1st Place, Human Interest Feature
2023-24, Division 4, News Writing
By Joanie Applefield
The Crane-Clarion
Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School
With only 15 minutes to get to your next class at Kingswood, you see a crowd of students huddled around a dog. Crouching down to pet the canine, your previous plan of making it to class on time is gone.
Whether you spot a dog walking around campus or your teacher brings their pet in for a 65-minute class, Cranbrook welcomes dogs on campus every day. Man’s best friend may seem to be a trivial addition to the school experience, but faculty and students alike have noticed their profound impact on the community.
Karen Gomez, the school’s Director of Wellness, and her husband, Xico Gomez, an assistant house advisor, live in the residential halls with their two-year old chocolate lab puppy, Sansa. Known for making frequent escapes into the dorms — especially into the kitchen — Sansa acts as a surrogate to many who are unable to see dogs in the dorms.
“I can tell you that, because of my dogs, at least two boys are not afraid of dogs anymore,” Gomez said. “There are a lot of Asian kids, and in Asia normally pet dogs are smaller. They don’t have a lab like mine, so some of the kids are afraid of a big dog. But then they realize she is nothing to be afraid of.”
Junior Mia Kinnick interacts with dogs on campus even with her dog allergy. She enjoys watching them in between classes as a break during her busy day and especially likes the little dog with a red vest who frequently visits Cranbrook.
“Knowing that you’re allergic you take meds, so going around dogs isn’t as big a deal as people would think it would be,” Kinnick said. “I love seeing the dogs. It makes my day better.”
It is not uncommon to see a puppy named Ginny pulling English teacher J.D. Reed around the grassy area by the quad. Ginny is six months old and enjoys saying hello to students during the week and weekend at Cranbrook’s HUB Program.
Science teacher Carolyn Moss’s long-haired dachshund, Frankie, visits events around campus and often joins her in class. Frankie also has a virtual presence with her Instagram @frankieatcranbrook. Moss has had to chase Frankie down the Gordon Science hallway on frequent occasions.
“We can get too serious and have tunnel vision on work during the school year,” Moss said. “A small little dog wandering around breaks it up and makes students pause and smile.”
NW-13. Human Interest Feature
Human interest features appeal to the emotions of the reader with inspiration, motivation, pathos or humor and often make effective use of quotes. Enter descriptive, personal experience or accomplishment, or humor in this category. These are generally shorter stories.
Judging Criteria
- Lead captures attention, arouses curiosity
- Emphasizes new element, fresh angle
- Colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style
- Reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques
- Avoids summaries of published materials
- Effective use of facts/quotes
- Interesting; appeals to the emotions
- Proper diction/grammar