Molly Riebau: journalism portfolio

“

M

Wake up early. Drink coffee. Work hard. Be ambitious.

Keep your priorities straight, your mind right, and your head up. Do well, live well and dress really well. Do what you love, love what you do.

It is time to start living.�

Molly Riebau portfolio 2014

molly ri e bau as a journalist I

magine, a spunky little fourth grader, sitting in her polka dotted bedroom, ranting to her video camera about the current issues at Wilson Elementary School. Wilson Gossip News, a smalltown, elementary school version of E News, with your host, Molly Riebau (me), spilled the dirty details of all the Mequon fourth graders. Watching the tapes horrified me (I am not meant for TV), and I soon switched to a print source of gossip -- my detailed daily journal.

Fast forward to high school, I wander the halls as a typical lonely freshman. With a passion for knowledge and a creative spark, I stumble upon Highlander Publications.

Until the first day of Publications, I never considered myself a journalist; I thought of myself as a kid with an affinity for writing, an eye for design, and a craving to uncover the truth. From the moment I wrote my first article and designed my first spread, I knew I found my place.

Like a flower, I blossomed in Publications. Always the last one in the classroom slaving away over picas and font weights, I worked tirelessly to improve my skills. I lived my life in headlines: Student fails chemistry test, Sophomore goes to prom, the list goes on.

Up until my experience in Publications, I never discovered my niche. Sure, I was good at a lot of things: good at English, good at soccer, but never was I great at anything. Journalism finally made me feel great.

The further I explored the field of journalism, the more I came to love it. My sophomore year I attended my first JEA/NSPA National Convention in San Diego, and I realized that there were thousands of other ambitious and aspiring journalists striving to learn as much about the field as I was. Attending the National Convention inspired me, and the ideas from other schools left me awestruck.

As a junior I was appointed as the editor of The Highlander newsmagazine and a representative for the American Society of News Editors (ASNE). Completely redesigning our Pacemaker-nominated Newspaper into a 32-page News Magazine proved extremely nerve-wracking; however, the experience presented one of the most rewarding challenges of my life.

Yes, the field of journalism drags along many obstacles. One of which, the skeptics, who assert that journalism is a dying field. I completely oppose that idea. Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author of Nickeled and Dimed, said it best, “We - journalists - we can’t stop doing what we do. As long as there is a story to be told, an injustice to be exposed, a mystery to be solved, we will find a way to do it...

A dying industry won’t stop us.” Barbara’s assertion holds entirely true; as long as spunky little fourth graders report on the scandals of their classmates, there will always be journalism. As long as there is a diary to be written, a story to be told, a truth to be unmasked, journalism will prevail.

We, the fourth grader reporters, we, the kids who live in headlines, we, the kids who slave over fonts, we, the students engrossed in journalism class, we are the future of journalism. And we demand that our stories and your stories be told.

This y ear, I A self H was a ighlan ppoin and T proclaimed d e r ed as een V m N ewsm ember ogue magazine editor acros a gazin of the fan. j u i s my d t n of th e and ors (A kie, I Ameri Any g esk. e S p as a can So NE). ride m iven d b ciety o y ay, pr of New ard ofess self on be in ional s Edfashio g an avid Ha n mag azine rpers Baz s are a scatt ar ered chees e Fresh sticks, lul u M Anthr arket Pea lemon, hot n y opolo gie, m ut Butter, oga, NYC, t y dog V h Sassy ail, Beyon e Blacklis cé , wash t ington , orange, f , B&W, Elsa’ s, al outsid d.c., c e of jo arly l, Friends, ing my u comm rnalism, I v work u for th nity. I am a olnteering e . mana ge the mequon-t member of I love vol heins ir web ville service cl unteering site a an ub ed nd ne wslet ucation fo of milwau d helpundat k ter. my roles on staff: ion (m ee and I tef) a nd i design editor This year, I was appointed as design editor for the highlander magazine. I direct the other designers and work with them to design creative layouts for our magazine.

writer I also write articles for our website, homesteadhighlanderonline.com.

photographer also for our website, I take photos. This tri my favorite photos were from my fall fashion article.

my achievements

my inspirtation my favorite things my interests

about me

me

drop it for the shot One thing I really enjoyed this trimester was photography. Carly and photographed different models/students in a bautiful fall scene. I love the way the photos turned out and I am proud of my advancment in the field of photography.

in action what the font?!

The majority of my time in publications is spent slaving away on my large and in charge computer diligently working on Indesign or dorking out over font weights. I probably spend more time in room 405 than I do at home.

1098 76543 2 1 newsmag pages designed this trimester

stories written this trimester

trimesters of publications taken

conventions attened this trimester

my reflection my goals convention of my first for the experiences trimester future I have attened the KEMPA Fall convention both the 13-14 and the 14-15 school year.

Also, I attened the JEA/NSPA 2014 sring convention in San Diego, and the 2014 fall convention in Washington D.C. Going to national conventions has been amazing. I learned so much and I am constantly inspired by the other amazing journalists.

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if i could pick one word to describe first tri, it would hands down be stressful. Redesigning our pacemaker- finalist newspaper into a 32 page newsmag was so scary but extremely rewarding. I loved working with my mag team as mag editor and I can’t wait to work with new material and new people next tri.

in the future i hope to continue studying journalism and improve my designs. I would love to study journalism in college and work for a magazine one day (teen vogue.. OMG!) In the short-term, i hope to win best of show for our newsmag (hopefully when I am still in high school) and learn more about what I love to do.

the secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.�

- mike murdock

published design willy wonka & the chocolate factory

recreating pinterest

This design was the back page of the first issue of the Highlander Newsmag. We wanted to bring readers to our site, so we made up a golden ticket contest (hence the willy wonka reference) and I pulled it all together for this design. Also, on this page, I used a Bloomies catalog (idea courtesy of Alicia) as inspiration, and I think it turned out awesome.

I have never struggled so much than when I made this page. wow. designing pinterest was so time consuming and particular, and I never want to do it again.

Besides the fact that it was a pain to make, It looks super cool and i am really proud that it actually looks a lot like the real thing.

published design the struggle of the trimester

Who knew we had so many captains? I for sure did not, and originally I did not plan for this story to take up, and almost spill over two full pages. nevertheless, I like this design a lot, and I think it is pretty clean considering the massive amounts of text jammed onto two mages.

the reason i hate rectangles

Rectangles on a slant or satan? Probably satan. the night before the mag was due sydney and I sat in front of an incomplete page with no ideas as to how we should go about fixing it. Thankfully, I had my inspiration binder and I was able to take a professional design and morph it into this one. I love this page, and It is probably my favorite design so far. I am so happy that the finished product looks like this.

published design the 4 to end all 4s

Why is there a huge four in the middle of my spread? To be honest, I don’t know, but I like it. This spread was an absolute pain to make, and I could not figure out what to put here for the longest time. I’m a fan of this design overall, but I think if I were to redesign, I would take out the large quotes and keep the design more clean and simple.

if there isn’t a quote on the photo did i even design it?

Looking back at my older designs, I have come to realize that I have a defined style, and I am a huge fan of text and pull quotes over the actual dominant image. I think for sports especially, quotes look really sleek and, well, sporty (for lack of a better word).

published design boss man page

summertime saddness

the glaze balls page and the big ole’ e came from an inspiration page from gq magazine. I think this page looks so sleek and very aAron glazer.

I love the way this page turned out beaucse the colors look so good together. This page was focused on summer and I feel that the colors and the design of the page really add to the summer feel. I think this age looks really good considering the fact that the stories were so long and there was so much text to work with.

published design an oldie but a goodie

First page, first tri, first year. This is an old one. I like to look backat my old work and think about how much I have imporved and hpw much my style has changed. Overall, I actually like this layout and I am proud to say this was my first published design.

little chubby kids

This design was so fun to make and I really enjoyed drawing the two chubby children on Illustrator. I took this design idea from an obesity infographic and I really think I turned out how I wanted it to. I won the best infographic design for “The Fat Stats� and I am very proud of my work on this infographic.

other designs tbt to the grab bag

#mightyhighlanders

4 years of girls soccer

freshman brigid west

“Playing soccer this year was so fun and I loved being part of the team. I made so many friends which made my freshman year all the more fun.”

sophomore

junior

Jordan Ellerbrock

sophie Bradshaw

“This year was really great beacuse I felt more comfotable and was familiar with the way that my teammates play.”

“I’m excited to be a leader on the team next year. Our seniors this year inspired me and showed me great leadership.”

senior

mikaella sabinash “I hope to continue improving in soccer and to be successful with the next team I will be a part of.”

I really like the way this design turned out for my second grab bag assignment. I think that the way the photos are arranged looks clean and presents the information well without having too much information. Also, I like that the design incorporates people from different grades and showcases individual players while displaying the entire team.

This is a design I made as a poster for the school to help students visualize the need motto of social responsibility. I like the way this design turned out, and I love how the photos match our school culture so well.

other designs “the illegal photo scnadal�

For the Fall jea/nspa journalism convention in washington d.c., I entered the magazine design contest. I actually really like the layout of the cover, but there is one issue: I flipped the cover photo. I was not aware that flipping photos was not allowed, and I am so glad that I learned that helpful rule.

jea/nspa design contest entry

Also part of my entry For the Fall jea/nspa journalism convention in washington d.c., is this layout i designed. For a while I really struggled to figure out a way to include all of the requirements and have an effective layout. After a week of struggling, I finally managed to create this layout, which i really like.

published writing that’s debatable As a minimum wage worker myself, I would love to be making the proposed $10.10 an hour, but raising minimum wage is extremely detrimental to the American economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “1.6 million [people] earned exactly the prevailing federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.”

Advocates of increasing the minimum wage vouch that low-skilled workers would be able support themselves if they were paid more. However, this proposition carries along long-term issues.

According to the article “The minimum wage delusion” by James Dorn,

a raised minimum wage would create problems with the supply and demand of workers. Dorn asserted that “law tells us that quantity demanded (i.e., the number of jobs for low-skilled workers) will decrease more in the long run than in the short run, as employers switch to labor-saving methods of production—and unemployment will increase.” Unemployment of minimum wage earners will most dramatically hurt the lowest skilled workers.

As detailed by a recent Congressional Office report, U.S. employment could be reduced by 500,000 jobs.

Jonathan Meer, an assistant pro-

poor little rich kids fessor of economics at Texas A&M, agrees with the theory of unemployment increase due to increased minimum wage. In a study released in December 2013, Meer found that the effects of an increased minimum wage will “reduce net job growth, primarily through its effect on job creation.”

These job cuts primarily would affect the youngest workers. Therefore, my desire for more money could make me lose my after-school job. Meer said the effects of unemployment “are most pronounced for younger workers and in industries with a higher proportion of low-wage workers.”

in this article, anna and I took two sides to a controversial topic: raising the minimum wage. Anna and I usually have very conflicting opinions on social issues, and I really enjoyed reading both the pros and cons of an issue relevant in our city.

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These job cuts primarily would affect the youngest workers.

Therefore, my desire for more money could make me lose my after-school job.”

Growing up in a community steeped with wealthy families, one starts to realize the effects of wealth, positive or negative. In Mequon, according to bestplaces.net, over 31.69 percent of households have an annual income over 150K (more than twice the national average) and the majority (53.26 percent) make over 100K per year.

Affluenza, although not officially recognized as a psychological disease in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a disorder commonly known as “rich kid syndrome” that affects wealthy citizens of America, specifically those living in white, two-parent households with an annual income of over 150K per year. The disease pertains to those who are too wealthy for their own good and their wealth hinders their healthy psychological development.

These are the teens who saturate their lives in activities and AP classes, who attend high schools with renowned test scores and an outstanding academic curriculum and who work to attend prestigious universities. These “victims” of Affluenza attribute their issues to the pressure associated with maintaining their elite status of wealth and achieving impressive transcripts

complete with myriad activities and 4.0 GPAs. Affluenza garnered national attention after Ethan Couch, wealthy Texas teen, killed four in a drunk driving incident in December. His defense team claimed this horrific incident was a result of Affluenza, and rather than fulfilling his jail sentence, Couch would further benefit from therapy and treatment away from his parents.

Albeit extreme and rather ridiculous, Couch’s trial is prime example of maladjustment in wealthy adolescents.

Many teens, like Couch, blow off steam using alcohol and drugs. While it is normal for teenagers to experiment with alcohol and drugs, wealthier teens have the access to a wine cellar in the basement or a liquor cabinet stocked full. Stealing from parents is easy for the rich, and a missing bottle of booze is usually overlooked. When teens feel that they can easily get away with stealing alcohol and money from their parents, they feel the need to push the boundaries even further and delve into the dangerous world of recreational substance abuse.

However, when many of us think of the problems plaguing today’s youth we run right to the obvious-- the

increasing violence within inner-city youth, but what many fail to realize is the heap of problems that beset the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Compared to inner-city teens, those of wealth perpetrate more crimes associated with drug use, underage drinking, stealing (from parents or peers) and cheating, while inner-city teens are closely associated with violence and self defense.

While there is no medical cure for Affluenza, some psychologists suggest that charity work and exposure to the less fortunate can help to put their affluent young lives into perspective.

A burden is also placed on wealthy parents to promote healthy behaviors and cheer on their children, rather than suffocate them with the pressures of perfection.

While crying Affluenza should not excuse a DUI resulting in the death of four innocent people, we should be concerned about the issues of the wealthy. After all, teens of wealth are the future high-paid CEOs and politicians that shape the values of American society.

this opinion article is probably one of my favorite articles I have ever written. I was really interested in the topic and I think that really shows through in my writing.

published writing that awkward moment when you’re actually generation y “There will always be the kids who are afraid of everything, the kids with boundaries and the kids who make really bad decisions,” *male Homestead teacher, said. But why is our generation exploited as more rebellious than those of our parents and teachers? As morals are passed on through the generations, the interpretation of certain moral views might become slightly distorted, but in reality they are not all that different. Female teacher, agreed, “Some people are moral and some not so much. It’s about how you are raised and what you want out of life, not what generation you are a part of.” *Names have been withheld in this article due to nature of subject Will you go steady with me?

Generation Y, dubbed as the “hookup culture,” is often referred to as a society more prone to casual sexual encounters than meaningful relationships. According to the American Psychological Association, “By definition, sexual hookups provide the allure of sex without strings attached.” *Female Homestead student, agreed, “I think of it right now as just an easy way for a person to describe something physical happening with someone else. It’s just a general and easy term. I think it’s appropriate because you don’t need to be serious with someone in order to hook up with them.”

According to one female Homestead teacher, in the past, “having a relationship was more common than being with a different person every week.”

But, recent studies have shown that the trends in hookups have not changed since the 1980s and 1990s. According to a study done at the University of Portland, “Compared to students from the 80s and 90s, students today did not report having sex more often, nor did they report having greater numbers of sexual partners.”

While recent media hype aims to exploit

Generation Y as the terminators of formal dating, research shows this generation has not strayed from their parents’ views on relationships.

Although the prominence of dating has not faltered, one male student contrasted the new view of courtship to that of previous generations. He said, “relationships back then were way more romantic and lovey-dovey and boys acted way more like gentlemen.”

Male Homestead teacher agreed,”When I was a teen, you would go steady. You would be exclusive, no dating other people, you passed a lot of notes and spent a lot of time together.”

“I got married when I was nineteen, and I had been in love twice before that.

A relationship can be serious or casual at any age; what really makes it serious is a willingness to commit and to take adult responsibility for your actions. I don’t suggest to people that they should marry as early as I did, but when you know, you know. I’ve been happily married for 22 years,” female Homestead teacher, said.

This is your brain, this is your brain on drugs.

The 70s and 80s followed the hippie culture of the 1960s, and carried some aspects of the mantra, “Drugs, sex, and rock n’ roll” to their respective decades.

“When I was in school there were those kids who were willing to try anything, drugs, drinking, sex or whatever and then there were those kids that would do nothing, and then the kids that would drink on the weekend sometimes,” male Homestead teacher, said.

Due to the recent push on legalization of marijuana, its legalization in 19 states for medical use and two states for recreational use, the spotlight shines on teenage drug use.

Compared to rates in the 1970s and 1980s, marijuana use has actually gone down significantly. In 1979, “over a

third (37 percent) [of Americans] had used [marijuana] during the previous month (Schaffer Library of Drug Policy), compared to 33 percent in 1985 (Gallup Poll), and 22.7 percent in 2013 (National Institute on Drug Abuse).

In 1984, the legal drinking age in America was changed from 18 to 21. “Teen drinking” a previously legal action,became frowned upon.

While the average number of kids who consumed alcohol underage might seem larger, the change in the drinking age must be considered.

“By age 15, half of teens have had at least one drink. By age 18, more than 70 percent of teens have had at least one drink,” outlined by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“Nearly 9 million youths, ages 12 to 20, in this country report they have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days,” a Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility survey revealed. *One male student admitted, “I think there is more of a scare about drugs and drinking now than ever before, and it just makes teenagers want to do it even more.”

According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “on average, young people have about five drinks on a single occasion, which can be considered binge drinking.” Due to the illegality of underage drinking, drinking among teens transitioned from a social norm, to a behind the scenes high-stakes event for the purpose of getting drunk.

While the average number of kids who consumed alcohol underage might seem larger, the change in the drinking age must be kept in mind.

Showing a somewhat similar view a male Homestead teacher expresses,“When I was in school there were those kids that were willing to try and do anything, drugs, drinking, sex or whatever and then there were those kids that would do nothing, and then the kids that would drink on the

weekend sometimes.”

No matter the generation, taking responsibility for one’s actions is a major aspect no matter what generation you belong to.

“I have never been drunk nor have I ever done drugs, but I was around substance abuse constantly -- both as a child and a teen,” female Homestead teacher, said. “I was somehow able at a very young age to realize that surrendering control of my ability to make decisions was undesirable and that addiction was a lifelong curse.”

But first, let me take a selfie.

On any given Friday or Saturday night, teens in Mequon receive a drunk text or open a party-scene Snapchat story. The newest Twitter fight is hashed out for everyone to see, and we all know instantly that a couple broke up through an emotional Instagram caption. Our generation lives and breathes social media, where bad decisions are showcased online within seconds of them happening.

“I think our generation views drugs, sex and alcohol more leniently than past generations, mostly because we are able to publicize ourselves more than previous generations could,” a female student, stated.

Sexting, according to the United States Court System, is “an act of sending sexually explicit materials through mobile phones,” including video, texts and photos. While one female student said, “Sexting is fine as long as you’re safe about it.”

Another female student offers a contrasting view, “I think the consequences of sexting aren’t worth it because once that’s out there it can never be taken back.”

Having grown up in a time where texting was non-existent, the “incredible stupidity” of sexting baffles one mother in the community. She said, “I wish that there was more of an emphasis on the severity of sending nude photos. It’s child pornography, and that’s against the law.” In comparison to her teenage years, she said, “it is easier for teens now to send something racy that you would never say or do on the phone or in person.”

It takes the clicking of a couple buttons and typing of a couple words and suddenly anyone is able to see anything you have ever tweeted, posted on Facebook or elsewhere.

“I know of mothers who sit on Facebook and stalk kids looking for bad things,” shared a mother in the community. “It is incredibly easy to pull up a drunk or

offensive tweet.”

Exposing ourselves and creating online identities leads teens away from knowing what is acceptable to express and makes it easier for people to voice their opinions and ideas often stuffed with profanity and potentially offensive slurs.

You’re from the 70s, but I’m a 90s [kid] “You just don’t get what it’s like to be a teenager today.” In some aspects, yes, this assertion holds truth, but in others, our parents will never understand the complexity social media places on our lives. Our peers are privy to our personal information and mistakes in and instance.

Screenshotted texts are distributed at the snap of a finger. Within minutes, police can bust an underage drinking party that was viewed on snapchat and reported by an uninvited student.

Sure, our parents will never understand the importance and burden of social media on our lives, but they will understand the other social pressures placed on us. In reality the same pressures were bestowed upon them as teens and similar decisions were made. However one chooses to view it Generation Y proves not to be more rebellious, but instead more exposed.

I absolutely loved writing this article. First off, I worked with carly. Second, I proved my mom wrong. Last, I found out that I am in generation y not generation x. Although the topic of this article is a tad racy, carly and I actually got a lot of positive feedback and through our research, we actually found that our generation (y.. lol) is not any worse sex, drinking and drug-wise than our parents (that shocked my mother). We did face some obstacles while writing this article, one of which is using anonymous sources and dealing with a personal topic. Getting our sources, although they were anonymous, to open up was difficult, but i think we pulled it off quite well..

published writing shoutout to mk’s hands During the first week of school, Mr. Brett Bowers, principal, released a number of announcements reinforcing Homestead’s dress code. “While many of you consistently wear school appropriate clothing, we have noticed a number of students violating the expectation that tops have two straps and do not expose the midriff,” Mr. Bowers said.

Recently, the concern for appropriate school wear has become prevalent in schools nationwide. For example, over the last couple of weeks, almost 200 students at Tottenville High School in New York “have been given detention over dress code violations,” according Jessica Valenti, a columnist for The Guardian.

Almost 1,000 miles south, in Jacksonville, Florida, Oakleaf High School forced Miranda Larkin, 15, to wear a “shame suit”- large red sweatpants paired with a highlighter yellow shirt with the words “Dress Code Violation” plastered across the front. The school administered this punishment to Larkin because her skirt was not below her knee.

Across the country, however, the ropes concerning school attire have primarily been tightened around females. According to Valenti, “While these school dress codes are supposed to address both female and male students, it’s predominantly girls who are targeted as ‘violators’ – and that could be a violation of federal law.”

A survey conducted by Menlo-Atherton High School in California proves Valenti’s point. The results showed that “64 percent of females...had been called out for violating the dress code,

compared to only 12 percent of males.”

Dress concerns are not exempt from Homestead High School. Members of the Homestead cross country team have experienced gender inequity linked to running attire in the past. According to Allie Levin, sophomore and varsity runner, the girls’ cross country team has always been prohibited from practicing in their sports bras while the boys were previously allowed to run without a shirt. “I’m not allowed to wear a sports bra during practice because it’s ‘distracting to the boys.’ I feel that this is wrong,” Levin said. “If the boys are distracted that isn’t my fault. I shouldn’t be punished for it.”

Coach Victor Vilar, girls’ cross country coach, believes that modesty is an appropriate rule on school grounds, both for girls and for boys.

“If I was coaching boys I would stick to a modesty rule as well,” Coach Vilar said. “The unfortunate thing for girls is that there is so much more attention brought with their limited clothing because of how society and the media advertise them.”

This year, male cross country runners are expected to wear a shirt during practice, according to their coaches.

“This expectation is totally fair,” Anna Keller, junior and varsity runner, said.

“Dress codes should apply equally to boys and to girls, and if we have to wear shirts in the 80 degree heat, then so should they.”

This year, students feel that there is a heavier emphasis on the dress code, particularly towards girls. Mr. Bowers’ announcement stressed the rule that tops must cover the midriff and that shirts have two straps. “I felt that this

announcement was focused more towards girls,” Taylor James, junior, said.

Mr. Bowers intends for every rule in the dress code to apply to both males and females. According to Mr. Bowers, “We don’t have a gender-based dress code. Any of the things that would violate the dress code would apply equally to girls or boys. If a boy came to school in a top [exposing his midriff], that would be unacceptable.”

Additionally, according to Mr. Bowers, the announcements were meant to raise awareness for a recent trend that is not school appropriate. They were not meant to target females as violators. “Dress code and fashion trends go hand in hand. The fashion trend of cropped tops has become a fashionable thing again,” Mr. Bowers said. “When a style comes up that causes some element of the dress code to become more relevant, we need to raise awareness to it.”

According to Mr. Bowers, he has had several conversations with students regarding their attire. Sophia Scaffidi, junior, detailed her discussion with administration in relation to a dress code violation. After denying to change her clothing for “showing about an inch of midriff,” Scaffidi opted to leave school campus. Scaffidi said, “Mr. Bowers told me that I couldn’t be sent to class dressed as I was and sent me home. I just find it ridiculous that our principal found the way I was dressed to be more important than my education, and that he did not allow me to return to my classes even though I felt my outfit was not too particularly revealing.”

According to Mr Bowers, there are

three options for a student who violates the dress code. Administration can give the student a brand new Homestead T-shirt, the student may cover up with their own sweatshirt or a sweatshirt from a friend, or the student can have their parents bring a change of clothing. If the students refuses these options, he or she must leave campus. Mr. Bowers gives every student these options because he believes that “education should be the priority.”

In retrospect of her experience, Scaffidi said, “Our dress code oversex-

ualizes normal parts of our bodies that should not be regarded as inappropriate. Moving forward, I hope students will be allowed to express themselves through their clothing however they choose.”

Mr. Bowers wants students to understand that the dress code is not meant to oversexualize any parts of the body, male or female, nor does he mean for the dress code to become a bigger issue than it is. “There needs to be a standard of reasonableness. We’re not trying to catch somebody doing some-

thing wrong,” Mr. Bowers said. “Let’s just communicate this fair standard, and if there’s a situation where we’re not in sync with each other, let’s just deal with it quickly, easily, painlessly and not in an embarrassing way.”

Mr. Bowers added, “There’s a standard that says, ‘I’m walking into school, and school means something.’

There’s a certain level of respect for the institution that comes with how we dress.”

This article was the first big article I wrote this year. I worked with Anna to write this story, and I think we worked together really well. This story dealt with an issue that plagued our school and caused a lot of confusion. In the beginning of the school year, the dress code was more relevant than previous years, and many girls were upset about the topic. I think this article served to bring clarity to the subject and inform students about the topic from other perspectives.

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Mr. Bowers wants students to understand that the dress code is not meant to oversexualize any parts of the body, male or female, nor does he mean for the dress code to become a bigger issue than it is.

published writing athlete of the issue

Frosh Friday

Danny Coran, senior, is a valuable leader on the boys tennis team. Coran started playing around age five and has loved the game ever since. Coran said, “ What I love about tennis is that there is no clock or time limit. You have to be out there for as long as it takes to beat a guy. Sometimes it’s quick, and sometimes it can be a long grueling three or even four-hour match. I love that.”

While his perseverance proves valuable in asserting his leadership abilities, his positive energy helps the team succeed. Chase Gabriel, junior and teammate, said, “Danny is a leader who is able to pump everyone up and bring them to the right mindset before a big match.”

Coran added, “Whenever I step on the court, I put forth my best effort and strive to be a better player. I hope the guys on the team will do the same.”

Like any aspiring athlete, Coran sets goals for himself. This season he strives to go to state as a team and place in the top four in the state for singles. Coran will be attending Tufts University in the fall and playing tennis there. He illustrated his goals as a college athlete, “I ultimately want to take Tufts University to its first NCAA tennis title. I’m excited for what my future holds as a collegiate athlete, and I’m ready to work hard and make things happen.”

Every Friday, a lucky freshman is selected to be featured on The Highlander Online. Each freshman is interviewed in order for students to get to know this year’s newest Mighty Highlanders. This week’s pick is Bradley Woldt, an athletic freshman who loves to hang out with his friends.

What is your favorite sport/hobby? Why? My favorite sport is definitely football. I love to play football because it’s great way to stay in shape and have fun with my teammates.

What is your favorite food?

Pizza, I love pizza.

What are you involved in or plan to be involved in at Homestead?

I’m involved in football right now but I also plan to be involved in basketball, baseball and track.

What was your biggest fear going into high school?

My biggest fear of high school was that I would get a ton of homework. Also, I was worried that I would not be able to manage my time well and get all my homework done.

What is your favorite thing about Homestead so far?

My favorite thing about Homestead is that I am able to be with all my friends, including friends that went to different middle schools.

Out of all the places you have traveled, which was your favorite?

My favorite place I have traveled was during 7th grade spring break. I went with my friend to Puerto Rico and it was a really awesome experience.

I wrote this article for the June issue of the Highlander last year. I like the way this story came out because I feel like i was able to find a story behind the story and really shed a positive light on one of the leaders in our building. I had a great time getting to know more about this athlete, and I enjoyed writing this article.

I wrote this freshman friday article about bradley woldt for the website. I think freshan friday is a really fun way to get to know the newest faces around homestead.

photography the highlander or teen vogue?

This fall fashion photo gallery was by far my favorite assignment I have ever created in publications. Carly and I dressed up three of our good friends and took their photos. As my mother (Alicia) said, “the photos are great and the styling is on point. Looks like a Bloomies catalog.� (Thanks Alicia!) I think these photos looked very professional and I am so proud of my work. Also, I loved working on this story because I felt like I was working a photoshoot for teen vogue a.ka. my life goal.

do it yourself

For my DIY beaded jewelry story, I used steller to create a photo flip book. I love making my own jewelry, and I found it so fun to be able to photograph it. Steller is such a cool tool, and I really enjoyed learning how to use it.