Deborah Prescott | Daily Press Editors of the Gladstone Purple Press from Martina Mileski’s first hour class show their first newspaper of the school year. Mileski aids seventh grade students in her first and second hour classes in publishing the newspaper. From left are Avery Hanson (news), Davin Mattonen (sports), Jude Frizzell (editor), and Meghan Marenger (co-editor).

ESCANABA — Students in Escanaba High School and Gladstone Middle School continue the tradition of reporting news from their schools. The news reaches out to fellow students online in Escanaba and by hard copy in Gladstone. Both newspapers have been published for a long period of time and have continued through the years as each “staff” member moves on.

The Escanaban is currently in the preliminary stages of bringing it back for the 2019-2020 school year. Led by Escanaba High School English/Language teacher Danielle Wotchko, the members gather every Monday during second period lunch to brainstorm ideas. The members of the paper are deciding on a publication date before Christmas and how often the paper will be published.

“We still haven’t figured that out yet,” said Editor Madeline Way. “So we’re trying to figure out what will be fair to them (writers). We also have homework and after school activities and stuff like that.”

Previously The Escanaban was published quarterly and located online. Online publishing of The Escanaban has been cost effective.

“We don’t actually print, just have a website,” Wotchko said. “This stems from an idea … a school newspaper out in New York.”

The paper restarted two years prior and now continues, being led by a new group of students, ‘new management’, said Wotchko. Two of the seven members wanted to be the editor of the paper and so they took a vote to decide.

“Hannah and I both wanted to be the editor, so we took a vote,” said Way. “There were only three voters at the time.”

Trent Turchin decided to join because he thought it sounded interesting and wanted to try something new.

“And I’m kind of nosey, so….,” said Turchin.

The members of The Escanaban also run social media posts for the newspaper. Hannah Simmons is its social media manager, who also conducts polls through out the school for The Escanaban.

“I really like writing. I like the idea of it,” said Simmons. “I like writing stuff and other people can read it …”

Chloe Allen will write about six winter sports. Franka Muller-Glewe, a sophomore from Germany, joined to meet new people and will be writing about the experience of being a foreign exchange student. Hannah Stephens was happy to join and be a part of a school newspaper, after being in a school that did not have one. She will be writing about The Elf Musical. Marlene Deloria started as a freshman, left the group, and is back to cover hunting, though she’s a vegetarian.

Way gathers the stories after they are written and forwards them to Wotchko. High School Principal Darci Griebel officially approves the articles after Wotchko sends them to her. The stories return to Way who formats the stories and puts them on the website, www.eskymos.com/schools/ehs.

The Purple Press is a Gladstone Middle School newspaper published by two seventh grade classes. Their advisor is Gladstone Middle School teacher Martina Mileski, who aids them in first and second hour computer lab classes. The Purple Press is a hard copy newspaper and every student participates in publishing paper.

Jude Frizzell is one of the editors of the Purple Press and enjoys creating the layout. He gathers all the articles and fits them into place.

“I like it,” said Frizzell. “I’ll type and put it (stories) into newspaper format and I have my co-editor to check it all.”

Frizzell runs the press during first hour computer lab class with the assistance of co-editor Meghan Marenger, news editor Avery Hanson, and sports editor Davin Mattonen.

Marenger checks all the stories for errors, length, and citations before sending them to Frizzell.

“My job is to make sure no one makes errors on the sports articles they make and then when I’m done, I send them to Jude,” said Mattonen.

Mattonen and Hanson verify everyone has an independent article to write about every other week, so there is a variety in the press.

“Originally they all had an assignment where they all had to practice formatting and try to make all the articles fit,” said Mileski.

The Purple Press has been published for six years out of Mileski’s computer lab. The first and second hour classes each publish once a month. By doing so, the Purple Press is available twice a month. Editors from the second hour are – editor Gregg Larson, co-editor Lucas Copland, news editor Caleb Sherman, and sports editor Bret Segar.

Including the position of editor, students can take on the roles of advertising and circulation. Both roles include writing articles for the press.

“I make posters for advertising and print them off and put them through the school,” said first hour advertising/marketing student Autumn Matzke. “I’ll go into classrooms and tell them to bring their quarters.”

Matzke also sells the paper through the school public announcement system. At the end of the semester, the money made from Purple Press sales go toward a group prize, maybe breakfast for everyone, according to Mileski.

“We go around and sell them (papers) for 25 cents and come back with what we have left,” said first hour circulation Cory Brezsko. “We collect the money in a white envelope and return it to Mrs. Mileski.”

Tirah Hauswirth and Sam Gould assist Brezsko with circulation of the press when published by the first hour class.

“Everybody has a job,” said Mileski.