As the school year comes to an end, scheduling has begun. We at The Journal would like you to consider adding Newspaper as one of your electives.

There are a lot of conflicting ideas about what the newspaper does. Our job at The Journal is to inform the student body of everything going on around campus. Whether that’s writing about the latest basketball game, or the newest policy implemented around the building, it’s our job to make sure the student body knows about it. That being said, staff members can write about anything from a movie review to an opinion piece. Staff writers get to choose the topics of their articles. This year, our staff has written about everything from what to do on snow days, to opinions on affirmative action.

So what are the duties of a Journal staff member? Newspaper is a self-guided course. Every Monday, there will be a staff meeting, the editor will check in with everyone to check the progress of stories, come up with new story ideas and help resolve any roadblocks. Deadlines are relaxed; each member is expected to contribute at least two stories a month. Writing isn’t your thing? One of the benefits to an online site is the versatility. For example, last year, one of our writers produced monthly Spotify playlists. Newspaper also teaches important life skills such as time management, improved writing skills, creativity and problem solving skills. Another benefit is that the media department gets free access to school events such as basketball games.

In order to take any of the advanced media programs, you must first take Journalism. You should consider adding Journalism to your courses next year if you want to unlock the access to Newspaper, Yearbook and Mass Communications. Newspaper will give you a self- guided class that teaches you important skills that can be used outside of school.