Student’s Article Posted On National Web Site

BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
ABINGDON, Va. – Abingdon High School junior Traci Millsap is the first student in her school’s history to have a journalism article posted on the national Web site my.hsj.org.
Written her sophomore year, Millsap’s article was headlined “Bad Economy Cuts School Budget.”
The Web site my.hsj.org, sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, was launched in March 2002.
The National Edition launched in September 2003 and is a weekly collection of stories from around the nation.
Millsap, 16, is the daughter of David and Mary Millsap of Abingdon. Her story was evaluated in May along with between 1,000 and 1,500 others, said Craig Branson, online director for my.hsj.org.
“We liked her story because it tells a national story at a local level,” Branson said via e-mail. “School budgets are suffering all over, but her article explained what those cuts will mean to her and her fellow students. That’s exactly the kind of article we’re seeking – journalism by students for students.”
It’s Abingdon High’s first article at my.hsj.org, Branson said, adding that John Battle High School, just outside Bristol, Va., has had three articles published on the site.
The Web site my.hsj.org is free to schools and is the largest host of teen-generated news and the news hub for more than 3,000 teen news organizations, Branson said.
“Since 2000, ASNE’s High School Journalism Initiative has sparked and sustained youth journalism,” he said. “Our efforts grow a diverse generation of fledgling journalists and impart a deeper appreciation of the First Amendment and news literacy among all teens.”
The first three paragraphs of Millsap’s article were as follows:
For the present, the Washington County Schools have avoided severe belt tightening but are going on a diet.
In February, the national and state financial crisis threatened to have a devastating effect on the Washington County Schools.
In a meeting of county and school leaders on January 25, Superintendent Alan Lee requested $5.6 million from the county. This drastic increase came about because of an expected $3.4 million cut from the state’s funding of Washington County Schools. There also was the cost of raises in teacher salaries of $2.2 million, and the rest comes from increases in electricity bills and worker compensation.