Field Trip to AAS

Earlier this month, the 7th and 8th grade students visited the Austin American Statesman (AAS) to see what is involved in putting together a daily newspaper for the residents in Austin. Editor Richard Oppel took an interest in our group as we entered the newsroom and gave us a brief synopsis of how newspaper employees work around the clock to report and print the news. Here are a few observations:

"I was quite surprised how a little newspaper goes through so many stages before it can be sold."

"When we went to the press room, we saw a three-story tall press. They said the press is running 24/7. I am amazed how hard the staff works at the AAS."

"We got to learn many interesting things, such as that the rolls of paper they use weigh two tons."

"I couldn't believe that the paper (roll) that the news is printed on was 8.7 miles long! I also thought it was cool how they looked at the other state newspapers to see what kind of stories they had and if they had the same stories as the AAS."

Many thanks to Don Vail for coordinating the tour for GSA!