CARSON COLLINS YEARBOOK EXAM PORTFOLIO
On September 12, Dad’s Stadium was alive with spirit and excitement, fostered by the boisterous and lively sounds of the marching band, led by new director, Mr. Dell. Not even a tornado warning and relentless thunderstorms could keep the marching band from entertaining the crowd. Band member, Marc Weinstein(9), said, “We played louder and more energetic. It’s our job to keep the game going.” Marching band is a treasured part of the Friday night tradition at Plant. Practices began two weeks before school and they spent six hours a week practicing their set, which features Swang, the ESPN theme song, Stuntin, and Head Busses, among others. As the marching band proceeded to crowd the field for their half-time performance, fans took their seats in anxious preparation. Led by drum majors, Kathryn Turk(12), Jodi Traster(11) and Jacob Ramos(12), the band aroused fans with the first movement of their marching show, Opposites. “The half time show is really exciting. We want to engage the kids too, not just the parents. It’s a lot of fun and we love doing it,” said Traster(11). Marching Band has set an impressive standard for members: work hard and stay committed. They have set high goals for this season and the future. Mr. Dell says, “Our goal is to raise the Plant Marching Band to state and national recognition. The school is there, but marching band is not. We’re hoping to get there.”
This copy is one of my favorites because it is the first copy I ever wrote as a yearbook staff member. This copy helped me transition from newspaper to yearbook and taught me the differences between the two. I also had a great interview with the band director, Mr. Dell, and was able to get pretty good quotes and details about the event. This copy had many errors, but it was my first step into yearbook and laid down the foundation for the type of writer I would be.
If someone walked into Room 103 at approximately 12:30pm, amidst the pressures of deadline week, he or she would be sucked into the hustle and bustle of the hard-working and dedicated Pep O’ Plant staff. Sports editor, EV Phillips (11) said, “Everything is hectic. It truly brings out your personality when under stress. Aside from this, we still get everything done, which is good.” This year, the staff released their first annual “first day” edition. This edition featured stories about new teachers to Plant and upcoming events at school. “We were here two weeks before school working on it. It was more of a bonding thing. There weren’t as many articles so it was a chance for us to get to know one another,” said Editor-in-Chief, Jessica Jagodzinski (12). Throughout the year, Pep O’ Plant works tirelessly to release monthly editions of the school’s newspaper, which can feature a large variety of stories. Anything from new NCAA regulations to clubs at Plant, the Pep O’ Plant is responsible for covering all major events inside and outside of school. Staffer, Nikki Lund (12) says “It’s taxing but fulfilling. You feel like you’re more in tune with what’s happening at school. You feel like you have more connection.” This year, Pep O’ Plant produced 10 issues of the student newspaper, contributed to by the high-energy and passionate staff and editors.
I chose to use this copy in my portfolio because it highlights the many errors I made at the beginning of the year. In September, I was only semi-familiar with AP style and still didn’t have a handle on how to write solid yearbook copy. This copy was a major stepping stone in my development as a writer.
I loved taking the Pep O’ Plant photos because I am friends with a lot of the staffers and they understood the importance of a candid photo. These photos were also interesting to take because it was Spirit Week and everyone was dressed up. I chose this picture for my portfolio because it showcases my ability to adapt to unexpected situations and still be able to produce results.
Normally, I would’t include a staged photo in my portfolio. However, this photo was taken due to my responsibility as a staffer. I was one of the three staffers chosen to take class officer pictures. However, this meant taking on a great deal of responsibility as I was responsible for picking a location, contacting the officers and setting up a time and date to take the pictures. I also learned that taking pictures one on one with people can be really fun if you allow yourself to have fun with what you are doing.
My favorite pictures thus far are the ones I took at the Breast Cancer Walk in October for Anchor. There was a lot of excitement and emotion that made being the photographer easy. Since I was getting such good material, I began to look for different angles to change up the style of my photos. In this photo I am shooting a girl from behind who is framed by enthusiastic walkers. I chose this photo for my portfolio because it displays my ability to find different material than the average photo.
This is another photo that shows clear emotion and excites a reader. I chose this photo because of the action and emotion showcased in the photo. My biggest problem as a photographer is working with shutter speed, so when I get a photo that captures action cleanly, I feel very proud.
Standing, smiling, serving, Anchor Service Club is always available around campus to lend a loving hand to all those in need. Anchor is one of the four allgirls service club that focuses on reaching out to the less fortunate and providing them with their time, energy and attention. Board member, Yasmin Toney(12), said “Anchor gives me the opportunity to not have to do community service alone. Being with all the other girls adds more spirit and heart.” This year, Anchor took place in the highly- anticipated Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. To commemorate the event, and add their own special touch, Anchor especially “man-tanks” which featured the names of 16 various loved ones of club members. “I really liked how Anchor did special shirts this year for the event. It was special that anyone could be represented no matter who they were,” Lauren Hirsch(11) said. On the morning of October 18th, sporting their hot pink tanks, over 25 Anchor girls met at Publix to make the short trip over to the convention center for the walk. With a fresh, fall breeze in the air, accompanied by the “survivor balloons”, a special touch to honor breast cancer survivors, the 3.2 mile walk went underway. Walking under the convention center, the participants were met with the vivacious chants and hollers of other elated walkers. After passing cheering crowds and energetic water stations, the girls continued their walk onto Bayshore all the way to Rome St. Before the walk concluded, the girls were handed several strands of long, pink beads to thank them for their participation. Mallie Stanford(9) said, “Seeing all the people and survivors with the balloons was a really significant thing. It was really special to be a part of it.” It was a highly successful event, which raised over $250,000 dollars. All girls were eager to begin plans for next year’s walk and other future service events due to the overwhelming hit of the event.
This was one of my favorite copies to write because there was so much going on, that it made it easy to write descriptively. There are still a few AP style and grammar errors, but this copy was a good stepping stone in my yearbook career this semester.
Slowly entering the auditorium, sophomore, junior and even senior students nervously took their seats. Dressed in their Sunday best, they anxiously awaited the program to begin. “I was scared at first, but it was nice to know my family and friends were around me when I was inducted,” Josh Davis (10) said. Each year, a formal induction is held to honor those students who have performed up to Beta Club standards in their academics and community service. Potential members must have a 3.8 unweighted GPA or higher and have logged at least 15 service hours. This year, 144 members were inducted into Beta Club on Wednesday, Nov. 19. “I am hard on myself about getting good grades. The stuff we do now will influence the college we go to. I also think giving back to the community is very important,” Caileigh Potter (10) said. Two guest speakers were invited to inform the new inductees of their importance in the world and their soon-to-come opportunities through Beta. “The speakers encouraged getting involved and doing activities during the summer to benefit applying for college. I know I am going to try and get a job or internship this summer,” Riley Richards (10) said. After all members had retaken their seats after walking the stage, now accompanied by new Beta pins and certificates of Induction, the Beta pledge was read by all members. A reception followed, where the new members were treated to a holiday cookie spread put on by the Academic Foundation. Beta members complete a variety of community service projects each year, starting with a collection of baby products collected at Induction for a school in Columbia. Many parents, teachers, and others students eagerly gathered to celebrate the success of the dedicated inductees and to encourage all of their future endeavours.
I chose to include this copy because it really challenged me as a writer and as a journalist. When I originally sought out quotes, the answers to my questions were very mono-syllabic and gave no real details. Also, the event itself was not as exciting as other events I had written copy for. This copy proved very difficult, but in the end it came out as a very good representation of the club and the event.
The pictures I took at the Beta Induction were some of the most challenging I have ever taken. I have always enjoyed photography, but this job posed a great challenge. I was unfamiliar with the camera I was using and the lighting in the auditorium was horrendous. In order to manipulate the photos, I spent a great deal of time using Photoshop, which also helped my development as a staffer on yearbook.
Amidst the roars of thousands of fans and the boisterous marching band, Danceros continually provided a fun-filled, energetic atmosphere for all football fans. This year, Plant’s award-winning dance team welcomed their new sponsor, Ms. Renaud with a warm embrace. They were excited for a new year with a fresh sponsor to help run the practices. Team member, Meredith Muller(10) said, “Ms. Renaud is a great administrator. She can give us positive feedback and is a better communicator than our past advisors.” This year’s team consisted of 22 members, all focused on their love for entertaining enormous crowds through dance. “I like how we can work together in the things that we do. It’s fun because we’re a team and we’re never separated,” team member, Brianna Ward(9) said. For the first time ever, the Danceros used pink pom-poms to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness month. These pom-pons, along with their pink halter tops, were featured during the “Pink Out” game against Wharton on October 24th. The Danceros also welcomed the help of multiple elementary school students, who cheered alongside the Danceros during the same game. “We bought pink pom-poms and pink uniforms for the first time ever. We also danced at half-time to show our support for those affected by Breast Cancer,” Captain, Kelly Hooker(12) said. The Danceros’ hard work and dedication throughout the fall football season helped propel them into the fanaticism of competition season, always anticipated by the Dancero team members.
This was another particularly difficult copy to write. I was put in charge of covering the pink-out game for Danceros, which mainly featured them dancing at half-time. There was not much material to work with, so I had to go into details about the team itself and their previous efforts that led up to the game. I chose to include this in my portfolio because it is another example of my efforts to write a copy that will entertain a reader with very little resources.