March 31, 2025
Our past three editions
March 17, 2025 Department of Education • Misinformation • Supreme Court
March 3, 2025 Boycotts • Egg yolks • “Shrek 5”
Feb. 25, 2025 Dumb phones • Coffee • Freedom of the press
THE LEAD
Higher education is changing fast. How do students feel about it?
Talk to seniors about how education upheaval might affect their futures
It is a strange time to start college — schools are facing funding cuts, pressure from the federal government and political conflict — yet colleges are expecting what could be the largest class of freshman ever, the New York Times reported.
About 3.9 million students are set to receive their high school diplomas this spring, and many of them will move to new campuses this fall. The challenges each school faces vary, but are widespread. Large research-based institutions are facing potential budget cuts that could lead to layoffs, hiring freezes and course changes. Some community colleges are facing lower enrollment rates.
The proposed dismantling of the Department of Education raises questions about the future of Pell Grants and student loans, which could change how millions of students pay for higher education. Some schools have done away with their D.E.I. offices, or at least renamed them, which can have effects on campus culture. Affirmative action, which has shaped nearly 50 years of admissions, is over, which may have effects on class makeup.
What you can do —
Your school’s senior class might already be counting down the days until graduation. As decision day draws near, check in with them to see how they feel about entering college in just a few months. For students at schools that have already seen massive budget cuts, ask if that is changing how they are approaching their education.
Look at the community colleges in your area to see if any are facing enrollment or funding barriers — and talk to the students going there to hear about their decision. Ask about how they feel about changing D.E.I. policies.
While covering higher education right now is important and touches many student’s lives, don’t forget that not everyone will be following the same path. Make sure to talk to students pursuing paths outside of a typical college degree — including trade schools, jobs, armed forces and many other options.
Noteworthy
News publications adopt new anonymity rules to protect immigrant sources
Evaluate your publication’s policies, consider best practices
A large number of publications are reevaluating how they identify immigrant sources, while still maintaining journalistic ethics. Some newsrooms, Columbia Journalism Review reported, have moved to identify some sources by just their first name and last initial and some others are doubling down on explaining potential risks to sources. Each newsroom, depending on its audience and coverage needs, is approaching the discussion differently.
What you can do —
It is important to consider your publication’s anonymous source rules. The needs of different school communities will differ, but any discussion should be guided by journalistic ethics. Generally speaking, journalists avoid anonymous sources because it can lessen the reader’s trust in journalism. But there are some situations in which they are justified — often if the source stands to be hurt in some way by telling their story, but they are a key source.
Take some time to discuss this ethical question and update (or write) your anonymity policy as a staff. Various journalism organizations have resources available to help guide this conversation, including the National Scholastic Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and Student Press Law Center.
Also be sure to read the March 28 statement from a coalition of press freedom organizations, including Quill and Scroll, regarding the detention of a Tufts University student in March.
What’s viral
Touching moment on ‘Survivor’ brings visibility to how to support those with autism
Cover how students, staff can help others with autism
Two competitors on “Survivor” shared a moment of kindness during episode 5 of season 48 — and it moved the show’s host to tears. Earlier this season, a contestant named Eva, who has autism, confided in a contestant named Joe that she may need his support at some point during the competition, CNN reported.
That moment came in the March 26 episode after Eva earned her team immunity from voting out one of their own. Eva was overstimulated by the celebration around her, and Joe stepped in to help ground her.
What you can do —
While “Survivor” may feel like a far cry from your school community, everyone can stand to learn from this type of interaction. Look into what supports your school already has for people with autism and cover what people could be doing to better support them. Talk to the staff already providing support, people with autism, and experts on how to best help people when they are struggling.
IT’S AN HONOR
It’s always membership season
Don’t forget you can nominate members year-round
Order season has begun! It’s time to nominate students for membership, order pins, 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.
We also have added a membership ordering guide to our site.
While you’re ordering, don’t forget to include any cords and other Quill and Scroll materials and memorabilia.
If your initiation is the week of April 21 now is the time to order!
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 lesson plan highlight
This lesson serves as a reminder of the impact to the self and community of Quill and Scroll’s Eight Guiding Principles. Students will isolate and study one of these in small groups, and find examples of how they appear on staff. They will then explore what the other groups have included and add their ideas for other principles through a gallery walk.
Deadline approaches for 2025 Vanessa Shelton Chapter of the Year
Has your chapter been active in Quill and Scroll this year? If so, it’s time to apply for the Chapter of the Year.
Chapters must have initiated members in each of the past three years.
Applications are free and winners will receive a plaque, $250 for the classroom, four free memberships and honor cords and one member spot on our Student Advisory Board.
The deadline is April 18 and the winner will be announced mid-May. The application form is on our website.
Benz Scholarship
Applications open for $250 adviser award
Quill and Scroll will award the $250 Lester G. Benz Scholarship to an adviser who undertakes a professional development activity over the summer or in the 2025-26 academic year.
The award can be used to attend a National High School Journalism Conference, to pay for tuition for a university course in a relevant subject area, or for a summer workshop, the JEA Summer Advisers Institute or a local summer workshop in your state, to name a few.
Applications are now being accepted. The deadline is April 11.
The award is named after former Quill and Scroll Executive Director Lester G. Benz.
Student Scholarship applications are also now open and will be due May 9.
Spring convention registration closes soon
Join us in Seattle for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. Registration is open and the hotel link is available to all registrants. Join us for “SEA it to believe it” at the JEA/NSPA spring convention April 24-26.
When you’re there, please stop by our booth! We’d love to see you!
Upcoming Weekly Scroll pause dates
We will pause the Weekly Scroll during the weeks of April 21 and April 28 since we will be at conventions when we normally would amass the Scroll. Please note, we will not be offering overnight ordering during this time.
Also, our last Weekly Scroll will be May 5.
Some advisers and students have found linking to our Weekly Scroll page beneficial.
Thank you for understanding.
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.
Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop set for June 30-July 3, in Dallas
The Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop returns to the Dallas/Addison Marriott Quorum by the Galleria June 30-July 3, 2025, with bonus classes on June 29. Workshop registration is $140 per student or adviser. The extra cost for the Sunday bonus class is $20 per person.
In 2024, 808 students from 79 schools took advantage of the instruction from our exceptional faculty.
Complete information, including a promotional video, is available on the workshop website. Registration is open.
Just a thought
Advisers often tell me the electronic order processing is an improvement over the paper form. This is great, but some don’t remember to send in their membership lists.
We always want to make sure our membership lists are accurate. We have several gaps and we will be reaching out to those who we don’t have membership lists from during the next two weeks. Please note, we search for the school and adviser in our emails prior to reaching out.
If you haven’t shared the membership spreadsheet with [email protected], please do at your earliest convenience.
Thank you!
— Lori Keekley
