Embedded Files
I am very grateful for my staff, who bring a wide variety of talents and interests to the USJ. And the most wonderful thing about student journalism is the range of disciplines it allows each of us to explore. The first thing I say to an incoming class of journalists every year is just that: "You will love this because you'll have so much freedom. You will love this because you can explore writing, art, photography, design, videography, or leadership. And more."
I love that I get to watch each of our staff members pursue their passions. I've seen writers find expression through syntax and voice, photographers chase down the perfect shot, videographers create stunning stories, and artists add color and life to our pages.
IN-CLASS LESSONS
IN-CLASS LESSONS
After receiving feedback that the USJ didn't do enough to teach photography skills, our best sports photographer (and my good friend) Kellen Ringland and I created an interactive lesson to introduce students to the basics. We split the class into small groups and gave each group a standard class-use camera so they could use the buttons and get a feel for the device while also learning its functions. We also presented examples of great photography to show what elements the best photos have.
I'm very passionate about photojournalism, so this was a fun lesson to teach. It also supported my goal of encouraging diverse interests within the class—if you want to learn a new skill, this is the perfect place to do it!
InDesign is one of the most daunting beasts to conquer for a print journalist. To design pages, our editors must become proficient in this very complex and detailed program. I worked with my former Editor-in-Chief Quinn Rudnick to create this complete InDesign guide to assist editors in their magazine cycles.
While we presented it in class, the slideshow's main purpose was to serve as a resource one could revisit to periodically refresh themselves on the program's tools and functions, or turn to when racing to beat a deadline.
These guides are important for a large staff. We editors always try to be available for our writers, but when we can't be, we need to give them resources to fall back on.
Who said learning has to be boring? When one hears "presentation on AP Style," it would be reasonable to expect something dull. So, I devised "AP Style Trivia" as a way to spice up standardization!
The class had a ton of fun with it, and even though AP Style is a tricky format to learn (no one ever truly masters it), having better across-the-board standardization is essential for a smoother, more efficient editing process. If we can avoid getting bogged down in the nitpicky edits, we leave more time for the important, structural changes.
PRODUCTIVE EDITING
PRODUCTIVE EDITING
When editing, it's not my goal to boss writers around or use a hypercritical approach that generates stories at a ruthless pace. My goal is to teach. Rather than making demands of my writers, I ask questions that lead them to find the fixes themselves. I don't make changes on my own; rather, I tell them how to revise to fit AP style or achieve proper structure and give them time to do it. I make sure to use the "sandwich" method, or "two stars and a wish": commenting strategies that offer more praise than criticism, to nurture growth instead of instilling resentment.
THE TRELLO
THE TRELLO
As Managing Editor during my sophomore year, I was in charge of posting web stories and managing our output cycles. I could see the cracks in our system. We relied on a rarely-updated combination of screenshots, texts sent between staff members, and pads of paper to keep track of story progress.
I created the Trello, a workflow system, so all of us could stay notified on the statuses of all our stories. Now editors can know what needs editing, and when. Our social media and web editors can know when stories are ready to be published. The Trello also allows us to keep track of due dates, writer collaborations, and attachments.
CAMERA ORGANIZATION
CAMERA ORGANIZATION
For most students, one of the most intimidating aspects of journalism is photography, with its expensive equipment, complex tools, and settings galore. Unfortunately, our reporters found photojournalism even less approachable for years because our organizational system was an obstacle in itself. Most batteries were dead at any given time. Too often our SD cards were lost or full. Cameras and lenses were mismatched. So when I cleaned and re-organized our office before the 2025-26 school year, one of my main goals was to create a new system that would make our photographic equipment easier to find and use.
The first task was to keep track of all our gear. I separated out the equipment for cleaning, storage, and audio recording (above, left image), giving each category its own box. Then, I set up an extension cord with many outlets to organize and charge our batteries (right image), giving the USJ a reliable source of fully charged batteries for the first time. Finally, I labeled the cameras (center image) and created a spreadsheet (below) so our Managing Editor could handle camera checkouts and we would always know the whereabouts of our equipment.
As an editor, I felt it was essential to keep track of our expensive equipment. But even more importantly, the system makes photography accessible and less intimidating to novices. Already, the USJ has many more new, budding photojournalists than in the past because it's so much easier to find and check out a camera.
BONDING
BONDING
I've made it very clear throughout my time as Editor-in-Chief that I want to foster an environment of friends, not just colleagues or classmates. We work professionally, but we bond as humans and as teens. The relationships we forge could continue for life.
Some of the names you've seen all over the portfolio, from words of recommendation to collaborations—Quinn Rudnick, Carly Philpott, Kellen Ringland, Andrei Machado, and many others—these are some of my best friends and favorite people in the world. Through NSPA conventions, Colorado J-Days, late nights working on our magazines, and all our other hours spent together, we've forged deep friendships. We even went to prom together last spring! We are much more than just a group of classmates.
Words of Recommendation
Words of Recommendation
"Over our time on staff at the USJ together, I watched [Peter] grow from an Assistant News Editor to an Editor-in-Chief over just three academic years. For him, the goal wasn’t the title—he wanted to be in different positions on the paper so he could have as much of an impact as possible. He constantly comes up with new ideas on how to improve the paper, whether it’s new staff practices to put into practice, ideas on design, outreach to new communities, and more. He was committed to bettering the space around him, because he truly believed in it." —Quinn Rudnick, former USJ Editor-in-Chief
"Among [Peter's] greatest strengths is his dedication to teaching. He routinely leads lessons for the staff in photography, reporting, and design—always guided by what he sees his peers needing most. Recently, he even organized the entire staff to create a series of mini-lessons so newer members could receive more targeted support. His ability to identify needs, design instruction, and empower others is extraordinary for a student his age." —Seth Fine, USJ Faculty Advisor
Page updated
Report abuse