Every time I mention to my friends that I write for The Shield, they usually respond with a confused expression and say something along the lines of, “Why?” or “Nobody even reads that, bro.” Some people in my classes don’t even know Westmont has a school newspaper, and when they find out, they just forget about it, not bothering to check it out. But here’s the truth: The Shield matters more to this school than most people realize.
When it comes to school newspapers, it’s not just about getting people to read it, it’s about giving students a voice.
The Shield and other publications like it help give students a place where they can write honestly about things they care about, whether it’s something simple like food and sports, or serious topics regarding politics, abortion, gun laws, or any other topic affecting the world today. The Shield is a student-run, written, and powered publication that gives students a voice and teaches them unforgettable skills, including deadlines, editing, research, and even constructive criticism through The Shield’s monthly debriefs. Even if you aren’t planning on becoming the next great ESPN broadcaster or L.A. Times reporter, The Shield teaches crucial, fundamental skills that can help improve your writing and enable student voices. Most importantly, The Shield gives students the ability to cover what’s currently happening in the world, from the sports page, entertainment page, to politics, and of course, the amazing pop culture video, and through all these pages they don’t just capture what the current students feel or think, but it’s also a way to record Westmont’s history, because who knows, 10 years down the line, assuming The Shield is still an online publication, as most of us will be out of college working, meanwhile students just starting high school could look back to previous issues of the shield and see what was going on at Westmont in 2025.
So, to those who think nobody reads The Shield, you’re wrong, because as The Shield enables student voices, more and more people come to listen and read what these students have to say. The Shield receives roughly 3-5 thousand readers every month, people who enjoy reading The Shield and seeing its importance every time a new issue is released.