Jan. 26, 2026
Our past three editions
Jan. 12, 2026 Vaccine schedule • Dietary guidelines • ‘Heated Rivalry’
Dec. 8, 2025 AI admissions • News deserts • Pantone
Nov. 24, 2025 Polar vortex • Scams • ‘Wicked: For Good’
THE LEAD
ICE presence looms large in Minnesota, sparks protests
Discuss impact on children, regardless of proximity
In the weeks since a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good, tensions have mounted in the Twin Cities. Protestors and ICE agents have clashed daily, especially in the days after ICE agents shot and killed Alex Pretti.
Friday brought an economic blackout as hundreds of Minnesota businesses closed in the Twin Cities area as residents were encouraged to stay home from work or school and not purchase anything.
A new ICE policy now allows agents to enter a home on only an “administrative warrant,” which doesn’t require a judge’s signature, according to AP. Another AP article cites Lindsay Nash, a law professor at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law in New York, said “the memo ‘flies in the face’ of what the Fourth Amendment protects against and what ICE itself has historically said are its authorities.” Nash said, “there’s an ‘enormous potential for overreach, for mistakes and we’ve seen that those can happen with very, very serious consequences.’”
What you can do —
NPR has noted the impact the presence has had on children in the community. Whether you’re in an area with ICE agents present or not, an article in the NJ Spotlight News addresses the psychological toll ICE raids can have on youth. (ICE was present in New Jersey as well.)
Even those without an active ICE presence could be impacted by stories they hear. Student media could interview local child psychologists about the impact and how to address student concerns. Students could also talk to school counselors to see if they have had worried students in their offices.
Also, interview your administration concerning protocol if ICE agents show at your school. Can they access the school? Grounds? What about bus stops?
Please note, while we don’t normally encourage students to use unnamed sources, those in the professional media are often only using a first initial for the source if the person could be targeted by ICE agents.
Noteworthy
Olympic debut of ski mountaineering approaches with 2026 winter Games
Cover local events, hopes for the competition
The Olympics are, once again, just around the corner. This year’s Olympic Games will be held at a variety of sites in Italy from Feb. 6 to 22. The first medal events start Feb. 7.
The new sport this year is skimo, or ski mountaineering. Athletes use skis to climb a slope, take off their skis and climb some more and then throw their skis back on to ski down the slope.
The 2026 Games will also see the debut of several other events including women’s doubles luge, mixed-team skeleton and dual moguls, NBC reported.
What you can do —
Italy might be several thousand miles away, but you can bet people in your community will be watching. Take some time now, a few weeks ahead of the Games, to plan your coverage.
Maybe you have athletes in your community who have Olympic aspirations, or, at the very least, are working hard at some of the Olympic events. Talk to them about what watching top athletes compete is like.
Check in to see if there are watch parties planned in your area. How are people celebrating? What are they looking forward to?
What’s viral
TikTok drama comes to a close with new American owners
Gather reactions to the app change
Last week ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, struck a deal with non-Chinese investors to create a United States-based TikTok, ending the political saga of the U.S. TikTok ban, the New York Times reported.
It is unclear exactly what this means for the future of your TikTok feed — the new U.S. TikTok will be able to control content moderation and decide what types of videos are allowed.
What you can do —
As potential changes roll out, talk to people in your community about what they notice. Does their algorithm shift? Are they seeing more of certain content or is there no change at all?
This TikTok news could also work for a larger story on social media habits in your school. Australia has banned social media for those 16-years and younger, and the UK is considering a similar ban — how would that be received in your community? What are school staff doing about social media use in classrooms?
100 years of Quill & Scroll
The Society’s original constitution
Quill and Scroll’s founders put together the constitution for the organization — a guiding document laying out its purpose, membership guidelines and structure — and published it for all members in 1926.
It shows how Quill and Scroll’s goals have stood the test of time. “The purpose of Quill and Scroll is to instill in students the ideal of scholarship; to advance the standards of the profession of journalism … ; to promote exact and dispassionate thinking, clear and forceful writing,” the constitution reads.
Those goals are much the same today, as embodied through the Student Advisory Board, Quill and Scroll contests, society scholarships and our members-only area.
Also, fun fact, did you know that Quill and Scroll has a motto? “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
Share your Quill & Scroll story
In honor of the centennial, Quill and Scroll is collecting testimonials, memories and stories from Quill and Scroll from student members, advisers, former staff and friends.Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your experiences on this form! Your answers may be used in marketing and communications materials.
Please share with others in your network — we want to hear from everyone.
IT’S AN HONOR
It’s always membership season
Don’t forget you can nominate members year round
Why not start second semester with a Quill and Scroll initiation? Not only will you beat the ordering rush, you could also have Quill and Scroll function as a journalism club or volunteer organization. (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.
If your initiation is the week of Feb. 16 or before, now is the time to order!
Writing, Visual, Multimedia contest open
Due date is Feb. 6 — enter now!
The entry form is live and we are accepting submissions. 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. 6.
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. We’re happy to help!
Take advantage of our advisers-only resource area
Quill and Scroll has expanded its advisers-only area, which includes bellringers and lesson plans for advisers who have initiated members within the past school year.
Advisers, if you inducted members in the 2024-25 or the 2025-26 school year, check your email (and your spam!) for a message from [email protected]. That email should contain your login information. Please be sure to accept cookies when you log in! If you have trouble, you can contact us at [email protected]. If you have inducted members this school year, we update access every few weeks, so keep an eye on your email.
Chapter activity highlight
Planning a Quill and Scroll induction
It’s time to start planning your spring Quill and Scroll induction ceremony. We leave the decisions as to how Quill and Scroll induction happens up to each Chapter. With that in mind, we have a few questions to get you started.
School of the New York Times Summer Academy opportunity
We know it’s early, but for those looking for a 2026 journalism learning opportunity, it’s not too early to begin planning. The School of the New York Times Summer Academy is one of the nation’s most competitive journalism programs — and Quill and Scroll members get an exclusive discount.
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 2026 school year). Students must be 15-years old by the first day of their session. Program graduates have been recruited from some of the top journalism schools in the nation. Please see this link for the course catalogue.
All students applying to Summer Academy for the first time are required to complete an online application. Returning students do not need to reapply. As a member school, Quill and Scroll chapter members will have access to pre-registration, which is now open. Last year this program received more than 14,000 applications for 1,700 seats. By going through pre-registration, your chance of being an attendee increases.
Students from schools with a Quill and Scroll Charter can receive $500 off enrollment in the Summer Academy.
Additionally, the winning entries from our News Writer of the Year (Category 16 in Quill and Scroll’s Writing, Visual, Multimedia Contest) are eligible to compete for a School of the New York Times scholarship to its Summer Academy. This scholarship (valued at $7,500) includes room and board but not transportation to New York City. Student entries will be evaluated by faculty from the New York Times.
The School of the New York Times will host a Virtual Admissions Information Session later this fall.
The round 1 deadline will be in mid-December and the admission information and application portal are posted.
Opportunity for those interested in climate reporting
Now in its fifth year, Youth Environmental Press Team’s (YEPT) mission is to amplify youth urgency on the climate crisis by supporting young people in producing journalistic content on climate and the environment and sharing it with their peers as well as the general public.
YEPT republishes climate- and environmental-related content produced by high school journalists in their school newspapers on our yept.org website, along with publishing original content. Stories include a wide spectrum of student-selected subject matter related to climate impacts: invasive species, data centers, animal agriculture, renewable energy, global climate politics, and much more. Republication requires permission of writer and faculty advisor/teacher and nets the student $30. We also assign fresh content for our site: $100 or more for a new assignment, depending on complexity.
As of November, 2025, over a dozen high school Directors representing 10 states contribute to YEPT: Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Ohio, with other states in the process of joining (pending additional funding). For example, we regularly publish writers from Iowa and California as well as the United Kingdom. Directors help run YEPT, produce stories, and promote YEPT content and the program itself on social media, LinkedIn, and other platforms; each state Director is paid $1,000 per semester for this work.
For more information, contact adult adviser Jim Poyser at [email protected]
Spring convention registration open
Join us in Minneapolis for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. Registration opened Jan. 8 and the hotel link will be available to all registrants Feb. 3.
Attendees can look forward to preconvention workshops, media tours, critique and contest opportunities, a publication exchange and hundreds of informational sessions. Come “Find your North Star” at the JEA/NSPA spring convention April 16-18.
Opportunity from the Freedom Forum
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference June 21-26, 2026, 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 and multimedia storytellers, newsroom visits, networking events, a chance to meet students and industry leaders who share a passion for news, and a unique Washington, D.C., experience.
Participants receive a $1,000 college scholarship and ongoing support from a community of more than 1,700 alumni. Students build their skills, grow their network and get a head start on their future.
The due date is March 15.
Upcoming Weekly Scroll pause dates
We will pause the Weekly Scroll during the weeks of Feb. 16, March 9, March 23, April 13 and April 20 since we will be at conventions when we normally would amass the Scroll.
Some advisers and students have found linking to our Weekly Scroll page beneficial.
Thank you for understanding.
Just a thought
We need your help.
As you may know, this is a very special year for Quill and Scroll. We are excited to continue to celebrate our centennial year with you. The centennial celebration will culminate at the JEA/NSPA Spring Convention in Minneapolis at the Thursday evening adviser reception.
Do you have a story about a Quill and Scroll induction, activity or other item? We would love to hear from you. Please take time now to submit your story. We need these no later than Feb. 18 in order to include them in our centennial video.
Don’t be shy. We want to hear from you!
— Lori Keekley
