Kingwood Park TIMES

February 2023

Volume 9, Issue 4

Kingwood, Texas 77339

Editors

Maya Ortiz, editor-in-chief

Fallon Head, web editor

Derriq Young, sports editor

Jacob Valcarce, news editor

Kaitlyn Sitton, design editor

STAFF WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS

Reading and writing wasn’t something that came easily to me. When I was little, I fell behind in reading because of hearing issues when I was little. By the time I was two, I was 80% deaf. I got tubes in my ears when I was almost two, and that slowly drained the fluid build up that caused my hearing problems. The first steps of learning reading and writing relied heavily on learning sounds and the alphabet, which I couldn’t understand properly. I had to work hard for years to catch up, and to fully understand how the English language works. Once I did, I found I really enjoyed writing.

Writing has provided me with a unique creative outlet that can be whatever I make it. Its diverse foundation allows me to express myself in more ways than I could imagine doing in other platforms.

If I need to get something off my chest and don’t know who to talk about it to? Writing is there. If I want to create a world with dragons or mermaids or my favorite characters, I can do that too.

I’ve always loved to tell and create stories, and after I pushed myself to get to where writing can be fun instead of just a hassle, I found that it was a perfect way to immortalize my thoughts.

My 7th grade English teacher once said during a lecture, that “writing makes you immortal” and at the time, I mentally scoffed and moved on, but after a bit it grew to hold a special place in my heart. Writing immortalizes people in the sense that a person’s writing, art or creations hold a part of them. It will forever be your thoughts, and a way for people to learn or connect from you and your experiences, even after you’re no longer around to share them verbally.

I know for myself, I’m the most honest and open when I’m writing something down to share experiences or discover new ones.

I used to hate writing with such a passion because of struggles I faced at a young age, but now it’s where I turn when life gets hard, when the world tries to push me down, or when I just want to get away from it all. It is how I express myself and what I believe. The reward of what I can do now, and the opportunities presented to me, makes my past struggles worth it.

Kp Media Editorial Policy

KP Media is the official student-produced media of news and information published/ produced by KP Media students. KP Media has been established as designated public forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisers may – and should – coach and discuss content during the writing process.

The media will cover community, state, national, and international news if it is directly relevant to the school community, and includes local angles. The media will strive to provide coverage to all school organizations and functions.

Any decisions affecting the publications on all levels will be made by the editorial board, the adviser is allowed to give legal advice and his/ her opinion, but the final decision rests in the hands of the editorial board.

Camille Blair, Khiya Dixon, Krista Edwards, Bailey Hall, Emerson Harris, Yusra Hasan, Cara Helton, Ramiro Hernandez, Ana

La Rosa Grillo, Ryder Lowery, Garrison Moritz, Taylor Nethery, Exa Nix, Aidan Oakes, Elizabeth Piquette, Daniel Spear, Shelby Townsend.

Special Contributors

Madlynn Morris, Luke Cavallo, James Pham, Edgar Meirhofer, Rachael Ortega, Jordan Hutchinson, Sam Dellandre, Isabel Stanley.

Adviser: Megan Ortiz

Cover Photo: Junior Avery Steinke loves music and attends concerts whenever she and her friends find one in the area. Photo by Maya Ortiz.

Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of KP Media is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

The media will serve the best interest of the students and faculty of Kingwood Park High School, keeping itself free from any commercial obligations distracting from this purpose; this is defined by the media itself.

All writing in the media, other than letters to the editor in the newsmagazine, will be written by students of the journalism program and will not be accepted otherwise.

The media will specialize in and emphasize on informing their readers of school news and unique students of the Kingwood Park High School community.

Only the editorial board may prevent material it judges to be in violation of the media editorial policy, from being printed.

Letters to editor will be printed in the opinion section of the newspaper or on the website. Letters to editor should not exceed 300 words, must be signed and must include writer’s address and phone number for verification. Letters to the editor will be verified by a member of the editorial board to determine the authenticity of the writer.

The school newspaper will be distributed free of charge to all students every 6-8 weeks. The paper is completely financed by advertising revenues and fundraising. The money raised is used to pay for the school media printing costs, supplies and other media expenses.

Scan the QR code to read the complete Editorial Policy online.