As veteran Echo staff members, we have experienced a lot of different changes throughout the years. As of recently, St. Louis Park High School administration has cut our funds in an attempt to make the Echo operate fully online. While some could argue print is dead, it has served as an important aspect of the class dating back to October 1916, when the first edition was released.
In an attempt to salvage the tradition of keeping students’ voices on print, we took the initiative to hold a bake sale at a local senior community, Parkshore. A brisk five-minute drive from the high school, we spent the afternoon advertising our talents, not just only in writing, but also in baking. We settled on holding the bake sale at Parkshore because there is a large community of Park high school alumni who reside there and still actively support the district.
Many editors and Echo staffers spent time making various baked goods that residents could enjoy. This included oatmeal butterscotch cookies, chocolate cake pops, blueberry muffins, amongst many more. In the end, we had a fan favorite– chocolate covered strawberries, which sold out shortly after we opened. It was funny seeing the generational differences between us and the residents because many of them did not know what a cake pop was and instead went for the more “classic” treats.
The money that was earned through the bake sale will help us in various ways, not just producing printed issues. It will also go towards improving production quality like nicer equipment and creating more opportunities for staff members to earn awards and recognition for their work.
Talking to Parkshore residents has inspired us to keep the art of printing alive. It is incredibly important that student voices are heard and accessible in every possible medium. We had a lot of conversations with residents about their first-hand experience being involved with journalism and publications throughout their lives, and how much it has changed since they were our age.
Going forward, we are looking to hold more fundraisers at Parkshore and other locations because it serves as a good connection to the community outside of the high school. A lot of the time, Echo can feel very small because we mainly cover school related events, so getting out into the Park community felt refreshing as well as rewarding, because we could feel the support not just from the high school.
Echo has taught us a number of lessons that we will be able to carry out throughout the rest of our lives. From this experience specifically, we have learned the importance of reaching out and making connections with other communities. We are hoping that the bake sale will give future Echo staffers a headstart into translating their journalism skills into real world situations.
