Normally, we write about things going on outside the newsroom.  But we thought it might be of interest to open our door to the outside world and invite our readers in.

Although writing in itself is not especially complicated—combining words to formulate ideas—our online newspaper involves much more than fingers on a keyboard. 

“I love the creativity behind journalism, and it is great to have the opportunity to write about a wide range of subjects,” senior Staff Writer Emma Kim said. 

Four years ago, The Uproar was launched as an all-digital NASH news source. Its predecessor was The North Star, a print newspaper that existed at NASH for several decades.

A website was the ideal format for the organization. If The Uproar had decided to take the old-school way of print journalism, space for articles from the entire staff would be limited. Cost would also be significantly higher.

“The best part about the course is that students learn how much their writing can matter,” explained The Uproar adviser Mr. Morris. “They’re writing for a real audience.” 

For the 2020-21 school year, a total of twelve seniors and twenty juniors meet each school day, in-person or via Google Meets, to discuss current events and work on articles. These students are responsible for devising a story that will grab our viewers’ attention in all categories that are published on the website.

For instance, all writers for the website are responsible for developing a piece that can be categorized as news, a feature, sports/opinions, and arts/entertainment. In addition, they must also write two pieces that can be a category of their choice. These requirements are all due by the end of each nine-week grading period.

For junior Staff Writer Sally Cho, the opportunities provided while writing for The Uproar are endless.

“Whether it’s writing a piece, making a video, or taking photos, there’s so much more room to express yourself in journalism,” she said.

Morris’s role in the organization is to work in collaboration with his editors to edit incoming stories, promote article ideas, and teach students different writing styles.

“I’m glad to publish whatever is on their minds, so long as it is constructive and truthful,” he added.

When outside the newsroom, Morris teaches his Film, TV, and Broadcasting classes. Because he is understandably unable to work on the website constantly, he has two Co-Editors-in-Chief by his side to assist. Seniors Lucie Flagg and Kristen Kinzler, who were both staff members last school year, approve of story ideas and edit incoming articles but are also responsible for completing all tasks like other staff writers. 

Flagg first decided to take the class after watching her older sister, Alex, as Co-Editor-in-Chief during the 2018-19 school year. Alex advised her younger sister to not take the class, thinking she was not cut out for the role, but Lucie felt otherwise.

“Alex was confident that I’d hate the class,” Lucie said. “Let’s just say…she was very wrong.”

Together, Morris, Kinzler, and Flagg continuously edit and approve pieces after the staff submits them. Once the pieces have been edited and are prepared for publication, they will set up a schedule for the publication of an article on the website at a certain time and date automatically.

“I’d say my favorite part of working on The Uproar is working alongside my peers to create something we can be proud of,” Flagg added

Co-Editor-in-Chief is not the only specific role the staff can hold. Senior Abby Pingpank is the News Editor, whose task is to stay up-to-date on school events and create article ideas for the staff. Senior Alyssa Bruce is the Copy Editor, who aids in article editing when additional help is needed, and junior Chelsea Boyer controls the Instagram account. 

Senior Photography Editor Julia Poppa and Junior Photography Editor Jess Daninhirsch find enjoyment not just in writing but also the visual side of the enterprise. 

“By sharing my photos on a website like The Uproar, I get to show people the world from my viewpoint,” Daninhirsch said. 

These contributing jobs to The Uproar are completed in the newsroom, which is connected to NATV’s studio on the second floor of NASH. Because of the locational advantage, all staff has access to NATV’s broadcasting equipment, such as Sony cameras for featured photos or certain audio tools. These items can be used for the development of multimedia projects, which are videos of broadcasted interviews, product reviews, or any other form of media-based journalism. 

Since the start of this school year, The Uproar has become the number-two nationally-ranked SNO website and was recently named a finalist for the 2021 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Awards, which will be presented on April 10th.

Although this school year has brought many unexpected situations, The Uproar staff continues to strive to report NASH news and give voice to student opinions. We’re a small community of writers whose voices have made an impact around the district, and we thank our readers for giving us a platform to share.