Meet the Journal-World Teen Board
This month marks two years since the Journal-World Teen Advisory Board was started, and its membership has grown from 15 members to more than 40. Not everybody submitted a profile, but meet some of our members and read about their accomplishments while working with the Journal-World.
Students in sixth through 12th grades may join the board, which meets monthly; contact Christy Little at 832-6361 or Steve Rottinghaus at 832-7254 for more information.
Tim Barta
Grade: ninth
School: Central Junior High
Interests: computers, friends, chaos
Stories in progress: Japan
Ben Berlin
Grade: seventh
School: Shawnee Heights Middle School
Interests: his little brother, computer, books, television, science, classical music
Stories written for 18 & Under: being a big brother
Stories in progress: foreign exchange students
Lauren Bornstein
Grade: senior
School: Free State
Interests: GSA, Politics Club, Model UN, Thespians, Student Council
Stories written for 18 & Under: visiting an all-girls college
Stories in progress: dialogue about faith
Alyson Butler
Grade: sixth
School: Quail Run
Interests: volleyball, swimming
Kathryn Butler
Grade: ninth
School: Southwest Junior High
Interests: cheerleading, volleyball, softball, science
Sally Campbell
Grade: junior
School: Free State
Interests: tennis, piano, orchestra, choir, yearbook
Stories in progress: high school music groups, following a school resource officer
Yoshika Crider
Grade: ninth
School: South Junior High School
Interests: band, piano, choir, yearbook
Kate Dempsey
Grade: junior
School: Free State
Interests: soccer, basketball, color guard, marching band
Stories written for 18 & Under: starting school
Stories in progress: school music groups
Kate also has volunteered for the Journal-World.
Keil Eggers
Grade: sixth
School: Quail Run
Interests: drums, Magic the Gathering, football, basketball
Stories written for 18 & Under: Magic the Gathering
Stories in progress: school lunch nutrition
Ben Fitch
Grade: senior
School: Free State
Stories written for 18 & Under: hip-hop scene in Lawrence, which received honorable mention in the Kansas Press Assn. contest.
Ben also has volunteered for the Journal-World.
Victoria Gilman
Grade: sixth
School: Lawrence Catholic School
Interests: soccer, violin, volleyball, reading
Stories written for 18 & Under: elementary reading group
Dylan Guthrie
Grade: seventh
School: West Junior High
Interests: guitar, soccer
Stories written for 18 & Under: dining out with class; visiting Italy; Irish heritage
Amanda Helm
Grade: junior
School: Baldwin High
Interests: softball, shopping
Stories in progress: Baldwin High correspondent
Alyssa Johnson
Grade: junior
School: Baldwin High
Interests: cheerleading, track, shopping
Stories in progress: Baldwin High correspondent
Alek Joyce
Grade: seventh
School: Central Junior High
Interests: music (punk), Legos
Stories written for 18 & Under: ’70s fads, sibling rivalry
Emily Keizer
Grade: eighth grade
School: South Junior High
Interests: piano, music, volleyball, photography, drama
Stories written for 18 & Under: homework tips, block scheduling
Stories in progress: Sport2Sport dances, following a school resource officer
Tiffany Kwak
Grade: junior
School: Free State
Interests: Latin, Model UN, theater, Social and Political Awareness Club
Stories in progress: column on why John Kerry should be president
Dwayne LaForce
Grade: sophomore
School: Free State
Interests: Politics, music (guitar)
Stories in progress: dialogue about faith
Brandon Mailand
Grade: ninth
School: Central Junior High
Interest: sports, especially football; music and band
Brittany Mailand
Grade: seventh
School: Central Junior High
Interests: drums, piano, shopping
Stories written for 18 & Under: summer treats
Ben Markley
Grade: sixth grade
School: Deerfield
Interests: Baseball, writing and cartooning
Stories written for 18 & Under: orchestra popular at Deerfield.
Stories in the works: student council election
Rodger Matthews II
Grade: sophomore
School: Free State
Interests: skateboarding, drawing, driving, drums
Chloe Mercer
Grade: eighth
School: South Junior High
Interests: tennis, swimming, shopping and talking on the phone.
Stories written for 18 & Under: school changes, favorite places to shop downtown
Stories in progress: following a school resource officer
Laura Parkinson
Grade: junior
School: Lawrence High
Interests: Newspaper, drama, Young Democrats, photography
Stories written for 18 & Under: several fashion stories, “fashionista” column
Laura also has volunteered for the Journal-World.
Julian Portillo
Grade: 18-year-old sophomore
School: Kansas University
Interests: politics
Stories written for 18 & Under: commentary on congressional copyright proposals and the November election
Beth Ruhl
Grade: senior
School: Bishop Seabury
Interests: French, France, politics, music, poetry
Stories written for 18 & Under: Living in France, diving story, poetry, Prudential Youth Leadership.
Stories in progress: interviewing foreign exchange students
Piper Rystrom
Grade: eighth-grader
School: South Junior High
Interests: dancing, baton twirling, reading
Stories written for 18 & Under: Field Day fun
Amy Soules
Grade: junior
School: Free State
Interests: tennis, singing, photography, volunteering
Stories in progress: high school music groups, interviewing foreign exchange students, following a school resource officer
Katelyn Soules
Grade: seventh grade
School: West Junior High
Interests: tennis, soccer, jet skiing
Jerrin Thompson
Grade: junior
School: Free State
Interests: sports, friends
Stories in progress: city curfew
More of our teen board members …
Not all of our active teen board members could fill out a profile and have their picture taken, but we’re glad to have them aboard:
Claudia Alterman, junior, McLouth High School; Heather Alterman, senior, McLouth; Caitlin Donnelly, senior, Free State High School; Amanda Enneking, senior, Free State; Holly Heffley, senior, Free State; Rachel Keller, ninth-grader, Central Junior High School; Charlie Naramore, junior, Free State; Brandi Nichols, junior, Baldwin High School; Marshall Rake, junior, Free State; Sarah Robinson, ninth-grader, Southwest Junior High School; Bart Solbach, senior, Perry-Lecompton High School; Lanae Spencer, eighth-grader, Southwest; Claire Wilkinson, senior, Free State.