2020 Archive

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the normal in-person weeklong OIDJ workshop at Gaylord College shifted to a one-day virtual event conducted via Zoom. From the OIDJ directors, Yvette Walker and Melanie Wilderman COVID-19 changed so many planned events starting in March, and the Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism was not excluded from the shuffle to make changes for the safety of our participants and staff. Normally, OIDJ is a solid week or more full of experiential journalism and media training for high school students. Normally, these students stay on the OU campus and experience an introduction to dorm…

Story by Silas Bales, Highland Park High School—Dallas, Texas The media has been a prevailing part of the world for years, and with the rise a global pandemic, the use of technology has been pushed to the forefront. Information about anything and everything can be accessed at any time through the use of technology. According to a study by Emarketer earlier this year, adults are spending 82 minutes on average on social media alone, whereas last year the average was around 76 minutes. With people spending more time on technology and less time with in-person social interaction, many find themselves…

Story by Miranda Renteria In the spring, COVID-19 took many by surprise with its impact closing down businesses, suspending travel, and making most schools switch to virtual learning for the rest of the year. With school already underway at some schools and universities and rapidly approaching for others, many changes and restrictions have or will be applied because of the constant increase in virus cases. Teachers, parents, and students alike are all learning how to live through these unprecedented times. There’s a 104 days of summer vacation… As children, everyone wished for summer to last 104 days like the the…

Story by Bailey Coyle The coronavirus has introduced many challenges to high school seniorsgraduating in spring 2021 when it comes to applying to college. The biggestchallenge may be the inability to take standardized testing.  Testing centers for SAT and ACT closed in March and left the class of 2021unable to take the standardized tests before college applications opened. Many U.S. colleges and universities have eliminated the SAT and ACT scores from the application criteria for the fall 2021 semester, but that still leaves seniors with mixed emotions.  Ellory Liles, an incoming senior at Hebron High School in Carrollton,Texas, said she…