The first in a series of two by Cliff Lewis
At J.P. McCaskey, the student newspaper is far from the bland, double-sided printout that many would remember from their own high school experience. McCaskey’s Vidette, with its staff of 21 students, presents a depth of commentary, a breadth of subject matter, and quality of production that exceeds even many college publications. And just about all of the work, according to faculty adviser Brian McDonald, is done by the students.
It isn’t easy to become a member of the Vidette staff. “It’s pretty detailed,” McDonald said of the application process, which requires two teacher recommendations—one must be an English teacher—as well as the submission of a sample article, free of commentary. Finally, the applications are reviewed and processed by the newspaper staff. “It’s all student-centered and student-driven,” McDonald said.
Editor-in-chief Caroline Hinnenkemp, a senior, said that she was initially drawn to the publication several years ago “because I really liked writing,” and the paper presented ample opportunity. Over time, Hinnenkemp said, she began to settle into a more editorial role. Features editor Emily deWet had a similar story: “I like writing a lot, so I wanted to write. Also, I really enjoyed this year being able to assign articles.”
Much of the Vidette‘s content is of a national or international scope because, according to McDonald, “our kids are so interested in it.” Lead stories in the most recent edition include “Dubai touches the sky”, regarding a new, 160-story skyscraper; “Reevaluating national security”, regarding federal reactions to the failed Christmas Day bombing; and “Missionaries spark anti-gay movement in Uganda”.
But, as with many school papers, the Vidette also gives attention to matters of immediate concern to the student body. “I think kids here have issues with…a lot of little, nit-picky rules,” deWet said, “Everyone gets really frustrated with that.”
When asked for a school policy on which the paper has strongly editorialized, both Hinnenkemp and deWet responded unanimously: “Hallway sweeps.” The policy, initiated last year, directed all teachers to lock their classroom doors at the start of each period, immediately following the bell. “If you’re not in your classroom, walking around in the hallway, they kind of just round you up and take you to the cafeteria,” Hinnenkemp said.
A complaint raised by the Vidette was that responsible students could be snagged for reaching their class less than a minute late. “It’s hard to get from one end of the school to the other end,” Hinnenkemp explained.
This school year, however, the rule was altered to allow a five minute buffer at the beginning of each period—a change that Hinnenkemp and deWet partly attributed to the publication’s influence.
While the Vidette seeks to provide a platform for honest discussion, personal attacks are strictly off limits. As commentary pieces are reviewed, the student editorial staff work to keep criticisms and complaints as objective and factual as possible: “Sometimes our writers get really fired up about certain things about the administration and all that. We put that in our commentary,” Hinnenkemp said, “But we can’t have really harsh stuff—you can attack the policies, but you can’t attack the person.”
