For many, summer is synonymous with the feelings of going to camp for the first time, soaking up the outside air and making long-lasting friendships with your cabin roommates. This summer, I attended a camp of a different type: journalism camp. For one week, high school and college students from all across the United States spent a week at Yale University for the 2015 C-Hit Journalism Camp. Like any remarkable experience, I came back to my Southern California home feeling empowered to make a difference. Check out my five favorite things I learned at journalism camp here!
1. What you tweet matters I'll be the first to admit that my Twitter feed is filled of more feminist rants and cat pictures than journalistic quality. While I'm all for tweeting Harry Styles for the chance of getting a response from the British babe, there has to be a separation between personal and professional accounts. Your friends aren't the only ones looking at your Twitter accounts - college admission officers, interested employers, and your readers are checking what you post to test your reliability. I always assumed my tweet goes into a cyberspace of mindless arguments and streams of consciousness, but what's on the Internet is long-lasting.
During the camp, we had to participate in a Twitter scavenger hunt with a partner, where we went around New Haven to ask citizens quirky questions, such as what their favorite pizza place is or where they go to relax during the school year. After we gathered our quotes and pictures, we had to craft a professional tweet for each prompt, and get it approved by our instructor. I never realized how much work goes into creating a tweet of substance, but it's the difference between being taken seriously as an aspiring journalist and getting muted on your feed.
2. Every story has validity. As I dive deeper and deeper into what it means to be an influential journalist, I'm beginning to realize that each story has the power to change someone's perspective. On one of the nights at camp, we heard from an investigative journalist named George Colli, who for what seems like an eternity has reported on Connecticut homes losing their foundations because of a suspected fault in the construction company. In his reporting, he used data and statistics, but perhaps the most profound moment was when he interviewed families affected by the failing foundation. There's a reason why blogs like Humans of New York are so beloved - because we are all longing for something to remind us of our humanity, despite our differences. Through journalism, we have the power to do just that.
3. I learned how to have fun. Going to camp at Yale University can easily concoct the notion of preppy people pretentiously discussing philosophical matters, but that's not how it was at all. All of my camp-maters were profoundly down-to-earth, as we discussed things from our thoughts about Fetty Wap to what it's like being a high school student expected to carry a heavy load. I'm going to miss the summer nights relaxing on the hammocks with eighteen of my new friends, dancing to Party in the USA at a Yale party, or climbing into each other's windows to give them an unexpected scare. Throughout these five days, I can honestly say that I lived a little, and that means a lot to me.
4. Journalism is a diverse field. I don't understand why people believe journalism is a dying industry, because I've only seen it grow exponentially with the rise of new technology. With social media forms such as Snapchat becoming the new face of news, opportunities are abound for journalists that decide to take them. Before I started this camp, I was scared to death! My only journalistic experience involved being rejected by my high school newspaper team because of a lack of experience and working red carpets. I didn't know how to present a data-driven story, and I didn't think I would be able to pull it off. This camp showed me that I'm more capable than I give myself credit for, and how many forms of journalism I can choose to pursue. While I once believed my sole purpose was to interview people and work red carpets, I found a future in investigative journalism that I'm excited to explore as I begin at my university.
5. Mentorship is vital. My experience at camp wouldn't have been the same without my camp counselors (Kate, Eric, Lisa and Lynne) helping me craft my piece on Antisemitism persisting in Europe from an idea in my mind to a result on paper. It was met with frustration, as I had to dissect data from over fifty years ago and condense it into a 700 word article. It was scary, because I've never taken a journalism class in my life. Yet, it was rewarding because of the individuals who believed in me enough to help me along the way. Through their help, I received the confidence that I am able to write data-driven stories and that I had the ability to use my words for good. I'm not the same because of this camp, and that's in the best way imaginable.
While my days at camp didn't consist of sipping lemonade on the pier or making all sorts of artsy crafts to take home, I feel content in my summer experience. From seeing Yale University to discovering something new about myself, it's been an absolute summer to remember.