High school journliasts gather quotes for a story to run in The Mercury, the publication they created at the SOJC's summer workshop. (Photo by Jack Liu)

by Keri McDonough, graduate student

They could have been hanging out at the mall with their friends. Instead, they interviewed a former journalist about her decision to become a state senator. They could have started their summer jobs a week earlier and picked up a little extra spending money. Instead, they asked the student-editor of Thurston High's school newspaper what it was like to cover a story that had journalists from around the nation scrambling to get the inside story. They could have spent the first week of summer vacation easing into a variety of traditional summer pastimes, but instead, 19 minority high school students accepted an invitation to the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications' Summer High School Journalism Workshop.

The workshop, developed five years ago to give teens the opportunity to learn from professional journalists and UO professors while getting hands-on experience, enjoyed the largest attendance to date this year. And at the end of the week, under the supervision of workshop organizer, Associate Professor John Russial, these aspiring journalists had produced their own 16-page newspaper.

"We try to expose them to as many aspects of the newsroom as possible," says Russial. "We're excited to see students come together and work as a newsroom staff for a week."

Participants learned about reporting, interviewing, newswriting, opinion writing, feature writing, news photography, copyediting, newspaper design and layout, legal issues and media careers. They worked with reporters from The Oregonian, The Mail Tribune and The Statesman Journal. The newspaper that the workshop participants created, The Mercury, will be distributed to high schools throughout the state when the time comes to recruit next year's participants.

"I learned different things from everyone who contributed and felt that I definitely got a head start," says Lorraine-Michelle Faust, a UO freshman who participated in the workshop. She says the experience "reaffirmed the fact that I want to be a journalist."

Students interviewed Loni Wilson, editor-in-chief of the Thurston High School newspaper, as well as professional reporters who covered the tragic May 21 Thurston shooting. They interviewed state Sen. Susan Castillo to learned about her transition from television news reporter to Oregon state senator.

Assistant Professor Pam Cytrynbaum designs with minority workshop participants. (photo by Jack Liu)

"In addition to giving minority students an excellent opportunity to explore journalism careers," Russial explains, "the workshop is a great opportunity for news professionals to serve as mentors for high school students who have an interest in the field." Further, Russial says the program offers support to the newspaper ndustry's important goal of ensuring that a wider range of voices and perspectives are heard in the field of journalism.

Michael Ottey, President of the Portland Association of Black Journalists and education reporter for The Oregonian, has participated in the workshop since it began in 1994.

"A lot of these kids need role models to show them that they, too, can do it," says Ottey. "This is a great chance for professional journalists to share their knowledge and get more young people involved."

The students, ages 14-17, were recruited from high schools from 14 communities by their teachers, advisers and local newspaper editors and publishers. The workshop is funded by a generous multi-year grant from The Oregonian through the Newhouse Foundation.

Adjunct professors Kathy Campbell, Beth Hege Piatote and Pam Cytrynbaum, doctoral student Clyde Bentley and master's graduate Anne Burnett joined Russial as teaching faculty. SOJC office staffers Maggie Young, Becca Bousted, and Joyce Brinton, and Mick Westrick, the former director of instructional technology also assisted with the workshop.