RAHS previously had a printed newspaper called the Raider Report; however, due to the high costs of printing, the school transitioned to an online version called The Ville to share news articles and information.
Some of the other functions from the Raider Report have also transitioned online in other capacities as well. Weekly updates about upcoming events are now posted on Schoology; and information about sports and clubs are now on individual teams’ instagrams, and what used to be the final project at the end of the year for the writers of the Raider Report (a special issue reporting what every single senior is doing next year) is now a tradition on Instagram.
Along with being more cost efficient, offering the news compiled by The Ville online makes it more accessible. Previously students had to pick up a physical copy to read and bring it home if they wanted to show anyone else. Now, viewers can read wherever and whenever they want as it is more accessible.
Every three weeks the website (rahsville.org) refreshes with new articles, news, op-eds, special features, reviews, and more. Other branches of The Ville are the podcast “Voices of the Ville ” and the comic “Luv Catz”.
A club, open to any RAHS student, is always looking for new voices to join its team. As Senior Editor-in-Chief Naima Sheikh-Mohamed said, “I feel that newspaper gets you out of your comfort zone and the stories you write can have a great effect on people who read it.”
Regardless of past experience or writing skills, Newspaper allows everyone to work on their own and curate valuable experience. Whether it’s researching, interviewing or writing their own articles. As Junior Writer Ainsley Jakabowski said, “It’s not too much work. I think it’s pretty reasonable. And it’s fun to try new things.”
RAHS also offers a journalism class where students go over the basics of journalism, how to format and write unbiased and informative articles. There are specialized units in the class about documentaries, photojournalism, and other types of informative media. There is also dedicated class time to write and create content for The Ville, so anyone who is interested in joining the club but might worry about having the time outside of school will have a chance to get work done. The class also counts as an English Elective.
For anyone nervous about joining newspaper, Sheikh-Mohamed said, “I was there once, interviewing new people you might not know could be overwhelming but don’t worry. There are many types of journalism so you can either write and opinion, entertainment or anything you enjoy. You stepping out of your comfort zone is all decided by you. Start with what you feel most comfortable in and you choose if you want to move on to anything outside of that comfort zone.”
