CSPA Crown — In Their Voices Issue 7 by Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards Issue 7

In this Issue:

In Their Voices The CSPA invited all 2012 Crown Finalists to submit two spreads that their staff believed helped elevate their publications to Crown status. These are their observations as told in their voices, presented in alpha order by school.

Bellarmine College Prep, The Carillon Yearbook, San Jose, CA; Episcopal School of Dallas, Eagle Edition Newspaper, Dallas, TX; Grady High School, The Southerner Newspaper Atlanta, GA; Hillcrest International School, The Image Yearbook, Sentani, Papua Indonesia; PK Yonge Developmental Research School, Making Waves Magazine, Gainesville, FL; Powell Middle School, The Prowl Yearbook, Littleton, CO; Walnut High School, Cayuse Yearbook, Walnut, CA.

Bellarmine College Prep The Carillon Yearbook San Jose, CA Pages 194-195, “Doctor in the House” This spread showcases the teachers that have taught at school for an extensive period of time. Readers get a glimpse of each teacher’s character not only from their photo, but also from their interview responses. This spread also showcased our theme for the academics section: wisdom. We have many teachers who have taught for many years and made impressions on thousands of students.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

The CSPA invited all 2012 Crown Finalists to submit two spreads that their staff believed helped elevate their publications to Crown status. These are their observations as told in their voices, presented in alpha order by school.

Bellarmine College Prep The Carillon Yearbook San Jose, CA Pages 202-203, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Portrait of a Teacherâ&#x20AC;? This spread on careers has a dramatic dominant photo to give it a magazine feature feel. The horizontal layout anchors and allows space for the bottom coverage, but at the same time does not distract from the main copy.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

Episcopal School of Dallas Eagle Edition Newspaper Dallas, TX Page 21, 12/8/10 “5 x ‘10” We chose this page because most entertainment pages only allow a few reviews to be published. The 5 x 10 was a way to showcase the entire year of entertainment and allow readers to pick and choose what topics to read.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

entertainment

With only 25 more days left in the year, we’ve picked the best of movies, music, TV shows, viral videos, and news items from 2010 COMPILED BY: SHELBY KUHN

News

Viral

Shows

Music

Movies

Toy Story 3

Harry Potter

The Social Network

Scott Pilgrim

Even though there were lovable movies about socially awkward boy wizards, billionaires, and slackers, Toy Story 3 still takes the cake as best movie of 2010. Beautiful and touching, Pixar once again shows that they can make a kids movie for adults. Oh, and I cried.

There’s always some hesitation with a new Harry Potter movie. What if it completely ruins the book? This was not the case with Deathly Hallows:Part One. The first of the epic two parter was extremely satisfying, and former editor Elizabeth Barnes wrote “It is brilliant.”

I was dubious about the “Facebook movie.” But David Fincher (Fight Club) continues his streak of directing smart, captivating movies. The Social Network really hits it out of the park with Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay and Jessie Eisenburg’s smarmy portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg.

The movie that no one saw, but should have seen. Scott Pilgrim is a dazzling whirlwind of colors, video game nostalgia, and sharp dialogue. Edgar Wright (Shuan of the Dead) establishes that he is one of the most talented and creative directors around. Hopefully Pilgrim will become a cult hit.

Taylor Swift

Kanye West

Republic of Wolves

Deerhunter

Taylor Swift impresses me to no end. She somehow finds a way to create the same song again and again but is still extremely popular. Despite all of this, I’m obsessed with her (see my column). Taylor is one of the remaining “megastars” in our culture, and she should be celebrated for it.

Kanye is kind of an awful person, at least in the eyes of the media and Dubya. However, there’s no denying he knows how to make a great album. I know nothing about hip-hop culture, but I still can enjoy the creativity and pathos he put into My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Last year the Republic of Wolves snuck onto the indie scene with His Old Branches. With Varuna, their first official full release, they cement their state as the most promising band of the year. A comfortable balance of catchy harmony and smart lyrics, which is an uncommon delight.

Deerhunter is a tricky band to like. Their lo-fi pre-ditigal sound hardly acts as good background music. You have to give full attention to Halcyon Digest to enjoy it. But boy is it an enjoyable album. The weird mix between ambient and pop music that cannot be ignored.

LOST

Sarah Palin’s Alaska

Gossip Girl

Inception The summer blockbuster is a funny creature. It’s hard to strike a balance between good ole fun and some semblance of intelligence. Inception found that balance. With Oscar season coming up, you can be sure that it will receive some nods. If not, there will be a lot of angry people.

Cee Lo Cee Lo is a Soul god. He had the best single of the year with “Forget You” that was featured everywhere from my iPod to Glee. The Lady Killer is undefinable. He has a mixture of pop, rock, and hip-hop — completely orginial, which is hard to find in any other pop star.

Modern Family

Glee Glee is wildly inconsistent and has some really low moments. However, when Glee is good, it shines like no other. Ryan Murphy has created a pop culture phenomenon that everyone wants a part of. He’s made all those kids into superstars. And each week the songs are pretty good.

I go gaga for LOST. It has no equal and is truly an incredible journey. There’s an emotional attachment to each character, which makes for great television. The final episode brought the nation together and was talked about for weeks. It was a good run, and it’s sad to see LOST go.

Every so often there’s a show that is completely and totally poignant that we must invest all our emotions. Sarah Palin’s Alaska is... not that show. However, it is hilarious, in a sort of uncomfortable way. But it’s been doing well, partly due to liberals who want to make fun of it.

While season 3 of Gossip Girl was somewhat disappointing, the writers came back with a vengeance in season 4. Gossip Girl is delicious and a perfect Monday night view. Despite the superficiality, Gossip Girl is some darn good television. The best escapism anyone could offer.

Between Glee and Modern Family, the Emmys didn’t seem quite fair. It makes sense though, both shows are creative and funny. Modern Family is one of those shows that I actually laugh out loud at. It harkens to the great sitcoms of the 1990s like Frasier, Seinfeld, and Will and Grace.

Old Spice

Geico Pig

Bed Intruder

Double Rainbow

Alex Reads Twilight

Old Spice is sort of the opposite of hip, but they finally catapulted themselves into the 21st century with their ad campaign featuring a shirtless Isaiah Mustafa. He responded to hundreds of Twitter and YouTube questions, providing hundreds of smiles and laughs.

“Did the little pig go ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home?” Geico aired a stream of humorous videos featuring pigs and drill sergeants, among other things. The pig is my personal favorite, as the little pig is wee weeing with his head out the window holding a pinwheel. Oh, animal humor.

“Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife.” AutoTune the News made Antoine Dodson’s “lyrics famous. “Bed Intruder” had a good run on YouTube and iTunes and probably will be a pop culture staple for the next few years or at least on Facebook statuses everywhere. Hide yo’ kids indeed.

You know you’ve made it if you get mentioned in a chapel talk. The “Double Rainbow” guy popped up everywhere from the YouTube homepage to Facebook, from statuses to pictures of actual... double rainbows, almost to the point of being obnoxious. Makes me remeber eighth grade science.

Given that the number of Twi-Hards is rapidly diminishing, people love to see other people make fun of it. Alex Day made a series of YouTube videos where he just read the “novel” out loud with witty dialogue along the way, and he has like the most adorable British accent.

Royal Wedding

Rangers

McRib

Chilean Miners

Wellness Center

Britain needs some happy news (as does the world). With all of the rioting that’s going on, they just need something nice — like a wedding! After nine years, Prince William finally proposed to Kate Middletown. The wedding of the century is set for April 29 at Westminster Abbey.

For years the Rangers were the laughingstock of the MLB. Then with a little magic and luck (and Cliff Lee) they made it to the World Series. Who cares if they lost to the equally deserving Giants, they beat the Yankees! If nothing else, tons of people became interested in baseball for a while.

From The Rocky Horror Picture Show to The Room, every group has its cult idol. For many it is the elusive McRib — the nutritional nightmare. McRib is probably riskier than its worth, but people love this dangerous concoction. Rest assured those who missed it, it always returns.

It’s been a pretty tough year. With the earthquake in Haiti and the oil spill in the Gulf, good news is hard to find. Happiness came from watching the successful rescue of those 33 Chilean Miners. Now various books and TV shows are in store for the miners to tell their captivating story.

I’m somewhat unathletic, but the Stephen B. Swann Athletic and Wellness Center is rather cool, and if I so choose to be athletic, I could do so with ease. In addition, we all appreciate the new sports and classes it offers. Big ESD news comes rarely, so the opening was really a treat.

Episcopal School of Dallas Eagle Edition Newspaper Dallas, TX Page 18, 2/3/11 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where are They Now?â&#x20AC;? We chose this sports page because it is often difficult to cover our high school games due to our publication schedule. This sports profile allowed us to cover the success of our alumni and bring a new angle to our sports section.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

sports

Thursday, February 3, 2011

WHERE ARE THEY

NOW? www.flickriver.com

www.furmanpaladins.com

Courtesy of Caroline Gehan

Courtesy of Suzanne Miller

(far left) LAX BRO: Captain of the Dartmouth College lacrosse team, Rhett Miller, ‘07, carries the ball down the field while playing Holy Cross. Miller played lacrosse for eight years before joining The Big Green team. (above center) SLAP SHOT: The University of New Hampshire’s goaltender, Lindsey Minton, ‘08, dives to make a save in a game against Providence. Minton had her first career win and shutout with the New Hampshire Wildcats in December of her freshman year. (below center) SPIKE: Lindsay Gehan, ‘07, goes for a block while playing for Georgia. Gehan played middle blocker when she was on the team. (far right) PLAY BALL: Furman senior, Reese Wade, ‘07, steps up to the plate in a game against South Carolina. The Paladins lost 11-6.

Former athletes relate experiences, plan for future By Sadie Hardt Senior Editor

he captain of the Dartmouth lacrosse team. The number six college ice hockey goal-tender in the nation. Formerly ranked 20th in the nation collegiate volleyball blocker. An All-American baseball player as a freshman. Alumni have received these titles over the past four years. The alums attribute much of their success to habits they learned and practiced at ESD. They reflect on their athletic careers and future plans.

Lindsey minton, university of new hampshire Lindsey Minton, ’08, began playing ice hockey when she was 4 years old. She continued her hockey career throughout high school on club teams and participated in both the field hockey and lacrosse teams at ESD. Now the ice hockey goaltender for the Division I University of New Hampshire team, Minton said that she always knew she would play in college. “It always seemed natural to take that next step,” Minton said. “It gave me something to work hard for and kept me focused throughout high school.” Minton has as many as three games a week with multiple lifts and 14 hours of practice. She has been able to adapt to the practice schedule since she has been a starter since her freshman year. During her first year at UNH, Minton played in 12 games and started in 10. She ended her freshman year with a 10-0-0 record and the Hockey East League title. She also gained recognition as the Hockey East Defensive Player of the Week and twice as the Hockey East Rookie of the week. “Hopefully, I can help my team progress and make more appearances in the NCAA finals,” Minton said. “My goal is to get more league titles.”

reese wade, furman university Reese Wade, ’07, decided his junior year at ESD to focus solely on baseball. A senior at Furman, Wade is now first baseman and designated hitter for the Division I team. He is considering continuing his career after college. “ESD definitely prepared me for sports at the collegiate level,” Wade said. “I couldn’t ask for a better high school experience from a small private school.” When choosing a college, Wade first looked at academics and then at the school’s baseball program. At the time, the baseball team was doing well, and that was exactly what Wade was looking for. “I have really felt at home with the team here,” Wade said. “My freshman year was pretty special because not only did we play really well, but I had a really good season. Our team broke the school’s record for most wins.” After his performance during his rookie year, Wade was named an AllAmerican. Following this recognition, Wade became optimistic for his future. “If I play well enough, I might get to play professionally,” Wade said. Still Wade hopes to go to law school within the next two years, which means he would not be able to pursue a professional baseball career in the major leagues but perhaps in a smaller league. For the time being, he is enjoying his final year at Furman. “Everything’s gone by so fast,” Wade said. “The seniors and I joke about how much we used to look up to the seniors when we were freshmen, but now, being

a senior, we get to see the difference in how the freshmen and underclassmen look at us. It’s cool.”

Lindsay gehan, university of georgia Lindsay Gehan, ’07, began playing volleyball in seventh grade, but it was not until her junior year in upper school that she decided to pursue it in college. After attending a camp at the University of Georgia in the summer of 2006, Gehan realized that she wanted to play volleyball for the Bulldogs. Gehan played middle blocker for Georgia and as a freshman was among the top 20 blockers in the country. She also received the “Best Defensive Player for Blocking” award both her freshman and sophomore years. Gehan still loves the game but can no longer play at the collegiate level because of multiple injuries and “bad chemistry” with the coaching personnel. “From the beginning, the whole experience — Lindsay Gehan, ‘07 was just different than I had expected,” said Gehan, who quit after her sophomore year. “I didn’t have the same coach that recruited me, I got injured again, and then it just got to be a little too much. I wanted to enjoy my college life more than I did.” Though Gehan does not regret the two seasons she spent on the team, she has enjoyed her time away from the game. “My two years not playing have definitely been better than my two years playing,” Gehan said. “I would probably choose to play in college again, but now

“From the beginning, the whole experience was just different than I had expected. I didn’t have the same coach that recruited me, I got injured again, and then it just got to be a little too much. I wanted to enjoy my college life more than I did.”

that I look back on it, I probably would have chosen a different program.”

rhett miller darmouth college Rhett Miller, ’07, played both varsity soccer and varsity lacrosse all four years of high school. Miller decided in fifth grade that he wanted to play Division I lacrosse in college. Now, as a four-year starter, Miller plays both mid-field and attack and is the captain of the Dartmouth lacrosse team. “The biggest difference between high school and Division I lacrosse is the speed of the game and the talent of the goalies,” Miller said. “Practices are high speed, high rep, competitive, and very intense. Every drill is a competition between yourself and your teammates.” Though Miller had to adjust to the increased intensity of the game, he thinks that his experiences in high school taught him lessons he was able to use in college. “ESD definitely prepared me for sports at the collegiate level,” Miller said. “Lacrosse with a top-tier team like ESD was very demanding.” Miller feels blessed to have had such a great college and athletic career and would encourage any athletes thinking of pursuing a sport in college to understand the commitment and passion needed in order to do it. “If you want to play a sport in college you have to be 100 percent prepared for it,” Miller said. “Play because you love the sport, not because other people want you to play or because you think it is cool to do. Do it because you want to and because it is your favorite thing in your life.” But, after playing lacrosse for 12 years, Miller will retire after this season. Though his plans after college are not set, Miller hopes to work in New York City in commercial real estate. “After my last game, lacrosse will be over,” Miller said. “But hopefully I’ll have a job set up before my season even starts.”

Grady High School The Southerner Newspaper Atlanta, GA Pages 8-9, Issue 4, “Black and White” This is perhaps the most fundamentally important issue our school community faces — the school within a school that divides our communications academy from the larger school population. The story is an analysis of the racial and gender demographics at our school that are disproportionately white and female. The design boldly suggest the angle visually and the graphic on the left and right present the demographics in a quick read that complements the story and invites readers to dive in and read it.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

Voices

BLACK & WHITE The new academies comprise disproportionate numbers of students by race and gender. Administrators disagree on how, or if, to amend the academy selection process, an issue that is far from...9

Hispanic 1%

Multiracial 3%

White 13%

White 58%

Multiracial 2% Hispanic 2%

White 12%

Cobb’s situation may be far from unique. Data compiled by The Southerner shows that racial and gender disproportionalities are commonplace across Black the academies. The Business and Entrepreneurship Academy, for example, is 44 percent female and 56 60% percent male and is 83 percent black, 13 percent white, 3 percent multiracial and 1 percent Asian. The Communications and Journalism Academy, on the other hand, is 68 percent female and 32 percent male. It is 59 percent white, 36 percent black, 3 percent multiracial, 1 percent Asian and 1 percent Hispanic. The remaining Communications Magnet classes have a similar racial and gender breakdown—they are 51 percent Asian 1% white, 43 percent black, 2 percent multiracial and 2 percent Asian. The three magnet classes are 65 percent female and 35 percent male. The racial and gender breakdowns of the Biomedical Science and Engineering and the Public Policy and Justice academies, while not representative of the school’s population as a whole, are less dramatically divergent. According to Grady’s 20092010 school profile, the school is 67 percent black, Black 27 percent white and 6 percent “other.” Statistics 83% for the 2010-2011 school year were not available by press time. Cobb said that his African-American friends in other academies see racial and academic divides between the Communications and Journalism Academy and those academies. “[They said that] Communications is the smart kids academy...and they were like, all the white people are in Asian 1% there, right?’” Cobb said. “They were like, ‘Yeah, then it’s the challenge academy, and they just put all the other kids in the other academies.’” In spite of his friends’ sentiments, though, Cobb believes that his experience has actually broadened his hoBlack rizons. 36% “There’s more chance for me to stand out and be a better student,” Cobb said. “The diversity also helps. If I were in an academy with only African-American students, I wouldn’t see that diversity.” Communications and Journalism Academy Leader Carrie MacBrien sees gender as the most glaring disproportionality. Hispanic 1% 3% “The imbalance that leaps off Multiracial the page immediately is the gender imbalance,” MacBrien said. “It Asian 2% is entirely possible that perhaps more female students are interested in communications and journalism than males.”

Black 81%

confronting vide

the

Di-

Black 67%

c e rt sy of Grady pr in

Principal Vincent Murray said that while he hasn’t personally seen racial or gender segregation, he believes it exists. “I have not noticed it, but I think it does probably exist,” Murray said. “That’s a sticky kind of thing because you can’t really get into assigning people based on race or gender or anything of that nature, so it’s a matter of allowing people to choose.” Murray said that cross-academy electives and Advanced Placement classes will ease some of the divisions. The Southerner obtained statistics on the ra-

White 27%

Other 6%

Source: Percentages derived from data provided by each academy leader.

A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS

Multiracial 6%

cial breakdown of AP students from math teacher and AP coordinator Andrew Nichols. According to his records, of all students approved for at least one AP class last year, 48 percent were white and 43 percent were black. Like the racial makeup of SLCs, the distribution of races in AP classes is far from representative of the racial makeup of the entire school. Although Nichols said that data only covers those students who were approved—not those who actually took an AP class—he estimates that the two figures differ by less than 1 percent. “We have the open electives, and then we have the passport for students who wish to take an emphasis-based elective in one of the other academies,” Murray said. “To me, it’s like, you’re combating the problem of having them all clustered together because of race or gender.” APS spokesperson Morieka Johnson explained that race does not

White 26%

By Ben Gittelson and Sam Weinstock Within the first few days of school, freshman Kyle Cobb noticed that he was the only black male in his biology and literature classes. For Cobb, the realization was “shocking.” He is not just the only black male in those classes, though—he is one of only three black males in the entire Communications and Journalism Academy. “Since I’m the only black male, some of the teachers look at me a little differently, not in a racist way, but, ‘Wow, he’s the only black male,’” Cobb said. He feels, however, that being in the minority has been a positive experience. Asian “As far as the curriculum and academics, I don’t think it has affected me,” Cobb said. “I see it as an opportunity for me to stand out as a person.”

ABOVE: Freshman Demetrius McNeal is one of three black males in the Communications and Journalism Academy. LEFT: This graph shows the racial composition of the entire student body. The Southerner obtained this data from the school profile posted on Grady’s website.

play a factor in the academy selection process. “They’re not selected along racial lines, so when that happens, the goal is to get people into programs that will promote them staying in schools and moving through the four years,” Johnson said. APS director of media relations Keith Bromery and representatives from the APS Office of High Schools did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Speech and debate teacher Mario Herrera, however, believes that electives “are not being used how they should be used” and that race issues still need to be addressed. “The race issue is exacerbated by SLCs, and [there] truly is no solution,” Herrera said. “If you have admissions requirements, then that causes its own issues.” Literature teacher Mecca Handy agreed that racial and gender divisions are a pressing issue. “We know it’s going on, and we don’t do anything about it,” Handy said. “We don’t want to leave a legacy that says segregation is OK.” Business and Entrepreneurship Academy leader Willie Vincent believes that racial and gender divisions between the academies are “absolutely not” an issue. “It would only concern me if the students were not given

de facto segregation

The Southerner investigates the proportions of racial groups in the small learning communities.

ABOVE: Freshman Frances Fairlie Pierce is one of 29 white females in the Communications and Journalism Academy. RIGHT: This graph shows the breakdown of students who were approved for at least one Advanced Placement class last year.

Asian 3% White 48%

Multiracial 4%

Black 43%

Hispanic 1%

equal access to information,” Vincent said. “It would concern me if we were steering students toward one [academy] based on race or gender.” Vincent believes that any discontent over racial or gender segregation in the academies is more the exception than the norm. “I don’t want to upset the scheme of the whole school to appease one or two cantankerous persons who don’t understand how the education process works,” Vincent said. “Whoever’s sitting out there saying, ‘You need to balance this racially,’ does not understand how the education process works.” Public Policy and Justice Academy leader Russell Plasczyk theorized that parental influence on academy choice might be a cause of disproportionality among the academies. “Sometimes what the students want isn’t what their parents want,” Plasczyk said. “A big part of the small learning communities is to have students in an academy that pertains to their interests, so parents are picking it based on faculty or demographic makeup.” Technology and Biomedical Academy leader Jerry Parker could not be reached for comment by press time. Instructional coach Brandi Sabb believes segregation exists because the selection process allowed students their first choices. “The intent was to give student choice and to allow students to buy into academies,” Sabb said. “Like [all] other APS schools, there was a lot of reservation, particularly at Grady, because our community and students pride themselves on the individuality that our school [values].”

The Southerner takes a closer look at the gender breakdown of the small learning communities.

Girls Boys 41% 59%

Girls Boys 44% 56%

SEARCHING FOR SOLUTIONS

Murray explained that the school will probably not take any specific action to address segregation within the academies. “It’s better to allow them [students] choice than for me to go in there and say, ‘You go in here,’” Murray said. “I might be accused of subtly engaging in a racist kind of assignment to students.” Other administrators, however, explained they would look to make changes in how students are assigned to academies next year. “What we need to do this spring is make sure that we reach out to our underrepresented groups so that they understand what the program is, what it’s all about and have an opportunity to make an informed choice about what they might want to be involved in,” MacBrien said. Plasczyk said a few solutions that were on the table included a lottery and creating quotas, or “chairs,” within academies reserved for members of a specific ethnicity. Sabb didn’t offer specific solutions but agreed that looking at the “populations of the academies now…will heavily influence how we populate our academies next year.” She said that she is anticipating a serious revisit of the academy selection process and how to make it accommodate students’ interests while still remaining equitable. “That is going to be really interesting, to see how we’re going to do that, because it’s really important to give students a voice,” Sabb said. “It’s almost back to the drawing board.” p Kathleen Quillian contributed to the reporting of this story.

Girls Boys 68% 32%

Girls Boys 55% 45%

Grady High School The Southerner Newspaper Atlanta, GA Page 4, Issue 5, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Student Stanceâ&#x20AC;? The opposing viewpoints page has been a staple of our paper for several years. We chose to shrink the size of our comment section relative to the whole paper. To do so, we shrank the design template for the page and created an appealing way to use only two-thirds of the page and free up space for a third story on the page. The design solution enabled us to present more content in less space, allowing us to compress the comment section by a page and give readers more per column inch than they received before.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

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comment

Feb. 4, 2011

Killing homeroom saves time, sanity

Take pity on the home(room)less

Nycole Key, Junior

Thomas Cox, Junior I’m always tired. I’m chronically sleep-deprived from juggling schoolwork and basketball. After first period ends, I’m always a little cranky from trying to remember everything I just learned. I have a quiz next period on a subject that the teacher swears she taught but I don’t remember learning. No need to worry, though— homeroom always saves the day. It’s the time when I can catch a much-needed 20-minute nap without any interruption or catch up on my work. Whenever I was completely exhausted from practice, too tired to do my homework, the daily homeroom allowed me to complete it, and I could even get a little help from my friends. Homeroom was a time when I could make new friends and talk about sports. On days when I didn’t want to be bothered, I used homeroom as a moment of Zen, meditating on what the day would hold. I used it to get advice from my homeroom teacher. On mornings when my mom chased me out the house trying to get me to school on time and I forgot to grab my morning bagel, I could buy a snack from a teacher or classmate. Every Friday we watched GNN and Gametime. Even though administrators might see it as an “unnecessary movement” of students early in the morning, I saw it as much more than that. It was a break from my hectic life as a high school student. Although we were told about the elimination of homeroom ahead of time, it didn’t actually hit me until the beginning of this semester. What a difference it made! I found myself weary, dragging my body through the day, scrambling to finish homework I didn’t have the energy to do the night before and, above all else, hungry, constantly staring at the clock waiting for 3:15. Atlanta Public Schools really has no set guidelines for homeroom. According to Public Policy and Justice Academy leader Russell Plasczyk, administrators looked at other districts’ use of the advisement period to come up with the new schedule. The administration felt homeroom was too long and created too many movements—providing chances for bad behavior. “You can skip for 20 minutes, but it’s kind of hard to skip for a whole hour,” Plasczyk said jokingly. The absence of homeroom adds more instructional time for teachers and gives students a few more minutes to get to class. While this may seem more efficient, it really isn’t. Those 20 minutes were enough for me to get everything done. Ninety-minute classes are already long enough—or at least they feel that way. These new ideas may sound great, but what makes a teacher happier than a student who’s not cranky during class? Homeroom helped me by providing a 20-minute break from my hectic day. The new schedule offers no respite for the restless and down time for the downtrodden. p

As we prepared for winter break, I wondered what new changes and challenges would come my way in the next semester. My thought was interrupted by the slamming of a locker and the sudden rush of students exiting the classroom doors. The clock had started. I dashed through the crowds that filled the hallway, determined to make it to homeroom on time that day. I was tired of getting lockout passes. I saw the door and just as I took a deep breath of relief…ring! The bell sounded; the door slammed shut. Another lockout pass it was. Just as I began to lose hope, the announcement came on: “Students, starting next semester, we will have homeroom twice a month.” My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe my ears. In my opinion, 98 percent of the time spent in homeroom was useless. You came in, signed in and then socialized for 15 of the 20 minutes you were there. Very beneficial, right? Some could argue that homeroom could have been used to catch up on homework. Well, homework is meant to be done at home, and if you couldn’t accomplish that task in a night, it surely couldn’t be done in 20 minutes during any period. Essential information was not given out every single day, and sometimes weeks passed without anyone learning anything useful. Aside from the morning announcements, we will miss nothing, and even those can be heard during a regular class period. Yes, for the underclassmen in the academies, homeroom was a little more beneficial, but not very much so. Every now and then, someone would talk to them about their plans for high school and beyond, but it wasn’t—and couldn’t be—as indepth as the new homeroom sessions. Fewer, longer homerooms will be more comprehensive and meaningful. The two-odd weeks between periods allows teachers and administrators the time needed to prepare lesson plans and set up guest speakers. In the old schedule, including homeroom, teachers had nine classes to prep for and homeroom was more of a burden than anything else. The elimination of daily homeroom is beneficial for everyone. For those, like me, who dreaded the walk to homeroom every day, it gives you a break, and for those who did truly enjoy it, you are still able to go twice a month for an hour. According to Technology and Biomedical Engineering Academy leader Jerry Parker, the advisement period will no longer be used for a specific form of advisement. For students who have a million extracurricular activities and are unable to stay after school for them all, they will have the opportunity to visit and maintain membership in that club during their advisement periods. The new hour-long advisement sessions not only ensure that you will be informed about the possibilities of your future, but they also ensure that your advisers are well-equipped to explain those possibilities to you. Embrace the change— it’s paving a new road for your future. p

STUDENT The

Stanc e

Less frequent homerooms: A better way or a lost opportunity?

A senior’s words of advice: start your college applications early It’s that elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge. It’s the train coming 90 miles per hour that we try to stop in its tracks. It’s the fish-oil vitamins that your mom makes you take as a child that you hate, but know that you still have to take. The college-application process is Asha Haki-Tyler generations old, and while we may accept its necessity, I seriously doubt if anyone is actually thrilled about the process itself. As I have completed 80 percent of this tedious year-long affair (I have been accepted into Boston University with a full-tuition scholarship), I want to share my reflections in the hopes that you precocious underclassmen will have the heads up that I did not. The biggest tendency of seniors during this trial is to procrastinate. Especially at Grady, where the school atmosphere nurtures this mentality of, “Ah, I’ll do it later,” or “Someone can get [insert item name here] for me the day before the deadline,” it is particularly hard to think ahead and accomplish your tasks on a timely basis. It’s Aug. 1. You’re probably at a swimming pool somewhere, tanning, talking to your best friends about your excitement for senior year and tweeting away about how hot the Georgia weather is. Essays, applications and transcripts are probably the

furthest thing from your mind. August, however, is the general time that colleges and universities and scholarships issue their new applications. While I feel somewhat proud of my time-management skills over these past five months, in reflection, I should’ve gotten started that week. Doing a little work on the 10 or so essays you will have to write one week at a time will put you ahead of everyone and will give your heart and mind a little “stress rest.” Trust me, you do not want to wait until the day before a deadline to submit your application (a time when the server is crashing every other minute) because you do not want to experience the nervous breakdown I endured when my University of Southern California application kept saying, “Server busy, try again.” Keep a record of every step you take. Whether it is “starring” the e-mail a university has sent you regarding something as trivial as, “We have received your application,” or copying the certificate of admission you receive, if something in your file is missing, it’s better to have a solid record of it than to have to convince someone (probably hundreds of miles away) that it happened. The list of needs and deadlines for a senior is never-ending. Most early-decision applications are due Nov. 1. Transcript requests are due to the counselors by Dec. 1. Financial consideration with your application is due Dec. 1. Free application for Federal Student Aid opens up in January. The Gates Millen-

nium Scholarship is due Jan. 10. You must turn in your College Scholarship Service profile by February. And don’t forget your noncollege related dates like senior dues deadlines, baby pictures and community service. Exhausted from reading that? Imagine how we feel. In my case, because I knew what college I would be attending by the beginning of December, I managed to find the motivation to apply for other scholarships (to cover room and board) despite the distractions of AP Psych homework, my internship duties, sewing for Doggies on the Catwalk and actually trying to be social (football games, homecoming parties, just “hanging out” with friends). Let me tell you: it is not cool to be working hard on scholarships the night before they are due while your friends text you about ice-skating or parties. Not cool at all. While I almost had my own trip to the hospital for stress, I had to be reminded that the “grunt work” would generally be over around February or March. If you aren’t accepted into an institution under an early admittance program, you will find out by April, but all your paperwork will be turned in by midMarch. In a few months you will have survived the hurricane that is the college-application process. So, at last, you can have time to enjoy all the things you dream about doing as a senior, like prom, spring break, senior picnics and having the peace of mind that in less than six months you can enter Henry W. Grady High School with a visitor pass. p

Hillcrest International School The Image Yearbook Sentani, Papua Indonesia

Pages 16 – 17, “Fun with Fluency” One of the challenges the staff faces each year is trying to adequately cover all the grades (K-12) and a variety of different cultures/languages. Using sidebars with lots of photos, we were able to incorporate more students and focus on younger students who might otherwise not appear in the book. We were also able to better capture the funny expressions and silliness of some of the younger elementary students, who are able to give some great jokes and responses when asked simple questions but aren’t comfortable interviewing.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

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Hillcrest International School The Image Yearbook Sentani, Papua Indonesia

Pages 30-31 “Come Worship...” Student learned the importance of editing to protect students. The “Facebook Fuels Gossip” sidebar was the most controversial in the book. The students felt so betrayed at the meeting when they learned the boyfriend was fictitious, that they had been tricked and had been gossiping about nothing. In the original sidebar, the Facebook clip contained real student comments below the Status Update. However the staff and editors felt that having those students’ names listed below would forever mark them as “gossipers,” so they elected to cut the clip as it appears in the book.

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PK Yonge Developmental Research School Making Waves Magazine Gainesville, FL Pages 26-27, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lostâ&#x20AC;? This spread handles black and white well and the use of background creates an emotion of darkness and confusion. The art our 7th grader student Stephen chose is great because of the eyes. Again, we had other art pieces made from the same assignment from our art teacher such as the cover. Repeating in black and white made the art seem less repetitious.

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PK Yonge Developmental Research School Making Waves Magazine Gainesville, FL Pages 54-55, “Color My World” The color spread is notable because of the treatment of the art. It wasn’t strong enough to stand on its own, but the student shaped and bordered it in a way that showcased the work to its advantage. We had also included two other art pieces made from the same assignment in the magazine.So we thought our spread designer, 7th grader Hunter, had a good idea to try for variety. He certainly made the most of color.

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Powell Middle School The Prowl Yearbook Littleton, CO Pages 74-75, “Publishing our Masterpiece” We are especially proud of this page since it features our yearbook, electronic publishing and computer classes. The spread’s design includes the purple and black theme colors. The same transparent headlines are consistently represented from the cover to all theme pages.

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publish Technology shapes the world. Demonstrating dedication in Yearbook to Computers and Electronic Publishing, students created award winning publications and accomplished personal goals.

MASTERING

technology 7. Checking proofs, Co-EIC’s, Ellen Savarese, Rachel Haas, Paige Johnson, and Colleen Hanson attempt to make the deadline. “We have a great time together. We used rock paper scissors to decide whose quote went on this page,” Ellen said. Photo by C. Rodgers 8. At the Magazine Assembly, PNN editor, Grace Bear, films the event. “I loved playing with the green screen,” Grace said. Photo by D. Webster 9. Photographing the 8th grade Newton track meet, Jayne Rossi frames a photo. “I liked taking pictures of track. I got a lot of unique pictures,” Jayne said. Photo by C. Rodgers 10. In computers, Sam Shea breaks the no gum rule. “My calendar was a bunch of cars,” Sam said. Photo by D. Froehle 11. At a track meet, Haily Martin reviews her photos. “I just had learned how to use a camera and I was really confused,” Haily said. Photo by J. Rossi

Publishing

more coverage on pgs. 119, 121, 122-123

a masterpiece

“The Prowl yearbook is an award winning publication thanks to the unwavering dedication and talent of my phenomenal staff. The Puma’s Tale and PNN staff created PumaTV and a multimedia website in only one semester. It’s an inspiring accomplishment,” Ms. Manculich said.

Ask anyone in Yearbook and Electronic Publishing classes and they will explain that photography is the key to success. In the first week of class, Electronic Publishing and Yearbook students learned everything from photography elements such as framing and leading lines to ISO and shutter speed.

yearbook, computers & electronic publishing

a yearbook must have:

cameras

yearbook language • Yerd (yurd)- slang for Yearbook nerd • Pica (pahy-kuh) - the unit of measurement used in a yearbook • Design Divas and/or Design Dudes- the editors who design every page of the book • Co-EIC (eek)- Co-Editors In Chief • Nicole (ni-kohl)- Herff Jones representative and life saver

1. Snapping a photo, Ellie Pebbles perfects her camera skills at Dinosaur Ridge. “I loved taking pictures because there were so many awesome features there like the rocks and the view,” Ellie said. Photo by E. Norman 2. While finishing a photography scavenger hunt for Electronic Publishing, 7th graders Andrew Muller, John Malonie, and Andrew Cole check the camera. Students worked in different groups to complete the task. “I’m excited about pulling people out of class to interview them,” John said. Photo by P. Johnson 3. Adjusting the light, Editor William Butler prepares the green screen stage for filming. The PNN staff created several episodes highlighting the

Yearbook, Electronic Publishing, & Computers 75

With access to SLR cameras, every yearbook student is trained in using a Canon Rebel and a Nikon. Photo editors, Ellie Pebbles and Erica Peterson, prepare the cameras everyday. “I like seeing what people can do with a camera,” Erica said. Photo by P. Johnson

year’s events. Photo by A. Fiske 4. In computers, Nicole Seavall and Megan Rayl focus on their project. “We just finished the I Am project and I couldn’t find my name,” Nicole said. Photo by L. Lindsey 5. As a member of a staff that has won a Pacemaker and a Crown, Design Editor Cassi Guerra studies rival yearbooks. “By looking at other yearbooks, I’m able to get new ideas and inspiration for my own ideas and layouts,” Cassi said. Photo by D. Froehle 6. After finishing a scavenger hunt, Preston Gallegos reviews his photos. “I love making videos on the computer; it’s really fun to do,” Preston said. Photo by P. Johnson

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Powell Middle School The Prowl Yearbook Littleton, CO Pages 124-125, “Unlimited” Our closing spread features a photo of 8th graders who are metaphorically walking toward their “unlimited” future. This photo parallels the opening spread where 8th graders are walking into the building at the beginning of the year. We applied the same Photoshop effect on the opening and closing spreads. The closing theme copy mirrors the opening and divider page copy in sentence structure, tone and voice.

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Our future, We control it.

Our dreams, we make them a reality.

Our lives, we can take them anywhere.

`Our academic experiences will remain with us forever. Our teachers have taught us lessons that we will take with us to high school and beyond.

Because we are unique, talented, memorable, and inspiring. And together we are 2

UNLIMITED. 4

Unlimited Index 125

1. During the Dinosaur Ridge field trip, Mrs. Sheets’ 3rd block science class walks down the road to the next geology station. Students were required to complete packets detailing the new information they learned. Photo by E. Norman 2. At recess, 8th grade students Kaitlyn Miller and Raquel Farlano take a break. “I enjoy recess because I like hanging out with my friends and the free time,” Kaitlyn said. Photo by V. Hagen 3. Inside the choir room, Andrew Froehle listens to Ms. Summers. “Choir is enjoyable because I spend time singing tunes with my best pals,” Andrew said. Photo by H. Martin 4. Deep in concentration, Bradley Koerwitz uses a light box to trace his sketch onto one of nine squares making up his art project. “I like using the light boxes; it makes the process go faster, especially since we’re drawing the same thing over and over again,” Bradley said. Photo by C. Guerra 5. After school, Austin Lienemann leads his team during practice. “Being captain was fun; you get more opportunities to boss people around,” Austin said. Photo by V. Hagen 6. During guitar class, Tina Ngyuen practices a new song she learned. “It’s a little hard to learn how to play a new instrument, but I enjoy the challenge,” Tina said. Photo by A. Ngyuen 7. Playing flag football, Hailey Fulwider, Zoё Huey, Meagan Gillespie, and Cassandra Guerra discuss a team strategy. “I love the feeling you get inside when you rip off your opponent’s flag. It’s like ‘Yay!’” Meagan said. Photo by E. Savarese 8. During Mrs. Sheets’ science class, Kaley Wagner finishes her Bunsen Burner Lab with a warm and gooey s’more. “I enjoy science because we can act like ourselves and have fun, but we still get work done,” Kaley said. Photo by C. Rodgers 9. While on the Dinosaur Ridge field trip, Stephen Mitchell searches for his friends in the Red Rocks Amphitheater. “It was nice to talk to our friends during lunch and see all the sights with them,” Stephen said. Photo by E. Pebbles

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Walnut High School Cayuse Yearbook Walnut, CA Pages 2-3, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Must Have a Lot of Enthusiasmâ&#x20AC;? For the spirit spread, we used the dominant photo to tell the story. It was the first spread of the yearbook and it opened up the weird and strangely wonderful world of school spirit and all that Walnut is about. In being open, we tried to cover all aspects of spirit and what it meant to students. The rallies and cheering crowd at football games shown in the photos this particular year exemplified the height of true pride for the Mustangs.

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ROLL

Painting blue stripes on their faces, juniors PHILIP WANG and VINCENT DAO get ready to cheer for the Mustangs at the Branding Iron game. “The energy everyone shares at a game is the same for everyone and pumps us up,” said Wang. Seniors KHALIL CORBIN and MATHEW WANG participate in the Branding Iron pep rally, destroying a pinata Brahma. “I’m in ASB, football, and track so I need to show my spirit for my school,” said Corbin.

in good spirits

Spirit comes in different forms and takes on a uniqueness that changes with the student. EUNICE PANG

During the winter pep rally, sophomore KELSEY YOUNG, seniors JOANNA SHEN, and VIVIAN WU perform their kick routine. “The performers do better when there’s a loud crowd cheering us on because their spirit hypes us up to dance with more energy, even when we’re tired,” said Young.

“Spending times with friends and hanging out gives me the feeling that we’re all family.” – Deedee Chen, 9

Photo by Michael Hari Shouting in the stands, sohpomores CHEYENNE TATE, KIA’RRA VANCE, and DOMINIQUE BACA-DIEGO join others in their class during the winter pep rally. “I think that showing school spirit is important because it is an opporunity to bring the school together,” said Tate.

“My friends and I go out to eat and then we all pile up in the car and go to the game.” – Corina Salmon, 10

Chanting during the Mustang Spell-Out, seniors NATASHA MERCHANT and PAIGE RODRIGUEZ try to scream louder than the other classes. “We’ve been at this school for 4 years and we all know what to do when it comes to school spirit,” said Merchant. “Seniors are the role model for everyone else.”

“I love to express my pride of being a student at Walnut. I like to add my voice to the screaming of the crowd.” – Christos Sarantopolous, 11

down your WINDOWS

Students are always finding different ways to express their spirit. However, junior Yasmina Turrentine takes it a step further. Everyone turns and stares. Junior Yasmina Turrentine drives by in a car entirely covered with words and bright shades. “I painted my car for Branding Iron [and Homecoming],” said Turrentine. “It’s fun, it’s exciting, and the football games are big. I do [what I do] for the fun of it.” Her friends also contribute to Turrentine’s extravagant displays of Walnut pride. “It’s a fun experience. It’s a way to cheer on our team,” said junior Madeline Ho. “We paint ‘Go Mustang’ and stuff like that on the windows. That way everyone we drive by knows where we’re going.” Car-painting has become a tradition for Turrentine. It is her way of showing school spirit and taking vigor one step further. “[I’m] always excited. I go to each game to cheer [the foootball team] on,” said Turrentine. “It’s an excuse to go wild.” ALVIN WAN

Photo by Michael Hari

“School spirit represents pride, unity and appreciation for the school. Having school spirit helps bring all the students together.” – Katherine Tor, 12

“MUST have a lot of ENTHUSIASM...” Mustangs love their school and are always ready to cheer and shout for their school no matter what.

“To win a game, you must have good players, good tactics, and good strategies,” said senior Danny Tashroudian. “But you also must have a lot of enthusiasm and high spirit to keep the player’s spirit up.” The prideful shouts, the dancing crowd, the melody of the band: this is Walnut’s spirit going at full throttle. Even if the game crumbles to pieces and the clock ticks down, Mustangs always have spirit and pride. “The crowd means a lot to us. It helps us get hyped up even when we are losing,” said senior varsity football player middle linebacker Anthony Melendez. “It gives us more spirit knowing we have people to support us.” For some, it has become an influence to create traditions, like the Mustang Spell-Out, pumping up the crowd. “I love my school and the people I go to school with,” said Tashroudian. “I spend most of my day here, and I do the best that I can to make the most of it. If I came to school everyday, having a pessimistic attitude about being here, what good would it do me and the people around me? I want to leave a positive impact on my school, and on my fellow peers.” Sometimes, the students’ only response is to act upon the immense spirit and pride they share for their school. “I always try my best to come out to games, represent with my Walnut gear on, paint my face our school colors, bring whistles or pom-poms to games, and just using my loud voice to lead people to cheer on,” said junior Kathleen Reichenberger. DEANNA TRANG

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Walnut High School Cayuse Yearbook Walnut, CA Pages 94-95, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Different Experienceâ&#x20AC;? For the organizations division page, we singled out the drum major who is welcoming everyone to join in and clap along as the band plays a signature piece. In the theme copy, we captured the enduring, fighting spirit of even the band members at our school. We used the big drum major photo to welcome everyone into the organizations section where dedicated students opened up to share one of the most challenging and time-consuming aspects of their lives.

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“It was a

DIFFERENT experience, a different kind of FUN...”

Sink your feet into the grass, making small treading motions with your toes. Feel something rough in your shoes. Darn pellets. But that’s nothing. You’ve seen worse. Four years on the the field. Marching in the rain. Take that, pellets. Color Guard starts making lateral tosses. Artistic touch. Everyone notices the pretty girls in the costumes and their umbrellas. But they’re just with the band. Music’s on. Flute’s are trilling. It’s showtime. You haven’t seen anything yet.

“We were skeptical at first for this year’s Mary Poppins theme, but it turned out better than we thought because it was a different experience, a different kind of fun with music we normally wouldn’t play or listen to. I’m trying to make it as much fun as possible this year because I’m leaving soon. Since I’m a drum major, it’s exciting and it’s crazy, and the experience is really unexplainable; you’d have to experience it yourself.” ANDREW KAO, 12

“The bass guitar drives the band and keeps it going. I enjoy playing it. It’s kind of different because not too many people play the bass guitar.” MICHAEL HANLON, 12

“Performing at the Homecoming game is one of the biggest rushes. With my family and friends watching, there was a huge pressure not to mess up. Dance team worked hard on the piece, so it was nice to see it all pay off.” AUDREY DE GUZMAN, 11

“I was the nun, the killer in ‘Alibis.’ Dinner theater was more difficult because we didn’t have the direction of Ms. Karr, and you really had to rely on yourself and the student directors. It was challenging because my character did a lot of pantomime. I learned to grab the audiences’ attention without saying anything.” TONI GALLARDO, 10

“When the nominees come up they’re surprised and shocked. It’s fun to see their reaction because they get extremely happy. ASB’s responsibility is to promote school spirit, and it feels good to be part of the organization because through ASB I can reach out to people I wouldn’t normally talk to.” ERICA FAN, 11

ORGANIZATIONS DIVISION

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Membership has its benefits The CSPA membership offers several contests and a critique service for student media. The contests include the annual Crown Awards and the Gold Circle Awards. The Crown Awards signify overall excellence among student print and online media. The Gold Circle Awards honor the best work completed by student reporters, editors, designers, photographers, artists, poets, fiction writers, and other staff members of all types. An annual Medalist Critique is not a contest although it does provide one of several ratings to student media. The critique is a teaching tool to provide detailed guidance on how well a student print or online media could improve during the following year. The CSPA’s contests are not about compelling involuntary changes by student editors and faculty advisers of student print and online media. The Association makes no attempt to dictate to staffs or advisers what their publications should be. It watches keenly what these media do, as evidenced by their publishing activity in print or online. The Association then adjusts it sights, its critique scoring and its judging to their progress. As the performance by student media improves, the best among them are singled out for their achievement, accounting for a natural rise in the judging standards for the following year.

A snapshot of the CSPA events. Photos by Rebecca Castillo and Joe Pineiro.

These are finalists from the 2012 Crown Awards.

There’s an event for everyone Annual Spring Convention [three days in mid March] This event offers more than 350 sessions on all aspects for newspapers, yearbooks, magazines, photography, law and ethics, broadcasting, digital media and advisers. Attend sessions taught by journalists from professional media organizations like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Learn the latest Adobe software from professional trainers from Aquent Graphic Institute. Students and advisers can take advantage of networking opportunites with delegates attending from more than 40 states. Summer Journalism Workshop [last full week of June] Our six-day rigorous workshop combines experienced instructors, challenging classes and unforgettable experiences in the media capital of the world. Intense instruction in writing/editing, design, management or digital media provides our students with the preparation to lead their staffs to success and acclaim. Evening activities for resident students bring the excitement of New York City alive. An evening performance of a Broadway show, a bus tour of Manhattan plus professional speakers from the New York media put the week’s curriculum in perspective. Fall Conference [first Monday in November] Use the Fall Conference as a training session for your staff to springboard ideas for academic year. Attend sessions (over 80 offered) that will: •Improve your reporting and writing skills; •Give you ideas for better design; •Motivate your staff to work as a team; •Transition your content to web; •Help you become creative in your coverage and content. Advisers are welcome to attend sessions with students; in addition, some sessions will be organized for advisers only.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association is an international student press association, founded in 1925, whose goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges, textbooks, critiques and award programs. http://cspa.columbia.edu • @cspa • cspa@columbia.edu