Categories of The Helix

A new writer interested in The Helix? Or a reader looking to browse? Come here to see the availability of topics and categories.

School

First Issues

General

Opportunities

Clubs

End of Year

Entertainment

Music

Literature

Cooking

Sports

Original Works

The Happiness Column

Politics

In-School

Local/State

National

International

Academic Journal of BTHS

Pop Science

BTHS Research

Science Fiction

School

First Issues

  • A Letter to…

    • Multiple letters per grade with one summary letter
  • BTHS Survival Guide

    • Study tips/resources
    • Shortcuts
  • New developments

    • New teachers
    • Course changes
    • Restrictions due to COVID-19

General

  • Ask a...Column

    • One for each grade
    • Anonymous
  • School events - keep in contact with SGA to get more info

    • Battle of the Classes
    • Dances
    • Elections
    • Plays
  • Resources

    • Studying advice around midterms/finals
    • Extracurricular opportunities

Opportunities

  • List informal interest groups
  • Advertise available positions 
    • ex. Climate, Culture, and Wellness Council
  • Share out-of-school extracurriculars
    • Volunteering
    • Clubs
    • Sports
    • Leadership
    • Programs
    • Student organizations
  • College reviews from alumni

Clubs

  • Information about formal clubs

  • Intro articles

    • Detailed descriptions of club activities
    • Current leadership
    • Contact info
    • Advisor
    • Practice resources
  • Scheduling and Programs

    • Deadlines
    • Upcoming events
    • Competitions
    • Programs (buddy programs, beach clean-up, etc.)
    • Powerpoints
  • General Info

    • Goals
    • Attitude
  • Interviews with club leadership/members

End of Year

  • Letters

    • For incoming students
    • Thank yous to faculty, peers, etc.
  • Summer plans

  • Reflections

    • Regrets
    • Lessons learned
    • Surprises
  • Commendations

Entertainment

Music

  • Any type, provided there is interest

  • Classical

    • Articles on music theory/history
    • Analysis of a piece
    • Concerts/performances
  • Pop

    • Concerts/performances
    • New releases with reviews
    • Cultural analysis

Literature

  • New releases

  • Reviews

    • Old or new books
  • Analysis

    • Background
    • Actions
    • Plot

Cooking

  • Recipes

    • Favorites
    • Classics
    • Culturally unique
  • Technique Tutorials

    • Video/test
  • Restaurant reviews

    • Local restaurants
    • Restaurants visited on vacation
    • Describe food, ambiance, service, etc.
  • Food reviews

    • Can be store-bought products
    • Sentimental family cooking

Sports

  • Local

    • Events between Monmouth County schools
    • Interviews of BTHS athletes
  • College

    • BTHS students follow their favorite sports teams
    • Discuss recruitment
  • Professional

    • Major sporting events, ex. The Olympics, March Madness, Superbowl, etc.

Gaming

  • New releases

    • Reviews
    • Descriptions
  • Recent controversies in the gaming community

Original Works

  • Submissions from BTHS students

    • Can be anonymous or named
    • Group or individual
  • Any medium

    • Musical compositions
    • Writing
    • Visual art
    • Coding projects
    • Performance arts
    • Film projects
  • Showcases BTHS talent

The Happiness Column

  • Happy, light-hearted content designed to relax students

  • Students share how they relax

    • General tips list
    • In-depth story/description
    • How to do it and how it helps
  • Pet photos

  • Warm and tender stories connected to community issues

Politics

  • Op-Eds

    • Showcase student opinions
    • Significantly preferable to show both sides (to reduce bias as a school newspaper)

In-School

  • SGA 

    • Members
    • Interviews
    • Bios
  • Class elections

    • Interviews
    • Plans
    • Should all have equal time and attention unless they forfeit coverage
  • New policies

National

  • US Government

    • Elections
  • New policies/laws

    • Announcement and explanation
  • Supreme Court rulings

  • Issues within the US

    • Should fall under op-eds

International

  • Foreign relations

    • Overall changes
    • Certain regions
    • Certain countries
    • Agreements/treaties
  • Notable foreign news

    • Ex. Brexit
    • Elections
    • Policy
    • Funding changes

Academic Journal of BTHS

A student scientific journal managed by Danielle Lee (dalee@ctemc.org).

Pop Science

  • Brief descriptions of new research

  • Not designed to be in-depth

  • Must provide the source

    • MOST preferably the original research article
  • Should follow research conventions

    • Sufficient sample size, no conflicts of interest, etc.
    • Should not attempt to discredit the scientific consensus (ex. The anti-vax Wakefield study)

BTHS Research

  • Original research from students

    • Full article or abstract
    • Data set
  • Announce science fair winnings

    • Include contents of the project
  • Research programs completed by BTHS students

    • Application process
    • Description
    • Experience
    • Findings

Science Fiction

  • Similar to the Nature science fiction story

  • BTHS students submit a composition

    • Can be related to research from the other two sections