The OHS Magnet staff spends every day telling the stories of Owatonna High School.

But this time, we
decided to report on ourselves.

We asked five Magnet members to share the pros and cons of being in
the Magnet class.

Here is what they said.

Addy: Great Trips and Great People
Addy loves the field trips that Magnet takes. She also genuinely likes the other students in the class.
“The people are good,” she says. But there is a downside. She feels rushed all the time. “There’s too
much to do at once,” she explains. Between writing stories, taking photos, and designing pages, it all
piles up. She just wants more space to breathe.

Brooke: Community Is the Best Part
Brooke says the community in Magnet is her favorite thing. She also has a close friend in the class. That
friendship makes coming to class enjoyable. But her con is clear: “all of the things we have to turn in.”
Magnet has many deadlines for articles, edits, and layouts. Sometimes it feels like too much.

Josh: The People Save It
Josh is honest. When asked for a pro, he first says “nothing.” But then he changes his answer. The real
pro is the people he meets in Magnet. Even when the work is hard, being around other staff members
makes it better. His only con is “deadlines.” They come fast and cause stress. So for Josh, the people
save the class, but the deadlines almost ruin it.

Morgan: Growth Worth the Work
Morgan says Magnet pushed her out of her comfort zone. She writes stories she never thought she
could write. She talks to people she would have avoided before. She says her freshman self “would do
backflips” to see who she has become. That is a big win. But the win came at a cost. There is a lot of
work to do outside of class. Late nights and weekends are often spent working on Magnet projects.

Amal: Different Views, But Uneven Work
Amal loves hearing different points of view inside the Magnet newsroom. Everyone has a different angle
on a story. That makes the newspaper better. But Amal has a frustration. Some people in Magnet “don’t
carry weight.” That means a few students do most of the work while others do very little. Even a great
class feels unfair when the work is not shared equally.

What the Magnet Learned About Itself
So what do these five staff members tell us about Magnet? Students are not afraid to work hard. They
are afraid of too much work at once. They are afraid of crushing deadlines. They are afraid of lazy group
members.But they also love the people. They love the field trips. They love the community. They love
growing as writers and people. keep the community strong, but lighten the load just a little. That is the
real story from the OHS Magnet staff.