EMPOWERING OPPORTUNITIES: The Spartan Torch

EMPOWERING OPPORTUNITIES

The Spartan Torch

by Katie Gunzelman ’07

The five core principles of journalism are accuracy, independence, impartiality, humanity, and accountability. These principles ideally guide every journalist in his or her quest to provide citizens of the world the information needed to make the best possible decisions for themselves and society. When we consider our role as an educational institution, it’s not much of a stretch to say the above principles are mirrored in Wichita Collegiate’s principles, too. Our Portrait of a Spartan shows that we value resilience, creativity, exploration, experimentation, challenge, compassion, and inclusivity, all of which lend themselves well to the drive for an impartial truth and accountability to our fellow man. We hope that each child leaves Collegiate seeking higher truth and knowledge and working tirelessly to better our world. Juxtapose that deep philosophy with Middle School life, and it might be hard to stifle a smile or a laugh. Most of us likely couldn’t be bothered in Middle School with existential questions; or maybe everything felt existential. We were more concerned with shifting hormones, changing voices, and issues of popularity, than with our purpose or calling. And while that’s likely true of Wichita Collegiate’s Middle School, it’s also true that we are empowering our Middle Schoolers to tackle big questions and big issues, thanks in no small part to 6th Grade English Teacher and Spartan Torch sponsor Ashley Bowers. Mrs. Bowers is in her fourth year teaching English at Collegiate, but brings a wealth of journalism education experience, too. She taught Intro to Journalism and Newspaper at two high schools previously, and has a degree in English and Journalism Secondary Education. She even has experience in portrait photography, having operated a small business out of her home when her kids were younger.

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So it made perfect sense for Mrs. Bowers to launch a Middle School Newspaper program at Collegiate. “A school publication is a great channel for students to express their creative ideas and unique perspectives, learning to balance the fun with the serious and engage with one another as well as their greater community,” Bowers said. The two editions so far have been met with “a great sense of excitement. The reporters like seeing their names in print, and students like seeing themselves and their friends on the pages.” Even more exciting for us fellow staff and parents, though, is seeing the content covered in each paper. Elements of fun, like cartoons, letters to the editor, movie and book reviews, and astrology reports exist. But there are also write-ups on current events and favorite traditions, a call to action on climate change, and an argument for extending the Student Council into the Middle School. Seventh grader Campbell Arneson wrote that a Middle School StuCo “would help with so many things, including leadership, responsibility, and running a campaign for peers to vote. Student council also helps develop positive attitudes, strengthen relationships between students and faculty, and plan special events.” What a perfect illustration of our principles hard at work – students striving to learn more, better their communities, explore new ideas, and challenge one another to be better. While it’s still early in the life of The Spartan Torch, Mrs. Bowers has big plans for a bright future for both the paper and its writers. “At this age, the students still need a lot of direction and editing. I’m hoping, as the program grows, it will become more natural for them. It was fun to watch them mature even over the course of the first semester as they began to make better decisions about what should and should not be published without me stepping in.” “I can see the program someday including a broadcast element, perhaps with students giving daily or weekly announcements via a ‘news’ show. I would also like to better align with the high school program and begin competing in contests. It was fulfilling in the past to transform struggling journalism programs into contest-winning ones.” And while Collegiate loves a good contest, we love empowering our students with opportunities to learn and grow most of all. “I think students learning from an early age that they each have a unique voice, and that people will listen to it, is helpful,” Upper School Spartan Voice sponsor Julianne London says. “That confidence will help them not just on the academic front, but also to advocate for causes they care about outside of school. That practice is going to make them better writers by the time they get to the Upper School, but I consider that secondary to what they gain personally from this experience.” Through journalism, our Middle Schoolers are learning the importance of truth, independence, fairness, humanity, and accountability. They are challenging one another to be their best selves in order to change and impact the world around us. And, through Ashley Bowers and fellow faculty and staff, they are empowered to experiment, fail, and try again; to think critically and creatively; and to care about our community. For that, Mrs. Bowers says, “The students who helped create the Torch should be very proud!”

Seventh graders Dalton and Gianni read the latest edition of the Spartan Torch. 15