Journalism
Semester 2
1. Describe the work you have done in this class and/or discuss what you have learned about the topic of journalism in a democratic society.
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Over the years I’ve taken this class, my writing has improved exponentially this year. I worked hard on multiple writing pieces including two feature stories and two opinion pieces. I covered two major stories including the AHS founder’s breakfast as well as Sean’s departure story. In addition to this, I wrote a couple of News for the Nest Briefs about Senior Project. My opinion work was where I felt like I got to shine and display my passion for writing. I wrote about the case for a shortened week in schools and work which was received very positively by the community. I also wrote a piece on the importance of youth voter engagement and gave a breakdown of what people need to know to vote. Through writing these stories, I learned how to ask questions that further the story. I feel like I have a better understanding now of how to write something from its initial ideation to the final. Both of my opinion pieces were my ideas and I had to go through the whole process of writing them independently. I honestly feel like I did not learn that much about the importance of journalism itself this year. I have underlying background knowledge from previous years and my senior project that has helped me to understand the importance of journalism, but I don’t think I learned them in the class this year. I do feel like my personal skills were further developed this year and I have become a much stronger writer and can pull a story together much quicker.
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2.If you are not returning or you are off to college, reflect on some ways that the learning you have done in this class has impacted you as a writer, a consumer of news, and/or a human being living in the world.
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Taking this class made me realize that I had a passion for writing and a strong interest in journalism. I did my senior project relating to journalism and had a final project that was a form of journalism. As I continue into college, I want to continue pursuing journalism or writing.
Semester 1
SELF INTERVIEW
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As the fall semester comes to a close, Quill Chief Editor Mya Oyler reflects on the successes and challenges of the class. After a year of Covid learning, Mya, along with many of her peers, dealt with challenges in transitioning back into full-time learning.
Mya explained, “Although I’m very grateful to be back in the classroom, I had a hard time focusing on the work I needed to complete and frequently would get distracted by my peers.” She continued reflecting, “The first couple of weeks were a really big adjustment and I didn’t get much done, but once I got in the flow, I was able to get some work done.”
In the past, Mya didn’t understand the importance of a quick turnaround in journalism, but once Quill staff started contributing to News from the Nest, she understood this concept better. “With our contributions to News from the Nest, I realized how important it is for journalists to be able to write and publish stories quickly.”
Mya wrote a couple of articles throughout the semester, but her most important work was editing student writing to go into the quarterly issue of The Quill. “The time really snuck up on me and I found myself having to scramble at the last minute to get it Quill-ready.” She continued remarking, “Although we have some very talented writers in The Quill, not all of the writing was ready for publication. Jessica and I sat for hours to get everything finalized and ready to be seen by our community.”
Reflecting on the Fall 2021 issue, Mya proclaimed, “I’m really proud of how this issue turned out and I think that we learned a lot about the process of creating the Quill.” She continued on this process saying, “I don’t feel like we had a system or any method to create this issue, but going into the next issue, we know more of what to expect and will be more prepared to delegate tasks and assignments.”
Mya’s semester was full of ups and downs on account of the transition to fully in-person learning, but it ultimately came together to reflect work she was proud of.
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MY WRITING
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