For Sandpoint High School junior Jesse Webster Merwin, love of writing began at an early age.
“I grew up having my mom and papa read to me,” said Jesse. “When I was 8 years old, I started to write stories. A friend and I wrote a 12-page mystery back then.”
But it was when she was in seventh grade and started to read the Sandpoint High School student newspaper, the Cedar Post, that Jesse became interested in journalism.
“Bailey (her sister) would bring home the Cedar Post and I would read every word,” said Jesse. By the time she reached her freshman year, Jesse said she read it cover to cover right when it came out and would eagerly await publication of the next issue, usually about three weeks later.
Now, as she finishes her junior year at Sandpoint High School, Jesse is proud to say that next year she will be the editor in chief of the Cedar Post, an award-winning publication.
Students from Sandpoint High School’s Cedar Post and Monticola, the school’s yearbook, attended the National Journalism Education Association High School Convention in Portland recently and both publications came home with several awards.
“There were about 3,000 people at the conference and I believe there were about 500 schools,” said Jennifer Prandato, this year’s editor for the Cedar Post. “People came from pretty much every state in the U.S.”
According to Barbara Tibbs, the staff adviser for Monticola, this was the first time in 10 years the yearbook staff attended the conference because Cedar Post staff typically attended the fall conference.
“The newspaper staff returned to going to the spring conference and we (the yearbook staff) could go together,” said Tibbs. “Fall conferences are difficult for spring-delivery books to attend.”
The Cedar Post placed seventh in the nation for the December 2009 edition in the eight-page-and-under division, something Prandato attributes to the perseverance of a group of young writers.
“We had a very young and inexperienced staff this year, so the fact that we were able to learn so fast shows that they really have a talent,” said Prandato.
Merwin said they may compete next year in the 10-page-and-over category, but adds that will remain to be seen. She does have a goal, however, and she intends to achieve it through a variety of ways.
“Hopefully we will get in the top three next year,” she said.
One of the changes she will implement as editor is to make the paper more visually attractive to high school students.
“Instead of writing longer stories, we will break it up with color fact boxes and photos,” said Merwin, who adds that the editorial staff will also take strong positions on issues. “Hopefully we’ll get more letters to the editor.”
One prestigious award was received by Sandpoint junior Connor Griesemer who placed second in an unrelated photo contest through the Edward R. Murrow College of Journalism at Washington State University.
“The (photo) contest was open to high schools in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska and they received over a hundred entries,” said Prandato.
Something unique about the Cedar Post is that it is a student-run newspaper. While they do have an adviser, William Love, the administration does not dictate to the students what should and should not be printed.
“But at the same time we do recognize that we are a high school paper and not everything is appropriate for freshmen or the seventh-graders who may be reading it,” said Merwin, who hopes that students who read the paper will be inspired to write.
“You might not use it in calculus, but writing is something you’ll always need,” she said. “Students may not want to write a 10-page English paper, but if you tell them they can write a no-nonsense story, they usually like it.”
But don’t think the Cedar Post will be the last place you will get the chance to read Merwin’s articles.
“I want to go into political journalism,” she said. “My dream job is to write a political column for the New York Times.”
Stay tuned. My bet is that she will do just that.
Other awards won by Sandpoint High School students
Blaine Shultz, honorable mention in yearbook copy/caption: sports; Barry Wilson, honorable mention in literary magazine: poetry; Jennifer Prandato, honorable mention in newspaper layout; Evan Metz, excellence in editorial cartooning; Amanda Hayes, honorable mention in news writing; Graham Cole, honorable mention in feature writing; Jessie Webster Merwin, excellence in editorial writing; Eddie Ogle, excellence in sports writing; Dylan Vogel, excellence in yearbook student life photography (one of his winning photos is shown on the front page of the JEA website); Kendall Stratton, honorable mention in computer design: photoshop art.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Friendship Deepens Between Two Women in Their Search for Birth Parents
Barb Hecker always knew she was loved. Adopted at birth, she was blessed with a wonderful family and a happy childhood.
“My brother and I were thrilled to know that we were twice loved,” said Hecker, of Sandpoint. “Our birth mothers loved us enough to make sure we had a good home, and our adoptive parents carried on from there.”
But when Hecker had her own children, she felt something missing.
“I got tired of going to the doctor’s office, filling out forms and always putting ‘unknown’ on health history,” said Hecker.
It prompted her to begin the search for her birth parents 12 years ago. She contacted the agency that handled her adoption and within two weeks she had the information needed to locate her birth mother.
Unfortunately, she had died. But Barb learned she had two half-brothers.
She traveled to Texas to meet them and at the advice of the agency, did so alone.
“They said I did not want to have to worry about my husband and kids because I would be busy processing my own emotions,” said Hecker. It was advice for which she is grateful.
And if her half-brothers had any doubt Hecker was their sister, it vanished the minute they saw her.
“My brothers took one look at me and they knew,” said Hecker, who is told she shares many traits with her birth mother. “They said it was like seeing a ghost.”
After returning to Sandpoint, Hecker shared her story with her friend Laurie Anderson, of Sagle.
Like Hecker, Anderson was adopted. Born in the Seattle area, she grew up in Ellensburg.
“Every time we went to Seattle, I would always look around and wonder,” Anderson said of her curiosity about her birth parents.
But she was not sure about whether she wanted to begin the search.
“I felt it may be hurtful to my parents,” Anderson said of her adoptive parents. But because she had four children of her own, she, too, wanted to know about her ethnic background as well as any potential health issues. So with Hecker’s help she began the process.
“If it weren’t for Barb, I would not have done it,” Anderson said.
Working with the Washington Adoptive Rights Movement, it took three years for Anderson to locate her birth mother.
“They said it was the least amount of information they ever had to go on,” Anderson said.
Initially, her birth mother was not sure she wanted to meet. But after Laurie's birth mother notified Laurie's birth father, the couple agreed to meet their daughter they gave up decades before.
Anderson asked Hecker to accompany her to the meeting.
“I wanted to take Barb because if it weren’t for her I would not have done this,” Anderson said. “And because she did not get the chance to meet her birth mother I wanted her to be a part of it.”
Together the friends flew to Seattle to meet Anderson’s birth parents who had flown from Oklahoma City and Colorado.
They had dinner at the Space Needle and talked at length, asking questions and fulfilling one another’s curiosity.
Anderson’s birth mother, still unsure of the meeting, looked to Hecker for advice on how to handle this newfound relationship. She said she had never had other children and did not think she could be a mom.
“I told her, ‘Laurie does not want a mother. She wants a friend,’ ” Hecker said. “She said, ‘I can do that.’ ”
She also shared with Hecker that when she found out she was pregnant, Anderson’s birth father flew back from overseas, brought her a string of pearls and proposed to her. But she declined, saying she was not ready.
Anderson’s birth mother had kept the string of pearls and brought them with her when she met Anderson.
“She asked me what I thought about her and Laurie’s birth father presenting Laurie with the pearls,” Hecker said. “I told her I was sure she would love it.”
Hecker was right. It is a gift Anderson treasures.
As both women discovered more about their biological beginnings, their closure began and their friendship grew. “There’s definitely a bond,” Anderson said.
“A deep-down bond,” Hecker said, adding that it was healing for her to share the journey with Anderson. “It is a very intimate experience.”
Both Anderson and Hecker advise that searching for one’s birth parents may not be for everyone. But if one does undertake the search, Hecker said people need to be sure they are doing it for the right reasons, such as discovering medical history, or just to know the story behind why they were given up for adoption. It can help to give closure.
“It is definitely a journey, but it is one worth taking,” Anderson said.
Hecker agrees.
“You can’t have peace until you find the pieces,” she said.
“My brother and I were thrilled to know that we were twice loved,” said Hecker, of Sandpoint. “Our birth mothers loved us enough to make sure we had a good home, and our adoptive parents carried on from there.”
But when Hecker had her own children, she felt something missing.
“I got tired of going to the doctor’s office, filling out forms and always putting ‘unknown’ on health history,” said Hecker.
It prompted her to begin the search for her birth parents 12 years ago. She contacted the agency that handled her adoption and within two weeks she had the information needed to locate her birth mother.
Unfortunately, she had died. But Barb learned she had two half-brothers.
She traveled to Texas to meet them and at the advice of the agency, did so alone.
“They said I did not want to have to worry about my husband and kids because I would be busy processing my own emotions,” said Hecker. It was advice for which she is grateful.
And if her half-brothers had any doubt Hecker was their sister, it vanished the minute they saw her.
“My brothers took one look at me and they knew,” said Hecker, who is told she shares many traits with her birth mother. “They said it was like seeing a ghost.”
After returning to Sandpoint, Hecker shared her story with her friend Laurie Anderson, of Sagle.
Like Hecker, Anderson was adopted. Born in the Seattle area, she grew up in Ellensburg.
“Every time we went to Seattle, I would always look around and wonder,” Anderson said of her curiosity about her birth parents.
But she was not sure about whether she wanted to begin the search.
“I felt it may be hurtful to my parents,” Anderson said of her adoptive parents. But because she had four children of her own, she, too, wanted to know about her ethnic background as well as any potential health issues. So with Hecker’s help she began the process.
“If it weren’t for Barb, I would not have done it,” Anderson said.
Working with the Washington Adoptive Rights Movement, it took three years for Anderson to locate her birth mother.
“They said it was the least amount of information they ever had to go on,” Anderson said.
Initially, her birth mother was not sure she wanted to meet. But after Laurie's birth mother notified Laurie's birth father, the couple agreed to meet their daughter they gave up decades before.
Anderson asked Hecker to accompany her to the meeting.
“I wanted to take Barb because if it weren’t for her I would not have done this,” Anderson said. “And because she did not get the chance to meet her birth mother I wanted her to be a part of it.”
Together the friends flew to Seattle to meet Anderson’s birth parents who had flown from Oklahoma City and Colorado.
They had dinner at the Space Needle and talked at length, asking questions and fulfilling one another’s curiosity.
Anderson’s birth mother, still unsure of the meeting, looked to Hecker for advice on how to handle this newfound relationship. She said she had never had other children and did not think she could be a mom.
“I told her, ‘Laurie does not want a mother. She wants a friend,’ ” Hecker said. “She said, ‘I can do that.’ ”
She also shared with Hecker that when she found out she was pregnant, Anderson’s birth father flew back from overseas, brought her a string of pearls and proposed to her. But she declined, saying she was not ready.
Anderson’s birth mother had kept the string of pearls and brought them with her when she met Anderson.
“She asked me what I thought about her and Laurie’s birth father presenting Laurie with the pearls,” Hecker said. “I told her I was sure she would love it.”
Hecker was right. It is a gift Anderson treasures.
As both women discovered more about their biological beginnings, their closure began and their friendship grew. “There’s definitely a bond,” Anderson said.
“A deep-down bond,” Hecker said, adding that it was healing for her to share the journey with Anderson. “It is a very intimate experience.”
Both Anderson and Hecker advise that searching for one’s birth parents may not be for everyone. But if one does undertake the search, Hecker said people need to be sure they are doing it for the right reasons, such as discovering medical history, or just to know the story behind why they were given up for adoption. It can help to give closure.
“It is definitely a journey, but it is one worth taking,” Anderson said.
Hecker agrees.
“You can’t have peace until you find the pieces,” she said.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sue Vogelsinger Recalls Her Years in the White House and Washington, D.C.
Sue Vogelsinger first learned of her boss’s death while reviewing one of his upcoming speeches. The place was Dallas. The date was Nov. 22, 1963. Her boss was President John F. Kennedy.
“My colleague, Chris Camp, and I were working on speech copy for the next stop. We were on Air Force One in (Kennedy’s) cabin when one of the stewards came through and said to pack up,” said Vogelsinger, a Sagle, Idaho, resident who served as a member of Kennedy’s press staff.
Decades later Vogelsinger smiles as she remembers the man she calls physically awe-inspiring, quick-witted and a man who truly loved his job.
“Being around President Kennedy was exhilarating,” said Vogelsinger.
After graduating from Penn State, Vogelsinger’s goal was to earn money so she could move to California.
She first worked for a Florida senator until November 1958, when she was hired by the Kennedy campaign to work with press secretary Pierre Salinger.
“I chose to work for Salinger on the theory that working with him would involve travel,” said Vogelsinger. And she was right.
After a successful campaign, Vogelsinger worked on the transition team.
“My final duty the night before the inauguration was to take a copy of President Kennedy’s inaugural address to President (Harry) Truman,” said Vogelsinger. “Much to my surprise I was able to go right up to his (hotel) room and knock on the door.”
Truman opened the door in his bedroom slippers and invited her in to meet Bess. Later that night, Vogelsinger was hospitalized for exhaustion and missed the inauguration and the ball.
During Kennedy’s administration Vogelsinger traveled extensively with the president and was in Ireland with him for the Kennedys’ emotional return to the home of their ancestors.
With a press staff of only eight, the days were long and draining – especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis and other such times.
“But you really did not care because it was so exciting and so exhilarating,” said Vogelsinger.
After Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon Johnson chose to keep Kennedy’s staff. Vogelsinger said many felt they could not do a good job for Johnson – their hearts weren’t in it. She left the White House in April 1964 to assist Salinger in his campaign to be a senator from California.
Married by this time to Bruce – who happens to be a Republican – she returned to Washington, D.C., and became pregnant with twin girls, Sera and Julia.
But a love for the Kennedys and politics led Vogelsinger back into part-time work for Robert Kennedy, opening and answering his personal mail. Vogelsinger was at home in Virginia when she received the call that Robert Kennedy had been killed.
“I worked on helping get that funeral together, too,” said Vogelsinger.
Over the years, Vogelsinger worked with several other political figures, including George and Eleanor McGovern, Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Hillary Clinton.
During Ted Kennedy’s 1980 campaign Vogelsinger was in charge of scheduling for the Kennedy wives, sisters and 29 grandkids.
“Teddy used to call me the saint,” said Vogelsinger.
She worked on President Jimmy Carter’s inaugural committee, and in 1986 she and a friend opened a media relations firm. Vogelsinger was pulled back in to the political scene by the desire to work closely with White House staff when President Bill Clinton was elected. She volunteered her time and worked closely with the first lady.
One of her favorite projects was her involvement with the promotion of Hillary Clinton’s first book, “It Takes a Village,” as a liaison between the White House and the book’s publisher.
Vogelsinger has admiration for Hillary Clinton; even through all the scandals of Monica Lewinski and the Whitewater investigations, Hillary Clinton amazed her, she said.
“She kept in amazingly good spirits,” said Vogelsinger.
Of all her years working with so many administrations, Vogelsinger said the biggest public misconception was that of Hillary Clinton.
Vogelsinger adds that her observations of both Clintons were of a couple very devoted to one another. “They were very warm and affectionate with each other. You could certainly tell they cared deeply about each other.”
Vogelsinger and her husband’s desire to be close to their daughters, who live in Sandpoint, precipitated a move from Washington, D.C.
“Politics has gotten so mean and vicious that I do not miss what it would be like today,” said Vogelsinger. “But I do miss what it was.”
The couple spent New Year’s Eve 1999 at the White House and shortly thereafter moved to Idaho.
“It was a good way to end my political career,” she said.
In four decades in Washington, D.C., Vogelsinger said one experience always took her breath away.
“I had to pinch myself each time I took off in the helicopter from the White House lawn sitting with the president of the United States,” she said.
“My colleague, Chris Camp, and I were working on speech copy for the next stop. We were on Air Force One in (Kennedy’s) cabin when one of the stewards came through and said to pack up,” said Vogelsinger, a Sagle, Idaho, resident who served as a member of Kennedy’s press staff.
Decades later Vogelsinger smiles as she remembers the man she calls physically awe-inspiring, quick-witted and a man who truly loved his job.
“Being around President Kennedy was exhilarating,” said Vogelsinger.
After graduating from Penn State, Vogelsinger’s goal was to earn money so she could move to California.
She first worked for a Florida senator until November 1958, when she was hired by the Kennedy campaign to work with press secretary Pierre Salinger.
“I chose to work for Salinger on the theory that working with him would involve travel,” said Vogelsinger. And she was right.
After a successful campaign, Vogelsinger worked on the transition team.
“My final duty the night before the inauguration was to take a copy of President Kennedy’s inaugural address to President (Harry) Truman,” said Vogelsinger. “Much to my surprise I was able to go right up to his (hotel) room and knock on the door.”
Truman opened the door in his bedroom slippers and invited her in to meet Bess. Later that night, Vogelsinger was hospitalized for exhaustion and missed the inauguration and the ball.
During Kennedy’s administration Vogelsinger traveled extensively with the president and was in Ireland with him for the Kennedys’ emotional return to the home of their ancestors.
With a press staff of only eight, the days were long and draining – especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis and other such times.
“But you really did not care because it was so exciting and so exhilarating,” said Vogelsinger.
After Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon Johnson chose to keep Kennedy’s staff. Vogelsinger said many felt they could not do a good job for Johnson – their hearts weren’t in it. She left the White House in April 1964 to assist Salinger in his campaign to be a senator from California.
Married by this time to Bruce – who happens to be a Republican – she returned to Washington, D.C., and became pregnant with twin girls, Sera and Julia.
But a love for the Kennedys and politics led Vogelsinger back into part-time work for Robert Kennedy, opening and answering his personal mail. Vogelsinger was at home in Virginia when she received the call that Robert Kennedy had been killed.
“I worked on helping get that funeral together, too,” said Vogelsinger.
Over the years, Vogelsinger worked with several other political figures, including George and Eleanor McGovern, Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Hillary Clinton.
During Ted Kennedy’s 1980 campaign Vogelsinger was in charge of scheduling for the Kennedy wives, sisters and 29 grandkids.
“Teddy used to call me the saint,” said Vogelsinger.
She worked on President Jimmy Carter’s inaugural committee, and in 1986 she and a friend opened a media relations firm. Vogelsinger was pulled back in to the political scene by the desire to work closely with White House staff when President Bill Clinton was elected. She volunteered her time and worked closely with the first lady.
One of her favorite projects was her involvement with the promotion of Hillary Clinton’s first book, “It Takes a Village,” as a liaison between the White House and the book’s publisher.
Vogelsinger has admiration for Hillary Clinton; even through all the scandals of Monica Lewinski and the Whitewater investigations, Hillary Clinton amazed her, she said.
“She kept in amazingly good spirits,” said Vogelsinger.
Of all her years working with so many administrations, Vogelsinger said the biggest public misconception was that of Hillary Clinton.
Vogelsinger adds that her observations of both Clintons were of a couple very devoted to one another. “They were very warm and affectionate with each other. You could certainly tell they cared deeply about each other.”
Vogelsinger and her husband’s desire to be close to their daughters, who live in Sandpoint, precipitated a move from Washington, D.C.
“Politics has gotten so mean and vicious that I do not miss what it would be like today,” said Vogelsinger. “But I do miss what it was.”
The couple spent New Year’s Eve 1999 at the White House and shortly thereafter moved to Idaho.
“It was a good way to end my political career,” she said.
In four decades in Washington, D.C., Vogelsinger said one experience always took her breath away.
“I had to pinch myself each time I took off in the helicopter from the White House lawn sitting with the president of the United States,” she said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
