If you expect school papers to be full of fluff and sports, you clearly haven't seen a copy of The King's Page, created by students at MPS' Rufus King International School, 1800 W. Olive St.
Today I came across a copy of the latest issue of The King's Page, a publication I hadn't previously seen. The first number in volume three has 12 black and white pages on newsprint.
The top story bears the headline, "Freshman manage fun and school" and explains how newcomers are adapting to life at the desirable public high school. There are also two pages of sports coverage and a features page.
But the teens flexing their freedom of the press in the paper aren't sticking to lightweight content.
The other front page story -- below the fold -- is about the ways in which budget cuts have affected class sizes and options at the school. Certainly not everyone in the district would be thrilled with the subhead, "MPS policies have negative results at Rufus King International School -- High School Campus." But, there it is in black and white.
Other stories explore student opinions on the recent New York mosque debate, sexting in high schools and Internet predators.
The only "ads" in the paper are for candidates for school government. Sound familiar?
My favorite part of "The King's Page" are the editorials, one of which expresses student disappointment over the loss of the school snack bar in a commentary that quotes from Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma." It asks, "If the DPI was interested in serving healthy snacks, the entire MPS lunch menu needs to be altered. Why change the snack bar and not lunch itself?"
Another debates the question of whether or not "top rappers" really have formed a Masonic-like secret society. Yet another takes issue with the school's dress code and argues that it isn't in compliance with the district's dress code rules.
Good for them and good for us.
There is plenty of pro-King coverage in the paper, but these young people are learning the value of a free and independent press. One that is allowed to speak freely -- and responsibly -- about the world around us.
It's comforting to see the next generation learning these lessons.
And, they're pretty darn good writers, too.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
