As The Fluco Beat student news site has become increasingly more time-consuming to maintain, Fluco Beat Adviser Elizabeth Pellicane has relied on the work of student editors like senior Kessler Potter.
Distinguishing herself by her writing skills, Potter became an editor of The Fluco Beat with only one semester of Journalism under her belt. While it is a big role, it is only one part of Potter’s accomplishments, which include starring in FCHS Theatre Department productions like “Peter and the Starcatcher” and serving as the Co-Captain of the Forensics and Speech team. Somehow, she also makes time to serve for the second year as editor of the FCHS Literary Magazine Club, with last year’s magazine being awarded a First Class award by the Virginia High School League (VHSL).
As Co-Editor of the Fluco Beat (along with senior Gabrielle Etchison), Potter is entrusted with numerous tasks. Her main job is to edit the articles submitted by Journalism students. At any given time, she could be working on multiple different articles along with writing her own topics, such as the recent article “7 Tips for Online Safety, Part 2.” She also helps manage the Fluco Beat website by updating polls, the Photo of the Week, and Breaking News.
So far, Potter has written 14 stories for the Fluco Beat, ranging from important school information to global news. Her other recent articles include an article on the Flying Flucos Disc Golf Club and “Interact-ing With Jack O’Lanterns,” which details the work of the Interact Club and how they engage students.
Being an editor has its challenges. Just within the months of October and November, the Fluco Beat and its staff did a site review to make sure that all current and past photos on the Beat continue to meet copyright standards, while deciding how to appropriately use images created through artificial intelligence on the site.
Over the course of the last few months, Potter has taken on more and more editor duties as she prepares to shoulder the entire editor load spring semester. “This change has been a little stressful, but mostly fun. I get to create ‘Your Say’ and ‘Breaking News,’ though I do have to pay attention to dates more,” said Potter.
After school hours, Potter has been an integral member of the FCHS golf team and hopes to eventually continue her golf career in college. “This year, I went to Girls State Qualifiers [for golf] and I am seriously considering going to a college in Pennsylvania to continue playing,” she said. In the future, she plans to attend a four-year college to study either art history, architecture, or historic preservation.
