The FMHS Catalyst, a journalism class run by Trent Wuster, has been around since 1989. The class offers an easy way for students to pursue any careers in journalism as well as learn writing, teamwork, and editing. As well to this, the class offers plenty of opportunities for students to grow independently and gain personal responsibility. The ever-changing nature and the self-responsibility of the class are a testament to the growing interest and acceptance of student-run media groups.
Founded in 1986, the Catalyst has seen many different iterations. It began as the Prowl, a paper that was handed out to the student body. It later changed in 1995 to become the Catalyst as it is known today. They started the digital website, fruitanews.org, in 2018 and have continued to use both that and the physical print issues to give the student body well-informed and interesting articles that can give them a deeper understanding of what is going on in their school today.
The FMHS Catalyst was made as a way for students to give their opinions, share stories, and hone their journalistic skills. Wuster, a passionate advocate for student journalism, has been teaching the class for eighteen years now. As a man with a dedication to journalism, he understands the importance of giving students this amazing opportunity to practice their skills and get better with their journalistic writing styles. “It’s been a fun way to combine my journalistic career interest with teaching,” reported Wuster, highlighting how his passion for the field translates into a well-run class that has a welcoming and dynamic environment for his students.
The Catalyst is much more than a news site and newspaper. It’s a place where students can experiment with different styles of writing, from opinion pieces to reporting on the high school’s sports teams. The class offers a million different ways that students can grow and learn in their writing education. Throughout the class, they are able to get into more realistic deadlines like the brainstorming process, turning in rough drafts and final drafts. Especially in this class, due dates are incredibly important because you have to have everything to print the paper on time. Without the responsibility and the self determination, the class would not be able to run as well as it is, cranking out a full newspaper every quarter.
For students like freshman Anna Dedduang, working on the Catalyst is an exciting and rewarding experience. As a student for the Newspaper, she emphasizes the importance of self-independence and the responsibility that comes with being a member of the class. “Newspaper is a lot of fun, it’s really open-ended and helps you learn alot about personal responsibility.”. Anna really highlights the essence and the heart of the newspaper. Students need to take ownership of their actions and use their time wisely. All of these things are majorly important in where these kids go outside of high school and will greatly benefit them in their later career choices, journalistic or not.
Though the class helps kids in paths other than journalism, it is also a great way for students to segway into a career of journalism. Because of the newspaper class, and the incredible way that Wuster runs it, students will get a real idea of the real world of journalism. When students have been in this class, they are able to get that real experience and won’t be as shocked when they enter the journalism field. Overall, with the important deadlines, the need for ownership, and the very real way that the class runs, students are perfectly prepared to go right into a professional journalism career.
The success and the history of The Catalyst have worked well together to help students with higher levels of creativity, education, and overall practical experience. The classroom continues to strive to be better every day but also doesn’t fail to provide incredible works every quarter for the student body to read. As Wuster and the students that are participating in this class look into the future, they will continue to look for ways to inspire and equip students with skills they need for all of their future endeavors, both in journalism and beyond.
