The Weekly Scroll for April 13, 2018

News, tips and advice from the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society
Compiled and written by Quill and Scroll journalist Caitlyn Martin

The Lede:

Health indicator meta-analysis breaks it down by state

Published Tuesday in JAMA, a new study compared health indicators and statistics among US states. The results, presented visually here, indicate disparities in both mortality and morbidity among the states, as well as suggest trends based on previous studies. Researchers see the meta analysis as a point of reference for correlating various lifestyles, economies, etc. to health indicators.

Suspected chemical attack in Syria kills 70+

At least 70 are dead following un-verified reports of a chemical attack in Douma, Syria’s last rebel-held city in the Eastern Ghouta region. Syrian government continues to deny the existence or their involvement in the attack, despite medical reports from local facilities and a history of chemical weapon usage. Whether international leaders will take action against Syrian government remains unclear.

Facebook testifies, needs to save face

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg concluded testifying before Congress this week over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The scandal raises questions of regulation in the industry and the security of the public. Full coverage can be found here.

MSD teacher leaves gun in bathroom

A teacher from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida accidentally left a loaded gun in a public restroom Sunday in Broward County. The chemistry teacher has been vocal in his desire to carry a loaded weapon at school if asked.

It’s An Honor:

Winners galore!

More than 300 individual students qualified last week for Quill and Scroll scholarships by being named winners in the 2018 Quill and Scroll Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest.

Twenty-three entries placed first, making them Sweepstakes Winners in the contest’s 23 categories. Another 236 entries earned second place, third place or honorable mention. In all, Quill and Scroll received 2,065 entries in the contest. Read all about the winners and runners-up here. If you would like a copy of the slideshow presentation, which includes the first three places in all 23 categories, go to this page and click on the button that reads “Membership Form.”

About those scholarships

National winners of the 2017 Yearbook Excellence Contest or the 2018 Writing, Photo and Multimedia Contest are eligible to apply for one of the Edward J. Nell Memorial scholarships in journalism, or one of two George and Ophelia Gallup awards. The Richard P. Johns Scholarship is open to all Quill and Scroll seniors, including those who did not enter contests. Postmark deadline for applications is May 10. All scholarships can be used for tuition, room and board at any college or university. Recipients must major in journalism or a related area of communications. The scholarships are awarded for the freshman year only and are paid in two installments (fall semester and spring semester).

Read and apply starting here.

Teachers, too

Advisers of Quill and Scroll chapters are invited to apply before April 15 for the Lester G. Benz Memorial Scholarship for Journalism Study. This scholarship is intended to pay a maximum of $500 for actual tuition, room, board and transportation costs. All high school journalism teachers and newspaper and yearbook advisers who have had at least six semester hours of journalism courses and a minimum of four years of teaching experience and advising school publications; who are currently teaching a journalistic writing class; and who plan to return to the high school classroom and media advising next year to apply the information gained in the course work taken as a result of this scholarship are encouraged to apply.

But you gotta apply SOON!

Evaluation time

The News Media Evaluation provides media staffs a one-of-a-kind self-assessment, thorough analysis and rating of your publication(s), with constructive comments and suggestions for improvement from qualified evaluators. The evaluation exercise and feedback are instructive and developmental. The ratings are motivational. High schools and junior high schools may enter their newspapers or news magazines during the submission period — April 1 through June 15, 2018. Entries and ratings are returned in September 2018. This service is open to non-member schools as well as member schools. Here’s the link to get started!

The magazine is online

Quill and Scroll, the Magazine, has moved to a digital-only publication after 92 years in print. The 2018 Spring edition is ready, and you can find it here.

What’s Viral?:

Trump Jr.? State rep denounces local journalist

Aaron Bernstine, Pennsylvania state representative, denounced a student editor at Slippery Rock University via Twitter forpushing “a lib agenda” this month. Bernstine quickly deleted the tweet after receiving several angry and disappointed responses to his immature actions.

The second genome

A new study on the human body has revealed that 57% of cells in the body are actually microorganisms responsible for maintaining health, weight, etc. Further studies using the microorganism communities unique to individuals look to reveal potential keys to curing illness and losing weight.

Parkland student journalists honor the fallen

Juggling trauma and grief, student journalists at The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ student newspaper recently published a 40-page commemorative edition dedicated to the victims of the shooting.

Just A Thought:

Artificial intelligence journalism becomes reality

A stunning new development by Knowhere News, artificial intelligence journalism offers a story free of biases inherent to humans. The technology, however, is reliant on its creators to edit and review posts before publication. These limitations mean journalists shouldn’t worry about their job security –for now.

The Simpsons disregard minority representation outcry

The Simpsons dismissed documentary “The Problem with Apu” through a single scene in a recent episode that many fans find controversial. While The Simpsons have been known to push the limits and have come under fire several times, have they gone too far now? Fans are pushing for better and more accurate minority representation on the show, but so far writers show no intention of improving Apu’s representation.