By: Lynn Mellis Worthington
Reposted from the Cardinal News Network
The Pigtail/Cardinal News Network is one of the longest-running student-produced publications at South Kent School. It is an example of student journalism and the long history of student communication on the Hillside.
As we head into our Centennial and the School looks to celebrate 100 years of student achievement, the student newspaper is a great example of the academic excellence and community engagement that South Kent School students have always been known for. We keep that spirit alive today while evolving our School publications to keep them relevant and exciting for the next generation of students.
The longstanding printed student newspaper formerly named The Pigtail will now be folded into the cross-platform, multimedia Cardinal News Network (CdNN), a student-run brand that reports on Hillside news in print, online, and across social media.
This 2022-2023 academic year, there is a club that meets weekly to plan and execute Cardinal News Network stories. The goal is to produce a print edition, as well as multimedia stories, at least once per month. Students develop their own story ideas, research, and report to “tell the story” in text, video, and photographs. The group produces a print issue almost every month, as well as actively posting on the website, www.cardinalnewsnetwork.org, and on social media platforms, such as Instagram.
CdNN wanted to share some of the history involved in the student publications at South Kent School. The Pigtail newspaper’s history on campus stretches back to the first issue started in 1927 by two Third Formers, Tudor Owen and Russell Eng. It continued for decades, with different students serving as staff members and editors and moving it forward each year.
When Ms. Lynn Mellis Worthington first came to South Kent School in 1997, she heard about the previous school publication The Pigtail, but faculty and staff didn’t think it could be brought back. It had not been published for several years, and the adults questioned whether the school even needed a student publication.
“I disputed that and made it my mission to seek out students who wanted to bring it back,” Ms. Worthington said. “In 1998, we did bring it back after a three-year hiatus. In those early years, it was a true labor of love for me.” At the time, Ms. Worthington was the Director of Publications, and her job was to promote the school.
“But The Pigtail was different. This was a student publication,” she said. “It was designed to provide the student view on life here on campus. That has always been the role of a student publication here and that continues today.”
Students in this year’s club have embraced the fun as well as the challenges posed by being student journalists.
“I’ve always had a great interest in writing and photography, so when Ms. Worthington reached out to me and told me she was starting the Cardinal News Network (club), I didn’t hesitate to join,” said Jaiden Banton, a fifth former.
Student journalism is important. It provides a way for students to find their own voice. It also can be an avenue to empower students to be agents of change. They learn to research topics that are being talked about on campus and seek out different viewpoints. Every story must have at least two different sources (people) who are quoted in the story. This provides different perspectives and balance to the story to ensure that it is not biased and one-sided.
Fifth Former Connor Broderick was named the Editor this year after he showed great leadership with the group of ten students who’ve been involved this year. Connor also has great graphic design and video editing skills that he’s put to use with the publication.
“I have some previous experience that I felt could be could be of use,” he said about why he joined. “I think it’s a great team environment here.”
Getting students to differentiate between opinion and objective facts is not always easy. There are times when students push for opinion, and there are places for that – the editorial and opinion page in the print publication and online.
Sixth Former Ivan Castro came to South Kent School this year from Uruguay and got involved with CdNN.
“I decided to join the Cardinal News Network looking for a development in my writing and journalistic skills. and what I appreciate the most about the newspaper is the teamwork and the freedom we have to choose the topics to write our own articles,” Ivan said.
The Cardinal News Network was launched in 2010 as an online platform and is a natural extension of the communication enjoyed for years through The Pigtail, the student newspaper.
In 2013, a new class through the Center for Innovation, Embedded Journalism, was begun, and students in the class covered Center for Innovation (CFI) classes. Video production was a major component of the courses, and students learned skills in filming, editing, and producing by shooting actual classes and putting together multi-segmented shows for viewing online. This course was discontinued in 2019 as the school moved in a new direction with its schedule. Some of these stories and videos are still available online.
Over the years, there has been an ongoing evolution in how the student publication is produced. This transformation is sure to continue as the students of South Kent School continue to find their voice and share it with the community.
Feel free to contact the Cardinal News Network at [email protected].