Students publish newspaper, plan magazine

Wheeler High senior Jessica Miller, right, waits for a response to a phone call to a source as her reporting team members sophomore Kevin Miller, left, and freshman Levi Sharp, accompany her in the main office. Photo by Brook Griffith/Condon High School

Special to the Capital Press
FOSSIL, Ore. -- Students at two Eastern Oregon high schools are getting in the publishing business.

Earlier this spring, students at Condon High School produced the first student newspaper at the school in about 20 years. Currently, students at Wheeler High School in Fossil are in the process of producing a photo magazine.

Both publications were part of the outcome of a writer-in-residence program under the direction of visiting photojournalist Cheryl Hatch.

Volume 1 of Devil High Times was printed in March 2008 and filled with articles and photos produced by the students at Condon High School. Devil High Times focused on the pros and cons of the life of students in Condon and the events that happen around the town.

Tyler Pike, a sophomore at Condon High, was an editor for the newspaper. Pike enjoyed having the opportunity to be a part of the experience.

"It was a fun thing to do and was a break from the ordinary," Pike said. He said he developed an interest in journalism and wants to attend the University of Oregon to study photojournalism.

He likes the idea of having a steady newspaper at his school.

"Yes, I would like there to be a newspaper for the school, it would help the kids with their writing skills and give them something to read."

Brook Griffith, who served as photo editor for the student paper, is a junior at Condon High School and took the classes taught by the writer in residence, Cheryl Hatch.

"I liked having Cheryl for a writer in residence because I got to use her cool camera," Griffith said.

Griffith said she enjoys photography and plans on improving her skills by taking some college courses. She used her skills to get an article printed in The Times Journal, a local paper based in Condon, about Ryan Standiford’s success in the javelin as the 1A State Champion for 2007 and his aspirations to defend his title this year. A photo she took of Standiford accompanied the article in the Times Journal.

"I’m not real interested in the writing aspect, but definitely the photography," Griffith said. She would like to try sports photography.

The finished student-produced newspaper boasted 12 pages with 13 articles and 23 color photographs

The "Soul of Fossil" magazine, by Wheeler High Students, is still in progress and publication is expected in early May. The magazine will be a photo journal.

"There is still work to be turned in and it is still in the developmental stage," Hatch said.

Senior associate editor Lisa Wade is working to make sure everything is turned in on time. For ideas on the photo journal she thinks the area's landscape, events in the community and the daily life of the students would make good pictures to include in the magazine.

Sophomore photo editor Sammone Palazo said the magazine is starting to come together. Her job is to pick and edit photos.

Junior photo editor Anna Longstreet said the group got a slow start but hopes that "the final product represents what high school students can do."

Kylie Hankins, Michael Boehlke, Karera Carrell, Justin Phillips, Macaulay Hankins and Meagan Moore contributed to this report.

Click here to read Gary West's column about the workshop from the May 2, 2008, edition of Capital Press.