News Day always began promptly at school at 8:00 a.m., but I was in New York City on this particular Sunday, so I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to make it happen.If you had told me I would have to do this three years ago, I would have looked at you in disbelief.
I originally took journalism as an elective sophomore year because my brother recommended it and because I wanted to take a class with Mr. Kyff – the man everyone raves about. Now, I am so glad I did take that class because it enabled me to write for the KO News which in turn has partially sculpted my high school career for better or for worse: you will be the judge as you continue to read this article.
It is impossible for me to wrap up my time on the KO News perfectly in just 600 words. In fact, my experience was not perfect, but it was definitely rewarding. There is so much work that goes into creating just one issue of the newspaper before it is printed and distributed around campus.
When I see a person reading a copy of the KO News, I don’t just see the articles; I also see what it took to get the the articles to print: the imperfect process of scheduling interviews, submitting articles on time, and reading them before edits are made. It was hard work. Many weeks, I would have to prioritize writing articles and editing other associates’ articles over doing my own class work – which, in all honesty, I did not really mind. For me, if my name is going to be put on an article, I wanted to ensure high quality writing and accuracy.
This meant completing news work in free periods instead of doing homework, or just missing out on social time. News Day was always a different experience. Sometimes people would have all their articles in on time so the day would fly by, and other times we would be missing a few. We, meaning all the staff, would spend up to five hours in the library one Sunday a month laying out the Newspaper. Then, Ben Small, Nell Schwartz, Ms. Schieffelin and I would go home and read through all our individual sections one more time only to go back to the library the next day to put our final edits in before we could send the print edition to the printer. This was a lot of work, but at least I was always kept up to date about the happenings on campus.
Through the KO News, I have met so many people I would never have crossed paths with otherwise, and I must say that I never had a bad experience with a single person on the staff, which I think is kind of insane. I am so lucky to have been a part of such a funny, hard working group over the past few years. The staff always makes the long hours in the library much more enjoyable. Since sophomore year, I have learned how to read critically and persevere.
I have learned how important the truth is in reporting the news; accurate and truthful reporting is tied to my credibility and reputation. I have learned how to manage my peers in an equitable manner. The KO News has been a life skills training ground, and I am forever grateful to have been involved in this publication. I am sad this will be my last issue, but I am excited for the future of the paper.
