The front page

Christian Maines, a junior at St. John’s School, loves writing for his school newspaper. Starting in the fall, he’ll be an editor.

Writing for my school newspaper, The Review, rewards me in ways that little else can. Working constantly with dedicated writers and designers on a nationally commended newspaper is perhaps the most gratifying aspect of my day-to-day life at St. John’s. Naturally, the challenges of writing articles and staying after school offer great character-building experiences, but so can other difficult tasks – studying for tests, memorizing poems and the like. But those activities become monotonous, whereas conducting interviews and writing articles continually expose me to new experiences.

I have written for The Review for two years, and during this time, I have learned more about my school than I have doing anything else. Interviewing teachers, administrators and coaches gives me the opportunity to converse with people that I never would have otherwise, save perhaps for a “hello” in the hallway. Aside from writing expository stories for the news and features sections, I have had the opportunity to argue my beliefs on the opinions page.

In one of our issues this past fall, I wrote an article expressing my opposition to the installation of security cameras throughout the campus that had taken place right before the school year began. When the piece appeared in print, it was juxtaposed with a well-written counterpoint from one of our senior editors. It was exciting to hear staffers’ and readers’ points of view as that discussion unfolded, and hearing praise and criticism was pivotal for my growth as a journalist.

Little gives me more pride than to know that I contribute to a newspaper that has received such high recognition, but there is much to be said for contributing to high school journalism no matter how much or how little acclaim a school’s newspaper has received. I would urge anybody with a passion for writing – no matter what their skill level – to pursue journalism.

Editor’s Note: Christian will be a St. John’s School correspondent for our School Buzz blog. Look for his reports starting in August.

Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to [email protected]. Or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.