When I put Journalism on my schedule, I did it because my sister did yearbook, and I was tired of being “outshone” by her, and I felt like I couldn’t stay in her shadow, and more. I joined Journalism because I knew I was good at writing, even if I didn’t love it. I also wanted to do more than take pictures, so maybe I’d outshine my sister for once. Needless to say, my intentions weren’t great when joining Journalism. I wasn’t expecting much, and I thought it would be like writing an essay in English or history; I could not have been more wrong.
Journalism has taught me so much, not just about writing but about multi-media, asking people good questions to make them open up, and, most importantly, working and interacting with people I would never have thought I’d even talk to. Let’s be honest, the people in Journalism couldn’t be more different, between people who love playing different video games, the people who like to participate in different sports, or people like me who fall in the middle of it all. Our differences didn’t stop us from collaborating, having friendly talks, or even the occasional outrage during planning sessions. I was able to watch as the year went on, as everyone started to break out of their shell as we became more comfortable with each other. I got to see everyone’s personality, especially after I became the editor of Black & Red TV.
I never aimed to have a leadership role in journalism, but on the day that we learned about them, I thought to myself, “This could be cool.” I don’t even remember what I picked. To be honest, I wouldn’t have been disappointed at the time if I hadn’t gotten a role. But on the day the roles were announced and I learned that I would be the Director of Visual Media, I felt a weird sort of pride that I never knew I would feel for the class. I feel like when I first took on this position, I was iffy about standing in front of the room and communicating with the whole class about what we’d do for different segments. But as the year went on and we got to know each other better, it got a lot easier. Editing all the segments was just a job for me at first, but when the class decided we would add bloopers, it became so much more than that. People weren’t afraid to be themselves anymore, knowing that I would be watching. I learned that even though we were so different, at the end of the day, we were all just a group of goofy kids. When the goal of making people laugh came into play, I could tell some people were being funny on purpose so they could be included in bloopers, but I think that’s what eliminated the fear factor of being judged. Mic checks became so much more than testing the sound quality, they became how weird a noise can be made by a human. Getting up and sitting down for national news and anchors became more than filming, it led to opportunities to have conversations have say the most unhinged sentences. Black & Red TV became the highlight of each month as I watched clips and moments that showcased the personalities of individuals, which one might not see in passing. When we won four awards for the Black & Red TV episode, I couldn’t have been more proud of the team and myself. We had all worked so hard to make amazing episodes. I truly believe Black & Red TV (as well as bloopers) helped everyone feel more connected.
Journalism brought me a community that I never knew I needed. As I made new friends and talked to people whom I didn’t think I’d ever talk to. Journalism made socializing with new people easier, it let me know that I’d always have some place where I belonged. So, even though Journalism started as a tactic to be better than my sister, it turned into a place where I can feel safe and welcomed always.
