Part One: The Reasoning

On Mar. 16, Newspaper Advisor Carrie Faust announced that the Smoky Hill Newspaper class is going to be cut next year, upsetting a lot of us hard-working newspaper students who actually enjoy the work that is done in the class. I personally believe that a school newspaper is an essential part of any American high school’s curriculum and helps students greatly with their academic careers, so now I am writing about why I have come to believe these things.

Reason One: Newspaper Teaches Students How to Exercise Their First Amendment Rights

The state of Colorado is one of only a few states in the United States that have journalistic freedom in their high schools. According to the Student Press Law Center, there are only 16 U.S. states that have journalistic freedom in high schools, with Colorado being the only state in the Four Corners Region of the country to have this as a right by law. The other three aforementioned states: Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, are all listed as states without Student Press Freedom laws.

This is a huge problem, certain U.S. states not allowing student newspapers to have free speech is not only a violation of the First Amendment but also keeps today’s generation from learning how to freely express themselves through the press. The aspect of exercising First Amendment rights is something that all students in the U.S. should have, despite what the state government wants to think. Also, the newspaper staff at Smoky are working really hard at what they do and certainly want it to continue for new students.

While newspaper may not be a very popular choice as a class at Smoky, there are still quite a few students who love the class and work very hard at it, me included. The student news website has its fair share of students who are constantly publishing articles for students to read so that they can stay informed on current events. These loyal, hard-working students really love the work they do and would be upset if the class got cut.

Reason Two: Newspaper Teaches Students Essential Reading and Writing Skills Needed for Higher Education

There are some government officials who don’t like the press to get up in their business and are very hesitant for the press to speak to them. But I think that widespread media coverage of world events is important. While it may teach some things that allow kids to speak their minds about what’s going on in the world around them, it also teaches them helpful English skills that they may need to go to college.

First, it teaches students how to write in an easy-to-understand way. This is important because a lot of American minorities don’t have enough knowledge of writing to be successful in life. A student newspaper is an easy way for them to get those writing skills needed for higher education, which, in the long run, will help them out an extraordinary amount.

Second, it teaches kids how to read more advanced texts, which is an essential skill for a lot of secondary institutions. This, to me, is especially important, because if you don’t know how to read complicated texts, there aren’t many good, high-paying jobs that you can work to make a living in life.

Lastly, it teaches adolescents the proper grammar skills needed for most colleges. This is also important because a study done by the team at The Associate of Public Land-Grant Universities shows that you’re more likely to get a higher-paying job with a two or four-year college degree than you are without it. This will help you to get the money needed to provide for yourself in life. It helps with understanding insurance policies, writing professional emails, and lots of other things that can help with one’s long-term success.

Reason Three: Newspaper Helps Kids Learn Essential Time Management and Team-Building Skills

Newspaper also helps adolescents develop the key time management and team-building skills needed to be successful in life. These skills include things like meeting deadlines, working together with peers, and even problem-solving. These, along with the ELA skills mentioned earlier, will help students be more successful in the long run, especially since they help kids cooperate with their peers in real-world situations.

All of the skills mentioned above might help students academically, but, you may be asking, what about mentally and emotionally?  Well, because of my own personal experiences, I know that newspaper is a safe place where I can talk about pretty much anything. My years with the newspaper staff have been some of the best years of my academic career, which is another reason why I feel like newspaper is a class that should remain a part of Smoky Hill’s curriculum for years to come.

Part 2: My Own Experiences

When I first started high school, I was taking newspaper to try something new, but over time, I realized that I was really enjoying it. So, I took it again my sophomore year, and one thing led to another, and here I am in my fourth year as a senior returning member of the Smoky Hill newspaper team. Taking newspaper has really helped me come out of my shell in ways that have transformed me into who I am today.

This is yet another reason why I think newspaper shouldn’t get cut from the electives list, and I’m sure many of my fellow members on the staff would agree. We work hard to provide students with updates on what’s going on in and around our school’s community. I would hate for us to have worked so hard on all of this content just for it to go to waste, that would really devastate me and crush my spirits, so please, help get newspaper off the chopping block.

Newspaper has always felt like a sort of safe haven where I could talk about serious, real-world issues without fear of being judged. I think that it should remain a class because it not only helps students academically, but also mentally, physically, and emotionally. It is and always will be my favorite class that I have taken throughout my entire academic career.

I think newspaper plays an important role in society and provides adolescents with the essential skills they’ll need to get into college. We need newspaper or the school’s curriculum might be less effective at giving students the skills they need to succeed in life.