Brandon Twp.- Stop the press.
Well, sort of.
Brandon High School did stop the press years ago, because of a lack of interest in a student-run newspaper. Two years ago, a student came to BHS English teacher Brian Moore wanting to start the newspaper up again. However, there were no means for a traditional newspaper format– the school didn’t have a printer or money in the budget to to use an outside printer. This year, Moore and a staff of 27 students launched the school newspaper, Newshawk, as a website- www.brandonhighschool.com/newshawk.
‘It’s lab style and they (the students) are free to pursue their writing interests,? says adviser Moore. ‘So far, we’ve been able to update the site almost every day. The kids? writing has improved as the semester has progressed- the stories are more interesting and they are better the first time they are submitted. The writers often receive same-day feedback from our readers and most of the kids have an idea of what it takes to go from idea to printed product.?
Moore notes Newshawk has three main goals- to become the primary source of information for everything that is happening at BHS; to provide a window into the world of BHS; and to give students a forum to develop communication skills and interests.
Content of the website includes sports, games, reviews, columns, features and news stories.
‘There’s no structure in what you write,? says Cullen Mathieson, a BHS senior and one of four Newshawk editors. ‘You can write about things people are interested in.?
The website is updated daily and this is one of the reasons BHS junior Brittaney Thrift likes it.
‘There’s always something new to look at.?