ALYSSA
CZECH
Editor in Chief
The Tower Newspaper
About Me
I am so grateful to have been able to be part of The Tower Newspaper for nearly three years now, and I cannot wait for what is to come. Being part of the only high school staff in Michigan that prints an issue every week and is so highly acclaimed, being able to see your work pay off each week and be anticipated by the school and community is incredibly rewarding. The Tower and its entire staff have shaped my high school experience and helped me find my passion and my voice.
I have been involved in journalism since seventh grade, when I had one of the best teachers of my life, Corey Ernst. He forced me to interview people, which brought out my assertive side and made my previous shyness a thing of the past. He appointed me as an editor, improving my writing drastically and cultivating my passion for journalism, pushing me to pursue it in high school.
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Then I got to high school and had Rod Satterthwaite as my honors journalism teacher. After I had written my second story of the year, "You need to join Tower" and, "You should be an editor" were the comments that were constantly written on my papers by him. Welcomed by Satt, I became part of The Tower staff and applied to be a copy editor. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My sophomore year was one of the best years yet: I was fascinated by the entirely new group of people who welcomed me with open arms beginning in the summer at the MIPA Summer Conference, and who helped grow my love for journalism. They taught me the tradition I was a part of and how much it was valued by them and the community. Every Monday night, when the other copy editors and would leave and no one but leadership would be working late in The Tower room, I would stay and help out with whatever was needed, just because I loved spending time with this group of people. The laughs and memories I have made in The Tower room are priceless.
"I want you to be the Associate Editor." These were the words Kaitlin Edgerton, my adviser since sophomore year, said to me after she called me into her room at the end of the year (initially I thought I was in trouble). My jaw dropped, and I looked around the room, making sure I was the only one she could be talking to. "Me?!" She smiled and affirmed that she trusted me with the position and why she thought I would be good for it. I was stunned and thrilled. This meant I could be a monumental part of the publication that I so admired.
At that point, I didn't even know for sure if I wanted to take on the daunting responsibility of applying for the Editor in Chief position my senior year. But as last school year progressed, it became more and more clear to me that this was the position I wanted to have. I wanted to be the face of The Tower newspaper. I wanted to be able to get to know every person on the staff, and answer their questions, and lead the paper I had grown to love and spend more time on than anything. My dream came true. The laughs I have had in The Tower room, the irreplaceable friendships I have made all three years of being here, the culture I have not only been a part of, but been able to shape as well, is something I would not give up or trade for anything. The late nights in The Tower room every Monday, the stressful decisions I've had to make, the occasional angry administrator, teacher or parent I've dealt with are all more than worth it.
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Through all of my journey with journalism, even in middle school, the MIPA community has been there. Even in seventh grade I remember going to the fall conference and taking classes there and winning awards in the spring. When I have a controversial story I am writing, I send it to Jeremy Steele and C.E. and other advisers I have met through MIPA to ensure it is foolproof before publishing it. If I have an ethical or legal question, I know who to go to. MIPA has been such a big part of developing me as a journalist, and in turn as a more confident and strong person overall.
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I have taken every opportunity to make The Tower the best it can be by writing stories, finding topics, organizing activities to bring the staff together and give us better reporting experience, and being an approachable, trustworthy leader for anyone to come to if they need help. I encourage people to come to the MIPA conferences, to come to Tower bonding events, to come to deadlines even if they think they may have nothing to do there. I strive to make the experience of being part of The Tower newspaper as rewarding for as many people as possible as it has been for me. I am so grateful for the people I have met, lessons I have learned, and skills I have gained.
While my time working with The Tower staff has left me with a plethora of positive experiences, I have also had to deal with countless challenges along the way. This year when finalizing our second issue on Monday night, InDesign started glitching and we had to redo a page completely, along with several parts of other pages, and nothing seemed to be going right. We left that night at 10:30 p.m. after some tears and yelling. But we came back the next day and presented the Issue two Tower Positives to the class with a smile still-- we were proud of what we did.
Additionally, South’s administration is not on our side. That has been made clear. Our principal has talked to us several times about how he is displeased with content we publish because it makes the school look bad, has snatched interview questions from staff members, treated editors rudely, cut our budget and more. Through all of the difficulties with administration, The Tower has not backed down. We still do not shy away from controversial topics, and give people the truth, whether it makes some uncomfortable or not. Since our budget got cut, we have had to do countless fundraisers-- such as the can drive we did this year and the 90th Gala we hosted last year. Our current adviser, Kaitlin Edgerton, has been here for three years, and that is the longest any adviser has been at The Tower since Jeff Nardone died six years ago, so we have had to deal with changing and new advisers for several years now.
The Tower has had our struggles, but we use those to showcase our passion for this publication and journalism. What I love about The Tower is that we are never going to back down from issues such as a threatening administration, parent complaints which we get in emails constantly or lack of funding, but are going to push through them. The support we receive from a majority of the community and the way all 70 of us work together and have our own role in this ‘Tower family’ is one of my favorite things about this publication.
Journalism has not only helped me gain respect and friendships in Tower, but has made me a strong, confident leader overall. It has allowed me to confidently ask questions when I am curious, to talk to almost anyone without fear and how to manage my time. It has made me realize my passion for developing relationships with and helping other people, which has led me to a future in the nursing field. Most people who didn’t know me before high school do not believe me when I tell them this now, but I used to be extremely shy, until journalism forced me out of my shell and helped me develop into the excellent communicator and leader I have become today.
Goals
Every day I strive to improve upon myself, not only in my journalistic writing abilities, but in who I am as a person, how I interact with others, and the positivity I bring to the situations I am in and people I am with. My goals as an editor from the beginning of the year have been to connect with every member of the staff to some extent, to make myself approachable to everyone, and to run a professional paper the school and community is eager to read each week. I want The Tower to publish stories that are important and hard-hitting. I want us to grow as a staff and make as many people as possible happy and proud to be a part of The Tower, because I know I am.
I absolutely feel I as an editor and The Tower staff as a whole have made tremendous strides towards accomplishing these goals. I want to continue building relationships with the people who I am not in class with and are not editors on the paper. I want to continue making sure we always find the best and not just the easiest sources for our stories, and to continue developing and establishing The Tower as a source for the news people look forward to each week. I want to delegate more and not try to do everything myself. I am incredibly proud of the way this year has been running, and cannot wait to see us improve in the second semester in all of these areas.
I have taken more than I even realize from Tower, and will use that in college next year as well. I have become 1,000 times more outgoing, approachable, and self-confident since I joined this incredible paper. My social skills have grown. I have gained memories and friendships that will last forever. I cannot wait to see what else The Tower will accomplish this year, and am honored to be leading this paper and amazing staff.
Work Experience
Editor in Chief
2018-2019
Job Description:
The Editor in Chief is the leader of The Tower, chair of the Editorial board, who works and communicates constantly with the entire 70 members of staff and the adviser. They are at every print deadline, make all final decisions about the paper, oversee design, read all content, choose which content is included in each issue, and helps each staffer improve their work, working with them personally and professionally. They represent the paper to the school, administration and community.
Associate Editor
2017-2018
Job Description:
Among many things, the Associate Editor's job is to help the Editor(s) in Chief with whatever they may need. They are to be a mentor and approachable leader for editors and staff members, organize events for the staff, help design pages and write stories, run their class period, and make themselves available for whoever needs them.
Copy Editor
2016-2017
Job Description:
Edit stories on the page in InDesign and Google Drive. Work with writers to improve their story and their writing in general, if necessary. Help other editors with whatever they may need, and help staffers with whatever questions they may have, as part of the editorial board.
Lifeguard
2018 Summer
Job Description:
Am trained in CPR, know how to work with my coworkers and all types of patrons well, know how to respond to and stay calm in emergency situations.
TCBY Employee
2016-2017
Job Description:
Scoop ice cream, serve customers, be polite to them, and answer any questions they may have.
Babysitter
2012 - present
Job Description:
Take care of and entertain the children (and pets), by being courteous, loving, energetic, and approachable.
Tutor
2015, 2017, 2018
Job Description:
Teach the student with patience and encouragement. Answer all questions with eagerness to the best of their ability.
2013 - Today
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2007 - 2013
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2004 - 2007
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Education
Grosse Pointe South High School
2015 - present
Brownell Middle School
2011-2015
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Ferry Elementary School
2006-2011
Skills
Self-motivated
Dedicated
Responsible
Reliable
A quick learner
Organized
Work well with others
Leader
Hobbies/Extracurriculars
​Varsity Ice Hockey
Varsity Field Hockey
Key Club
Varsity Club
National Honors Society
National Spanish Honors Society
Greek Orthodox Youth Association
Peer2Peer
ProLife Club