Schools
High school's 'Phoenix' soars with national recognition
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| SNP photo by Dan
Trittschuh Staff of the Thomas Worthington High School newsmagazine The Phoenix include (from left): row one-Miriam Hoepfner, Amber Williams, Cole Kirchner, Quadri Saheeb; row two-Eric Allen, Erika Senk, Rachel Webb, Lana Dennison, Anna Marie Subler, Kayleigh Edgecomb, David Jusu, Katherine Forbiss, James Miracle, Lianna Havel, Jasper Mitchin, Reed Hickman and Sam Bohom. The publication has been named one of the best student newsmagazines in the country. |
* The American Scholastic Press Association has named the Thomas newsmagazine one of the best in the nation.
By PAMELA WILLIS
Thomas Worthington High School's newsmagazine, The Phoenix,
has been named one of the 88 best school publications in the
nation by the American Scholastic Press Association.
The Phoenix newsmagazine staff and adviser Brendan Bey received first place with special merit in the contest.
The school was one of only four Ohio high schools to be recognized and was the only school from the Central Ohio area.
"It's a very nice honor for us," Bey said. "Our newsmagazine is very finely honed and the kids work very hard on it.
Bey said the newsmagazine is published six times a year by the Advanced Writing in Journalism and the Advanced Editing classes and sells for $1 to students.
"It's anywhere from 28 to 52 pages and we distribute about 350 copies within the high school," he said.
It's also completely self-supported by ads students obtain from area businesses and is published in-house at the high school.
Bey said the newsmagazine has garnered several first-, second- and third-place wins from American Scholastic over the past 16 years and also has won first-place gold medallions from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University.
"Most people do not see all the hours we put into this," Bey said. "We are here anywhere from 8 to 10 hours a day on two weekends a month. We have 12 computers, our own scanner and copy machine and buy everything we need ourselves.
"You get really great kids in journalism," he said. "These are kids who like what they do. I tell them journalists should 'comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.' "
Bey said he tries to give students real-life examples of journalists and stories.
"We watch All the President's Men each year and talk about Woodward and Bernstein and about journalists who have lost their lives doing their job," he said. "Whether it is a Daniel Pearl getting his head cut off, or other stories about real-life journalists, I teach them the job of the journalist is a worthwhile one."
Six editors-in-chief are listed on the staff page of the Dec. 18, 2009, issue of the magazine: Lana Dennison, Shaadee Samimy, Rachel Webb, Andrew Paik, Lianna Havel and Anna Scandinaro.
"Part of what I love about my role as editor is the creativity involved," said Dennison. "While going from articles to final issue is hard work, I appreciate having so much say in what The Phoenix presents to our school and in our competitions.
"Mr. Bey coaches us on the basics of journalism and our program, but depends on our ability to be creative and independent in laying out our sections."
Havel said journalism teaches her "how to be a succinct and honest writer in a variety of journalistic styles.
"As someone who wants to become a journalist, I think that it is imperative to learn in an environment where I receive honest, constructive criticisms, but never feel uncomfortable or underappreciated," she said. "Mr. Bey is always challenging us to be our best, but allows us to learn in the process."
Havel said her writing abilities have improved as she works on The Phoenix.
"I love the professional work environment, Mr. Bey's warm and comfortable understanding, the friendly staffers and the pride of publishing a new issue," she said.
The Phoenix newsmagazine staff and adviser Brendan Bey received first place with special merit in the contest.
The school was one of only four Ohio high schools to be recognized and was the only school from the Central Ohio area.
"It's a very nice honor for us," Bey said. "Our newsmagazine is very finely honed and the kids work very hard on it.
Bey said the newsmagazine is published six times a year by the Advanced Writing in Journalism and the Advanced Editing classes and sells for $1 to students.
"It's anywhere from 28 to 52 pages and we distribute about 350 copies within the high school," he said.
It's also completely self-supported by ads students obtain from area businesses and is published in-house at the high school.
Bey said the newsmagazine has garnered several first-, second- and third-place wins from American Scholastic over the past 16 years and also has won first-place gold medallions from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University.
"Most people do not see all the hours we put into this," Bey said. "We are here anywhere from 8 to 10 hours a day on two weekends a month. We have 12 computers, our own scanner and copy machine and buy everything we need ourselves.
"You get really great kids in journalism," he said. "These are kids who like what they do. I tell them journalists should 'comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.' "
Bey said he tries to give students real-life examples of journalists and stories.
"We watch All the President's Men each year and talk about Woodward and Bernstein and about journalists who have lost their lives doing their job," he said. "Whether it is a Daniel Pearl getting his head cut off, or other stories about real-life journalists, I teach them the job of the journalist is a worthwhile one."
Six editors-in-chief are listed on the staff page of the Dec. 18, 2009, issue of the magazine: Lana Dennison, Shaadee Samimy, Rachel Webb, Andrew Paik, Lianna Havel and Anna Scandinaro.
"Part of what I love about my role as editor is the creativity involved," said Dennison. "While going from articles to final issue is hard work, I appreciate having so much say in what The Phoenix presents to our school and in our competitions.
"Mr. Bey coaches us on the basics of journalism and our program, but depends on our ability to be creative and independent in laying out our sections."
Havel said journalism teaches her "how to be a succinct and honest writer in a variety of journalistic styles.
"As someone who wants to become a journalist, I think that it is imperative to learn in an environment where I receive honest, constructive criticisms, but never feel uncomfortable or underappreciated," she said. "Mr. Bey is always challenging us to be our best, but allows us to learn in the process."
Havel said her writing abilities have improved as she works on The Phoenix.
"I love the professional work environment, Mr. Bey's warm and comfortable understanding, the friendly staffers and the pride of publishing a new issue," she said.
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