March 16, 2026
Our past three editions
March 2, 2026 Social media trial • March Madness • Oscars
Feb. 23, 2026 Quad God • Social media • CBS
Feb, 9 2026 Olympics • AI • PepsiCo
THE LEAD
Some feel squeeze at pump as oil prices rise
Cover ways to save gas
In the days since the war in Iran started, oil prices have risen 40%, according to the New York Times. Gas and oil price increases trickle down fast and have already caused higher prices at gas pumps for consumers. There are also questions concerning summer vacation flights, CNN reported.
What you can do —
As gas prices soar, talk to local experts on how students can conserve gas. The U.S. Department of Energy’s list includes decreasing extra weight in the car, checking tire pressure, decreasing speed and not accelerating or breaking quickly. As the situation progresses, talk to students about if they are feeling the effects.
The CNN article suggests watching prices and buying refundable flights, so if the price decreases, rebooking is possible.
Noteworthy
Researchers find AI chatbots pose security risk
Some technology tools provide guidance on violence
In tests of 10 artificial intelligence chatbots, the bots helped researchers plan violent attacks, The Guardian reported. While some chatbots (including Anthropic’s Claude and Snapchat’s My AI) refused to discuss violence, on average, chatbots enabled violence 75% of the time.
Researchers posed as 13-year-old boys, and they found the chatbots often were an “accelerant for harm.”
What you can do —
As students turn to AI for mental health discussions, these professionals are often wary of their advice. In fact, the American Psychological Association issues a health advisory on their use. One potential avenue for coverage is a package addressing the lack of safety protocols and oversight when using AI chatbots for mental health concerns.
Also, how should students use AI responsibly? What safeguards, if any, are in place for those accessing AI chatbots in school?
Check to see if your state legislature is considering any bills regarding AI.
What’s viral
March Madness brackets are out
Examine impacts past sports betting
March Madness has arrived, with both the men’s and women’s tournaments kicking off early this week. As many start filling out brackets, sports betting isn’t the only item for discussion.
What you can do —
As the week starts, document the impact of the men’s and women’s games starting. With the prevalence of technology in the classroom, how many are tuning into the action and out of the classroom discussion?
Are classes spending time watching? Is absenteeism on the rise — both by students and teachers?
There is also always a chance to talk to sports fans about who they favor for the Final Four and then check in with them as the last games approach.
100 years of Quill & Scroll
Society founding date approaches
When Quill and Scroll was first founded in April 1926, it was quickly successful. In the first month it had chapters all across the country including in North Carolina, Arizona, Montana and Minnesota.
In a 1926 issue of the Quill and Scroll magazine, an article details how the founding came to be. On April 10, 1926, advisers and supporters of scholastic journalism traveled to Iowa City to draw up the constitution, decide how initiation would work and elect officers.
Since then, Quill and Scroll has been proudly serving high school students across the country. More than 15,000 charters have been granted and many students inducted.
Please join us in Minneapolis at the Spring National High School Journalism Convention for a full celebration of the Society’s centennial. Registration prices increase after March 16.
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
Now is the best time to order for your induction! 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 April 6 or before, now is the time to order!
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 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.
Members-only area highlight
Quill & Scroll’s eight guiding principles
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.
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 — early bird deadline March 16
Today is the last day to save on your registration for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Minneapolis.
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.
Quill and Scroll will celebrate its centennial year at the Thursday evening adviser reception.
Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop
Dallas hosts one of the nation’s largest (and hottest) summer journalism workshops, June 29-July 2.
The temperatures and the ideas will sizzle in Dallas at the Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop.
Registration will open on March 2 for the 2026 workshop, set for June 26-July 2 at the Hilton Richardson Dallas.
The registration fee is $140 per student and adviser. The optional Sunday evening bonus class is $20 for those arriving early.
Check the workshop website frequently for updates as workshop plans are finalized. NSPA will send an email when workshop registration and hotel reservations open.
Upcoming Weekly Scroll pause dates
We will pause the Weekly Scroll during the weeks of 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
Want to attend a JEA/NSPA convention next year or take a class this summer? Want to participate in Influencer U at Kent State? If you answered yes, it’s time to apply for the 2026 Lester Benz Adviser Scholarship. The time to start the process is now.
Previous scholarship recipients have used the money to attend a national convention, to enroll in a summer workshop or to pay for a university course in a relevant subject area.
Applications are due April 10, which is about a month away and can be found here.
— Lori Keekley
