By: Martha Ervin

The first staff of the Knight’s Scroll -- KHS’s first newspaper.

            This year, 21 students made history in Ben Vessa’s second block class by becoming the staff of Knightdale High School’s first official school newspaper. The odds were against us from the beginning – a previously failed paper loomed over our heads; we had no funding and limited computer access. “This class started from scratch,” commented Vessa, the Newspaper advisor. The class also took on the challenge of managing two forms of media publication: print and online. Despite all these obstacles, the staff came together to begin a program that will continue long after the youngest staff member has graduated.

            Coming into the class, we all had different expectations. Fine Arts writer Sara Awad said she wanted a class that would, “Prepare me for journalism since I want to pursue it as a career. I expected hard work… and a great experience.” After taking the class, she recommends it, saying, “You can learn from it and you’ll have a lot of fun.” Vessa said, “I knew we had talented people,” but was unsure what to expect. As editor, I anticipated that we, as a class and as individuals, would grow to meet new challenges, deadlines, and goals. We faced adversities such as laptop carts that didn’t turn on, deadlines that we did not meet, and days when motivation was scarce. Looking back to my first few weeks as editor, my expectations have been met, if not exceeded exponentially. Vessa agrees, stating that, “They learned a lot [through] our online newspaper, page design on Microsoft Publisher, and about writing a professional news article.” I believe that everyone who has taken this class has matured in some form; I am incredibly proud of all the staff members and what they have achieved.

            In December 2009, the Knight’s Scroll released its first print newspaper, which received much praise from the community. As editor, I hope that this will be the first of many publications. Though many of our staff will be moving on to other classes, I look forward to the future and continuation of Knightdale High School’s official school newspaper, The Knight’s Scroll.