*This article is not sponsored by The SunDevil Times. It’s simply heavily biased.
Looking to become a journalist? Or maybe you’re a writer who wants to show off their skills? A photographer perhaps? Either (or neither) way, journalism might be the class for you.
Journalism is a unique elective because students can take it for all four years. Journalism students write the school’s newspaper, The SunDevil Times, which is published online and via the Student News Source App.
“I loved being able to choose what story to write and being able to read everyone else’s stories,” said Editor-in-Chief senior Kathleen Capistrano.
Besides the first three stories of each year, where new students are shown the ropes, students are free to choose whatever topic they want to write about. They can write reviews on games, music, or movies; profiles on interesting people or groups; or hard news stories on in-school, local, or national happenings.
“I like how you can write about almost anything you want,” said Assistant Editor-in-Chief senior Keven Mazuera-Caro. “I was able to write about games I care about like Tekken 8 and certain topics I’m passionate about like the Drake and Kendrick beef. All in all, journalism is very free range and allows for students to be creative.”
Writing is not all they do. As journalists, they also dabble in design, photography, and marketing.
For every story they write, students have to design a thumbnail to go with it. This magic happens on Canva.
“THUMBNAILS. I love Canva so much,” said senior Hunter Olsen. “If there was a job to just make thumbnails, this would be the perfect class.”
They also need to take photos for their stories, which they often take with their phones. If you’re interested in pursuing photography after high school, journalism offers a photography editor position.
Journalism teacher Kathleen Trace is also a professional photographer from whom you can get tips and advice on photography.
“We have a Canon Rebel T6 SLR exclusively for newspaper staffers to use,” said Trace. “Some students are more into learning to use the SLR than others, but I love it when staffers take it to games and other events to get better photos than they could on their phones.”
And when it comes to marketing, students sell ads to local businesses to fund the news site. One student also manages The SunDevil Times Instagram account, @shs.press. (Give it a follow if you haven’t already!)
Beyond the various prospective perks of journalism, the community fostered in this class is another reason to join.
“Journalism really IS the friends we made along the way,” said Design Editor senior Raine Morrison. “That’s my absolute favorite part of journalism.”
The diverse set of interests of each student, from old movies to politics, also makes for a well-rounded and intriguing class.
“My favorite aspect of journalism is the freedom to be creative and the community,” said freshman Rylee Partridge. “The students enrolled in the class all share a passion for different things and it’s nice to be given the opportunity to learn about so many different topics and perspectives by such enthusiastic peers.”
A common favorite aspect of journalism is its “laid back” and “nice” atmosphere. Not only are the deadlines reasonable, but students get along and help each other out when they need to collect quotes.
“My favorite part about journalism this year was being able to form connections with the staff and Mrs. Trace, as they created such a positive, encouraging atmosphere that was supportive of all of its writers,” said sophomore Lily Check. “I also loved the flexibility aspect of the course, as we had the freedom to write about mostly anything on relaxed deadlines, which was really fun!”
Speaking of quotes, interviewing for articles seems like a daunting task at first, but it’s not so bad once you get used to it. It can even be fun.
“Writing my stories was always the best for me,” said sophomore Tierra Adams. “I loved writing and getting all the information and quotes together to write a piece for people to enjoy reading.”
Journalism is not a difficult class if you put in the right amount of effort.
“I would warn incoming journalism students that journalism isn’t a class that you can join and not care about,” said Check. “You have to put in the effort because the amount of effort you put in will affect your grade.”
Do note that whatever effort you put in will be worth it, especially in terms of college or job applications. If you choose to become an editor of any kind, it will bolster your resumes.
The one thing I regret in journalism is not taking the class sooner. I would’ve loved two more years of being part of The SunDevil Times, so take the opportunity to start journalism early and fall in love with it like I have.
