With prestigious national awards, leadership opportunities, and unique platforms for each students’ voice, Wingspan, the student-run newspaper on campus, is looking for new members to add to its staff.
“I think the best thing about Wingspan is the diversity of options students have on really picking what they want to do,” journalism and broadcast teacher Brian Higgins said. “Beyond that, it helps students build a lot of skills they didn’t really realize they are picking up that will be helpful for them in years to come such as how to communicate with their adults and superiors, how to question people, how to work together. I think there are a lot of skills that journalism teaches while also allowing students to explore what they are interested in a academic setting.”
From news writing and podcasts, to video production and blogs, Wingspan offers multiple ways for each student to express their unique voices.
“Students should join because of the amount of opportunities Wingspan offers,” Managing Editor Lea Garcia-Salazar said. “Not only do we have a writing section, we also have a very talented team of video producers. I don’t think one can ever be done growing on Wingspan: there’s always something new to learn how to do and new roles to discover.”
Adding on to its prestige, Wingspan has won national level awards such as the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown Award and the National Scholastic Press Association Online Pacemaker. In addition, students have the opportunity to win individual awards and participate in journalism competitions which can boost students’ resume.
“A lot of the time colleges are looking for well-rounded students, which is what Wingspan can provide,” Editor-In-Chief Christine Han said. “During my four years I have won multiple awards and the site has won so many awards as well. Even though I’m not specifically going into journalism, it has shown that I have skills other than being just academically successful.”
A typical day in Wingspan for a student can vary based on what they need to accomplish for that week.
“A typical day could range from people just chilling or getting interviews and writing a story in 30 minutes,” Higgins said. “It really depends on what that student needs to accomplish on that day. I‘m not going to fill their day with busy work because I know how journalism works and I’m accepting of that and that is something students appreciate because I don’t waste their time with work that doesn’t matter.”
For students such as junior Christina Huang, the flexibility the class offers allows her to easily balance the class with her other extracurricular and academic commitments.
“My favorite part of being in Wingspan is the freedom that the class offers,” Huang said. “Within certain limits, you’re able to write about your interests while being part of a really great team. I’ve been able to write book reviews for the past two years, which is an interest of mine. You have a lot of options and flexibility, which is different from other classes.”
Garcia-Salazar believes that more than just writing, Wingspan has taught her some important life skills that she will carry on for the future.
“Becoming an editor has definitely taught me a lot of lessons about things like managing deadlines, planning ahead, and having those open and honest conversations with everyone around you,” Garcia-Salazar said. “Some of the skills I have now because of Wingspan have definitely been a step out of my comfort zone at times but in a good way.”
