By Bridget Bright
We are 15 students from four different states and 14 different cities, all from varying cultures and backgrounds, who were brought together by the allure of the written word.
We have been assigned the topic of “Decisions”, one that we all relate to. When writing about decisions that vary from climate change to multimedia to sports medicine, we are learning about topics that have a valuable impact on our ever-changing society.
That is why we have decided to call our newspaper, The Revolutionary.
Revolutionary is commonly described as something “radically new,” which pertains to us because we are the upcoming voices to this changing world, and we seek to spread the voices of all people around us.
Throughout history, revolutionaries were the people who made important changes in our nation, and that is what we are planning to do. Much of the media today has a gap in representing our generation’s voice, so as young writers we want to fill that void.
The decisions we make in our lives are important to us. They can bring change, security, personal understanding, and many others.
Decisions are much like revolutions in the sense that the impact they have will make a lasting impression on lives. We want our voices to have that lasting impression. We want our decisions to make a positive change. We are revolutionary.
Tips From The Pros
Throughout the creation ofThe Revolutionary, the 15 NEHSJC student journalists
were mentored by professionals during the week. Here is what the pros had to say:
“Get it in your bones, in your blood. Write that concise story.”
— Amy Callahan
“When in doubt, leave it out!”
— Helen Smith
“In journalism, the currency of our trade is our ideas.”
— Alex Kingsbury
“Arm yourself with a good tool kit, be a good communicator and engage people.”
— Jason Johnson
“Three-quarters of the word ‘news’ is new.”
— Mike Donoghue
“Let them know everything they don’t know.”
— Michelle Johnson
“Don’t cut someone off. When you cut someone off, you ruin
their whole mindset and train of thought.”
— Milton Valencia
“You need to be able to emotionally attach to a story, but detach when you head home.”
— Alex Kingsbury
“Trust your instincts and do not be stampeded into writing something that your gut tells you is wrong.”
— Frank Phillips
“Accuracy above all. I don’t care that you’re first, I care that you’re right.”
— Alex Kingsbury
“Take your time and assume nothing.”
— Linda Matchan
“Always keep a pencil in the cold winter because your pen will freeze.”
— Milton Valencia
“If you don’t have a good byline, you don’t have anything in journalism.”
— Milton Valencia
“Just because you wrote it down in your notebook doesn’t mean it is true.”
— Leah Lamson
“You should be experts in every story you write- even if you know nothing going in.” — Mike Carraggi
“The beauty of talking to people is the spontaneous nature of their answers.”
— Mike Donoghue
STAFF REPORTERS
Tristan Alston
Monument Mountain Regional High School
Maria Arias
Lynn English High School
Gabrielley Braga de Oliveira
Lowell High School
Bridget Bright
Melrose High School
James Coomey
Raymond High School
Coleshnie Corgelas
Brockton High School
Tenzin Dorjee
Malden High School
Greg Levinsky
Deering High School
John Lyons
Lin-Wood High School
Robbie Maher
Bellows Free Academy
Alyssa Raymond
Tantasqua Regional High School
Stephane Silva
Lowell High School
Rebecca Szlajen
Longmeadow High School
Sophia Tang
Boston Latin School
Cassidy Wang
Algonquin Regional High School
RESIDENTIAL ADVISORS
Baylee Wright
Syracuse University
Alex Paduch
Lyndon State
Nicole DeRosa
Regis College
PROFESSIONAL STAFF
Leah LamsonNEHSJC Managing Director
Milton Valencia
NEHSJC President The Boston Globe, Reporter
Christine Vo
NEHSJC Print Designer, TripAdvisor, Associate Creative Director
Michelle Johnson
NEHSJC Web Producer, Boston University, Professor, Journalism
Colleen Malachowski
Carole Remick Endowed Chair of Journalism Regis College
WRITING COACHES
Paula Bouknight
The Boston Globe
Paul Makishima
The Boston Globe
Daniel Adams
The Boston Globe
Katie Johnston
The Boston Globe
Michael Bodley
The Boston Globe
Cristella Guerra
The Boston Globe
Mark Feeney
The Boston Globe
LUNCH SPEAKERS
Bob Holmes
The Boston Globe, High School Sports Editor
Amy Callahan
Northern Essex Community College
Kathleen Kingsbury
The Boston Globe, Editor, Ideas section
Alex Kingsbury
The Boston Globe, Deputy Ideas section
Michael Workman
BostonGlobe.com, Digital Design Director
Heather Ciras
BostonGlobe.com, Features Producer
Andy Rosen
BostonGlobe.com, Metro Producer
GUEST SPEAKERS
Helen Smith
New England Scholastic Press Association, Executive Director
Mike Carraggi
Patch.com, Regional Manager
Mike Donoghue
Vermont Press Association, Executive Director
Jason Johnson
MBTA, Deputy Press Secretary
Linda Matchan
The Boston Globe, Reporter
SPECIAL THANKS
The Carole Remick Foundation
The Boston Globe
Regis College
New England Newspaper and Press Association
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate
ABOUT US
Celebrating its 29th year, the New England High School Journalism Collaborative (NEHSJC) welcomes new students to the program. Over the course of a week, 15 students from high schools across New England have worked diligently to produce The Revolutionary. The program is sponsored by The Boston Globe, Regis College and the New England Newspaper and Press Association.