Please post your ideas for the second edition of the year. Be sure to read the other ideas BEFORE you post your own. You can elaborate on another person's post (with a citation, of course). You MUST format your post in the following format:
Article Idea:
Must interviews:
Why will people want to read this:
This edition will come out in early May.
27 comments:
Marshall
1) BRO Culture and its effect on MA
Commonly used years ago, the terminology, "Bro" has once again taken power. Being a "Bro" has is the new "fad" among a large population of MA males. During Spirit Week, the laxer bro, the chill bro, and the prep bro were popular choices among everyone every day of the week. Additionally, Winter Formal was introduced to the "Jersey Shore Bro Fist Bump" this year, as flash mobs of bros would take over the dance floor. Being a bro has been emphasized greatly in our media in America, and at MA, where a large amount of students identify as not being "mainstream", it seems that they have been altered by the Bro movement. Bro has been added to our daily vocabulary but to each the way of life means something different. We can interview people who self identify as bros as well as those who campaign against bro-ness and view Bros as arrogant and self-absorbed. People will want to read this as it pertains to the entire school and our behavior.
2) 24 and Other Teacher and Student Debated Shows
We have already done a piece on what TV shows teachers watch, however this article's premise we be shows that are discussed and or debated between teachers and students. Open Forum introduced the topic of Jack Bauer being the true American Hero, but sadly some, including english/ journalism teachers at MA, have neglected his patriotism. Travis is always making announcements about LOST inviting others to come and discuss with her about the show, and everyone will want to see what other shows the MA community shares in common. People to interview would obviously be various teachers and students.
3) Prom
This issue will be coming out right before prom happens on April 8th. It would be exciting to write an article about traditions, themes, locations etc about this years prom. This could also be a possibility for a features piece (like sara has done) on fashion i.e dresses and tuxedos. We should interview Juniors and Seniors and some chaperones. The relevance of the topic will bring enthusiasm to readers to read the article.
4) Class Meetings
In Open Forum it was brought up that class meetings have been a waste of time. For sophomores especially, we have had the advising olympics, a knock-out contest, and a whole lot more of "fun" things to do. Do we have to many meetings and why do we have them. We should interview Lynne, Joe, Deans and students to formulate an answer to the purpose of Class Meetings.
5) A feature on the Dance Program and the courses they offer would be relevant for this issue sine the Dance Assembly is just 2 weeks after the release. We can interview students and teachers about the courses, the lack of males in the program, and how their individual dance pieces are put together.
A great start, Marshall! I wonder who this english/journalism teacher is who doesn't appreciate Jack's patriotism? Maybe that's the new teacher: Sergei Bazhaev?
1) An article about the history and evolution of Open Forum
This past open forum was truthfully disappointing, so I think it would be great to have an article talking about what Open Forum used to be, what the philosophy behind it is, and what it has become today. It is important to educate the community about the evolution and history of cherished events such as Open Forum. Must interviews: Lynn, faculty that have been here a long time, and students
2) A feature about the high percentage of parents in Marin who do not have their children vaccinated.
After listening to Amy Wallace today I think that this is an important topic to inform out community of. Marin County crowns itself as being very educated and sophisticated, but do these parents really know of the risks of not having their children vaccinated? More scientific studies have just come out about this topic, and this is a very "hot" article to write about. Must interviews: Amy Wallace and maybe gain permission to use some quotes in her article
3) March Madness at MA!
Yes, March is here and so has the madness swopped Marin Academy students off their feet already. There are many March Madness leagues at MA, where students gain and praise for their intelligent "picks"comeratory. This article could also talk about the chances of getting a perfect bracket etc. Must interviews: Johnny Winston and other students
4) The return of the Circle Parties
It is important to get the word out about the Circle parties and to write an article about why it is so important to the MA community. People will want to read about this simply because they will want to get to the party. Must interviews: Ten. and other circle party organizers.
5) The new workout room at MA
An article about the new equipment at MA and how it can possibly push for greater achievements in the MA sport's teams. I know that teachers also use the improved workout room, so it will be important to get their opinion about this topic. People will want to read this because they want to improve their physical fitness or their athletic ability. Must interviews: Josh, teachers, coaches, students
1.
Article Idea: Op/Ed on Summer Activities
Must Interviews: Talk to students, maybe some teachers, but its an opinion piece.
Why?: I think this is the issue where the Center spread is the breakdown of where the class of 2010 will be going to college (if that is happening again this year), so it would be interesting to have an article relating to that with some of the younger grades. This piece could talk about the slew of summer programs that kids feel the necessity to do in order to get into college. Are these programs worth their often insane price? Why can't we just relax during the summer? The race never stops.
2.
Article Idea: New and Improved? Capstone for Juniors
Must Interviews: Lynne, Joe, Juniors on their hopes for the project.
Why?: I know Capstone is changing up a bit this year and there's always a lot of curiosity around it from all different grade levels. Will the topics of research be the same this year? Same schedule? Etc.
3.
Article Idea: Senate Elections
Must Interview: Those who will run
Why?: If the candidates are confirmed in time it would be great if we could do some profile pieces on each one and get a sense of their platforms. This will give the entire school a chance to get to know them better before voting in the elections.
4.
Article Idea: Summer plans feature
Must Interviews: Any and all at MA
Why?: Readers love those cute pull out boxes, and with summer coming up in just a month after this issue is released, we have a perfect opportunity. We can collect some small quotes about cool things people plan to do over the summer and feature them.
5.
Article Idea: Interesting Spin on Wildcats of the Issue
Must Interviews: Seniors that plan to play sports in college
Why?: College sports take on a completely different form than high school sports. It would be interesting to ask some questions to students who either are already drafted for a team or plan on playing sports in college, what they hope to accomplish and how they feel about playing on a big teams.
Elizabeth
I agree strongly with the ideas about articles on Open forum (Eric) and on TV shows (Marshall). I feel that they are very important topics to the MA community, and have the potential to get people talking. Also, as part of a TV article, we could talk to people about what shows they watch during the summer, once regular shows have had their season finales. (I also think it would be cool to do an article, possibly Lost without LOST, about how LOST fans plan to cope with the series finale.)
1) Transitioning to college
Must interviews: Seniors, Bill and Jennifer, teachers
Perhaps part of this article could include the relief that seniors feel after college accept/reject letters come; however, this will probably be irrelevant by early May. I feel that an article like this should focus mainly on how seniors plan to transition from high school into college.
2) Spirit Week II
Must interviews: Senate (esp. Frank and Joey), teachers, students
If rumors are true, there is going to be a second Spirit Week in late April. This article could be done as a follow-up to that week, and could also include some information on why the Senate chose to do 2 spirit weeks this year. (great photo potential of the various spirit days)
3) Scheduling
Must interviews: students
This issue will come out just after scheduling, a process that involves 3/4 of the MA students (esp. sophomores and juniors) making some difficult choices that commit them to courses for a full year. Perhaps this is the MA perspective of The Paralyzing Problem of Too Many Choices article, especially for seniors who are able to choose all of their courses.
4) Summer Blockbusters
Must interviews: students, teachers
This summer, many movies, from Eclipse (yes, they're still making those movies - ick) to Iron Man 2, from Toy Story 3 to The Last Airbender, and 80s remakes (see: The Karate Kid, The A-Team, Prince of Persia, Tron, etc.), are making their debuts. Which movies will members of the MA community be flocking to see? Which ones will get left in the dust? A possibility to be a fun thumbs up/down piece and some recommendations for how to spend the summer.
5) Junior Project
Must interviews: juniors and seniors, history teachers, Jamie
Junior project has undergone some serious re-working since last year, and is now centered around the research papers that juniors have had to write for their history classes. What elements of Capstone have remained? Which ones have been eliminated entirely? How are juniors viewing this change in execution - with anticipation, or with trepidation? Also, this article could outline what students will now be required to do for Junior Project.
6) Gala
Must interviews: Senate, performers
What happened to Gala? Will it rise again, or has it died a slow and painful death? It was mentioned at Open Forum, which marks definite interest and a possible resurgence for the event. How will it turn out?
1) Spring break recap!
While this issue will come out a few weeks after spring break, it would be nice to do a recap of what members of the community did over the break. The layout could be similar to our first issue's summer recap, which was a visual success! Personally, I'd really like to read about what exciting activities people partook in over the break, and I am sure others would as well. Interviews would, of course, include students and faculty members.
2) Greenfest:
I overheard Michael Perlstein talking about the upcoming Greenfest the other day and thought it would make for the perfect article. This could be a simple profile piece where we would interview members of Eco-Council (Michael, Jessica, Margot, Cora, etc.), students, and faculty. I don't know much at all about this, and I imagine the freshmen know even less, so it could be an educational, easy-to-read profile.
3) Spring theater production:
The Spring theater production will show from May 20 - May 22. Similarly to the Eco-Council piece, this would be a quick, informative profile on the upcoming production. Must interviews would include David Sinaiko and cast/crew of the show. This piece will not only notify the MA community of an upcoming event, but will encourage these members to go and see it!
4) The "Comers and Goers" of MA:
As the year winds down, it is inevitably time to say goodbye to certain faculty members. It would be nice to do a piece appreciating these staff members and interview them on their plans for the future. For example, the science department is currently looking for someone to replace Celeste, who is going to graduate school. On the other side of the spectrum are faculty members who will be joining the MA community next year. They could respond to the infamous MA "Who are they (really)" inquiry, their goals as a teacher for the next few years, and what they hope to gain out of the experience. If we get enough of these "newcomers" in time, it could make for a really nice addition to the piece. The MA community will want to take the time to appreciate/acknowledge staff members who will be leaving us and be interested/excited for those that will be joining us next year.
5) Finals for second semester juniors:
I can't tell you how sick I am of hearing about the second semester juniors and their finals. Do they have them or do they not!? Each year it seems to change. While I know it primarily has to do with Junior Projects, why can't we come to some sort of definitive solution? This could be a somewhat investigative piece in which we talked to Joe, Lynne, and other faculty/students about the topic. People would definitely want to read the piece, as it would demystify a topic that is currently shrouded in some mystery.
* Correction for Greenfest!
Supposedly this is going to take place on April 23, so as opposed to profiling it, we could do a recap with photos, opinions, interviews, etc.
1) Article Idea: Ping Pong Table at MA
With the weather starting to heat up, and people constantly looking for new activities to occupy themselves with during free time at school, it seems that the ping pong table has nearly doubled in terms of numbers of enthusiasts and supporters. Today I had the privilege of observing a series of full fledge ping-pong games taking place just outside of the café, some of which got fairly intense. There did however seem to be a lack of girls involved which was interesting, but maybe this is just due to the fact that there are just more guys interested and devoted to the sport. I think all in all the ping pong table has been a beneficial aspect to the MA community, but people might be interested to read about what teachers and other MA students think about it all.
Possible Interviews: Connor Flemming, Teo Pier, Lynne Hansen/ any other teachers, any active student users of the ping-pong table.
2) Article Idea: Incidental Accounts
Today I was checking out in the lunch line after getting my food, and found that my account had been completely drained of the 100+ dollars that had been in it the previously time I checked... and all I had been buying was food. Well that's what I thought until discussing it with a friend in the car on the way back from soccer practice today. She said that parts of our soccer uniform are charged to our incidental accounts (something not brought to my attention), and that she had encountered a similar dilemma with her account a few weeks prior. She said that when she asked for a printed receipt of the items charged to her account it stated that many lunches had been charged to her account within seconds of each other along with an abnormal amount of chocolate milks that she had not purchased. When she brought this to the attention of the people working in the café they told her they most likely had forgotten to clear her account at the checkout before the people after her in line punched in their codes. Personally, I love having an incidental account that allows me to charge anything to it at any time, but still, it has its flaws. This article about incidental accounts and their benefits/disadvantages pertains to all students at MA, and it is something I hear being discussed frequently throughout school.
Possible interviews: People working in the café, students, Josh Frechette, any other teachers.
3) Article Idea: Spring Fashion Trends
Just to follow the movement of previous editions, I think doing a piece on the most popular spring fashion trends would be a good way to welcome the recent warm weather. The format would be similar to the Fall/Winter fashion trend pieces we’ve done in past editions, and maybe this time we could include a section to this side of the article of purely students quotes explaining their views on the Spring fashion Trends.
Possible Interviews: Any students, both genders (we’ve had mostly girl quotes in our previous fashion articles).
4) Marshall’s bro idea!!
Doing an article on the “bro community” at MA would definitely pertain to the ENTIRE student body. The “bros” are present at every dance, every sporting event, and every hallway of the school, and I think it is most definitely necessary to address this. I think it could also be a relatively controversial topic to discuss, because frankly I don’t really know peoples views on the whole thing. Also, I remember at the last poetry slam one of the slammers addressed this issue of “bros” negatively, and from this I infer that there may be many other students and possibly teachers at the school who also feel that this “bro movement” has gotten out of hand.
Possible Interviews: What Marshall said, along with teachers who feel they have witnessed the bro scene.
5) Article Idea: Facebook at MA
I forget if we have done an article on this in the past, but I feel that there are many aspects of Facebook that have become much more prominent and relevant in recent months. Not only do people use Facebook for pictures anymore, but I also have found that I use it to keep up with EVERYTHING going on with anyone I know, or to be completely honest sometimes people who I have only heard of. The change in someone’s relationship status on Facebook is sure to cause much gossip throughout the school, and if an embarrassing picture is added of you, well I think it is safe to say that a majority of the student body will see it in a matter of hours. People will want to read this because it pertains to anyone with a Facebook (in other words, everyone), students and teachers alike, and we could make it a fun and light hearted piece.
Possible Interviews: Lynne Hansen, any students and teachers who have facebook.
1)
Article Idea: Remembrance of Summer Camps Past
Must Interviews: Students, faculty, summer camp directors/staff
Why will people want to read this: I'm sort of (okay, really) stealing this idea from the "Remembrance of Candy Bars Past" article that was posted on the blog a couple weeks ago, but I think doing a nostalgic article on all of the summer camps MA students loved going to would be a fun alternative to most of our articles. Usually our articles are what's going to happen on campus or what has already happened, so going WAY back would be a cool alternative to our normal articles. This would be a feature piece, and I'm sure there would be a lot of debate on "favorite summer camps" from students. Students, just as us reading the candy piece, enjoy being reminded of great things from our past. I think it would attract a good deal of attention.
2)
Article idea: Physical Education at MA
Must interviews: Faculty, students who are very physically active, students who are not, maybe students/faculty of other schools where PE classes are mandatory
Why people will want to read this: I know at least five of my friends who virtually do not do physical activities. We do have four years to meet the physical education requirements, and I'm not arguing that MA's way of doing physical education is not ideal. However, I think it would be interesting to hear from both sides of the student body and for teachers or students to give tips to the students who have not gotten/do not have plans to get their PE credits. It would deliver information to students that do not exactly know what to do if they have no begun to start on their PE credits.
3) ... Wrote this idea and then reloaded the page to see that Avery had written something like it... but this is pretty different.
Article idea: Facebook
Must interviews: Students, teachers
Why people will want to read this: I found these ridiculous statistics on Facebook.. about Facebook. There's a whole fan page dedicated to Facebook stats and it's really quite interesting. Also, I feel like in general Facebook takes over so much of high schoolers' time. We could include statistics, and also include students' and teachers' responses to these statistics, because they would probably be surprised as well that there are "more than 60 million status updates posted each day" and so on and so forth. I think it would also be interesting to hear from students and faculty that decide against making a page (I know there are some students, not just freshmen but upperclassmen as well) and why.
4)
Article idea: Friendly Wildcats
Must interview: At least two teammates from the same team
Why people will read this: To mix things up in the sports section, I think it would be interesting to interview two teammates simultaneously. It is really interesting to see how teammates play off each other, and in a way would contribute a lot to varying the normal, repetitive style of our Wildcat interviews. If we were able to find to teammates that were close to each other, I'm sure the piece could be instantly more fun and playful. We could even let one ask the other some questions and vice versa. The writer of the article could also put in some description as to how they acted together during the interview and how that comes off in how they play together on the court or field.
5)
Article idea: Student Dress in the Warm Weather
Must interviews: Everyone at MA
Why people will read this: Today was abnormally (and thankfully) warm, but I heard at least two comments being said about what some girls were wearing. Even if it wasn't from the faculty, I think students can judge and debate about the length of girls' skirts or how low-cut a shirt is. With the weather finally being warm enough for this kind of dress, I think it would be a good idea to address the topic in our paper. May is especially a good month to do an article like this because instead of the new change in weather to 70 degrees, it'll be more like 80 or higher in May.
1. Spin on the bro idea
This should either be an op-ed or a piece about bro "culture" at MA. Maybe an op-ed about the role of machismo cultural identity? (I think that'd be awesome). Bro "culture" is becoming more and more prevalent at MA. Many of the things that are associated with bro-ness (gender roles, drug and alcohol usage, dignity, self-respect, etc.)are quite controversial in one way or another, particularly to individuals at campus. To make this piece a hit, we'd need to talk to people that consider themselves bros, bro sympathizers, and "bro haters."
2. Senior project:
Administration this year has seriously cut down on the number of senior projects. It's significantly harder to get a senior project passed. This would be a useful time and place to bring more light to this issue and hear some insights from seniors as to the successes and shortcomings of the issue. We'd need to talk to teachers, deans, Lynne, etc in order to get a full scope, but ultimately the goal would be to shed some light on the state of senior project and what else is new about it.
3. Places to go and places to see.
Outside of school, MA is known for having a lot of out-doorsy kids. Especially as spring comes along (by God! It was warm today!), people love getting outside and finding cool spots, whether they are swimming holes, places out on Mt. Tam, cool areas to hang out in the city, etc. I think it'd be great to have an map/article about/containing places to go and check out. This is relevant to the coming of spring (and summer) and also the interests of our community members. We should interview as many interested students and teachers as possible.
4. MA Music Concerts:
At this point in the year there should be some concerts coming up. We could highlight the jazz group and their performance at Berklee College of Music, the seniors that will be leaving the program, or maybe just a simple preview/summary (depending on when it comes out) of the concert. Interviews: music participants, Bob Schleeter.
5. Reggae and Electronic bands:
The reggae and electronic bands are both pretty new and very unknown. I would guess that many people don't even know we have these groups, yet they're an interesting facet of the music and greater MA community in that they're quite unique and are pushing the boundaries as far as courses at MA go. They should be playing a few songs each at the music concert (mentioned above). This article could be just like the music article except spotlight the reggae bands, have some quotes looking forward to or back on the performance (again, depending on when it happens). Must interviews would be Bob and the various bands.
Ilana
Article Idea: Review/recap on the Jazz/Rock concert
Must interviews: People in the jazz band, Bob Schleeter
Why will people want to read this: The concert happens in late April/early May so it will be relevant and recent. It would be a fun and light article as spring break ends and summer approaches. Also, MA students would probably be interested in reading about their peers musical achievements and I’m sure those in Jazz/Rock would appreciate being featured in the paper.
Article Idea: Goodbye to Second Semester Finals!
Must interviews: Lynn Hansen, Joe Harvey, Students, Faculty..
Why will people want to read this: To get an understanding on how the decision to end second semester finals came about. Who is for it the elimination of finals and why? Who is against it and why It could offer different perspectives and opinions on campus.
Article Idea: Cinco de Mayo & how it’s celebrated in Marin
Must interviews: Members of LSU, event coordinators, etc.
Why will people want to read this: Somewhere along the line we have all learned about the Battle of the Puebla, Cinco de Mayo, etc. Represent the Latino population at MA and in Marin.
Article Idea: Recap on Spring Sports/Preview of NCS/BCLs
Must Interviews: Spring athletes, Josh Frechette, etc.
Why will people want to read this: The normal sports’ season will be winding down, and the playoffs will be beginning. The majority of the student body takes pride in MA’s athletic achievements so the article will be a good way to fill in the student body with the season’s highlight, and a preview of what the playoffs/BCL/NCS will entail.
Article Idea: MA and American Idol
Must Interviews: People in chorus, musicians, student body, teachers, etc.
Why will people want to read this: Although I am not a huge fan of American Idol, I can’t help but hear all of talk about recent eliminations, controversies, etc. that revolve around the very popular show. We could gather the MA “favorite,” the “underdog,” people that we were sad to see go, etc. The finale is in late May (I think) so it is pretty good timing.
What: The Mystery of Senate.
I see the the members of our senate meeting all the time in the library seminar room. But what actually goes down in there? How do they come up with ideas for spirit week, t-shirts, dances etc? How is working with Lynn/ the Administration? What is the dynamic of the group, are there some people or classes that dominate with ideas or conversation? We also could get the ideas of what senate members think people should know about the process, or clear up any misconceptions.
Why: We see our president and class reps at assemblies and class meetings all the time, but I think readers would be interested in reading about the other work they do.
Who: Senate members, Lynn, other students talking about any myths there might be about senate.
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What: "Yeah Baby Yeah! MA LAX 2010"
This morning a cardboard cut out of Austin Powers proudly stated this to me in the Cafeteria. As a hook, get the story behind that. But the overall story would not just be a preview of the season, but more about the culture and history of the Team. I remember freshman year that the team barely had enough players and lost most of their games but now this year we beat Branson! What changed? What does it mean to be a lacrosse player, what attracts athletes to the sport even though it is not a popular TV sport? I think this story could also be connected to Marshall's Bro Idea.
Why: There are definitely more lacrosse players than ever before, and I think there's a general growing interest in the sport too.
Who: Lax Players, Josh F.
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What: Replacing the Bagel shop Investigation
Right now the (former?) bagel shop is boarded up and has scaffolding over it. We should figure out what's happening there. Is the bagel shop remodeling? Is there a new owner? Will there be a different store of restaurant? We could ask students what they would like to see replace the bagel shop, and if the bagel shop were to return, would people eat there again?
Why: Follow up on our earlier bagel shop article. Students are always interested in food and what restaurants there are to go to on 4th street.
Who: San Rafael City Planner? Send a letter to the owner of the building (I'm not sure what the best way to figure out what is going on will be), Students.
1) Asbestos in the old gym?
I was at a senate meeting and someone mentioned in kind of an offhand way that there might be asbestos in the gym. Is this true? And, if so, what is being done about it? What are the potential health repercussions?
Must interviews: Lynne, Joe, students, anyone who would know about asbestos in the gym
Why people will want to read this: if there really is asbestos in the old gym, people would probably want to know. Also, I think that getting the word out would probably cause action to be taken fairly quickly, which would be good if there actually is asbestos in the gym.
2) Stuck at home during summer
Inexpensive ways for students to have fun while at home during summer.
Must interviews: students who have fun stories of things they did while in Marin over the summer
Why people would want to read it: everyone has experienced that feeling of being stuck at home with nothing to do during summer, so ideas for fun things to do/adventures to go on would probably be popular.
3) The culture of vacations
It seems like almost everyone at MA is jetting off to a different continent (or at least, a different part of the country) this summer, and it would be interesting to do an article about the culture of vacations at MA. Most people can't afford the extravagant and luxurious vacations a lot of us take, yet these kind of vacations are the norm and expected at MA. This would be written in a similar style to the "The Price of Being Green" story that ran earlier this year
Must interviews: I think it would be an Op/Ed piece so no one
Why people would want to read it: it offers a different viewpoint and causes people to "think" and "question" which is part of the MA slogan.
4) Teacher dopplegangers
This would be a really lighthearted piece comparing teachers and their dopplegangers (example: Hideko and the boy from Up)
Must interviews: teachers
Why people would want to read this: it's fun
5) How do teachers spend their summers?
Everyone knows how their friends spend summer break, but what about teachers? What do teachers do when we get out for the summer?
Must interviews: teachers
Why people would want to read this: because they're curious
*sorry you might notice some themes (summer, teachers, and summer+teachers) in this one, i really like the bro and class meetings ideas too though!
Jamie M.
1.
Article Idea: Clubs that got the axe
Interviews: Lynne, Travis, students, anyone who's seen a club come and go
Why read it? This could be a light-hearted piece about the clubs who just couldn't make it. I know there have been a fair share of quirky clubs (ex: quidditch club), so it'd be cool to research all the clubs that never could muster a big following.
2.
Article Idea: San Rafael Health Scores
Interviews: Public Health Office, students, patrons of restaurants
Why read it? First the Bagel Shop, then Bobby's; it seems that the local establishments are dropping like flies due to poor health scores. This could be a cool investigative piece where the author could rank restaurants on their cleanliness as well as their food. I've heard a few post Confucius stories...
3.
Article Idea: Horrible Movies
Interviews: none, really. Online research and trailers
Why? As opposed to writing about the promising upcoming films, why don't we switch it up and write about movies we project to be terrible. It'd be fun to tell people what not to see as opposed to what to see.
4.
Article Idea: Jargon, slang, lingo, argot, patois, parlance (thesaurus!)
Interviews: Students, teachers (what they used back in the day)
Why? It'd be cool to go around school interviewing students about language. We could also document the progression of terms over time; how terms are constantly fading out of common usage while new ones arise.
Alec
Article Ideas
1. Spring Break Favorites
While we know almost everyone is looking forward to spring break, what are they looking forward to the most about it? Is the excitment to travel, hang out with friends or just relax? People we can interview include anyone who has had spring break before.
Article Idea: MA Beekeeping
Must interviews: Peter Poutiatine, Mark Stefanski
Why will people want to read this: The Beekeeping club just had a weekend session in the garden with the gardening club. Who are MA's beekeepers? What do/did they do? What are their plans for the garden?
Article Idea: Class of 2014
Must interviews: Dan Babior, Sue, Connie
Why will people want to read this: By the time this issue comes out the class of 14 should be pretty much set. We should talk to the admissions department and get some numbers/info/profiles of the incoming freshmen class. It would be cool to get some interviews with any incoming freshmen and their hopes for their MA careers
Article Idea: The Identity of 2010/2011 Classes
Must interviews: Any juniors & seniors
Why will people want to read this: Every class has its own identity or something they are remembered for. The seniors could give their perspectives on how they want to be/will be remembered as a class, and the juniors can discuss how they hope to define their class identity in their final year. Sort of a looking back/looking forward piece
Article Idea: Yearbook's Struggles
Must interviews: Sarah, other yearbook-ers
Why will people want to read this: As we have all heard at the assemblies this year, yearbook is struggling to get the cooperation needed to pull together this year's edition. What's causing this? Is it a lack of staff or just a lack of cooperation from the school community? How is the outlook for next year's edition? What can we look forward to in this year's one?
Article Idea: What is "MA's Sport?"
Must interviews: Josh, any students esp. lax, basketball, soccer players
Why will people want to read this: I was having this discussion recently- what is the sport most important to MA? I targeted the 3 sports above as they seem to generate the most fan interest in their respective seasons, but which of these or others is truly the most important to MA? This piece could feature a little bit of banter between the teams about which team is best, and could come out serious or pretty lighthearted
Also, I really like Jamie's idea about slang etc.
Jacob
1. Idea: The seeing off of the seniors
Who to talk to: Seniors leaving, Juniors who will be seniors next year, teachers
Why: What it will be like for the school next year without them, how will the juniors be as an upcoming ruling class, and what are teacher opinions and feelings.
2. Bay Area slang and culture:
Interview student population.
Why: People who are in the bay are so immersed in practically another language. Its almost at the verge of being unable to comprehend for outsiders. I think it would be really cool for kids to read something they can relate to.
3. Upcoming summer plans for sudents and teachers
Interview a lot of teachers to find the most intersting and popular vacation spots and the most interesting things being done.
It will be easy to read and it will be a fun thing to add to the paper, people tend to like things like these.
4. Upcoming freshman class
Dan, Sue, Siblings, Teachers
Kids always go crazy the first couple days of school with getting to know and bully the freshman, I think everyone wants to know what the interviewees felt about the upcoming freshman class.
Katie said...
1. The Distance thing we talked about
Interviews: not really
Why?: We can make some really cool graphics.
I know we talked about in class showing things like how many miles to the swim girls swim in a season? How many stairs do we climb every day going up and down the caf stairs? How long do we spend at assemblies in one school year. Then we take the numbers and compare them to things like where the swim girls would get to from the bay and how "high" we are climbing the stairs etc.
2. Pregnant Teachers!
I think they are all getting pregnant right now!
Interviews: Lauren Toker, Hideko, all the other pregnant ones
Why?: This is a fun spring article and it will also be interesting to talk about the effects of them missing school after they have their babies.
3. Electives for Next Year
Interviews: Teachers, Lynne
Why?: The course catalog will have just come out and it will be interesting to do a feature on the electives that will be offered next year. We can include cool graphics and write something extra special about journalism.
4. Spin of the class of 2014/2010
Interviews: current seniors, incoming freshman (if possible) dan etc.
I have noticed a trend that every other year the classes have a lot in common. This would be an opinion piece about the identity of the 2010/how they were as seniors and what are the expectations of the incoming class. We could also write about the current freshman and junior classes and similarities that they share.
Why?: Everyone likes hearing about themselves. This could get a lot of different sources from the MA community.
5. The future of Minicourse
Interviews: Lynne, students
This can be a follow up piece on our Minicourse article about the future of MA. All the basketball boys are complaining about the timing of minicourse. And then there are other peple complaining about only having one week of minicourse. We can get the inside scoop from Lynne and Travis about the possibility of changes coming for either of these complaints.
Why?: Everyone loves minicourse. It is a hot topic that no one responded to at open forum.
1) Uncensored Recap/ Review
Article Idea: Talk about the different courses/ discussions in the uncensored meetings.
Must Interviews: Group leaders, students who take the courses, and teachers who might attend.
Why?: Uncensored is something many people are interested in and people would be curious to see what other courses were like.
2) Talented People at MA
Article Idea: Find people (some with very different talents, others with more normal) and document them.
Must Interviews: The article would be all about the talented students, so quotes from them.
Why?: It would be fun to let other students be showcased and given the opportunity to show what they are great at.
Note: These people could be featured in the Wildcat of the Issue form.
3)
Article Idea: Vaccination-- Find out what percent of the MA campus is vaccinated.
Must Interviews: People who are and aren't on campus. Teachers, students. Find out why not vaccinated, or why they are.
Why?: It is an interesting, and as we discovered, very debatable subject.
4)
Article Idea: Spring Break Adventures
Must Interviews: Teachers, students who are going to exotic/interesting places to do interesting things.
Why?: It is a fun article idea. People would want to read about others' adventures during spring break.
5) Article Idea: Seniors talk about their college and plans for the future.
Must Interviews: Seniors who know/deciding where to go to college.
Why?: It would be interesting to learn about what seniors want to do what with their lives after high school. They could discuss what college they will be attending and why.
Alec
2. Granola Club Resurgence?
Last year, the Granola club was one of the well known popular clubs in the school. People went on hikes and ate granola. Then the club appeared to vanish in the beginning of this year. Now the club just announced that they are leading another hike. It is good to see they are back again but what caused them to be quiet at the beginning of this year? People to interview would be Christie Capper, the current leader of the club and members of the Granola club. The section should be News.
3.
Cafeteria...Six Months on
When Epicurean first arrived at the school, we saw general unpopularity with the food and complaints like, "Basta on the pasta." After that Voice article, focus seems to have focused off the cafeteria. Do students believe the cafeteria has improved since the beginning of the year? If so, in what ways? What are students' and faculty's complaints now? People to interview would be anyone who eats at the cafeteria. People will want to read this because the cafeteria affects most students at MA. The section should be Features.
4. Sports:
Since the New Edition will come out in May, the Spring Sports should be mostly finished. Do teams feel that they have achieved their goals for the season or do they feel that they have fallen short? Did they come out of the year feeling they did better than expected or worse than expected? People to interview would be the coaches of the spring teams as well as players on the spring teams. People will want to read this because people either are on spring teams or know people who are.
5. A&E
I have seen the Voice write a few articles on certain music performances but how popular exactly are they in MA? They seem popular because turnout is high but what bands themselves are popular? Do people attend certain concerts just for one band or to see all the bands? People to interview would be music students and people who attend music concerts often.
1. General Summer Preview
Must Interviews: probably no one
Instead of just movies, It might be cool to have a preview of all the entertainment this summer, including movies, concerts, books, music, etc. It could also be fun to do a piece on movies, but keep it to movies that aren’t huge blockbusters, but might be eventual sleeper hits or Oscar winners.
2. Looking back on senior speeches/arts
Must Interviews: seniors, teachers
Why do we have senior speeches? Why do we have senior arts? Why is it so important to see these random people get up and talk to us for 15 minutes each? I think this article could have a lot of depth to it, especially if we get some good quotes.
3. Senior projects
Must Interviews: seniors, strangely enough
In keeping with the whole senior theme: projects! We could do a profile of four or five, and get a quote from each one on what they’re doing, why they chose to, etc.
4. The year in review
Must interviews: students/teachers/staff
A look back on the last year at MA. We could cover significant things that happened, maybe in a timeline format.
5. Open Forum
Must interviews: students and staff
(Similar to Eric’s, but not quite the same)
A lot of people considered Open Forum to be nothing more than a special assembly where people complain a lot, and debate the meaning of Irony. It’d be interesting to do a piece on how it could be more effective.
1) I agree with marshall, we should definitely do a bro article. It should definitely be a news article because op-ed makes it seem like it is only our opinion rather than fact. Interviews would be some of the bros and those who oppose and are for it. I think it is a culture that is taking over, and I am not sure if it is for the best. This article is directly related to MA and will be a very popular article to read.
2) Locker investigation. We can take statistics on how many people use their lockers and for what purpose. We can interview those that use their lockers and those that don't, along with what teachers think. I think it would be very interesting to see how many lockers are actually being used. This issue directly pertains to MA because at the begining of the year we are all assigned lockers.
3) Prom. We could talk about the past traditions and norms. Also we can list the best ways people were asked to prom in the past. Also prom culture as a whole. We could interview Lynne, and students of all ages, along with teachers that have chaperoned.
4) spirit week. At open forum a lot of people wanted a second spirit week. We could interview the spirit captains and other senate members to see when and what is going on with it. i think a lot of people are curious about what goes on in senate meetings and it would be interesting to get an idea of what is going on. it could be a day in the life with the spirit captains or president. this pertains directly to MA because everyone voted for the students in office.
5) hiking trails ( a spin on jacksons idea). last year i remember there was a little excerpt about popular hiking trails. now that it is starting to get sunny, it would be good to name some popular beaches, hiking spots, and other popular outdoor places. we could interview people in the granola club, and others who have favorite outdoor spots.
Elizabeth
Just tagging onto Ilana's idea: we could possibly do a recap of both music concerts, as Roots/World/Chorus happens right after Spring Break.
OP/Ed Lady Gaga
I still think this piece is extremely interesting and somebody ANYBODY should write it. It would be about how Lady Gaga and artists similar are changing the social norm among young people. No interviews, Interest: Mostly students, but possibly faculty
OP/Ed Prom
We can write an article comparing MA prom to our prom. Everyone likes to say that MA is different than other schools, but I think that our prom is pretty normal. iNTERVIEWS: NA INTEREST: EVERYONE
Feature: We can follow the life of an Eastbay/San Francisco bus riders. How does it complicate things. How does it affect people. Interviews: Anyone who rides the bus, Interest: Everyone who rides the bus.
Features: Conspiracy theories
I think it would be interesting to see the different conspiracy theories people believe in. Interviews: Anyone Interst: Everyone
Features: Old courses
I know that there used to be an Oceanography course. What other classes used to exist and now dont. Why dont they? Interviews: Derrick, Lynne, veteran teachers Interst: everyone
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