April 21, 2025
Our past three editions
April 14, 2025 REAL ID • Drivers licenses • Switch 2
April 7, 2025 Tax filing • TikTok • “Airport theory”
March 31, 2025 Higher education • Anonymity • “Surivivor”
THE LEAD
National Parks face budget cuts, bathroom closures ahead of busy summer season
Feature local parks people can visit when school gets out
Summer is the busiest season for national parks and already some sites are closing their visitor centers and toilets, USA Today reported. The parks have lost roughly 2,400 to 2,500 staff positions, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
At Yosemite National Park in California, staff from all parts of the park have been asked to help clean campgrounds and toilets — including information technology workers and wildlife biologists.
What you can do —
An estimated 332 million people visited national parks in 2024, so odds are good people in your community are planning summer trips to the parks. Check in with people to see where they are planning to travel, and if staffing shortages might affect their plans at all. If your school is close to a park, consider talking to the staff and visitors to get a feel for the situation there.
Before summer break comes, it could also be good to cover local natural areas that people can visit like regional and state parks.
Noteworthy
10-year-old abducted by man she met on Roblox, Discord
Cover social media safety measures
A California man was arrested this week for kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, CNN reported. He reportedly met the 10-year-old girl on Roblox and Discord.
The Kern County Sheriff’s office warned of the importance of internet safety and urged parents to monitor their children’s electronic usage.
What you can do —
Social media safety is an evergreen issue — and there is always a new way to cover it. With this most recent news, a story could look into what protections are in place for minors on different social media platforms. Talk to students about their attitude toward social media platforms. Check in with parents about their thoughts on their kids having social media accounts. How do they manage them?
There are plenty of experts who research social media and its effects on minors, reach out to them to get the big picture.
What’s viral
Blue Origin all-female space flight becomes a bit of an internet joke
Gauge reactions to the recent trip to space
A group of celebrities headed to space last week and even before they were back, the criticism started rolling in. Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight start-up, Blue Origin, launched the first all-female spaceflight in 60 years, New York Times reported. The trip included popstar Katy Perry, Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sénchez and CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King.
The trip has been criticised as an extravagant stunt and simply just an over the top display of wealth. The six celebrities’ flight lasted about 11 minutes.
What you can do —
Though the initial reaction to Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez’s space flight has passed, there is still an interesting story to be told about the power — or lack thereof — of this historic space flight. Talk to students and staff about their reactions to the multimillionaires trip to space. What is the point, in their view, of this sort of space flight? Was it the step forward for feminism it was supposed to be? There are also interesting stories about the future of space tourism — is that something people in your school are excited about?
IT’S AN HONOR
It’s always membership season
Don’t forget you can nominate members year-round
It’s time to nominate students for membership, order pins, cords and other Quill and Scroll materials and memorabilia. Please make sure to allow at least three weeks from the time you place the order and either pay or send a purchase order to the time you will be inducting the members. We are currently shipping within 24 hours of receiving the complete order, but this time will elongate as the month progresses.
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 May 12 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!
Deadline extended 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 has been extended to May 2 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 deadline has been extended to April 25.
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 new deadline is April 25.
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.
Upcoming Weekly Scroll pause dates
We will pause the Weekly Scroll during the week 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.
Writing, Visual, Multimedia finalists announced
Quill and Scroll is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2025 Writing, Visual, Multimedia competition. More than 120 schools submitted entries to this year’s contest, for a total of more than 2,200 entries.
The finalists are listed online. The winners will be announced April 26 at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
PSJA Finalists announced
For those who entered our Private School Journalism Contest Finalists, we released the finalists list late last week.
We will announce the winners April 26 at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
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.
School of the New York Times Summer Academy opportunity
We are excited to announce our partnership with the School of the New York Times. Students from schools with a Quill and Scroll Charter can receive $500 off enrollment in the School of the New York Times Summer Academy.
Summer Academy is open to high school students (grades 10-12 and Graduating Seniors based on the grade the student is entering in the Fall 2025 school year). Students must be 15 years old by the first day of their term. All students applying to Summer Academy for the first time are required to complete an online application. Returning students do not need to reapply.
The round three application deadline is April 30.
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
As you start winding down for the year, we would appreciate your help.
If you had an idea for a bell ringer, activity or QS specific lesson plan, now is the time to reach out. We developed many of the items in our membership ordering guide last summer.
If you think of something that might be beneficial, please let me know via email. I want to help!
Have a great end of April, and please reach out with ideas.
— Lori Keekley
