June 17, 1998 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 NOTE TO EDITORS: For information about workshop activities through June 20, please call the UO Office of Communications, (541) 346-3134. EUGENE--Nineteen minority teens from 17 high schools in 14 Northwest cities are hearing how Thurston High School student journalists handled a major national story on their home court, learning about newspapers and polishing their journalistic skills in a workshop underway through June 20 at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. Funded by a grant from the Oregonian Publishing Co. and the S.I. Newhouse Foundation, the week-long session is providing instruction and hands-on practice in topics ranging from interviewing to digital imaging, according to John Russial, assistant professor and workshop coordinator. "We've expanded the program again this year so that more students of color have the opportunity to spend a week here learning and working on a newspaper," he said. "The students really appreciate the one-on-one attention they get from the visiting newspaper reporters and editors and from the UO faculty members and students who help out." With the largest attendance since the workshop first was offered four years ago, Russial said the program is also is an excellent opportunity for minority students to explore journalism careers. "In addition," he pointed out, "the workshop is a great opportunity for news professionals to serve as mentors for high school students who have an interest in the field. It also supports the newspaper industry's very important goal of ensuring that a wider range of voices and perspectives are heard in journalism." This year the teen reporters will get a chance to talk with professional and student reporters who covered the May 21 Thurston shooting incident. While they're on the UO campus, workshop participants will "learn by doing," studying reporting and newswriting, interviewing and feature writing, news photography, copyediting, newspaper design and layout, opinion writing, legal issues and media careers. "They'll also interview university sources and participate in mock news conferences with state Sen. Susan Castillo and others," Russial said. "Throughout the week, the students will create and produce a lab newspaper that we plan to mail to students and high schools around the state and to publish on the World Wide Web, making it available to anyone with Internet access." Students, ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old, were recruited from communities throughout Oregon by their teachers, advisers and local newspaper editors and publishers. Reporters, editors and photographers from The Oregonian in Portland, The Mail Tribune in Medford, The Statesman Journal in Salem and The Register-Guard in Eugene will join Russial; adjunct professors Kathy Campbell, Beth Hege Piatote and Pam Cytrynbaum; doctoral student Clyde Bentley; and master's graduate Anne Burnett as the teaching faculty for the workshop. Oregon and southwest Washington high school students selected for the UO workshop include: ALBANY--Vincent Lew, 14, freshman at South Albany High School. BEAVERTON--Yusuke Kuhihara, 16, junior at Aloha High School; and Candace Pau, 16, junior at Aloha High School. EUGENE--Michelle Reeve, 15, sophomore at Churchill High School. GRESHAM--Ophalyn Jacob, 16, sophomore at Centennial High School. HILLSBORO--Mya Rivera, 15, sophomore at Glencoe High School. KEIZER--Maribel Vasquez, 16, sophomore at McNary High School, Salem. PORT ORFORD--Jeremy Neel, 16, junior at Pacific High School. PORTLAND--Lorraine-Michelle Faust, 17, senior at Roosevelt High School; Nichole Gaither-Martin, 16, junior, at Benson High School; Me-Shall Hills, 16, junior at Benson High School; Nathan Rede, 17, senior at Central Catholic High School; and Leah Wyatt, 16, junior at Parkrose High School. SALEM--Robert Vallejo, 16, sophomore at Gervais High School, Gervais. SISTERS--Patricia Smith, 16, junior at Sisters High School. SWEET HOME--Abbey Smitasin, 16, junior at Sweet Home High School. TROUTDALE--Alejandrine Felipe, 16, sophomore at Reynolds High School. TURNER--Monica Ostrem, 16, sophomore at Cascade High School. VANCOUVER, WASH.--Rodric Hurdle, 17, senior at Evergreen High School and Clark College. -30- #P-1314/Local,OrDailies,HT,Journ,Special