Dec. 9, 2024
Our past three editions
Nov. 25, 2024 NYC student journalism • Standardized tests • “Wicked”
Oct. 28, 2024 Presidential endorsements • Fentanyl awareness • Romance in movies
Oct. 21, 2024 Girl Scout dues • IV fluids • Liam Payne
THE LEAD
Company not following through on plastic policy promise
Look at students’ own carbon footprint
Coca-Cola altered its “voluntary environmental goals” in a recent CNN article.
This change of its packaging reduction goals has met with ire from environmental activists. The company altered its earlier goal of including 50% recycled packaging materials by 2030 to 35-40% by 2035.
What you can do —
While more eco-friendly water bottles such as Owala are trendy and some say better for the environment, it might be a good time to examine recycling efforts in your school. Where does the paper and plastic recycling go? Does your school have organic recycling as well?
Are there environmental clubs at your school? What are their missions and goals and how are they accomplishing these? Does your city or community offer suggestions on environmental efforts? It might be advantageous to feature a student passionate about this cause and highlight seven simple ways (alliteration works here) for an individual to curb their carbon footprint.
Noteworthy
Supreme Court hears arguments on transgender care
Examine how this might impact community
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments concerning transgender care access this past week.
The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law said more than 110,000 teens reside in states with restrictions on transgender care.
What you can do —
Examine the potential impact of this upcoming decision on your state. What is the current status of teen transgender care in your state? Do you have students who are petitioning or testifying on a local level?
It might benefit to examine what is meant by gender-affirming care and the status of your home state.
What’s viral
Pantone announces new 2025
Examine how little treat culture may benefit others
Forget about Brat Green. Pantone’s 2025 color of the year is the more demure Mocha Mousse.
According to this USA Today article, the color choice is partially inspired by “little treat culture.” This trend highlights people adding small pleasures to their day and encourages people to “find your mocha moment.”
What you can do —
While some might look to include PANTONE 17-1230 in design, staffs could also explore the “little treat culture.” In what ways have students and staff embraced this trend? Interview a psychologist about the possible benefits and tips on incorporating this action into daily lives.
Dorothy’s slippers back at auction
Why are hard-to-get items so coveted?
While those who watched “Wicked” during the holiday weekend might have glimpsed a nod to Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the real deal made it again to auction.
These slippers, worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz, had already surpassed $1 million in online bids as of Dec. 3.
And sometimes, you just get lucky. Like this story of a rare Babe Ruth baseball card found in Danvers, Massachusetts.
What you can do —
Obviously, if you haven’t yet, cover the current “Wicked” craze.
These slippers were coveted in the original book and movie. For some, this is the season of gift-giving and receiving. What would be the one item they would like most and why? Also, what does this emphasis on attainment mean in today’s society? Talk to a local expert about this. Why do people crave one-of-a-kind and often hard-to-get individual items? What role does social media now play?
IT’S AN HONOR
Don’t forget you can nominate members year round
If you’ve thought about having a more active Quill and Scroll chapter, we suggest initiating members now. (And don’t worry, if you’re worried that having chapter activities will just add another to do time to the list, we have several suggested chapter activities in “lesson plan” format so students can lead these!) While you’re ordering, don’t forget to include any cords and other Quill and Scroll materials and memorabilia.
We haven’t changed the ordering process from last year. For those wanting to ditch the paper version, you just need to select the form based on how you would like to pay. We have one version for credit card and another version for check or purchase order. (We’ve added buttons for ease of finding these.) As usual, credit card payments are charged $4.49 per order for processing.
Members-only area reminder
If you haven’t accessed our members-only area, we encourage you to do so. While we hope to expand this feature, you can find bell ringers, lesson plans and a gallery of our News Media Evaluation Gallup Award winners.
To access, please visit our new member login page. Your credentials are in an email from [email protected]. Please check your spam folder and if you still don’t see it, reach out to us at [email protected] and we will help you troubleshoot!
When you log in, please accept cookies via the popup on the bottom of the page. This will limit the number of times you have to login!
Members-only area highlight
See our lesson plan on learning from award winners
Lesson Plan idea: learning from exemplars
In this lesson, students will examine winners from one of Quill and Scroll’s Contests. Students will select and examine exemplar pieces of award-winning student journalism, read through judge comments and set an individual goal and then plan to apply this knowledge to their own work.
We will be highlighting something from this members-only area in each Weekly Scroll. If your login information isn’t working for some reason, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Your login information was sent to you in an email a few weeks ago.
Writing, Visual, Multimedia contest open
Due date is Feb. 5
The entry form is live and we are accepting submissions. Be aware, we have added a few categories and changed a few items and descriptions. The cost is $8 for all entry types and you may submit live links. If you would rather make a PDF of the submission, you may still do this as well. Please make sure to allow anyone with the link to view. Remember, we don’t accept a Google document as an entry. We only accept published work.
Please make a note — all entries and payments will be due Feb. 5.
Make sure to include either your credit card payments or check or purchase order when you enter. The link provided on the site will take you directly to the credit card or check/purchase order page for the order. The WVM category payment option is at the bottom of the page.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Chapter Shoutout needs your help
Make sure to share what you’re doing (or have done) with us! We would love to feature your chapter here.
Please use this Google form or email us at [email protected]. Please include a small description and photo of the event.
Upcoming Weekly Scroll pause dates
We will pause the Weekly Scroll during the weeks of Dec. 23, 30 and Jan. 6. We will be spending the week before, when we amass these, with our families. We will resume Jan. 13.
Thank you for understanding.
First Amendment Press Freedom Award entries due Dec. 15
The Journalism Education Association has opened applications for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award, sponsored by JEA, NSPA and Quill and Scroll.
This award recognized schools who actively support and honor the First Amendment through its student media programs. The award focuses on press freedom and a jury looks at the entire student media program at the school: digital and print newspaper, yearbook and student broadcast.
Please see the link for details. Please read and respond carefully to all questions. Even if your school has received FAPFA recognition before, you must reapply each year.
Opportunity from the Freedom Forum
The 2025 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference June 22-27, 2025 provides 51 students (one high school junior from each state plus the District of Columbia) with an all-expenses-paid program that includes panel conversations with journalists, newsroom visits, a chance to meet students and industry leaders who share a passion for news, and a unique Washington, D.C. experience.
Participants also receive a $1,000 college scholarship and ongoing support from a community of more than 1,500 alumni. Students build their skills, grow their network and get a head start on their future.
Apply by March 23 at FreeSpiritJournalism.org.
Just a thought
Special thank you to all of those who entered our Yearbook Excellence Contest. Thanks also for your patience as we rolled these out and to our sponsors: Jostens, Picaboo, Varsity and Walsworth.
It was great to see more than 260 entries honored from two-thirds of the schools that entered. Unless I contacted you with a payment issue, the certificates have all been sent.
For those of you who had seniors who placed, please remind them that they will be able to enter our contest-winner specific scholarships, which will open February 2025 and are due May 9.
I had a great question this week about the application process and why we ask that students commit to studying journalism. While we know many involved in student media will not go on to study journalism in college, we ask applicants commit to this course of study. We want to help foster and promote students’ post-secondary journalism education as much as we can.
As those of you who have used the Quill and Scroll initiation script, you know each of the guiding principle lights are lit from the candle of truth. We trust that those applying are sticking to that honor code.
If you have students who qualify, please encourage them to take a look at what we have posted about the scholarship — and start preparing. After all, February is only a few short months away.
— Lori Keekley
