HiLite adviser Jim Streisel's Cliff Note's Definition:
Students write within an established production cycle, meeting deadlines and following Associated Press style manual guidelines for consistency. Students analyze, evaluate and critique their own work and that of others as they improve future publications or media based on feedback.
Unfortunately, this production cycle fails sometimes when one part of the cycle does not work. For example, in the February issue, the story about the Mosque was just not ready yet, so I had no option but to push it back. Fortunately, I planned a backup story AND photos for online just in case something does not work out. This story was "Broadcasting into the future" (see below). I had to design this spread during Production Week, which was unfortunate and difficult, but I carried through. I have learned that it is important to recognize the inevitable flaws in this system when the content does not work out because then as an editor, I can plan ahead and make up for the flaw. For this planning on my part, I not only received a 4 in production cycle category but also published two well-written stories about broadcasting and student activism through the Mosque and school shootings, which published in March.