Masks at school, distance, alternating and face-to-face lessons, longer Christmas holidays, fancy carnival holidays: since spring 2020, Bavaria’s schoolchildren have been learning under unusual pandemic conditions. The second Corona school year comes to an end this Thursday. The SZ therefore asked young journalists how they experienced this strange time – and what they would like for the new school year in September. Your school newspapers were recognized as worthy of prizes at the last journalism competition, the major school newspaper competition organized by SZ and the Bavarian Ministry of Culture.
Adrian Eisel, 17 years old, editor-in-chief HFGwaaf! (Hochfranken-Gymnasium Naila, 2nd place online):
17-year-old Adrian Eisel is editor-in-chief of HFGwaaf!. The editorial team took second place with the online newspaper of the Hochfranken-Gymnasium Naila.
(Photo: private)
“Without Corona I wouldn’t be sitting here at all: Our online school newspaper is a product of the pandemic. Before that, we published a printed newspaper every six months, but in the first homeschooling – in spring 2020 – you have other worries. We have been working for about a year therefore only online – and we actually managed to publish one article every week, often two or three. That surprised me, but also makes me proud. A few of us even do a podcast that we would have without Corona probably never realized that way.
We report on what interests and concerns us, the crisis is of course an issue. For example, we kept a corona diary and researched how different distance teaching affects the different grades: The younger ones mainly missed their friends, the older ones were worried that they would lag behind in the learning material. The changing Corona requirements have also confused. Our teachers always looked after us, but in public we didn’t have the feeling that we students were being asked how we were coping with the situation. Our newspaper was therefore also a mouthpiece: to get our opinion out there. “
echo-Editing (Gymnasium Wertingen, 3rd place Gymnasium):
the echo-Editorial (Gymnasium Wertingen) meets almost only virtually due to Corona. The editorial team took third place in the high schools category at the last journalism competition. Screenshot: Echo
“Our editorial team has 32 members. What we particularly noticed in the last few months: how much more difficult the editorial work has become. There were almost no face-to-face meetings. And including everyone via video is as challenging as in distance lessons. We always have each other on Friday afternoons We met virtually to discuss our article ideas, texts and layouts – and then to talk about God and the world.
We only sell our school newspaper at the start of the new school year, when hopefully quieter times have returned and everyone has a break again at the same time. When it comes to topics, the Corona broke away a big block: Our school would have actually celebrated its 50th anniversary, but almost all events that we could have reported on have been canceled. Most of all, however, we miss our Echo-Fahrt: Every year in the run-up to Christmas we usually go on a city trip together, do cool campaigns, and have discussions. This togetherness is missing. The school year itself was stressful, especially at the beginning; there were always new regulations. We are happy when it’s over. In the past, you were happy to have a day off from school. How nice it can be at school is much more appreciated now. For the new school year we would like more consistency. Life needs stability, whether in school or outside.
Leonie Hauck, 22, editor-in-chief Life of its own (Klara-Oppenheimer-Schule Würzburg, 2nd place vocational schools):
Leonie Hauck, 22, is the editor-in-chief of Life of its own. In terms of vocational schools, the editorial staff of the Klara Oppenheimer School in Würzburg came second.
(Photo: private)
“We were lucky: Shortly before the lockdown came in spring 2020, we were allowed to attend the school newspaper seminar at Banz Monastery. Then Corona came. From then on, everything was only done via WhatsApp, email and video conferencing. Everything went a little in the home office When we were finally able to meet again, working together was much easier: Instead of sending emails back and forth, we could immediately discuss what could be improved. We missed personal encounters, a lot of creativity is lost over the distance went.
Corona was a tiresome topic, nobody wanted to hear about it. It was therefore important to us to deliberately bring up topics unrelated to the pandemic. So we wrote about trainee life or about our city of Würzburg. We were even able to finance the entire magazine through advertisements, although the companies were initially hesitant because of Corona. At the end of October we were finally able to distribute our school newspaper to our classmates – a great feeling.
For my professional life, I take with me that you can master a large project yourself with teamwork and creativity from the home office. Fortunately, we can all finish our training normally. For autumn I am optimistic that there will be no new lockdown, as we are already very far with the vaccinations. In our school you can now be vaccinated – during class. “
For the 16th time, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and the Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture are inviting the editorial offices of the Bavarian school newspapers to take part in the 2020/2021 journalism competition. The three best print editors for each type of school will receive between 200 and 500 euros in prize money from the Nemetschek Foundation; the best online school newspapers also receive cash prizes. Editors from elementary, middle, secondary and special schools, from grammar schools and vocational schools are allowed to participate. The winners of each category are part of the “Club of the Best” and receive a special reward program from the Nemetschek Foundation and the SZ. What this reward looks like will not be revealed until the award ceremony. The award ceremony is expected to take place in late November or early December.
The school newspaper must have appeared between November 2020 and October 15, 2021. The closing date for entries is Friday, October 15, 2021 (postmark). You have to send in six printed copies of an issue and – this is new – registration takes place online. This and further information under sz.de/blattmacher.