CSPA Crowns — In Their Voices Issue 8 by Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards Issue 8

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.

Bishop Amat Memorial High School, La Puente Yearbook, La Puente, CA Franklin High School, The Chronicle Newspaper, El Paso, TX Greenwich Academy, Daedalus Literary Magazine, Greenwich, CT Johnston High School, The Dragon Yearbook, Johnston, IA Ponderosa High School, Eques Yearbook, Parker, CO St. Mark’s School of Texas, The Marque Literary Magazine, Dallas, TX West High School, Skjöld Yearbook, Painted Post, NY

Bishop Amat Memorial High School La Puente Yearbook La Puente, CA Pages 2-3, Opening Spread The concept of “Exclamation” fits Bishop Amat because our students are bold, risk-takers, and don’t mind standing out. Continuing with that idea, the staff attempted to find visual ways of expressing that concept of standing out. They experimented with different ways of popping the subject out of a photo. The first way they used was on the opening spreads. They applied a color strip between the main subject of the photo and the other students to make the subject seem like they were jumping off the page.

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.

Amat Lancers aren’t strangers to winning. We fight for the last goal. We fight to win. We yearn to hear our coach’s exclamation of triumph as we emerge victorious. We speak with enthusiasm and confidence at the podium before our Class Officer speeches in the Carroll Center, even if we have butterflies. But imagine if the cheers of encouragement weren’t there when you stepped up in front of the whole school at the Spring Rally to do a Dr. Carter impersonation. How would our experience of excellence be different? Think of how it feels to stand on stage as Dorothy in the Whittier Community Theater, to be in the spotlight. Think of how it feels to see and hear your Principal cheer for you. For YOU. It’s about excelling, standing out, and having the courage to be different. Pictured: (left to right) Yazmin Slim (11), Corina Acevedo (10), Selena Quezada (11), Yazmin Montoya (10), Alyssa Cabral (11), Lauren Corona (12), Kathleen Zamora (10), Demi Lomeli (10), April Juarez (11), Nicole Ragano (11)

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Exclamation is about being bold.

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Bishop Amat Memorial High School La Puente Yearbook La Puente, CA Pages 8-9, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Act Ivitiesâ&#x20AC;? For the division pages, the staff played around with the idea of having the subject literally coming out of the picture. They felt that doing stylized work like this in Photoshop was an appropriate visual marriage to the intent of describing our school as bold, loud, and noticeable.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

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act ivities

Pictured: (left to right) Mariah Hernandez (9), Ryan Cardenas (12), Taylor Olvera (11), Addison Wright (9), Samantha Salaiz (9), Amanda Alvarado (9)

Activities are opportunities.

Opportunities for students to step out of their shell and gain the confidence to wear that rainbow wig for mismatch day. Where they put up an extra set of bleachers in the Dog Pound so those massive amounts of Amat fans could gather in Kiefer Stadium to watch the boys beat Damien...42-7. When you smile at your phone when you open a text message from Amat Sports twitter that reads, “At the end of a back-and-forth 1st quarter, Amat leads 13-11.” Where 22 girls have an opportunity to be responsible for the first ever blue Varsity Girls Soccer Banner to hang in the Carroll Center. Opportunities where teachers dance in the presence of students. Or where students are suddenly overwhelmed by an urge to burst a water balloon on a dean’s head during a CLC lunch rally. It’s in activities that tradition is born.

DIVISION

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Franklin High School The Chronicle Newspaper El Paso, TX Page. 15, May 2011 “Hooked on Hokah” We felt this page’s use of specialty fonts, along with high-impact photography, defines our style as a whole. The photography and writing quality exemplify the best our staff has to offer.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

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features

As an occasional user, senior Jacob Chacon holds his thumb over the mouth of the hose. Here he uses a single-hose hookah. As an athlete, Chacon restricted his use of hookah during football season. “It feels good. It’s a nice scent. It’s not harsh on the lungs,” Chacon said. “You get a tobacco buzz. It relaxes you, but it’s not a hallucinogen. There’s no break-in period like there is with a cigarette.” Chacon says that smoking is a social activity. “I am not going to set the whole thing up by myself. It’s a group effort.” Setting up involves packing the hookah bowl, then making sure the hoses are attached properly, checking the water level, putting the foil over the bowl and poking ventilation holes in the foil. The hookah pipe must be cleaned after each usage.

Despite health concerns, hookah smoking increases among youth | RHIANNA TAPIA | features editor

First, the user must heat the special coal for the pipe, then he must perforate the foil for ventilation. Finally, he is able to smoke the tobacco, which is often soaked in honey and highly flavored. photos by Briana Sanchez

n apple a day keeps the doctor away, he laughs to himself as the burning smell of apple fills the room. Senior Drew Smith reaches for the hose and takes a long drag. Exhaling, the smoke unravels in ribbons of white. Relaxation dissolves his daily stresses and Smith is thankful for “The Duke,” his first and favorite hookah. “’The Duke’ is a small hookah with only one hose that I use every day or every other day,” Smith said. “It’s an amazing way to relax and cool down at the end of a long stressful day. It’s also a great way to socialize and hang out with friends.” Senior Samantha Sangabi understands the social aspect of hookah, a tradition that is over 500 years old, as her family is Persian. “In my culture, hookah is how people smoke tobacco, rather than cigarettes. It is prevalent in the Persian culture because it is a way of communication where people would smoke hookah and sit and talk,” Sangabi said. However, Sangabi does not partake in smoking hookah. “I don’t smoke simply because it’s tobacco,” Sangabi said. “The students today just think it’s the vapor rather than the straight tobacco. Kids do

it to seem cool while people in my culture smoke it just as they are socializing.” Though Smith does not smoke for cultural reasons, he does agree that he began smoking as a result of a social situation. He first tried hookah a year ago, and has since been hooked. “I first started smoking at a hookah bar called Sumatra. Since it was my first time smoking hookah I didn’t know what to do, so I watched as my friends took hits and how they let the smoke release immediately,” Smith said. “When it was my turn, I took a pretty respectable hit and this overwhelming sensation of relaxation hit me. I could taste the sourness of the apple shisha and feel the smooth smoke leave my lungs; I felt amazing.” Due to the fact that Smith’s favorite brand of shisha, Fusion, contains 0% tar and 0.05% nicotine per can, Smith believes that his hookah is healthier for him. However, according to the web site, Hookahcompany.com, which sells Fusion shisha, the warning that “although there is no tar and less nicotine, hookah smoking is still smoking,” warns against the harms of tobacco in the shisha. “I believe that hookah is better for you than cigarettes, especially since

there isn’t any tar in shisha like there is in cigarettes,” Smith said. “I’m aware that shisha still contains tobacco, but I prefer to smoke hookah to cigarettes, cigars or dip because out of all those choices, it’s the least harmful.” According to Richard D. Hurt, M.D., this is not the case. The tobacco found in hookah is no less toxic when smoked through a hookah pipe, and hookah smokers may actually inhale more tobacco smoke than cigarette smokers do because of the large volume of smoke they inhale in one smoking session. In addition, smoking tobacco in the form of hookah can lead to serious health risks such as lung and oral cancers, and heart disease. Despite the fact that he knows about the health risks, senior Andres Montenegro continues to use daily. “I smoke hookah once a day in the afternoon, and sometimes I’ll even do it twice a day,” senior Andres Montenegro said. “I know that hookah is definitely worse than cigarettes, but the flavor is way better.” Concurring, Smith also believes another aspect remains true about smoking hookah. “I know many people think smoking is a bad habit,” Smith said, “but at the end of the day it helps keep my troubles away.”

Franklin High School The Chronicle Newspaper El Paso, TX Pages 12-13, May 2011, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Art in the Tribeâ&#x20AC;? This spread features the art pieces discussed in the story as a decorative motif. We also incorporated the African theme of the art show into the spread, showcasing our desire to cover school events in a colorful, graphic manner.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

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AP artists exhibit pieces in 10th annual show |BLITHE PARSONS | reporter

he small gym is filled with cows, gorillas, mutated men and zombies. After months of charcoal, acrylic and oil pastels, the students of the AP Studio Art class put their pieces on display for their annual art show. The show took place on April 29 and was celebrated as their 10th annual. “At the start of the program [15 years ago], we only had a few students and there was not enough work for an entire show,” art teacher Barbara Antebi said. “As enrollment grew, I decided to try a solo show and it was met with great success.” After much debate over Facebook, the theme chosen for the show was “Tribal.” Aztec prints and tikis were inspiration for the event. For those in the class, enrollment comes with a price—a portfolio of 24 pieces is required at the end of the year.

Art pieces created by (left to right): Valeria Contreras, Tiana Olivo, Jose Castellanos, Valerio Maldonado, Victoria Valenzula, Areli Rocha, Trevor Shorts, Nohemi Trevino, Blithe Parsons, Steve Ferguson. Top to bottom: Natalie Gomez, Amairani Luna, Tyler Powers, Thalia Coss, Vanessa Sagredo, Caitlin Lambing, Alexa Guerrero, and Marcela Lopez. center spread designed by Caitlin Lambing

In 12 of the pieces, students choose a concept or theme that remained consistent in their artwork. “My concept is centered around the idea that women will do anything, even if it endangers their health, in order to be considered ‘beautiful,’” senior Valeria Contreras said. For other artists, the idea was not so metaphysical, but rather concrete. Senior Tiana Olivo, whose concept was ‘Milk,’ explored it in-depth, going beyond the surface definition. “My intent is to explore all aspects of milk,” Olivo said. “Each piece implies the concept, but is not defined by it, such as my use of chocolate syrup to paint, symbolizing chocolate milk.” Many artists such as senior Victoria Valenzuela, whose concept was the ocean, continually experimented with a variety of mediums. “I’ve worked with stained glass, metal, screen printing, stencils, and spray

paint,” Valenzuela said. “I constantly want to make new things.” For many AP artists, inspiration is found relatively close by. “Various objects in everyday life inspire me,” junior Thalia Coss said. “There is always something new to look at and there is always something to improve my art visually.” When creating pieces, students often envision the type of reaction they want to receive from their work. “I hope I can disturb my viewers and make them feel uncomfortable when they see my concept’s work,” Contreras said. “I chose this concept to raise awareness for self-image. I want women to think twice about [false senses of beauty] after seeing my work.” For sophomore Nohemi Trevino, the motivation behind her art also goes deeper than a visually appealing picture. “I characterize my art as meaningful because each part of my art exhibits a

different moment and realization I’ve had in my life,” she said. “It is unique because my art has a purpose so much further than the use of just paint, pencil or tools to make art.” While working on art at home or at school, students not only develop valuable skills in graphics and design, but also for the real world. “Besides leaving Franklin with a stellar portfolio, students enrolled in the AP studio program learn how to solve creative problems, think on their feet, research, explore different mediums, develop conceptual ideas, presentation, and vocabulary,” Antebi said. Though, due to recent budget cuts, funding for the Fine Arts in EPISD is first on the chopping block. The cuts hit close to home for the artists. “It’s very sad to see the budget cuts in the arts, especially visual arts,” Coss said. “Art contributes to all aspects of learning. Art helps a person develop

patience, and it makes students want to push themselves to excel in class.” Valenzuela agrees. “Art expands the mind and opens new and different perspectives to look through,” Valenzuela said. However, budget cuts were not the only obstacle this year. After the freeze in January, students had to pack up their equipment and move to the Ninth Grade Center. Despite the obstacles, a new environment did not put a halt to their creative processes. “First, we were flooded out of our classrooms for six weeks and then found years of artwork destroyed and materials and equipment lost,” Antebi said. “Through all of it, my students were determined to go on—never complaining even when they had to literally drag supplies from the main campus to the Ninth Grade Center. Again, we all learned more life lessons, and through it all, no one stopped making art.”

Greenwich Academy Daedalus Literary Magazine Greenwich, CT Pages 10-11, “Le Coeur” Ordinarily we don’t want to “illustrate” a piece of writing, but the editors couldn’t resist this perfect match. Nina’s heart drawing was submitted without knowing about Sarah’s poem “Le Coeur.” Each stands on its own as two of the best pieces in the magazine; together — especially with the editors’ choice to bleed (pun intended) the art to the very ends of the page — they take the duet of art and writing to a whole new level.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

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Le Coeur

Sarah Munger

She has memorized the eternity of the heart at its greatest capacity. It coils, bursting with life and expecting more to come back, daring, bold, pulsing her palms to lullaby a baby to sleep. As she takes fingers to prod deeper, the heart feels like an ocean, the metamorphosis of the contractions turning it from a muscle to a flower, red, purple. Collapsing only to be pumped. She is never immobile, her heart flickering against her ribs and breast in a movement that makes her feel like God, reminding her that time is not a temptation, but a burden, each twist of the heart counting down the body, counting the bones, rummaging through cells as if in search of another. The heart whispers while she sleeps to abuse the air, denying the air to rest, replenishing the cells sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ruined from smoke, mumbling and black, switching knee caps into resting points for the heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blood. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s her tipping point, the seesaw on which she rests as if on a cross, opening her chest to the sky, feeling the air against her blood, tumbling around like lips, pulsing with life and gratitude. 10

Nina Padavil

Drawing 11

Greenwich Academy Daedalus Liteary Magazine Greenwich, CT Pages 40-41, “Clay” After more than 20 years of Daedalus, this is the first time we were using AP-level ceramics. We loved Kristen’s piece, as well as the way we could pick up an exact color from her art to become the background for the whole spread. In addition to that, the story excerpt by Meagan on the opposite page, is one of the strongest prose pieces in the magazine and fits visually — in white type — across from the art. The whole spread is perfect.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

In Their

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Stuffed into yellow lifejackets, Ellen and I watched the shore disappearing into white haziness on the horizon. One of the scientists, a cute young man, called us over to help assemble scuba gear. Ellen and I crouched on the deck, our elbows bumping when a big wave slammed into the side of the ship, spraying white foam up over the railing. VI. “You and Ellen got so mad at me that time I wrote stuff on my hand,” someone said. “Remember – it was before the biology test?” I looked up and quickly gathered my thoughts. “Oh yeah. We saved you, right? If you were caught, you would have been so dead.” She grinned. “That’s what friends are for.” There was a silence among our circle as we remembered the past. “You two were inseparable,” she said finally. “The twins born into different families.” “Yeah,” I replied, nodding. “Me and Ellen. Twins. Best friends forever.”

Kristen Morris Kristen Morris 38

Clay

VII. It never got sunny that day. The same white fogginess that had been by the shore followed us out to the sea. Ellen and I helped the scientists go overboard, passing them their equipment. In the late afternoon, as the last of the scientists shed their scuba gear on the deck, a peal of thunder ripped through the atmosphere. It was so loud that the boat trembled. I felt the vibrations through the thin soles of my sandals. Before we’d left the shore, one of the scientists had told us that their was a small storm in the forecast. A stormy time of year, he’d said. But nothing to worry about. Now, shadows fell over the ship and the first rain began to fall, big heavy drops that burst on the deck.

Clay 39

Johnston High School The Dragon Yearbook Johnston, IA Pages 2-3, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hello, Goodbyeâ&#x20AC;? Readers of this spread experience the feel of what it is like being part of a cheering section because of the closeness and angle of the photo. The split between black and white and color ties in with the horizon photo on the cover and the arrangement of the book by seasons. The idea is that the earth moves through days and seasons just as people move through relationships.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

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180 days. the countdown begins. events pass in our lives without us really noticing. they seem insignificant compared to the daily drama of what are our lives. the last first day of school. the last pep rally of the year. the last time cheering for the football team senior year. these are things that happen every year to everybody. they are special because once you say goodbye, there’s no going back. however, with every goodbye there’s a hello, a new experience. the first time driving without your parents. the first college application you fill out. the first study cram-session of the year. looking back at the end, what will you remember about the beginning? photo faisal alabsi words monika sehic

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Johnston High School The Dragon Yearbook Johnston, IA Pages 6-7, “Nick Miller” This spread demonstrates the staff’s commitment to featuring the most people possible in the yearbook. One person’s story, through both writing and photos, goes in-depth while the others offer snippets of students’ lives.

Columbia Scholastic Press Association 2012 Crown Awards

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print and photo by monika sehic

<<<<<<<<<< <<<<<<<<<< People seem to have their minds made up, no matter what other evidence comes up.

Emily Mentzer

hello, my name is...

nick miller:

libertarian, social, economic pragmatist

ebate, go.” Those two simple words intrigued dozens of Nick Miller’s friends on Facebook to explore the core of their beliefs and who they are as people. Miller’s debate topics on Facebook started in the spring of 2010. His psychology teacher, Jason Jauron, suggested that after class they go home that night and bring up abortion at dinner with their parents. “It wasn’t deliberate,” Jauron said. In his class, Jauron had talked about confirmation bias, the idea that people favor information that confirms their preconceptions whether or not it’s true. “I have relatives on Facebook and I just wanted to see what my friends thought,” Miller said. “Part of the debates is to just get a reaction.” The debate topics range from abortion to religion to gay rights. “Sometimes I’ll just see who’s online before I post it,” Miller said. “The other part [of the debates] is to see what Johnston, IA looks like. Our parents won’t be making our country’s decisions forever.” Miller gets a lot of his ideas from current events, especially from the news. “I like to watch Fox News,” Miller said. “I usually end up yelling at the television. If I choose to marry a man, that shouldn’t be [the government’s] business. If someone chooses to have an abortion, I think that’s her decision.” What happens if Miller doesn’t agree with the responses? “I think everyone has a right to say what they think,” he said. “ But as soon as they insult me or my friends for what they think, it’s not acceptable. I hope America will have mature debates and not be polarized as things are today.” Miller’s ultimate goal and influence for the debates focus on one thing: peace. “I suppose I was originally influence by the thought that everyone can live together in peace,” he said. “The government should take care of its people. I hope that after one of my debates, everyone, both left and right, could quote one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs, “My Back Pages.” “Ah, but I was so much older than/I am younger than that now.”

> Around kindergarten or first grade I used to be obsessed with “Grease”. I used to wear black tights and leotard like Sandy at the end of the movie. She had a hairstyle where her hair was pulled back, but I couldn’t do that to my hair. So I would sit in the bathroom and try to figure it out by looking at one of my plastic dolls who had hair like that and try to imitate it.

age 18 des moines, iowa

Elli Grapp

zach vanderploeg

>I used to own a hedgehog as a pet. I drove to Illinois because that’s the closest place that sold them. After a month, I got really sick of it because I couldn’t hold it because it was so sharp. Before I bought it I thought I could tape over it’s body so it wouldn’t poke me, but it still did.

age 17 zagreb, croatia

age 17 des moines, iowa

>One day I saw squirrels outside and I went and set up old raccoon traps outside. I wanted to catch a squirrel. The next day I was gone, but the ARL showed up at my house because a neighbor had reported it and told on me. I didn’t get into legal trouble, but they stole my squirrel and my trap. I was pretty mad.

Brenna Robinson

Alex Thomas

Alexa Anderson

age 15 des moines, iowa

age 17 zagreb, croatia

age 15 zagreb, croatia >I used to do karate. I started in grade and I did it for three years. My parents wanted me to know selfdefense in case anything happened. I lived in Omaha and it was a bigger city and weird things happen. I got to the blue belt level, which is the fifth belt. I quit, but I still remember some of it. If somebody tried to do anything to me, I could probably defend myself more than if I hadn’t taken karate.

> I was in second grade

and my sister Jordin and I were playing in the addition construction area of our house. We were playing hide and go seek with a stuffed animal and [the animal] was behind pieces of drywall. Jordin decided to push the drywall over and it crushed my legs. After, I went to the hospital, but nothing was broken. Looking back, it hurt then, but there was no long term damage. And I guess I still love my sister.

>I’m a workaholic. I had 4 jobs last year and I worked 3 at the same time. I started at Pagliai’s, detasseled for the summer, and then worked at Sears and Hollister for the Christmas season. You might ask why I work so much and I would tell you it’s my passion. My goal was to go to Italy and I met that goal and now I really don’t have a goal besides the fact that I enjoy working.

*People choosen at random

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Ponderosa High School Eques Yearbook Parker, CO Pages 58-59, “Creativity & Critique” Our students decided to group academics by topic rather than by subject. In the academics section my design editor, Bailey Kass, decided to highlight coverage with a large cutout, a photo package that was horizontal against the spread, as well as a Q&A and an “OWN IT” box that we included in each section.

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ACHIEVEMENT.

CREATIVITY & CRITIQUE.

Sculpting, Foods, Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design. 5 1. Grasping the paint bush, London Nuzman, 12, creates a Sumi piece. “I like the freedom to work with different mediums; my favorite mediums would be acrylic paint,” Nuzman said. Photo by Addi Robinson 2. Preparing cinnamon rolls with Maryanne Maxwell, 9, Marina Knudsen, 12, carefully prepares a delicious treat. “Me and Taylor

Syniec joined because we really like to eat,” Knudsen said. Photo by Addi Robinson 3.Carefully shaping a pot on the wheel, Andy Hansen, 11, works with an unfinished clay pot in Ceramics class, hoping to have a future in art. “I’d like to have a job as an artist someday,” Hansen said. Photo by Mckenna Bird

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photo by addi robinson

-Sierra Hastings, 12. “My favorite art project was using chalk pastels to make a goldfish. It was my favorite because it was very realistic and pretty. And, it was my first successful attempt at pastels.”

“Drawing and painting is my favorite class. I took it last semester and we did airbrushing. When drawing you have a lot more work, you can create everything you want. I like airbrushing because the shading looks cool.” Leona Duerrschmid,12.

-Jessica Mingroni, 11.

photo by addi robinson

“I did a final piece, it was a big pot with a lizard coming out of it. They are called Free Range Projects. I love to learn new techniques.”

by hannah woolums and addi robinson

HOW DID YOU OWN YOUR ART?

Art students elaborate on their favorite project

your Favorite projects

Throwing a new passion

“I really like working with clay; you need to go in with an open mind and be creative, or the end product will look bad.” -Caitlin Vassallo, 12.

UNEXPECTED TALENT

Rolling up her sleeves, senior Caitlin Vassallo prepares to get her hands dirty in her favorite art class. All around Ponderosa artistically talented students develop and show off their skill set, creating a niche of their own. For Caitlin, creative, artistic passion lies in ceramics. “I really like working with clay; you need to go in with an open mind and be creative, or the end product will look bad. Ceramics is my favorite because you get to interpret the assignments in your own way. In jewelry, if it’s a necklace you have to make a necklace, but in ceramics it can be whatever you want to create.” Over the years, Caitlin has developed a favored method of creation when it comes to sculpting: the wheel. While there are many different methods for creating pottery, her forte is in throwing. “I like to throw on the wheel because it’s challenging and fun to do and you get a cool end product. It takes a lot of patience and practice, and no one gets it right on the first try.” Ceramics is not only a class for Caitlin, it’s a vital creative outlet. “It’s the most fun class I have, and the only class I have where I can be creative.” Photo by Mckenna Bird

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4. Picking her next color, Emily Mueller, 9, contemplates how to continue with her Andy Warhol based portrait. “You can make interesting designs and they can be your own and be expressive,” Mueller said. Photo by Addi Robinson 5. Beginning a sculpture in Ceramics class, Samantha Nagengast, and Alex Moreno, 12, mold their clay into mugs. “Right now, we are making clay mugs. It’s a fun class, and you can express yourself in any way, and make whatever you want,” Nagengast said. Photo by Mckenna Bird 6. Mixing the dough for the snack she is making, Jamie Blatchford, 12, works with the ingredients to make cinnamon rolls. “Foods class allowed me to be hands on in the kitchen, and learn from my own mistakes,” Blatchford said. Photo by Mckenna Bird 7. Focusing on his computer, Michael Laudick, 10, learns the basics of how to operate Adobe Illustrator in Graphic Design I. “I might want to get into graphic design later in life, so I wanted to see what the class was like,” Laudick said. Photo by Mckenna Bird

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Ponderosa High School Eques Yearbook Parker, CO Pages 108-109, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Switching in Leaguesâ&#x20AC;? The dominant photo fits perfectly with the headline of the story. The staff that worked on this page effectively tied the story to the dominant photo, talking about how the football team switched leagues, while showing players passing the ball.

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photo by brooke zeller

more coverage on pg 282

Leagues

Ponderosa football players talk about the move from 5A to 4A

switching

1.Charging the Highlands Ranch defense, Tony Jensen, 12, makes a run for the end zone. “Getting the ball is exciting and a big rush to know that you could get a touchdown or help the team somehow,” Jensen said. Photo by Brooke Zeller 2. The varsity team warms up before the Thompson Valley game to ensure a win. “We usually throw the ball around a lot and stretch to warm up,” Tanner Augustine, 11, said. Photo by Bailey Thomas 3. Fighting Highlands Ranch the defense tries to push the team back. In the end the mustangs lost 21-6. Photo by Brooke Zeller

by brooke zeller, lexi klymkow, and bailey thomas

“After getting an interception I was really surprised and excited I caught the ball. I didn’t see it coming, it just landed in my hands. It was the first time Huff was ever happy with me. I got lucky. We ended the game against Montrose with a victory.”

HOW DID YOU OWN YOUR LUCK?

VICTORY.

Cody Leming, 11.

GOOD LUCK OR SUPERSTITIONS

“

1“We pray as a team, and I just do everything with my team for luck.” -Sean Palinckx, 12. 2 “I wear the same pair of socks every time I have a game.” -Taylor Johnson, 11. 3 “I have had the same gloves for three years and I wear them every game.” -Drew Ongna, 11.

photos by brooke zeller

Due to the smaller school population, football, among other sports, transferred from the 5A league to the 4A league. For some of the members of the varsity football team, the transition wasn’t as difficult as they originally anticipated. “There really was no difference between 4A and 5A, the competition is still the same. I think we had an edge going into 4A,” senior defensive back Shaye Stephon said. Sophomore running back Chad Adams added, “We felt better about playing 4A because it is harder to get into the playoffs because there are fewer teams.” However, not all of the players felt the same about under-estimating the skill level of the other 4A schools. “It was tougher than I thought, we underestimated it. After we realized it was pretty much the same, we picked it up,” senior defensive back Frankie Camp said. To the majority of the team these changes are minute as long as they are able to pursue their love for the game. “Football is football, as long as I get to play,” junior defensive end Cody Steinborn said.

“It was tougher than I thought; we underestimated it.” -Frankie Camp, 12.

4. As Taylor Johnson, 11, holds the ball, Nate Ekhoff, 12, goes for the kick at the Highlands Ranch game. “I enjoy being a kicker because it’s easy and there’s no competition. I started playing as a sophomore. My kicking has gotten better since then and my team treats me well,” Ekhoff said. Photo by Brooke Zeller 5. Tackling his Highlands Ranch opponent, Jake Reo, 12, dives for the ball. “Playing Highlands Ranch was tough. They were our only 5A opponent. We weren’t ready for them and we lost at home which was a disappointment,” Reo said. Photo by Brooke Zeller 6. Running plays, Taylor Skinner, 11 and Frankie Camp,12, work on defensive plays at practice preparing for the next game. “Practice is all about the game. Sometimes the practices are fun and exciting because of my friends, but other times they are long and boring,” Skinner said. Photo by Bailey Thomas

photo by brooke zeller

The Varsity football team talks about the things that help them.

“I always keep Under Armour and a bottle of Ibuprofen.” -Sean Huft, 12.

WHAT DO YOU OWN? photos by brooke zeller

“I carry Old Spice, that’s for the ladies.” -Berkeley Kading, 10.

“I carry around Icy Hot.” -Matthew Mishler, 10.

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St. Mark’s School of Texas The Marque Literary Magazine Dallas, TX Pages 26-27, “The Hero” We wanted this Marque to be different. To stand out, Christian Larrave, our head graphics and arts editor painstakingly drew the images for our section breaks. We scanned in the images along the way to create an overlay of the entire process.

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TheMarque â&#x20AC;˘ 26/27

St. Mark’s School of Texas The Marque Literary Magazine Dallas, TX Pages 72-73, “The Tangy Autumn Air” This was one of the most expressive stories in the entire magazine and we wanted to highlight the emotions with a color that was different and unique to the piece. We attempted to use spot coloring with the image used and pull quotes to highlight the standout statements in the piece.

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tangy autumn air PATRICK NG '12

e never let a single droplet of pulp, a single piece of grapefruit go to waste. Disposing of its inner white sinews, mangled remnants of the consumed fruit, my parents would set the remaining peel to dry upon the windowsill. Arranged along the sun-bleached ledge, they looked like petrified monuments. I could always recognize the unique tangy smell of grapefruit peels drying in the sun. I used to loathe grapefruit. Yet once a week on autumn nights, when crisp, nostalgic fall air seemed to spur a natural tradition, my parents insisted that we partake of that unwieldy, hefty green fruit. I often imagined that we were tearing up a lime-colored medicine ball. The peels aged before my eyes, ripe green one week and decrepitly sallow the next. I was once tempted to touch the curled skins. They were awfully stiff, as if having succumbed to rigor mortis. One day the question struck me. I had never thought of it before, for the peels had become such a routine part of my life. “Mom, why do we put grapefruit peels on the windowsill?” “It’s for good luck, Jun Jun. The peels are gifts. They will look after us, your ancestors, Bak Bak, Bak Gong. They will keep the bad spirits away, protect our house.” My imagination spiraled. I envisioned my late great-greatgrandmother, polka-dot, silken shirt, tied hair bun, and all, standing by the window. She stood guard like an ancient Chinese guardian lion. Sometimes she laughed. Sometimes she whiffed the piquant offerings of grapefruit husks. Once in a while, one would disappear. I would find it at the bottom of the kitchen trashcan, diminished and as fragile as a burnt potato chip. “Why are we throwing them away? Shouldn’t we bury them or

Sometimes she laughed. Sometimes she whiffed the piquant offerings of grapefruit husks. put them somewhere nicer?” “They’re just grapefruit peels, Patrick. Don’t worry. Bak Bak will still protect us.” Occasionally we ate grapefruit for breakfast. Hands coated with sticky, tart juice, I was content. The old ranks would fill again as if none had left. The new peels, young, lively, vibrant, always seemed eager to confront the sunlight. I seldom noticed my father take out the trash and never bothered to consider the grimy garbage man as

slide rodney chen '12

he flung our hardened offerings into the abysmal garbage truck. Gradually I noticed a subtle sweetness in the meat of the green medicine ball. I was surprised. Perhaps the fruit was much more than a distorted globule. Perhaps I had underestimated my dried, crimped friends. Soon I could hardly imagine an autumn week without the tangy aroma of grapefruit peels. One Thanksgiving week, my family and I temporarily suspended our tradition and departed from our abode in search for our ancestral roots. When my mother told me we were going to China, I couldn’t help picturing a water-colored scene of limestone mountains and grazing oxen. I would miss our grapefruit ritual, but I had never been to China before. My eight-year-old self longed to visit the country that was so vividly depicted in pastel drawings of children’s books as a land of dragons, fireworks, and never-ending rice patties. We left the peels on the dusty, cracked windowsill. I barely had time to stretch my legs from the grueling flight when my family and I crammed into the back of a stained, derelict van. The grizzled driver had stained jaundiced teeth and a Velcro buzz cut. He eyed us curiously, almost contemptuously, as he attempted to start the car. I felt miniscule under his gaze. We must have been an odd spectacle: my mom with her Louis Vuitton bag, my dad with his new rim-less glasses, and my brother and I in our matching jean jacket outfits, all bunched together timidly on cracked leathered seats. “Where are we going, Dad?” I asked amid the ungodly creak of the diesel van. “He Zhou, it’s our village, buddy boy. It’s where we’re originally from and where your Ye Ye, Bak Bak, Bak Gong used to live,” my father answered, drawing near as the van violently shuddered over the rutted road. “People who live there, they’re our family.” Their faces lurked at the edge of my imagination. They greeted me with a smile, as if I had finally returned from a distant journey. Perhaps I would meet a look-alike cousin. On the bumpy mountain road, my pastel dreams turned to reality. Rice patties stretched to the corners of the horizon like a sprawled blanket; mud-splattered oxen shimmered with the radiance of gyrating metal tops, and a limestone escarpment stretched as far as the eye could see, a lounging stone waterfall. The village entrance could have been a product of my imagination. Chipped black characters stretched across a tipped wooden sign. The letters, slanted and curled, seemed oddly familiar. The rocky path leading into the village tunneled through a field of swaying tawny straw. The bronze field, coupled with the slate clouds overhead, seemed to whisper words from the past. Here my fledgling grandfather burrowed through the flickering grass, pretending to be an intrepid Chinese hero. Here my great grandfather fell to the ground and kissed the blessed dirt as he returned from his travels

to the Golden Mountain. And here sagged the hunched, worn back of my great-great grandmother, a woven basket of rice upon her shoulders. I was frightened when I stepped out of the sullied, diesel van. The creaking vehicle had attracted the attention of my “relatives,” strewn across the dirt courtyard. Some elders had risen from the shade of a massive ginkgo tree in silent curiosity, fanning their sweat-plastered faces. I waited for the gush of beaming relatives, the heartening welcomes, the electrified children and their intoxicating shouts: “They’re here! They’re here!” I stepped out of the slate-gray van and waited. A woman with a curled hair bun and wispy feather duster approached us. “Who are you?” she asked, glancing

We cannot gui bin, change our destinies. at my mother’s purse with intrigued envy. She seemed to incarnate the dull confusion of the surrounding villagers. Was this our village, our ancestral village, the Ng village? A gangly mutt scampered away into an adjacent alleyway. Mothers with swaddled children approached with caution, having watched from backstreet stools. Greasy, tank-topped men flicked their cigarettes into a smoldering pit and haughtily stared at our disparate forms. I felt like a village transgressor with a blazing scarlet letter, like an ignorant foreigner who had just bustled into the wrong house. My fantasy spun and veered. My heart shrunk, shriveled like a grapefruit husk. My mother responded. I strained to understand her answer. Her words flowed like muffled music. Suddenly the woman with the feather duster stretched her arms

forward and bowed with a smile, engulfing us with apologies. Apparently she knew who we were. She remembered my grandfather. The other villagers and their gaping actions said otherwise. Did her voice just waver? Hair bun bobbing, she beckoned us with the fluttering duster and escorted us to the main village alleyway. I shoved my hands deep into my jean pockets and dubiously followed the dusty path. The alleys were shockingly narrow. I could stretch out my arms and nearly touch the squat houses on both sides. The complex reminded me of a maze. The dwellings and walls were made of slender, sooty gray bricks and eroded wave-like tiles. Variegated sheets dangled from chipped overhangs and craggy walls; familiar letters were scrawled across the different surfaces – crimson rice paper and sandy-brown animal hides. Simple words. Fortune. Good luck. Happiness. The ring of a delicate wind chime echoed from the alcove of a nearby house. In between cracked open doors and windows, darting eyes gazed at our procession. Pebbles tumbled, and a murmur swelled. I turned around. The greasy men and swathed children of the courtyard were following us, eerily, as if thrown into a mesmerized trance. “Our ancestors create our destinies,” my mother once told me. “Do you know what a destiny is, Jun Jun? It is ju ding, fate. It is meant to be. We cannot gui bin, change our destinies.” At the end of the alleyway stood three separate houses that towered over the rest. The zephyr shrilled, and the feather duster whipped forward like a swiveling compass point, finally pinpointing our journey’s end. A tangy aroma tinted the stifling autumn air. We had not been mistaken. Strung from the wooden lintels of the doors and swaying to the breath of the wind were mounted strings of grapefruit peels.

TheMarque • 72/73

West High School Skjöld Yearbook Painted Post, NY Pages 14-15, “Lab Rats on the Hill” Our chronological book, “Your 24,” featured ten sections of coverage organized by the months of the year with emphasis in those sections on how students spend their hours of the day. Each section contained one spread with two feature profiles providing long-form coverage that stood in contrast to the mod-heavy coverage on our other spreads. Photography was important to us on these spreads; all of the environmental portraits of our subjects were shot the same way — with a triggered off-camera strobe and a shoot-through umbrella.

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West High School Skjöld Yearbook Painted Post, NY Pages 102-103, “Rough Beginnings” The spread is the first of two that documented our band’s trip to the New Year’s Day Parade in London, England. It details the rough start to the trip, when 92 students were held over at JFK and on Long Island because of a huge blizzard that cancelled hundreds of flights on the East Coast. We felt the scale of the coverage was appropriate, due to the large size of the group that traveled to England and the 18 months of work leading up to the departure.

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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