Written by CAPA-JRC reporter Justin Jiang
On the morning of September 30, 2023, the CAPA JRC hosted their annual kickoff meeting to prepare for the new year. During the meeting, the new leadership introduced the new members of the JRC, overviewed the rules and expectations for club members, and the club came together to plan for future events and articles. This year, the JRC recruited seven new members for a total of 25 junior reporters.
The meeting started off with a speech by Julie Yang, the club advisor, who welcomed old and new members alike to the new year. She also gave advice on approaching participation in the club. “The more you put into the club, the more you get out of it,” she explained. “Your experience is what you make of it.” She also emphasized to the club that one of the main focuses for the year would be to educate new members.
The club members then split into their new reporting teams for the year, meeting with them for the first time as they brainstormed ideas and made plans for the month. For new members, this process was a step to get integrated into the club as they participated in club planning for the first time.
Afterwards, the new reporting leaders went over a presentation about reporting procedures and etiquette for the club, training new members and reminding old ones about how to conduct interviews and write compelling articles. “Make sure to ask open-ended questions and thank your interviewees for their time at the end of the interview,” the reporting leaders said. “They’re taking the time out of their busy schedules to talk to you.” To practice, club members paired up with each other to do mock interviews, rehearsing the reporting etiquette that they had just learned.
For new members, the kickoff meeting was an enlightening dive into the world of journalism and all of the opportunities that it can bring. Through journalism, new member Ivy Li is excited to “meet a lot of new people… and explore different people’s perspectives.”
The meeting concluded with a club photo atop the Big Pines Park playground, with students and parents alike grinning at the camera, looking forward to the new year.
JRC members pose around the local playground for a group photo. (Photo credits: Fengkai Zhang)
This article was provided by Chinese American Parents Association Junior Reporter Club
(CAPA JRC) with members who interviewed, audio recorded, wrote, translated, and video
recorded. CAPA JRC has 25 Montgomery County middle to high school students. They have
created a bilingual platform delivering news and serving the community.
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