Michelle Hart

Welcome Journalists, Would You Like Some Chili?

On October 6th of this year, Mrs. Johnson-Budd invited students over to her house to meet journalists from across the globe. The invitation spawned intrigue among students, and about 15 appeared at the Budds’ home hoping to expand their journalistic horizons or simply to converse with someone successful in a rather difficult field. Students mingled with people from Sudan, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy, and more, all while eating Mr. Budd’s award winning chili.

Students chose to attend for a variety of reasons, some through clubs, others simply because they were interested in what these professionals might have to say. As senior Meghan FitzPatrick put it, “I decided to attend the dinner because after the summer humanities trip I was eager to talk to more people from all around the world.” Another senior, Nora Derry, said, “I am somewhat interested in journalism, but mostly I wanted to go because I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet interesting people.” Although the reasons for attendance differ, the girls agreed that the invitation sparked in them a desire to learn about people with lives different from their own.

The event itself was a huge hit, with fluid conversation and advice from experts in the field on how to best become a journalist. While the journalists were all different, they all agreed on one recommendation: travel. Claire Luna, senior, explained, “One of the journalists told me to never be afraid to travel and to always stay informed.” The professionals also gave college and career tips. Along the same lines as their travel advice, they consistently urged the attendees to not let distance scare them away from a college, and in fact the journalists believed that moving away might be for the best. Another key piece of advice offered was that if one aspires to be a journalist, do not major in journalism. They all agreed that it is far better to have a background in sociology or political science so that if hired, one will already have a specialty.

Sadly, the international group had to leave. They had already traveled to Washington D.C. and to Iowa for the Primaries, and they were headed off to Portland, Oregon to round off their trip to the United States. Overall, the evening went well and gave many girls the opportunity to learn about a field that is not easy to break into. The conversations with these experts will not be easily forgotten, and their invaluable advice will not be overshadowed, except by Mr. Budd’s award winning chili, of course.