On Nov. 6, The Ramapo News hopped into an infamous RamaVan and took a trip over to Waldwick High School to pay a visit to the journalism students. It was a successful trip; all of the students were engaged in the conversation that ranged from introductions, a Q&A in regards to Ramapo, and a brief lesson on headlines and leads.
Editor-in-Chief Nicole Alliegro planned an excellent lesson, reviewing leads with the students and putting them to the “Twitter Test,” in which a story’s lead should be able to fit in 140 characters or less, answering the who, what, when, where, why, and how criteria. The students actively participated, gradually fixing their own mistakes without much assistance from ourselves.
I was particularly pleased to see the genuine interest the students had to continue being involved with journalism outside of high school. Although writing was not the main focus of all the students, there was a balance between writing, design, creative and professional styles. Whether a journalist or not, writing is a key skill both inside and outside the classroom. Being able to develop these skills is important, and the continuation of stressing this importance is the determining factor of where our generations will go. We plan on keeping in contact with this class, and I hope that college-high school partnerships continue throughout the years. It is the encouragement of the community of students, no matter what the age gap, that will result in great things. This was definitely a start.
