This is the eighth issue of volume 94 of the New Trier News. Every year, The New Trier News has a fresh start. We have a new editorial staff learning the ropes of copy-editing and layout. We have a new batch of writers finding their voices as journalists at New Trier. However, a fresh start is not always easy.

The New Trier News is operated primarily through two classes during the school day; period eight, Advanced Journalism, and period nine, Publications. Advanced Journalism is devoted exclusively to teaching students how to report. This year has had a spike in enrollment, now with over 25 students in the class. Publications is a class for the editors, where all editors meet every day to produce the paper you are reading now. Producing a paper is no easy feat. On Mondays and Tuesdays, all the editors work until 6 or 7 in the evening. We do this every week. Nowadays most schools publish a monthly paper. Most students at New Trier do not realize the rarity of what they find in their Advisery room every Friday.

The New Trier News is aware of the stigma that nobody reads the paper. But people also say that about books in English class and the Tinkle Times. Students look for their names and friends names. The staff reads it to stay in the loop on what is happening at school.

We have had problems in the past few issues, however. There have been glaring typos in headlines. That falls on the editors. There have been poor photographs that fall on the photographers. There have been difficulties with reporters’ interview staff members. That falls on the staff.

More and more, we editors are finding our reporters are struggling to finish full articles due to faculty members refusing to be interviewed or quoted. We understand that there is a fear of being misquoted. That is a reasonable fear. Our reporters are just starting to report and perfect articles should not be expected. What is not reasonable is faculty who refuse interviews and a lack of support for a school publication. How can reporters do their job if they are not given the opportunity?

Additionally, the student body and staff should be proud of this publication. Students write the articles for the paper. Students edit the articles for the paper. Students lay out the paper. Like yearbook, this is a student publication and should be received as one. We are offering an advice column that will only work if we have submissions. We accept letters to the editors that allow for students and staff members to express their opinions publicly. We have the avenues for reader involvement; we just need our readers to get involved.

Each year we publish about 25 issues. On average, each issue is eight pages long and includes twenty articles. That means we will publish 500 different articles this school year. We strive for each those articles to have a certain level of quality. To have this paper be the best that it can be, we need assistance from the staff and student body. Staff members need to get over their fear of being misquoted. Students need to support their paper, the New Trier News.