By Staff
FROM THE DRAWING BOARD From left, Meridian High School students Ashley Brown, a junior, and seniors Ann Marie Hall, Daniel Pickett and Jaime Broadhead design a page of The Wildcat to be created on computer. Photo by Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
By Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
Nov. 8, 2001
The Wildcat, Meridian High School's student newspaper, has entered the technological age of printing.
Its staff produced the first computer-generated issue on Oct. 19. The pages were downloaded onto compact disc, delivered to The Meridian Star and printed as the first edition of the school year.
Laura Hyche, faculty adviser, said the students have more pride in their product since the transition.
Previously the students created layout sheets, wrote the articles and submitted the photographs and The Meridian Star's composing room put the paper together. Now, using an iMac computer, the pages are created and burned onto a compact disc.
The students have made the transition to digital cameras as well, which has saved the newspaper money by eliminating the cost of film and processing.
The new equipment was purchased with the newspaper's advertising revenue.
With the technological advances, the paper has also grown from 12 pages to 16. The added pages are used for features and senior spotlights.
A senior, this is her first experience working on the paper. She said she became editor partly because she has time for the job. She said she spends an average of two hours a week after school making sure everything is getting done.
Other members of the newspaper staff also work on their own time.
Brown plans to major in English, and is considering minoring in journalism.
The next issue of The Wildcat will be published Nov. 20, with a focus on Homecoming.
Steve Gillespie is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3233, or e-mail him at sgillespie@themeridianstar.com.
The Wildcat publishes six times a year with the following staff:
Advisor Laura Hyche
Editor Pascha Brown
Features editors Jaime Broadhead, Ann Marie Hall
Sports editors Alexa Crane, Katie Snowden
News editors Daniel Pickett, Joseph Johnson
Contributing writers David Ray, Anterrio Rogers, Mary Katherine Covert
Additional staff Ashley Brown, Robby Followell