The Blazer, Flushing High School’s Independent Voice began as a tenth grade English class project in 1947. Over the following years, Journalism was added to the curriculum, and the publication evolved from a few mimeographed pages to a tabloid and eventually to a news magazine format in 1991.
The 40-page magazine was funded solely by advertising with contracts sold and managed by students. It was published regularly on the first Friday of the each month during the school year. It was available by subscription and distributed at the beginning of the third hour class period when the building went quiet while everyone read.
Editorial positions were filled for the following year from among applicants after completion of the introductory class. The Editorial Board made all coverage decisions with an eye to the interest and needs of the reading audience.
The publication was affiliated with Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and Quill & Scroll Society and earned recognition from both.
While the magazine was important to its staff, this advisor was primarily concerned with providing an authentic work experience of creativity, responsibility, decision-making, teamwork, and management. These skills would serve students well no matter where their post-high school plans took them.
With the implementation of Core Curriculum at the secondary level, journalism no longer carried an English credit, and students found they had less time for elective classes. Enrollment in Journalism dwindled. The few students remaining managed to publish a few print editions in its final year and maintained a solid presence online. With the end of the 2016-17 school year, the publication went on indefinite hiatus.
-Ellie Sharrow, Blazer adviser