Ben Lomond students tour Standard-Examiner, discuss personal challenges and solutions
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- Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski, far left, listens with students in the Ben Lomond High School Urban Student Alliance club as they learn about the workings of a newspaper Thursday, March 6, 2025. Also pictured are Ben Lomond language arts teacher Mark Saal, second from left; and Cindy Weloth, executive assistant to Ogden’s mayor, third from left.
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- Members of the Ben Lomond High School Urban Student Alliance club took a ride on the Entourage Limousine Inc. party bus from the school to the offices of the Standard-Examiner on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
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- Club advisor Delores Banks-Green, center, walks with students and employees through the Standard-Examiner production facility. Students learned about the massive amount of paper used in the production of many newspapers across the state of Utah.
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- Members of the Ben Lomond High School Urban Student Alliance club prepare to leave for a visit to the Standard-Examiner on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
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- Members of the Ben Lomond High School Urban Student Alliance club view the printing press in action at the Standard-Examiner on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
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- Members of the Ben Lomond High School Urban Student Alliance club view the printing press in action at the Standard-Examiner on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
Students from Ogden’s Ben Lomond High School toured the offices and printing facilities of the Standard-Examiner newspaper Thursday, then sat down with the city’s mayor and others for a discussion about their personal challenges and possible solutions.
The students were members of the Urban Student Alliance, a club formed at the high school to continue the efforts of a peer leadership class that ended in January.
After traveling from Ben Lomond to the Standard-Examiner on a bus provided by Entourage Limousine Inc., who sponsored the visit, the students were led through the printing facility by Standard-Examiner Publisher Jim Konig. Located in the Business Depot Ogden industrial park, the Standard-Examiner is home to Utah’s largest newspaper web press.
The process of printing was showcased for the students, who then gathered in a conference room in the facility to talk about their lives and issues they and their peers face.
One of the major challenges brought up during the discussion was the difficulty of balancing work and school — the need to earn money while finding time to complete homework and attend school commitments after school hours.
They also brought up that many students need to leave school during school hours to fulfill other responsibilities such as checking on younger siblings. One student described having to miss her Ben Lomond classes one day a week because the timing of them conflicted with her CNA course at Ogden-Weber Technical College.
Mark Saal, a former Standard-Examiner reporter who now teaches language arts at Ben Lomond, attended the tour with the students and said he sees students struggle with attendance. “I average probably 56 to 58% attendance each day for a core class that you need to graduate,” he said.
Students also discussed how the school seems to be waning in school spirit and expressed a desire to see school spirit increased at Ben Lomond.
Bringing people together is the mission of the Urban Student Alliance, said club advisor Delores Banks-Green. All Ben Lomond students are welcome to join the club.
“Our mission is for all of our students to come together because we all have the same challenges, we go through the same thing, so there’s nothing different between us other than culture or race, but we’re still the same,” Banks-Green said.
Club members discuss self-image, their history and the history of the country, she said. They are taught public speaking skills and encouraged to focus on their academic achievement.
“I look at their grades and make sure they’re on track for graduation or to be successful,” Banks-Green said. “If they’re lacking in their grades, I sit down with them and I talk to them about what’s going on, and we help them get back on track to where they need to be.”
As part of the former peer leadership class, students were able to go on field trips to visit historic Black colleges, Washington, D.C., and other historic sites, she said, adding that she hopes to continue those visits with the new club.
“I want to make sure that they have all the resources available to them to be successful in graduating and make sure that they have a direction of where they’re going to go,” Banks-Green said.
Ogden Mayor Ben Nadolski thanked the students for inviting him to be part of their efforts and assured them that he and the city were there to serve as a resource to help them achieve their goals.
“Help us understand what we can do to help you because you are our responsibility as well. This is why we’re here,” Nadolski said.
The Urban Student Alliance is seeking donors to aid it in its activities. Those interested in helping may contact the club through Ben Lomond High School or by sending an email to deloresgreen2842@gmail.com.
