FAHS Journalism Looks a Little Different This Year

“Getting to be in journalism, I get to see what is going on around me,” sophomore journalist Jessica Kopycienski said.

Journalism has been a part of Fleetwood Area High School for a long time. Existing records show that next year will be its 30th year, but there is a strong possibility it has been going on even longer than that.

Before The Tiger Times, the Journalism section was called The Red and White and The Tiger, but in those days, it was a blurry line between that and Artifact, a club where students make a literary magazine. 

Mr. Zachary Houp, the Journalism teacher, did not always enjoy journalism. In fact, he credits his love for journalism to his wife, who got him into it.

“It was only after I met my wife and she started sharing Time Magazine with me that I really started loving journalism,” Houp said. 

Fifteen years ago, Houp started to understand the importance of news and journalism in a school environment. He calls it “an indispensable component of our democracy.”

Sadly, due to the pandemic, this year’s journalism class has been structured differently. Usually there are about fifteen students enrolled in the course, but this year, due to mixing around schedules and hybrid/virtual school, this year’s class size has shrunk to fewer than six, some of whom are virtual and some of whom are hybrid.

Kopycienski, a first-year journalism student, joined the class because she wanted to have a class where she could write.

“I like gathering new information and hearing about different things,” Kopycienski said. “I also enjoy being aware of my surroundings, despite failing to do so most of the time.”

Kopycienski plans to join Journalism for a second year, focusing her articles more on worldly issues.

“It’s an important topic that I’d like to share,” Kopycienski said.

Carissa Blankenbiller, a junior virtual Journalist, took the course because she really enjoyed writing. She even plans to become an English teacher. 

“My favorite part is getting to choose what to write about, but my least [favorite] would be struggling to pick a topic and not getting to enjoy the class in person,” Blankenbiller said.