J. C. Pow

The thing about taking journalism is you have to deal with Mr. Powell. This guy has his pros and cons. First off, he's a big gossiper. He'll always talk about people in the class who aren't there. I can only imagine the mean stuff he's said about me. He's a very casual teacher who jokes with students and texts them on weekends. He always posts amusing in-depth Facebook statuses. I think he uses Facebook to replace how he used to write witty columns in newspapers.

What really makes Mr. Powell's class worth taking, though, is how he really does care about his students, but even more so how he really cares about newspapers and writing. He makes sure the finished product is as good as it can be, and he encourages us when we aren't so sure about the quality of our work. He isn't afraid to cut stories that aren't up to par, like that time I wrote a dull piece on indoor soccer. He's honest, so a compliment from him means a lot. Journalism has become the class I look forward to: it's a laid-back environment, but you do have to do work. But the work is always rewarded. The satisfaction of seeing your writing read by others is rarely topped in this life, and I'd like to thank Mr. Cal for helping me see that.