A journalism workshop was hosted at Eastern last week to teach high school students what working in journalism is like.

Sally Renaud, a member of the journalism faculty, directed the workshop.

Renaud works with high school outreach, which means she helps teach journalism to high schools around the state.

“Eastern is very proud of the work it does to connect all levels of journalism,” Renaud said. ” We try to spread our passion for what we do to all levels.”

The journalism faculty also work with community colleges.

The journalism camp started about 20 years ago as a minority camp. It has grown into a two-week camp that involves a lot of hands-on experience.

Barry Locher, the director of the Illinois Press Foundation, said the camp fits well with their goals.

“The IPF exists partly to fund journalism education initiatives,” Locher said. “This fits squarely into our mission.”

The Illinois Press Foundation has sponsored the camp for 19 years. The camp is also sponsored by the Dow Jones News Fund.

Locher said the profession is in a very tumultuous time. This camp helps to prepare the high school students at a high level so that they are better prepared to enter the workforce after college, Locher said.

Locher worked 30 years at the State Journal-Register in Springfield, with the 10 years from 1997 to 2007 working as the executive editor. He said he remembers when students came to the paper and worked there as interns for a day or two. The students spent the day with a senior editor, Locher said.

“One year they sat through an edit board meeting,” Locher said.

Matthew Horacek, of Chicago, and Sierra Lowe, of Belvedere, attended the camp.

Horacek decided to attend the camp to see whether or not he would like to pursue a career in journalism.

“I can see myself doing it but it’s not the first thing I see myself doing,” Horacek said. “It’s definitely an option.”

Lowe came to the camp to enhance her journalism skills.

“At my school I am part of the newspaper,” Lowe said. “To be an editor on the paper you have to go to a summer camp.”

Both students said their favorite part of the camp was getting to know the other high school students and the professionals that helped with the camp.

Kristy Mellendorf, a freelancer for the St. Joseph Leader, was one of the professionals that worked with the students.

She said she thought professionalism was the best thing that the students learned.

“That’s kind of open-ended in that it means working with people and meeting deadlines, and in editing and critiquing others’ work, how to be tactful and not ruin a relationship that you need,” said Mellendorf.

Mellendorf is a 2008 graduate of Eastern.

Jordan Boner can be reached at 581-7942 or [email protected].