If you are looking for a way to explore your journalistic ambition, The Watchdog, Bellevue College’s student newspaper, is a great way to take that first step. At BC,there is no official journalism program, so for those interested in the field, The Watchdog is the most informative and hands-on way to learn.
At The Watchdog, a team of writers, editors and graphic designers work together to put out a weekly newspaper reporting on important events to the school. The events reported on are to inform the student body about all sorts of topics going on at BC; updates on school budget and tuition, clubs, theatre performances, sport achievements and even pop culture reviews.
The Watchdog is the student voice of BC and anyone is allowed to write opinions of their own choosing regardless of the controversy. Many may not necessarily agree with this, but it gives students the opportunity to have a “safe-space” to talk about controversial issues like race, religion, and internationality openly, and deal head-on with the inevitable challenges that come with those subjects.
The essential goal of the student paper is made by students, for students; to bring the student body of BC timely, relevant coverage of news, arts and features, opinions, sports and reviews of movies, clubs, restaurants, etc. At The Watchdog, we know it’s OK to go out and get the truth about subjects while maintaining journalistic integrity and good judgment.
Even for those not interested in journalism, working for The Watchdog is a great crash-course in time management, professional conduct and, of course, writing. Ex-Watchdog reporters have gone on to work for newspapers at Washington State University, University of Washington and Western Washington University, and they have taken internships with professional newspapers and broadcast companies. Reporters have also won awards from the Washington Press Association and the Washington Association of Community College Journalists. Members of the Watchdog take great pride in their work and the effort they put forth.
Over the past few quarters, I have been Editor-in-Chief. My staff includes Dr. Amy Miller, faculty advisor; Lisa Salkind, advertising manager; section editors, copy editors, staff reporters, photographers and graphic designers. We have all put our best into The Watchdog, and helped it evolve into something BC can be proud of. We have gotten students to think outside the box, ask questions, research deeper and to discover things that a text book will never teach you. I challenge the future students of BC to take a stand and let their voices be heard by joining the staff of The Watchdog.