Untitled Submission by Warren

An untitled art submission by Warren Jostiak, drawn in Adobe Photoshop.

The Hidden Agenda’s Logo

The Hidden Agenda’s official logo, designed by WTCS student Warren Jostiak.

Why the Hidden Agenda is Important

This year, there was very little interest in the Hidden Agenda.

There were announcements, Facebook advertisements, posters and the good ol’ word of mouth. But this year, the Hidden Agenda suffered one of its lowest readerships in its history. Like larger newspapers, local school publications have seriously struggled, hit hard by the behemoths that are social media sites.

So why is the Hidden Agenda still important? What makes it necessary for the school community?

There are many possible answers. The entertainment section serves as an excellent and much-needed distraction from classes. It is one of the most important aspects of your high school life to know what your student council’s favourite foods are. And made-up predictions of the future are an essential part of day-planning.

But putting aside the sarcastic humour that comes with making fun of a student newspaper, what is really good about it?

Have you ever been frustrated about unnecessary bans, like the no-hat rule, or unfair expectations from the admin? Have you wanted to talk about it?

The great thing about a newspaper by students, for students is that we have control over content–we can say what we want to say. Students interested in publishing articles about any or all of the problems in the school are perfectly allowed to do that. The other great thing about the Hidden Agenda is that the circulation is paid for. So every time an issue comes out, you can make sure the whole school sees it.

Isn’t that such an awesome opportunity?

If we wanted, we could make a school-wide petition calling for the ending of the no-hat rule. We could anonymously interview teachers asking if they support it. We could talk to students at other schools who are allowed to wear hats. We could change the rules.

Teachers and administrators are in a decidedly different generation from us. We understand that viral videos, Facebook petitions and Twitter trends are important, because they show what people are interested in. But our teachers grew up with Newspapers in that place as the forum for change. In this transition period, when our parents don’t understand the technology we get so easily, using the Hidden Agenda is even more important than before.

That’s where this website comes in. A newspaper alone isn’t really enough–it’s fun enough to play sudoku and laugh at articles in class, but what about when you get home? How can students connect with each other and mobilize to generate real change at school? This website, and its upcoming Facebook and Twitter connections, will serve to keep students updated wherever they are on what upcoming projects there are. With new media, we will be able to affect more change in the school than students have ever been able to.

The Hidden Agenda is more than a student newspaper. It’s a union, a drawing board and a forum for change. And it’s a very powerful tool.

The Hidden Agenda staff hopes that students will use and enjoy this site and its social media components!