EDITOR’S COMMENTS

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Social media and the comment stream of any online news article reveal we are a population with opinions. The unregulated and often-times anonymous manner in which people are able to spout off on any topic they choose has exposed many of the flaws of simply saying how we “feel” at any given time about any given topic. In the heat of the argument, we may type out words that are reactionary, hurtful, or simply untrue. We make hasty grabs at unchecked information to make quick jabs back at someone else’s thoughts.

For this issue, in addition to our regular news articles, the students spent a great deal of time reading well-written, published columns, where they learned the art of presenting one’s opinion in an intellectual manner and supporting these statements with facts to bolster their cases. They then embarked on writing their own columns to hopefully give our readers the chance to consider a world view different than their own. They also had some fun reviewing various forms of entertainment. Regardless of the stance these student journalists took, they succeeded in keeping their biases tightly bound in truth and logical thought.

Also, it is with great regret that I must point out that this is our final issue of the first semester, which means this talented group of students will be attending a new class at the end of the day instead of journalism. It was such a pleasure to watch them grow over the past few months, as they transformed from students unsure of how to even construct an article to real writers. That is one of the many joys of being a teacher: witnessing exponential growth in a relatively short period of time.

Next semester The Royal News switches to a “club,” which allows for any student at the high school to submit work for consideration. Although I am saying goodbye to this class, I hope the students will continue to amplify their voices through journalism, and I cannot wait to see the amazing heights these students will reach. -Mr. Hemery December 2020