THE WEEKLY SCROLL

September 24, 2020

News, tips and advice from Quill and Scroll

The Lede

Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The first female to ever lie in state at the capitol

Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash


Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash

Millions of Americans share in the grief at the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last Friday. Ginsburg can be considered a pioneer of equal rights protection through her total 483 Supreme Court decisions.

Justice Ginsburg is the first woman in history that will lie in state on the steps of the capitol. The honor, often bestowed to Presidents, has not been given to a Supreme Court justice since the death of former president Howard Taft – who also served as a Supreme Court justice after the end of his term –  in 1930. The honor usually lasts one day; Justice Ginsburg will lie in state for two days.

Of her work, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said, “Her voice in court and in our conference room was soft. But when she spoke, people listened.”

Ginsburg’s work on behalf of gender equality spans many court decisions. Here are just a few that she is responsible fore:

  • Employees cannot be discriminated against because of gender or reproductive choices
  • State funded universities must admit women
  • Equal Credit Opportunity Act 
    • Women have the right to financial independence and equal benefits as men
  • States must provide community settings for mentally disabled persons when medical professionals feel an institution is no longer necessary

After being awarded the Radcliffe medal by the Dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Ginsberg said this:

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”

Ginsburg’s legacy will live on for years.

The current question now is whether the Trump administration will push to fill Ginsburg’s spot before the November election. Read more about Trump’s candidates and that decision here.

Covering facts, not sensationalism

Presidential debate fast approaching – how will you cover it?

The presidential debates are one of the only opportunities for the two candidates to discuss face-to-face their differing opinions. Besides the debates, the only interactions the candidates have with each other are in response to political advertisements or statements that the other candidate has made.

Naturally, journalists flock to the presidential debates for relevant content. Yet, journalists very rarely cover the entire event; rather, they focus on small snippets that are sensationalized, embarrassing, or play on the downfall of one candidate in light of another.

Journalist’s Resource’s “Election Beat 2020” series features weekly articles by Thomas Patterson, Bradley Professor of Government and the Press at Harvard Kennedy School, focusing on research-based topics relating to the election and how journalists cover it.

This week Patterson focused on sensationalism in covering presidential debates. Patterson argues the challenge for news media outlets and journalists to cover the entirety of the debate rather than focusing on small moments that capture attention because of their sensational or “winning” attitude.

The debates hold a purpose – try and identify what that is in your coverage.

It’s An Honor

Q&S Fall Deadlines

Yearbook Contest

The Yearbook Excellence Contest deadline is Oct. 17 for all 2020 books. Students may enter their work in 18 categories, and all individual entries are $5. Theme Development entries are $10. There’s no limit on the number of individual entries a school may complete. Each school is limited to one Theme Development entry.

Competition is divided by school size, with Class A consisting of schools with 750 students or more, and Class B consisting of schools with 749 students or fewer. Begin your entry process here.

10 schools named George H. Gallup Award winners

Named for the founder of Quill and Scroll and the Gallup Poll, the award is given only to those publications that achieved and sustained excellence during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Gallup Award recognition is based on extraordinary improvement, exceptional service to the school and community, editorial campaigns, and in-depth reporting on special issues.

International First Place Award recognition went to 18 schools. The International Second Place Award was awarded to nine schools. Click here for a full list of winners. 

The Gallup Award winners include:

  • Felix Varela Senior High School, “The Viper Vibe”
  • Clarke Central high School, “Odyssey News Magazine”
  • Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, “The NW Passage”
  • Francis Howell North High School, “North Star”
  • Nixa High School, “Wingspan”
  • Green Valley High School, “The InvestiGator”
  • Southwest CTA, “Southwest Shadow”
  • Lakota East High School, “Spark”
  • Harrisonburg High School, “Newstreak”
  • McLean High School, “The Highlander News”

It’s never too late to honor seniors and induct members

If you put off your spring celebrations, you can still induct new Quill and Scroll members and honor seniors this fall. We’re able to take and fulfill orders, even as Quill and Scroll staff work from both our home offices and our offices at the Adler Journalism Building on the University of Iowa campus.

We published this update earlier in August. It includes a simplified order form for schools and advisers willing to pay via credit card, and an offer to host an online induction ceremony for your students. The sooner you induct new members, the sooner they’ll be able start planning chapter activities in the spirit of Quill and Scroll. Here’s a link to a PDF file of the Q&S Chapter Handbook if you don’t already have it.

A reminder about cords:

Students MUST HAVE BEEN OR WILL BE INDUCTED into the Society to earn the honor to wear an Honor Cord (GHC) or Honor Cord with Insignia (GCI). If you order cords for non-members, please choose the Non-Member Cord Option (NCD). Quill and Scroll exists because of the special unifying bond brought about by membership and the lasting legacy of the induction ceremony.

And, as always, feel free to email [email protected] if you have any questions.

What’s Viral?

Election 2020 when you’re not yet 18

How to get involved in the election when you cannot vote

Teen Vogue recently released a list of ways to get involved with the election process if you are currently ineligible to vote:

Photo by Dan Dennis on Unsplash

  • Join an issues-based organization that you care about in your town
    • While you are not able to vote, you can put your time and energy into organizations that vote for your beliefs.
  • Text and phone your lawmakers regarding issues you care about
    • You see it over social media all the time – graphics depicting how to get in contact with a person who CAN make a difference regarding a certain topic. Keep your eyes peeled for movements you support and contact those who can directly change it.
  • Express your concerns to your loved ones
    • Politics are hard to discuss at any age. Reach out to your loved ones of voting age and have an informed conversation regarding your beliefs and concerns with upcoming elections. Expressing your beliefs to those who CAN vote may change their outlook.
  • Use social media to your advantage
    • Even if you cannot vote, you CAN talk about voting on social media. Express your beliefs, talk about what you are passionate about and take care to notice what others are discussing.

Read the full article here.

Time is ticking

Metronome clock in NYC reflects what time we have left to stop permanent global warming damage

The Metronome clock in Union Square in Manhattan has been part of a living art exhibit since 1999, according to an article by NYC: The Official Guide. The clock previously displayed 15 digits on the side of a building: the first seven digits corresponded to military time, the eighth digit represented hundredths of a second and the last seven digits signified the time left remaining in the day.

The clock changed to represent a different state of time on Sunday. It now displays the “CLIMATECLOCK,” a numerical estimation of the time Earth has left before we surpass our “carbon budget.” That “budget” merits the goal of staying underneath a global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius since the beginning of the industrial revolution.

Messages such as “The Earth has a Deadline” began to appear on the art display on Saturday before the clock was reset. The Climate Clock will remain on display through September 27, the end 0f Climate Week.

Disney star wins big

Zendaya becomes youngest actress of all time to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series

The 72nd Emmy Awards were hosted virtually by Jimmy Kimmel Sunday night. In spite of its record low viewership, the show ended with some pretty incredible moments.

Zendaya became the youngest actress of all time – and second black actress of all time – to win the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role in “Euphoria,” a series by HBO. The record was previously held by Jodie Comer at 26 last year for her role in “Killing Eve.” Viola Davis became the first black woman to win the award in 2015.

Zendaya is commonly known for her role in Disney’s television shows, “Shake it Up” and “K.C. Undercover.” She also stars alongside Tom Holland in the two most-recent Spider-Man adaptations.

“Euphoria” explores sex, drugs and high school in the dark drama series. It is expected to return for a second season.

Another notable moment from Sunday’s show includes Jennifer Aniston putting out a fire. Literally.

Kimmel attempted to poke fun at the COVID-19 pandemic by “burning off” the germs on the first award announcement card – and almost lit the whole stage on fire in doing so.

Just A Thought

The Louisville Ruling

Police involved in killing of Breonna Taylor not charged in her death

A grand jury ruled Wednesday that two officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor were justified in firing their weapons into her apartment. Another was charged with recklessly firing rounds into a neighboring apartment, but not for Taylor’s death. Protestors around the country reacted to the news (first video below), while the police involved spoke to CBS News (second video).

Of course, opinions about the case are varied, and this one from the Washington Post argues that a single charge and some spending on police reform aren’t enough in this case.

And you can always count on The Poynter Report to put media coverage into perspective.