TELL US WHAT YOU THINK HERE! 

Imagine winning $250 dollars for being looked at more than other people. If only life could be so simple. For The Tank and its staff that may not be so far fetched.

The Tank has its' own web site (tank.cameronschools.org--no www.) which is linked to the Cameron School District's main website as well, and is posted through a national organization called the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE). Each week new articles are added and new photos are released. The site was created in late September 2008, so the community would have easier access to the great articles run in the paper, and those that don't. It has been up for a little over a year and has already had close to 20,000 hits. Although The Tank is published by Cameron High School, one of the smaller schools posted on the site, it gets many more hits than bigger schools because of its quality and frequent updates. Because of constant community support The Tank staff truly believes their newspaper has a chance of winning ASNE's newest competition.

As of the beginning of October ASNE began their competition to help promote youth journalism, and to increase traffic to their site. The school paper that receives the most hits, or clicks, will be given $250 dollars. 2nd place will receive $150, 3rd, 4th, and 5th will receive $100. Tank Advisor Mr. Derek Williams already has plans for any future winnings. He said, "If we win we will either buy a smaller camera that is easier to take to events, another external flash, or a larger lens. Any consecutive wins thereafter will be used for incentives to keep the kids writing to the best of their abilities along with any other needed materials." This deal sounds sweet, but you are probably wondering if there is a catch.

There are a few stipulations that go along with the contest. Each click has to be from a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address, so even if it is from different computers in the same building it still only counts as one hit. Each IP address can contribute one hit every thirty minutes. This means that people need to get on and check out the site as often as possible.

Help from the community is the only way that the Tank stands a chance. The Tank's Photo and Web Editor Michael Cox said, "We are trying to get the Tank staff to get the word out by any means possible, such as Facebook, Twitter, and more than anything, word of mouth." He believes that The Tank really does have a chance due to the loyalty and constant support from the community of Cameron. He isn't alone in this belief.

Tank Co-Editor Meghan Mulcahy agrees with Michael. She said, "We need the community to support us. Without the community we have no reason to publish a paper." To keep readers coming back and interested The Tank staff wants to know how the community thinks the paper could be improved.

So go ahead and get started now. Go to The Tank's website (tank.cameronschools.org) and check out this article and click HERE to take our survey where you can tell us what you think. You can also check out past editions, pictures of school events, and videos. By going there and voicing your opinion you can help The Tank. Your opinions really do make a difference.

Although it isn't perfect, Cameron is a tightly-knit community that seems to jump at any opportunity to help out with a cause. Now is one of those opportunities to help The Tank hold a fundraiser all year long, without opening your wallets. Remember the link to the site (tank.cameronschools.org), and your clicks could end up turning into cash and an even better publication!
DID YOU REMEMBER TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK?!  CLICK HERE!