By Stella Chapa
The Guyer Wire is a one of a kind class that allows students to get involved with their school and write articles informing others about what is going on around them. Students in journalism have learned to gather information, interview, and display news. This opportunity is taught by Ms. Rebeca Pritchard, who also teaches Photojournalism, Yearbook, and Spanish One.
Journalism in America gained its popularity in the 1900s, when people all over the world were looking for faster and easier ways to communicate important news. This class has been available to students since the first year the school opened, in 2005. The members of this program are fortunate enough to write and publish articles weekly in the school electronic newspaper The Guyer Wire.
Journalism isn’t only about writing articles, it’s much more than that. Students are taught how to gain confidence in their voice, express themselves, and talk to people, preparing students for life, not just in the press. Kendall Johnson, editor for the Guyer Wire, has attended this class for two years. She explains the benefits of joining, “This class has helped me improve my writing skills and become more comfortable when talking to new people, I may have never met before.” Kendall has made new friends and become closer with past acquaintances by learning more about them while interviewing them.
In the Guyer Wire, most of the work students do is independent. Meaning there is nobody to hide behind or blame for misspellings and grammatical errors. In these assignments, the students are in charge of themselves for time management, gathering information, and putting it all together. When asked what the most valuable lesson taught in this class is, Mrs. Pritchard states, “Journalism is a job against time. With the dynamic the internet offers, news spread fast. If the students don’t understand the importance of timeliness their articles may never get published, because the information on them is past due.”
On the other hand, Guyer’s journalism class is filled with challenges that lead students to get out of their comfort zone. Leaving them with learned lessons that will help them approach life in a more positive way. From the supportive classmates, to the admirable teacher, every student in the Guyer Wire is sure to be benefited in the long run. Mrs. Pritchard is not there just to teach, she leads the members of the class to excel. She educates with life lessons students cannot get from a textbook.
