Dear readers,
Starting in February 2025, the Newspaper Club was formed by Mr. Stahl, Special Education Teacher at A&D, with the support of Press Pass NYC and professional news reporters.
Not only has the club been supported by professionals and the non-profit Press Pass NYC, but from March 19th to 21st, club members attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) conference, where over 240 learning sessions were offered to student journalists from all around the United States.
The A&D Observer club members who attended the CSPA conference said that these lectures helped inspire them to think critically and taught them valuable interviewing skills.
“The teacher was so inspirational,” Lily Maguire, A&D Observer club member and freshman said. “She told us we could do anything we wanted, she told us about her life and said sometimes not everything works out. That class was my favorite this whole trip.” Maguire went on to detail what she learned from her session adding, “She taught us life tips such as what to say at an interview and even how to shake someone’s hand.”
Therese Escarda, another A&D Observer club member and freshman that attended the CSPA event, had a few things to say about the All for One class hosted by Sara-Beth Badalamente and Linda Corlew.
“We discussed how to include every kid in the newspaper or publishing process, whether or not they have a disability.” Therese Escarda, A&D Newspaper Observer member and freshman. “The speakers were special education teachers, so that made it more genuine and more authentic for me.”
Escarda continued to speak about how the class encouraged her. “We could encourage and check in with one another, and switch people around to make it a more diverse setup. The teachers were very nice, so that encouraged me to hear everyone’s voice.”
Joanna Coppola, a freshman with the A&D Observer, went to a session named, “#FakeNews: Sorting the Real Info from the C.R.A.A.P” which taught her how to fact check everything.
“At the end of the session, the teacher said ‘Fact check everything. Don’t listen to anyone without fact checking them’”. Coppola added, “So much misinformation gets spread as news. But, I also think this relates to everyday life. Sometimes we are told something and just believe it, but it might not be accurate information. If no one is fact checking, how much misinformation is being spread?”