Have you ever been nervous about presenting in front of your classmates? Well, try to present in front of five editors of a massive company’s popular magazine. This became a nerve-wracking reality for Ms. Doulton’s students this past Thursday, May 11th. Five editors from the Scholastic Action Magazine, which is an ELA magazine that is designed for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, visited room 176. The editors spent the period talking about their magazine, and communicating with students about what they would like to see more of to create a better shaped experience on both ends– for the readers and the editors.

Jennifer Shotz (Executive Editor), Christopher Molicki, Rebecca Leon, Kim Tranell, and Della Herden sat down and discussed their job responsibilities, and what exactly goes into running a story and the details of getting each month’s edition ready before printing. The editors of Action were responsive to the students’ suggestions about one recent article, Action: The Amazing Elephant Rescue. One student suggested that, “if its more controversial [the magazine’s topics], there are different opinions, and more people can get involved.” The students leaned towards reading about articles that could lead to a good debate where their opinions could be voiced. Ms. Doulton, the students’ teacher, stated that her class is very “mature” and could have educational debates with ease. In addition, the students wished that there could be an equal amount of subjects that both genders could relate to, to which Herden responded in agreement, stating that it’s “hard to get a balance” of material that appeals to both genders.

The editors expanded on the production process of some sections of their magazine, such as their “True Teen Stories.” They explained that first the writers search online, read local newspapers, and explore important issues that children can deal with (one example is a child dealing with diabetes). After information is gathered, the child gets interviewed, and a story gets written putting everything together.  Another important part of being a part of the magazine’s team is the deadline. The editors explained how the magazine is already “deep into its September issue” because they always have to work ahead to make sure everything is printed in a timely fashion. Once everything is put together, everyone proofs the format and writing, works with the designers to pick images that fit the articles, and “fact-checks” their stories, then the edition is referred to as “closed.” Once that month’s edition is “closed,” there cannot be any changes made to it, and it gets sent to multiple locations across the country to get printed. The editors laughed when discussing the mistakes they made with past issues, but said that they chose to focus on what was positive about the issues, not the mistakes that are sometimes inevitable. Overall, it seems that both the students and the editors learned a lot from this eventful visit. They will undoubtedly use the information they learned to take their education and their magazine, respectively, to the next level.