The Talisman is a student-led news organization at Hayes. The program is also a public forum, meaning it is run solely by its staff.
Consisting of 31 students, The Talisman is currently run by current Editor-in-Chief Ava Vogel, and advised by Julieanne McClain.
During the 2023-2024 school year, the Talisman staff were awarded the All-Ohio Award for the 5th time, along with becoming a SNO Distinguished Site for the first time. The organization has been running for over 60 years.
For many, the Talisman is more than just a news website or an extracurricular. It’s a way to grow, harbor creativity and create long-lasting relationships and memories that’ll last a lifetime. Photographer Marsella Smith has been on staff for two years and the assignments seemed like a natural progression from her past experience.
“I joined Talisman because I had been doing photography for years and was a part of the yearbook [DelHi], so it seemed like another class I would enjoy,” Smith said.
There are staff members who joined due to a friendly influence. Senior Sam Truster got reeled in while part of another school activity.
“Josie Morrow (previous Section Editor) got me to join because I did Youth and Government with her last year and I showed a lot of interest in editing stuff for media,” Truster said. “She introduced me to the idea of [joining] Talisman.”
Smith remarked that it was also a friend of hers that convinced her to join, pitching the organization to her and comparing it to her prior skill set as a member of the yearbook staff.
“My friend Grace Metz (previous Editor-in-Chief) had told me all about the class the year before, so I heard it was fun and somewhat similar to what I was already doing in the yearbook,” Smith recalled.
While on staff for Talisman, there are many different opportunities for students across grade levels, from writing, multimedia aspects to working on art throughout the year.
“Honestly, it just confirmed what I wanted to do in college, which was really great. I didn’t realize how interested I would be in multimedia,” director of multimedia Oliva Hayes said.
McClain has been leading the Talisman for 17 years as their adviser.
“I have to create the process and the system and work to make sure that editors feel like they have the resources that they need,” McClain said. “But then generally I kind of step back from there and let them run the show.”
Staff members said that one of the perks to being a part of the team is the liberty students receive that allows them to bring their ideas to fruition.
“I have a lot of freedom, creatively, on what I like doing, where I’m recording, who I’m recording [and] what type of videos I get to record,” Truster said.
For Smith, it was the experience she’s had. With creating a new group of people, it allows her to branch out and capture experiences around the community.
“Some upsides to being on staff are making friends and memories as well as learning more about journalism as a whole,” Smith said.
Photographers, writers, editors and multimedia students all work together to create a product that shares the voice and values of the community at Hayes High School, as well as the city of Delaware. They stories that highlight the events and feelings around them and introduce topics, media and events that might have otherwise been overlooked.
For Smith, some of her fondest memories of her time on staff aren’t related to a specific assignment or photo, rather the experiences she’s shared with her fellow staff members.
“I’ve really enjoyed making memories with the staff over my two years,” Smith said. “I would say going to the movies over the summer was my absolute favorite.”
The Talisman staff also has the opportunity to branch out beyond the outskirts of Delaware on journalism trips throughout the year as well. This year’s staff traveled to Philadelphia for the National Journalism Convention, learning and experiencing activities across the city while also participating in the convention itself.
As this year’s senior staff leaves and the younger staff members step up, many of them have already formed their plans on what they want to bring to next year’s staff.
“Our goals are to be producing more videos, each rotation, and to just have better quality and to be more cohesive “ Hayes said.
