Want to write about current events? Want to be published online? With a cell phone, almost anyone can be a reporter. At Lancaster High School, the journalism staff writes articles for the school newspaper, Eye of the Gale. It is an online news outlet that displays examples of student writings about school events, sports, happenings in the Lancaster community, and entertainment.
The school newspaper is entirely online and student articles are routinely published on the website. LHS English and Journalism teacher Jill Mendicino (Cino) said that one of the benefits to the journalism class is that students learn life skills that they can apply in other areas of their lives.
“Journalism teaches skills such as communication, interviewing, editing, writing organization, photography, time management, and more. Perhaps two of the most relevant pillars of journalism are ethical writing and fact-checking sources. Some journalism students say that the skills they learned in journalism class have helped them become better writers in other areas both here at LHS and beyond,” said Cino.
Behavior Technician at Tallmadge Elementary, Emily Lundy, was a student in journalism at LHS a few short years ago. She said that many of the skills she learned by writing for the school newspaper are now applicable in her career.
“I learned how to communicate. I know adults always preach that communication is important and we almost always take it with a grain of salt. However, now as an adult, I agree that it really is the most important skill to master. I have to be able to effectively communicate with kids who might not all have the same level of learning, and with adults, as well,” she said.
Carter Schorr, an LHS alumni and current student at Indiana University, agreed with Lundy. He said that the skills he learned in high school journalism are now applicable to his college situation.
“I have already interviewed people for a project. Most people in my class had no idea where to start but because of my experience in this class, I got it done quickly while getting a good grade. Journalism has also opened me up to being more social just in general. You never know what connections the person next to you has, so one thing I carried onto life after high school is starting conversations with more people,” stated Schorr.
LHS alumni and student at Ohio University Isabella Hershey is currently minoring in journalism. She reflected on her experience in journalism at LHS.
“I was a part of LHS journalism from my sophomore to senior year in high school. I was honestly very conflicted at first, but as soon as I got in the class, I immediately felt like I was in the right place. There are many challenges to overcome as a writer, but that’s what made it fun. I feel like journalism gives you such a drive for success, which is such a good feeling,” stated Hershey.
Journalists can play a very important role in today’s world and publishing on the internet has made it easier and faster to get information out to the public. Alison Hill, a journalist and writer for news sources such as Writer’s Digest, wrote that local journalism is about more than politics and corruption; it’s about the heartbeat of a community.
“It’s about who we are as people. What do we do in our spare time? What is our area famous for? What’s the history? Where do we as locals like to spend our precious spare time and hard-earned money? Who are our local heroes? Is there a cultural or seasonal festival going on? This is also local journalism, and this is the fun stuff. There’s nothing better as a reporter than interviewing people for a feature—one that brings hope, comfort, and joy to readers,” said Hill (“5 Reasons Local Journalism Is Important”).
LHS students who write for Eye of the Gale strive to publish news articles that LHS students and staff care about and want to read. Learning to write news articles is both stimulating and rewarding.
“I found getting responses to be the most challenging part of writing a story. I found the hardest part of getting published to be keeping my story concise and engaging. I was always able to find topics that interested me but crafting the story in a way that would be engaging for the whole student body was challenging,” stated Lundy.
Once students get the hang of how to report local news, the writing and publication process become almost automatic.
“As a teacher, it is very gratifying to see students grow as journalists. News writing is a different style of writing that most students haven’t experienced in school. As they hone their writing skills through experience and publish their articles on our website, their confidence grows,” said Cino.
Schorr said that he encourages students to take the journalism course at LHS because it offers a different experience, environment, and student dynamic than a typical English class.
“In journalism, we work together as a whole class to get the job done. Above anything else, being published online is one of the greatest feelings I’ve felt; your hard work will be online forever,” said Schorr.
At the end of March, students will be registering for the classes they will take next school year. Sophomore through senior level students who have at least a B- in English qualify for the LHS Journalism course. For more information, please email Cino at [email protected], and visit Eye of the Gale.
