Rationale
Stargirl is a novel that addresses themes of both individuality and conformity in schools. The novel’s protagonist, Stargirl, is unique because she presents herself in a manner unlike any other student. She dresses differently, chooses her own name (her real name is Susan), and although she eventually becomes a cheerleader, she loses popularity when she cheers for the other team. The following article takes place after Stargirl’s appearance on Hot Seat, the school produced show, where she is interviewed. At this point in the novel, students have become angry with Stargirl, and she is losing the popularity she once had. The aim of the article is to highlight how such an article might be written, as it must indicate how students feel about Stargirl while remaining unbiased in its own opinion, as well as abiding by news article structure. The task achieves its aim by emulating a voice appropriate for a school audience that has become very polarized about how they feel about Stargirl, as she is inherently a controversial topic.
Article: Is the Hot Seat too hot for Stargirl?
Stargirl’s recently cancelled airing of her appearance on The Hot Seat has had many students talking. According to anonymous sources, the interview indeed took place, but the subsequent airing was cancelled and the tape was destroyed. A few sources familiar with the project identify Mr. Robineau as the one who decided against airing the potentially explosive interview, although he has refused to comment on the incident. The abrupt cancellation has many wondering: what took place during this interview?
It is no secret that Stargirl has become a controversial figure here at our school. The eccentric cheerleader has recently come under criticism for supporting opposing teams during recent basketball matches. This has led to accusations of showboating, or at worst, disloyalty to our very own school.
Our team of investigative journalists have sought to uncover what really happened during the controversial, unaired interview. According to one student, who has elected to remain anonymous, fireworks began to fly before the taping even began. According to the source, Stargirl’s behavior in the hot seat began rather bizarrely, as she appeared to take the name of The Hot Seat literally, pretending that the chair where she was sitting was actually too hot. This is typical behavior of Stargirl, whom many have accused of simply looking for ways to gain attention.
The jurors questioning Stargirl soon began asking her the origins of her name. Stargirl is reported to have admitted that Stargirl is not her real name, as her real name is Susan. However, Stargirl also claimed to have had multiple other names, including bizarre monikers such as Pocket Mouse, Mudpie, and Hullygully, before deciding on her current name of Stargirl. When pressed on why Stargirl had chosen such an odd name, she appeared to not have a clear answer other than saying it just seemed to make sense.
The interview then sought to identify why Stargirl had been cheering for the opposite team during recent basketball matches. According to another anonymous source, Stargirl was accused of being a traitor. When asked to explain her actions, Stargirl refused to acknowledge that cheering for another team might be considered traitorous, claiming that she was simply trying to make the other team feel better. However, this answer did not seem to satisfy the jury, as school loyalty is one of the fundamental principles that makes our school great. The controversial response was then followed by claims that Stargirl’s main motive is simply to get attention. While one juror reportedly accused Stargirl of trying to be noticed by boys, others were not so sure. Is Stargirl’s behavior due to her inherent eccentricities, or is it all an act? Why was this interview cancelled from airing? Was it simply too controversial? We continue to have these questions ourselves, and will report any new incidents involving Stargirl as they arise.
