Students try out reporting skills
Program allowed students to try out reporting skills
A group of young writers tried their hands as reporters recently, thanks to a new school club.
The Journalism Club at Summerside Intermediate School formed so students could report on the Diversity Festival events scheduled over five weeks in January and February at the Summerside school. Student writers volunteered to cover various festival activities planned for each week. The budding scribes produced articles for the school’s social media pages.
Student Samantha Coughlin loves to write and enjoyed getting to report on a topic she was interested in at the LGBTQ+ presentations.
SUMMERSIDE — A group of young writers tried their hands as reporters recently, thanks to a new school club.
The Journalism Club at Summerside Intermediate School formed so students could report on the Diversity Festival events scheduled over five weeks in January and February at the Summerside school.
Student writers volunteered to cover various festival activities planned for each week.
The budding scribes produced articles for the school’s social media pages.
Student Samantha Coughlin loves to write and enjoyed getting to report on a topic she was interested in at the LGBTQ+ presentations.
“It’s something new that I wanted to try,” she said about reporting.
May Arsenault was the one who convinced her to try it out.
“I thought it would be fun,” said May. “I have an immense passion for writing and photography and anything that will require imagination and artistic abilities.”
Both girls enjoy writing novels, and found reporting was a little different.
“A lot of it (novels) could be based off my imagination. Whereas in here, I would have to pay more attention to the details and every word someone was saying. If I want to quote them, I have to think ‘oh, hey that’s a good quote,’ then I would have to remember it or actually write it down,” said May.
Student Molly MacInnis said it was an awesome experience. “We had to immerse ourselves more in what was going on,” said Molly. “I really enjoyed the participation aspect of it. I’m not really someone who would go and participate in everything. It forced me to go a little bit outside my comfort zone to talk to people and have new experiences.”
Paige Walfield’s favourite part was the writing.
“I just love writing in general so every chance I get is great,” said Paige who stretched some different muscles with her assignments. “I don’t really reflect on things, I usually just write different stories.”
One of the school’s goals in holding the festival was to communicate with and involve the community with the school’s activities, said Diversity Festival organizer Darrell DesRoches.
The club has also allowed the students to take a leadership role in getting the word out.
DesRoches said the festival is the start of something bigger.
“It’s been a great five weeks. You have to know, there’s been a buzz. Students want to talk about it,” he said. “Something was stirring.”
The festival had one theme per week to include the Mi’kmaq culture, LGBTQ+, international newcomers and francophone culture.
DesRoches credits Lauren Ryder with the Journalism Club’s formation and success.
“It’s one thing for us to talk about the event, but in those little pieces we see what those kids got out of it and reflected back the message that they got. It was cool to see,” said Ryder.
A journalist from the Journal Pioneer visited the club once a week for half an hour during the festival to introduce reporting, run a story meeting and help with editing.