Bakersfield College hosted the second annual Journalism Day offered to Kern High School students on Feb. 6 in the Forum and LA buildings located on the main campus.

Students from Arvin, Bakersfield, Bakersfield Christian, Centennial, East, Mira Monte, Ridgeview, South and West High School had the opportunity to sit in on workshops taught by local journalists. Workshops that were available included newspaper writing, press photography, media law and ethics, and broadcasting.

“My favorite [workshop attended today] was news writing because I really like news writing. I like how it is quick and to the point and that there is a structure to it,” Jaysen Ford, a freshman from Ridgeview, said. “I wanted to do journalism as a backup for my backup career. I want to be a writer, a novelist. I think there is a lot to learn [about] writing skills for being a journalist.”

After everyone gathered in the huddle to eat boxed lunches that were provided by BC’s CTE program, who also provided breakfast and coffee for everyone before the event started, the students had the option to sit in on a Q and A panel with local journalists or take part in an on-site competition.

“You [have to] understand that you’re human and it’s hard not to take it home after that,” Olivia Garcia, a former reporter for the Bakersfield Californian and current BC professor who took place on the panel, said in response to a question about separating the negative aspects that journalism can have.

The on-site competition featured the BPD’s Life Interrupted segment about drunk driving and an incident that occurred in 2016 twhich resulted in the death of a BC student, Jade Flores. The car that Flores and his friends were in the night of the crash was used as a visual aid that helped the participants create their story.

To finish off the day, awards were handed out to the three winners in each category. The categories included best broadcast story, best feature, best news story, best newspaper design, and best sports photography.