When I arrived at work yesterday morning, my voice mails included a rather terse (that's being polite) message from a reader. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why Samoset Elementary's space camp would be on Page 1A in his Bradenton Herald. He didn't identify himself or leave a number, so I couldn't return his call.
It gnawed at me -- why not showcase local kids having a joyful learning experience? Why not have that "galactic good time" displayed front and center for a change of pace?
Well, thanks to Margi Nanney, Manatee School District's PIO, the best answers came from a parent. Margi e-mailed me this note to reporter Tiffany St. Martin:
Dear Tiffany St. Martin,
Your article on Samoset: “Galactic good time” was an absolute thrill for our students when they heard and saw their pictures in the newspaper and on the internet.
Thank you for all sharing your time with our Samoset family and making this summer a thrill for the children. As a teacher there is nothing more exciting than seeing our students thrills on their faces when they have done something positive especially while learning. You have given the students an experience they probably will never forget and may well be one of the most successful times for them. My son worked very hard on the music part of the project and was extra rewarding for him to get such great recognition. It was also very exciting and made me very proud of him and his dedication and to be recognized for his work was wonderful.
Again thank you for time and consideration for Samoset.
Sincerely,
David M. Leppek
That one thank-you makes it all worthwhile. Here are links to Tiffany's story and Grant Jefferies' photo gallery, in case you missed them. There's also three audio soundbites attached, thanks to Tiffany.
Joan
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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4 comments:
Call me a curmudgeon, but I tend to agree with your anonymous caller ...
The story about the space camp certainly belonged in the paper. It was positive, uplifting, inspiring, etc., etc. It would be a nice story for the local news section, or maybe features.
But the front page? C'mon, get real.
With all the important news every day -- news that has a direct impact on our lives -- how could you devote that much space to such a frivolous topic?
Hear, hear!
What's next, an update on the Girl Scout Cookie Drive? A review of Miss Mosley's 6th grade summer choral presentation?
Save the fluff for the community pages. Front page news should be either important or interesting (hopefully both). Space camp is neither.
Don't listen to the naysayers, Ms. Krauter! We need all the good news we can get.
Who wants to read another story about oil prices or Iraq or corrupt politicians? I thought the space camp story was fun and entertaining. It brightened my day.
If the media put out more stories like this, about positive role models and values, maybe the world would be a better place.
Thanks for sticking to your beliefs, and keep up the good work!
Maybe it's about time we start to gloify the good things happening in Bradenton instead of all the negative things happening.
Loved the article about the kids, we need more of it.
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