Friends and family gathered to watch Charlotte Frank ’25 and Connor Neary ’25 fasten pins above their hearts, hold candles of truth, raise their right hands, and take the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society pledge prior to spring break. Charlotte, who works on the King newspaper “The Pelican,” and Connor, who founder and host of “The Morning Show,” promised to do everything in their power to work for the advancement of the community and live up to the ideals of journalism with impartiality and authenticity.
“Journalism has taught me many important skills, such as research, inquiry, and interviewing, and it has also taught me valuable life lessons, such as the value of integrity and the responsibility to speak truth to power, both of which are reflected in King’s virtues,” said last year’s inductee, Jack Zipper ’24, who emceed the event this year. “We appreciate the hard work both of you have done, your curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. Your ability to maintain journalistic integrity is admirable, and we thank you for doing that at King School.”
Founded in 1926, Quill and Scroll supports student achievement in journalism and scholastic publications. Students inducted into King’s chapter of the society must complete an application demonstrating a commitment to journalism through professional development, community engagement, and ethics.
After taking the pledge, Charlotte talked about the role “The Pelican” has had in honing her writing skills and deepening her connection to the King community.
“I want to thank Ms. Bowe for offering this incredible opportunity, and to all of my teachers at King for their guidance, a special thank you to my Pelican staff, parents, family, friends for unwavering support of her pursuit of passion,” said Charlotte.
Conor spoke of his long-standing interest in media and journalism and how “The Morning Show” was the result of a content creation class he took.
“The goal of ‘The Morning Show’ is to bring the King community closer together,” he said, adding a special thank you to Art and Design Chair Brady Shoemaker. “He has had my back throughout the entire process and has always encouraged me to be the best I could. ‘The Morning Show’ would not be where it is today without Mr. Shoemaker.”
King’s Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, Adriana Hauser, who started her career in news and became an Emmy Award-winning journalist at CNN, closed the event with a resonant message that echoed Jack’s opening words. Hauser pointed to the shared values underlying both the profession of journalism and the education of King. She encouraged Charlotte and Conor to live by the King virtues, respect, perseverance, integrity, and kindness.
“Never lose sight of those guiding principles,” Hauser stressed, “as a person and as a journalist.”