| Winston Churchill once said: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much
owed by so many to so few."
He was talking about the British airmen who fought in the Battle of Britain during
World War II. Their heroic effort against an
overwhelming German force probably helped change the course of the war,
stemming the tide of the German advance and in
the end dooming the Nazi regime to the ashbin of history.
Such sentiments can be said of the attempt to revive the Calhoun Clarion.
"Never was so much owed by so many to so few," said Clarion advisor and Lights
On! teacher Gaylen Duskey. "While
restarting the Clarion is a wonderful goal, it does not carry the weight of the world
as did the British airmen during the Battle
of Britain.
"Still, the Clarion is important to the school because it is a way to chronicle the
history of the school ⦠to create a lasting
record so that the student's school days are not lost to the sands of time."
The first Clarion staff meeting had four people - three middle school students. The
second had 10 people. The third ⦠six
and one of them had to leave early because of illness.
"It is frustrating," Duskey said. "After all it is the students' newspaper. But on the
other hand I understand since this program
is after regular school hours and it is competing with other after hour programs â¦
most of which are more racy and
attractive."
But Duskey said he would "go with what we have."
Duskey will serve as publisher of the newspaper. He says: "I have 50 percent of
the votes plus one."
"It has to be that way in case there is a story we should not run or a topic we
should not broach," he said. "Anything I find in
that realm will be run across the principal's (Mike Offutt) desk."
Named Clarion Editor is Tiffany Swisher.
"I think it will be cool. I think it is a good learning experience," she said.
She is a ninth grade student at Calhoun
High.
The sports editor is Jacob Richards and Erica Wriston will be the chief
photographer. Richards is in the ninth grade and
Wriston is a sophomore.
The other staff members will all be reporters. They are Maria Kisner, Anna
Sampson and Elizabeth Duskey. All are in the
seventh grade.
"I wish we had some upperclassmen," Duskey said, "but frankly this is good
because these people will be good journalists by
the time they graduate. And the newspaper will improve as we go along."
"Going along" may be a question since there is no guarantee of Lights On! funding
following the current school year.
"I hope we have it but if not we will try to have to find a way to continue The
Clarion because it is that important," Duskey
said.
"It may not seem like it now, but not having a written chronicle of the school will
leave a 'hole' in our history that we will
see down the road. Once missed history is hard to reclaim."
For more information about The Clarion or working on The Clarion please contact
Gaylen Duskey at realfang@citlink.net or
Tiffany Swisher at tiffany26136@aol.com
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