What stands out more than 40 years later is how Ramsey student journalists tackled some of the most controversial issues of the era -- the draft and the Vietnam war, pollution, censorship, drug use, and the role of religion in students' lives. The reporting looked at these and other topics from a wide range of perspectives. The masthead, usually on page two, defined the paper's mission: "This publication is dedicated to fair, accurate and in-depth reporting of events and issues that concern students, whether school, community or national."

What's also impressive is much of the writing. In journalism classes and summer workshops, 15 and 16-year-old kids learned how to write leads, editorials and feature stories. Some of their work is as good as most of the writing and reporting in mainstream newspapers today. Some of it is better.