6th Form Abingdon School Boys engrossed in stories.
The 6th form boys from Abingdon School were enthralled with an entertaining presentation given by former journalist Gayathri White, last Wednesday.
Gayathri, or more fondly known as Gaya was a journalist for over six years in an English daily in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She began her presentation by stressing how the job wasn't just about writing and meeting datelines, but was a fun and exhilarating experience, especially when meeting and interviewing interesting figures.
The 6th formers' were especially taken as Gaya showed them slides of her meeting with movie star Jackie Chan and having a chance to interview Saul "Slash" Hudson, from the Guns N' Roses fame. She also regaled her experience of walking the red carpet during movie premiers in different countries and having a media pass that took her to many interesting places.
"Not only are you sent to an assignment to bring back a story, you also get to experience 5-star hotel cuisines!" she quips, while showing slides of her visit to The Hilton Hotel in Phuket, Thailand where she enjoyed lobster and caviar for the first time and sat by the pool side sharing her deck chair with peacocks!
Laughter rippled throughout the room, as her slide show included various humorous images of Gaya on assignments.
"Don't you have to work around the clock?" were one of the questions asked by the young men, who seemed at awe with her stories but at the same time curious of the stress the job could bring.
"You always have strange shifts working as a reporter, but there's always a way to work around them. The rewards you gain from working long hours can be quite relaxing and the travel assignments are usually attached with a personal holiday one can certainly take advantage off.
"It's an interesting balance and if you have the passion for it, it's no longer a job anymore," said Gaya satisfyingly.
Behind all the fun and excitement of being a journalist, one of the messages that Gaya ensured she passed on to the inquisitive minds of the young adults was that, in order to be a good journalist, one does not necessary have to be a great writer.
"When there is a passion and a willingness to learn, the job of a journalist gets easier day-by-day. The story telling skills, will come naturally once you find your ground. But the one thing no one can take away from you, is the thrill of seeing your name in print next to a story, big or small. It is an accomplishment and a personal sense of pride that no one in this world can feel other than yourself."
A story written by Gaya published on the Online version of the newspaper.
The boys were certainly left impressed and geared up at the end of the talk.
