WAHS Students Continue to Soar Amid Pandemic Closure
Posted on 05/08/2020
One of the goals of the AP Language and Composition course at William Allen HS this year has been to show students how to apply advanced writing skills to the real world.
After analyzing and writing rhetorical essays in class throughout the fall, William Allen’s Advanced Placement Language and Composition class decided to do something "for real." Each student wrote an op-ed (an opinion essay for a newspaper), to be judged by a panel of five English teachers, the top two essays to be sent to The Morning Call and Lehigh Valley Live/The Express Times for possible publication.
The op-ed contest was interrupted and delayed slightly by the COVID-19 closure, but AP teacher Mr. Todd Smith was able to electronically regroup and continue the contest virtually during the month of April.
The winning pieces from the school selected were written by Grace Edinger and Thor Long. When submitting op-eds to news outlets, it is important to remember that there is no guarantee that the piece submitted will get published.
We are very excited to announce that BOTH students have had their work published!
Grace’s op-ed—“Plastic Pollution Threatens to Smother Planet”—was published in The Morning Call on May 7.
Grace Edinger is a junior at William Allen High School, where she participates in Student Government, Canaries for Life, National Honor Society, and three varsity sports. Grace also plays soccer for the Parkland Area Soccer Club. Grace plans to study biochemistry in college.
Thor’s op-ed—"With Smart Phones Anyone Can Be a Good Cook. Even a Kid Like Me”—was published on lehighvalleylive.com on May 5 and in The Express Times on May 6.
Thor Long is a junior at William Allen High School, where he is a percussionist in the marching/concert bands and orchestra, on the varsity volleyball team, Treasurer of Mu Alpha Theta, and a member of Canaries for Life and Student Forum. He has an active interest in food, watching cooking videos, and trying to replicate dishes. Thor plans to study computer science in college.