The Windermere Word: A High School Newspaper

Letters to the Editors

Do you want to . . .
- offer suggestions?
- get your opinion heard about something (anything)?
- tell us what you think about how we’ve been doing?
- comment on a specific article, and share your thoughts by getting your message posted on this page?

If so, send us an email at windermere.word@gmail.com! OR, leave a comment right here!  :)

11 Responses

  1. Alice

    Yeah, I agree. Your december issue beats the november one cuz it’s got a whole bunch of different things in it now.. and more diverse writers.

    December 4, 2008 at 8:42 PM

  2. oOooo

    when are you guys going to make the paper totally online? i mean n just have mainly one copy per classroom?

    that will come very soon, I think. it depends on how well we think the paper is doing, because a lot of people probably don’t like going online to read it and they want their own copy and all that – but that’s eventually what we’re aiming for. :) no definite answer right now, but expect something like it in the future! thanks for asking.

    jenn

    December 5, 2008 at 6:56 PM

  3. favioooo0

    I think Decembers article is better because you have WARRIORS OR THE MONTH :)
    & the writer for W.O.M did a job well done !

    December 6, 2008 at 1:36 PM

  4. Johnny Choy Leadership 8

    The Word Is Awesome!

    I SECOND THAT. ^

    - RIco

    December 10, 2008 at 2:36 PM

  5. :)

    hey jen

    maybe for the photos right, you could make it kind of like facebook so when you click on a picture… it would show that pic only and when you click it again… it would go on to the next picture… just a suggestion

    yeah, that would be an awesome improvement – if only we had the means to do it… heh heh. we don’t really know how, and i think the template we’re using (which is supplied by wordpress) doesn’t really allow that feature. =/ we’ll change it if we can though – thanks for the suggestion! keep ‘em coming.

    jenn

    December 11, 2008 at 5:46 PM

  6. Anonymous

    Hey…

    So I was at the parent-teacher interviews yesterday, and I was kind of concerned with the wasteful-ness. EVERY table was covered in paper, while they could have just left it bare… and there were a lot of tables. Also, for every teacher, they had two pieces of paper in front of them. Keep in mind, this is every single teacher in our school. Anyways, it was just disappointing that our school would exploit our use of paper, that’s all. Just an interesting observation. :)

    Thanks, and great job with the paper so far- you guys really brought the Word to a whole new level.

    -an avid reader.

    good point out. i think the school was worried about “looking nice” for the parents so they wasted some paper. hopefully in future years they’ll find alternatives.

    - cantaloupe

    December 12, 2008 at 12:04 PM

  7. Anonymous

    hey ive noticed that no one has been doing the advice column for some time now… except that, the website has been awesome!!! :) keep up the good word :D

    December 16, 2008 at 4:20 PM

  8. arraa

    i think that sometimes when you are giving feedback, or comments or answering a question you guys get a tad bit sarcastic which comes off a little rude, but other than that keep up the good work!

    yes, unfortunately we are not perfect. i personally tend to get a little aggravated with some of the responses that some select individuals often choose to post on our web blog and it’s not always appreciated. of course, chitha reminds me to keep my cool and just delete the comments altogether, without leaving any snide comments – because of course that’s not really a mature way to deal with it. i hope by now i’ve learned to not let it get to me :) but thank you for your honesty, we really appreciate it!

    sincerely,
    jenn

    December 17, 2008 at 7:25 PM

  9. Rickastley1993

    Dear Editor:

    Why are you all such biased [deleted word] it seems the word is less about writing what you want to write and more if the editor agrees about what you say in your paper.

    Dear Rickastley1993, aka “Sammy Cyclone”, “Johnny Glacier”, and “Codename:X”:

    Thanks for visiting our website and leaving us with your comments. Unfortunately, we had to take the majority of them off because of their hurtful nature; keep in mind that we are not the only readers out there, and we wish to keep our website clean of any type of negativity. However, we understand that you are angry at our apparent “biasness” – so we would like to respond to you in a more pleasant manner than the one you have so far shown us.

    Please recognize that we know our newspaper is not at all perfect, nor do we claim to be “professional.” We believe that “professional journalism” in the corporate media is in fact bias, no matter how you try to justify it. There are newspapers that are more conservative, and there are some that are more liberal. We do not claim that are newspaper is entirely objective.

    As editors, we do not change the content of the original article; we merely check for grammar, accuracy of content, and offer pointers. We know that editors should not publish articles if they are ‘bias’ – we should, in fact, go back to those writers and tell them to rewrite them. However, we accept them as editorials and forms of advocacy journalism because there is passion behind what they are trying to say. We do not censor articles, no matter how controversial. If there was ever an article that we did not particularly agree with, but contained supporting evidence, we would publish it. Our principal, Mr. Schindel, ultimately has the final say. Overall, awareness of one perspective is better than no perspective at all.

    However, having said that, is it still considered ‘balanced’ if 99% of articles on climate change, for example, that are published in one year, support the idea and say that it is happening, that is exists, versus the 1% that claim it does not? Should we as editors make sure that 50% of our articles say that it’s true and 50% say that it isn’t true? What kind of response would that evoke from some of our viewers? We have yet to hear from students about the ‘biasness’ of our paper. Yet, as mentioned above, every newspaper has a stance.

    At this point I would like to refer to a quote made by Howard Zinn, historian:

    “Society has varying and conflicting interests; what is called objectivity is the disguise of one of these interests – that of neutrality. But neutrality is a fiction in an unneutral world. There are victims, there are executioners, and there are bystanders… and the ‘objectivity’ of the bystander calls for inaction while other heads fall.” (qtd. from Media Lens)

    Lastly, if students have problems with the articles that are published, they are free to comment or reply back with an opposing article. We will publish them as long as they are not hateful or contemptuous. We can only do so much to ensure that the articles are not too one-sided; we are two high school students who dedicate hours and hours into putting this paper out every month. We do not get paid for what we do. When it comes down to it, if no other students want to write the opposing article, and our writers do not adhere to cut and dry objective articles, then that’s what the paper shall be.

    Every month, students at Windermere have the opportunity to write for our paper. Every month, we believe it gets better and better. Every month, we do not please everyone. But every month, we are only two people. Therefore our paper is not yet the perfect paper that you wish it to be. We try, but if you still dislike it, then you are free avert your attention elsewhere.

    Thank you for reading,

    Jenn & Chitha

    P.S. – All our poll results are correct and based on a limited number of people, indicated as such at the top of the “poll results” page. You may choose to believe them or not, but our integrity remains in tact.

    January 29, 2009 at 10:36 AM

  10. 21 THOUSAND

    TWENTY ONE THOUSAND hits?! Wow!!
    this is starting from November right? Great job!! Happy Word Week!

    February 1, 2009 at 3:58 PM

  11. Dani Miller

    Hello I emailed your email above but it didn’t go through. Hence me posting here. :)

    My name is Dani Miller and I was wondering if I could submitt a write up in
    your magazine about my company Rustic Roots Productions.

    I deal with Artist Management & Bookings for musicians on my roster as well
    as other bands through out the city.

    I am going to be setting up in the future many all ages shows and would
    love to get the word out more. :)

    If you’d like me to come in and meet with someone in person I would be
    happy to do so as well.

    Looking forward to talking more about this and happy holidays as well. :)
    Dani Miller

    December 20, 2011 at 2:28 PM

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