The Verdict is the school newspaper at Justice High School. Juniors Andrew Buddendeck and Fernanda Ventura are co-editors-in-chief. Students in English Teacher Mark Gaffen’s Journalism class and in the after-school Verdict Club contribute to the newspaper. Andrew says the mission of The Verdict is to “inform students about current news while making it consumable and entertaining.”
Last school year, The Verdict published only one issue. Since then, Mr. Gaffen says the newspaper has been revitalized. Thanks to motivated student editors and contributors, they plan to publish six issues this school year. Fernanda says, “I’ve been interested in journalism since the seventh grade. My friends tell me I put my all into The Verdict.”
Andrew says students are the primary intended audience. “We try to write stories about what students care about. Many school papers write for the parents, but we write for kids—stories kids can see themselves in.” He cited a recent article on sports betting. The Verdict described the rise of sports betting among the student population, predominantly boys, and cautioned against gambling.
Andrew says, “We often choose stories as guidance. Student-to-student feedback can be stronger than advice from teachers or parents.” He cited another article The Verdict published about teen pregnancy. Fernanda says the article was written “to bring a sense of peace to people in that situation. Our goal is to help kids and to let them know that they are not alone.” Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, Fernanda says, “We had some backlash at first. We talked to counselors, social workers, and the principal about the article. They were supportive of it after understanding our goal.”
The Verdict also publishes articles critical of the school, such as an editorial calling for Justice High School to offer more classes teaching technical skills. Another article is currently being written regarding Justice students’ interactions with ICE. This will include an interview with US Representative of the 8th District, Don Beyer. Fernanda says, “Justice is a very diverse school and kids have experienced traumatic interactions with ICE. Through her article, the writer can give her friends a voice.”
This year’s issues of The Verdict can be found on the Justice High School website
According to Mr. Gaffen, the articles in The Verdict have a wide and positive impact at Justice. “I’m surprised by seeing how many people love having a hard copy of The Verdict. It creates a platform for everyone to talk about and share.”
College and Career Specialist Deidra Anderson summarizes, “We, the Justice community, are extremely proud of our Verdict members. They are shaping the definition of academic excellence and communication of knowledge within our school, word by word.”