Getting the Scoop on the Mustang Stampede Newspaper

Not very many people know about the history of the Mustang Stampede Newspaper Class. It was started by Red Lake County Central’s art teacher Mrs. Vickie Kolden around 1999. She heard about a school newspaper created and written by students. Kolden had already known how to do an “old fashioned layout” for the paper, so she brought the idea of creating a school paper to Ardis Hofstad who was the high school principal at that time. The idea took off with Kolden’s students gathering and writing up the news of the school. The paper was first printed in Thief River Falls when the TRF Times printed an actual newspaper version in early 2000.
After that first year a change was made. According to Kolden, the Oklee Herald wanted to include more school news in their paper. It was suggested a school newspaper class could become a part of it. The class would search out and write up the school news along with taking photographs and submit them to the Oklee Herald. There was even a brainstorming session throwing out a number of ideas on what to name the newspaper. The winning entry for the contest ended up being “Mustang Stampede.” Kolden and her brother Keith Wheeler, a graphic designer, worked together to design the logo for the Mustang Stampede newspaper.
In recent years, the information has also been submitted to the Red Lake Falls Gazette. Throughout the years, the teachers of the Mustang Stampede Newspaper Class have been Kolden, Mrs. Erin Olson, Mr. Mike Swenson, and Mrs. Anita Bachand.
“Reporters” involved in this year’s newspaper class are sophomores Megan Berberich, Taylor Bushelle, and Ashley Longtin, and juniors Asia Davis, Austin May, and Austin Waliser. The students of the class work hard at gathering the news of the school and writing articles about it to submit into the papers. They also take photos at events for the paper and write captions for the photos.
The writing format for newspapers is quite different than other writing formats. When writing an article once a person’s full name is used, only their last name is used after that unless there is more than one person with the same last name, then it is first initial and last name. Also when writing articles for the newspaper, double spacing is not used like most writing formats. In the newspaper, space is money. Numbers are always spelled out if the number is below ten. Anything above ten does not have to be written out in words.
After the full name of a group or organization is used the first time, it does not need to be spelled out again in the rest of the article. For example, after Red Lake County Central is already written out it would be abbreviated to RLCC in the rest of the article. Another important rule in the newspaper format is that sentences should not start with a date. There has been a lot to learn.
Having a professionally printed paper would not have been possible without the cooperation and support from the Oklee Herald. They have willingly allowed space for the Mustang Stampede and have provided opportunities for students to share our school with the community. RLCC appreciates how the Gazette in recent years has included our school news as well. It has helped keep the school and communities closely connected.
With the school year ending, the Mustang Stampede Newspaper Class hopes you have enjoyed reading about the happenings at RLCC. We will be back again next fall.