2021 Summer Mailer and FAQs

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS AUDREY ENGHAUSER Print Editor-in-Chief

IRELAND MCCAGE Digital Editor-in-Chief

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’m Audrey Enghauser, the upcoming Print Editor-in-Chief. I started J1 as an eager freshman, and after so many valuable experiences in ODYSSEY -- from eye-opening interviews to constructive conferences with editors -- I am now excited to lead our staff in bringing valuable stories to our community.

I’m Ireland McCage, the upcoming Digital Editor-in-Chief. This will be my fourth year as a part of the ODYSSEY program, with each year growing and building me in unexpected ways. I look forward to passing this experience on to the upcoming generations of ODYSSEY so that they can continue the amazing legacy of this award-winning program.

The ODYSSEY is a student-run news publication encompassing both a newsmagazine and news website. Our purpose as a collective is to inform, entertain and give voice to the Clarke Central High School community, as well as to grow student journalists.

Our program offers rigorous journalistic training through experience in the field. Staffers will hold interviews with school and Athens community members, write articles for the web and newsmagazine ranging from editorials to news features, explore photography, multimedia, design, broadcast, podcast and design, and learn how to work within a team.

These opportunities allow students to grow both professionally and personally with the support of a loving, tight-knit community.

This class will challenge students and push them out of their comfort zones in order to allow them to grow. This class requires everyone to be on top of their own work as we frequently rely on each other to get certain assignments completed.

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“These opportunities allow students to grow both professionally and personally with the support of a loving, tight-knit community.

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This past year has been difficult for the whole staff. Motivation and communication faltered and we lost the sense of community that defines our program. After a year of long meetings on Zoom, we were finally able to return to a somewhat normal school day for the last couple months of the year. Our hope is for the ODYSSEY staff to enter this next school year with a fresh start and mindset, taking our newfound resilience with us and nurturing the connections we continue to build with one another even more.

The Journalism 1 class gives new members of the ODYSSEY a solid journalistic foundation before they become full-fledged members of the Production class.

Students in J1 will learn the basics of journalism, AP and ODYSSEY style, how to write in a variety of different styles and digital journalistic skills, such as creating multimedia or filming a broadcast video.

The class will not only be facilitated by Mr. Ragsdale, but also by several veteran members of the Production staff. Once students complete the introduction course, they will join the Production class, contributing consistently to the website and newsmagazine in a staff position.

In a typical year, both the Production and J1 classes attend multiple journalism conferences throughout the Southeast in order to learn from professionals in the field and build connections with other student journalists. These conferences include sessions on a variety of topics from AP style to broadcast journalism, on-site competitions, award ceremonies and lots of bonding opportunities as a staff.

We are so excited to meet all of you in person this summer and welcome you into the OMG family. As we kick off the year this fall, we are looking forward to seeing where each of your interests take you and the great work you will produce! O

FROM THE STAFF ANTONIO STARKS Variety Staffer

AZA KHAN Journalism I student

I do ODYSSEY to better myself. ODYSSEY helps me keep my journalistic and writing skills honed. ODYSSEY has actually sparked an interest in writing that I had never had before. I also want to be a part of this community and I want to try my best to help the people I care about within the ODYSSEY. The ODYSSEY gives me a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself and it‘s nice to know that there are people who have your back. I just really like being in the ODYSSEY and I don‘t know where I would be without it. The ODYSSEY is also very fun and I love the events that I get to take part in. I‘m not sure if we are even having it next year, but the Southern Interscholastic Press Association conference is always fun. I went to my first one freshman year and I loved all I learned there.

I do ODYSSEY because it‘s a place where I can enrich my skills as a writer, photographer, and public speaker. Over the course of this year, I‘ve learned that I‘m not a completely bad writer, in fact, I see potential myself. Without ODYSSEY, this wouldn‘t be the case; the improvement of my writing was targeted greatly which gave me the push I needed. I really do hope to meet new people and I look forward to creating great relationships with the new staff!

GRETCHEN HINGER Beat Editor

NICOLAS WILLMAN Viewpoints Staffer

I do ODYSSEY because I really enjoy the community and the work that we do. Journalistic writing is always interesting and I know that I am going to learn more everyday in ODYSSEY. This program allows me to grow and push myself to do things that I would have never done otherwise. ODYSSEY gives me a great group of friends that support me and what I am doing. The experience I’ve had so far in this program has been great for me personally and academically and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the upcoming years.

ODYSSEY gives students on-the-job training experience except without the salary. It‘s very hands-on, and you get to experience what it‘s like to put a magazine together, from pitching an idea to production. What I like most about ODYSSEY is that you get to be a part of a team. You learn to develop something in collaboration with others from the initial idea to the finished product. It also encourages you to engage more in the Athens community, pushing you to meet people and learn about issues you wouldn‘t otherwise get to.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS GRETCHEN HINGER Beat Editor

Is ODYSSEY a club or a class?

It’s both! There are two journalism periods at Clarke Central High School. First-year students are enrolled into the introductory course, Journalism 1, and returning students are enrolled in the Production class. Both classes give the opportunity to be published on the media group’s platforms including the website, in the newsmagazine, on our social media and in the literary-art magazine. In order to create content for these platforms, students are to attend after-school workdays on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:30. Snacks will be provided. This is the time that the two classes use to interact with each other to bond and offers a great opportunity to receive feedback on assignments.

What trips do students take?

Journalism students have the opportunity to attend several conferences during the year, two of them being at the University of Georgia. The Georgia Scholastic Press Association (GSPA) conference is held in the spring and in the fall for a single day and normally costs around $20, varying year to year. The Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) conference is in the spring in Columbia, South Carolina and is held for three-consecutive days -- this cost is generally $300 per student. Scholarships are available for both conferences.

These events are beneficial to students’ growth with classes taught by distinguished journalism advisers and program leaders from across the country.

What are some typical assignments for J1 students?

First-year students will be assigned a variety of tasks to learn about the different styles of journalistic writing, multimedia, videography, photography, marketing and design. For example, students will have opportunities to craft blogs, profiles, news stories, sports coverage and engage in photo explorations. The entire purpose of the introductory class is to offer students a variety of journalism opportunities to get them familiar and comfortable with the ODYSSEY production workflow so they can excel in the Production class if they choose to continue with the program.

What materials are needed for class?

Students will need their school-provided laptop, a recording device for interviews (usually a phone, but their computer will work), pens, a binder and paper daily. Students will also need to keep track of materials given to them at the beginning of the year, which include their press pass and their ODYSSEY manual or stylebook. The student will be charged $8-10 for these items if lost. Students will be provided other items necessary to complete journalistic tasks such as podcasting, broadcasting or photography on a case-by-case basis.

For a first-year student, how much of a time commitment is Journalism?

Each staffer will be given time in class to complete assignments, but work outside of class will be necessary to produce the best content for all of our platforms. Deadlines for major assignments will be given well in advance and students will be provided with a helpful calendar. Students are expected to attend after-school workdays on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and along with that we have weekend work days that are posted in advance and food will be provided. There is a time commitment when a student enrolls in journalism, however the ODYSSEY provides means to cope with that commitment.

Who should my J1 student talk to if they have questions or need help?

Communication is key in ODYSSEY, and one of our major ideals is to not suffer in silence. If a parent of a student has a concern, they should consult Mr. Ragsdale. However, for day-to-day questions and help, they should talk to student facilitators that will be in class to cater to the needs of the J1 students.

FUN!RAISERS ISAAC RAMIREZ Business Manager Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group and their families have many different opportunities for attending fundraising events which raise money for the program. Our largest fundraiser is our concession stand in Sanford Stadium at UGA. We highly encourage all OMG members and parents, including those of J1, to help out in transporting workers to and from the stadium, as well as working in the concession stand. There are only a certain number of football games held at Sanford Stadium this year, and we want to make sure to capitalize on each one as much as possible. These games serve as great opportunities to bond with fellow staff members outside of a work setting.

Every production member is asked to volunteer at five (5)games total during the season. Throughout the year, members who volunteer will be rewarded with prizes. At the end of the season, there will be a raffle drawing for prizes based on a ticket system. If a staff member attends more games, more tickets will be entered in their name.

The importance of these games cannot be overstated. Historically, the OMG has raised around $15,000 through this fundraiser each year.

That money is used for equipment, field trips, scholarship opportunities as well as the production and publication of the magazines and upkeep of the website. All OMG members benefit from this revenue.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to join the ODYSSEY/iliad Booster Club in order to help fundraise for our program. The group typically hosts a silent auction each December to raise money to support the students, which will require parent volunteers. All of these fundraisers play a major role in our program and without them, the OMG would not be able to thrive. O

WORKSHOP CHLOE SEARS Variety Staffer Each year, the ODYSSEY summer journalism workshop is held so that new staffers can familiarize themselves with the flow of ODYSSEY. Staffers are able to see what the program is like before the school year starts and get a feeling for the demands and expectations that they will be held to throughout the year.

This year, the annual summer workshop will be held on July 19-23 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 231 at Clarke Central High School; July 19 is reserved for editors. For the rest of the week, as a refresher for returning students and a basis of knowledge for new reporters, our veteran editors will present about content that ODYSSEY reporters typically work with, as well as review programmatic goals and workflow.

We will have breakfast and an afternoon snack as a group and plenty of breaks throughout the day to get to know each other. All members of the ODYSSEY Production staff are expected to attend the workshop. Journalism I students are also encouraged to attend to help acclimate themselves to new teammates and the workflow. This weeklong workshop is a great way to prepare for the school year and meet other staffers in the program.

A sign-up form for meals will be sent out to ensure the students have snacks and beverages to fuel them throughout each day of the workshop. The workshop will conclude on Friday with a potluck luncheon at Hendershot’s on 237 Prince Ave. from 1 to 3 p.m. to celebrate the students’ accomplishments from the week. O