Action Photos- Photos capturing my moments in journalism 3 During a two week summer journalism camp, held at Arizona State University, I used the cameras provided to capture photos and videos of the experience. While riding a hover craft during a lab in physics, I picked up a camera to grab perspective shots throughout the ride. Filming a segment to be aired on the TUHSD website, I look to capture unique angles and varied shots in order to enhance the story. While finishing a stand up for a video to be aired on the TUHSD website, I smile for the camera during my sign off.
This is a porfolio I created highlighting my best work over the course of my four years of involvement in publications with McClintock High School and the Tempe Union High School District.
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Transcript
Action Photos- Photos capturing my moments in journalism 3
During a two week summer journalism camp,
held at Arizona State University, I used the
cameras provided to capture photos and videos
of the experience.
While riding a hover craft during a lab in physics, I picked up a camera
to grab perspective shots throughout the ride.
Filming a segment to be aired on the TUHSD website, I look to capture
unique angles and varied shots in order to enhance the story.
While finishing a stand up for a video to be aired
on the TUHSD website, I smile for the camera
during my sign off.
Walking through the halls of a high school campus, it’s impossible not to label students; there go
the band geeks, the socially awkward nerds, the preppy cheer leaders and every other student
with a predetermined name tag based on their interests and personalities.
So what was mine?
Journalist. I became the face of publications for our high school, being involved in every essence
of the word journalism. I became known as the girl always with a camera in her hand. I became
known as the one who makes the pretty cool segments that aired on our tri-weekly video
announcements. I became that girl. And I embraced it to the fullest.
However, I cannot just dive right into a story without starting at the beginning. This passion for
journalism did not develop overnight; four years ago I had no idea this would become my future.
As a freshman, I walked onto campus with high hopes of becoming a veterinarian. During class
registration, I had an open hour and was forced into Journalism 1-2. I dreaded this.
With a new adviser and old staffers with closed minds, I felt I was stuck in a class that was
driving quickly into the ground and I wanted out. But I could not change my schedule, as there
was nothing else available. I wasn’t half bad at throwing together a story, either. So I stayed.
And I grew. And I learned to love everything about writing stories.
Later on, I picked up a camera, just to see what all of the fuss yearbook kids were making was
about. Turned out, I had a knack for that as well. This landed me the role of Photo Editor my
junior year and I became the prominent photographer for our newspaper, breaking the reliance
on yearbook to do the deed for us, as we had for so many years.
During this time, I also had gained many leadership positions, as my adviser held an abundance
of confidence in me, my work and my ability to instill a dedicated work ethic into other students
on the staff. Over the course of four years, I’ve held seven editor positions just on our newspaper
staff. My senior year, I took over.
As Editor-in-Chief, I completely changed the format and expectations of the newspaper class.
Amazingly, my adviser, thrilled with my leadership, stood back and let me. Each day we speak
to the class, giving a run-down of what’s expected at the end of the week. During class, I’m
unafraid of being nosy of other student’s work; often times coming across as mean or bossy in an
effort to get work done. But at the end of the week, our online site is updated, our Facebook page
is filled with new story links and our tweets on breaking news are constantly surfing the internet.
This misconception of my attitude toward others in a journalistic setting, that I’m a mean editor,
is one that is often stated within the publications community. My personality often goes
misunderstood. I’m considered mean, when really I hold high expectations in those who look to
become a part of the journalism atmosphere. I’m known as an overachiever, when really I’m just
Personal Statement - 9
dedicated to every piece I create, pouring myself into them. I’m labeled intense, when really it’s
my passion seeping out.
Journalism, I later learned, stemmed to much more than just words on a page and a click of a
camera. Video was a whole new world, waiting for me to explore. However, this beginning is
similar to that of my newspaper experience.
Throughout my freshman and sophomore year, I had witnessed the video announcements, a silly
production of the same stories we were writing in journalism. I felt the staff was full of snobs
and held no interest in anything video. Yet, as fate may have it, the video adviser came to speak
to my journalism adviser, asking for a news reporter who would be interested in creating a news
package.
Almost immediately, I was assigned to the job against any desire that I may have had for it. The
video focused on a clothing closet on campus, allowing for kids to swap out old clothes for new
ones at no cost. After stumbling over a script and nervously interviewing an unfamiliar face, I
managed to see a light in the use of video.
The next year, I joined the class. I flourished. My segments, at first, were nothing special. Yet,
after a few weeks of exploring Final Cut Pro, I became one of the top producers. As a senior, my
adviser often looks to me to complete last minute projects; he holds trust in my ability to create
them quickly, yet still maintain a high quality.
Later on, I became a member of the district reporting staff, assisting in the creation of videos
highlighting schools from around the Tempe Union High School District. At this point, not only
was I making an impact on my school, but others as well. My stories were gaining coverage on a
larger community level, reaching out all around the valley.
However, as dedicated as I am to the world of journalism, my passion is not seen through the
everyday activity of writing stories and taking pictures. Rather, my passion is found in my
breaking moments. As a senior, I hold editor positions on the yearbook and newspaper staff, as
well as being a prominent leader in the video announcements, being a reporter for the district and
a member of the literary magazine club. All of this requires a lot of work, time and effort on my
part and some days are just too much of a struggle to survive.
There are days when I feel I have no place in journalism. Days when I want to throw my hands
up and walk away, leaving the problem for someone else to solve. Days when I want to quit. On
those days, I’m reminded of my passion that drives me forward in this field.
Being driven to tears because of clashing deadlines or extra weight added to my shoulders
because of uninterested reporters is a sign of my love for the art of journalism. I hold a sense of
pride in my work, and settle for nothing less than the perfect vision I have created. Journalism is
no longer just a class or simply a career choice for me. It’s a lifestyle. And it’s my passion in life.
Personal Statement - 10
Due to upset within the surrounding community, changes have been made to alter the traffic
flow in and out of the student parking lot, effective on March 4.
“Last summer we made some changes to the traffic flow; we had some disagreement from
the community because those changes had been made on isolation,” Principal Derek
Hoffland said. “We decided to analyze the situation.”
Hoffland, who was made aware of the situation from disapproval from the community,
acted quickly to made adjustments by making a committee to examine the issue.
“In the end the decision was made to create a committee made up of community members
that would be able to provide input and to really study the problem in depth,” Hoffland said.
The committee was made up of a number of individuals, representing different areas and
interest groups in the community.
“The committee was formed with staff members, City of Tempe Traffic Engineers, parents,
security, Detective (Gabe) Gomez and students,” English Teacher and Committee Leader
Adam Unrien said.
The committee looked to the City of Tempe for guidance when planning the new traffic
route, however were able to design an effective plan primarily on their own.
“(City of Tempe Transportation Department) participated in the committee, however the
committee (with students and parents) were the heroes of the traffic plan,” Tempe Traffic
Official Lorenzo Herrera said.
Originally, students and parents were directed to enter the parking lot off of Del Rio, and
parents to exit on to local neighborhood street Los Feliz. However, this caused for much
congestion on both streets 15 minutes prior to school starting and 10 minutes following the
release of students.
“I know there was a lot of complaints from students and parents entering from the same
direction, causing a lot of congestion 15 minutes before school started,” Unrien said.
The changes to be enacted will direct students to enter off of Del Rio, leading into the
parking lot, while parents will enter off of Los Feliz, snake through the parking lot and drop
off students along the walk way near the drama room. Both are to avoid driving near the
walk way next to the pool, as this area will be blocked off.
“Essentially, we made two entry points, one for students and one for parents,” Unrien said.
“We wanted to make sure that students could enter the parking lot safely and ease the
congestion around the houses surrounding McClintock.”
These changes will be implemented on March 4, a week before spring break, as an
experiment to gauge community reaction to the new system.
This was one of the larger stories of the year, as the
traffic flow in and out of the main parking lot
changed due to community disapproval. This story
was written in order to inform students, parents and
the surrounding community of the change.
On October 16, Changing Hands Bookstore welcomed fashion icon and host of TLC’s What Not
to Wear Stacy London to the stage, where she discussed her latest book: The Truth About Style.
Around 100 men, women and hipster teens arrived at the book store around 6:00 pm to hear
London speak at 7. All participants were required to purchase the book in order to save a seat
for the talk, and were seated based on a letter system.
The session opened up with a five-minute video covering the background of her book, the
individuals she included, and the message she was trying to convey. The video also included
moments of her shopping alongside the women she provided make-overs for, including her
sassy attitude.
One woman said, “I hate dresses,” and London retorts back “Why? You just put them on and
then you’re dressed. That’s why it’s called a dress.”
After the video and some more waiting, London came to the stage and began her 20 minute
presentation. She discussed her novel, her show and how much she hated the writing process.
However, the most interesting part of her presentation was her personal background.
London describes her struggles with her body image in her childhood, and how her experiences
have taught her the importance seeing inner beauty reflect out through personal style.
Born with a skin disease that left her in rashes and red splotches, London has been concerned
with her looks from a young age. Trying just about everything to calm down her skin irritation,
nothing seemed to worked and London was hopeless.
Until she realized that hiding her skin was the wrong approach. By embracing her body and
accepting her looks for what they were, London was able to reconstruct her own vision of
beauty.
Shortly after, London’s skin condition disappeared, but she had put on unwanted weight. Yet
again, London looked to the positives in her figure rather than trying to cover the negatives.
London then went on to explain how she ended up on her show What Not to Wear. Originally,
she was not too keen on the interview process and almost backed out of one of the final scenario
interviews, but her family encouraged her to attend. Thankfully, she listened to their advice.
After her presentations, London answered some questions from the audience, using her sassy
responses to the max.
After about 20 minutes of Q&A, book holders got in line to have their copy of The Truth About
Style signed and grab a quick conversation with London herself.
After waiting in line, London signed my copy of her book in hot pink sharpie, a suitable color
for this fashionista.
Through her optimism about a positive personal image and spreading the idea of wearing trends
that match one’s individual style (rather than having the trends wear you), London has changed
the lives of men and women alike across the country.
“It’s not just about the clothes,” London said. She encourages individuals to be comfortable in
their own skin and reflect this confidence through a style they create uniquely for them.
Writing – Celebrity Conference: Talking it up with Stacy London 12
This is one of my favorite
stories, as I got the chance to
meet fashion icon Stacy London
during a book signing, writing a
story based on her lecture
focusing on confidence and the
importance of individual style.
Derek Hoffland, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, has been
named the new principal effective July 1, taking over for current
principal Kim Hilgers.
“I’m fortunate to be here,” Hoffland said. “I’m truly excited to be a
Chager.”
Hoffland is extremely thrilled to be joining the Charger family and
plans to work hard to better McClintock campus.
“I’ve got so much learning to do,” Hoffland said. “I am going to
bring (to the new school year) somebody who is going to listen.”
Even as the current year comes to an end, students are already
impressed with Hoffland’s relatable personality and hope for a
positive new year.
“My first impression was that he was nice,” 2012-2013 student body
president junior Carly Thornhill said.
Due to McClintock’s many positive attributes, Hoffland is looking
forward to working with students and staff.
“McClintock has got a great deal of diversity and a friendly, polite
and hardworking student body and staff,” Hoffland said. “It is the
very best school in the district.”
Not only is Hoffland impressed with McClintock’s many acedemic
and sports-related achievements, but also the sense of tradition found
on campus.
“McClintock’s tradition is the best in the state,” Hoffland said.
The 2012-2013 school year begins on August 6 and students and
staff are looking forward to working with Hoffland.
Writing – Top News Story: McClintock welcomes new principal 13
During the transition from the 2011-2012
to 2012-2013 school year, our campus
welcomed a new principal. I was one of
the first individuals to speak to him,
interviewing him in his make-shift office
found in the teacher lounge. It was a
great opportunity to get to know such an
influential leader on our campus, even
before his time as principal began.
Eight Peggy Payne Academy students received the honor of being National Merit Semi-
Finalists, scoring highly on their PSAT.
“All of our students are very deserving,” Peggy Payne Counselor and Spanish Teacher Laura
Zinke said. “They are an excellent representation of the high standards of academic
achievement here at McClintock.”
Seniors Eden Barnett, Stephanie Brabson, Karen Chang, Meera Doshi, Joy Nachman, Thomas
Liu, Eveline Postelnicu and Abhishek Rajadas scored within the top percentile on the PSAT,
the practice test for the SAT. Their score was compared to those across the state of Arizona
who had also taken the test.
“I’m really excited about this,” Nachman said. “Being a semi-finalist is a great opportunity.”
Through this honor, these students have been recognized as some of the top academic leaders
of today’s youth. This has given them an advantage while applying to college and
scholarships.
“(This is great for) applying for other scholarships; they like to see you are serious about
academics,” Doshi said. “It shows that I’m dedicated to academics and other universities will
be impressed.”
Students hope to be recognized by colleges with this honor in hand, as not many are picked
from around the state to receive such a prestigious title.
“Being a semi-finalist and hopefully a finalist will set me apart from other applicants and
distinguish myself to the universities,” Chang said.
Through their hard work and dedication, these students were able to score highly on the
PSAT. Not relying on just their brains, these students spent countless hours preparing for the
exam.
“Taking an SAT class was really helpful,” Postelnicu said. “It’s all about practice, not about
how smart you are.”
Some even took advantage of test taking timing, by studying for both the PSAT and the SAT,
both of which share common material.
“I decided to take the SAT around the same time, so I was preparing for both,” Barnett said.
“It’s helpful to look up words you don’t know; I read the word didactic in a movie review and
didn’t know the meaning. I looked it up and it just happened to be on the test!”
Now receiving the honor of being a semi-finalist, these students are able to apply to the
National Merit Scholarship, one that provides significant funds for a further education.
“The application (to become a finalist) is similar to college,” Liu said. “You write an essay,
submit your SAT scores and get teacher recommendations.”
Regardless of the later application, all of these students have gotten an abundance of attention
from universities around the country. From letters to emails, students have been bombarded
by schools, reaching out to congratulate them for their newly acclaimed honor.
“It’s nice to have this achievement,” Rajadas said. “Qualifying got a lot of college attention;
my (email) in-box is full.”
All very deserving, these students have shown their dedication and hard work to their
academics, and were awarded this honor in return.
Writing – Human Interest: National Merit Semi-Finalists announced 14
Our school had eight students
named National Merit Semi-
Finalists. I spoke to each one of
them, as well as their adviser,
about their thoughts and
emotions as they received this
honor. This story focused much
more on their reactions to the
honor, rather than the title of
‘National Merit Semi-Finalist’
itself.
Writing – Topic Exploration: Nation adopts anti-bullying campaign through
multimedia options 15
This story is one I hold close to my heart, as it
explores the national effort to put bullying to an
end. I conducted no interviews, rather took in
opinions of students on campus who look to certain
sites and individuals that have made an impact on
bullying, and researched them in detail.
As generations continue to filter through the schooling system, students are becoming subject to bullying at younger ages. However, the nation
has begun to take steps to fight for the anti-bullying cause.
“If there’s one goal of this conference, it’s to dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up.
It’s not,” President Barack Obama said during the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. The convention, which included The
President, The First Lady, students, teachers and other anti-bullying advocates, was held in in March of 2010, addressing bullying in schools and
ways to create a safer environment for the student.
Bullying has become a major concern for America, as studies have shown that students are becoming a victim of bullying more often and at a
younger age. This is thought to be due to the rise in social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. According to a national survey conducted
by the i-SAFE foundation, over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet. This
study also found that more than half of these young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
Bullying has escalated into multiple practices over time, including cyber bullying, verbal bullying, text bullying, name calling, harassment and
other forms of physical bullying. However, groups and avid supporters of the cause from across the nation have taken steps to put an end to
bullying through various ‘anti-bullying’ campaigns.
Many look to assist other through sharing personal experiences of bullying they have suffered during their lifetime. Shane Koyczan, founder of
To This Day Project, wrote a poem reflecting his struggles through his childhood, struggles of friends, and his motivation to believe in one’s
self.
"If you can't see anything beautiful about yourself, get a better mirror, look a little closer, stare a little longer, because there is something inside
you that made you keep trying despite everyone who told you to quit,” Koyczan wrote. “You built a cast around your broken heart and signed it
‘they were wrong’.”
Websites dedicated to the anti-bullying movement have also been created, providing a various amount of insight to the cause. Some, like
whatdoyouchoose.org, centers on personal stories of bully victims who aim to reach out to those too afraid to speak up.
“If you have to take the time to make a choice, take your time. Then make a choice,” said a representative of the organization in their
promotional video found on their site. The site has a main focus on the idea of making choices to better the surrounding community, ultimately
avoiding the choice of being a bully.
Other sites look to provide help to victims of bullying, teachers who look to assist their students and parents who aim to keep their children safe.
Stopbullying.gov, a site of this nature, was launched in conjunction with President Obama and the First Lady’s anti-bullying campaign.
The anti-bullying effort has also gained support through means of pop culture. Celebrity endorsements and television stations, such as Cartoon
Network, have begun to actively participate in the cause, creating organizations or public service announcements of their own.
"I had a really tough time when I was in middle school," pop icon Demi Lovato said in an interview with People magazine. In September of
2012, Lovato became the ambassador of the Mean Stinks campaign. "I heard about the program last year, and thought it was such a great
opportunity. They're really trying to put an end to bullying."
Supporters and advocates of the anti-bullying cause will continue to work side by side, aiming to eliminate the bullying threat located in schools
across the nation.
As I make my way through my senior year in high school, I’m confronted by the task of applying to college. There are some things that I
appreciate about applications and some things that just down right aggravate me to the core. If you’ve gone through this process before, I’m sure
you can relate to at least one of these.
When it comes to SAT and ACT score, this is my thought process: if a college is accepting you only because of one score from one that you’re
required to take, regardless of your field, that school doesn’t deserve to have you on their campus. A person isn’t a number or a combination of a
b c answers.
Students are constantly stressing over ‘is my score high enough?’, when that should be the last concern. I n reality, in two, three, four years, no
one is going to be asking what your SAT or ACT score was; they’re going to want to know what you’ve done with the knowledge you’ve
accumulated through school.
As for essays, what bothers me most are the prompts that are picked. I get it, being creative is awesome, but sometimes these prompts are just so
abstract, I end up staring at a blank Word document, hoping for inspiration to jump on the page by itself.
Class rank is another factor that I don’t think should be the deciding factor for getting into college, although I sort of appreciate this one more so
than an SAT or ACT score. Unfortunately, some classes get weighed higher because they are honors or AP and not all of us have the opportunity
a handful of AP classes. Let’s face it, they just don’t offer AP Journalism, because I would be all over that.
Ethnicity has always been an issues, as there are faults on both sides. The school, which is trying to do a good thing and accept an ethnically
diverse group of individuals, ends up creating a formula for the colors of students they want to see on campus, and once these ratios are made, it’s
almost impossible to break them. So, students who don’t get accepted because they don’t fit in this forced vision of ‘diversity’ schools are trying
to create get upset because it’s some sort of discrimination. So, either way, someone is going to look bad. It’s just a mess and I wish this wasn’t
such a prominent factor when it comes to applications. I don’t think it is, but everyone likes to use this scapegoat.
However, I think the greatest aspects of applications have to be community service and work experience. Those who are active in a number of
things on campus can shine a little brighter because colleges are able to see the achievements.
Personally, I know how tough it is to juggle clubs, AP classes, outside activities and a part-time job on top of that, and I only work weekends! It’s
a lot for students to handle, and I really appreciate that colleges and scholarships take an interest in this aspect.
Writing – Opinions: Senior frustrations with college applications 16
This was an interesting
piece that actually
started out as a blog
post, but was slightly
tweaked to fit the
format of the paper.
Sometimes, posts from
my personal blog will
relate to campus,
allowing them to find a
place within our paper.
I enjoy using small graphics, such as this, to
enhance a story with a visual representation.
Students often look to creative means to stay active, branching away
from traditional sports offered on campus. Racquetball, a sport
similar to tennis, contains a more intense atmosphere for players, as
they are confined in a small space during game play.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” Sumner Farnsworth (12) said. “It’s really
active and you have to use strategic moves (when you play).”
Students, like Farnsworth, enjoy the high energy produced by the
game. However, many go unaware of the potential of the game until
introduced by family or friends.
“I’ve been playing for two years,” Ryan Patterson (11) said. “I
watched my dad play in a tournament and I wanted to try it.”
Farnsworth and Patterson often play together, using local courts, like
the ones at Tempe High School, Marcos De Niza High School and
LA Fitness.
“I’ve been playing for about a year,” Farnsworth said. “I mostly play
with the Patterson family.”
Similar to tennis, racquetball allows for a number of opponents to
play at one time, offering a single, double and trio-game play. Three
player games, also known as cut-throat, are considered the most
competitive, as individuals are up against two opponents in the same
round rather than one, like in singles, or a team, like in doubles.
“(My favorite part) is when I play doubles because it hard having to
play with more than one person,” Patterson said.
Racquetball proves to be an extreme, yet fun way to keep fit, as well
as experience a unique sport to students across campus.
“(I enjoy) running around and trying to beat the other person,”
Paterson said. “Also, (I like) playing with friends.”