Campus Journalism: BSEd 3's School Magazine

All in. English majors' first student magazine. 

 Writing has been my first love. I have learned to write early, and it even paid my way through college. After some years of being an English and education instructor, I was given the opportunity to teach what I love the most- journalism. 

I remember the day when I, as a senior mass communication student, was tasked by a local daily editor to interview a controversial public official and write an article as part of my internship requirements. How can I forget? That article landed as a banner story, and later found its way to the college's bulletin board. Baptism of fire, it was. I later found out, during a conversation, that my internship superior used to be the editor-in-chief of the school paper I write for. Small world. (See it here)

Back to reality. I was full of excitement for my subject load. For quite a while, I have been wanting to teach journalism or write again.  

For some years, there has been a decline on the quality of student writers produced by the school organ. Perhaps it has become a lousy training ground as many schools do not want to invest or spend money to publish school news or grant scholarships to their campus journalists. In most cases, students will only get to read these published writings once or twice a year. Because their are insufficient opportunities, talents in writing are just poured into private journals or diaries that may never be read and thus fall short on advises to develop. 

Despite the popularity of social networking sites where one can easily "publish" thoughts, school paper does something unequaled by strongly inculcating a deep sense of professionalism and social responsibility. This is because campus magazines or newspapers train students to express opinions objectively and ethically which improves the dynamism of press freedom. 

After  about two months of preparations through seminar-type lecture, my students were able to grasp the concepts on news, editorial, feature, photojournalism, lay-outing, and other related topics. I was happy to discover their strengths on the genre they are good at. Consequently, they are happier to know they can write and judge articles following journalistic conventions.  As expected, they have surpassed my expectations. Well done, people! 

Sports and the sporty.  

Checkin'. My students finalizing their articles for the publication. 

Ed-chief checks. Tin2 giving the editorial board a closer look, 

Yellowed. The sample feature page of Pasin-aw (clarification). 

** Photo credits: Anamae Cabugwason, BSEd- English, University of Iloilo- PEN