it was all clear in our last days
matt casler // portfolio 1 //
// taking a step back It started four years ago, in course registration. "So let's talk electives. What are you thinking?" "Yearbook." I wasn't interested in journalism, or copy writing, or editing at this point. I wanted to design and later lead. The press room exhilarated me. The stress, the pressure, the mood... It absorbed me. Of course, future prospects and career goals were still muddy ideas in my mind. As a sophomore, yearbook was all work and all play. At this point in my life, journalism did not seem like a viable option for my future. As far as I was concerned, high school yearbook would be the end of it.. As I approach the final days of my senior year though, it has become clear to me that my experience in high school scholastic journalism has completely altered my purpose in life. I previously aspired to be a big-shot, Harvard-educated attorney who made big money and lived the high life. There's no value in that to me anymore. Exposing truths, reporting injustices, educating the public on the issues that matter most... That's my purpose now. Yearbook, and more broadly the scholastic press, have shown me my capacity to make meaningful change with the written word. That is clear to me now.
//2
matt casler // journalist
3 //
Dear Tyler Pager, The Daily Northwestern staff is in search of a leader to assume the position of managing editor. The position of managing editor, for which I am applying, demands strong leadership skills and diligence to the continued merit and quality of the Daily. Attached is a copy of my resumé for your review for the prestigious role of managing editor. I have developed a passion for photography, copy writing and editing through my leadership as
p: (407) 318-4360 e: mcasler1@icloud.com w: mattcasler.com To: Tyler Pager, Daily Northwestern Editor-in-Chief Norris University Center 1999 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60201 Offices H and N
the junior and senior editor-in-chief of my high school’s yearbook, Legend, which is recognized as one of the nation’s best yearbooks. The journalism department at my high school, Boone High School, has offered me the opportunity to grow as a journalist, and my three years on staff have only further nurtured my passion for reporting. I have a strong history in leadership, as well as extensive prior experience in the design of print and digital media. The position of managing editor demands extensive knowledge and skill in copywriting, editing and team leadership, which I have gained through two years as the editor-in-chief of two 450 pages yearbooks. Through extensive training in my introductory journalism courses, then as an editor, I have honed my expertise and mastery of AP style and can constructively improve the quality of staffers’ writing. I can diversify the Daily’s content and maintain its political neutrality as
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well. I can effectively cooperate with other staffers and editors and work to maintain the ethical
May 13, 2016
value and quality of the paper. I believe that these skills and values are necessary to lead the Daily Northwestern’s staff. Additionally, I am interested in bringing more digital media-focused content development to the Daily. As modern reporting becomes increasingly more Internet-based, the Daily’s content must grow and adapt to the changing forms of media. I hope to bring my extensive knowledge of social media marketing and digital content development to the Daily Northwestern’s operations to grow its online readership. Regardless of the merits contained within my resume, I believe that an interview could better allow me to portray my passion for the position and to exhibit my expertise in reporting and leadership. I would be grateful to have the chance to meet you at your earliest convenience. Thank you for reviewing my enclosed resumé. I look forward to meeting with you soon to discuss my interest in this position. Best regards,
Matthew Casler Enclosed: resumé
//4
Skills and Experience Legend Yearbook Editor-in-Chief (2014-2016): develop theme concept and book style, edit copy, photograph events, train others in Adobe Creative Suite programs, edit and publish web content, create Boone Publications brand image, lead the staff to develop an award-winning publication Staffer (2013-2014): performed interviews, wrote copy, photographed events, gained experience in Adobe Creative Suite software, created and published web content, sold business advertisements, collaborated with others to develop a quality publication
p: (407) 318-4360 e: mcasler1@icloud.com w: mattcasler.com Objective: bring a modern media-focused vision to the Daily Northwestern newspaper, while also developing my skills in leadership and editing, as the paper’s managing editor
Relevant Education William R. Boone High School Graduated May 31, 2016 GPA: 4.0, weighted GPA: 5.16 Rank: 3 of 615 (valedictorian) Relevant studies: • Journalism 1 and 4-8 Honors • English Honors 1 and 2, AP Language, AP Literature • AP Spanish Language • AP Computer Science A Northwestern University Fall 2016 to Spring 2020 Medill School of Journalism Planned majors in Journalism and Political Science, minor in Spanish, certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications
Certifications Photoshop CS6 and CC 2013 InDesign CC Dreamweaver CS6 HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript
References Renée Burke, yearbook adviser p: (407) 893-7200 x6014614 e: renee.burke@ocps.net Cristina Calvet-Harrold, CCH Marketing company owner p: (407) 228-1901 e: cristina@cchmarketing.com Teresa Patterson, NHS sponsor p: (407) 893-7200 x6017261 e: teresa.patterson2@ocps.net
CCH Marketing and Public Relations Marketing, Intern (summer 2015, 2016): managed corporate social media, ghost wrote online web content, participated in strategic communications meetings, assisted in company re-branding, and developed ideas for web content Orlando Health Information Technology, Intern (summer 2013): developed server systems, collaborated with federal agencies to process records, developed internal company webpages
Honors and Awards Journalistic Honors • Journalism Educators Association National Student Journalist of the Year Runner Up (2016) • Columbia Scholastic Press Association • Yearbook Gold Crown (2014, 2015) • Yearbook Gold Medalist with two All-Columbians (2015) • Third Place in yearbook feature presentation (2016) • Third Place in yearbook informational graphics portfolio (2016) • Third Place in yearbook index (2016) • Second Place Digital Media Photography (2015) • National Scholastic Press Association • Yearbook Pacemaker (2014, 2015) • First Place Best of Show, Large Yearbooks Category (2015 Fall, 2016 Spring) • Yearbook All-American with 5 Marks of Distinction (2014, 2015) • Honor Roll (2015-present) • Florida Scholastic Press Association • Todd C. Smith Student Journalist of the Year • All-Florida Spring Digital Winner: Design Portfolio (2016) • All-Florida Spring Digital Winner: Yearbook Theme Package (2016) • Quill and Scroll • Yearbook Excellence Contest National Winner: Theme Development (2016) • Yearbook Excellence Contest National Winner: Graphic Design division (2016) • Yearbook Excellence Contest National Winner: Photo Illustration (2016) • First Place Student Life Spread Design (2015) • International Journalism Honor Society member (2014-present) Academic and Other Honors • National Merit Scholar (2016) • National AP Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction (2016) • National Honor Society (2014-2016) • Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society (2014-2016) • American Legion Boys State Delegate and Boys Nation Alternate Delegate (summer 2015) • AP Chemistry Student of the Year (2015) • Spanish 2 Student of the Year (2013)
Additional Leadership Positions • It’s Called Humanism Project Founder and President (2015-present) • Model United Nations President (2014-present), Treasurer (2013-2014) • National Honor Society President (2015-present) • Ocean Activists Environmental Project Co-Founder and Vice President (2015-present) • Mu Alpha Theta Parliamentarian (2015-present)
Additional Activities • Gay-Straight Alliance (2012-present) • Math Club (2012-present) • School Advisory Council (2015-present) • Quiz Bowl (2015) • Spanish Club (2012-2015) • Key Club (2012-2014) 5 //
Journalism has brought about a swath of personal revelations, so many intangible changes that have changed who I want to be. The written word seems to carry so much more impact on me now. Photos do more than just appeal to the eye. Stories have depth that I never could have seen before. It was a strange revelation that just hit me one day in the fall. I suddenly felt like this, becoming a reporter, was the next step for me. Before my senior year, I never considered becoming a journalist. Now, journalism is all I can ever see myself doing.
it all came personal reflections
//6
from nothing// 7 //
On a more personal level, I gained a much deeper understanding of who I am and how my mind works. I discovered how off-putting my stiff-arm style of leadership can be to others. "Staffers used to fear me, but leading through fear discourages people; I wanted to lead with passion and positivity . . . I was not just some boss to whom they owed their time and effort; I was a friend and mentor." As I continue my emotional and intellectual evolution, I realize now the importance of strong personal connections. Not only do they make me a more genuine leader, but a more genuine person.
m/c //8
of this concept. As junior EIC, I defined goals to find direction and purpose in my work and for the publication as a whole. And then, as the senior editor-in-chief, I applied this lesson to Photography and graphic design were integral parts of my build my legacy. The 2016 Legend is, to me, more than just my upbringing, thanks to my dad. final yearbook; it represents everything that I was as a yearbook From as early as 7 years old, I had a Canon 5D in my hands, editor and journalist. Even before the theme development shooting whatever found itself on the other side of the lens. process had begun, I knew I wanted my last book to be the best From there, I found myself pursuing journalism on my middle the school had ever seen. Through careful planning, arduous school’s yearbook staff, and later as a Legend yearbook staffer, work and just a few tears, my final book embodied my best as it was the perfect outlet for me to express my creativity in writing, design and theme development. More personally, through design and photography. Later, as junior editor-inthough, as a senior, I had to ask, “What’s next?” I focused on chief, I showed my adviser, Renée Burke, that I was top-notch personal achievement in the second semester and earned editor material, and that I was ready to go the distance or do recognition as a runner-up in the JEA National High School whatever she needed of me to benefit the staff and the book. Journalist of the Year competition. Now, as senior editor-in-chief, I have completed my career in That final accomplishment proved to me that no other high school press with a feeling bittersweet nostalgia. No other program or experience was nearly as important to my life as program has changed my life so substantially, and I credit much was Legend. Not only would I never have considered pursuing of my success to Burke. journalism as a career, I would never have grown so much as One of the greatest lessons I learned while an editor is that dedication and mental fortitude alone did not make me an effective editor, but my passion pushed me to drive our staff to create the most groundbreaking book our school has ever seen. This passion to benefit Legend was evident in my commitment to the publication, as my fellow editors, my adviser and I spent countless hours during and after deadlines preparing to ship pages. I vividly recall walking to my car past sundown after spending hours editing spreads. While it was a hefty workload, I was so enthusiastic about the book that to dedicate that sort of time to something I loved was more pleasing than anything. As the senior editor-in-chief, I learned to adopt a more graceful leadership style after a year of near-authoritarianism as the junior EIC. Staffers used to fear me, but leading through fear discourages people; I wanted to lead with passion and positivity. I made a conscious effort at Camp Orlando to boost staff morale with chants and war paint so staffers felt closer and entered the year emphatic for the book. When school began, I tried to be less critical of staffers’ work, and instead I spent time working through their problems with them, more like a teammate and less like a boss. I feel as though I became more effective as a leader as senior EIC since I built stronger relationships with staffers. I was not just some boss to whom they owed their time and effort; I was a friend and mentor.
a leader, writer or human being. As I prepare for my ultimate departure to Northwestern University, where I will begin my study of journalism in the fall, I know that I am better equipped, both technically and personally, than most other entering undergraduates thanks to my time in scholastic press. I never considered studying journalism before Legend, but now, it’s all I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. This final portfolio represents my growth as a staffer and editor with Legend. The sharp typography, careful spacing, thoughtful portraits and well-composed theme copy embody my dedication to quality and my keen eye for effective visual and verbal communication. The deep purple represents my ambition and adds to the richness of the portfolio as a whole. The use of a theme to draw the reader into the portfolio was a step beyond what I have attempted before, but, compared to my prior portfolios, it is much more impactful. My junior portfolio was bold and edgy with its bright typography and stark profile portraits, but it felt rigid; as its creator, I know that I was simply trying to make a statement. This year, my portfolio is precise, yet flexible. Compared to my junior portfolio, it shows tremendous growth and maturity.
Now, as my senior year closes and I step beyond the walls of William R. Boone High school onto Northwestern, I will always remember the home and family I had in Room 224. I know that If I had to select one lesson to take away from my time on the countless hours of work that publications, it’s that goal setting is the key to success. As a I poured into the production of young, inexperienced staffer, I didn’t understand the true gravity the 2016 book as editor-in-chief proved invaluable to its production, but I hope my staff will remember me not just as an editor as a strong leader and mentor.
// a brief introspective
9 //
In the words of senior Alex Bergan, we “kept it icy” with the white cover this year. After the 2015 Legend came out, I tired of hearing, "It looks a lot like last year's book." True, it had a dark cover (matte black compared to matte gray), it had clean typography and the dividers were dominated by a single photo and a vertical column of text. But 2016 gave my co-editor-in-chief, Emma, and me the chance to make a statement and say, "You have never seen something like this before." We wanted our yearbook to be a radical departure from prior Boone books, and I believe we were successful in achieving that goal. We carried this vision into camp as we began theme development, but creating a radical concept demanded more deep thought and careful planning than we expected. Our theme concept grew from our plans for the book — we wanted to take an untraditional look at our student body. We toyed with ideas about finding “a new perspective,” and we ultimately landed on “Take Another Look” for our earliest theme concept. The design (first draft) represented the direction we wanted to take — edgy, stark, modern — but lacked cohesion and maturity. We tried to force the black bars to work for us, but as we tried to carry them through the
//10
// taking shape book, we discovered they were too heavy and drew attention away content. It became evident early on that design was going to fall flat. Emma and I wanted to carry some creative elements with us, like the theme tie-back on the back cover, as we developed our design, but it had to go. Elite Weekend loomed in October, and that was the time for a drastic overhaul. At Elite Weekend, we scrapped our theme and started over. Four other editors who were at the event, Emma and I started bouncing ideas off of one another in hopes of landing on the that one golden phrase — the perfect theme words. After two hours of bantering about what people don’t know about our school and what we should harp on with our theme, Megan Pirino, our academics editor, finally said what we were looking for, “You Just Don’t Know Us.” Ultimately, our final theme afforded us the opportunity to give our book the tone of an angsty teenager who wants to be noticed and seen as unique, and our new cover design communicate that mood. We wanted our school to see the flashy yellows and bold, modern typography as a statement, by the yearbook staff and students, to look at the yearbook not only as a memory book, but also as a statement piece for the student body. We tried to capture the unique and lesser-known aspects of the student body in the coverage, theme copy and quotes that appear on the cover and theme pages. The 2016 edition of Legend embodies my best in design and verbal communication, and it finally gave me the opportunity to make the bold statement I have been waiting to make with my work. The “icy” cover design represents a great deal of maturity in the work I have grown to produce. This book represents my best work, and its release perfectly capped off my final year in scholastic journalism.
Theme development proved to be the paramount challenge for me as I worked in high school yearbook. Journalism is raw information. Theme is emotional communication.
// reflection one
"...creating a radical concept demanded more deep thought and careful planning than we expected." If anything became clear to me while developing "You Just Don't Know Us" it's that I can't just rely on my natural abilities all the time. Careful planning and detailed, deliberate work can produce a way better final product.
// we wanted our school to see the flashy yellows and bold, modern typography as a statement piece for the student body.
11 //
// taking shape
// first draft //12
reflection one // theme and cover
// published piece 13 //
I have realized how much I value group achievement. Seeing my whole staff explode in excitement after winning a Gold Crown and a Pacemaker... Nothing topped that. "You Just Don't Know Us" represents the biggest step beyond Legend's traditional style . . . After seeing tweets about our theme and the book's design, I knew we had truly impacted our student body with this edition of Legend."
// reflection two
I hope the 2016 book brings with it the same degree of excitement in the spring.
// pieces to submit to the Columbia Scholastic Press Gold circle competition
//14
// y11. theme and concept Submission includes: cover, endsheet, opening spreads, divider spreads, closing spreads "You Just Don't Know Us" represents the biggest step beyond Legend's traditional style, and it shows how much I have grown as an editor and designer. It's sharp typography and strong verbal concept are carried through the rest of the book effectively, and the theme copy on the back cover and on theme spreads enhances the sassy tone. After seeing tweets about our theme and the book's design, I knew we had truly impacted our student body with this edition of Legend.
// y12. cover design Submission includes: cover The cover of the 2016 Legend makes use of sharp typography and modern design trends to captivate and draw in readers. The cover already eludes to everything people may not know about our students by displaying in light text everything people don't know about them. The back cover acts as a theme tie-back, reminding readers of some major information they should know after reading though the whole book. It also acts as a sort of call to action, telling the readers there is still more to know, and it invites them to go back and find something else they just doesn't know.
// y19. feature photo Submission includes: 001-001_Figueroa.jpg caption // scream queen. As Nicki Minaj in the theater department’s production of I Saw You Scream Last Friday the Thirteenth on Elm Street, junior Rafael Figueroa screams after the stage lights shut off and the killer approaches to murder his character. “Mastering Nicki’s mannerisms was the hardest part of playing her. She grew up less fortunate than others, but ended up going to Juilliard, so I had to strike a balance between the classy Nicki and her more street version,” Figueroa said. This photo of Rafael Figueroa captures the mood of the show and his flamboyant and boisterous personality. This photo of him dressed in drag while performing captures his essence as a person and as a performer. The photo also shows my technical skills in composition and low-light photography.
15 //
// it was all said
//16
and done published works
The 2016 yearbook is done. Finished. Printed. Gone. Defining myself beyond the bounds of Room 224 will be a challenge, especially as I move to a new state with new people at a new school. It has become clear to me now, after seeing so many students enthralled with the book, that the hell that was its production was absolutely, unequivocally worth it. To see the 450 page publication I have been putting together for the last ten months with my staff and say, "I did that," brings to me an unbeatable feeling of accomplishment. Now, as the book is done and I leave the department, it's evident that I have to find my next great endeavor, my next major accomplishment.
17 //
// writing info // opening 002-003 write up // The opening copy presented the greatest theme challenge to me and Emma as we had to fully develop our theme for the first time. In our first rounds of writing, we failed to specify real details that people may not know, so the copy's impact was weak at best. After extensive editing and rewriting, we achieve the impactful, sassy tone we were hoping to achieve.
my work // body copy / captions / design
//18
info // opening 004-005 write up // (refer to first opening spread, pg. 002-003)
my work // body copy / captions / design / photos
19 //
// writing info // theme people divider 130-131 write up // The people theme copy came together rather smoothly compared to the opening spreads' theme copy. In its earliest drafts, though, I found myself constantly repeating the content of the profiles within the people section. To diversify the content of the theme copy, I dove into the quotes that appear in the folios and on the cover for obscure details about the people of our school to include.
my work // body copy / captions / design / photos
//20
info // theme closing 414-415 write up // Wrapping up our theme proved problematic since there was still so much that we wanted to mention, but there was limited space. Emma and I also couldn't quite figure out how to end the copy. We decided to use the end of the copy as an opportunity to challenge the reader to learn more about us and to also cap it off with the angsty tone we were going for this year.
my work // body copy / captions / design
21 //
// design info // theme cover write up // The cover of the 2016 Legend represents my best work in design. This represents its fourth iteration, after a theme change and multiple redesigns, and its final version captivated our student body and pushed Legend's standard for design and innovation with its sharp typography and daring theme.
my work // body copy / design / alternative copy
//22
info // theme front endsheet write up // This is the second and final version of the endsheet that we made. The first version had to get scrapped since the dominant photo featured too many previously pictured students. The day before the endsheet was supposed to final, Emma dug up this photo and we restyled the endsheet. The new design makes use of more white space to mat the photo and gives more room for our table of contents. This endsheet draws the reader in.
my work // captions / design
23 //
// design info // theme title 001 write up // The title page design introduced the theme once again, but the design presented the cut-ins that we used to caption dominant photos on most spreads. The photo of a man in drag also tied our visual-verbal concept together, since most people who saw the photo would initially assume it's a woman, but they "just don't know" it's junior Rafael Figueroa.
my work // captions / design / photos
//24
info // theme content divider 006-007 write up // Our divider also received the "last minute redesign" treatment. Burke and our yearbook representative Missy Green had us scrap our previous design in favor of this much sharper, cleaner version.
// related content
my work // body copy / captions / design
25 //
// design info // theme profile charly reynolds 060-061 write up // The design of our profiles took tons of argument to land on. After Burke forced the editors to start our designs all over again since they were too traditional, we formulated this version of the profile with new, radical typography.
// related content
my work // design
//26
info // student life summer 010-011 write up // The summer spread was a huge design challenge for me since I had to combine so much diverse coverage into a cohesive spread while also tying in our design elements. Overall, though, the photos from each summer activity are synthesized into the spread well, and the multi-story copy block I designed into the spread adds greater breadth to the spread's coverage.
my work // design
27 //
// design info // student life across the world 016-017 write up // The Across the World spread showed the versatility of our design style. The staffer on the page came up with the general concept for the spread, using mini features to cover the migration stories of five students. I refined the style and established its eyeline to finalize the spread design.
my work // design
//28
info // student life polyester paradise 018-019 write up // The Polyester Paradise spread was one of our staff's big early headaches. The staffer working on the spread did a fantastic job covering the event, but the design was retooled five or six times before I finally scrapped it and started over. The new version of the spread carried some broken type elements into the headline style which helped it match our theme pages more.
my work // design / photos
29 //
// design info // student life water sports 022-023 write up // The water sports spread was another design challenge for me. I tried designing the spread twice before landing on this design, which features a stunning dominant photo with a headline layover. I was shooting to give the spread the aesthetic of a surf magazines spread, and I think I was successful.
my work // design
//30
info // sports girls cross country 028-029 write up // The girls cross country spread was one of the first spreads on which I experimented with using "rivers" of white space to isolated clusters of photos, as I did around the cluster on the right side of the page. The design experiment was successful, and we carried this style throughout many spreads in the book.
my work // design / photos
31 //
// design info // sports boys swimming 035-036 write up // Boys swim was the first spread on which I tried out a body copy cut-in. I gave it a shot while designing just to see how it would work, and it added more depth to the spread, so we carried the style onto the water sports spread earlier in the book. This was also how we styled the theme profiles.
my work // design
//32
info // sports girls swimming 036-037 write up // The girls swim spread was one of my first attempts to design under our current design scheme. It was a challenge to incorporate our rivers without wasting space, but the spread came out well overall, since it packages photos well and uses modular elements to provide secondary coverage. It also maintains an eye line with a single photo break and a single column of text, which is trendy in modern design.
my work // design
33 //
// design info // student life trends 038-039 write up // The trends spread gave me the opportunity to experiment with more multicoverage-driven design. Since the staffers working on the page had to cover so many trends and styles in one spread, I custom built a set of mods to give them a way to display the content effectively, but it was challenging to get all the coverage pieces to fit together.
my work // design
//34
info // clubs fall play 044-045 write up // The fall play spread, which covered the original horror movie parody I Saw You Scream Last Friday the Thirteenth on Elm Street, plays on the hyperbole and awful exaggeration in horror films. With this design, I tried to stretch our typography to create an eerie feel to the page, while the content itself shows the comedic side. The background image of the killer was stretched to fill the spread and show the tone of the show's climax.
my work // design / photos
35 //
// design info // student life homecoming days 046-047 write up // The homecoming days spread was likely the one spread with which I had the most difficulty designing, but the final product shows mature design and invokes the playfulness of the events covered on it. The student life editor and I struggled horribly when designing this spread, but we are both proud of the final product.
my work // design / photos
//36
info // student life homecoming nights 048-049 write up // The homecoming nights spread also challenged my patience as a designer since it underwent numerous redesigns and require constant tweaking. Not only did the staffers making the spread have trouble finding adequate photos to cover the homecoming dance and parade, the photos they did select clashed with one another in the design. Finding balance was particularly challenging, but the final product exhibits balance and good use of color to tie the spread together.
my work // design
37 //
// design info // student life edgewater/spirit 064-065
my work // design
my work // design
//38
write up // The Edgewater High School Rivalry game is the landmark school event of the year; the annual football game draws larger crowds than homecoming. Our school was riding on a three-year-long winning streak, so losing "the barrel," which is passed to the victor each year, was tragic. But the spread needed to capture the hype of the day leading up to it and the game. I made the dominant photo huge so the excitement is obvious to the viewer. The photo package to the right shows student spirit, and the package on the left shows how the players felt before and during the game. I used lots of dropped rails and rivers to air out the page as well.
info // academics winter concerts 088-089 write up // The winter concerts spread was one of many last-minute redesigns I created over the course of the year. The spread that was about to go final had too much wasted space and a cramped headline. The new spread makes better use of photo packaging and white space to balance the content, and the headline is much more impactful.
my work // design
39 //
// design info // student life geocaching 090-091 write up // The geocaching spread was a major challenge for the staffers working on it. The student life editor and the staffers originally thought the page would involve lots of students hunting for caches, but photographs did not all pan out. The staffers were in a bind before the deadline and only had usable photos from one search, so with the help of my student life editor, I turned the entire spread into one big stepby-step, showing the progression of the hunt for a cache. The design was a last-minute solution to a tough coverage struggle, and I think it ultimately came out well.
my work // design
//40
info // sports boys basketball 098-099 write up // Boys basketball is, in my opinion, one of the overall best-looking spreads in the whole book. The vibrant photos pop and the design came easily to me as I prepared it to go to press. The staffer working on the spread asked me to take over the design since she was stuck in a design rut, and so I went for it. The photo cluster on the right side of the page is one of my favorite elements on the spread, since it adds depth to the design.
my work // design
41 //
// design info // sports girls basketball 100-101 write up // Girls basketball was another quick fix spread. It's original design, while it was technically correct, didn't match out design style too well. The new spread I created dropped a rail between the dominant and the right-side photo cluster, so I added a "river" of whitespace. The headline also gained some breathing room, and the design put more focus on important content.
my work // design
//42
info // sports boys soccer 102-103 write up // Yet another last minute fix, boys soccer's original design had some trapped space and didn't showcase the dominant photo well. The new spread added some real estate to the dominant and the headline is much larger, so the reader is more likely to be drawn into the story.
my work // design
43 //
// design info // clubs bravettes 108-109 write up // The Bravettes spread ran into a number of roadblocks while the staffer working on it tried to develop the content. The original version of the spread went to press with a missing caption and lots of trapped space, so the clubs editor and I took over and redesigned the spread to better align it to our style and adjust those larger errors.
my work // design
//44
info // academics labs 114-115 write up // The staffers working on the labs spread came to me at the Saturday workday for deadline 5 in a complete mental block for design. The biggest challenge for the spread was trying to include so many horizontal photos into one spread. After some trial and error, we landed on this design, which makes a bold statement with the colorful dominant.
my work // design
my work // design
45 //
// design info // academics digital divide 120-121 write up // The Digital Divide spread received the most radical, lastminute redesign of any spread in the book. The original spread showed the "divide" between tech and paper in the classroom with a large slash down the middle of the page, but this style made the page feel clunky and the spread lacked unity. I met with the academics editor the evening before the page went to press and we gave it a massive overhaul, drawing inspiration from infographics, to create a unified spread that also contrasts these two teaching styles
my work // design
//46
info // student life alternative sports 122-123 write up // One of the biggest challenges of developing the alternative sports spread was striking balance. The staffers working on the page came to me for design help since they had difficulty configuring a spread with some many vertical images. After placing the large, striking dominant photo, I created a photo package of three, equally sized photos below it to showcase three different students without making one seem more important. Once those elements were placed, the rest of the spread came together rather easily.
my work // design
47 //
// design info // sports cheerleading 128-129 write up // The cheer spread was my last, true spread design in the book, and it is still one of my favorites since it is so bright and vibrant. While designing the spread, I knew I wanted to make it more advanced than some spreads I had previously created, so I experimented with a mod cut-in on the dominant, and it ended up looking great. The final spread is balance, with large blocks of text on opposite corners of the spread, and it showcases the squad's strong year well.
my work // design
//48
info // theme Legend staff ad 278-279 write up // The Legend staff ad was more an exercise in creativity than anything. To showcase our staff, Emma and I started with the theme-styled text down the left edge of the page, which was inspired by our staff's constant use of the word "simple" and our theme. We used cut ins for the staff names and added COBs of the editors to showcase their leadership. My favorite part is the included "Terms to Know," which features some of the phrases our staff used and their meanings. That mod added much more personality to the ad.
my work // captions / design / photos
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// design info // theme colophon 413 write up // The colophon design involved lots of tweaking, but the original design concept was reflective of the final version. Our biggest challenge in creating it was balancing the columns of text in the "Acknowledgments" section, since we had to mix fonts to show hierarchy. We also had some trouble fitting all the technical info into the right column, but that was remedied with some quick rewording. The final colophon was a great, final theme page before closing to tie the book together.
my work // body copy / design
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info // theme closing 416 write up // The final page of closing was meant to mirror the design of the title page, but since less text had to go on the page and we didn't have to place the theme words again, we could enlarge the photo. We also used the extra page real estate to tie up the book with a question, which could draw the reader back into the book if they feel as though there is ore for them to learn about the student body.
my work // captions / design / alternative copy
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// photography
info // theme / title / 001 caption // scream queen. As Nicki Minaj in the theater department’s production of I Saw You Scream Last Friday the Thirteenth on Elm Street, junior Rafael Figueroa screams after the stage lights shut off and the killer approaches to murder his character. “Mastering Nicki’s mannerisms was the hardest part of playing her. She grew up less fortunate than others, but ended up going to Juilliard, so I had to strike a balance between the classy Nicki and her more street version,” Figueroa said. write up // This first photo in the whole book provides the perfect visual-verbal tie to our theme, "You Just Don't Know Us." Since the photo captures a man in drag, the reader who did not see this drama production could learn something about the actor and the theater department after reading only the first page. Shooting the photo was not too tricky, since I have become much better at lowlight photography this year. my work // captions / photos / design / alternative copy
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info // theme / opening / 004-005 caption // some people want it all. In Acoustic Night, junior Elizabeth Villeneuve performs “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. “The song has a lot of soul in it, just these huge, fantastic parts that I believe are very powerful. It’s a very powerful song,” Villeneuve said. “In the lyrics it says ‘some people want it all,’ and it’s talking about earthly riches, but I see it as my family and God. If I have those things, I’m content, and that’s all I need in my life.” write up // Shooting in another low-light scenario, I captured this photo at Acoustic Night with general ease. The photo is sharp and captured the performers strong emotional connection to the song she performed. my work // body copy / captions / photos / design
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// photography
info // student life / polyester paradise / 018-019 caption // follow the leader. After a water break, junior Alyssa Velez leads a friend back onto the floor. my work // photos / design
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info // student life / polyester paradise / 018-019 caption // jump jump. Dancing with her friends, senior Crizd'liz Garcia jumps to the music. "The DJ was awesome and the music was awesome. There were no interruptions like there were at homecoming," Garcia said. my work // photos / design
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// photography
info // sports / girls cross country / 028-029 caption // what's clackalackin? While running at the Lake Nona Lion's Prowl, senior Audrey Clack speeds up to beat her opponent from Freedom High School. "Having really great teammates and learning a lot about discipline [was the biggest reward I got from running cross country]," Clack said. Clack placed 61st, 24:52.07, of 97 runners. my work // photos / design
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info // sports / girls cross country / 028-029 caption // run, ariel, run. On Sept. 12, senior Ariel D’Angelillo races to stay ahead of her opponent from Cornerstone Charter School. “[This was my most memorable meet] because I felt like I bonded with my teammates during the meet,” D’Angelillo said. D’Angelillo placed 41st, 22:30.80, of 97 runners at the Lion’s Prowl. my work // photos / design
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// photography
info // clubs / fall play / 040-041 caption // come out, come out. His face illuminated, the killer, senior Colin Curtis, creeps onto the stage. my work // photos / design
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info // student life / homecoming days / 046-047 caption // chip shot. Senior Andrew Cairns follows through on a kick, sending the kickball into the outfield. "I expected the seniors to win. I didn't expect it to come down to a rock-paper-scissors match, but it was a lot of fun," Cairns said. Principal Dusty Johns won the match for the junior class. my work // photos / design
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// photography
info // student life / homecoming days / 046-047 caption // take five. Before the kickball tournament on Oct. 13, junior Brandon McCoy hypes up his teammates. "I was excited that we won and I think it shows that we're a great class and we're ready for the next two years," McCoy said. my work // photos / design
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info // sports / football / 054-055 caption // at first glance. On a kick return against Lake Brantley, junior Nikolas Deloach sprints down the line with the ball. "I'm a playmaker; I make the team exciting. Also, I'm funny so when we are down, I can cheer [the team] up," Deloach said. Deloach had 37 catches for 578 yards on the season. my work // photos
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// photography
info // clubs / band / 072-073 caption // follow the leader. Before a football game, senior drum majors Alexander Harris-Unzueta and Elena Berisha lead the color guard and band to the stands. "Band is an escape for me. It's a way to get out of the house and be involved with something that is my passion," Berisha said. Berisha was on the leadership team for three years. my work // photos
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info // student life / acoustic night / 118-119 caption // warm up time. Right before the show, freshman Rodney Gage practices his piece. my work // photos
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// photography
info // student life / acoustic night / 118-119 caption // glo' up. Under the black light, senior Joseph Almuhtaseb (left) performs with drum line mates senior Edgard Manso and junior Jordan Bright in Stixx. my work // photos
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info // student life / acoustic night / 118-119 caption // hello, it's me. Center stage, freshman Rachel Kinna dances to "Hello" by Adele. "The reaction of my classmates after I performed [was my favorite part of Brave Aid]. They were surprised I did this and was so passionate," Kinna said. Kinna started dancing at 3 years old. my work // photos
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// photography
info // theme / people / 190-191 caption // how do you like them apples? At lunch, freshman Luis Rodriguez-Mendez catches an apple in a game of monkey in the middle. "We were just playing and got to [throwing the apple]," Rodriguez-Mendez said. "Lunch gives me a chance to just hang with the guys and take a break." write up // Gathering photos for the people divider was the biggest challenge I face this year while working on dividers. I circled the campus at lunch for a few days until I finally encountered this student and his friends playing catch with an apple. It was my shot. The photo captures his emotion and set a positive tone on the divider to compliment the dominant. my work // body copy/ captions / photos / design
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info // theme / community / 210-211 caption // hot n' ready. At the football game against Colonial High School on Oct. 30, band parent James Ferrell grills hot dogs and burgers for fans. “[The most challenging part about grilling at the games is] keeping your eyebrows,” Ferrell said. “Before we got the new grill, there was a lot of fire. [The best part about grilling was that] people seemed to like them and I enjoyed feeding the people.” my work // photos / design
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info // theme / community / 210-211 caption // line by line. To assist with the Fellowship of Christian Athlete’s community service project, parent Tracy Losch paints the main office hallway. “[The most rewarding aspects of volunteering are] the smiles on the faces of those I get to serve and the relationships with students, staff and other parents. No matter what the project, I get to meet new people,” Losch said. my work // photos / design
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info // sports / tennis / spring 020-021 caption // slide on up. At the net, senior Ashlyn Gage volleys the ball to her Winter Park opponent in the March 15 match. "I love that [tennis is] a competitive sport," Gage said. my work // photos
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// web info // sports / tinyurl.com/XCLionsProwl
my work // writing
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info // sports / tinyurl.com/XCMountainDewInvitational
my work // writing
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// web info // sports / tinyurl.com/TennisSweepsLions
my work // writing
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photo galleries // click each thumbnail to view
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// multimedia
// reservation run wrap up
to view, click here or the thumbnail
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// "my boone high school story" camp marketing video
to view, click here or the thumbnail
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// entrepreneursh // boone publications rebrand The Boone Publications image overhaul made boonepubs.com and its social media a modern online presence. Prior to the 2015-16 school year, our publications department's online presence was generally disjointed. Our newspaper, Hilights, ran its own independent news site, hilights.org, for which both newspaper and yearbook students wrote. Then our media accounts were all under the @ boonepubs umbrella. The two staff's acted as contributors to the major Boone Pubs image, but there was little unity within the department or
// the logo With the summer of 2015, I knew it was time for a facelift and remodel of our online presence. First, we needed a logo. I spent about a week exploring logo and branding publications, like Logograma and Color Matters, hoping to stumble across some inspiration. I was bound to our school's color scheme of orange and blue when working with color so student's would still associate our image with our school. I ultimately decided that I wanted to create an abstract image for our publication, both to represent the creativity of our department and the diversity and free-form of our student body. I unified our image under our Pantone 021 and Pantone 292 C. Further, the line that crosses the logo is meant to represent both the division of the two publications, Legend yearbook and Hilights newspaper, that existed within the publications department. It also shows unity, since they often cooperate on sport and event coverage. The biggest goal though was to create a unified and extendable image. Before the rebrand, our social media logos were just photos of our school's totem pole. It was time to give ourselves the professional image our department needed and deserved.
// boonepubs.com Once the logo was finished, I quickly ran into the issue, "How the heck will people know what just BP means?" That challenge led me to develop the header of boonepubs.com. I wanted the dominant element to be the orange BP logo, but what I could not quite solve was how to communicate that it meant boonepubs. I ultimately downsized the logo and build the typographic "boonepubs" stamp off to its right. That portion of the header has grown to become, in some cases, more prevalent than the orange stamp logo. My adviser took and printed it on t-shirts and sweatshirts, and that design scheme has become more common in our branding and ads than the actual logo.
// social media image
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hip // marketing with the PTSA student planners
My school's PTSA publishes an original planner design each year to sell to students for $5 at the beginning of the school year, and they often sell a few hundred copies. My adviser normally designs the planner, with cover art by a student, but she put me in charge of the project for the 2015-16 student planner. I custom built the week views with school events listed, but also with the dates for the yearbook sales, so students who buy the planners would have constant reminders that books are on sale. I also included a big, bold reminder for the last yearbook sale date (in the fifth image), so students who have and use the planners absolutely would not forget to buy their books. One major advantage of having this more passive ad campaign running yearlong in the planners is that it helps us reach underclassmen, namely freshmen, many of whom pick up a copy of the planner before school starts. Our social media and web campaigns reach students in tenth grade and up more easily since they are aware that the high school yearbook exists, let alone being aware of and following our media campaigns. The ad at the front of the planner, along with monthly reminders, pushed students to order their copy of Legend year-round.
// camp orlando 2015 shirts When it was time for Camp Orlando, it was time for t-shirts. As the senior editor, I took it upon myself to design the shirts for the Legend staff to wear so we could all be unified in our image on our first day at camp. While the shirts followed modern design trends and had that retro aesthetic, they served the secondary purpose of marketing our book to students when yearbook staffers wore them to school. Even cooler, the shirts have a built in Aurasma, so people who have the Aurasma app and follow @boonepubs can scan the front pocket or the back and a marketing video will come up on their phones. The "Got you Legend?" question on the back acted as the shirt's call to action. It wowed the other schools at camp and added to our marketing and sales plans.
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// design sample
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// now I know what's next
Here I am now, looking on to the next phase of my life. Northwestern is my next step. Internships, newsrooms, live interviews, TV studios... That's where I am heading next. As my senior year closes, the next stage of my life has become clear. I am all too ready for it. Nostalgia has crept up on me though. No more Room 224, no more yerd herd, no more yearbook... I am sad, but I know that great things are yet to come.
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// staff acknowledgments
This one's for my yerds. First, to my "Keeping Up with the Caslers" crew, you guys are awesome. This portfolio would not have been possible without your help. Thanks for letting me rant to you whenever and share some amazing times with you. To Emma and Morgan, thanks for always being my support network. People just don't know how much I relied on the two of you to make this book possible, and you always exceeded every expectation and every limit. You too are phenomenal. Peace. Love. Theme team. To Burke, I would not be the young adult I am today without you. You have molded me into a more responsible, caring, daring person. Journalism is my future because of you. You will always be my yerd mom. And now, to the staff. You guys are phenomenal. You put up with my sass and snarky edits and you charged through deadlines with gusto. This book was incredible because of you guys.
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and then it was all over. matt casler // journalist
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