Inklings: Giving Voices To Staples Students

Inklings — Staples High’s award-winning publication — has evolved with the times. Since its founding in 1931, it has been a newspaper, magazine and online news and feature source.

All along, dedicated staffs have contributed stories on everything going on at school (and sometimes, the town, country and world).

Now, the biggest paper ever is rolling off the press.

A 54-page “Voices” supplement is the result of a year-long effort, headed by managing editor Angelina Matra.

The goal, she tells “06880” interns (and Inklings staffers) Camille Blundell and Avni Krishna, is to explore ideas and elements in depth, using student voices.

Topics include the lack of females in STEM classes, micro-aggressions, and the impact of political polarization on the school community.

The article on micro-aggressions in classes, written by junior Olivia Saw, notes that students of color repeatedly experience  “misspellings, mispronunciations, or just plain being mistaken for other students of the same race,” Blundell and Krishna say.

The Inklings micro-aggressions story.

Another spiece that Matra expects to create buzz is “Staples Divided.” Addressing whether Staples has fallen victim to political polarization, it resulted from a roundtable with 9 students: Republicans, Democrats and independents.

“Women in STEM” is one of Matra’s favorites. It notes that only 13% of students in upper-level Science, Technology, Engineering and Math classes are female, and features insightful anecdotes from them.

“I think every single person in Staples, whether that be a student, adult, whatever, will see one article they relate to or say, ‘I know this person, I have done someone similar, I hold a similar view or have had a similar experience,” Matra says.

The Inklings staff began work in October, and finished the supplement earlier this week.

“We’re bringing light to all those unheard circumstances that many kids might face,” paper editor Zara Saliba told Blundell and Krishna. “ It’s really important, especially as a public school, to have all of those opinions expressed and to create an environment where everyone can feel welcome to share their beliefs.”

Inklings is an outgrowth of Staples’ Advanced Journalism class. Students begin as staff writers, after taking Intro to Journalism.

Advisors Mary Elizabeth Fulco and Joseph DelGobbo value independence and individuality in their students’ writing.

“We strive to give them them a platform to express their views and inspire meaningful change,” Fulco told the “06880” interns.

Like their advisors, Saliba and Matra hope the supplement gets people talking. They call “Voices” an “inside look into the Staples community.”

The editors also would like the stories to bring “some empathy to understanding the perspectives of people who are different from you,” Blundell and Krishna say.

The staff hopes this can bring people together. “In high school, students can feel lost between groups. This paper proves that everybody’s experiences are different,” the “05880” interns and Inklings writers say.

Matra notes, “Every single student, teacher, administrator and staff member within the collective Staples environment is so unique. ‘Voices’ is the chatter in the hallways, locker rooms, concert stages, culinary classes, science labs and teachers lounges, all thrown together in one huge, ambitious project.”

To see the full range of stories, click here. To order a copy of Inklings’ “Voices” supplement ($10), click here.

(“06880” regular covers Westport’s schools — and the students in them. If you enjoy these stories, or any other features on this hyper-local blog, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)