By Anne-Marie Leger
Society’s constant negative labelling and analyzing of today’s youth misrepresents an entire sector of society. Teens, in their diverse and individualistic society, have never had a fair say. Of course, we must appreciate the efforts of the 45-year-old, three-times divorced, liposucked journalist who can relate to teen problems while suffering from a mid-life crisis. No one can deny how valuable those “How to tell if your best friend is a backstabber” quizzes have been to us in the past. Yeah, right! Thanks, but I’d rather bleed to death.
However, there’s a light at the end of this morbid tunnel of bogus bullshit and the sign reads WATCH Student Magazine. It is the only bi-weekly newspaper in North America written by high school students. Finally, a forum of communication which conveys youth’s simplicity, sincerity and integrity. This reason alone explains WATCH’s widespread appeal and distribution of its young readers.
WATCH was established to express relevant material in the face of mainstream media. Doug Stewart, the publisher, founded the paper in 1991 with the intent of maintaining a diverse youth culture and perspective. Now WATCH is distributed to 200 high schools and businesses in Metro. Stewart, with the help of a head supervising staff, overlooks the technical and advertising aspect while the students do the rest. The entire atmosphere is very laid back—WATCH encourages students to socialize and interact with each other which has resulted in a far more productive environment.
The paper consists of four sections: features, music, fashion and entertainment. The features pertain to any current news or issues which requires the students to do hours of research. Past articles include violence amongst teens, the drug Ecstasy and a special pull-out on snowboarding. Fashion coverage has expanded and now includes colour photos with student models. Aside from mainstream fashion, WATCH also explores individual styles not found in typical teen magazines. The entertainment writers do stories on new music, movies and books.
After only three years of circulation in high schools, cafes and music stores, WATCH has expanded and is currently moving to a new location. A portion of the office will be dedicated as a youth hang out.
WATCH continues to encourage teens to call or write for the paper. The experience can give them a head start in the very competitive world of media—students get the opportunity to open their eyes to different cultures.
WATCH openly welcomes anyone to drop by the office, but please do not judge them by their vinyl collection.
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