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The Panther Post MCMS Journalism Program 2022-23

The mission of the Medea Creek Journalism Program was rooted in teaching the ethics and fundamentals of student journalism, promoting a love for all forms of writing and creating a pathway to future opportunities.

Students in grades six through eight were invited to attend, not necessarily with a love for writing, but with an open mind.

The hope was that students would join a supportive writing community where they could take advantage of peer and mentor tutoring, improve their skills and get published on a widely-read, online platform.

One successful, inaugural year of the club has now passed. Medea Creek Middle School now has a publication, The Panther Post, a name chosen by its journalists.

In celebration of all the media they have produced from 2022-2023, The Panther Post is proud to present this collection of a year's worth of news, opinion and feature articles, as well as photo stories and podcasts.

NEWS, SPORTS & FEATURE

Excellent sports reporting on this year's soccer games, complete with quotes from the coach and players, as well as a schedule of the games.

This in-depth article shadows the Medea Creek cross country team through their early morning practices up until the legendary Mt. Sac invitational race.

A beginning of the year spotlight on Principal Jantz, brought to you by eighth grader Jade Wolff, who interviewed Jantz in order to cover her background in education and accomplishments.

Another spotlight celebrates a recipient of teacher of the month, covers student achievement in the art room and talks Ms. Cadle's favorite campus club of all time - cheese club.

Featuring an inside look at a campus club, as well as stunning student art, student journalist Sampath Alavilli informed students, at the time of this article's publication in October, of a great hangout spot at lunch where they can pursue a passion.

Student journalist Abhi Kodali covers a brand new elective to the 2022-23 school year, Intro to Audio and Music Production, and even includes a sample project from the class.

This article is of the same caliber as the articles published daily at the high school. Student journalists Saanvi Dasari and Aditi Agina expertly interviewed and gained information on safety measures and security updates on the MCMS campus and wrote about them in an informative, concise way characteristic to the news format.

This nearly 2,000-word monster article is sports commentary journalism at its finest, and student journalist Yash Parikh more than accomplished the daunting task of covering an entire sports team. He even utilized data and statistics to support his points and make his predictions.

Parikh's article has become one of the most engaging pieces of media from The Panther Post, garnering comments and likes on the website.

An article on both the addition of Chinese classes at MCMS and the teacher of this new elective.

Showcasing the incredible WEB program, Simran Kaur, Gloria Koo and Riya Yarlagadda shined a light on the mission of the initiative and the experiences of all students involved.

Another long-form feature piece of journalism, brought to you by Abhinav Kodali, dives into the student journalist's passion for Rubix Cubes, cubing competitions, its history and the future of the discipline.

PHOTOSTORIES
PODCASTS

The Epitome of Music

Brought to you by Anvi Sharma and Ananaya Hariharan

A music and drama-oriented podcast where we judge and analyze music, report musical artist-related drama and scandals, and share our opinions about the world of musical artists.

Go Talk

Brought to you by Abhinav Kodali and Shashank Brahmandam

A podcast that dives into the ins and outs of Pokémon.

Anything and Everything Podcast

Brought to you by Ava Lamattina, Siddhi Sanjay, Nysha Vishal and Smriti Chaudhury

This podcast is about anything and everything! All of us gather around and discuss a topic. There is a different topic each time we record. The one we did most recently was siblings. Your hosts are three older siblings and one younger - what could happen?

Ranch on Pizza??

Brought to you by Emily Hardy

In this bizarre podcast, a few friends argue over whether or not pizza should be dipped in ranch (and if ranch should be used to dip anything in at all).

The NBA's Big 30

Brought to you by Yash Parikh

A podcast where all NBA fans can stay updated with their favorite team. This episode is all about the Bucks. With the best record in the league, they seem to have a good chance at winning the title. Can they win it all? Follow us as we break down the possible outcomes of many playoff scenarios for them, as well as going over some of their key players. Happy listening!

Unpopular Opinions

Brought to you by Saanvi Dasari and Jade Wolff

Tune in as we dive deep into the world of unpopular opinions. Do you think the color orange is underrated? Or that socks with sandals need to go? Maybe you think that the debate of pineapple on pizza just needs to end? And of course, we’re right. Join us as we catch you up on the hottest takes of our generation.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Brought to you by Aditi Agina and Nikki Ranjit

Movies examine every part of the human experience. They display different cultures and peoples in ways that may not always be correct. Join us as we dive through different cinematic stories and how they impact our views of social groups.

JOIN US NEXT YEAR!

Artists, writers, creators... anyone interested is welcome!

More details will come at the start of next school year! A change in the high school's schedule will impact timing and logistics, but look out for The Panther Post at MCMS club week!

Who should come:

  • Any student at MCMS! Grades 6-8.
  • Artists especially - published work needs art to go with it!
  • You do not need to love writing, just have an open mind.
  • All are welcome!

Students...

  • Will have the opportunity to get their work published.
  • Can become eligible for a number of journalism awards through nationally recognized conventions.
  • Can enter the high school journalism and writing programs with full confidence in their abilities.
  • May be able to complete up to 7 years of journalism experience throughout middle school and high school.
  • Will be surrounded by like-minded peers and gain the benefits of cooperation, teamwork and leadership.
  • Will gain advice and mentorship from any available Talon staff, some of the best writers and artists at Oak Park High School.

A giant thank you to Mrs. Wenker and Mrs. Stein for making this club possible! All credit for the journalism featured in this newsletter goes to the amazing MCMS students who joined this program for its first year.