The Journalism Education Association (JEA) has scheduled Scholastic Journalism Week as Feb. 19-25. In order to highlight the importance of student media within the FC and Fresno community, The Feather staff will be sharing their thoughts on the decade-old publication.

Last year, members of The Feather staff met with the staff of The Vantage, at Clovis West High School in order to commemorate Scholastic Journalism Week. They hope to continue the tradition, hosting The Vantage at FC, Feb. 29.

Additionally, Eric Witters, ’04, a graduate of California State University (CSU) Fresno’s journalism program and a former employee of ESPN will visit The Feather staff in order to speak on the values of communications and journalism, Feb. 28.

The Feather encourages our readers and staff members to send comments and critiques to our publication via email until the end of the week.

Young knowledge
Dalton Cowin, ’16
February 24, 2012

The Feather experience is not just for fun, but you learn a lot of life skills as well. Whether it be learning how to type fast, improving writing skills, or discovering how to program on computers, the class is educational as well.

I have been in journalism since December 3, 2010, and I can say from the time I joined I knew I would be tested, pushed, and make mistakes the entire time. I remember specifically the first time I created a problem that effected everyone else. I had been part of the staff for about 8 weeks and I was setting the front picture, I was told that I had put the wrong type of apostrophe in the title, which is a bigger deal than it sounds. I went to delete the photo and i accidentally deleted the entire article! I remember the amount of work required to get it back too, the article wasn’t saved to the server so Nick [Avery, ’12] had to retype the ENTIRE article and I had felt really bad.

Aside from mere flukes and major problems The Feather has taught me plenty of ways to make my writing better, even without typing an article. I have remembered many things that Mr. [Greg] Stobbe had shouted out to my classmates such as “remember not to use the same word twice!”

With the amount of time I have already encountered in the publications class, I was recruited in the winter of 2010. I still have four years to go, and all I can say is that I love this class and know I will never delete an article again!

Endless opportunites
Chris Grossman, ’15
February 24, 2012

This being my first official year on The Feather, the contrast of difficulty and fun surprised me. My writing skills have increased immensely, but they aren’t the only thing. The Feather contains so many different elements and I have tried my hand at most of them. Not only do I write articles, but I also help on podcasts, have an ongoing blog, and am starting a video series with my good friend and fellow journalist Nicholas Fontes.

Journalism is hard in a way that you have to run before you learn how to walk, but the rewards that stem from this independence are liberating. When I compare how I wrote before journalism and the way I write now, you can’t even tell I wrote both. The help I have received is so drastically important to my education, and the feeling of actually seeing results is unexplainable.

Needless to say, I will continue to take journalism, applying myself despite the challenges that are presented.

Efficiency and acceptance
Nick Fontes, ’15
February 24, 2012

Being on The Feather staff this year has enormously increased my efficiency and the quality of my writing. Since taking journalism I have been able to type much faster and Mr. [Greg] Stobbe helps me not get distracted as much while I write. Also, during the year I have learned how to properly write and I have relearned the writing skills that were forgotten a long time ago.

Along with these benefits being on The Feather has been the first environment where I feel that everyone on the staff wants to help me succeed and that we are all working towards the same goal of success. I strongly encourage anyone who struggles with writing to join so that they to can experience the benefits.

Being pushed, building character
Juan Ruelas, ’13
February 24, 2012

The Feather is a unique experience because you’re working as a team and you are always working to continuously get better. What I like about journalism is that there is always room for improvement; we can always achieve a higher level. My experience with The Feather has been okay. Although I don’t always like being pushed, I enjoy journalism and being pushed is part of becoming a better person and building character.

Finding a passion through journalism
Dana King, ’12
February 24, 2012

Journalism has improved my time management skills. Before I thought that I only had a certain limit, but it has pushed me to create more time for the important things in life and showed me how to efficiently use my time. Without journalism throughout high school I would not have anything that I was that passionate about, and this program most definitely brought out the best in me. This opened doors for me socially and allowed me to understand the community I live in through the columns that I wrote last year. I know nearly everyone in our school and I have no fear in talking to strangers. Bottom line: journalism has taught me to confront the world confidently, and time-wise, do this in the most efficient way possible.

Learning to overcome fear
Jieun Seo, ’14
February 23, 2012

I learned so many valuable lessons after joining The Feather. I learned much more than just writing skills. One thing that every journalist has to do is interview others. Although I was extremely intimidated to talk to people that I barely knew, I overcame the fear. I’ve learned how to push myself by finishing difficult articles with deadlines, and overall I am really glad I joined journalism; I plan on taking the class for my remaining two years of high school.

Experience for the future
Katie Barisic, ’13
February 23, 2012

I like drawing the comics because it helps me prepare for what I want to do as a career, and having this experience with deadlines and such is really good for that sort of thing.

Challenges and camaraderie
Brady Lee, ’12
February 23, 2012

One of the best things about The Feather is the tight knit atmosphere among the writers and editors. Though journalism is demanding, it’s nice to know that people are there to encourage and help you. We are definitely a team.

The Feather is like a giant scrapbook. It has captured many of the memories I have made at Fresno Christian. I encourage students to search their name on The Feather and see what comes up.

Applying yourself through podcasts
Callista Fries, ’15
February 22, 2012

I like The Feather because it really gives you a chance to think about how you are involved in the school and how you can apply yourself. I’ve learned to be more open and expressive with myself, and how to channel my thoughts into writing podcasts or ideas for FC Underground. I think journalism helps me in English class because I always have ideas in my head for writing stories but I can never get them on paper. In writing podcasts for The Feather, that’s what you have to do.

Constructive criticism aids writing
Viviana Hinojosa, ’14
February 22, 2012

Journalism has definitely improved my writing skills, so it has helped me improve in English a lot. It has also made me feel more comfortable having other people read my work because our articles go up and tons of people read them; now I don’t feel as uncomfortable if someone reads an essay that I do. Also, journalism has helped me grow closer relationships with people because journalism is a family. We are a more close-knit group compared to a regular class.

Mr. [Greg] Stobbe has been a great adviser and he is very helpful in everything that he does. Even when he does criticize something, it is very constructive and helpful. He has never been one to actually look down upon you if you don’t do something. Journalism has also given be a better time perspective because I know I need to get things done faster, so I don’t procrastinate as much anymore because some articles have time limits. It has helped me write a lot faster, and I can write an article in about an hour now and it’s no big deal.

Writing boosts confidence, provides new experiences
Stephan Melendez, ’13
February 22, 2012

Journalism has impacted me greatly. For one reason, I feel more confident when I write and that was the whole reason why I joined journalism. During my sophomore year, I had gotten a B on an essay and my teacher told me that it really should have been a C and I said, ‘I really need to do something about my writing.’ So I asked Stobbe to train me and he has taught me to become a really good, confident writer.

Now I can whip out articles in a week, sometimes a day, depending on the subject. Socially, it has really affected me. I have made great friends and I spend more time with people that I never would have thought I would hang out with or know. I get to go to some of the most prestigious restaurants in Fresno with my food reviews. I like doing food reviews because I get to travel and try different types of food all the time; it teaches me something different each time.

Journalism establishes strong work ethic
Brooke Stobbe, ’12
February 22, 2012

Journalism at Fresno Christian is definitely a good opportunity for all students because it gives them a really good idea of what a work environment is like and how to develop a work ethic. It’s important to learn in high school because as we go out to college, we are expected to already have a good work ethic and there’s not really leniency on how to develop one or how to have good time management. Journalism has such a tight schedule and is so focused; so much is expected, not only in the quality but in how much you are producing. You really have to learn how to be focused and get stuff done quickly. It’s definitely something a lot of teenagers should know how to do.

Being on the staff and being so productive has helped me get into college. With “Where the Brooke flows” and FC Underground, they have made me stand out as a person and have made my application more noticable. With a name like The Feather, it shows that you do actually have that good work ethic, you are focused, you can get a lot of material done quickly and well, and I think that’s important. Journalism has helped me with my college major, and has given me guidance with what I want to do past graduation.

For more information on Scholastic Journalism Week, read the Feb. 21 article, My five favorite things about The Feather. For more discussions, read the Feb. 2 article, A formal invitation: Join the discussion.