Feature Writing
One of my earliest assignments as a freshman was a feature piece about dead chickens, armoires and long-lost projects. After the piece helped me win my first journalism award, my passion for telling the stories of different people, places and things became one of my favorite journalistic roles.
Graphic by Asher Wolfe
After the COVID-19 pandemic shut down music performance opportunities for hundreds of students, many quit their respective music classes all together.
This decimated the programs with some losing as many as 50% of their membership in one year.
I began to do research into the role these music classes play in the lives of students and uncovered a slew of research highlighting the overwhelmingly positive effect that music can make on students' mental health.
As the 2021 school year allowed for the return of these regular music performances, I realized their return may have come just in time to help prevent a mental health crisis.
Photo contributed by April Houston Patton
When an LHS para passed away, I quickly began to interview those closest to her about her impact and role.
The interviews showed the huge behind-the-scenes role that she had played for years, upholding and supporting students at LHS.
After reaching out to coworkers as well as past and present students, I worked to summarize their words in the story.
Best of SNO
2nd Place Feature Writing, Kansas Scholastic Press Association March 2021 Monthly Contest
3rd Place Feature Writing, Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City
Photo by Owen Musser
All summer, I pondered over what the first issue of The Budget should be about. With only a few days before the start of the year while helping out at freshman orientation, it hit me: rebuilding.
That year, LHS had just finished a multi-year construction project that revamped the entire school building. But the second rebuilding project, rebuilding tradition and culture from an online learning year, had just begun.
That second, less tangible rebuilding project was arguably more important than the first, physical one.
In only my third story as a member of The Budget staff, I was tasked with asking teachers about what they had uncovered while packing up their rooms for the upcoming construction project.
The uncovered items were shocking, ranging from dead chickens, long lost art, 100-year old copies of The Budget and more.
3rd Place Feature Writing, KSPA May 2019 Monthly Contest