Ben Seelig

Reflection on '24-'25 school year

“Quit yapping.” The very use of words has become a threat to many in 2025. Phrases like “yap-fest”, “essay”, and “word vomit” are commonplace on social media and are meant to demoralize users who say more than 50 characters. Unfortunately, the yearbook team and I entered the newsroom with that perspective in mind. How do we keep our readers engaged? Will the student body simply find themselves PMO’d and tell us to KIAB and STHU?

In past years, I focused on the external “what”. The event run downs, accomplishment lists, play by play, etc. Students read this type of content all the time, though, whether it be the conquests of Genghis Khan in their AMSCO, or the history of integration from Sir Isaac Newton’s perspective. I needed to focus more on the “internal” what. For instance, in one of my stories about a teenager enrolled in the CubeSat program, I had this notion that the subject would be a stoic, confident, genius that took everything objectively. The genius part didn’t change, but he came across rather shy and sentimental, showing an appreciation for the small details that opened his eyes on the path to where he is now. If I had given the play by play of events as I had known them before the story, the readers might end up seeing his personality the same way I saw it at the end. While telling the story this way would not be lying, I would certainly be withholding the truth from the readers, painting a fake picture of who he really is. Thus, over the past year, the integration of feelings into stories has helped me not only resonate with a modern audience, but also become a greater truth teller.

Furthermore, as my first year as coverage editor, I have gained a greater understanding of how many different voices can share one similar style. I was struggling at the beginning to keep the beats of our yearbook theme clear in the backdrop of every story and preserving AP style when it might mean dampening the writer's voice. As a result, the creation of theme exercises and thought activities helped the writers to merge their style with the year’s theme, and it helped me do the same. As a result, I have found a more cohesive idea to be present in these years' stories (rather than a floating array of notes).

I never stopped worrying that I was “running my mouth” the whole year, subjecting the students to an experience where they’d have to read “allat.” However, with the experiences I’ve had bonding with my team, words have a greater unifying force than they do a dividing force. They’re a fusion of beliefs, perspectives, and ideas. For as long as journalism stays prevalent in schools, students should expect to not be subjected to “yap”, but rather submerged in reality.

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Writing Pieces

Click on story title to read PDF.

Down the Line

A Storm is Brewing

On Record

Ballet it Forward

Out of the Orbit

Aug 2024

Oct 2024

Sept 2024

Nov 2024

Dec 2024