Our Special Guest

On Thursday, August 28th, “The Bobcat Times”  welcomed published author and local OC food writer Jenn Tanaka to Ms. Bott’s third and fourth period class, where she gave a lecture about her writing process and how professional newspapers work. During her speech, Ms. Tanaka shared with us some of her works, including the article on the seven-foot-tall Disneyland gingerbread house. Because of her journalistic skills to cover not only the details of the attraction, but also the story behind it, she obtained an exclusive interview with the chefs who built the gingerbread house. Her passion for culture and storytelling also granted her a once-in-a-lifetime access to a sacred beach with heavily restricted access in Hawaii. She doesn’t just write articles and reviews; she tells stories about tradition and culture. Alongside the articles, Ms. Tanaka also shared valuable tips on how to conduct interviews. She taught to always prepare questions for interviews in advance, to ask questions outside of the obvious ones, and the importance of recording the interviews. Thanks to her, the newspaper team has a better understanding of how writing, editing, photography, and posting work in a professional setting. All of this knowledge will help “The Bobcat Times” understand the importance of the written work and prepare them for a future in the journalism world.

Written by: Oliver Handoko

Edited By: Gabby Joo

Video filmed by: Hamza Abouzedan and Noah Lee

Video edited by: Noah Felix