Walnut Grove High School Starts News Media Program

photo by Cheyenne Tolleson

The inaugural staff of Walnut Grove High School’s recent news media group, Viridian, has put the long-awaited project into motion. The student body can expect regular publications beginning in February of 2023.
​​by Cheyenne Tolleson

The inaugural staff of Walnut Grove High School’s recent news media group, Viridian, has put the long-awaited project into motion. The student body can expect regular publications beginning in February of 2023.

Viridian’s advisor and inaugural staff had to undergo an extensive period of planning, and even uncertainty, before the class could reach this stable start. 

Looking back to our earliest stages, the school’s journalism advisor, Mr. Ulrey, had to get the idea of a school newspaper onto the radar of the school administration.

“I had to convince them that this (the news media group) was a good idea,” he recalled back to his efforts in the Spring of the 2021-22 school year. 

With the initial idea and advocacy for the class up in the air, Assistant Principal Mr. Thrailkill had to work alongside Mr. Ulrey, and other members of administration, in making an ideal situation for the class to be started. 

“When evaluating a new course offering, [we have to see] how the new course will fit within our schedule, [and] make sure we address the scheduling needs of all of our students,” explained Mr. Thrailkill.

​While a solution was eventually found to quench those concerns, the class was not able to begin until January of the spring semester. 

“The administration was always eager for the program to start‒‒ they just had to make sure all the logistics were in place,” said Mr. Ulrey.
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​At the beginning of January 2023, the paper’s branding and artistic direction were to be decided upon. 

“Our vision was all over the place,” recalled Sophomore Annabelle Adams. “We wanted it simple, but also, different, out-there, and unique,” she continued.

Governed by some version of that list, the class utilized several, out-of-the-box means to come up with an option for the best blend. 

Cheyenne Seagraves, a sophomore, revealed some of the creative processes. “There were times when we closed our eyes, and we just thought. We [also] went outside into nature,” she revealed. 

In doing so, there was an understood degree of importance within the staff as a whole. 

According to our Sports Editor, Dairion Peters, “[The] naming process was really hard because this [was] a one-time thing. [We had] to find something that really worked out, and we found that with Viridian.” Which, upon a quick Google search, can be defined as the title for a specific, dark shade of blue-green. It coordinates not only with our school colors but also with the natural theme of a grove‒‒ our school’s namesake.

It also accomplishes those artistic goals shared by the staff. “It's very tempting to look at; It almost demands attention,” praised junior staff member Laine Downey.

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"...to find something that really worked out, and we found that with VIRIDIAN."

With the issue of branding under our belt, it was time to delve into the ins and outs of running and maintaining a news media platform. 

“A lot of the training is mental,” described Senior Paulina Rodriguez.

Her statement was further elaborated on by fellow Senior, Sydoni Shaw. “We established some rules to follow: what we should look for, [how to] write the story, and how we can use active listening to guide our interview with somebody,” she divulged. 

“Active listening during interviews is hard because you have to improvise and immediately think of questions to ask at that moment,” she elaborated.

Such soft skills were introduced to the class via a simulated interview practice and have since been applied to real pieces. And, as early as that first trial, staff members learned the importance of adapting to their story.

“I was like ‘this is probably going to be the foreground of what it is going to be like,’” informed Senior Ashlynn Stewart. “It is never going to be a straightforward process.”

Even with such revelations, the class, and all it entails, has begun to stick. “I definitely want to be here long term,” assured Freshman Ansleigh Hester. “I really want to go to work for the New York Times, [but] I’ve never really written anything for a newspaper. So, [this] has been a really good experience for the future.”

With those lasting foundations, the class can look to its future as a permanent addition to the school. “Whatever we cover, whatever we write about, I want this to be the thing that the school at large is going to visit because they want to know what’s going on,” concluded Mr. Ulrey.

“I want to create that desire for the student body‒‒who might not have been involved in the Viridian staff‒‒to read.”