After months of 20 hours per week, working into the night for the past three weeks, caffeine abuse and technological obstacles, webmaster Andrew Rurik, ’09, and his team have completed the new website for The Feather Online. Featuring new, advanced search engines and a more eye-appealing and navigable design, the new website launched, Jan. 23.
?The old website became antiquated,? Rurik said. ?It was good while it lasted, but now we?ve taken what used to be good and made it better. The new website is less cluttered. Before, there was too much information everywhere and not a specific focal point. Now it?s easier to navigate and boasts new, better search engines for photos and videos.?
Following in his predecessors footsteps, Rurik created the new website after the three-year interval.
“I hope the new site is going to generate excitement,” adviser Greg Stobbe said. “We hope it is more modern and appeals to teens. The idea was to be more image-oriented, more engaging, to have bolder colors and updated graphics. Improvements will also be made over the months to come, including slideshows that are subject based and blogs. I’m also pleased this year, because we started podcasting.”
Rurik worked alongside Stobbe, I.T. department head David Martens and video production adviser CJ Haydock to create a “less-cluttered” website.
?I gave design feedback for the website to make it more aesthetically pleasing,? Haydock said. ?The new website is up-to-date, current and cutting-edge.?
The team began recreating the website in mid-August, ?07, working to give the website an aesthetic makeover. However, what began as minor adjustments evolved into a complete reconstruction.
?We started in the middle of August, but after 6-8 weeks of working Stobbe decided he didn?t like what we were doing and felt a complete redesign was needed,? Rurik said. ?I?ve been working 1.5-4 hours a day to get it done and we even met a few times over Christmas vacation to work on it.?
Despite constant stress accumulated over the past semester, Rurik feels relieved to have the burden lifted off his shoulders.
?I take pride in what I have accomplished for the website,” Rurik said, “but at times it felt like there was an anvil hovering over my head, ready to come crashing down. Now, I feel like I can finally breathe.?
However, Rurik?s chance to ?breathe? seems short-lived. Although the website is up and running, numerous implementations will occupy Rurik?s time throughout the rest of the semester.
?We have a thick binder of things we still want to add to the website,? Rurik said. ?I will have about three days to relax before I get to work again implementing those things. My work is not yet done.?
In April 2007, The Feather editorial staff traveled to Denver, CO, and finished as a Pacemaker finalist in the NSPA’s annual online competition which judges the top high school newspapers in the United States, regardless of size. The Feather won the NSPA online competition in 2006.
