“Unbelievable time at EJ School!” says Grade 5C from MWI

5C from Monsignor William Irwin take a group photo with the Pulitzer Prize on their first day of EJ School

“My pictures tell stories” Greg Southam told grade 5 students from Monsignor William Irwin School on their first day of Edmonton Journal (EJ) School. From November 2nd to November 6th we interviewed many people and went to amazing places like the Marian Center, Rogers Place, and CKUA radio station. Our time at EJ School was unique and an exciting opportunity to travel in downtown Edmonton.

Anthony King is a producer and announcer at CKUA radio station. We interviewed him in a press conference on Tuesday, November 3, 2015. Before he wanted to be a radio announcer he wanted to be a musician or an animal trainer in Hollywood! CKUA is special because the announcers get to choose their own music. We loved recording our station ids with Marketing Mark! He told us that our voices would not sound the same as they did talking to a friend and “it was pretty amazing how different they actually sounded!” commented Chayce and Noah. It was very interesting to see how radio stations work and see the library with over 65,000 CDs! Another place we visited was the Marian Center.

Janet and David tell stories at the Marian Centre.

When we walked through the Marian Center there was a delicious smell of stew. “Love makes it good” said Janet, one of two volunteers we met. Along with her was David, another generous volunteer who lives at the Marian Center. They work towards the mission of the center to help Christopher’s and follow God. A Christopher is someone who does not have a home and faces problems in their life. They come to the Marian Center for a healthy meal, clean clothes, and a safe place to spend time. Janet taught us that the biggest problem Christopher’s face is loneliness. When they visit the Marian Center they experience love and friendship. David hung up an Oilers’ hockey flag to create discussions because “it`s more fun than talking about the weather.” Janet told us that “Jesus hears you talk to them and will guide them to the right path.”

Interviewing Diego from EPL at the Stanley Milner Library.

Brasil, Robyn, Ethan, Paul, and Annika pose with crime reporter Jana Pruden during an interview.

Interviewing people for Fly on the Wall was really exciting. While being a fly on the wall we collected information about someone’s job and got the lay of the land. One of the most interesting people we interviewed was Margo Goodhand. When she was about ten years old she wanted to write about the war in Vietnam, and now she is the Editor in Chief at the Edmonton Journal! The editor in chief is responsible for the whole newspaper. Another exciting person we met was Tristan Hopper. He is a reporter for the National Post. He is a general researcher who rides his bike to work every day, even in winter! We also interviewed Chris Zdeb who works in the “Day in History” section of the Journal. Once she interviewed RCMP officers who were on a stakeout waiting for an expected robbery. Someone else who has experience with crime reporting is Jana Pruden. She is the Crime Bureau Chief. The most exciting she ever covered was when she went to interview someone involved in a big shooting. She got scared by a dog and slipped backwards and got her thumb caught in her SUV door. She continued with her interview, even though her thumb was broken and her notebook was covered in blood! It was an authentic reporting experience being flies on the wall of many amazing people!

5C takes a group photo with entrepreneurs.

At EJ School we learned about different types of media. We got to be reporters and ask many questions of entrepreneurs and journalists. At the Marian Centre we learned about the Christopher`s and heard fantastic stories from Janet and David. When we went to CKUA it was really cool to make our own station ID. It was a very educational and unforgettable week.

5C taking a photo with the giant downtown Edmonton  “E” in Churchill Square