Final Portfolio Lucas Sylvester 6th period
Past Essay Titans more likely to attend college than other high school students High school students across the country have to think tirelessly for hours to make the decide what they want to do after graduating every year. To those more prepared and decisive, the decision is extremely easy and they may know before they even attend high school. However, each year, high school graduates continuously have changed what paths they decide to go into, compared to past graduates. The popular choice for most students is for them to move out of their house and attend college. This choice is the number one choice of students at University, with 91% of 53 polled students, saying they are planning to attend college, according to a poll taken on campus. “I plan on attending college and major in finance and business,” junior Gianna Gesuele said. “I went with these plans because I am in the Academy of Finance and I am very interested in this subject.” Other students on campus choose to avoid college due to the high tuition rates. Tuition rates for middle class families can put them in tremendous debt, which makes many students decide not to attend college. “These students are doing what they need to do. They are able to keep their family from falling into debt and there is no shame in that,” junior McKenzie Booker said. “The saved money could be used to move, start their own business, or support their families.” Graduates and future graduates throughout the United States have been found to be choosing other options besides college directly out of high school. According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, college enrollment went down from 70.1% to 65.9% in just five years of recent high school graduates Students who want to avoid the large amounts of debt from college have many options. Whether they want to find a job, join the military, or even start their own business, they have many options for their future. According to the United States Department of Labor, 74% of high school graduates who did not attend college found a job within a year. “Students not going into college are saving a lot of money and depending on what they want to do, they may not even need a degree,” Gesuele said. Students also have the option of going into the military or finding a job with their skills. Steve Jobs, Rachael Ray, and Lady Gaga all do not have any college degree. They have all made it to the peak of their careers by their skills and motivation. “I have massive respect for these people who have been successful without going to college,” junior Zachery Sheets said. “They have built up their skills and followed their passion and became extremely successful without having to spend thousands on a college degree.” Unlike many schools around the state, a large majority of Titans are interested in going to college and getting a degree in their preferred field. Based on a poll ran on campus, nearly 25% more students are going to college compared to the national average. University teachers are doing a wonderful job preparing the students for their road to getting their degree and continuing their education.
Personal Response I loved writing the article explaining that students had more options than going to college. I am most proud of the multiple ways I explained that people don’t have to go to college. For many, it feels almost forced upon them that they need to go to college and get a degree. I was able to show that many successful people have made it big in their business without any college degree or education. I also explained why students might choose to not to go to college, such as avoiding tuition and loans. I made sure to include this because I have a number of friends who are skipping college because they do not want to go into debt. This article demonstrates good journalism because it follows the LQTQ method perfectly with AP style. Everything throughout the articles flows together because of the LQTQ method. AP style is followed throughout the entire article, making sure it is easy and enjoyable to read. The quotes used are all extremely important to the article, as they all represent students on campus making their decision of whether to go to college or not. I also used statistics online to show that even though high school students did not go to college, they were still able to find jobs. Overall, I feel like I hit all parts that were needed in this article and it showed the opinions and experiences of many.
Personal Essay Technology has massive effects on my generation. It seems almost as if we can’t live without our phones. The advancement of technology has changed how our everyday lives are spent. The biggest change recently with technology in our lives has been Netflix. The huge craze of binge watching for hours on end has hit huge recently. Shows like 13 Reasons Why and Prison Break have glued people to their couches for hours. When a new series releases, it has become common for some to stay home from school to watch the entire show in one day. After watching, many go to social media platforms and voice their opinions and talk with others about the show. One of the best benefits from the growth of technology is the ability to talk and interact with friends all over the world. Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat have all allowed people to stay more connected. Snapchat allows people to snap photos of their daily lives and chat. A big hit with Snapchat is the streaks feature, where if you send a photo to each other once a day, a number will appear and grow day by day. It’s a unique game that keeps people interacting with each other daily. Instagram allows users to share photos onto their wall and keep updated on what friends and family are doing in their daily lives. Technology, however, isn’t always a helpful tool. Many people get distracted while driving and during class. The most common traffic accidents from people under 20 year old is due to distracted driving. It has become almost a normal thing to see a local traffic death every few months due to texting while driving. Teachers also have issues during class with kids on their phones. Whether they are listening to music or texting, it seems like it is hard for some to keep the phone in their pocket. This phone addiction can cause issues at home as well. Some choose to watch YouTube and text friends instead of studying or doing their homework. Even though phones can be distracting in class, technology has helped students learn easier. Florida Virtual has been a huge help to students who are trying to take courses they need to graduate or for students who do not enjoy face to face instruction. The tools used in class have helped students as well. Smart boards and projectors allow students to work together on the board and break down problems. Although technology can keep us interacting with friends, it can also cause issues with in person interactions. Many friendships are strictly online, with no talking or hanging out in person. This has become a common thing, due to a sort of awkwardness that has come with online relationships. They may see each other as friends but many times will not be there when the other truly needs them. Overall, technology has had a mixed effect on the daily lives of my generation. With both helpful and harmful attributes, technology has effected how a normal day is spent. Due to the near addiction that many have, technology will continue to grow and consume lives everywhere
Editor Roles
Oversees a group of staffers on a day-to-day basis I have lead four staffers throughout the year and helped with their writing and magazine assignment. I keep them updated and on track with what they need to do every day. Any time they have issues with their writing, they come to me to help during class. Once they submit their final work, I go over with them the changes I made before it was published and what to fix for the future. Handles all problem-solving strategies with their team During class, whenever my writers have any issues, they come to me to fix it. Whether it is figuring out what type of angle to take, where to find a photo or who to interview, I was always there to help and fix the problem at hand. The most common problem my writers had throughout the year was determining what their social media aspect was going to be. It was the one part of the articles that they had the biggest issues with and often forgot to do it.
Extra Credit B
I greatly enjoyed putting this spread together. I was extremely happy to spotlight the events on campus that our clubs perform in. It was also very cool for me to breakdown and shows why the clubs we have on campus are successful. I liked that the spread touched on the most active clubs on campus and helped bright light to what they have done. I have slowly learned how to use InDesign throughout the year. I learned how to do basic background designs and illustrations. I began understanding how in depth margins were and how to move everything into their proper spots. I also got more familiar with the basic features that are used in nearly every spread.