Photo By Anna Ciccotti | Vicenza High School student Seren Sparling (first from right), and fellow classmates,...... read more read more
VICENZA, Italy— Long before summer recognition arrived, Vicenza High School students had already begun exploring the realities of journalism in conflict zones. Their journey started in January, when the American Red Cross Youth Action Campaign introduced them to the theme “Journalism During Armed Conflict.”
That work paid off months later. In June, student Seren Sparling was selected to represent all of ARC‑Europe at the national summit in Washington, D.C., July 27–30 — a prestigious honor earned through her exceptional leadership of the campaign. Her selection highlights outstanding leadership, civic excellence, and the remarkable talent emerging from USAG Italy’s youth. Sparling’s achievement now stands as the program’s most significant outcome, demonstrating how deeply students engaged with the topic.
The January workshop itself focused on how international humanitarian law protects journalists in war zones. “We want our students to understand what IHL is, how it applies to the press, whether media can be targeted, and how journalists can be protected during armed conflict,” said Alicia Spence, the American Red Cross – Vicenza lead volunteer.
The legal concepts became real when guest speaker Rick Scavetta, now U.S. Army Garrison Italy’s public affairs director, stepped into the classroom. Before joining the Army civilian workforce, Scavetta covered combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Stars and Stripes reporter, bringing firsthand experience to the discussion.
He traced his path to journalism back to childhood mornings in Connecticut, listening to his grandmother read the Hartford Courant. After serving as an Army tank gunner, he worked in radio and newspapers before joining Stars and Stripes in 2001 — just weeks before the Sept. 11 attacks reshaped global reporting.
“I was the most junior reporter when 9/11 happened,” he said. “It was clear immediately. This wasn’t going to be peace reporting anymore.”
Scavetta described covering missions in Kosovo and Bosnia, then deploying to Afghanistan in early 2002 to document “the first chapter of history.” Embedded with troops, he shared their risks and routines; going unilaterally into combat, he joked, was “highly inadvisable,” but relationships with soldiers often opened doors.
“I got by making friends,” he said. “Like a stray puppy.”
Students listened closely as he recounted corkscrew C‑130 landings into Kandahar, a Humvee ride with a chaplain into Baghdad, and the emotional toll of witnessing horrific events. His reporting once reached Congressional testimony.
“Rick’s stories and experiences were unlike anything most of our students had heard before,” Spence said. “They were drawn in by the situations he found himself in.”
Questions followed about danger, protection, and the personal cost of the work. When asked about regrets, Scavetta spoke candidly about the strain on family life and how the job eventually consumed him.
Some students said the visit made them consider journalism. When an 11th‑grader asked what he had learned over the years, Scavetta reflected on how the field has changed.
“Too much has changed — politics, technology, everything,” he said. “Editors used to line‑by‑line fact‑check. Copy editors took it seriously. Stories were printed … in ink. Newspapers were a city’s record. They helped make you informed, smarter. That journalism is largely gone.”
Still, he told them, real reporting matters — even in an age when social media passes for news.
“You’ve got five to seven seconds to connect with your audience,” he said. “A good photo. A strong headline. Create interest.”
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.27.2026 09:26 |
| Story ID: | 570770 |
| Location: | VICENZA, IT |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Vicenza student selected for national Red Cross summit after researching war reporting, by Anna Ciccotti, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
