Lone Star Dispatch, Issue #4 (work in progress)

Front Page

Summary:  A new policy in education in Texas requires all students to have an attendance of at least 90% of class days to earn credit for the course, and that all absences must be documented by a doctor note, a parent note or the school. Bowie administrators have developed ways to encourage students to increase their attendance by offering certain privileges for good attendance. These privileges include a designated and decorative parking space, off periods, and exam exemptions. This has earned a mixed reaction from students, who suspect that the motivation behind these offers might be to increase the state revenue that AISD earns for attendance. 

Who: Bowie students and AISD/Bowie administratorsWhat: New attendance policy and attendance privilegesWhere: The state of Texas and Bowie HSWhen: In the recent yearWhy: To increase attendance at schools in AISD/BowieHow: By rewarding students with privileges for having good attendanceWho was quoted in the story: senior Madi Little, junior Mason Kendrick, US History teacher Ruth WidnerWhat quote was the strongest in your opinion: "It is true, I think, that school just isn't for some people but there's definitely a difference in that and just being lazy." - senior Lauryn KendrickDid the lead sentence make you want to keep reading: Yes, because the lead sentence mentioned the strategy that Bowie administrators came up with but didn't specify what they wereWas the conclusion a quote or a statement: The conclusion was a quote: ""I mean, you can ask anybody and I'm sure they'll tell you high school is far from exciting but just showing up can get you far," Mason Kendrick said."

Student Life

Summary: At Bowie High School, the Red Cross Club works to raise awareness about issues going on in the world. The club, sponsored by Erin Kowalik and led by co-presidents Madison Winn and Caleb Newton, has a close connection to the Red Cross stationed in Austin and regularly competes against other local schools to raise fundraisers for causes such as vaccinations in Africa. Many students join the Red Cross Club to make a difference in their community and in the lives of people who need help. 

Who: Red Cross Club
What: The Red Cross Club raises awareness about medical and health issues + other issues
Where:  Room C103
When: No specific date; most fundraisers are weather/disaster orientated
Why: To aid people in need or provide them with necessities
How: By participating in competitions against other local schools to fundraise money for causes like vaccinations in Africa
Who was quoted in the story: junior Madison Winn, junior Caleb Newton
What quote was the strongest in your opinion: "The Red Cross, and more specifically our club, is unique in the fact that it not only makes me feel like i'm actually making a difference in the world, but also that the entire club can make an impact on a person in need's life who we haven't even met...It's impossible to comprehend all of the hardships that people in this world have to go through, but for those of us privileged enough to not have to worry about it on a regular basis should do our best to ensure that everyone can live carefree."
Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading: The lead sentence sets a sort of scene, which dragged me into the story because I wanted to see where it was heading.
 Was the conclusion a quote or a statement: A quote (the quote above)

News

Summary: Recently, Bowie High School hosted its own Science Fair. Judging and awards took place throughout January 13th and January 14th. Many Bowie students participated in the Science Fair at Bowie, but many also volunteered to judge the Science Fair at Mills Elementary. By judging the projects for younger students, the students inspire not only themselves but the younger students to continue being involved in science. This year, in the Bowie Science Fair, Katelyn Dill placed for the grand champion award.

Who: Bowie students + Katelyn Dill
What: Science fair and Science Fair judging
Where: Bowie HS and Mills Elementary
When: January 13th - 14th
Why: For students to get active in science and have the chance to inspire younger students
How: By participating in Science Fair and by judging and critiquing younger students' projects
Who was quoted in the story: Alonna Beatty, Katelyn Dill
What quote was the strongest in your opinion: "If you want to inspire that student, then judging at elementary schools is also a good idea. Just judging can give them the inspiration to grow in not only science but in school and in life."
Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading: Not as much as the previous articles. The lead sentence summarized the entire article in one sentence and didn't include a hook. 
Was the conclusion a quote or a statement: The conclusion was a quote

Sports

Summary: Kianna Ray is a senior at Bowie high school and the captain for the girls basketball team. Earlier in the year on January 6th, she was named one of the Ronalds McDonalds All American Athlete. Kianna is renowned among her coaches and teammates alike for her athletic ability and talent and for her attitude on the court. She's well liked and looked up to by her teammates, who recognize her ability as a team sport and a leader.

Who: Kianna Ray
What: Basketball star named one of the Ronald McDonalds All American Athlete
Where: Bowie High School
When: January 6th
Why: Dedicated to both school and the girls basketball team
How: By committing herself to tons of effort and dedication
Who was quoted in the story: Kianna Ray, Alyssa Kuykendall
 What quote was the strongest in your opinion: "If I could describe Kianna in one word it would be genuine...No matter how much pressure is put on her, she remains humble and kind. She will do whatever it takes to accomplish her ambitions and goals, all the while staying true to herself."
Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading: Not really, but that's mostly because I don't take much of an interest in sports. The lead sentence was ambiguous though and didn't reveal too much, so to find out more about the article, you would have to read the rest of it.
Was the conclusion a quote or a statement: A quote

Entertainment

Summary: The beginning of the spring semester marks early morning practices and costume and performance arrangements for the Silver Star team at Bowie High School. The team is broke up into different divisions of dance, which deal with differing styles. The team works hard and puts hard effort and dedication in order to succeed at competitions against other schools.

Who: Silver Stars
What: The dedication and efforts of the Silver Stars
Where: Bowie HS
When: No specific date, earlier at the beginning of the spring semester
Why: The Silver Stars practice regularly to do well in competitions
How: The Silver Stars put in time and dedication to compete well
Who was quoted in the story: Kendall Franz, Courtney Allison
 What quote was the strongest in your opinion: "It teaches us individuals work ethic because we have to all work hard within ourselves or else the dance won't look good as a whole."
Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading: Not so much, because the lead sentence didn't begin with a hook or anything.
Was the conclusion a quote or a statement: A quote

Commentary

Summary: In the events of the a new attendance policy at Bowie High School, many students have conflicting feelings. Some students favor the new policy and agree that it will be beneficial to the majority of students. The new policy includes a reward system in which students will earn certain privileges like a designated parking, and the policy also makes an exception to students who have been absent due to injury, sickness, or an emergency. However, students who are against the new policy argue that the rewards are not entirely worth it for every student and will not likely be effective. This especially applies to younger students, who can't use privileges like a parking spot or an off period. Students argue that the school needs to consider the consequences of the new policy.

Who: Students at Bowie High School
What: Pros and Cons of new attendance policy
Where: Bowie HS
When: In the recent year (January to present)
Why: This article shows the differing sides and opinions of the new policy
How: The article is split up into two columns, one with pros and one with cons
Who was quoted in the story: No one is quoted in either articles
 What quote was the strongest in your opinion: There were no quotes in the article.
Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading:
Was the conclusion a quote or a statement: A statement (on both sides)

Main In-Depth Story (page A4)

Summary: Earlier this year, the Starlight Theatre Company launched a musical production of Tarzan.  The production took the time and effort of all the actors, but it was worth it for both the actors and the audience, who enjoyed the production. The company looks forward to new upgrades and opportunities they may be able to get to in event of their successful production.

Who: Starlight Theatre Company
What: The musical production of Tarzan
Where: Bowie HS Theater
When: Earlier this year in January
Why: The musical was set to preform earlier this year and was a hit with the audience
How: The STC dedicated their time and effort to make the production a success
Who was quoted in the story: Jackson Walker, Austin Hyde, Betsy Cornell
 What quote was the strongest in your opinion: "I couldn't have wished for a better last musical, because it taught me to believe in myself and it'll always have a special place in my heart."
Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading: Definitely. The lead sentence hooked the reader by describing what happened, but not revealing the reactions of the actors or the audience.
Was the conclusion a quote or a statement: A quote

Front Pages of the World

1. My favorite newspaper front page was the "the guardian", which is published in London and Manchester in the UK. I really like how the newspaper was set up, and I liked that it wasn't filled with ads. I think it's interesting how they previewed some of the stories at the top too and included a picture to go with it. Somehow it made it more interesting.
2. Although the design of the newspaper was appealing, the front cover stories were mostly about politics, which I don't find particularly interesting. The most interesting headline on the front cover was at the top, and was titled "Farewell to the Independent: 'A lovely sort of chaos'". What is "the Independent"? Why is it a "lovely sort of chaos"? The vagueness of that headline intrigues me.
3. There are 3 stories on the front cover of "the guardian".
4. The newspapers I've seen, including "the guardian", have a similar setup with the newspaper's name at the top (or near the top), and then one big or main photo, alongside 3 or 4 smaller photos that pair with their own individual stories. The stories themselves run either across the paper horizontally or down the paper vertically. The stories that run horizontally are usually made up of 3-4 short columns, while the ones running vertically are made up of 1 column. Another thing I've noticed in many newspapers is that they enlarge the first word or letter in the story. Most newspapers seem to use a similar, if not the same, font. 
5. Some newspapers do not have a main photo and instead have many photos. Some newspaper front covers also do not just cover 2 or 3 stories, and cover 5 or more stories, though they only include a single column of the story instead. Newspapers all use different colors accordingly to their title, which itself has a unique style (in most cases).

Yearbook Spread

King Pica Spread

Yearbook Introduction

25 Things That Every Yearbook Should Have

1. A theme for that year's edition
2. An eye-catching title that coordinates with that theme
3. Colors to create an atmosphere (cool colors for nostalgia; bright colors for energy or excitement)
4. A table of contents for the sections
5. Separate sections for certain things
6. The volume, edition, and year of the yearbook
7. One section for Sports
8. One section for Clubs and Organizations
9. One section for Students 
10.  One section for Student Life (personal looks into the lives of students)
11. A section for Team, Club, or Organization photos
12. A "Student Most Likely To. . ." section
13. Also a section for the "Most so-and-so Student" (Ex. Most Athletic Student, Most Academic Student, Best Dressed, Everybody's Friend)
14. A dedication to students who may have departed during the year or to staff members who are leaving the school
15. Activities that the school participated in (Fundraisers)
16. Local activities that the students participated in (Marathon, Community Service, ect.)
17. A spread for Science Fair
18. A spread for Homecoming
19. One or more spreads for Senior Prom
20. A section for Theatre (plays, musicals, and that sort of thing) at the school
21. Senior quotes
22. Senior tributes
23. A summary or a photo collage with captions of everything that happened in that year at the school
24. A summary or collage with captions of everything that happened in that year outside of school (Memorials, deaths, Anniversaries, etc.)
25. Some sort of message at the end of the book that makes you feel very nostalgic. The whole yearbook should be nostalgic, but the end REALLY needs to wrap it up in a nice bow.

Q&A

1. What is the title of your book?

& Then Some

2. What school is it from?

Westlake High School

3.  What "thematic elements" do you see in your book? This means what elements are evident from beginning to end of the book?

The most consistent thematic element in the book was the phrase "& Then Some", which was the theme of the yearbook. The book started and ended with that phrase, and many of the sections started with "&". Other elements that were consistent throughout the book were the colors on each spread and the placement of the photos and description. A lot of theme were very similar.

4. How many sections are in your book? This could be tough to figure out, but do your best.

There were 6 main sections, and each section had a 2 subsections

5. What is your favorite "spread"? A spread is 2 pages about the same topic.

My favorite spread was where they included the "Students Most Likely To". A lot of the "most likely to"s were interesting, creative, and funny, and they included a lot of other ones other than the main attractions. A lot of the photos in that spread were really goofy too.

6. Is there an index in your book?

Yes

7. Are there photos of groups of people, like clubs and organizations?

Yes, of all the clubs and organizations.

8. Is there a table of contents?

There's a table of contents for what page each section starts in the book.

9. How many people go to the school whose book you have?

About 3,000 students, a little more or a little less

10. What state is your book from?

Texas

Magazine Cover Peer Review

Magazine Covers Set 1

http://bonniesphotojournal.blogspot.com/2016/01/magazine-covers.html


1. What is the name of the magazine that you looked at and who made it?

The name of the magazine was Monthly Music and Bonnie made it.

2. List two things you liked about the magazine cover

I really liked how the image was edited to black and white except for the cello. It made it seem aesthetic and it also brought the attention to the instrument, which is appropriate for this type of magazine.

3. Suggest something to the creator to improve the cover

Although this was probably done to fit the black and white theme of the magazine, the title doesn't stand out so well against the background. The cello attracts even more attention away from the title.

4. Why did you pick this cover? Specifically what attracted your eyes.

I really liked the angle of the photo and how the photo was made into black and white excluding the cello.

5. Is there a bar code? Is it appropriate in size and located in the correct place?

There is a barcode and it is in appropriate in size and location.

6. If you were walking by the magazines in Barnes and Nobles would you pick this magazine up and look at it? Why or Why not?

I probably would have picked this magazine up because of how the cello stands out so much against the background. And then I would have put it back down when I saw the price.

7. Can you tell if it was a portrait or self-portrait?

I'm pretty sure this is a portrait, since it would be hard to set up a self-portrait from that angle.

Magazine Covers Set 2

http://biancasphotojournalismblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/my-magazine-covers.html


1. What is the name of the magazine that you looked at and who made it?

The title of the magazine I chose is Self, and Bianca made it.

2. List two things you liked about the magazine cover

The black and white colors in this photo make it dramatic. It seems like there was more contrast against the light and the shadows put into the photo too and makes it even more dramatic. Kind of like an Adele cover.

3. Suggest something to the creator to improve the cover

For how dramatic the title and the picture look, the subheadings don't seem to quite match. I expected sort of a calming and alluring sort of theme for this magazine, but then the first subheading on the left is about the Kardashian Klan. Maybe have a theme that matches the atmosphere of the photo?

4. Why did you pick this cover? Specifically what attracted your eyes.

The contrast of the shadows and the lighting really caught my eye, and so did the calming and alluring atmosphere the photo gave off.

5. Is there a bar code? Is it appropriate in size and located in the correct place?

There is a barcode in a good size and located in a good place.

6. If you were walking by the magazines in Barnes and Nobles would you pick this magazine up and look at it? Why or Why not?

Yes, because the photo is really eye-catching. I probably wouldn't have actually looked inside the magazine though, because the subheadings don't quite catch my interest.

7. Can you tell if it was a portrait or self-portrait?

I can't really tell if this is a portrait or a self-portrait. It could be either.

Magazine Covers Set 3

http://jonahsphotojournalismblog.blogspot.com/2016/01/magazine-project.html


1. What is the name of the magazine that you looked at and who made it?

The name of the magazine is TX Austin Life and the creator is Jonah

2. List two things you liked about the magazine cover

I like the angle that this photo was taken at because it makes it look like a professional magazine for the local life in Austin, TX. I like how you can obviously tell that this photo was taken somewhere downtown based on the setting.

3. Suggest something to the creator to improve the cover

The subheadings match the theme of the magazine, but they're not particularly interesting or specific.

4. Why did you pick this cover? Specifically what attracted your eyes.

The angle of the photo really attracted my eye, and so did the brightness of the colors (especially the red). Also the bike. Bikes are cool.

5. Is there a bar code? Is it appropriate in size and located in the correct place?

Yes, there is a barcode in the appropriate location and of an appropriate size.

6. If you were walking by the magazines in Barnes and Nobles would you pick this magazine up and look at it? Why or Why not?

I definitely would have picked this up and read it. These type of magazines (where they talk about the local lifestyle and activities) interest me.

7. Can you tell if it was a portrait or self-portrait?

This was definitely a portrait.

Prompt shoot peer review

Prompt Shoot #3 Peer Review

http://wesleysphotojournalismblog.blogspot.com


1. Which photo do you like best? Why?

I like the third photo, which was for "The End" prompt, the best out of the four pictures because it looks like a well taken photo. The contrast of the words on the paper is enhances by the black and white colors, and the words 'The End' are more focused than the rest of the words to bring the attention to that. I'm a little curious as to what book they had taken a photo of, since you can't tell much by the little words that aren't blurred. Overall, it looks like a cool photo. 

2. Which is your least favorite image? Why?

My least favorite image is the last photo for the "Yummy" prompt. It fits the prompt nicely but the image itself isn't very creative. Plus, it breaks the "Black and White" theme that all the photos had been going with so far. 

3. Overall, make two positive statements about their pictures.

The consistent theme of black and white photos (excluding the fourth one) is nice and makes the photos more interesting. I like how a lot of these photos were also closeups that gradually blurred out. 

4. Overall, what is one area that this person could improve upon in your opinion.

Maybe working on more photos that aren't closeups? All the photos were closeups of the subject in front of a blurry background. There could've been more photos that weren't like that.

5. Which prompt do you think they did the best portraying, from your perspective?

"The End" prompt was portrayed the best. The other three prompts could fit other prompts and be more misleading as to which prompt they were paired to, but "The End" photo was spot on.

6. Which prompt do you think they did the least successfully portray, from your perspective?

The "Eight" prompt. While the photo does have the number 8 in it, someone who didn't know what the prompt was might've thought the photo was focusing on the entire number instead of just the 8.