The student paper, The Eclipse, is back as a news website through School Newspapers Online.

SNO hosts almost 1,900 websites, providing news to communities around the world.

Mr. Darrick Puffer, adviser of The Eclipse, saw great potential in using this new format to provide the news.

“Once I found out that we could go online and do an online newspaper,” Puffer said, “then I thought the students would be much more interested in it.”

The newspaper class did not have enough applicants in the past two years to become an official class. This year, however, there were just enough applicants to grant the newspaper its own hour.

Senior Dylan Brewer, news editor, applied because he enjoyed reading news articles and once had Puffer as a teacher.

“I like writing about current events,” Brewer said, “and I remember Mr. Puffer talking about all the things newspaper students learned that students in regular English classes don’t always know.”

According to Puffer, the new online format was a factor in attracting more applicants to the class.

“I thought the students would be much more interested in it. And it worked, because students liked the idea and we were able to get the numbers,” Puffer said.

Not only is the new format more attractive to students, it also costs less.

“The old style printing the newspaper would cost us anywhere from $300 to $500 per issue,” Puffer said. “With the news site, we only have to come up with somewhere between $300 to $400 a year.”

Newspaper students are excited about the class and how it will turn out.

“I like how the class is structured less like a typical high school class,” Brewer said. “Students are given more individual freedom and are expected to be more responsible, consequently.”

The Eclipse staff is confident in its ability to produce quality work.

Brewer said, “I think that the staff of The Eclipse is well-rounded and has a diverse group of interests that should contribute to some well-written articles.”