What I Wish I Had Known
19
FORMER HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALIST REFLECTS ON HOW
PREPARED SHE WAS FOR COLLEGE MEDIA PROGRAM
By Sarah Heet
VIDEO
T
he transition from a high
school journalist to a private
university journalist is a lot
like moving away from home:
sentimental, difficult and necessary.
As a former journalist for one of the
top public high school newspapers
in the country, The Kirkwood Call,
it was no surprise that I joined the
newspaper staff in college. After a few
months on staff, I was chosen to be the
next editor-in-chief of the Maryville
University newspaper, Pawprint, an
opportunity that would have never
been possible had I stayed in my
comfort zone. However, the transition
from writing for a publication at a
public school to a private school was
eye-opening.
As an online-only publication,
Pawprint is updated weekly during
the academic year and is offered as
an undergraduate class. There is one
editor who reviews stories on Mondays
and uploads them to the website
every Tuesday. The staff size varies
anywhere from four to 20 contributors
per semester. Staff members can
take the class for one to three credits,
depending on how many stories they
plan on writing each semester. While
any major is welcome to join Pawprint,
most communication students
participate to gain journalistic
experience.
While it is important to understand
private universities have to maintain
a more neutral diplomatic approach,
it is surprising to realize how much
a program differs when student
reporters do not have as much
journalistic freedom. Blessed with a
high school journalism program that
did not censor, The Call published
stories ranging from divorce to drugs.
However, I have come to acknowledge
SARAH HEET
As a junior at Maryville University, Sarah
is majoring in communications and is
currently the editor-in-chief of Maryville
University’s newspaper, Pawprint. In
high school, Sarah held multiple staff
and editorial positions on The Kirkwood
Call. She is an advocate for the First
Amendment and can talk about picas for
hours. After college, she hopes to find a
way to channel her creative design energy
with her communication skills as a brand
or campaign manager.
that I developed a certain amount
of entitlement that came along with
such verbal liberty. Had I come from
a school that censored, I would be a
completely different journalist than
I am today, and I probably would
not have been inspired to join the
newspaper staff in college. I probably
would not be a First Amendment
advocate because I would not know
how it felt to be uncensored.
No matter the element of change,
the shift to the college medium was
necessary. I needed to know what it
was like to invest in my craft with a
new environment and support system.
It is clear that journalistic styles vary;
however, both are effective in their
own way. One of the most important
lessons to be learned, though, is to let
go of the things you outgrow. There
came a time when, even though it was
comfortable, being on The Call staff
was no longer beneficial for the staff
or myself.
With so much love for your craft
comes a need to improve and be
challenged. As important as it is to feel
comfortable, it is equally important to
challenge yourself and step outside of
your comfort zone occasionally. Know
yourself, and believe in your craft
because no one knows your college
experience better than you.