Clarion is a journalism class that teaches the basics of reporting and gives students an ability to share their voice. Not only has it been a great way for me to grow as a writer, but during the pandemic, it gave me a reason to continue forward. 

For context, I have been in band for eight years now, and involved in music for nine. That is literally half of my life. Music is an individual practice when taken on your own, but in band, it requires teamwork. If one person fails to do their part, the whole ensemble will crash and burn. 

Aside from stealing the better half of my teenage years, Covid-19 also took away my ability to be a musician as part of a team. Music has always been a big passion for me and in the past has helped me out of many emotional turmoils, but when the pandemic forced us to no longer work as a team and instead as individuals, it failed to push me. Because when it came to my own musicianship and talent, I really lacked the motivation to want to get better.

During the height of what seemed like collectively the worst year of the world, I began to slip up in my work. But something that always kept me going was Clarion. 

Nobody really helps you write your articles. Sure you can share ideas with other reporters, or ask your editors how you should go about writing your article, but at the end of the day, it is your name on the byline. 

Despite writing being so individualistic, Clarion often feels more like a group effort, like a team. You must meet your deadlines because if you don’t, that makes the editor’s life harder and definitely makes the layout editor’s life harder.

Because journalism is such a mashup of teamwork and individualism, it allowed me to feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself, while not sacrificing my voice for the better whole of a group. During a time where everybody was getting sick, ending up in the hospital, or worse, that sense of stability really did wonders for my mental health. Even though journalism is very stressful if you let your deadlines sneak up on you, or you don’t have the information you need to report on news, it honestly relieved a lot of stress I had at the time. 

The advice I’ve been given by my editors has really helped shape me into a better writer. The deadlines and research has helped me learn organizational skills and has been a great source of balance during these unprecedented times. 

Though I often continue to face the occasional lack of motivation, I am comforted to know I have the tools to keep going.