For several years now, Horace Greeley has been putting out a school newspaper called Sports Roundup that allows students to merge their passions for professional sports and writing. Prior to last June, a staff of 10 would collect and word process their stories before running a few hundred copies through the Xerox machine belonging to the editor-in-chief's father. That procedure - even after adding the staples - just didn't sound right to Josh Rosen when he joined up as a freshman.
"You don't depend on someone's Dad to keep something important going," said the Greeley junior that shares something
Although their plans for a glossy sport's magazine almost suffered a sudden death with their proposal to the administration - especially since it did not intend to dedicate itself to Greeley sports. "They didn't exactly love it," says Josh Lewis, so the project would have to fly without school funding.
Only crashing to the ground to rise from the ashes never occurred to these two varsity tennis players. With a plan clearly envisioned, "We almost wanted to prove that we could do it without them," said Josh Lewis.
But before rising above it, they would first have to find their feet. "They literally pounded the pavement," said Josh's mother Rhoda Lewis-Gennarelli, to sell the $1800 in ads needed to produce 1000 copies.
And in order to lighten the load in their sale's shoes, they felt it would appeal to local businesses if they also included Greeley sports. In addition, the two figured that not all students are interested in pro sports and a well done magazine would be a good way to raise school spirit, according to Rosen.
Something that definitely appeals to the school's wrestling coach. "I think a lot of the kids like that a (school) newspaper is focusing on sports, as opposed to being relegated to the last page," says Mike Plotkin, and furthermore gives coverage to sports like wrestling that don't even get that.
As a result, Coach Plotkin is lending his support toward hopefully turning Sports Roundup into an official school publication. On the other hand, it's obstacles, they've learned, that truly leads to knocking down walls.
"It's given me an example of how I could lead and oversee this huge process," says Josh Rosen, and that not only involved raising money but delegating responsibilities among 40 staff members. Ms. Lewis-Gennarelli also sees barriers falling more easily for her son in the future.
"He's learned so much about himself and what his abilities are," she says while offering the opinion of someone who’s had success of her own in business - even if it carries the bias of a Mom. "I'd love to have them work for me someday," she concludes.
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