Mill Creek’s Quill and Scroll chapter recognizes and highlights outstanding student achievements in the field of high school journalism.
Quill and Scroll is an international honor society that was founded in 1926 and is made up of more than 1.5 million members. The honor society currently has charters in over 11,000 high schools in all 50 states as well as charters in over 20 foreign nations. In order to run a chapter, a school must produce a form of media such as a newspaper, yearbook or magazine.
There are currently five new Quill and Scroll inductees at Mill Creek this year, and each of these students had to meet specific requirements in order to be recognized as a member of the honor society. “In order to be inducted into the honor society, you have to have completed three semesters of journalism or made outstanding efforts in the field or area of journalism in class,” Quill and Scroll sponsor Ms. Harley Spears, FAC, said. Grades and behavior are also considered when a student is identified as a potential member.
Quill and Scroll encompasses eight guiding principles including truth, learning, leadership, loyalty, initiative, integrity, judgment and friendship. These principles form the foundation of Quill and Scroll and the qualities that it represents.
In addition, Quill and Scroll offers members the opportunity to participate in three competitions every year. These contests include the Yearbook Excellence Contest, the Private School Journalism Association and the Writing, Visual, Multimedia Contest. All of these contests celebrate and highlight the outstanding journalism produced by high school students.
Quill and Scroll makes an undeniable impact on the Mill Creek community by spotlighting the achievements of journalism students and recognizing their hard work and dedication which often goes unnoticed. “I think anything that honors the accomplishments of students while they’re in high school is great. Our students work so hard on a product that goes out to over a thousand people,” Spears said.
Quill and Scroll not only impacts the Mill Creek community, but it also leaves a lasting impact on the individual students who are a part of the society. “As a student, it’s really helped me get out there and meet new people because part of Quill and Scroll is journalism, and that is basically just going around, meeting new people and talking to people,” Mill Creek yearbook editor Kaylee Brunson, 12, said. Furthermore, Quill and Scroll offers students many opportunities that would not be available to them otherwise. “It helps me take part in events in the school that I normally wouldn’t be able to be a part of,” Brunson said.
Another benefit of Quill and Scroll includes the highly sought-after honor cord that graduating seniors in the society earn. This cord symbolizes achievements in high school journalism and offers a sense of pride and accomplishment for the student. “First of all, it’s a great opportunity to get a cord for something that you love,” Jessica Lamptey, 12, said. Lamptey, who is also a yearbook editor for Mill Creek, continued on to note the many ways that Quill and Scroll has shaped her as a person. “It has helped me to be a better writer. It has introduced me to different forms of writing, grammar, all of that. It has made me just a better writer and person in general,” Lamptey said.
It is clear that the Mill Creek chapter of Quill and Scroll is certainly impacting students, staff and the community by recognizing the rising stars of journalism.
