Hi, editors.
Now that it's almost the end of the year, it occurred to me that a blog might be a helpful way for us to communicate between classes, especially where layout is concerned.
For example:
May issue layout.
The following are my suggestions, based on what I saw this morning (Friday):
1. Take Mrs. Hamed off of the front page. She was on the fp in October, and isn't the most recent death, sadly. I'd suggest placing both Mrs. Hamed and Mr. Carlson on the Features page. Besides, featuring a memorial on the fp doesn't really set the celebratory tone we want for the last issue of the year.
2. News page (and in general): things need to be evened out. The "Project Yellow Light" headline runs into the photo for the Haiti article, making it somewhat confusing which article the picture goes with. Remember modular design: think of the stories as boxes, and every story element needs to fit inside of those boxes. This helps to keep things clear for the reader, which is, of course, the point of all this.
3. On a related note, headlines should run across the entire top of an article. If the main headline is too short, then add a subhead, or change the font size, or whatever you need to do. This helps, again, to let the reader know that all this stuff belongs under one banner.
4. Opinion page: The Grading Scale piece is almost exactly the same as the one last issue. Cut it.
5. Entertainment, page 1: First off, there are WAY too many things happening on this page. I would suggest that we pull the VA Beach thing out, move Warped Tour + sidebar to the top of the page, and (possibly) supplement with photos of bands.
Also, book article could use book covers, and I think we have pictures for the AP Tour one.
6. Entertainment, page 2: Looks off-center, due to the picture-text-picture-text design. Try relocating a few of the elements: text-picture-picture-text, or picture-text-text-picture.
7. Our Features section currently contains no photos, which is a crime against humanity. Also, again, too much stuff on one page.
I suggest cutting several of these articles. The ones I'd keep are the Cody Norman one, the freshman year one (Langley), and the seniors prep for college one. All of these are ripe for pictures, as well.
On the other Features page, we need some sappy picture for the asking people to prom one, or it's going to die a slow, boring death.
8. Sports page: as usual, we need pictures. That'll have to happen after school next week.
Anyway, this is how this will work. I put things here, you read them, you make them happen, and you comment on the blow to let it be known that you did them.
Please, when you see a task that needs doing, claim it. Post a response, like "I'm fixing the Entertainment page." Then, when you're done: "Entertainment page is done!"
Also, before you work on layout, check this blog to see if anyone's beat you to it.
Sounds like a plan.
~Snead
