De Pere High class of 2016 graduates (Hard News)

DE PERE, Wis.

            The De Pere High School senior class of 2016 walked for their diplomas on Wednesday, June 8.

            288 graduating Redbirds took the stage at the ceremony to toss their caps for the 2,500 audience members.

            “Graduation is one of the best events of the year,” says guidance counselor, Carla Duevel. “It’s thrilling for us and for parents.”

            High School secretary, Lea Ann Allen says it can be a bittersweet time. “You’re always happy to see the students move on, but you sometimes miss the familiar faces.”

            According to the De Pere Hi-Light, and counseling office, 90% of graduating seniors are enrolled in further education.

            Counselor Carla Duevel says this graduating class is unique in that more students than ever have opted to attend a technical college or trade school. “We encourage the students to find what works best for them, four-year college isn’t always the best,” says Duevel.

            This year’s ceremony took place in the school’s very own gymnasium, the first time in three years.

            Nick Joseph, Principal at De Pere High, says it was a challenging change. “We’ve had the ceremony at St. Norbert’s the past few years, but they are under construction so we had to so some rearranging. Thanks to our staff, it all ran very smoothly.”  

            Two senior class delegates spoke to their peers, and Principal Joseph delivered a commencement at the ceremony.

“The ideas I wanted to instill in our graduates are to follow their dreams, do what they love, and to try their best to make a difference in the world,” says Joseph.

Following graduation, seniors were treated to a Grad Bash celebration of games and prizes until 4 am Thursday morning.

Interview a Journalist

Interview with Paul Scrubas, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Paul Scrubas is a journalist with 38 years experience, and counting. He graduated in 1978 from the University Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a degree in Journalism. His first journalism job was with a local Oshkosh paper. He now works as breaking news and public service reporter at Green Bay Press-Gazette, where he has worked for 28 years.

I decided that a Q&A format would be the best way to present the information I received during my interview with Mr. Scrubas. This way I could represent his answers in the closest possible form. I thought it best to use his own words as he had answered the questions because he is the expert, and the one with the experience. It turned out to be a very insightful interview with so much information, and many anecdotes.

Q: How would you define journalism?

           

A: Classically, I would say that journalism and reporting is just a recording of the events of the day. Fundamentally, I would define journalism as the practice of informing the public (the readers) of what needs to be known. As well as acting as an outside check of the government and all its branches. It also holds up a mirror of society to itself, and reflects on what is currently happening in the same way that art does.

Q: When did you know you wanted to work as a journalist?

A: I still haven’t decided I want to be a journalist. I suppose it was around my last few years of high school when I started gravitating towards it.

Q: At the Press-Gazette you are assigned to “Breaking News” so what is day in the life of a “breaking news reporter?”

A: Well, the easy answer to that question is that it depends on the day, or whenever there is breaking news. Everyday is a little different. I’ve recently been working a lot from home so some days are spent waiting around, following up, checking sources, busy work basically. Other times when I get a call, or am tipped off by the police scanner it becomes more hectic. I supposed the only real consistent part is that I have to be ready to act proactively to get the story. So that could be being ready to drive out to a location, or make phone calls etc. 

Q: Do you have any particularly memorable stories you’ve covered?

A: Yes, I certainly do. I’ve covered a lot of very memorable stories over my 30 plus years. One that comes to mind is when a regular day at the office turned into a 56 hour workday. It was the end of my day, I was at home and I got a call from my boss about a group of farmers who had died in a manure pit due to methane gas inhalation, very tragic. This was up in Marinette, so I drove all the way there and decided to pull an all-nighter so I could meet the deadline for the next days’ paper. I ended up interviewing a few people in a tavern by the light of a fish tank after they had closed so they wouldn’t be fined for staying open past bar close. It turned out to be a really big story for the area so by the time I had collected all the information, and written the story for my deadline, it had been about 56 hours before I finally got to go home. That was very memorable.

Q: What would you say are the biggest challenges you face as a journalist?

A: There have always been challenges, like in any job, but I would say that recently the biggest challenges have been keeping up with the ever-changing platforms. When I started working, the entire job was focused on writing for print. I didn’t know I’d have to become a videographer and a photojournalist. So I’d say that the changing landscape is the biggest challenge. The hours can be strenuous, but that has always been part of the job.

Q: What are some pros and cons about working as a journalist?

A: The pros can also be cons, and the cons can also be pros. I don’t mean to complicate or simplify my answer but that’s how I’ve experienced it. As a journalist, you’re expected to remain impartial, which can be frustrating at times but also can take away some of the burden you feel when reporting on a story. I’ve been working from home recently so that has been both a blessing and a curse because I can make my own hours, yet the hours never really stop when you report on breaking news. It’s a balancing act.

Q: How has journalism changed over the years, in your eyes?

A: Journalism has changed in a lot of ways, I think. I suppose it has sort of been reshaped from a basic day-to-day reporting of events, to what it is now which is a many branched reporting, and analysis of trends. It’s much more complicated than it used to be, which is both good and bad. There’s more niche marketing and reporting so there is something for everybody, yet more and more entertainment seems to blur with reporting.

Q: Where do you see the future of journalism headed?

A: I’m certainly not any type of analyst or scholar of trends so I’m probably not anymore qualified to answer that question than you are. What I would say, from the perspective of a journalist, is that there will always be a need for the journalist profession. What forms will that journalism take? I don ‘t really know. More and more we see print being swapped for digital mediums, and written word swapped for video reporting. I would say there is a future for journalism, but I don’t know what it is.

Q: Do you have any advice to give prospective journalists?

 A: Go into accounting? Based on my previous answer, I would have to be a little glib and say that becoming journalist is not the most promising profession because as the job is changing, what a student is learning may soon be obsolete. Yet, there are a few things I would say to a future journalist. Try to be efficient at all aspects of reporting and journalism. Don’t neglect one aspect for the other. Video and digital reporting may be the future but don’t neglect the fundamental aspects of the written word and format of reporting. For example, the best photographers I know are also very good writers. They understand how to format and tell a story. So being well rounded in all aspects of the job is probably my biggest advice.

At least 50 dead in Orlando shooting (World)

ORLANDO, Fla.

CNN reports that as many as 50 people are dead, and at least 50 more are injured, after a mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub.

According to CBS News, the shooting took place early Sunday morning at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida.

ABC News reports that the suspected gunman is 29-year-old St. Lucie resident, Omar Mateen, also deceased.

Associated Press ranks it as the deadliest mass shooting in U.S history.

According to CNN, the investigation of the shooting, and the alleged shooter, is still very much underway. CBS News reports the suspect allegedly made an allegiance to ISIS prior to the incident.

ABC News reports President Obama called the incident “an act of terror” when addressed the nation Sunday, June 12.

Reasoning:

This was the selection for top world story of the week because even though it is still a fairly new story, it is incredibly relevant to everyone’s daily lives. It’s a very newsworthy story based on timeliness, and the number of people it impacts, as well as future events. The story comes in a string of mass shootings, and will undoubtedly have an impact on this election year. As well as the possible ramifications the story has based off of the alleged shooters’ possible connections to foreign terror groups. Also, there are several upcoming high profile events that will certainly be on high alert following this incident. It has become instantly an infamous story because of the record-breaking death toll. There will be many follow up stories, and continuous updates as victims are identified, and motives are determined. Everyone will want to know. Even though it happened on American soil, I classify it as a world news story because it will surely impact people all over the world in many ways.

Outrage over Stanford sexual-assault sentencing (National)

STANFORD, Cal.

TIME Magazine reports that outrage has erupted over social media since the sentencing of Stanford University star swimmer, Brock Turner. 20-year-old Turner, was convicted on three sexual offense charges, and sentenced to six-months in county jail.  

CNN obtained court documents that say police discovered Turner sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster on January 18^th. He was arrested after trying to flee the scene.

According to TIME, Judge Aaron Persky’s ruling has come under fire on social media, believing it not a severe enough punishment. TIME also reports that online petitions to recall Judge Persky have collected over 500,000 signatures. Hashtags such as “#brockturner” and “#Stanfordrapevictim” have also been trending.

The 23-year-old victim read a 12-page account of how the incident has impacted her life. CNN reports the letter has been viewed over 13 million times on Buzzfeed alone.

Reasoning:

I chose this story because by now it has become ubiquitous, and everyone is aware of it. It is also very newsworthy because of the activism that has erupted for safety on college campuses, which is something that impacts students, parents, professors, alumni etc. The story has also gained prominence due to how many have shared in on social media and has been included in national conversations about racism, feminism, and rape culture. It became even more newsworthy on social media, which sort of showed it’s new found power when it comes to journalism, and how the public is getting their news. It’s also very interesting because it comes soon after semester has ended, and also just before the summer Olympics. The latter is another factor that adds into the public’s intrigue because Turner was a prospective Olympian at one time.