Reprinted from the June 10, 1994 issue of The
High-O-Scope (Corvallis High School, Corvallis, Oregon)
By Sarin Spehar
of the High-O-Scope
The theme says, "Journal of News and Humor", the articles are "Toxic Custard" and "Return of the Lunchman". Writers are Helix, Yoshi, and MTV's Adam Curry to name a few. Who are the creators of "The Plug", the new newspaper circulating through CHS?
Editor-in-Cheif "Corwin", also known as CHS student Josh McKee, has braved the masses and revealed his true identity. He looks like your everyday sophomore but The Plug was his brainchild. "It started when a letter to the High-O-Scope attacked Del Harrow. I got ticked. I was going to write a letter but it turned into more."
The Plug has released five issues this semester, the last two with 1,000 copies in circulation. McKee is funding the paper himself. "We don't sell ADs because we don't want to have to conform to what the people who bought the ADs want us to do." The name "The Plug" was McKee's idea. "I tell people it's just "plugging" people's ideas. Like on TV when they "plug" a business. It's the same thing but on paper."
The articles vary from serious opinions, to random humor. But why all the false names for the writers? "A lot of the writers feel they would be stereotyped as nerds. So I thought I'd just take their names off and let the readers judge them on their writing and ideas." McKee doesn't mind so much that his identity is known. But he did comment, "Being who I am, people stereotype me that I sit at a computer and type all day. I'm just a regular person. I date, I go to the movies, and I do family stuff."
Some readers have been dissapointed that The Plug is not an underground anarchist paper. "We're not doing this to undermine, just to help people understand each other and express their ideas. The core staff are too decent of people to want to provoke total anarchy," McKee said. He likes to think of The Plug as being more alternative than underground. McKee even cleared The Plug publication with Principal Steve Kunke before publishing it. "I wanted to reassure him that I wasn't trying to damage the school."
The reactions of readers have varied. "One guy said it sucked even though he hadn't read it. I ended up saying some choice words to him. I wondered later if he could even read." McKee has received contempt from fellow students due to his status as editor-in-chief. "I've been threatened, I don't take it seriously. But hey, who would? This is CHS." What of rivalry between The Plug and the High-O-Scope? McKee smiled. "If there is, it's purely in the minds of the readers."