Middle school students attend journalism workshop

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Nyah Phengsitthy

At one of their sessions, middle schoolers learn to work with photography.

To learn more about journalism and get a glimpse into the Newsstreak publication, middle schoolers from Thomas Harrison and Skyline Middle Schools have been attending the high school every Tuesday afternoon. Each week, different strands of journalism such as news writing, photography, broadcasting and social media are taught to middle school students to get a deeper understanding of what comes with journalism. For Skyline eighth grader Kush Patel, joining the workshop was another way to strengthen his skills in a particular strand.

“It has photography and I like taking photos… [I like] the different filters [of taking photos],” Patel said.

Three Newsstreak staff members, juniors Nyah Phengsitthy and Owen Marshall and senior Olivia Comer, work the middle school workshop, providing the students each week with snacks, icebreakers and a hands-on lesson. So far, the workshop sessions have been feature writing, news writing, social media and photography.

Thomas Harrison eighth grader Rachel Phengsitthy joined the workshop because of the influence of her older sister being a member on the Newsstreak staff.

“I want to be in Newsstreak because my sister does it. My sister encourages me to do it,” Phengsitthy said.

Although the workshop is a place for the middle schoolers to see the different aspects and variety of choices when it comes down to journalism, it is also a place to work on a particular area that they are interested in. Skyline seventh grader Ariana Hernandez-Perez sees the workshop as a place to work on a hobby of hers: writing.

“Sometimes when you’re writing, you get to express what you’re feeling onto pieces of paper,” Hernandez-Perez said.

Hernandez-Perez does plan on attending the workshop next year along with taking Newsstreak as a class when she gets to high school.

The workshops will continue to run on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. until Jan. 30. If not signed up, any middle schooler is still able to attend any of the sessions left, riding the middle school bus to the high school or being dropped off.