With the recent additions of Year 12 journalists writing for The Campus Collective, three have been specially selected to write for the Stourbridge News. I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing our journalists – Anna Rizos, Phoebe Neech, and Alfie Poole – getting to know more about them as journalists, and as people navigating life around college! Through Sa series of questions, I was able to gain more understanding of who they were as individuals, discussing things such as their A-Level choices, their preferred style of writing, and some of the things they have learnt along the way!
Firstly, I began by asking how they came around to hearing about the college newspaper as an enrichment, and if it was something they had always been interested in or if the position piqued their interest. Anna had no prior experience in journalism itself but was told of the position through a family member that came here previously, saying she would make a great fit - I agree! Phoebe similarly thought the position was interesting as a friend of hers was a journalist and thought it would be an exciting opportunity to develop her writing skills. Alfie had come to hear of the Campus Collective whilst attending open evenings- and lit a spark in him to write passionately and creatively on his favourite topics for everyone to read about.
Second, I was curious to know if the types of A-levels that each of the Young Reporters took affected the way they wrote and if, they gained different perspectives on one topic, or stayed completely neutral? Alfie was eager to respond, having taken predominantly creative subjects, stating it completely transformed the way he looked at topics he pursued to write about, constantly thinking about the several types of people that may read his entries and if they would find his articles compelling and passionate. Similarly, Anna said that by taking essay-based subjects, it allowed her to adapt smoothly into writing. By incorporating skills she has been taught in her subjects, Anna believed it sharpened her discipline and taught her how to write efficiently with the skills she has already gained. On the other hand, Phoebe remarked that her choice of A-Levels didn’t really sway or change the way she wrote for the majority of the time, but sometimes they influenced her to think more critically depending on how thoughtful the article was.
In addition, I also learnt that all three of our Young Reporters have a serious knack for creative writing. This obviously shines through their articles but the passion that came out of them as they discussed how precious and enjoyable of a hobby it was for all three of them was truly inspiring and motivating to hear! They each found that by intertwining a sort of creative element to their writing, it made their respective entries more personal and engaging with a wider audience and I could not agree more!
The final question I asked was how each reporter would utilise the skills they will learn over the next year and a half, from writing alongside Stourbridge News, and the Campus Collective, into the next steps in their respective futures. Phoebe said she had already learnt so much over the past two months and would really like to use this time to sharpen her writing skills so that it would help her write her personal statement when applying for universities, helping her stand out amongst other candidates. Building upon the same point, Anna said that she would like to develop her discipline with writing to boost her productivity and creativity in writing; she would also utilise the collaboration, and social skills she has learnt already in networking for her next steps. Finally, Alfie states that by utilising the creative writing skills he has already got a grasp on, it will help him efficiently formulate structures and arguments when debating with others, as part of his many hobbies and future career aspirations.
And there you have it! It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to be able to speak with such amazing people with a deep passion for writing, getting to know them as people and not just journalists. I hope that by reading this piece, you feel fulfilled and truly inspired by their passionate words and enthusiastic approaches to writing.