Student story- 8th grader brings skills and dance moves

By Courtney Johnson

Teenage journalists are everywhere.

They roam the Kansas State campus snapping photographs. They reside in the Holiday Inn, scampering through the carpeted hallways. They scribble indecipherable characters on notepads whenever possible.

Among these countless teen journalists, there are a few who are separated from the rest. Separated by their sincere passion for what they do.

One can tell, just by talking to Tavia Carter, that she is passionate about journalism.

Carter, an eighth grade student from Eisenhower Middle School, is here for the Diversity Discovery program at the Flint Hills Publication Workshop. The program is for middle school students interested in journalism.

“Basically, to me, we get to work on stuff that we haven’t worked on before,” Carter said.

The Diversity Discovery group has learned many journalism essentials —interviewing, writing and editing, to name a few.

After receiving all this new journalistic information, Carter will be able to add a few more tricks up her sleeve — a sleeve that’s already overflowing with loads of tricks. Some of which she never knew she had.

On Tuesday night, she flaunted her dancing abilities at the workshop dance competition, receiving second place. Apparently, no dance experience was needed to succeed.

“I have just watched dancing on TV before and I never thought I would be good at it,” Carter said. “But I just got out there and did it. It’s a good thing to do to take your mind off of stress. And when I was done, I just smiled.”

Along with being phenomenal on the dance floor, Carter has a knack for drawing.

“I like drawing. I draw okay. I’m not really artistic, though,” she said.

Her cousin Keisha, also in the Diversity Discovery program, disagreed. She soon interrupted, “Yeah, you are.”

Carter didn’t have much to say after her cousin’s comment. She looked down at her black and red sneakers – one possessing an untied lace.

So, it’s pretty much been established that Carter has skills. But there’s more.

“I really like to give people nicknames,” Carter said. She pointed to a friend, “I call her Ginger Snapple. I don’t really know why.”

But what is her true passion?

“I love writing,” Carter said. “I have hundreds of diaries. I just tell what’s happening in my life and how I feel. I tell my emotions.”

Carter hopes to pursue writing in the future, and write on a yearbook staff in high school.

“I would like to write about just things that happen. Big news. I want to make sure people know the right stuff. I want them to know the truth,” she said. “I would also like to be a news journalist someday. And I really want to be a teacher. Or a trainer in tennis. I’m pretty good at tennis.”

Next year, count on seeing Carter at journalism camp again. Maybe with even more skills than before.

“I love learning new things,” Carter said. “It makes me feel better about myself. Like I know something new.”

Courtney Johnson is a junior at Paola High School and a student in the advanced writing class at the Flint Hills Publication Workshop.