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BY RHODA GARZON CAMPILLAN
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Thursday, February 16, 2017
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WHAT I am now I partly owe to the journalism club I joined when I was in high school.
In school, a journalism club is a group of students who write for the school publication. I remember we met every Friday, during our club hour. We discussed activities for the entire month. This was also the chance to get to know the members of the club.
As a young writer, I appreciated this kind of group. It inspired me to improve my writing skills and get a post in the school publication. Not because I wanted fame; it was just my dream to see my by-lines. There was a certain level of euphoria every time I wrote an article and saw it published.
To further improve my craft, I read a lot of books and I studied the writing style of our school’s writers. I also practiced writing my own short stories and poems. I read a lot of Sweet Valley High books because the character Elizabeth Wakefield was a staff of her school publication, The Oracle.
Elizabeth Wakefield was respected in school because she wrote for the paper. She also served as the voice of the students through her articles. I told myself I was going to be Elizabeth Wakefield – strong, determined and driven.
When I reached 4th year high school, I finally got my wish to the be editor-in-chief of our school publication. Although only now I realized we could have done better with our publication issues. I admit I was not the best EIC in town. However, I know deep within myself I tried.
I remember interviewing our Mr. and Miss Intrams and made a feature story. I was actually not given a chance to talk to them personally. Instead, I arranged a phone interview. I realized now that as early as 16 years old, I was already developing my reportorial skills. If you can’t have a face-to-face interview a subject for some reasons, think of other ways to reach them.
My stint in our school publication was among the motivating factors that I took up Broadcast Communication in college. I told myself this was the course I wanted.
A lot of people discouraged me; they said there was no money in this career. I did not mind them. I was idealistic. This was my dream and I would do whatever it took to get it.
When I passed the UPCAT, I thought it was a sign that God was directing me to a path He had prepared for me.
I hope schools encourage students to join journalism clubs. I hope these clubs do not exist for the sake of writing for the school paper. Journalism clubs should be instruments for outreach. Teach kids how to write and come up with their own publication. In short, advocate community journalism. This will empower communities to speak for themselves when there are issues they need to face.
Journalism clubs should not be confined in schools. They should go out and explore the world. After all, that is the essence of the Journalism practice; experience the world so you can write better.
It has been years since I became a student journalist but I can still remember vividly the experiences that helped shape me to be the person I am now.
I am encouraging students to develop their writing skills and join journalism clubs.
To write means more than putting pretty words on a page; the act of writing is to share a part of your soul with the world./PN
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