HINESBURG, Vt. (WCAX) – For the first time in nearly two decades, Champlain Valley Union High School has a student-run newspaper.
“I think opening the box of 400 copies of the first issue was the most satisfying part because we actually managed to do it,” said Grace Warrington, a CVU junior who is among those on staff at The Hawk’s Nest. She says she’s excited to be a part of this new page in CVU history. “I think it was more the fact that we did not have one. It feels like a high school should have a newspaper, that students should be able to submit to. I think that was the driving force.”
The previous version of the paper fizzled out in the early 2000s when the journalism class that produced it was discontinued and the venture ran out of money, according to school staff.
The idea of resurrecting the newspaper started about a year ago with Warrington and fellow students Lily Gruber and Karmen. About 10 students are now on the job, pursuing school-related journalism and stories of their choice, and hoping to give a voice to all students.
“I hope that students feel more comfortable sharing to the rest of the student body that maybe they weren’t before, or just sort of having a conversation. It’s just kind of an interesting opportunity to actually start talking about things that are important to people,” Gruber said.
To start, the paper will come out monthly. Their first printed edition was in October.
“Like I told them, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Might have even been a little bit skeptical whether they could produce an issue, yet they have done it,” said Justin Chapman, a CVU English teacher and advisor on the project
Teachers at the school hope that if this newspaper is a success, it will continue into the next school year.