Tennessee Governor’s Race

An Open Seat Heats Up Partisan Politics

After an eight-year run, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, will be replaced by either Republican Bill Haslam or Democrat Mike McWherter.

Tennessee usually votes Republican, despite the fact that Bredesen has won two terms. The desire of the two major political parties to either claim or retain that seat has made it a hard fought race.

Haslam has a strong Republican following in East Tennessee and is the favored candidate in the race. He has served as the Mayor of Knoxville for the past seven years. Previously, Mayor Haslam served as president and director of Pilot Corp., a Knoxville-based company operating convenience stores and travel centers nationwide. He also is the former chief executive officer of SAKS Direct, the e-commerce and catalogue division of Saks Fifth Avenue.

Haslam is married with three children and attends the Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, where he is an Elder. He has made family values a centerpiece of his campaign platform.

McWherter is prepared for a tough race and hopes to keep the Governor’s mansion firmly in the hands of the Democrats. He has never held an elected office, but is hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps. His dad is former Governor Ned McWherter, who campaigned to represent working families and create more jobs in all of Tennessee’s 95 counties. This is also part of the younger politician’s platform.

McWherter touts his experience as a self-made businessman. For the past 20 years, he has owned and operated a successful beverage distributorship in Jackson. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School. He worked in private practice in Nashville before starting his business in Jackson.

He is married, with two children. He strongly supports comprehensive education reform.

As the race progresses, I’ll be following these two candidates, reporting on their events and campaign promises. Check back on Election Night, November 2, to find out who will be the next Governor of Tennessee!

—Emma Hall, Franklin, Tennessee

PHOTOS: (Top) Republican Bill Haslam, candidate for Governor of Tennessee (Bottom) Democrat Mike McWherter, candidate for Governor of Tennessee (Photos Courtesy of each campaign)

Kid Reporter Ideas

You can pitch your own stories, too!

Last November, I was chosen to be a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. I was excited and happy when I received the news that my application had been chosen.

At first I was given assignments chosen by Scholastic. For instance, my first assignment was to find someone in my hometown of Seattle who had been affected by the earthquake in Haiti. I ended up interviewing a woman who had family in Haiti and had recently lost her aunt in the earthquake.

Next, I received an assignment to interview Denis Hayes, the founder of Earth Day, who happens to live right here in Seattle. He talked to me about the 40th anniversary of his project.

I enjoyed these assignments, but it wasn’t until I started pitching my own ideas to Scholastic that the job became more exciting to me. I found that when I did a story that was of personal interest to me, that I got more involved in each story.

For example, I love fashion, so I came up with an idea to do a video of summer fashions that would fit a kid’s budget. Some of my friends were models in the video.

I also learned that my next door neighbor is the head engineer at Boeing, so I did another video on the new plane he helped design, the 787 Dreamliner. Kids aren’t usually allowed to go behind the scenes where the airplane test models are kept, but I got a special sneak peek.

The ultimate was when I got to fly down to Los Angeles and go on the set of a new Disney show called Pair of Kings. I interviewed stars Mitchel Musso, Doc Shaw, Ryan Ochoa, and Kelsey Chow in their own dressing rooms. I also met the stars of Hannah Montana when I went to a press event about the show’s last season.

I’ll never forget my experiences this year, and I would recommend that any kid interested in reporting apply to be part of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. Click here for details on how to apply. Deadline is October 12, so get started now!

—Isabelle Quinn

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Isabelle Quinn with actor Emily Osment, who plays Miley Cyrus's best friend Lily in the Disney TV show Hannah Montana. (Photo courtesy Isabelle Quinn)

Details of Being a Kid Reporter

Some advice from a veteran for those who want to apply.

I have been a Kid Reporter for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps for one amazing year, and I can’t believe how much I have learned about being a reporter!

When you write your article I now know that you should take a lot of notes because you want to remind yourself what the important details are when it comes to writing your article. And I’ve learned how to use those notes. Make sure that you have a main idea in each paragraph, and not just a bunch of details. Come up with a main idea, and piece together your details to make it flow and make sense.

Details, details, and loads of detail! Details are an important part of your article. Details put your readers in the story. You can’t tell a good story without details, so don’t forget them!

After you write your article, you should always go back and revise it. You never know when there’s a misspelled word or a run-on sentence. Also, it helps you make sure that what you’ve written makes sense to your reader and not just to you.

At an event, I make sure that I have a digital voice recorder with me so I can get accurate quotes for my story. When I write my article, I can listen to my recordings and put exactly what was said into the article. It’s essential that you have interesting quotes to support the main idea and details in your report.

Also, don’t be shy. If you’re shy, then you probably won’t be able to interact well with the interviewees. Most people are very friendly and love to answer your questions—especially if you make your questions interesting!

Keep a straight face—and stay objective—at all times while conducting your interview—no matter how excited you are! I had a one-on-one interview with a favorite celebrity once. After the interview, I came to a quiet spot and SCREAMED!

Another thing I like about reporting is that when you go to an event, you get to stand in the press area where you can get advice from older, more experienced reporters. And good advice truly helps!

Kid reporting is really fun! I hope you’ll think so too. Deadline is October 12 to apply, so you better get busy! Get the details by clicking here!

—Alexandra Zhang

PHOTO: Richard Marcellais, tribal chairman of the Turtle Mountain Band of the Chippewa, talks to Scholastic Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang at the Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, D.C., on November 5, 2009. (Photo Courtesy Alexandra Zhang)

Kid Reporter Best Job Ever

What are you waiting for? Apply now!

Being a Kid Reporter for Scholastic has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. It is a great experience for kids just like me who are interested in journalism. I got to conduct interviews, write real news articles that were published online, and even go to a speech by the President!

I have learned a lot of skills from being a Kid Reporter. At first, I was nervous to ask people questions and do interviews, but I became more and more comfortable each time.

One of the biggest learning experiences for me was when President Barack Obama came to Columbus, Ohio, last June. There I was, a Scholastic Kid Reporter standing in the press area full of grownups with college degrees, waiting for President Obama to make his speech. It was a thrilling and fun experience!I learned how to be a go-getter and approach people to ask questions. I would have never been able to see the President speak without being a Kid Reporter!

I also learned throughout the year that deadlines are important. Sometimes, you get a breaking news case and have to spend a whole weekend researching and writing an article. For example, I was at winter camp when I had to do a breaking news story about the earthquake in Haiti. I had to spend my free time working on the story. It actually was a lot of fun and I learned how to quickly put together an article.

If you are interested in being a Kid Reporter, I encourage you to apply. You may get to interview a celebrity, important politician, or cover the president coming to your hometown just like I did!

So here are some tips for applying to Scholastic Kids Press Corp:

     1. Be sure to use plenty of detail when writing your articles. However, be careful of too much detail, because unnecessary details make an article confusing.

     2. When interviewing someone, be sure to be prepared. Know the questions you are asking and try to record it so you can get accurate quotes.

    3. Be sure to have enough research and quotes. Try to let the quotes tell the story!

So what are you waiting for? Apply to be a Kid Reporter now! Being a Kid Reporter is a lot of fun and is a great experience!

—Christian Snyder

PHOTO: Being a Kid Reporter sometimes means hanging out with these guys at big events like when President Obama spoke in Columbus, Ohio. You can learn a lot from other members of the press! (Photo Courtesy Christian Snyder)

Life in the Red Shirt

Almost everyone recognizes the kids in the red shirts!

When I found out about the Scholastic Kids Press Corps, it was like someone had designed a program just for me. Working as a Kid Reporter has given me time to contemplate—and test—my career choices, not only in reporting, but in the jobs of everyone I get to met—including the President of the United States!

This is what I do. I love the jittery feeling I get before I go to interview someone. It’s so… well, relaxing. I think of all the possible outcomes, all of the words to say. I prepare myself by going over my questions and making sure I have done my research and know who I am going to be talking to and what about.

When I put on my red Scholastic Kids Press Corps shirt I am no longer just some kid. I forget about everything else and focus on my story.

For one assignment, I interviewed documentary film maker Ken Burns. We talked about his work and the “Ken Burns Effect,” which some photo software uses to make a still picture move like a motion picture. It was cool because I was learning how to edit videos, and here I was talking to one of the great innovators in the movie industry!

Once, when I had an assignment in art to make a sculpture, I also had an assignment from Scholastic to go to an Ice Sculpture show. I have had many unique experiences that have helped me improve my talents and expand my passions.

And then, there was the 2008 presidential election. I actually got to interview Barack Obama before he was elected President!

When I go to interview someone, I can usually see a flash of recognition in their eyes when they see my red Scholastic shirt. I love that. When I’m done working with Scholastic, part of me will always be the kid in the red shirt.

—Kayla Gough

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Kayla Gough interviews then candidate Barack Obama at an event in Michigan in 2008. (Photo Courtesy Kayla Gough)

Kid Reporter Deadline!

Get busy on your application! Deadline is October 12.

I’ve been a Kid Reporter for a year now. It has been a challenge and it has taught me a lot. So, would it be a good decision for you to apply? If you have any interest at all in writing or reporting, then the answer is: Of Course!

Being a Scholastic Kid Reporter is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Even if you don’t want to become a journalist, being a Kid Reporter teaches you skills that will serve you your entire life, no matter what career path you take.

I learned from each interview, whether it was on a red carpet, by phone, on on video. I learned to speak off and on camera and how to take quick notes and be observant.

On one assignment, I was at Cooper Union in New York City to hear President Barack Obama's speech on the economy and Wall Street. I interviewed some of the dignitaries there for my story. As I asked the same questions over and over, I listened to the answers. That lead to followup questions and a more interesting story.

If you’re thinking about applying to be a kid reporter, get to it! The application deadline is October 12. To find out how to apply, click here!

—Christopher Campbell

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Christopher Campbell covers a fund raiser in the Bronx New York for victims of the January earthquake in Haiti. (Photo Courtesy Christopher Campbell)