I first stepped into our newspaper classroom in August of 2023 with little expectations of where the elective would take me. Growing up, I always considered myself more of a “STEM person” than a “humanities person” until my freshman English class, which left me wanting to continue improving my writing skills. I decided to join my school newspaper in hopes of writing more frequently, completely unaware as to just how different journalistic writing is to that in my English class, and just what an integral part of high school the Featherduster would become.

The first moment I realized the opportunities that would come with journalism was the 2023 Fall National High School Journalism Convention, “Spotlight on Journalism.” It was there that I got my first look into how large of a community high school journalism is, truly bonded with my staff members, learned all the nuances to interviewing and reporting and participated in my first competition – on site feature writing. 

The convention left me wanting to improve my writing, and I quickly turned to reading feature stories I found on Best of SNO to see what and how other student journalists were writing. Reading through other reporters’ work, I noticed that journalism was very different from my English class and realized its purpose – telling stories everyone can understand. Regardless of how long or complicated a story or topic, writers would create articles that conveyed emotion and a variety of events in concise articles that kept me engaged. I aimed to improve my writing so I could do the same and effectively tell other people’s  stories.

The next pivotal moment in my writing journey was in November 2024. Like many other Texas public schools, my school is facing a budget deficit. I went with a few other reporters to a special school board meeting regarding potential solutions to the deficit. I ended up following the topic. I listened to board meetings and parental concerns. I spoke with school board members who faced difficult decisions and teachers whose designated planning periods were removed. And through this process and the stories I wrote, I learned the importance of unbiased reporting. 

Everyone has a different viewpoint about the decisions made by the school board and administration, but it is my job to effectively communicate the facts of the event so people can form their own opinions and thoughts. Many students at my school are unaware of the reasoning for the school closures or why their teachers may be extra stressed about the 2025-26 school year, but by writing unbiased stories I can do my part to inform the wider community.

Journalism is not just about finding and writing an interesting story; it is about creating an engaging piece that informs readers in a manner that can be understood by anyone and everyone – whether for informative or entertainment purposes. There are a variety of stories to be told, and everyone from all backgrounds and views should have access to them.

Board of Trustees Holds Budget Workshop

I first heard about the Budget Workshop from my mom when I was figuring out what to cover next. The Featherduster was not covering school board meetings at the time, so attending and writing about the Budget Workshop was something entirely different and new to me. I was unaware of the budget deficit our district is facing and I figured many of my fellow students were also unaware, so we knew that as the school newspaper, we wanted to cover the workshop. Parents and students alike need to be aware of the challenges our district is facing and the consequences of them. Although people may be aware of school closures and program cancellations, it is important for them to also understand the root of these decisions. The purpose of this article was to inform the community about potential changes within the district and why they were happening.

Valley View, Barton Creek Elementaries to blend, Spanish Immersion Program to discontinue in 2025-26 school year

In January, the school board voted on the closure of one of our six elementary schools, blending the current students with another one, as well as the shut down of the recently established Spanish Immersion program in elementary schools. The meeting was incredibly emotional for elementary school parents who shared their concerns during the open forum and difficult for board members who knew they faced a decision.Although these decisions primarily affect the elementary schools rather than the high school, which our publication’s stories primarily focuses on, we knew we wanted to cover the decision because it affects such a large part of our community. 

When writing this story, I did not want to focus on just the disappointment and anxiety about the future, but rather do my best to keep the story to the facts and focus on the points of hope and support board members mentioned. I knew I did not want my story to be a source of fear for parents, but rather an informative piece that offered an explanation for a decision that would not be changed and maybe eased concerns while still addressing all sides of the community. 

A New Chapter of Success

Our band underwent a change in leadership this year as the previous band director retired after 20 years. Despite the change, the band had major success during the marching season, matching their highest placement at the Bands of America Regional competition since 2016. I went into the story wanting to highlight the achievement of the band and discuss with some members their thoughts. In my interviews, I learned that the band was embracing the idea of change with their program, Nouveau, a show about new beginnings. I also learned that the band faced unexpected challenges at the competition when their trailers with front ensemble equipment broke down on the way to the competition. The story almost wrote itself at that point. It was a story about accomplishment, but also about the new beginnings of the Chaparral band and the kindness in the Texas marching band community. 

AI Real World Application

Senior Ronok Ghosal at Westlake competed in the International AI Olympiad as one of two United States of America representatives. He ended up winning a bronze medal, and I wanted to highlight the achievement. When I went to interview him, we discussed his practice, preparation and the competition itself, but he also shared that while at the competition, he attended a convention where tech companies and other businesses discussed applications for AI in their work along with the ethics. As a journalist, student and someone who enjoys art, I am often heavily biased against the use of AI, but hearing about the uses of AI in business and technology from Ghosal offered me a new perspective on the uses and limitations of AI I had not previously considered. The experience of writing this article allowed me not only the chance to highlight Ghosal’s deserved achievement, but also another perspective of a highly discussed topic.

The Making of Shringar

In the spring of 2024, I had co-written a story highlighting different cultures at my school. Through that story, I met now rising junior Adrita Roy who immigrated from Bangladesh. She is an enthusiastic person who loves talking about and sharing her culture, and one of the ways she did so was by starting Nritya Mandala, a South Asian dance club. When I heard that they were performing their second show, Shringar, this spring, I knew I wanted to reach back out to her and her fellow club members to feature their work. Through my many interviews with them and writing this story, I was able to highlight their hard work and efforts in creating a welcoming environment to share their culture.