Journalism at Denison

By Maddie LuekbertWith tall, white crystal bowls and a mallet in hand, sound-healer Shawntay Fields uses an ancient remedy to soothe modern day problems. Sound healing more than a meditation for Fields. It connects her to a world she's lost.

By Margaret HeldThis story is about my terrible job at a pizza truck. One day my coworkers and I were fed up with the poor conditions, so we all decided to call in sick and have a beach day.

By Eva AltizerAmelia Knisely is a West Virginian political reporter. That was so hard at one point she had to leave the area. What brings her back?

By Santiago Grandbois and Henry McCleanThe Grinch has struck Granville! A sacred Christmas tree, decorated by elementary schoolers in a tradition stretching decades, has been stolen! Now the journalism department of Denison University must grapple with the ethics of naming the students responsible or keeping their identities a mystery. 

Stephanie Arcail was a recovering heroin addict taking care of her happy and healthy 11-month old daughter, Eliana. Then Stephanie died from a heroin overdose 2 weeks after journalist Anne Saker reported on her recovery progress. Saker now faced numerous ethical dilemmas as she navigated the rest of her reporting. 

[This story was previously published in Ohio Newsroom.]For decades, students at Upper Arlington High School walked across their campus, unaware of the history buried beneath their very own feet. The land—now home to classrooms and athletic fields—once held the graves of Black Ohioans who built businesses and communities despite the denial of basic civil rights.

A lot of women report feeling brain fog and strange cognitive differences as they transition to motherhood, and are unsure of why. While many people believe this is a result of sleep deprivation and the added stressors of being a parent, we dive into the neurological changes that occur to provide a more scientific reasoning for "mom brain."By Megan Kennedy ‘25 and Sarah Kissinger ‘25 

The story follows Noam's journey from dealing with TMJ disorder, to inventing TMJ Pen for people dealing with the similar issue.By Ray Vo ‘27 

Stephanie Arcail was a recovering heroin addict taking care of her happy and healthy 11-month old daughter Eliana, until Stephanie died from a heroin overdose 2 weeks after journalist Anne Saker reports on her recovery progress. Saker now faces numerous ethical dilemmas as she navigates the rest of her reporting. By Maddie Luebkert ‘27 and Shaye Phillips ‘27 

Local nurse, Heather Long, donates a kidney to nine-year-old after responding to a billboard ad.By Chloe Benson ‘25, Luke Dunlap ‘27, and Selah Griffin ‘25 

Community Participant category winner at Journalism at Denison's sixth annual Podcast-a-thon in March 2024.Laura Joelsson ’24 created “Exploring Relationships Through Nature,” about the impacts of nature on forming relationships. The podcast features Sarah Carpenter (Denison University '24) and her step-grandfather, Peter Gilbertson, talking about their experiences with nature. Laura is a double major in Environmental Studies and Journalism and always looking for ways to combine those subjects!

Honorable Mention at Journalism at Denison's sixth annual Podcast-a-thon in March 2024.Lindsey Urban ’26, Clare Elden ’25 and Sydney Schlatter ’27 from professor Erik Klemetti’s earth science course dig into the geology behind Gordon Lightfoot’s hit song from the 70’s about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. 

Honorable Mention at Journalism at Denison's sixth annual Podcast-a-thon in March 2024.Katie Houpt ’26 and Molly Way ’27 from professor Alan Miller’s journalism ethics course created “Virgina Heffernan: Tina’s Tale,” about a dilemma that Heffernan faced as a journalist while writing a profile on Tina Fey.

Grand Champion Buzzy Winner and People's Choice Award at Journalism at Denison's sixth annual Podcast-a-thon in March 2024.Sophia Sabota '24 won both awards for her story, “Brain Injury Resulting from Violence: An Important Conversation with Dr. Eve Valera”. As part of Professor Heather Rhodes’ Neuroscience senior capstone, Sabota’s story highlights how Dr. Valera’s discoveries working with survivors of domestic violence led her to call for action and further research on the invisible epidemic of brain injury as a result of violence.Dr Valera is an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and research scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, who has set the pace in the emerging field of brain injury resulting from intimate-partner violence.