Vermont School Revives Newspaper

By Warren Watson

Smith and Dixon are also nurturing the next generation of reporters and editors 12 miles away at Lyndon Institute, where the newspaper, in cooperation with the high school initiative of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, helped to start a school newspaper for the first time in a half-dozen years.

“We’re doing the right thing with ASNE, helping the kids,” said Smith.
Dixon conceived and developed the partnership at the 600-student Lyndon Institute with Rick Hilton, the school’s headmaster and a former high school journalism instructor. Their goals are modest. They have started an after-school activity group of youngsters interested in journalism. They produced two copies of a student newspaper on new computers funded by the ASNE partnership and published those pages on the Caledonian-Record’s single-wide Goss press.

“We’re starting with the very basics – what is news, what is opinion, what is the role of a newspaper,” said Dixon.

She added, “It gave us an opportunity to work with the students on the first newspaper that they have ever really had. We’ve put a lot of time into the planning so they are getting a good understanding of the basics of a newspaper.”

Since early winter, Dixon visited the school almost every Wednesday afternoon, coaching and teaching alongside adviser Beverly Dame, a volunteer who began working with the students later in January (Pictured at right: Vermont high school adviser Beverly Dame works on the school's first newspaper earlier this year. Photo by Caledonian-Record). The collaboration has resulted in two, 16-page editions of The Campus News.
Headmaster Hilton could not be more pleased: “We expect our students to be informed and to be involved. Journalism enables them to participate effectively in the life of their community.”

He added, “Without the assistance of The Caledonian-Record, LI (Lyndon Institute) could not afford to produce the professional publication that has resulted from our partnership.”

“It was interesting,” said Dixon, “starting at the very basic level; ethics, accuracy, how to determine news, what to put into the paper, the basic elements. Now we are ready to go.”

She added, “(I have) mixed feelings. Sometimes I get a little frustrated because I think that ‘boy, there is a lot to teach these people.’ But then I realize after all, we are dealing with high school … I feel quite rewarded that they are getting enthused. I love the enthusiasm, I really do. I respond to that.”

Dixon said she and Dame are working hard to instill an awareness of the First Amendment and its freedoms, including Freedom of the Press, and point out that those freedoms come with responsibilities.

“We have used the occasions we have met with them to talk about those things (First Amendment issues) and come up with examples that would impact them to get them a little excited. We’ve read some recent studies that show students don’t have an understanding at all of the First Amendment, and it’s so important. We try to tell kids that, and tell them ‘do you want your books censored in the library?’ We try to pick examples like that, interestingly, many of them say, ‘yeah, why not?’”

Added Hilton, “One of the joys of teaching is seeing students' work stand on its own merits, to see theoretical lessons translated into practical products that benefit the students and their community.”

Dame brought a background of journalism to her new role. She has been a freelance reporter/ writer for 30 years, including two-and-one-half years as a Washington Post real estate columnist.

“Having that first issue out on the streets and in the classroom has really been an impetus for people to get back involved and find more excitement about it,” she said. “Moving from the rough story to final newspaper takes an incredible amount of detail, and I think that is a new thing for high school students to deal with. We’ve got to figure out about captions, we have to make sure names are spelled correctly, and that’s been my role, is to help them. It’s more than having a few good stories.”

As the second edition was about to appear, Dame reflected on the year’s learnings.

“It’s hard to do journalism as an after-school activity. There is so much competition for the time of students. Our goal is to turn the activity into a regular class. That’s the way kids can really learn what this is all about, from details to the deadlines,” she said, adding that she is writing a proposal for a new curriculum. The plan also calls for developing advertising so the newspaper does not rely strictly on the school for support.

She may very well have the support she needs as Hilton, the headmaster, looks for the revival to continue.

“Northern Vermont is the home of many accomplished writers and a place still governed by the town meeting's authentic democracy,” said Hilton. “Both our literary tradition and our involvement in self-government require writing and reading
as an essential part of daily life.

“I want The Campus News to be one way in which our students, teachers, alumni, families, and friends stay informed about school life and campus events. I want it to be an accurate, credible source of news about LI.”
So, the learning continues.

And back at the Caledonian-Record, the professional routine continues. Every day. Every edition. Editors, said Dixon, feel a little bit better about the future with a new generation carrying on the tradition 12 miles away in the school house.

Caledonian-Record owner Smith agree. He is a practical Yankee and admits that he is looking to his next generation of newspapermen and women through the new newspaper made possible through the ASNE partnership. “I’ll be honest in telling you there is self interest in the partnership with the school. The Caledonian-Record needs future readers. We have to start with these kids. If they develop a greater appreciation of newspapers, they might be our future readers.”

Gerry Appel contributed to this report.

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