Editorial Volume 2 Issue 1 August-September 2022

 Change is good

Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, once opined, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” I can’t help but agree with Socrates. Change and the newness of things are the major themes of The OMS Chronicle this school year. 

Our student-led publication had its maiden issue in 2021. When the paper started, our staff consisted of rising 7th graders who are now in 8th grade. Out of the initial batch of student journalists, only one 8th grader remains. The rest of the staffers have moved on to doing other endeavors. 

Journalism is not for everybody. Carina Hermansson and Eva Lindgren of Cambridge University Press and Assessment stated, “Writing is a very complex and effortful cognitive task. Writers have to juggle ideas, content, language norms (spelling, grammar etc.), genre, the reader, motor skills like holding the pen or navigating the keyboard, etc. while simultaneously writing a text.” What the authors mean is that writing involves many cognitive tasks that interplay simultaneously when one is engaged in the writing process. Further, a journalist must be passionate about writing and creativity. Without this passion for writing and creativity, one will not be able to commit to being a member of The OMS Chronicle.

Photo by Pexels

Despite the loss of some members, The OMS Chronicle has gained fresh and eager new student journalists who will take the paper to greater achievement. For one, our paper is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), a prestigious national organization for middle and high school publications. Because our paper is now a member of the NSPA, we will be able to submit stories, articles, drawings, and photos for competition. We are eager to engage in these competitions.

Our paper also boasts of diverse and well-rounded individuals. We have a student journalist who was born in Venezuela. We have several journalists who are into Band. We also have athletes and artists. Diversity and the renaissance man are important characteristics that we believe a student journalist of The OMS Chronicle must embody.

The change we are experiencing is something we are not afraid of. In fact, we embrace the freshness and newness of our small community. As we change, we grow. As we grow, we achieve.