By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

WEST CHESTER TWP. - There are days when Jon Stout rearranges his work schedule so he can stay after school to work on The Voice, Lakota West High School's award-winning student newspaper.

This is the third year that the 18-year-old West Chester senior has cleared his schedule during production week to make sure his entertainment section is laid out and edited the way he wants.

Seven miles away at Lakota East High School, the same scenario is played out when members of the Spark put together their monthly newsmagazine, which has been repeatedly recognized nationally.

WINNING JOURNALISM

• In the past year, the Spark staff has accumulated several national and regional awards, including two first-place awards from the National Federation of Press Women; Ohio Journalist of the Year from the Journalism Education Association; two Bresler Awards from the National Scholastic Press Association/LA Times and its second Gallup Award from Quill and Scroll. • Voice staffers have won national and regional awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Association of Ohio Schools and the Great Lakes Scholastic Press Association. • Voice adviser Wayne Dunn received the Large School Newspaper Adviser of the Year award from the Northeastern Ohio Scholastic Press Association and was named one of four national 2003 Distinguished Advisers by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund.

"When you take the class you accept the fact you have to spend a lot of time,'' Stout said.

Spark managing editor Scott Sodehas one quote he holds dear when it comes to deadline week seven times a year: "It was the best kind of hell."

"It just defines what a Spark deadline is. It's horrible in so many ways but good too. It's not a book stress. It's a hands-on kind of stress,'' Sode said.

Members of both staffs say the disruptions during deadline week are worth it. Students at East earned more than $6,000 in awards and scholarships during the 2002-03 school year, while those at West earned more than $8,000.

East is the only school in the country to have won at least one of four prestigious Hemingway Awards for five consecutive years. The Spark staff will learn in November if it will win a Pace Maker Award.

Voice staffer Jenni Dallis won the Los Angeles Times' Story of the Year competition for her coverage of the controversy last year when students were removed from class after refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

"The Lakota schools are heads and shoulders above other high school publications,'' said Tom Hodson, director of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.

"For many high schools, there is massive inconsistency (in quality) from year to year depending on the talent pool. With the Lakota schools, the product is consistent year after year. That tells me they're developing a talent pool, not waiting for the talent to come to them.''

It is up to the staff to pay costs. Through advertising, subscriptions and fund-raisers, each staff has to come up with $20,000 to $25,000 to publish for the year.

Voice adviser Wayne Dunn says there's a friendly rivalry between the two publications, particularly at the national level. At the regional level the Voice is more involved with the Great Lakes Interscholastic Press Association while the Spark participates in the Northeast Ohio Scholastic Press.

"I have friends at East. We share ideas, talk through problems," said Jennifer Miller, Voice editor. "We're happy for them when they win.''