As one door closes, another one opens. The fall Journalism class of 2016-2017 is leaving, but a new Spring Journalism group is arriving. The fall Journalism class wanted to share their experiences with everyone and give tips to next semester’s class.

The 7th Grade Journalism class left advice for the incoming students. Anginette Ipanaque said, “Never be too shy from meeting someone you haven’t met before.” Ashley Ring left some advice as well. “Don’t be nervous to try different things. Talk to new people, and ask questions.” Gaby Fernandez was another Journalism student, who said, “Never be too shy to ask a question.” After careful thought, Precious Chatmon wrote, ”Don’t be afraid to ask questions. That’s what makes you a better news reporter.”

“If you’re curious about something, go out there and find out!” said Maciya Smith. Anthony Ciaccio took his time when giving advice, “ Always ask questions, go to interviews whenever you need to, even if you are in another class. Don’t ever be nervous to talk to people, if you are nervous they are going to be very nervous. My favorite thing was going on interviews around the school.” Shayna Mangal said, “Have confidence and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.” Julia Milevoi went straight to the point. “Always have your questions prepared, or else you’re toast.”

The 8th Grade Journalism shared their Journalism experiences. Tashi Jefferson started off with her experience. ”I really liked the experience of being a journalist. The class taught me to be more interactive with my school. I also really enjoyed interviewing. I liked making students feel like they had a voice and that they were heard. It was fun to be the source of all news, it felt good to be the most informative students in the school.”

Ayana Hampton also shared her experience. “Journalism was a fun experience. We got to travel around the hallways and interview many people: students, teachers, custodians, aids, and more. Thank you Mr. Malmstrom for the wonderful semester I have had with you.”

Charlotte Cardenas added on to the class experience. “Journalism was a great experience for me. What I enjoyed most about this class was that each student had a little bit of themselves added to The Warrior Messenger. I had comics! Ayana did the sport scores, Mackenzie does the polls and Audreyann has ‘this day in history’.”

“Journalism gave me an experience that I will never forget. I appreciated the trust from Mr. Malmstrom to let us journalists go out into the halls of the school to interview,  take pictures and go out and get news to tweet from the school. We had freedom that I would never expect from any other class.” said Eliana Mejia.

Audreyann Rasimowicz said, “This was by far my favorite class of 8th grade. Writing articles, interviewing teachers and students, and editing others’ work was fun, and it helped me prepare for any career I might pursue in the future by strengthening my social skills and ability to manage my time. Mr. Malmstrom helped me complete articles in time, but at the same time kept me responsible for my own work. It was a great class to take, no matter what you want to do in the future.”

Azra Raza is another Journalism student who added her twist to her Journalism class experience, “This was an interesting experience. There were stressful times, but writing articles and traveling the hallways gave us that freedom that most classrooms don’t have. Interviewing students gave us a chance to bond and to get closer to our classmates.”

Dayuan Payne also talked about his experience. “This class gave me a new perspective on writing, Although I’m not the most interested person in writing, it was a fantastic experience. What I mostly enjoyed was how realistic the working environment was. It seemed as if we were working at a actual news company.”

Kenneth Whalen was a student who joined Journalism later on, but he still had a lot to share about his experience, “I have learned a lot about writing and the people I have interviewed, and that is what makes this class special. When I interviewed the custodians I learned so much about their lives, and I was happy to do that article. This class is all about trust and I like that it is what keeps the Journalism bond together.”

The Journalism 2016-2017 Fall Group, under the guidance of Mr. Malmstrom, were the first middle school group in the district to experience interviewing students and teachers, taking pictures of the school environment, and keeping students updated on the most recent assemblies. The Fall Journalism 2016-2017 class wishes the spring class good luck and hopes that they will be successful in writing articles as well.