KSPA State 2020: “Previously On-Site” Contest D

ASSIGNMENT

You have 32 hours to write a yearbook feature story. The story should be approximately 250 words. With the aid of computers this year, we are able to enforce this. Please do not write longer than the word limit.

Please use the information provided below. The writer should determine which information is relevant and important to the story. Students may use dictionary, thesaurus and/or the Associated Press style manual.

When you submit, you will simply be submitting plain text. Formatting such as italics, bold and underline will not transfer. Also, paragraph breaks will not transfer. To show the judge your intention to create a paragraph break, please use this double-backslash symbol: //  For instance, a passage with two paragraph breaks would look like this:

The school board reversed the policy with an 11-1 vote. // “I disagreed with the decision, but I lost this time,” said board president Yvonnes Nulton. // The policy will go into effect at the start of next school year.

TIMELINE

• 3 p.m. April 17: contest materials available
• 11 p.m. April 18: contest submission due

DIRECTIONS

This contest is meant to be completed individually. Please refrain from seeking help from others while completing this contest.

Failure to follow these directions may result in disqualification from the contest without refund. Please read and follow carefully. 

1. Read over the prompt presented below. The writer should determine which information is relevant and important to the story.
2. While writing, you may use resources like the AP Stylebook, an online style guide or a dictionary/thesaurus. 
3. Use whatever technology works best for you while writing your draft. This could be pencil and paper, your cell phone, your computer, etc. Do whatever you’re most comfortable with.
4. Do not include your name or your school’s name anywhere on your final draft.
5. Type up the final version of your story and submit it here.
6. Please do not share your draft, notes or ideas about the prompt with others until the 32-hour window closes.

Here is a link to this contest’s judging rubric.

DESCRIPTION

You are a member of Sunflower High School’s journalism staff. Your editor has asked you to write a story for the yearbook.

SCHOOL INFO

• Name: Sunflower High School
• Location: Clinton, Kansas
• Mascot: Mighty Buffalo
• Enrollment: 800 (grades 9-12)
• School colors: yellow and brown
• Yearbook: The Sunflower
• Newspaper: Sunflower News

Contest Info

• This is an on-site contest. 
• Do not put your name on the entry. If you do, your entry will be disqualified.
• Students must not request help or advice from any person other than the KSPA Executive Director Eric Thomas at staff@kspaonline.org, and that advice must be requested before the start of the contest.
• All work must be solely that of the contestant.

Research for a story about how Sunflower High School’s Politics Club is helping students register to vote and get involved in American politics

From senior Sadie Jenkins, politics club president:

• “I think it’s really valuable for students, even the ones who aren’t 18, to get involved with politics. It really gives you a different perspective and helps you understand the world a bit more.”
• “I plan to study political science and pre-law when I go to college next year. I’m determined to become a congresswoman one day.”
• “Politics club is great. We talk and debate about the current political climate. We all have different opinions, and we have a good mix of political ideas in the club. The best thing about the club is that everyone is really respectful and we really try not to get angry at one another.”
• “It’s easy for people to get angry when they have opposing views, but as president of the club, I try to keep disrespectful arguments to a minimum. I love when club members debate and are passionate about their beliefs, but we also try to keep it calm and under control as well. Mr. Hutchinson is great at diffusing arguments.”
• “We’ve helped over 60 students register to vote for the upcoming election and we hope to register more. After asking around, I realized most kids my age don’t know how to register to vote or what’s required. So I pitched the idea to politics club to help SHS students register to vote.”
• “Basically, politics club sets up a table in the lunchroom once a week to register students to vote. We make sure it’s mentioned in the morning announcements. We have painted signs and we encourage students walking by to lunch to come register. We have laptops set up so students can enter their information. It’s actually pretty easy to register to vote, so it only takes a few minutes.”

From Marty Hutchinson, teacher and politics club adviser:

• “I decided to be the adviser for politics club because I think it’s so important for young people to get involved in American politics. They’re the future of this country.”
• “Our main goal this year was to get more students registered to vote for the 2020 presidential election. We’ve registered around 60 students so far, but we’re still working to get more.”
• “I’ve found that students really take after their parents when it comes to politics, especially when they’re this young. If the parents are politically active, the student is more likely to become involved. If the parents never vote and don’t care about politics, the student usually doesn’t have as good of a grasp of the importance of politics. One of the goals of politics club is to help the students who don’t understand it get more involved.”

From senior Dillon Brady, new member of politics club:

• “I never really paid much attention to politics up until the last few months. Sadie [Jenkins] talked to me about politics club and it sounded interesting. I started keeping up with the presidential candidates and debates. I think it’s really cool to talk about really important subjects that affect the whole country.”
• “My friends think politics are kind of stupid and a waste of time. But I disagree. Politics club has helped me see that it’s really important.”
• “Politics club helped me register to vote in the election this year. I can’t wait to vote. It makes me feel important.”

From junior Olive Wiley, SHS student

• “I went up to the politics club table at lunch last week, and they helped me register to vote. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to vote this year, but after seeing the news recently I decided I should.”
• “My parents aren’t really into politics. We don’t really talk about it ever. But I see a ton of political talk on Twitter and Instagram, so I’ve looked into it a little bit.”
• “I don’t think I would have registered to vote on my own. Politics club having a table set up during lunch made it more accessible for me, and they made it easy.”

Facts from your research

• Politics club has 33 members: 14 seniors, 8 juniors, 5 sophomores and 6 freshmen
• The club meets once a week to discuss current politics and the upcoming presidential election
• Adviser Marty Hutchinson teaches American history, government and AP government.
• Sadie Jenkins’s father is the mayor of Clinton, Kansas.
• Politics club started in 2015 at Sunflower High School.
• Politics club is preparing for and talking about the 2020 presidential election between President Donald Trump and the Democratic nominee
• The Democratic primary race is currently between former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders.
• The Kansas Democratic presidential primary will be held on May 2, 2020.
• The Kansas Senate election will be held on Nov. 3, 2020