ADVISER UPDATE
FALL 2013
PAGE 3A
DESIGN — HiLite adviser Jim Streisel
works with reporter and sophomore Shakeel Zia on a graphic in Adobe Illustrator
for the upcoming issue of the paper.
PRODUCTION MEETING — Claudia
Huang, HiLite editor in chief and senior,
and Julie Xu, Acumen editor in chief and
senior, work with HiLite adviser Jim Streisel to critique a page for the upcoming
topically-based Acumen newsmagazine,
scheduled for publication Oct. 3. Streisel
said, “I tell them they are professional
journalists who cater to a specific audience. I treat them as if they are professional journalists.”
ADVOCATE
Continued from page 2A
Advocate for journalism
Streisel wants to be an advocate for journalism education, but not in a self-serving
way. He wrote in his application, “I hope
my scholastic journalism colleagues will
join me in continuing to promote our profession by delving deeply into our shared
curriculum and those transferrable skills
we all teach.
“It’s time we educators, especially journalism educators, stand up for ourselves
and show this nation what our programs
are all about because our programs are
exactly what education should be all
about.”
“We, as a journalism community, need
to do a better job of speaking, contributing and writing articles, even if we are not
comfortable,” he wrote. “You can’t be that
island anymore.”
It is important for journalism teachers to
write and speak on the topic and to make
sure their writing is read.
Changing Times
“The world is continually changing very
rapidly. It is impossible to keep up, but I
enjoy the challenge of keeping up,” he
said.
New technology and social media are
tools. Students may use them more and
understand them better, but the challenge for the journalism teacher is getting
students to recognize how they can use
technology to tell stories.
“I’m still learning along with my kids,
which is very exciting,” he said. “But it can
be very scary for some people. The field
is changing, and we are trying to change
with it.”
Journalism will never go away.
“It’s on the ropes, but it will take different forms,” he said. “I am teaching kids
life skills — the ability to meet deadlines,
solve messy problems, work with peer
groups. I happen to be using the language of journalism.”
Streisel lives with his wife, Stacia, and
sons Jared and Zach in Noblesville, Ind.
About five nights a month, he plays in a
band, The Dead Squirrels.