Don't just see. Observe.
By Priya Kukreja
When I first joined The Hoofbeat, I learned an important lesson. Don’t just see; observe. As a young writer with an insatiable desire to learn about others, I found the greatest stories by being mindful of those around me. My spirit of inquiry and knack for observation propelled me toward personal discoveries. I pursued the introvert tapping on her desk in the back of the room, amazed to learn that she performs as a late-night drummer in a jazz band. I followed the film student carrying a multicolored flag down the hallway, stirred to discover that his documentary triggered a national movement about the Venezuelan protests. By constantly keeping an eye out for eccentricities, I learned that I am drawn toward powerful storytelling.
Although I was only a freshman when I joined the school newspaper staff in 2013, my first year as a reporter on The Hoofbeat contained a massive learning curve. Prior to high school, I had taken one digital media course where I learned the basics of journalistic writing and graphic design. But what I saw at The Hoofbeat was unlike anything I had witnessed before—a stirring collaboration of journalists in the form of writers, designers, and photographers who all worked toward creating one stunning publication. The seniors on staff acted as my mentors, patiently teaching me everything from the secrets of InDesign to tips for conducting interviews. Although I was disheartened when they all graduated, I knew that the lessons I learned from them would stick with me for a long time.
I was always passionate about journalistic writing. However, the first time I truly started developing a niche for design was during my sophomore year when I became In-Depth Page Editor. Since I had a lot of freedom on the in-depth spread, I was able to explore various infographic styles, photo illustrations, and page layouts while also delving deeper into topics that intrigued me. I utilized my newly found knack for design in other aspects of my life as well. I later went on to redesign the entire look of The Hoofbeat with my Co-Editor-in-Chief, often applying the skills I had learned while working on the in-depth page.
As junior year rolled around, the makeup of the staff posed a unique challenge: there were only three returning members on staff. The other ten people had no prior journalistic experience. Suddenly, my role as a leader expanded. I began teaching lessons that had been taught to me during my freshman year. We learned to work with a smaller, less experienced staff by spending more time conferencing with new members and paying extra attention to editing pages. When most of our staff graduated again for my senior year, we posed the same problem as I became Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Hoofbeat. About 80 percent of the people on staff were new to journalism, again. I continued to provide support and inspiration for my staff to grow as designers and writers. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, I learned that a team is reflective of its leaders. It became crucial for me to demonstrate enthusiastic and ethical journalistic coverage in order to develop a successful staff.
Today, I see the enthusiasm reflected back at me. After four years of writing at Millard North High School, I feel at home among journalists on The Hoofbeat who strive to share powerful ideas. Spending countless hours reporting on local, social, and political news alongside staff members, who double as my dearest friends, keeps me acquainted with vastly different perspectives. Our newspaper team is built upon discussion, disagreement, and a shared desire to create waves through the public. Through collaboration and personal accountability, our staff has mastered soft workplace skills to create a productive environment. Every argument in staff editorial meetings reveals a new point of view. Every brainstorming session illuminates an unknown subject. It is precisely the privilege of being among people who disagree with me about women’s reproductive rights, immigration, and gun violence that compels me to write columns about those issues.
Once I learned the power of the written word, I began using it to express my opinion. I have always firmly believed that standing up for my convictions is necessary to effectuate change. However, the impact is only significant when there is a forum to instigate discussion. For me, that forum is modern day media. Journalism is an avenue to produce dialogue about social issues and current events. As a young journalist, I was initially reserved to write about my beliefs due to a fear of backlash and disagreement. However, I quickly realized that storytelling is not about reporting from a disconnected viewpoint. It always carries intimacy and conviction. By learning to welcome opposition to my ideas, I found that having courage is one of the hardest yet most rewarding aspects of being a journalist.
As I grew as a writer, I realized that effective journalism forces the reader to reconsider some aspect of their paradigm. I began pushing for more stories that would expose new ideas and address pressing issues in our community. For example, recently I published in-depth coverage about transgender students and their experiences in high school. The page was extremely well-received by the community. However, since we live in a fairly conservative district, administrators originally showed resistance to the idea, which delayed the coverage by almost a year. The Hoofbeat has always had to work with prior review, which often causes us to write late night stories or replace articles that were not approved. But doing so has only made me stronger in my desire for coverage of hard news. As we learn to deal with censorship, we know that abiding to ethical journalistic standards and working with our administration is the best way to continue publishing about important issues.
I was once a young writer who was scared to interview people in person. Today, I am a confident journalist who uses storytelling to make waves of impact through my community. My intense desire to explore human stories drives the basis of my journalistic aspirations. I strive to learn the cellular reasoning behind an individual’s purpose and share it through a larger forum. This is my future. This is the foundation of my growth. It lies in the ability to interact with individuals, learn from them, and create a dialogue with transformative implications.
Although I was only a freshman when I joined the school newspaper staff in 2013, my first year as a reporter on The Hoofbeat contained a massive learning curve. Prior to high school, I had taken one digital media course where I learned the basics of journalistic writing and graphic design. But what I saw at The Hoofbeat was unlike anything I had witnessed before—a stirring collaboration of journalists in the form of writers, designers, and photographers who all worked toward creating one stunning publication. The seniors on staff acted as my mentors, patiently teaching me everything from the secrets of InDesign to tips for conducting interviews. Although I was disheartened when they all graduated, I knew that the lessons I learned from them would stick with me for a long time.
I was always passionate about journalistic writing. However, the first time I truly started developing a niche for design was during my sophomore year when I became In-Depth Page Editor. Since I had a lot of freedom on the in-depth spread, I was able to explore various infographic styles, photo illustrations, and page layouts while also delving deeper into topics that intrigued me. I utilized my newly found knack for design in other aspects of my life as well. I later went on to redesign the entire look of The Hoofbeat with my Co-Editor-in-Chief, often applying the skills I had learned while working on the in-depth page.
As junior year rolled around, the makeup of the staff posed a unique challenge: there were only three returning members on staff. The other ten people had no prior journalistic experience. Suddenly, my role as a leader expanded. I began teaching lessons that had been taught to me during my freshman year. We learned to work with a smaller, less experienced staff by spending more time conferencing with new members and paying extra attention to editing pages. When most of our staff graduated again for my senior year, we posed the same problem as I became Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Hoofbeat. About 80 percent of the people on staff were new to journalism, again. I continued to provide support and inspiration for my staff to grow as designers and writers. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, I learned that a team is reflective of its leaders. It became crucial for me to demonstrate enthusiastic and ethical journalistic coverage in order to develop a successful staff.
Today, I see the enthusiasm reflected back at me. After four years of writing at Millard North High School, I feel at home among journalists on The Hoofbeat who strive to share powerful ideas. Spending countless hours reporting on local, social, and political news alongside staff members, who double as my dearest friends, keeps me acquainted with vastly different perspectives. Our newspaper team is built upon discussion, disagreement, and a shared desire to create waves through the public. Through collaboration and personal accountability, our staff has mastered soft workplace skills to create a productive environment. Every argument in staff editorial meetings reveals a new point of view. Every brainstorming session illuminates an unknown subject. It is precisely the privilege of being among people who disagree with me about women’s reproductive rights, immigration, and gun violence that compels me to write columns about those issues.
Once I learned the power of the written word, I began using it to express my opinion. I have always firmly believed that standing up for my convictions is necessary to effectuate change. However, the impact is only significant when there is a forum to instigate discussion. For me, that forum is modern day media. Journalism is an avenue to produce dialogue about social issues and current events. As a young journalist, I was initially reserved to write about my beliefs due to a fear of backlash and disagreement. However, I quickly realized that storytelling is not about reporting from a disconnected viewpoint. It always carries intimacy and conviction. By learning to welcome opposition to my ideas, I found that having courage is one of the hardest yet most rewarding aspects of being a journalist.
As I grew as a writer, I realized that effective journalism forces the reader to reconsider some aspect of their paradigm. I began pushing for more stories that would expose new ideas and address pressing issues in our community. For example, recently I published in-depth coverage about transgender students and their experiences in high school. The page was extremely well-received by the community. However, since we live in a fairly conservative district, administrators originally showed resistance to the idea, which delayed the coverage by almost a year. The Hoofbeat has always had to work with prior review, which often causes us to write late night stories or replace articles that were not approved. But doing so has only made me stronger in my desire for coverage of hard news. As we learn to deal with censorship, we know that abiding to ethical journalistic standards and working with our administration is the best way to continue publishing about important issues.
I was once a young writer who was scared to interview people in person. Today, I am a confident journalist who uses storytelling to make waves of impact through my community. My intense desire to explore human stories drives the basis of my journalistic aspirations. I strive to learn the cellular reasoning behind an individual’s purpose and share it through a larger forum. This is my future. This is the foundation of my growth. It lies in the ability to interact with individuals, learn from them, and create a dialogue with transformative implications.