The school newspaper is a staple in almost every high school in America. Student run, students write on current events, school news, and the ongoing activities of the community. However, very few times do the students behind those articles about the latest football game or the new building they are planning, talk about themselves and the importance of the paper. They do not talk of how they come up with creative stories going on around campus, interview the people they are writing about, or get the information on their topics.  

One of these students that has continually written for The Voice over the course of the last few years has been Elijah Moskal. Elijah Moskal has been behind many different articles that have been able to garner attention from the readers, and I wanted to take the chance to get into his thought process about writing these stories. From writing about Bills fans’ pregame rituals to writing about Barry Bonds, I wanted to show the readers of The Voice how this writer has been able to entertain them throughout the years. 

What first got you interested in writing news stories?

EM: Originally, I wanted something that would look good to throw on my college résumé, but at the same time I knew I hated the majority of clubs at school. I hate math, I hate science, I hate math, I hate Spanish, I hate math. The only viable option would be to turn to an English oriented activity.

When writing, do you focus more on your interests or news going on in our community? 

EM: The goal is to find the sweet spot. Writing on a topic that others love, but holds no interest to you, will bring forth a crap article. Writing on a topic that you love, but the majority of others do not, will bring forth a crap article. 

Have you taken journalism? If so, what was your experience?

EM: I did take journalism; it was definitely a unique experience. I had a difficult time trying to find cool subjects which pertained to Orchard Park, so I ended up just giving a lot of opinions on national sports.

Were you interested in writing before taking journalism?

EM: I was definitely interested in it but never to the extent where I would go around writing on my own.

How long have you been writing articles for The Voice?

EM: I’ve been writing in The Voice since the beginning of my junior year, the majority of the time on sports.

How long is the process of thinking of an idea for a story to completing it?

EM: Everything’s relative. If I’m writing a story on my friends’ sports or antics, it might take around two hours, taking into account the interviews. If I’m writing an opinion piece, which involves pulling statistics to prove my point, it definitely takes a little bit longer than two hours. I remember last year, I wrote something on Barry Bonds that probably took upwards of like six hours. Granted, I definitely got lost in the research and found out way more than I needed; but still, it took a while.

Is there research involved when writing a story in the voice?

EM: There’s always a lot of research that goes into an article, whether it be finding reputable sources to interview, or pulling statistics to back up your presented viewpoint, as seen in the Barry Bonds article.

Do you ever interview people for your stories? If so, who?

EM: Aidan Cocchiarella has made his way into my articles multiple times. I usually tend to interview two or three people, but not every time I used their quotes. In my most recent writing, I polled 30 people on their opinions of the Bills’ trade deadline.

If you were to be able to interview anyone in the world who would you interview and why?

EM: Dead Or Alive?

Me: Either.

EM: Alright, in respect to the deceased, I’d probably go my uncle Jeff. Very peculiar guy, super interesting fellow. He talked to my friend Jake a ton, who has recited some stories, which he has never told me. I’d love to ask him if they’re true or not; I find some very hard to believe. For alive, I’d probably choose Daniel Craig. I love the Bond movies, and he revitalized them.

What’s your favorite thing that you have covered so far?

EM: My favorite thing that I’ve covered was probably Wes Beane’s underground basketball league. He started up some organization in his basement that exponentially grew, super unique experience.

Do you ever see yourself becoming a writer as a result of your time writing news stories?

EM: I definitely am not able to say for certain what I want to be in the future, but writing in both The Voice and in journalism class showed me something that I could be very interested in one day. Although, time will only tell on whether I decide to pursue this or another one of my passions for the rest of my near future.

The thought process and dedication to providing his readers with an interesting and entertaining experience when reading his articles is always at the forefront of Elijah Moskal’s mind when writing. If it results in writing about something involving sports or the community, it does not seem to matter; he always tries to provide his readers with the best experience. The amount of time and thought by the writers of the newspaper, especially by Elijah Moskal, is what has made The Voice a staple at Orchard Park High School. Make sure to catch Moskal’s new stories in The Voice. They won’t disappoint.