It's a balance of fun and hard work in the newsroom.
Sports Editor Ian Sullivan and Business Manager Kevin Cassidy
Senior writer Taiki Miki
The Story Behind the Stories
Behind the Scenes at Neirad
Doug Miller - 10/10
Whenever a new Neirad comes out, the students distributing them look like celebrities being asked for autographs. Everyone wants to read the Neirad, and much of the first period of the day is spent reading the latest issue.
When in the library, it’s a sure thing that you will see at least 15 different people reading Neirad Enilno. But have you ever wanted to know what it takes and what it’s like to be a journalist on the Neirad team?
First off, before you can start writing riveting stories, you have to take an Introduction to Journalism class for one semester. Intro to Journalism is open to each grade for enrollment. About two-thirds of the writers have the Intro class with Gretchen Webster who teaches the class both semesters. The remaining students take Intro with Stacey Wilkins, the Neirad adviser, who teaches one section in the fall.
After completing this class, a student can then enroll in Advanced Journalism as many semesters as they like. Some students who have a schedule conflict participate in an Independent Study with Ms Wilkins, writing for Neirad on their own time. They also receive academic credit. “The Independent Study Program really helped me because I wasn’t able to fit the Advanced class into my schedule. I could go in to this class during my free and talk one-on-one with Ms. Wilkins and go over how to improve my skills as a journalist,” Neirad Editor-in-chief Parker Lange said.
In both Ms. Webster’s and Ms. Wilkins’ Intro classes, student journalists learn the necessary tools and skills to move into Advanced Journalism. However one key difference is that Mrs. Webster’s students write for the Darien Times’ “Teen Times”, while the articles that Ms. Wilkins’ students produce run in Neirad.
“It was a good learning experience,” says senior Sam Nelson (Mrs. Webster ‘08). “It was very helpful when writing for the Neirad the following year.”
After successfully passing Intro to Journalism, students can then opt to sign on for Advanced Journalism with Ms. Wilkins. While the Intro class gets you as much prepared as possible, you will still have to learn a few more tricks in order to write well enough to contribute stories. After these lessons, however, is when the fun begins. Usually, Ms. Wilkins and the Neirad editors will start the class with story brainstorming sessions. Once the stories are assigned, each writer will go about the school in search of interviews and quotes.
“It was a very academically enriching experience and class to take,” senior Brian Curry, a former Neirad journalist, said. “Overall, I’m very happy that I chose that class.”
Not all kids are writers, however. Those deemed qualified enough to become editors of the paper are some of the most important people on the team. “If Ms. Wilkins sees that you have the necessary qualities, through the journalism classes or the Independent Study program, she will discuss with you the possibility of becoming an editor,” Lange said. Kids also learn the important skills of design, photography, business, and learning technical skills that they gain from the setup of Neirad.
While some kids might feel like Neirad might not be the class for them, most people like the idea of writing about the school and for school newspaper. Former writers fully appreciate all they learned and continue to take their lessons with them. Current reporters continue to entice readers with interesting stories and funny articles that make it a must-read when it comes out.
Senior Darius Majd, a current writer for the Neirad, says that the experience has been great. “I work with a lot of really great people who are really driven, and it is a great experience.”
"I'm very happy that I chose that class."
- senior Brian Curry, on Advanced Journalism
Jay Alter and Parker Lange share a laugh between articles.
But then it's right back to work, proofreading and revising.
