Between blocks one and three, a hurried frenzy of students fill the hallways. Most of them hold the newest edition of the Communicator Magazine: The Comfort Edition. Every story is carefully examined by hundreds of curious eyes, scanning for references to themselves and their friends. Even though the publication has won many awards, most staff members aren’t in it for the fame.
Willow Rosenfeld, a second-semester journalism student, expresses her delight of being on staff and working on the third edition.
Rosenfeld said that the Communicator is a place where she can express her opinions and her creative side.
For Rosenfeld, the most valuable experience she got out of the third edition was the cover and the stories it stood for.
“Just seeing that beautiful cover made me so happy,” Rosenfeld said. “It is a really good feeling to see all of my work in the pages.”
Not all students who read the Communicator are on staff, many non-journalist students enjoy the publication as well. Max Rosewig, a sophomore at CHS, has never participated in the writing, photography or editing of any articles. “It’s a cool publication,” Rosewig said. “My friend Daniel works on it, so it’s really fun to see his work in the editions.”
And although distribution can be chaotic, sophomore Jesse Shtein enjoys the tumultuous occurrence.
“I think it’s always really fun when you see a bunch of people run out of the journalism room with stacks of Communicators in their hand and start handing them out,” Shtein said. “And then you gather up with your friends and you look at it together, see if anyone’s article is in it.”
As the year goes on, journalists find their way into the groove of magazine production. Everyone does their part, and by second semester, many more people join the program. Many hands make for light work, so this addition of students boosts production. With the help of editors-in-chief, the CHS journalism program is able to produce professional-level magazines and grammatically perfect articles.
The history of the Communicator is rich, spanning 52 editions and countless themes. Room 300 has seen the ideas, writing and designs of hundreds of students throughout the years, and it will hopefully continue for many years to come. As edition four wraps up production, the end of the year events and projects will begin, like the Senior Edition and the annual Communicator banquet. Throughout the summer, many journalists will participate in the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) Summer Camp to hone their skills before the next school year begins.
The next year will bring new students, a new edition, and the cycle of production will begin again.
