Westridge School’s “Spyglass” Students Attend Journalism Conference

Last week, three students from Westridge Spyglass newspaper attended the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis, Missouri, with student journalists from across the country (and even England!). They had the opportunity to hear from keynote speakers, attend workshops and presentations with professional journalists, browse other schools’ publications, and participate in competitions, said Dean of Lower and Middle School Student Support Masami Hansen, who is also the Spyglass advisor.

“A lot of [the attendees] came from massive public schools with huge journalism programs and staffs of over a hundred students, which makes me really proud of our small paper and how much we’ve achieved!” said Ilena M. ’24, editor in chief of Spyglass.

Ilena said she gained a lot of writing expertise and story ideas as well as more enthusiasm for the journalism field. The students also connected through their commitment to the ethics and value of student journalism and its importance in civic engagement and democracy, she said.

Read through the latest Spyglass issue here! And be sure to look out for the Dec. 14 online issue, which will feature an article about the students’ experience at the convention.

Westridge School, 324 Madeline Drive, Pasadena, (626) 799-1053 ext. 200 or visit www.westridge.org.