On Monday, the EHS-hub staff, Yearbook staff and students from Journalism Writing and Reporting and Video Production ventured to Webster University for the annual Sponsors of School Publications Conference.

While there, we got the opportunity to listen to two professional journalists of our choice and learn a little bit more about the field.

I loved it.

Being able to get a lecture full of advice from a man who has been in the business for most of his life was very cool. I’m really glad I got the chance to hear what he had to say.

The session was called “What Editors Want from Photojournalists Today” taught by J.B Forbes, staff photographer for the St. Louis Post Dispatch for almost 40 years.

Forbes was an older man, and it was clear after three minutes of lecture that Forbes knew a lot about the journalism business. He has seen many journalists come and go and witnessed firsthand how the field of journalism has changed. It was almost like he was a journalism veteran, ya know? 

Anyways, he went on to tell us that curiosity and the willingness to cover any story is a giant plus in the journalistic world. But there was one thing he told us that really stuck in my mind.

He told us, “Go out there. You go and find the next big story.”

Forbes told us of a story that he had found on his own. He had been driving around St. Louis and found an organization helping the homeless. He said it was just a bunch of random people who wanted to help out, volunteers who preached, fed and gave blankets to the homeless people living in downtown St. Louis.

Forbes said he knew right away that this could be a good story, so he took tons pictures. He went back every Monday night (when this was going on) and the story took off.

After the story was published it got a lot of attention, and Forbes said he was extremely proud.

This inspired me. After hearing about Forbes’ experience, I wanted to do the same and find my own stories (columns in this case.)

But more than anything, I was so happy I got to hear about Forbes’ adventure. Going to Webster University gave me an awesome opportunity to learn what journalism is all about. Journalism is my chance to have a conversation with the world.

I think when given an opportunity like meeting someone new, trying something new or in my case, going on a school field trip we should take it. You never know what you’ll learn or who you’ll meet.