Emma Vang (12) and Melia Conrath(12), stepped up their leadership this year when they became co-editor in chiefs. As they graduate and move forward in their lives, they reflect on their time as editor in chief.
Vang joined the newspaper club in her sophomore year of high school where she pursued her love of writing. She said, “…Newspaper took that passion and helped me grow by strengthening both my storytelling capabilities and my writer’s voice.”
Conrath also joined the newspaper her sophomore year, where she felt she found community in. She said, “I joined because I liked learning about issues and topics of interest in our community. I also wanted to find a group to fit into and work alongside with.”
Vang shared that amongst the many stories she has written, her favorite was “Alessandra Morales: A Voice to be Reckoned With” which was a part of the special issue news cycle “Our Community, Our People.” She shared that it was a story that really connected her to the people of the school community. She said, “…I loved having the opportunity to highlight someone making a meaningful impact in our community. Talking with Alessandra one-on-one, learning about her story, accomplishments, and goals, and then turning that into a piece I could share with others felt incredibly empowering as a journalist.”
Conrath shared that she has a hard time choosing one story that is her favorite as they hold great significance to her. She shares a couple topics that she really loved, she said, “TikTok blocked, the story about Mascud Mohammed, and the story about the lockdown.”
Through the years that Vang has been in newspaper, she shared her favorite memories. She said, “I did the school podcast with two of my friends throughout my junior and a little bit of senior year and we had a blast doing it. If you listen to any of them until the end you will find the bloopers which mostly include us laughing our heads off. Not only was it fun, but I learned a lot from it including how to record, edit, and produce a podcast. And to think I would have never known it was something I enjoyed unless I joined the newspaper.”
Conrath shared that previous editors in chief have influenced and inspired her; in addition they also were the people she made the most memories with. She said, “My favorite memories are the mornings when Naima and Evelyn were around… A recent one would be taking the journalism class which is all about newspaper.”
Vang shared why it was important to step into a leadership position. She said, “I was very passionate about newspaper. I personally feel like it’s an underappreciated club at RAHS and that we have the capabilities to do so much more. I wanted to see it grow and get more people in both terms of club members and viewership. I am graduating this year but I hope Newspaper club can continue to expand and flourish.”
Conrath also shared her reason for stepping into a leadership position. She said, “I stepped up in leadership because I really connected with newspaper my junior year. I looked up to the editors at that time Naima and Evelyn, and I wanted to continue to make the meetings as fun as possible. At this point in high school I was trying to make the most out of my experiences and that that I was involved in. I applied to test myself to see if I was ready to be put into a leadership role and learn how to be a good leader as I had never done that before.”
Both Vang and Conrath feel they walk away from newspaper learning valuable skills. Vang said, “Being part of the Newspaper Club has taught me a lot, but the three things that have stood out the most are collaboration, the value of timeliness, and the freedom to express my creativity. I’m proud to say that the lessons I’ve learned from Newspaper will stay with me beyond high school, and I know I’ll be able to apply them in both my everyday life and future career.”
Conrath said, “ Newspaper has taught me many things. Time management, communication skills, building new friendships, how to help others, how to support others, and how to motivate.”
Both the editors encourage RAHS students to try out Newspaper. Vang said, “The Newspaper club is so much more than it seems. It’s not just about writing, it’s about telling a story and keeping the community informed and there are so many ways to do that including photojournalism and podcasting. Newspaper also offers so many new skills and networking opportunities that will help you beyond high school.”
Conrath said, “People should join newspaper to better their communication skills with others, as well as make long lasting friendships. Newspaper has taught me that everyone has different and unique opinions ,m and my favorite part about all of it is reporting on peoples perspectives. Also it’s good for college applications…”
The editors leave with advice for those who want to join the newspaper, but aren’t sure or are afraid of trying something new. Vang said, “Don’t hesitate to branch out! Journalism is more than just writing; it includes various forms of media, including photojournalism, podcasting, and digital storytelling. Don’t be afraid to explore or invent new ways to tell a story, you might find something you really enjoy doing!”
Conrath said, “Just go for it, try new things, it’s a very easy and fun organization.”
