Maybe you’re contemplating taking journalism as an elective next year, or maybe you have questions about the Royal Reporter, like who picks our articles and why they do.

Whether you’re a Rosary news junkie or a first-time visitor to our site, read on for an inside look at the making of your Royal Reporter.

Write What You Love

The first thing to know is that our reporters pick their articles during whole-staff brainstorming sessions, and that they’re usually able to write about topics that interest them.

That is true for senior Riley Hawkins, who moonlights as a volleyball star and whose Queen of the Court profiled her bestie, D1-bound volleyballer Sophia Lambros ’20. “I’ve known her for her entire high school career,” Riley says, “so I already knew the info. to write the article.”

It’s true for Isabel Alderete ’21, who stoked reader interest with her coverage of the New York Fashion Show. “I love fashion, and one of the goals of my life is to go to the Met Gala,” Isabel says, referring to the Manhattan fashion show where celebrities like Lady Gaga sport groundbreaking attire.

That is also true for junior Alicia Ventura, who, as Mr. Stegink put it, “wears her faith on her sleeve” and who has covered school-wide masses and community-building events, including the Freshman Picnic.

Hayley Johnson ’20 also reports what she loves, viewing profiles like the one on Connelly transfer Mia Oravetz ’21 as a chance to introduce readers to someone worthwhile in a real way: “I try to make [conversation] as normal as possible so I can get genuine responses,” Hayley says. “Ideally, reading a profile could stir up a friendship–someone reading about someone else and reaching out.”

Writing with a Purpose

Some articles start friendships, but others spark debate.

‘”Students complain a lot, but we never bring the complaints to the people who can fix them,” reporter Whitney Deubler ’20 says.

Never–except when the Royal Reporter runs an article.

While most agree that the food quality on Rosary lunches has gone way up this year, so has the time it’s taking students to get that food. Deubler took care when writing up her lunch-switch story to hear from both students and Dean Nanry, and to put what she was hearing into perspective.

The same was true when seniors got upset about this year’s stricter Homecoming dress code: Riley Hawkins stepped up to talk with students and administration about their perspectives–to bring transparency to the issue.

That helps explain why Whitney Deubler rightly sees herself and other staff writers on this year’s Royal Reporter as “advocates for things that can be fixed” and “mediators between the administration and the student body.”

Seniors Take the Lead

Luckily, not too much mediation is needed in our newsroom, Room 208. One of our reporters described last year’s seniors as “intimidating,” but the departure of the class of 2019 has not only opened up space for new reporters to pursue their interests and highlight important debates; it has also opened up leadership roles for our returning seniors: Copyeditor Maryann Compton and Editors-in-Chief Grace Battaglia and Kate Noden.

When she’s not writing delicious articles on food and other freebies, Maryann and co-editor Isabella Tejeda go over every article, word by word, before it hits the Royal Reporter homepage. Isabella says she likes to “help her fellow writers thrive in their creative pursuits,” and Maryann is equally positive: “The staff give me such great articles that I only need to make small changes here and there,” reports Maryann. Still, she says, “It’s great to be in a position to see how an article gets published, to see the process.”

Fellow senior Grace Battaglia enjoys getting feedback on her articles from readers–like a friend who read her profile and who reached out to tell Grace how much she appreciated it. However, Grace knows reporting isn’t all smiles and hugs; recently she ventured into the front office and braved some tension during her and Kate’s investigation of Rosary’s “secret tunnel” rumor.

Kate too has enjoyed her senior status; she likes taking the lead in the article brainstorming sessions in Room 208, “seeing what everyone’s ideas are,” as she puts it. Kate also enjoys venturing out into the field, sometimes literally, to do interviews and make connections. Those connections enrich her articles, like this much-viewed take on Servite football, featuring an interview with Homecoming King nominee Tristen Wilson.

Forging Community

We at the Reporter enjoy using this platform–so generously provided by the school–to develop our writing chops and our leadership skills. However, nothing is more important than our mission to foster Rosary community, heart and soul. Whether it’s reading about a new teacher like Mr. Bravo, an institution like Dean Nanry, or a rising star like Molly Renze, “people benefit from reading the reporter,” says Alicia Ventura. “We get to know each other, support each other, find out about each other.”

Dear Reader, now that you have found out about us, how about supporting us–by commenting on what issues in our community deserve reporting?

We are here to answer the call.