Ramtown Students Have Early Passion For Journalism

For the first time in several years the has its very own student run newspaper. And as she looks around her room, advisor Carmela Balassone sees a group of young journalists who are ready willing and able to start what they hope will be a proud tradition for classes to come.

The first of three editions of the Ramtown Press came out in the fall and Balassone and the students will put out two more editions before the school year ends. As a fourth grade teacher at the school she said she was glad to see after school activities like the newspaper and the student council back after being stopped due to budget cuts.

When the budget started impacting the activities the school could offer Balassone said it was tough for the people in the building to see. "It was really disheartening to see that so when it came out I was really excited because there was finally a place for kids to share their ideas and write about what they're thinking," she said. "They finally have something to stay after school for."

In addition to being glad that the paper was back, Balassone said she was glad that it can be an activity for a variety of students to take part in. "Some students have a hard time articulating and have a hard time writing but they're good at drawing so they want to draw," she said. "Some kids are good at poetry and they have a lot of good ideas so just being part of the team is a lot for them."

As much as any school sports team, the more than 20 students show a clear passion for the work their doing and writing the best stories they can. "Just having something to belong to I think is exciting for them," their advisor said. 

As they work to find their footing in the building, Balassone said they try to have the same goals for each edition. "We always start off with what's going on in the school," she said. "We always want to cover major events like Halloween and Veterans Day." 

After that, the rest of the material is largely up to the students. "It's about them. It's not about me," she said. "I'll ask them what is it that you want to express." She said there are common themes among the suggestions including covering professional sports. "I try to cover a lot of different topics," Balassone added. "If it keeps them interested and it keeps them writing and they want to do sports that's fine."

With the passion they have for their assignments, Balassone said she is glad to be able to guide them as they learn about what it takes to be a journalist. "There's a lot of creativity and there's a lot of coverage of what's going on at the school," she said. "They're doing a great job. They really are."