Twenty faces were solemn last spring when Mrs. Klug, the Hawk Tawk class advisor, announced her harrowing news that the Hawk Tawk newspaper class was to be cut from the school curriculum. The anger, confusion, and strife was a tangible presence in the classroom as kids began shouting out proposals and methods of substitution. Within minutes former Editor-in-chief Jessianne Wright had contacted the Bozeman Daily Chronicle to organize an interview and photo editor Chloe Nostrant had assembled a Facebook page to notify the public and school.

The immediate response from students at Bozeman High School, community members, and high school alumni was massive. The Facebook page obtained over one hundred likes, and letters from the community rolled into the school administrator’s inboxes. A month later, the school board released a statement announcing that the Hawk Tawk class would be again be offered at the high school; our hard work and determination had paid off.

Hawk Tawk was originally cut due to a limited class size, however after close examination we learned that students weren’t signing up because specific credits are required before graduation that the Hawk Tawk class does not offer. Changes from the administration allowed us to accumulate more students into the class and make adjustments where needed towards credit placement. With a larger staff the class is able to run at a smoother pace and delegate more work to the students.

This experience as a writer and member of a student-run establishment illustrated to me the importance of high school journalism and why high school students benefit when they work to produce a monthly newspaper. Managing editor of Time Magazine Henry Anatole Grunwald once said, “Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.” I strongly believe in Henry’s words because it has become evident that journalism is the voice that I can use to provide news and education to my peers, community, and world. Without the high school newspaper the school would lack a symbol of communication and association with the community of Bozeman. Journalism doesn’t exist to inform, but to cultivate a sense of awareness in the world.

Due to the appreciation of the continuation of the school paper, this year Hawk Tawk is elevating its quality to reach full potential. In the arena of advertising, we have altered our field to compensate for a larger variety of ad resources and publications. With new advertising contracts and costs, the advertising section of our publication has become more professional. Hawk Tawk is also taking a new approach to journalism through social media outlets. Our public relations and media editor is responsible for controlling the newly updated Hawk Tawk Facebook page, Instagram account, and Twitter account. With these new means of technological media, Hawk Tawk is adapting to more modern aspects of journalism. These media outlets can enhance the quality of our student/paper relations and incorporate more of the student body’s opinion into our final paper. To better improve our connection with the Bozeman public, Hawk Tawk has established a mentorship program to allow influential members of the community to contact and talk to staff members about how to advance our graphic design layouts, enhance article content, correct editing mistakes, and promote the popularity of the paper throughout the school and community. We hope to use this program to make connections with prominent representatives of the community and expose our staff to real-world careers in the field of communications. Hawk Tawk is appreciative to the school and the public for saving the paper, and we can’t wait to mobilize our new concepts and collect your feedback. Thanks for your support Bozeman!

Lane O’Donnell is a BHS student and Hawk Tawk journalist.