Do you have a passion for writing and storytelling? Do you want to get more involved with your school and community? Do you want to improve your writing skills? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider joining Newspaper and writing for The Wrangler next year!

Newspaper requires a commitment of meeting in class once a week during zero period. In each class period, we brainstorm ideas for our upcoming articles in what we call a “pitch session.” Before coming to class each week, each newspaper staff member comes up with an idea that they would like to write about. The topics of pitches include features, news, sports, opinions, and arts and entertainment. 

During the pitch session, we cycle through everyone’s ideas, and the staff members and our advisor Mrs. Shay (S) discuss how each article should be approached and written to ensure it is of the highest quality possible. After the pitch session, staff members are given roughly a week to write their articles. Each article is required to be more than 400 words long, contain a student or staff quote, and be accompanied by a quality photo. Anjeli Webb (10)  says that these guidelines allow her to “practice the processes of interviewing subjects and finding the perfect photos, as well as determining how to communicate eloquently.”

When staff members finish writing their rough drafts, they are submitted to their assigned editor. (Each staff member starts off as a photojournalist during their first year in the class but can apply to become an editor the following year.) The editors meticulously review and edit each photojournalist’s article, and when the class meets again, the editors and photojournalists meet to discuss revisions and areas of improvement. After a day or two of making final revisions, staff members submit their articles to be graded by the editors-in-chief, who then approve their articles to be published on The Wrangler’s website.

Each semester, staff members write approximately 10 articles, and each year, the class publishes a printed newspaper, where staff members are given the opportunity to have their writing distributed to and read by the school. This unique opportunity requires extensive editing and revising, but according to Kylie de Best (11), “it is a very rewarding experience to have others enjoy reading the articles you put a lot of work into!”

Newspaper offers numerous benefits for the staff members. In each article, staff members are able to write about what interests them. Anjeli Webb (10) adds, “I am thankful for the chance to share the opinions of my fellow students while informing them about large issues happening in the world around them.” The Wrangler features many stories from our school and community, which allows staff members to learn more about others’ stories when crafting their articles.

The Newspaper class also consists of a wide variety of students from YLHS. Sharon Sun (12) remarks, “I’d say that my favorite thing about the class is the diversity of new people I’ve been able to meet.” Each staff member is able to contribute something different to the class because of their unique experiences and opinions. This diversity makes the class more fun and enjoyable.

Writing for The Wrangler will also allow students to improve their writing. Although the style of writing newspaper articles is very different than that of typical essays, staff members have shown significant improvements in their writing after writing a few articles. Kylie de Best (11) says that Newspaper can also “give students experience in journalism since they could potentially get recognized on a national level.” The Wrangler is read not only by students at YLHS but also by people from all over the country. If you are interested in a career in journalism, Newspaper will definitely prepare you for your future!

The Wrangler is always looking for more staff members to help our school news site flourish, so don’t pass up this incredible opportunity and join Newspaper next year!