Sophomore Betty Jane Plitt, photo editor of the Trail, was one of only three Georgia students selected to attend a leadership camp over the summer called “New Voices Student Leadership Institute.” According to the official website, NVSLI is “a free online program for high school students to improve their leadership and organizing skills, such as the role as leaders within the New Voices Institute.”
Her original interest in going to this specific camp began last year following a journalism trip the Trail staff took.
“About a year ago I started getting really interested in New Voices [Student Leadership Institute] because I went to GSPA’s fall conference, and attended a session all about New Voices,” Plitt said.
The topics discussed in one of the classes she attended at GSPA was censorship. The official definition of censorship is the suppression or removal of writing, artistic work that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable or a threat to security.
“It was about the past cases of censorship against journalists. And it just really inspired me, because it kind of opened my eyes to how many people get censored every day, and I can be the one to speak up for them and be the voice that they don’t have,” Plitt said.
As her inspiration to speak up on behalf of others grew, the applications for New Voices leadership camp opened.
“I read more into New Voices. I started reading articles on it, and then the applications came out, so I decided to apply for the summer camp,” Plitt said.
When asked about her favorite memory from these online sessions, Plitt says that she enjoyed speaking with the other student journalists who were from Georgia.
“At the end of every session, we went into [breakout rooms] since it was a zoom call. So we went into breakout rooms with the other people who are from our group. And I remember the first breakout room we went to. It was me and the two other girls from Georgia, Isabel Jones and Zelda Lerner. And I just remember meeting them and saying hi to them and realizing these people have the same concerns that I do. It just made me feel less alone on the mindset I had about the topic,” Plitt said.
Plitt and her two New Voices Georgia student partners will present at GSPA’s fall convention Oct. 28, in her first presentation on how other Georgia student journalists can get involved.
“I’m really excited for the presentation and can’t wait to meet my other partners in person. I think we’re very prepared, and I’m not as nervous as I thought I’d be,” said Plitt.
Plitt has faced challenges with confusion on her responsibilities as she went from being a staffer to taking on a leadership role.
“So being photo editor, I still have zero idea what I’m supposed to be doing, because [last year’s photo editor], the example she set for me was more based on the yearbook. I was supposed to be managing the photos and putting them into photo slideshows and organizing them. And I had zero idea that I had to do that until Friday, the day of the pep rally. So it was a very stressful experience for me, but I definitely learned a lot from it and what my duties are supposed to be,” Plitt said.
Her one takeaway from this experience was how important communication is between students in journalism.
“I definitely learned that communication is key. I definitely could have communicated [with the previous photo editor]. Things get misunderstood or they get miscommunicated. [Events] stay really unorganized. So on my end, I need to do a better job communicating, and that’s what I’m going to do in the future,” Plitt said.
With learning comes teaching. If Plitt could say one sentence to every high school student across the nation, she would emphasize the importance of having a voice, even if you’re not the one speaking or voicing your opinion.
“No matter who you are, your voice is important. If you feel like you don’t have a voice, you always do, whether that be your voice or whether that be someone else’s voice that can magnify your voice,” Plitt said.
