There’s no place like home
By Alisa Chuang, Mickey Shin, Caroline Waring, Shanta Katipamula, and Elisa Apra
March 10, 2015
For the second time this week, here's a long piece--like, 2500 words long. It's pretty rare to see something this long in the Best of SNO submissions box, and to be honest, 98% of those won't get read all the way through. But this one caught my eye. It may be lengthy, but thanks to the complex to...
Bit by Bit: dissecting Bitcoin for what it’s worth
By Sean Vichinsky
February 24, 2015
Bit-what, you say? Bitcoin--a new(ish) virtual currency, non-government sanctioned, maybe even a tad illegal. Sound intriguing? Check out Sean Vichinsky's comprehensive analysis of this mysterious moolah. Think about just how often you make a transaction online. It can be on Ebay, or Amazon, ...
The myth of “equal opportunity”
By William Newton
February 19, 2015
Here's a smart article from The Falcon Quill that looks critically at the facts and statistics behind one very divisive idea: "All Americans have an opportunity for success.” This statement has long been an American ideal, and it may very well be true, but by adding one word to this stateme...
Eating disorders more common than you think
By Katherine Green and Christina Elias
February 18, 2015
(Trigger warning: story contains frank discussion and first-person accounts of eating disorders) Katherine Green and Christina Elias at Dart News Online have written a great piece on eating disorders. Through sensitive and compassionate reporting, they've done a great job of putting real faces on...
Child abuse: An exploration of society, systems, and survivors
By Grace Gyolai
February 17, 2015
Here's another great use of the longform template to tell a complex and multifaceted story. Grace Gyolai doesn't shy away from reporting on the tough stuff: Roxy Foster grew up in the suburbs with her mother, stepfather, and brother, but she did not live a typical life. Caught in a cycle where every...
Revisiting Ferguson in six acts
By Isabel Giovannetti and RHS Today staff, Robinson High School
February 4, 2015
Is Ferguson, Missouri old news? We think it's important to revisit and remember. Robinson High School's coverage takes several different shapes in this longform piece. From a timeline of events, to social media reactions, to editorials and interviews, the RHS Today staff gives us a pretty comprehens...
Longform chapters and super-cool charts
By Paxtyn Merten, Mountlake Terrace High School
February 3, 2015
Students speak out about God, religion, prayer, faith, heaven and hell. Plus, did we mention charts?