It’s hard to believe that this will be my final writing submission to The Bull’s Eye. It’s bittersweet; never in a million years would I have thought I would find a group on campus that meant so much to me.
Attending Diamond Bar High School was nonetheless an interesting experience. If someone asked me if I would do it all over again, I’m positive I would say no. I won’t miss the long nights doing homework, I won’t miss the lack of school spirit, I won’t miss waking up early to attend zero period classes, the list goes on. The one thing I will miss is journalism. Journalism here at DBHS single handedly made my experience at DBHS worth it.
Being in the journalism program, and having the opportunity to work on staff for The Bull’s Eye has taught me more than I ever could imagine. I strongly believe that there is no other place on campus where students get real training and learn skills that will prepare us for life.
Much of the work that each of us do for The Bull’s Eye typically goes unnoticed by many students and staff on DBHS campus, but I’ve learned that the occasional recognition of our work was just an added bonus to each issue or article that we released. The process and skills that I gained after each story I wrote or advertisement that I secured to help us raise money for the paper was the main source of joy and pride I had being on staff.
Mr. List taught us a lot. He isn’t your typical teacher, but he is an effective teacher. From learning about the different decades and having current event quizzes each Friday in the Journalism 1 class, to learning how print operation works and brainstorming how to come up with a good story idea the student body would be interested in reading in the Journalism 2 class, I can confidently say that as I start this next chapter in my life out of all the classes I’ve been in here at DBHS, journalism was the closest to preparing me for real life.
Some of my favorite journalism experiences also happened beyond the walls of the classroom. Attending the two day High School Journalism Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center last year with student journalists from all over the country, I had the opportunity to learn from current and past professionals and collaborate with other journalism students. It was one of the highlights of being in this program. Competing in the Write-Off competitions, and visiting Mr. List’s old stomping grounds at the Los Angeles Times also rank amongst my favorite journalism experiences.
I’ll miss all of the amazing people I’ve met working on the Bull’s Eye and I’ll miss the long deadline nights we had once a month, working hard to finish the paper, but I will forever remember this experience. Although my senior year came to end earlier than I expected, I’m appreciative that I was able to spend the last day with my journalism family. March 13 was my last deadline night so I was able to stay on campus until 9 p.m. working on what was going to be the March 2020 issue of the paper, with the people who I have the most fun with. I will forever remember that night.
Being a part of The Bull’s Eye has given me a new and profound respect for journalism. Being on staff has given me the opportunity to let my voice be heard on campus.