Grace’s Portfolio
Self Evaluation I learned a lot between last semester and this semester. Not only did I become more independent with editing, but I also think my writing became stronger. I would credit this to my teachers, my peers, but also the trip to New York City. I think these skills will be helpful to me in the future because I am considering a career in journalism. I do not know if there is anything in particular that I need to work on, but if I had to pick something, it would be InDesign as a whole. Over the summer I plan to download it and become more efficient with it. Throughout the year, I always met my deadlines. The only thing I would do differently might be to start laying out my pages earlier in the week. As far as working with others goes, I think I got along with those who got their work done, and didn’t with those who didn’t. We all know who is who. At Columbia, I learned a lot about ethics in journalism. I took multiple classes on the subject and I feel as though I understand the importance of them. I was a valuable asset because I edited two pages. On top of that, I learned so much, so next year I’ll be able to help others. I am very excited for the rest of my high school career in Newspaper. This semester I didn’t feel as though I struggled with anything, however, I will be better about time management. I think my greatest weakness would be not always being the most understanding when it comes to people not getting their work done. Next year, I think I will just try to be more understanding in general. Overall, I think that this class has really taught me a lot. I am also very thankful for the opportunity that I was given to be an editor as a sophomore.
Reflection #2 In my opinion, my most significant piece was my story on the late Senator John McCain. This was my first article of the year and I really enjoyed writing it. I wouldn’t say this was a hard piece to write, however, I found it difficult to keep the article unbiased. From an outside perspective, I think getting an interview from the current senator, Jeff Flake, would seem difficult. On the contrary, it was the exact opposite. I simply emailed him and his assistant got back to me very quickly. The purpose of this story was to reflect on the life of john McCain, I felt as though it was a story that should be told. Throughout the process of writing the article, I learned about his life, as well as his effect on the senate. I really enjoyed writing the piece and I felt as though it helped my writing mature. Looking back at the final project, I am really proud of it. I was able to compose an unbiased piece about a man, who to many, is referred to as an icon. Though the article itself was thoughtfully written, the printer had a different idea of what to do with it. Unfortunately, the printer did not print the letter “i”, so the title read “Death of an con”, instead of “Death of an Icon.” Though the paper as a whole can not be submitted for competition, due to the extensive errors, I can submit my article individually. I hope to win something for the work I did. I worked really hard and revised the piece countless times before letting anyone else read it. I wrote the article rather close to the date that he died, so it was still a very tender subject, therefore it was occasionally intimidating for me to start it. Only because I’m not a very emotional person and this article was full of emotion.
United States Senator At age 81, John McCain, a Prisoner of War survivor, an Arizona Senator, and a presidential nominee, died on August 25, 2018, at age 81 at his ranch, in Cornville, Arizona due to. He died of Glioblastoma, an aggressive form on Cancer occuring in the brain. McCain’s life, was in and of itself, an incredible story. Whether or not one always agreed with him, one thing was true, he lived a life dedicated to serving his country.ce. Following his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, McCain became a naval aviator after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1958.In 1958, after graduating from the United States Naval Academy, McCain became a naval aviator; following in his fathers and grandfathers footsteps, both of whom were Naval Admirals. Nearly ten years later, McCain’s plane he was shot down while flying over over Hanoi, Vietnam. Then, he was released back into the hands of the U.S. government after enduring torture and interrogation for five years. After enduring torture and interrogation for five years, McCain was released back into the hands of the U.S. government. ByIn 1981, he entered the political world and went on to serve three decades in Congress, which included six terms in the Senate. “I think that he served our country valiantly. He did a lot for military families and veterans. I know he is very popular within the military,” Ryland Davidson, a sophomore. McCain was often referred to as a “maverick,” meaning that, he was an independent-minded person. While he was a Republican, he was not always partisan to his party. For instance, in 2017, after eleven hours of deliberating, McCain gave a thumbs-down to the Republican National Party’s motion to undo the Affordable Care Act. “Greatest value, courage., Yyou don’t make it through five years as a POW without having tremendous courage. Courage to stand up to your leadership, to push for unpopular things on Capitol Hill, like Campaign Finance Reform or Spending Reform; things that needed to be done, but weren’t very popular. The courage to pursue them, nonetheless, that’s what I learned from him,” Senator Jeff Flake, Arizona’s current senator.. Not only was McCain a political giant, a “maverick”, a POW, a Senator, he also promised the people his honesty, even in the toughest cases.. Known for being completely honest, McCain was known for being completely, undeniably honest, even in the toughest cases. “He showed that he didn’t just have a loyalty to his political party, he had a loyalty to his country in general,” Molly Scaccia, a sophomore. Though McCain was not a native Arizonan, due to his father’s Naval career, he later moved to Arizona in 1981, and became the Senator in 1983. There he lived with his wife Cindy, until his final days. He lived there until his final days with his wife, Cindy McCain.There he lived with his wife Cindy, until his final days. Throughout his 81 years, he accomplished many things. For instance, McCain was, such as being the primary sponsor of a total of 53 bills that were put into play. Receiving the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart; and of course fighting for the United States in Vietnam.
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By Grace Carey Newspaper Staff At age 81, John McCain, a Prisoner of War survivor, an Arizona Senator, and a presidential nominee, died on August 25, 2018 at his ranch in Cornville, Arizona due to Glioblastoma, an aggressive form on Cancer occuring in the brain. McCain’s life, in and of itself, was an eventful story. Whether or not one always agreed with him, one thing was true, he lived a life dedicated to serving his country. “I don’t even know Washington without him,” said Jeff Flake, an Arizona senator who served with McCain for the past six years. Following his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, McCain became a naval aviator after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. Nearly ten years later, McCain’s plane was shot down while flying over Hanoi, Vietnam. Then, he was released back into the hands of the U.S. government after enduring torture and interrogation for five years. By 1981, he entered the political world and went on to serve three decades in Congress, which included six terms in the Senate. “I think that he served our country valiantly. He did a lot for military families and veterans. I know he is very popular within the military,” said Ryland Davidson, a sophomore. McCain was often referred to as a “maverick,” meaning that he was an independentminded person. While he was a Republican, he was not always partisan to his party. For instance, in 2017, after eleven hours of deliberating, McCain gave a thumbsdown to the Republican National Party’s motion to undo the Affordable Care Act. “Greatest value, courage. You don’t make it through five years as a prisoner of war without having tremendous courage. Courage to stand up to your leadership, to push for unpopular things on Capitol Hill, like Campaign Finance Reform or Spending Reform; things that needed to be done, but weren’t very popular. The courage to pursue them, nonetheless, that’s what I learned from him,” said Flake. Not only was McCain a political giant, a “maverick”, a prisoner of war, and a Senator, he also promised the people his honesty, even in the toughest cases. For instance, during his 2000 political campaign, he made a pivotal comment, regarding the state's right to choose whether or not to fly the Confederate flag. Ultimately, his conscience got the best of him, and he later redacted the statement, citing how wrong he felt it really was. “He showed that he didn’t just have a loyalty to his political party, he had a loyalty to his country in general,” said Molly Scaccia, a sophomore. Though McCain was not a native Arizonan, due to his father's Naval career, he moved to Arizona in 1981, and became the Senator in 1983. He lived there until his final days with his wife, Cindy McCain. Throughout his 81 years, he accomplished many things. For example, McCain was the primary sponsor of a total of 53 bills that were put into play. McCain received many medals, including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart; and of course he fought for the United States in Vietnam. With the sudden opening in the Senate, Republicans are now fearing a possible Democratic majority. Considering the fact that Jeff Flake will not be running for re-election, this leaves a seat to fill in the upcoming election in November, 2018. McCain’s seat, however, will not be permanently filled until 2020. In the meantime, Jon Kyl, a former Arizona Senator, has stepped up to fill the late Senator McCain’s vacant position.
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Favorite Pieces McCain By Grace Carey Newspaper Staff At age 81, John McCain, a Prisoner of War survivor, an Arizona Senator, and a presidential nominee, died on August 25, 2018 at his ranch in Cornville, Arizona due to Glioblastoma, an aggressive form on Cancer occuring in the brain. McCain’s life, in and of itself, was an eventful story. Whether or not one always agreed with him, one thing was true, he lived a life dedicated to serving his country. “I don’t even know Washington without him,” said Jeff Flake, an Arizona senator who served with McCain for the past six years. Following his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, McCain became a naval aviator after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1958. Nearly ten years later, McCain’s plane was shot down while flying over Hanoi, Vietnam. Then, he was released back into the hands of the U.S. government after enduring torture and interrogation for five years. By 1981, he entered the political world and went on to serve three decades in Congress, which included six terms in the Senate. “I think that he served our country valiantly. He did a lot for military families and veterans. I know he is very popular within the military,” said Ryland Davidson, a sophomore. McCain was often referred to as a “maverick,” meaning that he was an independent-minded person. While he was a Republican, he was not always partisan to his party. For instance, in 2017, after eleven hours of deliberating, McCain gave a thumbs-down to the Republican National Party’s motion to undo the Affordable Care Act. “Greatest value, courage. You don’t make it through five years as a prisoner of war without having tremendous courage. Courage to stand up to your leadership, to push for unpopular things on Capitol Hill, like Campaign Finance Reform or Spending Reform; things that needed to be done, but weren’t very popular. The courage to pursue them, nonetheless, that’s what I learned from him,” said Flake. Not only was McCain a political giant, a “maverick”, a prisoner of war, and a Senator, he also promised the people his honesty, even in the toughest cases. For instance, during his 2000 political campaign, he made a pivotal comment, regarding the state's right to choose whether or not to fly the Confederate flag. Ultimately, his conscience got the best of him, and he later redacted the statement, citing how wrong he felt it really was. “He showed that he didn’t just have a loyalty to his political party, he had a loyalty to his country in general,” said Molly Scaccia, a sophomore. Though McCain was not a native Arizonan, due to his father's Naval career, he moved to Arizona in 1981, and became the Senator in 1983. He lived there until his final days with his wife, Cindy McCain. Throughout his 81 years, he accomplished many things. For example, McCain was the primary sponsor of a total of 53 bills that were put into play. McCain received many medals, including the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart; and of course he fought for the United States in Vietnam. With the sudden opening in the Senate, Republicans are now fearing a possible Democratic majority. Considering the fact that Jeff Flake will not be running for re-election, this leaves a seat to fill in the upcoming election
FDA Ban By Grace Carey style editor In July of 2017, James Monsees and Adam Bowen founded the e-cigarette company, JUUL. Originally, it was intended to help reduce smoking in adults by creating a substitute for a cigarette. However, many people under the age of 18 have begun to smoke after JUUL was created. envision a world where fewer people use cigarettes, and This piece, when written, “We where people who smoke cigarettes have the tools to reduce was very controversial. or eliminate their consumption entirely, should they so desire,” said the JUUL company. Many people were mad Recently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about the ban, while others have seized over 1,000 documents from JUUL, related to the sales and marketing of the product. About 72 were happy. I hope that I percent of the US market for e-cigarettes belongs to remained as unbiased as JUUL. With seized documents, the FDA is investigating whether or not the sales tactics were directly aimed at possible, while still giving teenagers. all the facrs. In light of recent events, the FDA has banned the company from distributing certain flavors, in hopes to slow the sales in underage teens. “I don’t think that the ban will help because I don’t think that at this point in time it’s all about flavors anymore, due to the power of nicotine that comes from JUUL. I think that people are just addicted and don’t care what flavor it is,” said Brad Penner, School Resource Officer. Between 2017 and 2018 the sale of e-cigarettes has gone up 800 percent, making it the most prevalent distributor in the business, with 72 percent of market share. In only a couple years, over 3.5 million people under 18 have started using e-cigarettes. 77 percent of high school kids and 50 percent of middle schoolers reported their use. “This week has been pretty good. But, usually, it’s about once a day or maybe twice that a JUUL is confiscated,” said Penner. While the FDA hopes to decrease underage use, many believe it I am proud of this may not help because the addiction is already too far along. piece because I feel “I think that kids will just switch to a different brand that still has flavors, so I don’t think it will slow sales,” said Jaden Selin, as though it helped a senior. my writing mature Although the risks of smoking are known among teens, many are not concerned about the health issues later down the road. as a whole. It was This is primarily because of the advertisement that is presented, also very meaningmaking it seem as though e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking actual cigarettes. While it may appear safer, according ful to many people. to the National Center for Health Research, some e-cigarettes In the future, I may contain chemicals like formaldehyde and benzene. It has also been determined, by Truth Initiative, that one single would like to write Juul pod contains about 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine. more like this nd be “I would guess that some people just think they will be able to quit when they want to. They probably don’t realize how adable to get similar dicted they really are,” said Cheyenne Yerkes, a sophomore. interviews. Kevin Burns, chief executive of Juul Labs, stated that although the intent was never to sell Juuls to youth, it has happened, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed. The JUUL company was recently been given 60 days, by the FDA, to come up with a plan of action to stop the underage sales. If they fail, the FDA will take the ban of all flavored e-cigarette pods into serious consideration.
By Grace Carey staff writer Victims are given false hopes and promises everyday, eventually leading them into trafficking. An estimated 14,500—17,500 people are sold into human trafficking in the United States annually, according to DoSomething.org. World wide, the profit made by this crime is an estimated $150 billion. It can happen at any time, anywhere, to whomever. “Human trafficking is the third-biggest criminal enterprise in the world,” said Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Senator at the Democratic Convention. According to ark.cs.washinton.edu who fact checked Klobuckars’ speech, “A U.N. agency estimated the total value of human trafficking at $150 billion. The comparable estimates for the drug trade range from about $280 billion to $420 billion. There is one dicey estimate for counterfeiting of $250 billion. By those measures, human trafficking does rank third.” It is on it’s way to surpassing the illegal sale and distribution of drugs and arms, because, unlike drugs and guns, people can be sold time and time again. Generating this amount of income annually, the business has proved to be highly lucrative. Therefore, the trafficking numbers have greatly increased. The most prevalent type of trafficking is sex trafficking. This alone makes roughly $33.5 billion each year. Young women, in particular, are primary targets. Most often, victims are not physically abducted. This is considered messy and it is significantly easier for traffickers to lure people into relationships. On the contrary, some are abducted. These victims are typically sex trafficked. They are held against their will and forced into sexual acts by their pimp. They do not run, because they fear being killed. They do not talk, because they fear risking others lives. Occasionally, they are impregnated by traffickers and their child is used as blackmail to keep them around. Once they have been under the pimp’s manipulation for some time, victims often develop Stockholm Syndrome, sentiments of trust or affection toward their captor. When the pimp has faith in their loyalty, girls are given the title “bottom girl,” and begin to handle money, training, and recruiting. “A pimp is the guy, he’s the one who gets the money, he’s the one who runs the show. He can’t do it alone, because he wants to go party, so he promotes one of his girls to his bottom. She’s now the leader in control when he’s not around,” said Brad Penner, the school resource officer who worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for five years on Sex Trafficking. Traffickers are typically clever in how they find and keep their victims. Traffickers can be anyone from low-level pimps to women dressed to the nines. They target people with similar backgrounds, making it easier to form a connection with potential victims. “I think that traffickers probably look for people they view as being weak, because they can manipulate them,” said Natalie Persyn, a sophomore. Victims are targeted because they experience a hardship. These stick out to traffickers, because they make a victim vulnerable. Traffickers also look for those that seem to be out of their element making it easier for them to manipulate people into performing tasks that they would not typically engage in. After bonds form, traffickers begin asking for favors, resulting in men, women, and children, being in over their heads. “It’s really sad, because these people trust the traffickers and a lot of times they’re all they have,” said Cheyenne Yerkes, a sophomore. Internationally, 40.3 billion people are involved with a type of human trafficking, according to the International Labour Organization. Some are sex trafficked, some labor forced, and others kept in a debt bond. The targeted victims can be anyone from young girls living on the streets, to grown men trying to repair debts. As soon as traffickers have manipulated an individual enough, they cling to anything that can keep them. From threats to buying them desired things, the victims are roped in. Traffickers frequently move their people in a circuit formation. Typically, they move from state to state, and are placed in trafficking hot spots. States are either referred to as being hot, or cold. If a state is hot, people are taken there; if it’s cold, they are not. These terms are able to tell traffickers whether or not law enforcement is heavy in that area. “They actually have a website, it’s for pimps to go on to and they can “check the temperature,” and what that means is, if it’s hot, police is low and money is good. If it’s cold police is high and money is not good, so they won’t go there,” said Penner. Both the east and west coast are prevalent locations where victims are taken. Sometimes, they are even taken out to port cities and shipped off to other continents. Once victims are abroad, they are likely to spend their life in trafficking. They will never own anything as long as they “belong” to someone else. Their once promised “better life” has been taken from them and they often never get their old life completely, if at all, back.
Writing the story was sometimes difficult because it is such a touchy subject Other than that, I really enjoyed writing it.
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