Tuesday, March 21, 2000
Frosh offer slice of Amelia High
Writers give thorough look in newspaper
BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Teacher Fred Reeder Jr. (center) reviews a student-produced, 12-page newspaper with students Brittany Hayslip (left) and Gena Spears.
(Tony Jones photo)
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AMELIA — The teacher's first thought was to have his freshmen just read the Time magazine cover story on life at a St. Louis, Mo., high school and then discuss it in class.
Then English teacher Fred Reeder Jr. thought a better idea would be to have his freshmen students duplicate the project: spend a week roaming the hallways, offices, cafeteria and classrooms of Amelia High School; interviewing students, faculty and staff; in some cases even talking to the parents of students.
“I realized what a wonderful opportunity for them to go out and find out on their own what life is like at Amelia,” said Mr. Reeder.
They interviewed more than 75 people, took more than 200 photographs, then wrote their own stories over two weeks. The result is a 12-page report, a tabloid newspaper that chronicles the week of Dec. 6-10, with insight, forthrightness and even uncompromising candor.
Called “A Week in the Life of Amelia High School,” it offers a snapshot into the lives, accomplishments, joys, concerns, anxieties, tensions, even waywardness of some of the students at the Clermont County school of 1,350 students. It is a portrait that has impressed the faculty and staff.
“I have a lot of respect for how these teen-agers presented themselves,” said Principal Sarah Beam. “They did an extremely professional job.”
“I think it was a tremendous effort,” said David O'Toole, one of two assistant principals at the school. “As far as a slice of life goes, yes. It's hard to believe that freshmen pulled that off.”
The impetus for the Oct. 25, 1999, Time magazine project was the rampage at Columbine High School in Colorado last April that left 12 students and one teacher dead at the hands of two students who then killed themselves.
It was an opportunity to take a look inside a high school that serves as a small village for a portion of the day, both at Webster Groves High School near St. Louis, and Amelia, east of Cincinnati. The difference: the Amelia project was conducted by about 65 English students, 13 to 15 years old. Mr. Reeder served as publisher and editor of the project.
“I was psyched about it,” said Gena Spears, 15.
Mike Binning, 15, considers himself gregarious, and the project was an excuse to consort with others.
“Being a reporter, you got to be nosy to get your work done,” said Mike.
What Gena and Mike and the others found at Amelia was that:
• The students and staff at the school feel essentially safe (no metal detectors; six security cameras).
• Students have roughly organized themselves into cliques.
• Differences among them are tolerated and tensions are slight.
They noted that seniors pick on underclassmen; that outside jobs, even athletics, can interfere with school work; that public displays of affection should be checked; that friendships are essential and snubs taken to heart; that acceptance is important; and that a sense of belonging vital to some.
They learned that stereotypes melt upon closer inspection, that there is pressure to get good grades and move on to college, and that many of those who do indulge in drugs and alcohol justify it in terms of self-medication (one student told the paper she drinks and smokes “to help her through her parents' divorce and all the stress she feels”).
They interviewed overachieving students and slackers, athletes and hackysackers. The accounts are sometimes raw and honest. Beer and Jim Beam are present at a party, and marijuana is due to arrive. Two brothers admit to using drugs and committing vandalism. Another student talks freely about a child he has had out of wedlock, and how he was now dating someone other than the child's mother.
But they also talk with a senior who maintains a 4.30 grade-point average, is a cheerleader, member of the National Honor Society, is on the track team and has earned 25 academic awards. Another student, a junior, maintains a 3.7 grade-point average, is conscientious and is the leading scorer on the soccer team. They are juxtaposed with another student who tells a student reporter, “I don't like to study.”
Some names were deleted to protect identities. But, as Mr. O'Toole says, there was no attempt to only push positive images.
“They could have stacked the deck five ways to Sunday, but didn't,” said Mr. O'Toole. “It was a sincere attempt to talk to all groups and subgroups here and get their feelings.”
The students who worked on the project are proud of the product. They think they've turned skeptics — especially among faculty — into believers.
“They thought we were just trying to get out of class,” said Brittany Hayslip, 14.
“They didn't think we could pull it off because of our grade level,” said Mike.
Cliques at school — preps, skaters, freaks, jocks and nerds, among others — are easily identifiable, the freshmen reported.
“Just walk into the lunchroom, you can tell,” said Greg Bernhardt, 14.
“You see it when you walk in the hallway,” said Gena.
“You can hear their conversations about this and that and know,” said Brittany.
As the freshmen talk, they add another chapter to their project, one about themselves.
They plan on college and have dreams of a career, some larger than others. Gena would like to attend college in Florida and considers a career as a pediatrician. Mike Binning wants to attend Ohio State; a career as a technician may follow. Greg would like to become a graphics designer. Brittany wants to attend Miami University.
Stacey King, 14, and Kristen Roller, 15, work at McDonald's. Greg Bernhardt has a newspaper route, and will work in a sporting goods store this summer.
For some of them, the political scene is a distant thought. There are no references to politics in their newspaper. Some of it has to do with feelings of disaffection; much of it with the fact they can't vote yet.
“I don't have a clue about what is going on with politics,” said Kristen, three years shy of the voting booth. “We can't care because we can't vote.”
But, said Mike Binning, “I think it'll be important to vote — it's your future.”
Yet, as Gena says, “I'm just one person. How much difference can it make?”
College may be a distant thought as well, but it can be a sobering thought. It takes money, but it could open doors to high-paying jobs. They'd like to qualify for scholarships. Gena said she is daunted by the thought of tuition, room and board and the expense of having a car.
“You still have to make good grades, but I'll probably have to work two jobs,” she said.
“I wish everything was free,” said Kristen with a smile. “But I think about teaching.”
One of the things on their minds is time and distance and wondering whether the two will finally conspire to cause them to drift apart, fracturing friendships.
“When you're little, you think you'll be friends forever,” said Mike, speaking for many who have known each other since middle school.
Says a freshman in the paper, “Many of the people I'm friends with now (might) not be my friends after high school. We'll more than likely go our separate ways. But until then, hopefully we'll stay together.”
Brittany considers herself close to her mother. She knows she'll miss her when she finally goes to college. Gena wonders whether she'll be missed by her family. “I have so many siblings,” she said.
“It was an in-depth look for a short period of time,” said Mr. Reeder, who paid the $370 cost of printing 1,500 copies out of his own pocket. “I think overall the issues they covered are pretty true to life.”
Gena hopes the project offers readers a sense of what high school is like.
“How hard high school life is,” she said. “I wish people would know we have more on our minds than they think.”
Mr. O'Toole was encouraged by the optimism that essentially shone through the account.
“It's not an easy time,” said Mr. O'Toole. “By and large, our kids are coping fairly well. It gives me great hope for the future.”
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