Challenges and rewards of a journalism class

Looking for a sense of pride and accomplishment? Take this class

February 5, 2019

BY BRISSA MOLINA

TIMES STAFF

At the beginning of my first semester at SJCC, I had only one class in my schedule. Most of the classes I wanted to take were already full, or did not fit into my schedule.

I managed to get an add code for a physics class, which meant I had to find two other classes.

While I was walking around, defeated by the fact that I only had two classes on my schedule and I probably wouldn’t be able to be a full-time student, I stumbled upon a Journalism ad at the Student Center.

It was perfect, it fit my schedule and, at that time, it seemed like an easy class for easy credit. Oh, was I wrong.

I am not a hardworking student, I know that. Journalism class has been one of the most challenging classes I have taken, and I took a lot of AP classes in high school.

Yet it is also one of the most fun classes I’ve taken. It is more of a lab than a class, yes we still get grades, but we work at our own pace, as long as we meet our deadlines.

As journalism students, we are expected to go out and find news- worthy stories that will interest students on campus and the community.

It is hard, at first, to build up the confidence to approach sources for a story, or to find a way to get answers from them.

The most rewarding aspect of the class is having my name printed in the newspaper, because I’ve always seen other people’s names belong somewhere and it’s finally satisfactory to have mine belong in the paper.

Being able to talk about the topics I’m interested in, writing film reviews, and looking at all the great work everyone puts into the publication make the hassle worth it.

Journalism is not for the faint of heart; you are expected to go above and beyond for every story you write. Sometimes that is exhausting, but it just makes it so much more rewarding to print and publish.

The newspaper needs people who are willing to get out of their comfort zone. People who are willing to put in the extra mile for, not only the newspaper, but also the website and social media platforms.

It has been hard for me, but most of the time I’m able to manage my time between work and the newspaper; I’m still trying to be able to fully manage it this semester.

But there will be no other class like this you would take. You get to brag about your name being printed in the paper. You can attend school events and get VIP treatment for being press.

I covered a news story about the Cosmetology department’s “Glam Gala,” and after showing my press badge to the organizers, they led me to the VIP room where all the performers and VIP ticket holders were having drinks.

I got to meet a lot of interesting people, while eating appetizers. And all I had to do was show my press badge. However, the press badge should only be used for Times related work, and not for personal purposes.

Your friends might make fun of you because “no one ever reads the newspaper,” but people do read the newspaper, especially the people you include in it.

Also, we do more than newspapers; we are active on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. Sometimes your sources reach back to you to congratulate you on a job well done. And there is no greater feeling than getting your job recognized. I encourage all students to take the class, because not only do you work at an award-winning publication, but because you will also discover that the reward is worth the energy you put into it.