1st Place, News Analysis
2023-24, Division 3, News Writing
By Keara Banks & Emily Schulz
Focus
Midland HS
There are no Alcohol Anonymous meetings in high school. Although the administration is on the path to creating easier ways for students who consume alcohol to receive resources and help within the walls of Midland High.
“We are not out to judge you,” Assistant Principal Matthew Wenzell said. “We’re not out to put labels. We understand that if the youth comes and they have a problem we need to get them the resources they need.”
Alcohol consumption by minors has an array of effects. According to the CDC there are more than 3,900 deaths among people under the age of 21 each year. It can also cause alcohol poisoning; unintentional injuries such as car crashes, falls, burns, drowning; suicide, and changes in brain development.
“They don’t know the effects of what’s going to happen with that alcohol and students can be put in positions where one decision can change their whole life,” Wenzell said.
According to Wenzell, Consuming alcohol shows through in classroom settings. It has multitudes of effects on how we learn and receive information.
“All of that stuff depends on how much they’re drinking and how often they’re drinking,” Wenzell said. “We’ve heard and read multiple studies on binge drinking and its effects on students and their health, which is our main concern. But what we have seen is students who consume alcohol too much. They become disassociated with their school. Their attitude changes at home and they start to lose connections that they need that were there to support them.”
Wenzell believes that underage drinking has decreased since he was in high school. The possibility is that the school and community have different opinions than other cities and areas.
“It could be education, it could be the peer norms,” Wenzell said. “We have such a great school here. That I don’t know if it’s accepted or it’s not accepted. It isn’t the norm here. But our students have expectations, and we talk about chemic pride and what that is and we preach it all the time here and I think that plays into the decisions that our students make.”
The process of finding help and recovering starts by asking for help. Administration and staff in the building want to create a safe environment for growth, one that doesn’t rely on repercussions.
“If you do make a mistake, understand that we’re here for you. We’re here to support you. We’re here to help you through it and it’s not going to be easy. It’s not always easy. There are a lot of bumps in the road. But coming and seeking help is huge. It’s the first step,” Wenzell said.
Athletic Director Eric Albright knows alcohol addiction has been an issue for many years. However, recently he has noticed these numbers going down to only a couple of cases a year.
“I would be naive to say, Oh, it doesn’t happen with teenagers because it’s happened with teenagers since the beginning of time,” Albright said. “ I would say the incidence of it being reported or caught if you will, is actually quite rare.”.
Many believe that in society today, we’ve begun to accept alcoholism as the standard. During Dow week, homecoming, and parties, drinking has been normalized even among teenagers.
“Absolutely, unequivocally, one hundred percent, The American Society has programmed to say that alcohol is okay to have when you get home from work,” Wenzell said. “When you’re watching a football game, when you go to a baseball game or any of those events, you typically will see that and that is okay. If it’s done in a conscious effort when you’re off age right? But our students are still developing those skills at this age where it’s not appropriate for them.”
NW-05. News Analysis
Stories should be interpretive in nature, not straight news stories. The elements “why” and “how” should be examined through research, but the writer’s opinions should not be expressed. An analysis covers issues and problems that relate to specific events of a news nature.
Judging Criteria
- Sharp, attention-getting lead that underscore the why/how elements of the news
- Clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact and prominence
- Clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news
- Develops an understanding of the issues/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources
- Avoids personal opinion unless properly attributed
- Sentences, paragraphs of varied length, written clearly, concisely and vividly
- Effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources
- Proper diction/grammar; use of third person