Producing The Hawkeye: BHHS’ Student Newspaper

“Dr. Hartley’s Beat” and daily announcements are a few ways students receive news at Bloomfield Hills High School. Another interesting way to get the pulse on school life is through the student-run newspaper, The Hawkeye. The paper is distributed to BHHS students and faculty four to six times per year. It requires the efforts of numerous creative, dedicated students, and one organized, passionate educator to transform an idea into a finished edition.

The Newspaper class is a year-long elective offered at BHHS. This year, The Hawkeye is staffed by 29 students across grades ten through twelve. With seven years as BHHS’ newspaper teacher, Rachel Matz welcomes all students who are interested in journalism. In order to ensure future staff members understand the commitment and responsibility of working on the paper, there is an admission process. Students must complete an application, obtain the approval of a teacher, submit a writing sample, and take a grammar test. “This [year’s] staff is a very hard working group of students, and they are not afraid to try new things. This is also one of my most collaborative groups - they work together really nicely and support each other,” said Matz.

The process from conception to distribution of the paper takes five to six weeks. The first step is a brainstorming session where students gather together in small groups to discuss ideas for each section of the paper: news, sports, opinion, feature, and entertainment. The ideas are shared with the whole class and Matz compiles the suggestions into an interest form. While Matz doesn't guarantee their choice, an effort is made to ensure students are writing articles which appeal to them.

After articles are assigned, design manager Reyna Nandalur (grade 12) works on the design and layout. “My main focus is making the designs for the front cover, the center spread, and the back page.” Meanwhile, staff writers are scheduling interviews, conducting research, and writing copy. Samaara Rashid (grade 10) and Hiba Kahn (grade 10) work together to create a story for the entertainment section in the new edition. The duo are choosing shows, movies, and books to recommend to their readers. “We're going to be doing our own research and then we're going to compare it, collaborating and putting it all together, letting people know what they should be watching.”

The next step is for the section editors to edit the articles. Ari Melamed (grade 11), news section editor, describes, “I manage multiple stories at one time, along with writing my own. This has been a tough challenge, but I'm up for it, and I enjoy it.” Co-editors-in-chief, Camryn Redding (grade 12) and Jamie Zousmer (grade 12) oversee the whole process, “Motivating fellow staffers and making sure we're meeting deadlines is our biggest challenge,” says Redding. The role is also fulfilling, Zousmer comments, “One of our biggest highlights is that we produced our first issue the earliest we ever have, [we were] super productive and on time!”

The newspaper also has a web version to which all writers contribute. Readers can locate it at: https://bhhstoday.org/. This version contains up-to-date information, links to local events, and a digital version of the printed Hawkeye. This is a great resource for individuals who don’t receive a printed copy. For more information about joining The Hawkeye staff, contact Rachel Matz at rmatz@bloomfield.org, and keep your eyes peeled for the latest edition! The Hawkeye’s next issue is scheduled to be published and distributed by February 14, 2025.