jPaper, the student newspaper for jCamp at Virginia Tech
Sun sets on jCamp at VT BY JOSH WALLACE | Chantilly H.S.
Hokies ...........2 Profiles ..........3 jCamp moves 4 Food ..............6 Opinions........7 Photo ............8
july 19, 2012 blacksburg, va.
HARRIS LaTEEF / LANGLEY H.S.
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the summer of 2013, jCamp will be moving to the campus of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., and the cost per camper will be greatly reduced. In recent years, the fee for jCamp has risen. This year, the regular registration was $545. If a student registered after the June 1 deadline, the price rose to $595 plus a $15 convenience fee. “We are looking at trying to keep the price point (in) the mid range of the $300s well below $400,” design
instructor Chris Waugaman said. “The $500 mark is what we felt like is too difficult for students to maintain.” Waugaman is the director of the Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers. He wants to make the the association’s jCamp affordable for every student. “It will also help other staffs if they want to offset some of the costs for more people,” Waugaman said. “So let’s say if a staff only pays $100 per person, that’s a much more substantial chunk out of $350
or $375 than $500.” “I think it would definitely be an easier pull for someone who has to pay out of their own pocket,” junior Cameron Wood said. “I think $150 is a lot. Especially if it’s the same thing in four days.” Wood and many other students would benefit greatly from a reduced cost. Although this year’s dorms at Virginia Tech are outfitted with air conditioning, new appliances, and flat screen TVs in the common rooms, a cheaper price at Washington and Lee
would still benefit the students. Waugaman has been with the camp since its genesis and is very connected with Virginia Tech. However, he knows that this move will be a smart one for the camp. “I’m going to be sad to leave, and we’ve talked to Kelly Wolff (Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc. general manager) about possibly bringing it back to and possibly revisiting see MOVING / page four
Counselor overcomes disability, enjoys life at Tech SAMUEL SMITH huntington high school “One day at daycare, I laid down for a nap, and 40 minutes later, I woke up and couldn’t walk.” Since he was three years old, Justin Graves has lived with a rare viral infection known as Transverse Myelitis, a paralysis of the spinal cord. The Virginia Tech masters’ student is more than average. He was the president of the Hokie Ambassadors, the campus tour guide group and First Lady Michelle Obama gave him a shoutout during her 2012 Commencement address.
Graves’s physical disability hasn’t stopped him from achieving anything. He even thinks the wheelchair jump-started his social life. Previously, he was the shyest person he knew. Now, Graves is an outgoing member of the Tech community and an extremely proud Hokie. Graves said his disability has allowed him to take the “road less traveled” as he has been able to see the world from a different perspective for the majority of his 21 years. “A lot of people don’t see much more than the wheelchair,” Graves said. “But it’s when people notice that I’m just like them, just Justin, that they’re able to see me like everyone
else.” Graves’ love for Tech and Blacksburg has extended past the traditional four years. He recently graduated with a degree in Sociology, but is switching his focus to a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, striving to become the president of a university. Although some might see being wheelchair-bound as a disadvantage, Graves has never slowed down. He has a girlfriend and even a new roommate, his beagle Charlotte. “Yeah, it’s annoying sometimes,” he said, “but my mom always said, ‘You can do anything, just a little differently than the others.’” COURTESY JUSTIN GRAVES
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Traditions bond Hokies NICK SOBEL walt whitman high school Before every home game on a brisk Saturday afternoon or chilly Thursday night in the friendly town of Blacksburg, Va., a sea of Chicago maroon and burnt orange floods the gates of the monstrous Lane Stadium. Fans greet each other by high-fiving and chest bumping in order to get pumped up for the game. People wear Tech apparel and heckle the opposing fans who anxiously stumble into the gates of the football powerhouse. The starting lineup is announced and the bass from Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” thumps through the loudspeakers as students, children, parents and even grandparents jump up and down to welcome home the Hokies. At Tech, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwestern Virginia, “tradition” is a common term thrown around. Tech has many famous football traditions, including firing off a 40-year-old cannon and jingling keys during a third down at a football game. “Being with all of the people in the student section is nothing you can imagine,” said Danielle Buynak (Tech ‘14). Buynak grew up 148 miles northeast of Blacksburg in a town many Hokie fans don’t like to mention. “I was a UVA fan for my whole life growing up in Charlottesville,” she said, “At UVA you like football when you win, but at Tech, people just love their Hokies and love them whether
they win or lose.” Many students who attend Tech will never forget their first football game, including recent Tech graduate Justin Graves. “I came to my first game against Furman in 2008 and was blown away,” Graves said. “The tailgating and pre-game activities were a really cool feeling to be a part of. The traditions here are awesome.” One common experience many freshmen encounter at their first Tech football game is hearing Skipper. Skipper is a cannon that is fired off from the practice field, located behind the north side of the stadium, whenever the Hokies score. In the 1960s, two cadets attending Tech were sick and tired of hearing the rival Virginia Military Institute cadets chant, “Where’s your cannon?” The men gathered up scrap metal, built the cannon and rolled it into a Thanksgiving Day game with a triple charge, locked and loaded. The cannon blew the hats of the VMI cadets and a new tradition was born. The cannon was given the name “Skipper” in honor of the recently assassinated John F. Kennedy who was a skipper on a PT-boat in the Navy. “The first time I heard it I was in a group with friends and we all jumped,” Graves said. “It is a really cool tradition.” Another interesting tradition is the third down “key play,” “The “key play” is really fun,” said Liana Bayne, Tech undergraduate (‘13). “The whole stadium rings.”
Some college sports fans may think a few cheers are enough of a tradition, but the tradition party never stops at Tech. “Tradition really enhances the whole football scene,” Bayne said. “It makes it even more fun to be a part of.” Counselor and Tech senior CJ Yunger experienced a Hokie game before he attended Tech and was impressed. “I went to a game with my best friend’s parents against Maryland and the place was electric,” he said. “Whenever they scored everyone around me would high-five me and everyone was really friendly. I’ve never heard of anyone who regrets going to Tech and I think the tradition is a big part of that.” Tech football has not only formed a strong local community, but also a strong “Hokie Nation.” “When you wear a Tech shirt at an airport anywhere in the world, a fellow Hokie will be super friendly to you,” Buynak said. “I really love Tech for the community and that’s the main reason I came here.” Another intimidating tradition the Hokies have is the lunch pail tradition. Whenever the Tech football team goes on the road and wins, it collects a patch of grass from the opponent’s field and tosses it into their black “VT” lunch pail. To many fans, the lunch pail is a reminder of the strength of the powerful Hokie Nation. Tradition: That’s what the “Hokie” Pokey is all about.
Counselors enjoy community CAMERON WOOD
What is a
HOKIE? SHADAE STROTHER
rockbridge county high school
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riverbend h.s. C.J. Yunger has never heard of an alumnus who regretted attending Virginia Tech. jCamp counselors, including Yunger, say they love the tight-knit community and seeing the Hokie spirit all around town. The campus is consistently described as “beautiful” and “gorgeous.” “It is beautiful. It’s scenic. It’s relaxing,” Yunger, a senior communication major, said. “You’re still in nature when you walk around campus. You’re not surrounded by building after building. It’s not mundane.” After growing up in Charlottesville, Va., home of rival University of Virginia, current Tech senior Liana Bayne fell in love with the university when she attended jCamp in 2008. “I wanted to do something different. I had a lot of friends that attended UVA and I felt that Virginia Tech was the right fit for me,” Bayne said. “I really fell in love with the walkingfriendly campus and the country setting.”
DEEPA SHIVARAM / SPPS
Counselors Liana Bayne and Danielle Buynak work on editing jPaper. Junior Tech English major Danielle Buynak, who also grew up in Charlottesville, decided to attend for the community feeling. “The community around me is awesome and is willing to help out on anything you do,” Buynak said. “Everywhere you go there are Hokies willing to help out.” Despite a population of about 30,000, that sense of community is
one of the things that prompted 2012 graduate Justin Graves to continue living in Blacksburg while he completes his master’s degree. “Virginia Tech is a big university with a small-town feel,” Graves said, “I love going around town and being able to see the Virginia Tech theme. It’s really easy just to walk around campus and feel part of the Hokie community because of how welcom-
The mascot of Virginia Tech is the Hokie. Many people assume the Hokie is a type of turkey, but it is not. It was originally a spirit cheer. Virginia Tech’s feared mascot stands tall throughout the college campus. Visitors who have never encountered such a mascot think it’s a spirited bird or rather a gobbler. But to Tech students it is not just a turkey or a bird but a Hokie. Almost any Tech fan will respond to the question “What is a Hokie?” with “I am!” Lucy Murray thinks the bird looks a little intimidating. “It is a fierce turkey,” she said. “It is in a bird’s nature to be in your face.” However, students who go to Tech disagree. “(The Hokie might be intimidating) to other people, but I don’t think a mascot has to be intimidating just be a mascot,” said Danielle Buynak, a jCamp counselor.
“ “ “ “
Someone that goes to Virginia Tech.” - Taro White Stafford H.S. A bird. A spirited bird.” - Savannah Hummer Dominion H.S.
I think of the school, maroon and orange, football, and screaming fans.” - Rachael Tanner Rockbridge County H.S. A wild type of bird that runs around and eats mud.” - Troi Newman Gwynn Park H.S.
the young guns of jcamp HARRIS
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TYLER
BY JOSH WALLACE | chantilly h.s.
BY AMANDA HUELSKAMP | herndon h.s.
DEEPA SHIVARAM / WESTERN ALBEMARLE H.S.
Harris LaTeef’s dreams are almost as big as Virginia Tech’s campus. A sense of college life and independence radiates from everywhere. At jCamp, it would seem a 15-year-old may be a little out of his element. LaTeef’s resume is impressive: managing editor of the Langley High School Saxon Scope, working to become an intern at USA Today and experience at the Newseum. Not bad for a high school student. “I have to tell seniors to do their
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stories on time and it can be intimidating sometimes,” LaTeef said. LaTeef has high hopes for where his journalism career could take him and an attitude he hopes will take him there. “As a young journalist, you’re worried how the industry is going to be by the time you actually want a job,” LaTeef said. “For me, actually going to see a functioning newspaper thriving helps give me confidence that there’s hope for anyone in the field, or whatever field they choose.”
Tyler Bozeman moves up and down the court like water. The flow of his dribbling makes the crowd go wild. As soon as the buzzer sounds and the game is won, he looks around for a single person to share his joy with. Absent. Like always. Like how it has been and how it will continue to be. Bozeman thinks back to being a young boy, and his father bringing that mysterious woman along to watch his games with him. That woman. The one who stole it all from Bozeman and his mom. The one who made a new life with his father, a married man. Bozeman’s dad had a new family to take care of. So they moved to Pittsburgh, leaving Bozeman behind with his mother. Only calling on birthdays, and occasionally a Christmas or two. Throughout it all, through the resentment and the wondering, Bozeman still feels thankful. Hopeful. He still works hard. The three-season athlete feels blessed his mother remarried a good man that Bozeman sometimes calls “Dad.” But there will always be that gap. That hole. That missing piece of the puzzle that is Bozeman’s heart. Bozeman’s biological father will never watch him shoot the winning basket or kick the triumphant goal. His dad won’t attend his graduation, his wedding or ever meet his children. Bozeman keeps pressing on and working for perfection and thinks, “I can make it without you.” DEEPA SHIVARAM / WESTERN ALBEMARLE H.S.
LUCY
BY ANA SRIKANTH | james w. robinson secondary h.s. school. She has an easy laugh and a quirky sense of style; she’s a realist and an atheist. She’s also an adopted Chinese-American raised by a single mother. “It’s just a fact of life as much as anything else is,” said Lucy Murray, a rising senior at John F Kennedy High School. “They’re just things that you grow up knowing about and (being adopted) is completely normal.” It wasn’t normal in the mid-1990s, however, when Susan first heard about international adoption from a friend. She said she had always pictured herself with children, but had become
unsure about how that would become a reality. She had considered adoption before, but ruled it out because of two high profile legal cases regarding domestic adoptions. One in particular seared itself into her memory — a custody battle in August of 1993, when two and a half year old Jessica DeBoer was removed from her adoptive family and returned to her birth father. “It was a very traumatic thing that had scared me away from domestic adoption,” Susan said, “because I could not imagine that happening to a child or myself.” International adoption was still rela-
tively new at the time, so when she heard a friend was adopting a baby from China, Susan immediately contacted her to find out more. Susan said, “I just knew right then that I was going to do it.” In part because she was adopted internationally, Lucy expresses no desire to seek out her birth parents, as many domestically adopted children have. “(Adoptive parents) are your parents,” Lucy said. “There is no one else out there that you have that emotional attachment to as being your mother. If someone told me, ‘Oh, you’re my kid,’ or I saw a blood test, it wouldn’t make
that much of a difference to me.” Due to the circumstances in which she was put up for adoption in China as a baby, Lucy figures it would be nearly impossible for her to track down her birth parents. “The impossibility really eliminates the curiosity,” Lucy said, “but I don’t lament the fact that there’s no chance of me finding my birth mother or father.” Neither Lucy nor her mother know the exact circumstances under which she was put up for adoption, but Susan said the process itself was long and complex. see ADOPTED / page seven
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Susan Murray picked up the phone one early morning in 1995 and heard a woman’s voice say, “I’m looking at a picture of your daughter right now.” “What are you talking about?” Susan asked. The woman said she was holding a picture and a one-page health report about a five-monthold baby named Lucy who had come from China. She asked Susan if she was ready to adopt the child. “Absolutely,” Susan said. Seventeen years later, that baby girl was navigating the grounds of Virginia Tech, participating in jCamp the summer before her senior year in high
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Moving: jCamp to join W&L
The following camps are annual camps around the country that teach high school journalism. They all compare to jCamp at Virginia Tech.
from page one
“But I’m excited that we’re moving in a new direction, and it’s also moving geographically and so that might help some students from Northern Virginia because it’s not quite as far. That was another reason for the move because we want to pull students from different parts of the state.” For students like Sara Guglielmo, a junior from Langley High School, the move to Lexington, Va. (Washington and Lee’s location) will make the journey south much easier. “I live a lot closer to Washington and Lee, and the drive to Virginia Tech is five hours,” Guglielmo said. “I also think that the journalism program is more developed (at Washington and Lee) and I think the people will be better.” A new location will not only be a new experience for the students who attend jCamp, but also for the instructors as well. Photojournalism instructor Bradley Wilson, like Waugaman, has been an instructor at the camp since it was created. Wilson is excited for the move to Lexington because he wants to attract more students. “We’ve got to think about from the big picture, how we are going to get attendance up at this conference,” Wilson said. “(jCamp is) a great conference, it’s very well-organized, I think the students get a lot out of it, and it’s really one of the better conferences on the East Coast, but we’ve got to double attendence.” Wilson believes increasing the attendance goes beyond simply
Program: Kansas Journalism Institute Length: June 24-28, 2012 Cost: Lodging $450 Location: University of Kansas *Meals provided Program: Newsroom by the Bay Length: June 26-July 1, 2012 Cost: Lodging $2,195; Commuting $995 Location: Stanford University *Meals provided Program: High School Journalism Institute at Indiana University Length: July 9-13, July 15-19 and July 22-26 Cost: Lodging $375, between session stayovers are $25, Commuting $265 Location: Indiana University *Meals provided Program: Flint Hills Publications Workshop Length: July 15-19, 2012 Cost: Lodging $400 (early), $475 normal registration Location: Kansas State University *Meals provided Program: North Carolina Scholastic Media Institute Length: June 18-21, 2012 Cost: Lodging $210; Commuting $140 Location: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill *Meals not provided Program: Ball State Journalism Five-Day Summer Workshop Length: July 22-26, 2012 Cost: Lodging $375 Location: Ball State University *Meals not provided
moving the location. Instead, it includes bringing in new speakers, encouraging advisors to attend, and attracting entire staffs to attend. Next year’s jCamp, scheduled for June 23-27, 2013, will certainly be a different experience for all the students who attend, but overall, will still aim to give the attendees a knowledge-filled and fun adventure. “We’re gonna go to a university that has a journalism degree program and we will be something on their campus. They want us to be there. We mean something to them,” Wilson said. “They’ll use us to recruit new students. I think the experience for the students and instructors will be different because they want us to be there.”
But where does all the money go?
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How other journalism camps stack up
Distance to camp Pennsylvania locations from campers’ homes high schools Tech
Baltimore
Washington and Lee State lines Major roads
Washington DC
West Virginia
Maryland Lexington
Richmond
Roanoke
Virginia
Blacksburg
Newport News Norfolk
KAITLYN MILLER
Room/AV Rentals $21.28 Shirts, bags, & notebooks $26.17
Co
un $4 selor 4.9 s 6
Lodging $142.80
Supplies, rec., admin. $76.61 Meals/CGS Fees $105.09
Instructors $116.32
Cost Per Camper Per Day: $133.31 HARRIS LaTEEF
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information gathered by Lucy Murray
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Make sure to meet and make new friends as quick as possible.” - Nick Sorbel Walt Whitman H.S.
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Be adventurous... you only live once.” - Cameron Wood Rockbridge H.S.
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Bring something to ride. Walking sucks.” -Taro White Stafford H.S.
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Definitely have a friend come with you or someone you know.” -Rachel Tanner Rockbridge H.S.
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How They Compare
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BY BRANDON LEE | Freedom H.S.
WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Washington and Lee’s Department of Journalism is the nation’s only accredited journalism and mass communications program in a highly competitive liberal arts university. • • • • • • • •
2,203 undergraduate students 282 faculty members on staff $1.218 billion endowment Established in 1749 Central location within the state 325 acres 42 majors College Prowler campus dining rating: C+
-Yasmine Maggio Herndon H.S.
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The classes are long, so be prepared.” -Katherine Hall-Wurst Loudon Valley H.S.
Virginia Tech is a landgrant university with strong engineering, agriculture, architechture, and science programs. It is one of only two public universities in the nation that still houses both a military corp of cadets and a civillian population. • • • • • • • •
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30,739 undergraduate students 1,371 faculty members on staff $600.6 million endowment Established in 1872 Located in southewest Virginia 2,600 acres 65 majors College Prowler campus dining rating: A+
It’s a good experience if you are looking to bettor your staff editorial leadership.” -Mackenzie Nicely Rockbridge H.S.
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Meet a lot of people. You can have a lot of great experiences with them. -Josh Wallace Chantilly H.S.
photos by: Deepa Shivaram Ana Hunter Olivia Ballard Wil Friedman Alexander Caton
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Put yourself out there; make new friends.”
DEEPA SHIVARAM
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Visitors enjoy campus food EMILY HUGHES
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stone bridge high school Dietrick Dining Center, with its diverse food options, inexpensive yet high-quality products and receptiveness to customers, is popular among Virginia Tech students and visitors alike. Tech’s on-campus dining has gained a reputation nationwide because of its top-level university food. Virginia Tech takes claim to diningrelated awards dating back to 1992 — the Princeton Review lists Tech as No. 3 for Best Campus Food in 2012 and No. 1 in 2009. Student-driven website College Prowler rated campus dining an A+. An exclusive option for caffeine addicts is located on the bottom floor of Dietrick — Deet’s Place, a coffee shop unique to Tech which roasts their own beans, offering fair trade coffee and a special “Hokie Blend.” Also located on the lower level of Dietrick Hall, DXpress is an extremely popular, nearly 24-hour eating facility that is open only during the school year, providing hot and cold food for students to grab on the go. The upper floor is comprised of eight widely varying shops that make up D2, the only “all-you-can-eat” facility on campus. D2, which was radically redesigned in 2004 from a previous cafeteria-like style, now relies on a “mise en place” philosophy — a French dining style meaning “everything in place.” This allows dishes to be prepared quickly in batches in front of the diners, keeping food fresh even during crowded mealtimes. Furthermore, D2 utilizes local meat and vegetables from Kentland Farms in its dishes, although these products do not make up the majority of its meals. New Student Orientation provides dining services with the opportunity to serve new students who will become frequent diners, as well as their parents. “We’ve tried to take a good sampling (of foods)… so they get a good idea of what these kids would see over a period of time,” said Kelvin Bergsten, assistant director of dining services. “We’re always adjusting.” Bergsten said the facility also incorporates menu items normally found in other dining halls during orientation. Some campus favorites include barbecue chicken pizza, tortellini, barbecue hot dogs, pear and goat cheese salad, Mississippi mud pie, beef and chicken fajitas, and chimichangas. Tech also serves unique options such as beef churrascaria, prepared on a Brazilian spitfire grill. Bergsten said Dining Services makes an effort to tweak, improve, or throw out less popular items. “A lot of what sets us apart is we’re very progressive. We’re constantly selfexamining our food,” Bergsten said. “We come back and say, ‘Okay, how do we incorporate that and is it a feasible incorporation?’”
Caffeine Nation
Coffee, tea provide energy for journalists ALLIE ZALESKI kettle run high school Students can often feel a clichéd yet persistent need for a jolt of energy. Caffeinated teas and coffees are very popular among students, particularly with jCampers. Walking into Mill Mountain Coffee, the atmosphere was at once bustling and friendly. Regular customers were around sipping their chosen cups, and the whole place hopped with a coffee-fueled buzz. Behind the counter, Brianna Hazelwood, 20, filled orders for customers and recalled how coffee has played a part in her studies. “A lot of people like lattés and regular coffees,” Hazelwood said. “It gets really busy here around midterms and finals. I drank a lot of coffee in high school around that time too.” Hazelwood, a psychology major at Tech and barista at Mill Mountain, prefers the Malawi Roast because it is lighter, compared to the other twenty blends the shop has. She has been a coffee fan since she was 16, making her part of the 54 percent of adults who began drinking coffee regularly between the ages of 13 and 19. As Hazelwood continued to make the orders, she added to the estimated 200 cups of coffee Mill Mountain sells per day. “We go through a ton of iced coffees in the summer,” she said, just as another customer ordered one. Caffeine doesn’t just give people a zap of energy. It can also contribute to increased focus on an assignment. According to an article by Laura Kern in the “Wisconsin Engineer,” reported caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with a brain chemical, adenosine. Adenosine has a calming effect on the body. Students will commonly capitalize on this by drinking teas and coffees while trying to cram in extra studying time. Ben Cross, Langley High School (‘15), said coffee gives him energy for tests and studying. When he does drink it, he prefers mocha. Cross regularly drinks his coffee during big test weeks, but not as much during the summer. “I would stay up late and study, then wake up really early,” said Jason Mao, who graduated from Tech in May. “Once I drank too much green tea and got really jittery.”
DEEPA SHIVARAM / WESTERN ALBEMARLE H.S.
Students don’t always use When do most Americans drink their coffee? coffee as a study aid. 5% drink it with meals “Sometimes I really like going other than breakfast 22% of adults began to Starbucks and getting a more fun, sweet drink,” said Yasmine Maggio, Herndon High drinking coffee between School (‘13). “But other times I’ll go because I 20-24 want some energy.” Starbucks’s caramel frappuccino and cara54% of adults began mel macchiato, two of the most popular drinking coffee between sweet drinks, have between 100 and 150 13-19 milligrams of caffeine in a 16 ounce serv30% drink it in ing. In comparison, their Pike Place roast between meals coffee has 330 milligrams of caffeine in a 16 ounce cup. 65% drink their The allure of kicking back with a sugary cup coffee with breakfast of coffee at Mill Mountain can tempt even non-coffee drinkers. In a newsroom, however, coffee is a staple that goes hand-in-hand with reporting. “I’d never had coffee before my high school newspaper bought a coffee maker for the class,” said Emily Hughes, Stone Bridge (‘13). “I’d never tried it before that, but now I like it a lot.”
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our article is finally finished. You’ve spent weeks gathering sources, conducting interviews, and checking facts. The piece has been edited, reedited, and revised more times than you can count. The headline is gripping and the photo editors have added dynamic images. The paper is ready to print. All it needs now is the green light. But, what happens when a controversial article raises red flags and gets the red light? While most student journalists will hopefully never have to worry about monetary issues, some student newspapers may be pressured to finance themselves. Who has the final say about what can or cannot be published: the paper or the paycheck? As a journalist, I can safely say that my best friend is the First Amendment. It was established by the Supreme Court, in Tinker v. Des Moines, that students shouldn’t forfeit their rights to free speech upon entering into a school building. This applies doubly to student journalists who rely heavily on their freedom of the press. Some may argue a newspaper financed by a school is subject to censorship at the administration’s discretion. Most, if not all, public high school publications are subject to censorship if stories are deemed inappropriate because of factors like obscenity, racism, or potential disruption. However, some privately funded newspapers claim their independence affords them the right to run whatever articles they please. How should censorship affect private schools with religious
affiliations? As the Editor-inChief of the newspaper of a Roman Catholic high school, I am aware of the potential for significant conflicts between my paper and the school and between my school and the religious authority to which it answers. It’s not difficult to run important stories without pushing the wrong buttons. A private school a few minutes from Washington D.C. can find plenty of controversial stories to run without touching on subjects like abortion or same-sex marriage. I simply have to identify other topics of interest to my student body. Honestly, editorials concerning changes to the uniform create just as much buzz. Other editors are not as hesitant to take a more confrontational approach. Sam Smith of Huntington High School in Huntington, W.Va. is not afraid to manage his staff his way. A past conflict with his principal about a feature from a handicapped student’s point of view has caused Smith to reaffirm his commitment to the student readers. “A story like this is important to all students,” he said. “My peers and my staff matter more to me [as an editor] than the administration, and if the administration doesn’t like it, they can take it up with me.” Smith said having contacts in the Student Press Law Center can be a major asset. A tight budget can also cause major setbacks. Deepa Shivaram of Western Albemarle High School recently saw her publication shift from a bi-monthly newspaper to a full-color magazine published four times a year. “It’s actually more expensive to publish a magazine, but it raises
readership as well as advertising.” she said. “Our budget never really struggled with the paper, but it always affects the magazine. You never know how much money you’re going to have.” Uncertainty about if and when a new issue will be able to print can be taxing on the morale of a staff. When the need for new equipment is added onto an already costly project, it can become downright exhausting. Haters gonna hate. There will always be opposition to student newspapers printing what they believe is an important and hard-hitting story. While students may balk at censorship, it is important to keep in mind that principals and administrators at schools have a responsibility to uphold the dignity and reputation of a school as well as all of its students, faculty, and staff. Communication is key. As a journalist, I value the relationship I have with my school’s administration, not only in print journalism, but in broadcasting as well. Cooperation between staff and administrators can also be effective in advertising and financing a paper. As a staff, it is important to have an established mission statement and system in place when it comes to dealing with censorship conflict. A crucial part of managing a newspaper is to uphold your paper’s integrity. A little respect can go a long way.
KAYLA SHARPE -paul vi catholic high school
from page three
She had to develop a dossier and compile a vast array of background information, including three certified birth certificates. After jumping through numerous hoops for the paperwork, she had to pass a home study, interviews by a social worker, police background checks and parenting classes. Susan thought she was almost done after she turned in her final paperwork to the Department of Child Services in the District of Columbia. However, days before the adoption was supposed to be approved, she got a phone call from the adoption agency telling her they had not received the paperwork. If it didn’t reach them by a certain date, she would be put on hold indefinitely. “I knew in my heart that Lucy was waiting for me and I knew that paperwork needed to go in with that group,” Susan said. “I had to move heaven and earth, and everybody told me there was no way I could get it in, but I knew I had to do it or things wouldn’t work out the way they were supposed to.” Lucy agreed the way things worked out for her and her mother is the way they are supposed to be. Her general knowledge about China’s culture and history helped her fill in the blanks enough to keep her curiosity satisfied. Whether or not her assumptions are correct, she said being part of an international adoption changes her entire sense of curiosity. “If a kid was given up for adoption by American birth parents, they’re closer to home so they have a better understanding about what their birth parents would be like. I would not be able to communicate (with my birth parents) because there would be a whole culture clash, not only in language, but their whole life would be totally different from mine. Being internationally adopted removes us from our cultures,” Lucy said. Although she considers herself completely Americanized, one of the first things people say when they meet
Tyler Dukes
Amanda Huelskamp
Alyssa Maltese
Katherine Rohloff
Ahagha SriKanth
Tyler Bozeman
Emily Hughes
Kaitlyn Miller
Aleigh Romito
Shadae Strother
Elizabeth Campbell
Ziyahah Ladak
Lucy Murray
Kayla Sharpe
Josh Wallace
Jasmine Dailey
Harris LaTeef
Troi Newman
Deepa Shivaram
Taro White
Neeka Eghbali
Brandon Lee
Nicole Norris
Sam Smith
Cameron Wood
Liana Bayne
Wil Friedman
Clayton Keating
Charlotte Potts
Laura Spitalniak
Allison Zaleski
Danielle Buynak
Danaite Hamnot
Yasmine Maggio
Agrima Poudel
Nick Sorbel
staff
Kelsey Barthold
Valarie Kibler Robin Sawyer Chris Waugaman Bradley Wilson
Scott Chandler Michelle Sutherland
jpaper
campers
jpaper staff
Lucy is, “Wow, you speak really good English.” Their ignorance, which can be frustrating to her, has sparked a certain interest in learning more about China. While she has read books about her birthplace, she has not devoted a lot of time to the topic. Lucy said she probably deals with the same social issues most other AsianAmericans do. She prefers to laugh it off and joke about her race with her friends. She has learned to fully embrace being from another country, something she sees as being inherently American. “I think my own personality leads people to really see past stereotypes, especially after they meet me,” Lucy said. Susan recognized that spirit the moment she first met Lucy. She had traveled to Changzhou, China, where the orphanage was located. The five families who had come there together stood in the reception center, waiting. Then the aides started bringing the babies out one by one. Susan said, “They brought Lucy in and I immediately recognized her. They put her in my arms and it was the most amazing thing. I just held her and she let me hold her, she didn’t cry or anything, and she just looked around.” As she talked, Susan’s voice picked up and filled with emotion. She described the moment as one of pure joy and excitement, and said every moment since has been the same. Because of their racial differences and since Susan is a single mother, it was obvious Lucy would grow up knowing she was adopted. Regardless, Lucy’s mother didn’t think it was either necessary or right to keep the truth from her child, unlike other families at the time. Lucy said her mother raised her to be proud she was adopted and to see it as a part of who she is. “It’s always something that we’re not afraid to talk about, but in general it’s not really a discussion because its just so normal,” Lucy said. “When a family is different from most people they try to hide it and they’re uncomfortable about talking about it, but I’m not.”
instructors
Avoid censorship with communication
Adopted: Look 7 beyond stereotypes
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A surprised Ziyanah Ladak holds the door open for the train of jCampers dancing through the dorm. Conga line leader Clayton Keating says the conga party “shows that even though we work a lot, we still know how to have a good time. We don’t take things too seriously.” Photo by Deepa Shivaram
Campers line up for fun, learning
jpaper
C.J. Yunger instructs photos in the afternoon jOlympics Wednesday kickball. Photo by Ana Hunter During lunch, Rachel Tanner reviews photos on her friend’s camera. Although campers were divided by tracks, lunch was an opportunity for students to socialize with different people. Photo by Wil Friedman.
Wil Friedman and Alex Caton take photos during the lacrosse camp. The photography class took pictures of the lacrosse players twice during the workshop. Photo by Bradley Wilson Robin Sawyer advises Kelsey Barthold and Ana Srikanth on their articles for the 2012 jPaper. Photo by Olivia Ballard