The Importance of Scholastic Journalism

We watch you, we write for you, we want to know you. But the nice thing about us is that we are also a part of you.

As student journalists, we can observe and inform the student body while still playing our other roles within it. At FC, we take part in theatre, foreign language, art, band, choir, cheerleading, athletics, clubs… everything. (If we had a Karaoke Wednesday, I'm sure we'd do that, too.) We plant roots into all parts of this school, doing things we love and enjoy as much as everyone else.

However, even while we're merrily participating in all these classes and activities, we have our ulterior motives. In everything we do, we are striving to know you better and learn what it is that you would like to know. If we cannot successfully do that, then all our work would be in vain, none of our words would matter and our purpose would be diminished.

We watch you, we learn from you, we write for you. We never cease to want to know you because, without you, we would cease to know ourselves and what it is we aim for.

Savannah Hoover - Junior
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Student journalism is a magnifying glass to an otherwise unobserved place in the community. Professional papers will cover the big stories, granted, but the school is a micro-community in itself and therefore needs a publication to serve its very unique needs. Students need to know about issues relevant to their school or their way of life, and it is our job as their paper to delve deep into the school’s student population and unearth stories that no one else can. Stories about controversial student issues can be handled with much more grace by a reporter who is already part of the institution than by an outside reporter who tries to muscle his way in, if he even cares to try at all. In a time when news is all about money and entertainment, student journalism goes back to what journalism should be: a service that informs the people and changes the way they see things, all while upholding integrity and striving ceaselessly for the truth.

Jake Christian – Senior
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In 1898 an armored US ship exploded. No one knew the reason why, but everyone had their own opinion, including the media. The Hearst newspaper blamed the destruction on Spain, and many trusted him. Because of his story, the opinions of an entire country were changed. Thus began the Spanish-American war.

Not every article published in a newspaper will influence this drastic of a change, but every story, every sentence, and every word have their own purpose. The words printed in a school newspaper affect the reader that reads them, and they change the writer who wrote them.
Without a student newspaper, where does one find the courage that is found behind every controversial story? Where is the passion, the intrigue, the desire to change? If no such publication exists, then a major element of our lives is missing.

Newspapers exist to inform the people, to investigate the people, and most of all, to change the people. Without a school newspaper, how blasé and ignorant will we become?

Rebekah Furey - Senior
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A school newspaper can mean a variety of different things for different people. For some, it could be “just that pile of paper they hand us every few weeks.” For others, it could mean a feeling of unity and knowledge that ties them to their school. But for me, the Bagpiper is freedom. It’s freedom to express my thoughts, knowledge, and insights maturely in a way that not only connects to my peers, but all of my surrounding community. At many high schools, newspaper staffs aren’t always given the same publishing freedom that we get here at F.C. They’re restricted on what they write, who they speak to, and what they say. The trust our faculty and administration gives us to find the greater good not only strengthens the paper itself, but also the journalists who take care of it. Independence is a key to the success of the Bagpiper, and I’m honored to be entrusted to keep our journalistic liberty alive.

Amanda Powers – Junior
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Every student in this country has something to say, whether it is views on their chosen presidential candidate or their favorite brand of vitamin water. Without an outlet, these opinions and ideas will go to waste, and that is the case for many high schools in America. A lack of a strong journalism department leaves the student population without a way to express what they think, and prior review often censors these thoughts.

FC's paper is unlike most high school publications in that its staff is given free rein to decide its content. The decisions as to what goes on its pages lie with the staff. It is a student-run paper, and because of this, we are able to give a real voice to the student. I feel that a publication like ours is vital to any place of secondary education because it gives our peers information that we feel is relevant and important, as well as a place for voicing their own thoughts and ideas.

Tricia Hussung - Senior