Life lessons from the Star Tribune

Experiment

Spectrum visited the Star Tribune two weeks ago and took a tour of the building with Eder Campuzano, an education reporter that has written on a range of important topics, from the protests in Portland, Oregon over George Floyd’s murder to Minnesota’s new education commissioner, Willie Jett. The Star Tribune is the third largest news daily print in the country, and Spectrum took many relevant lessons from the everchanging world of news to apply to our own lives. As the school year comes to a close, Spectrum offers some wisdom that we took from our field trip at the Star Tribune and our experiences throughout the year.

Be flexible

The news is an ever-changing scene and we realized the importance of staying on our toes and working off of changes in our plans if a story didn’t turn out the way we expected or an interview went in a different direction. While this is vital in reporting, flexibility is just as paramount in our day-to-day lives. Life rarely goes exactly to plan, so being able to change ideas and create new experiences from unexpected sources can allow you to thrive from unplanned pivots.

School is a time to try new things, and there shouldn’t be pressure on learning experiences. Learning should be viewed in a positive, helpful, and constructive way to further your education, rather than using life experiences as a way to boost your resumé.

Be comfortable with disappointment

Just as in news, situations in our lives often do not end up in the way we want them to, and unintended consequences can be disappointing. It’s important to understand and consider disappointment but not to dwell on it. It’s not worth it to be upset, as new opportunities can arise from disappointment. Also, the skill of coping and adapting to new circumstances is integral for success in the future.

Enjoy the journey

Searching for a news story can often lead reporters down wildly unexpected paths. Mindsets and opinions can be challenged, and this is a good thing. High school is a time for exploration, and everyone should open their minds to new questions, ideas, and values as you discover your passions and strengths. Listen to others, and you can learn so much from them. Share your stories and learn how to create a community that supports and gets better from each other.

a bit more distracting than the phones themselves.” I have been subject to those around me being policed by the watchful eyes of the teachers, and sometimes it does feel as if they should just be left to their own devices if they weren’t willing to pay attention to the speakers in the first place. Additionally, the act of passing a phone down the row to a teacher or constantly hearing a teacher’s whispered threats ends up being distracting and annoying for the students in the area.

Overall, phone policing makes sense, but in practice is tiresome and distracting for both teachers and students. High school is the time to develop self control skills, so just put down your phone and at least pretend to pay attention even if you’re really zoning out. Who knows, you might even get more out of a senior speech than your explore page.