PHS Cutlass visited Northwestern University’s high school Day of Journalism on Sept 29. In total, 19 other high schools in the Chicagoland area attended the event.

Charles Whitaker, the dean of Medill, Northwestern’s school for journalism, welcomed the high school students.

“Journalism is a pillar of democracy,” Dean Charles Whitaker said. “It’s a bulwark against authoritarianism. It’s the thing that really helps bind us together.”

Students each attended 2 workshops of their choice that highlighted different forms of journalism.

“You can actually change the world,” Northwestern professor Karen Springen said when giving advice to future journalists. “You can write about something, shine a light on a wrongdoing. And get out the word.”

Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, a professor of at Northwestern University shared her experiences in a country where there was no freedom of speech.

“That to me is the important thing about journalism,” Tan said. “Writing a story that will make people see the world in a different way.”

“When I went into my school newspaper, it was very intimidating,” editor-in-chief of Maine South newspaper Aleksandra Majewski said. “Shortly after, maybe two months, I was already building this community and I see these people every day.”