THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090045
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
WHEN MICHAEL Culpepper stumbled into the newspaper office early one August morning, he knew exactly what it felt like to be a newspaper reporter.
The night before, the Kellam High senior reviewed the Stone Temple Pilots show at William & Mary Hall. Throughout the concert, he scribbled in his notebook. Then he spent the rest of the night on the computer working against an early-morning deadline.
The review, published in the Teenology section, was just one of almost a dozen stories that Mike wrote during his three-and-a-half-year tenure as a high school correspondent for The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
This week, Mike and his colleague, Alicia Luma, a home-schooled junior from Norfolk, received $500 scholarships for being the best of the newspapers' high school corps. More than 130 high school correspondents competed for the honor.
``Alicia and Mike have really made a difference in our coverage of teen life in Hampton Roads,'' said Lorraine Eaton, the newspapers' youth editor. ``They are the caliber of students that make our high school writers' program possible.''
Alicia joined the corps in March 1993 as a freshman. Her first story, a look at alternative music, ran in the coveted lead position in the Teenology section. Since then, more than 20 of Alicia's stories have been published. She has turned her interest in music and entertainment into a regular Teenology column.
In addition, high school correspondents Jennifer Riddle and Sareit Hess received awards of merit this week.
Jennifer, a junior at Lake Taylor High, joined the staff as a sophomore. Her diverse interests are reflected in her stories. They range from a column on the bad behavior of sports fans to a story on a husband and wife who are cops.
Sareit, a sophomore at Bayside High, also joined the staff as a freshman. Her clip file includes stories on colored braces, parents attending classes at her school and a look at summer school. Next month, look for her in-depth profile of two teen parents. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Jennifer Riddle
Mike Culpepper
Sariet Hess
Alicia Luma
by CNB