From November 5 through November 11, 32 students from the Mustang Morning News staff and Costa’s Yearbook staff attended the National High School Journalism Convention in Washington D.C., where they attended seminars and listened to keynote speakers. When the convention came to a conclusion on Saturday, the students toured D.C., taking in the rich history and growing closer as a staff. The group visited the White House, the Supreme Court, the Washington and Jefferson Monuments, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial. They also toured the Capitol, the Newseum, and the Library of Congress. 

At each monument, the students learned about the purpose and history, and related it back to the world of journalism and the importance of democracy in America. There is a close relationship between government, law, and the journalists who hold those in power accountable. In addition to journalism keeping the people on top in check, the United States government’s Bill of Rights is the reason we have the freedom of speech and press in the first place.