. So is it fair to replace this traditional and highly revered honor with an award that doesn't even require the same academic achievement? The decision made back in 2013 came with general requirement for the individual school to decide upon what students would need to do to achieve this award. With components of community service, activity participation, and high academic achievement. These outlines were given to school after the decision was made, allowing schools to determine how their school would give out the award. Meaning that even though the title means the same across all MCPS school, the standard for achieving it was different from each school. While this new award is not only recognized for achieving different accolades in each school in MCPS, Sentinel High School is implementing a changed and unfinished award to the class of 2018. The senior class was presented with an initial award requirements at the beginning freshman year, consisting of 30 logged community service hours, maintaining a 3.92 gpa, a required five AP or Dual Credit courses, 3 years of foreign language, and documentation of participation in extra-curricular activities or clubs. The new criteria has made it easier and harder for many students to attain this title. With an increase to 75 community service hours, adding 8 teacher evaluations, and now requiring a minimum of 6 participation points (sports, academic programs, and performing arts) for all applicants, all while maintaining an even lower gpa standard then valedictorians did or that the original draft required with a current 3.75 instead of a 4.0 or a 3.92. It creates a ridiculous amount of unneeded documentation to receive a reward that students didn’t want in the first place, yet with no other offer student begrudgingly apply for this award. It is not right to implement this award on the class out 2018, as seniors from the beginning have been misinformed of what the award is and have lost out on a traditional and prestigious title that is actually recognized and understood outside of MCPS. As the first draft stated “We invite you to sign on to an exciting 4 years of challenging work.” With the fact that this award has changed during our four years at Sentinel, it is not right to apply it to our class as we did not have the full time to attain it. This award should have been put into effect with the newest incoming freshman class after it had been finalized, not on to the senior class that had already been attending the school for two years, yet it also should not replace the title of.. |
This article was written to not only show the graduating senior class what changes had been made to the "Spartan Medallion" but to also show the feelings and intentions of the students. This article had been rewritten when new information was given, along with new integration of students' quotes, and a one-on-one interview with Sentinel High School's Principal Ted Fuller. As all of the information that was stated was true or from student testimonials, there was little that could not be said, thus resulting in over four drafts of the article from its original writing to the final document.