14 aspiring writers and journalists began a four day summer workshop on Monday July 17 with goals to better their skills.

The day began with a morning session taught by Andrew Conte on interviewing skills.  Students learned how to let an interview flow but also remain in control, along with how to ask open ended questions.  

The day continued after lunch with a session taught by Rebecca Lessner on photography and using Snapchat for storytelling.  Students were then asked to use their new photography skills on a quick afternoon field trip up Mt. Washington.  

The working part of the day wrapped up with Robin Cecala explaining to the students how they will be putting all of their work into a multimedia package by the end of the week.

The course also allows students to stay on the campus of Point Park University, giving high school students a taste of college life.  Point Park students chaperone and help the visiting students with any questions they might have.

When asked about how she was enjoying the camp Emily Kelly said, “Sitting in the common room and playing Cards Against Humanity was so fun!  The other programs are a lot of fun too.”

The second day began with a morning session taught by David Grande on basic writing skills and interviewing.  Students were challenged to write a blog post about a fortune they received from a fortune cookie.  

The afternoon consisted of a tour of PPG Paints Arena lead by Tom McMillan.  Students were encouraged to take notes and photos for their stories.

The afternoon concluded with students independently working on their stories.