Lectures cover such journalism fundamentals as AP style and grammar, but instructors add their personalities to each lesson.

“Most of what we do is a lot of fun,” said Medill cherub director Roger Boye. “If someone finds learning to be boring, they shouldn’t come to the program.”

Instructor Joe Grimm teaches and entertains cherubs with costumes. His wardrobe includes outfits for nuns, doctors and construction workers.

“I hope it’s fun for the students,” Grimm said. “Sometimes it’s just for fun, and sometimes it helps reinforce the message or helps me deliver the message in a different way.”

Josephine Jung, of Taiwan, liked Joe’s nun costume during a mock school board meeting.

“It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen, because he played the character so well,” Jung said.

Boye said the program relies on student input to make sure the best lecturers return and new lecturers refresh the program.

“After they go home, we ask cherubs to evaluate (classes) on a seven-point scale,” Boye said. “The key is to bring back the things that work.”

Guest lecturer and Pulitzer Prize winner Patricia Callahan spoke about her experiences in investigative reporting. She did not have a costume, but her story left an impression on cherubs, such as Sophia Bollag, of California.

Bollag said Callahan’s story was inspirational without costumes.

“The way she told her story was not as flashy as the other speakers, but the content of the story was inspiring,” Bollag said. “It was inspiring to hear from someone who had so much success at such a young age.”

Cherubs also enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of lectures.

Erika Mionis, of Arizona, said she liked photography lessons with instructor Sarahmaria Gomez.

“It was funny seeing the bad pictures people took, and then Sarahmaria’s comments were hilarious,” Mionis said. “We were making art in our cheese at Hinman. Sarahmaria was just like, ‘OK, I don’t get this,’ and everyone was cracking up. I was crying I was laughing so hard.”

The instructors’ personal stories also influenced cherubs.

Head instructor Mary Lou Song spoke about her experience as the third employee of eBay.

“EBay is a huge company and a household name, but she just treats us as students, and she never brags about it,” said Michele Ko, of New York. “It was incredible to see the work that she’s done in her life and everything that she’s accomplished.”