By Shannon Brooks--Eagle News Sponsor
New school year, new school newspaper staff!
The Eagle has a (mostly) brand new cast of characters this year reporting on campus and community happenings. From sophomores to seniors, athletes to artists, this group brings a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to the campus newspaper.
Staff members were asked to share a little about themselves, what brings them to Eagle News, and what their lives are like outside the editing room.
Jaelin Lomax - Senior, Staff Writer
“I want to become a better writer and I hope to get better at writing sports articles. I would like to go to Liberty University and get my Bachelor's degree in Sports Management; I would like to become a Head Coach for a college or professional football team someday. When I'm not at school, I enjoy watching sports of all types, and playing Madden.”
Wesley Ward - Junior, Staff Writer
“I didn't do class registration and was put in [Journalism] but it's a good class. I have no future plans at this time other than going to college for 2 years. I’m only 15 but I have a job already. Outside of school, I play competitive games and make money. I try to bring fun and entertainment into classes to make my peers want to be there.”
Chloe White - Junior, Staff Writer
“I like to put down all of my ideas and [journalism] helps me get them out there. I’m not sure [about college and career plans] but I know I want to be able to make people feel better. I think I'm going to take a gap year fresh out of high school so I can have some time to myself and figure out what I want to do with my life because I'll be 18 July 3rd. I like watching anime because I feel like I’ve watched everything else. I also like to hang out with my friends and go kayaking. I like working [at and] going to festivals. I have a boyfriend I've been dating for almost two years. I've got two older brothers who make me mad but I love them. We’re all pretty close. I have a dog who gets into everything and a kitten that is always biting your feet. I don’t like confrontation or arguing. Most things aren't a big enough deal to get riled up about.”
Ethan Hoffman - Sophomore, Staff Writer
“This is my first year taking a journalism class. I had no real experience with journalism before this class, yet I have always been interested in journalism and am a good writer. I want to go to Virginia Tech for sports journalism and hope to have a job in that same field after college, specifically, for a sports website like ESPN or Barstool Sports. My out of school hobbies are playing video games (Madden, NBA2k, MLB The Show, etc.) and watching sports. My dedication to watching sports is unmatched by most. I spend most of my weekends watching football and basketball games during the season.”
Dylan Edwards - Junior, Staff Writer
“I'm hoping to use my journalism experience, as well as challenging myself with AP English 11, to my advantage in college for an English degree if a Computer Science major doesn't go well for me. I want to go straight to a university, specifically UCI, once I graduate with an advanced diploma here in FCHS. I want to prioritize a Computer Science major and be a software engineer, as I've always enjoyed researching computer software.
“At home, I usually enjoy playing games with my friends. I usually play and enjoy Pokemon or Mario Kart with them; it’s simple connecting to each other and really quick to play a game with them if we don’t have much time. I do enjoy playing single player games as well. I usually play a lot of RPG/JRPG games with my favorite game, Omori, being one. When I'm not gaming, I'm usually watching videos. I love content creation and how it works. I’ve enjoyed making my own videos as well with video editing software and my cheap set up, but haven’t had the time to work on any projects.”
Seth Caldwell - Junior, Staff Writer, Governor’s School Liaison
“I am doing the Journalism club because I hope that it will improve my creative writing skills, and create an outlet for [my writing] skills to be used and shared with the school. I am hoping to go to Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), but I have several other potential options including Penn State/Virginia Tech. I am hoping to study Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science, so I can work with aircraft and with aerospace computer systems. I like to watch YouTube (A lot. I hope to soon start regularly uploading to my channel.) I am biased towards things that involve electronics. I also enjoy producing videos, theater, singing, and so on.”
Emma Duncan - Junior, Editor
“Even though it wasn't the most serious experience, I wrote for my elementary school newspaper in third and fifth grade. Then in ninth grade I got reintroduced to Journalism through Mr. Campbell and The Eagle. That year I was just a staff writer but last year I became one of the assistant editors. I take Journalism because my goal is to become a professional journalist someday, but more simply because I just love to write! Hopefully this year I can work on my leadership and editing skills since I am Eagle Editor but also improve my writing skills overall.
“After graduating next year I'm wanting to attend Virginia Western Community College for two years to knock out some core classes and then head to either Liberty University, Virginia Tech, or Ferrum College to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. I'm not sure what branch of journalism I want to pursue at the moment but I've still got some time to figure that out.
“I have two baby sisters that I love to go to the park with, and friends who I worship the Lord and hang out with at church and YoungLife. In my free time, I can be found reading, writing, binging Netflix, or redecorating my room late at night. All of these options are normally accompanied by a cup of iced coffee.”
The Eagle news team has a lot they want to accomplish this year as part of publishing a school newspaper. Last year the paper transitioned to a digital format, and this year’s staff wants to focus on promoting readership of the paper now that it’s easier to access and more widely available.
“The Eagle has been an award winning publication for years, and even though we’ve transitioned to online news, gained an almost completely new staff, and are under different leadership, we hope to continue to do our fellow Eagles proud by writing the stories they want and need to hear,” said Duncan. “From big game recaps to student spotlights, Eagle reporters will never stop chasing a good story.”