Sara Wilson: Where are you from? What high school did you go to? What was the type and name of publication? I know you switched schools in the rezoning process.

Destiny Hodges: I'm originally from Birmingham, AL. I moved to Tuscaloosa my freshman year of high school and attended Northridge High School. I was news editor of The Northridge Reporter my freshman and sophomore year. At the end of my sophomore year, I was appointed as the new editor-in-chief for the upcoming school year. However, I was rezoned to Bryant, so the position was given to someone else. I started the newspaper Out of the Blue at Bryant.

 

SW: Describe the publication a little bit: how big was the staff? How did y'all fund yourselves? What was your role and involvement?

DH: In started my junior year at Bryant after I was rezoned. I was told by the administration that a journalism class would be taught, as that was my argument for staying at my former school. The day before school began, I went to retrieve my schedule from the counselor and decided to stop by the journalism teacher’s room. She informed me that she was just assigned to teach the class and told that I would be a great help getting a school newspaper started. I soon realized that the class I thought would at least have an instructor familiar with journalism would not only not have one, but also lack funds, software, and prepared staff members.

 

I was in unfamiliar territory. I had never started from scratch. I was accustomed to waltzing my way into established programs and merely adding my touch. I had never taught anyone journalism, a field that was second nature to me, yet so hard to instruct. I missed shuteye to toil through zombie-like stretches of rigorous nights, designing entire newspapers in the ill-equipped Pages application of my MacBook. I transferred knowledge I thought I was incapable of teaching to an entire class. I organized fundraisers to ensure the financial needs of the publication were met, and I did all of these things while taking five AP classes and devoting time to other extracurricular activities such as track and field, student government, National Honor Society, and more.

 

At The Northridge Reporter, we sold ads to pay for our paper. I implemented this with my staff at Bryant, but found that it was often unsuccessful or did not efficiently fund the paper, so with the help of my staff, we found other ways to fundraise. For Valentine's Day, our staff printed sweethearts containing messages from students to their significant others. For two years in a row, our staff organized a talent show. Social media ads were sold, so students could advertise their social media accounts and retrieve more followers.

 

In sculpting this publication with the help of a willing instructor and creative managing editor, I had to forget about myself and put the needs of others first, putting aside my personal life to make sure everyone on the staff received help and thoroughly understood everything. I wanted to expose students to a newspaper, include those who often felt left out or unnoticed, and stimulate the curiosity of those intrigued by journalism.

 

I was in the same position senior year-starting from scratch yet again-as all but one of the former staff members graduated or did not have a schedule to fit the class in. I spent senior year digging a little deeper, as I had to relay my journalism knowledge to an entire class of unskilled and unfamiliar students. It was challenging, but it was done. We continued to produce a quality paper even after starting over again, as it seemed. I also took the initiative to ensure the future of the publication and class by contacting our school board to secure a field proficient instructor, laptops, and software for next year’s class. I contacted my school system's city board of education using the district's online communication tool. The director of college and career readiness along with the school system's superintendent read my letter of intent concerning the future of my school's journalism department and scheduled a meeting with me. In the meeting, a plan on how to improve and keep the journalism program was discussed. We spoke of a lab for journalism students, computers, and software. However, after meeting with them, nothing was done. They were empty promises. After several attempts to keep the newspaper I started alive, there wasn't much more I could do. Everyone gave me "the runaround", and before I knew it, it was time for me to leave for college. I go to Howard, so there's not much I can do from D.C.. To my knowledge, Out of the Blue is no longer existent.

 

SW: I am interested in your thoughts about why it has been difficult for other schools in Tuscaloosa to develop programs like Northridge's.

DH: I don't know where exactly you're from but Tuscaloosa has been re-segregated. Most of Northridge's population is white. Bryant and Central are predominantly Black schools. The goals and needs of schools and their students depends on socioeconomics. Based on the demographics and funding for schools, needs are assessed differently. Student journalism is last on a list of needs for schools that are under funded and have a large population of low-income and minority students in comparison to the opposite. The focus for other schools in the city is more on graduation rates and reading retention. Northridge is not focused on these things because they do not have to. Look at the surrounding area, look at the population, the test scores of its students. Now, in turn, compare it to other schools in the area.

 

SW: Why did you decide to join the publication in high school? What are some of your most interesting memories from your time on it?

DH: My drive and passion for journalism has motivated me to continue journalism in high school. I have been in love with journalism since I first encountered it during my sixth grade year of middle school. I looked up at the television molded to the wall in my last period one Friday afternoon to see my peers streaming a live broadcast. This small glimpse was ll it took to ignite the spark in my eyes for journalism. Some of my favorite memories from my time in high school journalism were the relationships I made. I've made some ever-lasting relationships with people who are now my best friends and mentors.

 

SW: What were the strengths of the publication? The weaknesses?

DH: The strengths of Out of the Blue was its ability to include and reach people. There were days after the paper was dispersed that people would come up to me and other staff members and express their gratitude for including them and their story in the paper. It really made our day, knowing that we had stayed up all night and worked so hard on the paper for someone to personally thank us. We covered all of the school activities and sports. At the end of my senior year, lots of coaches and athletes came to me to thank me for covering their teams. The weaknesses of the paper were the lack of funding and an instructor. While most of the staff was unfamiliar with journalism, I don't consider that a weakness. Without a teacher who was familiar with journalism, I was forced to share my knowledge: to conduct lesson plans and bring in outside help when I could. It was nearly impossible, but with a dedicated staff and advisor, we made it work for as long as we could.  

 

SW: What is your current involvement in campus media, if any?

DH:I am currently a staff reporter and digital/social media intern for The Hilltop, Howard University's renowned newspaper that was co-founded by Zora Neale Hurston.

 

SW: Did you decide to continue your involvement in scholastic journalism into college? Why? How has it benefited you?

DH: Yes, I decided to continue my scholastic journalism into college because that's what I love to do. Journalism is a part of me, and it's the career field I would like enter. However, it was not easy. I wasn't worried about securing the position on the staff. I was worried about my mental health. Taking on as much responsibility and running a publication like I did almost alone was toll taking. I'm still facing the consequences of the stress I placed on myself today. I didn't write my first story again until almost a year later, and it was the greatest feeling of adrenaline I've experienced in a long time. I didn't wait to write because I was scared. I waited to write because I needed a break. My mind and body was not going to allow me to inflict that much stress on myself again. Even though I'm just a staff reporter now, the thought of enduring anywhere near as much stress as I did in high school was enough for my mind to say "hold off for a bit." It's benefitted me because it reignited the spark for journalism for me. The passion I have for it never left, I just needed a break.

 

SW: Why do you think scholastic journalism is important?

DH: I think scholastic journalism is important because it provides students an opportunity to explore a possible interest. By exposing students to the possible opportunities within journalism, as well as the different aspects, their interest could be peaked. Exposure is key in life, as by limiting one’s exposure, you limit their goals and their progress.