Newspapers from school facets far and wide unite, rallying to recover from the devastating wildfire aftermath.

Rebuilding Towards Hope: Palisades Charter High School and the January Wildfires

After the devastating January wildfires swept through California, Palisades Charter High School faced extensive damage that shook the hearts of its students and staff. The blaze left the school's newsroom ashes, obliterating years of archived papers, cameras, and computers. But in the spirit of resilience, help appeared unexpectedly from Temple University's sports media center thousands of miles away.

Claire Smith, founder of the sports media center, forged a bond with Lisa Nehus Saxon, the journalism adviser at Palisades Charter High School, during the early days of carving out a space for women journalists in Major League Baseball. Their shared experiences of being barred from locker rooms and the unwavering support they provided each other served as the foundation for their long-lasting friendship.

When the Palisades Charter High School community was left reeling from the disaster, Smith wanted to offer her aid. In response, she journeyed from Philadelphia to deliver the fruits of their collaboration: a university paper filled with the high school students' articles.

Across nearly a dozen pages, the publication highlighted articles on rental market price gouging and the school's return to in-person lessons. Amongst the poignant firsthand accounts of the loss, the paper also featured thoughtful poems and hand-drawn pictures graciously created by students from Pasadena Rosebud Academy, another school that was devastated by the wildfires.

In total, the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January claimed nearly 17,000 structures, including homes, schools, businesses, and places of worship. The Palisades high school, which caters to approximately 3,000 students, saw around 40% of its campus destroyed. Estimates suggested that around a quarter of its newspaper staff lost their homes, with some being forced to relocate outside the community and attend different schools.

This project aimed to provide students with a meaningful task amidst the tragedy while also offering them a platform to share their community's experience with a larger audience. Smith hoped the effort would offer a sense of healing but also offer the students something to ultimately hold onto for future generations.

On a windy Wednesday in Santa Monica, Smith and Samuel O'Neal, The Temple News' editor-in-chief, presented the papers to the high school staff. For many of the students, it was the first time they saw their Tideline articles in print—an experience that Kate Swain, an 18-year-old co-editor-in-chief for the paper, found surreal.

"With everything we've endured together, persevering through personal challenges while pouring our passion for journalism into our articles, this project feels like a truly fulfilling experience," said Swain.

Gigi Appelbaum, another 18-year-old co-editor and a student who lost her home in the fire, spoke to the unique aspect of the project's reach extending beyond their community.

"The fact that people from across the country are tuned into our story and sympathize with our situation is heartwarming—it feels incredibly special," said Appelbaum, a four-year member of the paper.

The project's roots can be traced back to 1983, when Smith and Nehus Saxon had a chance encounter during a game between the Angels and Yankees in Anaheim. Nehus Saxon approached Smith, finding her hard at work meeting a deadline.

"Who would have thought that little encounter would evolve into this?" said Nehus Saxon.

In the years that followed, they traveled to London together for Major League Baseball's first games in Europe, and they wept together in 2017 as Smith became the first woman to win the Baseball Writers' Association of America's Career Excellence Award. Though they don't always stay in constant touch, they know that a simple message from either would prompt an immediate response.

When Nehus Saxon learned of the fire, which engulfed her community with her home just three blocks away, she turned to Smith for comfort. Though her home survived the blaze, it is filled with toxic lead-laden ash and may be uninhabitable for years. However, with the support of Smith, Nehus Saxon and her students have taken the first steps in their journey towards recovery and have been able to complete the final edition of the school year.

As Nehus Saxon saved one copy of the paper for the school's archive, Smith reflected, "When you've lost everything, you've got to start somewhere."

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In the aftermath of the wildfires in California, Palisades Charter High School, located in Seattle, sought assistance for rebuilding and recovery efforts.
Claire Smith, an ally from Temple University's sports media center in Philadelphia, extended a helping hand to Palisades Charter High School, offering online education resources for students to continue their education and self-development.
Amidst the recovery process, Palisades Charter High School students delved into the world of sports journalism, producing articles on various topics, including Seattle's local sports scene, as a part of their collaboration with Temple University's sports media center.

Newspapers from school facets far and wide unite, rallying to recover from the devastating wildfire aftermath.