All the news that's fit to print - plus feature stories and other information - can be found in the Norse View, a new online newspaper produced by Suttons Bay High School studentsThe first issue of Norse View went on line Feb. 12.

SUTTONS BAY students Frederick Guery and Lizzy
Freed collaborated in the first issue of the Norse
View with an article about Valentine's Day.

"Not everybody’s been able to see it, but they’ve all heard about it," said Krystyn Thornton, one of the 20 students involved with the "publication" for which there is no class. It’s pursued as an extracurricular activity. "We’ve had a lot of fun with it."

Contributing to the first issue were Michael Hammersley, Kelly Adamson, Luke Reyhl, French exchange student Frederic Guery, Luke Wessels, Lucy Perkins, Justin Dalzell, Megan Morrissey, Trisha Send, Kayleigh Schneider, Sarah Blodgett, Hayley Pline, Zoe Allen-Wickler, Lizzy Freed, Emma Kelly, Heather McKittrick, Caitlyn Smith, Thornton, Hannah Walton and Ben Wynsma.

"Mrs. (Kim) Schneider (travel writer for Booth Newspapers and former editor at Traverse Magazine) approached some of my friends and asked whether we’d be interested in producing our own newspaper," said Freed, a junior. "We were all pretty excited. No one’s every really done anything (recently) at our school. Well, I guess there was one try, but it never got off the ground."

The group meets once or twice a week, more often as deadline approaches. An initial brainstorming session helps the group shape the content of the upcoming issue. For example, assignments for the group’s next publication, with an estimated date of "near spring break," were made at a staff meeting last week.

The debut issue of Norse View includes a question and answer session with high school principal Raph Rittenhouse; Blast From the Past, an interview with a member of the teaching staff by Thornton; news about a $32,000 federal grant to introduce more fresh fruits and vegetables in the school lunch program by Dalzell; development of a new high school film club by Allen-Wickler; suggestions for Valentine’s outings that won’t pinch your wallet by Walton; an update on Suttons Bay junior and cancer patient Phil Williams, who is in Grand Rapids receiving treatment; a story about music director Annie Morey being recognized by the American School Band Directors Association; and a Farewell to Mr. Inglis, written by Ben Wynsma.

Senior Sarah Blodgett provided the update on Williams, and the creation of the Phil Williams Anti-Boredom Club, formed to help keep him occupied during this treatment.

Morrissey, a senior and a photographer, contributed artwork that not only included students but a montage of brightly colored homemade Valentines and heart-shaped candies.

THE STAFF of the Norse View includes (back row,
from left) Michael Hammersley, Kelly Adamson, Luke Reyhl,
Frederic Guery, Luke Wessels, Lucy Perkins, Justin Dalzell
and Megan Morrissey; (front row, from left) Trisha Send,
Kayleigh Schneider, Sarah Blodgett, Hayley Pline and Zoe
Allen-Wickler. Not pictured: Lizzy Freed, Emma Kelly,
Heather McKittrick, Caitlyn Smith, Kyrstyn Thornton, Hannah
Walton and Ben Wynsma.

Once editorial and art contributions are in, staff members gather to critique one another’s articles. Content is reviewed by staff advisor Lori Wille and Schneider before it is placed on the electronic page. Hammersley, the most computer savvy of the staff group, with help from his mother, Colleen Makin, designs the newspaper using iweb software.

Although now just an extracurricular course, newspaper production is something the students would like to see offered as an elective at the high school level.

"We wanted something that would grow with us," Rittenhouse said. "The format we’re using will allow them to produce ‘hot links’ within the document which would lead to video versions of the online story. This is something the students are very excited about."

To date, the Norse View has not used advertising to generate revenue.To see the Norse View, visit www.norseview.com.