At the start of the year, students concentrate on the fundamental aspects of journalism. They explore the significance of a free press, learn how to evaluate and consume news effectively, and then focus on applying what they have learned to create and publish their work throughout the year.
Students are tasked with covering the daily news of their community and school while also developing the annual student Mustang yearbook. Sharing a common goal, the students work to make their own moments of excellence while celebrating the memories that will forever define their high school experience. Together, they brainstorm story ideas, conduct interviews, and meticulously craft articles and Mustang Yearbook pages highlighting the achievements, challenges, impactful moments, and aspirations of their peers and community.
Utilizing their research, critical thinking, and organizational skills, students piece together newsworthy coverage while balancing their journalistic responsibility to identify what readers want and need to know. Hunter McDaniel, a published author and Journalism and Yearbook student, has found his writing positively influenced by his time at NCHS, “My favorite is getting into long-form journalism, which gives me an opportunity to do a deep dive into the topic, research, learn, and fully immerse myself in the writing. I’m a really critical thinker. When someone tells me something, my instinct is to learn more. Getting different perspectives and opinions will ultimately help to bring out the facts. It’s very important to know where other people are coming from and why they believe that, even though you believe something different. But it’s also very important to know the actual facts; even with beliefs, there are always going to be facts, and even though it may be hard to swim through, it’s important to find the facts.”
Demonstrating exceptional talent and passion for the art of storytelling, NCHS journalism students received recognition for their outstanding work at the Wyoming Student Media Association (formerly the Wyoming High School Student Press Association) convention. During the event, students can attend seminars led by professional journalists and communicators while competing against peers from around the state for recognition as student journalists. Student work from the previous year is submitted for reviewing and judging by a panel of advisers and/or professional journalists.
- Ramsay Myers earned All-State Champion Yearbook Portfolio and All-State Runner-Up in Writing.
- Josephine Davison (2023 NCHS Graduate) earned All-State Runner-Up in the Yearbook Portfolio.
- The 2023 Mustang Yearbook earned a Silver Spur earning 2nd out of all 3A and 4A schools.
- Payton Brown, Hunter McDaniel, and Arielle Purcell earned Bronze awards for their writing portfolios.
With his enthusiasm for the art of storytelling and the power of words, Mr. Myers inspires students to develop and grow in their creativity, communication, and writing skills. “I really enjoy the smiles students show when they receive recognition for their hard work. Writing is tough. Even in nonfiction writing, you sort of bare your soul, your thinking, on the page, and that makes you vulnerable. When a kid has the courage and the grit to stick with a piece of writing, polish it, and put it out there for the world to see, and then other people find value and worth in it, the resulting smiles are priceless.”
Many of the students showcasing their literary talents through working on the yearbook and school newspaper also have or currently participate in other artistic competitions. Madeline Elston, an 11th-grade student, found a creative outlet to showcase her writing talents as part of the Young Authors program, where she excels in non-fiction writing. “I’ve always loved writing, and I want to publish a book when I get older. I started writing for fun in 8th grade, and I participate in Young Authors. I like how independent and self-paced this class is; if I need to get something done, then I need to do it. The class teaches us to be a self-starter.”
The Gusher and Mustang Yearbook are steeped in tradition. Students can turn to pages of the past for inspiration as they create literary works of their own, with the oldest Mustang yearbook in their school collection dating back to 1912. Student Ramsay Myers enjoys the lens of creativity photojournalism provides and believes in the importance of capturing memories for the next generation. “It’s really fun to get involved, take pictures, and go to all the different NC events. Having the Mustang Yearbook is important from a historical perspective because 100 years from now, people can go back to the yearbook or newspapers to see the trends, and what people were doing, and look back on the high school years that people experienced. Technology is great, but books and actual printed photos are reliable and can be handed down from one person to another.”
Through their writing, photography, and creativity, these students document the high school experience in all its complexity— the triumphs and challenges -- forever creating and capturing a legacy of memories and history of their own for today, tomorrow, and for future Mustangs and Fillies.