Due to low enrollment, Blended Advanced Media Lab, Naperville Central’s multimedia journalism class, will not run as an academic class for the 2025-26 school year. This will not only deprive interested students of an academic period dedicated to student journalism, but more broadly, it will negatively affect the Naperville community. By removing dedicated classroom time for the production of Central Times, coverage — especially timely coverage — will suffer.
Naperville 203 claims that all students who graduate from Central should have the “Profile of a Learner” which is described as adaptability, communication and critical thinking. In removing BAML, the administration has chosen to axe a class that develops all of these skills.
Through student journalism, I’ve adapted — conducting interviews on the sidelines of football games. I’ve communicated — taking phone interviews at 10 p.m. with sources in different states, I’ve grown — learning to embrace tough criticism to improve my work. This class doesn’t just teach these skills; it demands them.
Journalism is, by definition, a communications class. Not only do journalists communicate with each other, but also with other students and teachers. We do more than just write stories, we connect with our diverse community. Journalism ensures that more voices are heard. Without this class, some voices may slip through the cracks and are at risk of being disregarded.
Journalism pushes us to think about the bigger picture. Beyond writing facts, we have to think about the context and impact of our writing. Our stories provide a local perspective to global and national issues. We are consistently reassessing and reconstructing our work. Journalism necessitates evaluating the information we receive through interviews or in research and integrating them into our stories.
Journalism is curiosity. We collect diverse opinions from all kinds of people, from our classmates to the superintendent to our neighbors. We are evolving every day in our writing, social skills and ability to adapt.
I can’t think of a class that fits the district’s goals for learning better, and still they have opted to cut the class.
While I understand that it isn’t ideal to run a class with low numbers of students, BAML is irreplaceable. When an honors English class doesn’t meet enrollment, students still have English options. When BAML is cut, there is no alternative. Eliminating it doesn’t just inconvenience students — it deprives us of a critical learning opportunity and the community of high-quality journalism.
BAML is essential to the operation of the Central Times and our Flight Yearbook. What happens now? When will we have time to do interviews? When will we have time to create pages? When will we have editorial discussions? When will there be a time for whole staff collaboration?
The Central Times staff work tirelessly to inform and engage in our community. We hold an essential role in our school and community. Yet, we are being diminished in what amounts to a business decision. Our class is being cut. Our staff is being left without support. And, to be blunt, our administration is failing all of us.
Instead of cutting a class that is so clearly essential and regularly contributes to the district’s accolades, they should work with us to bolster enrollment. Better options include making the class weighted or increasing counselor and teacher awareness of the course.
I ask our advisers and administration: fight for this class. Support student journalists. Ensure the future of the Central Times. Journalism is not optional, it is essential.
