For high school journalists, summer signifies a time of reflection, cultivation of better writing, and artistic self-discovery -- right? Maybe not.
Have fun, of course, but rest not on your laurels. A little summer writing will keep your journalistic skills in check for the new year. Here are two ideas to get you started:
- The End of the Summer Road Trip? It seems like there is a new story every day about the fuel crisis. This got me to thinking about how rising gas prices may be affecting high school students. What are the trickle-down effects for you and your fellow classmates? An interesting article might explore how gas prices have impacted the summer activities of high school students. For example, did your family have a road trip planned that they canceled on account of gas prices? Do some research now, asking fellow students if they drove to the beach less, stayed in more, or tended to travel on foot or by bike because of the rising cost of fuel. Is summer forever changed?
- Summer Job Success This story could begin as a piece on the economy -- dubbed by CNN as "Issue #1" -- and you could explore how teens were affected by rising unemployment rates as the fear of recession continues to rise. A possible happy ending to the story could be a success story of one of your classmates who managed to not only find a summer job, but the highly coveted position of a lifeguard or ice cream scooper.
These stories examine the trickle-down effects that the current economic downturn imposes on teens. The best part about these two stories lies in their ability to transcend immediacy. Why not have some great summer stories ready to go when it's time to get back to journalism at school?
