Current Event Final

1. The Labay family, who runs Nau's drug store, is undergoing health, family, and financial issues and wants to sell an abandoned house that's been in their family for years in order to earn some money to get them back on their feet as opposed to losing money from a house they don't use. The only problem is that the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association objects to the demolishing of the home to sell the land, (which is the only thing of any value in the situation) because of its location in a historic neighborhood and how long it's been around. The OWANA also has a strong case, being that they would like to keep the spirit of old Austin alive and well and not encourage people not up-keeping properties and selling the land so more condos and apartments can be built, which is practically an epidemic in Austin right now. Honestly, I think they both have strong cases and I deeply sympathize with the Labay family, but I agree with OWANA's stance and think that they're just attempting to keep the limited historical neighborhoods of Austin maintained and existing, which is a noble task, and unfortunately it's difficult to make exceptions. The compromise being proposed is subdividing the lot to keep the home there and having the other part of the land be open to development. This honestly seems to be the fairest option, as this way the Labays could make some money to preserve their business without killing a little bit of the Old Austin that is so quickly deteriorating in the face of the mass and rapidly expanding gentrification and urbanization that Austin is undergoing. 

2. UT and A&M are proposing a partnership with the Sandia Nation Laboratories in New Mexico (a federally funded nuclear weapon lab), and they are partnering with the University of New Mexico, the Boeing Co., and the Battelle Memorial Institute. Basically, this would allow for the universities to run the lab and provide research and work experience for engineering students. Though I don't know much about the topic of nuclear weapon labs, it seems like a good idea to me. Giving university students hands on experience in a lab like this could be extremely beneficial for the students, and it's a university's job to expand their student's resources and make sure they're getting the most possible out of their education, which includes getting direct experience in a high level environment.

3. Bill Cosby is finally being taken to trial as an assaulter for one of his victim's whom he assaulted in 2004. I do agree with the judge's decision that there was enough evidence for the case to move forward, as it's glaringly obvious that Cosby is guilty on at least some accounts given the absurd amount of women who have come forward with reports of drugging and sexual assault on Cosby's part. His lawyers are arguing that instead of using a police statement that the victim gave a year after the incident 10 years ago, that they should have instead put her on the witness stand, and that this was denying Cosby the right to confront his accuser. I sort of understand this perspective from a legal stance, but it's not a substantial enough argument to let him go free. I think this merits front-page placement, as it's a relevant topic which many people are interested in keeping up to date with, and it's important that the topic of sexual abuse stays discussed in the media, as terrible as it is, so that people can be aware of what is going on and hopefully take whatever measures they can to utilize that awareness to stop it from happening. 

4. The board of trustees officially decided to rename the school after Russell Lee, an influential Depression-era photographer who started the Photography department at UT and lived in the neighborhood of the school. The name was chosen as a result of the desire to change the name from someone who advocated for the confederacy to somebody who is a more positive and less controversial figure in Austin's history without having to completely change the name. The vote was a bit awkward because one of the potential namesakes for the school, Bettie Man, the school's first African American teacher, was actually in attendance at the vote and wasn't chosen. The kindergarten hall of the school was instead named after Mann. The decision seemed like a fine one to me, it's not particularly bold, but I think it was a smart choice that was relatively moderate while also making the name not associated with a confederate leader, which is very positive. It could very well set the precedent for more AISD changing their campus's names from leaders who advocated for racial inequality.

5.  It is likely that Baylor University may be sued for not protecting victim of sexual assault's rights after many of their football players have been accused and jailed for sexual assault. It is possible that the university's president, Ken Starr, may be fired as a result of the scandal. I don't have much prior knowledge of this story, but I believe that Baylor should take full responsibility, punish the assaulters to the greatest extend they can, and attempt to advocate for the victim's safety. I believe it is the job of every university to put their student's safety as their first priority and avoid being biased because of college's weird protectiveness of their sports players. Exceptions and excuses shouldn't be made for rapists just because they can throw a ball around a field. 

Feature Story

The After School Special
By Grace Schmidhauser

The hectic and anxiety inducing nature of deciding what to do with one’s life after high school is something that almost everybody experiences at some point in their life, and it can often be extremely intimidating. Though McCallum is a widely accepting campus that doesn't encourage rigorous or unfriendly competition against one another in the college process, it's difficult not to compare your own plans or goals to someone else's and often experience self doubt. A question that almost every senior is faced with on a day to day basis from peers, adults, and family is, “So where are you going to college?”, a question to which many don’t have an answer. And that’s completely okay. The fact is that everybody is suited to different forms of education, whether it be a liberal arts college, an Ivy League university, community college, or even learning by going out and gaining life experience, and the traditional college experience is not suited for everyone. Especially given that McCallum is a Fine Arts academy, our seniors are all pursuing different paths and alternate routes to their visions of success for themselves, and thankfully the environment in which we go to school is very encouraging of alternative learning styles and embracing one's instincts, whether it be going to community college, art school, or traveling the world.

Senior Lev Baker, a guitar major and high level classical guitar player, is somebody who is considering one of these alternate routes. Upon graduation, he plans on taking a gap year and backpacking around Europe for two months on his own. A bold and brave choice, he plans on starting in Berlin and going through central Europe and Italy, France, and Amsterdam, to name a few. He’s a perfect example of the type of student who’s seeking to broaden their horizons after high school in ways other than college, and feels that the period right after high school is a great time to explore. “This is the only time I can do something like this- travel alone and backpacking without a specific reason. This this is my only chance to do that while I don’t have any obligations like work or school and my parents telling me what to do”, Baker says. While right now he’s planning on pursuing studying guitar performance following his gap year, he believes that his time in Europe could potentially change his perspective. “I’ll gain a lot of travel memories and maybe even figure out something that I want to do”, he says. Traveling is a wonderful opportunity to place oneself in the larger global context of the world and gain a better understanding of different cultures and regions of the world, and taking the initiative to do that right after high school is a fantastic potential option for people seeking alternative routes to finding themselves and figuring out what they’d like to pursue in their adult lives.

That being said, going to college is obviously a wise option for students to pursue after high school, and a path that many McCallum seniors are getting ready to go down in the fall. Senior Zoe Morgan will be attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in the fall, and plans to double major in Outdoor Education and Recreation and Spanish. Morgan decided to leave Austin for college as a result of the realization that the major she was interested was a relatively rare one, and more confined to more outdoorsy states such as Colorado. She, like Lev, wanted the opportunity to broaden her horizons and get outside of Austin for a while, explaining, “I just like to move around a lot and I thought going to college somewhere different would be a cool opportunity to go somewhere new.” Going to university provides students with the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and also be given the opportunity to study in the field catered to their personal interests, as opposed to the sometimes limiting public high school curriculum of strict course requirements in all subjects. Especially going to a liberal arts school such as Fort Lewis, students can also experience an education that is much less focused on standardized testing and more on what they want to do, something that Morgan is particularly excited about, saying “I’m excited for the learning aspect of college and so excited to go to school and have it not only be focused on testing, but actually have it focused on what I want to be learning”. This is a notion that is extremely attractive to most students, and especially because of our Fine Arts Academy, many McCallum students have very specific ideas of what they want to study in higher education, often based on their major within McCallum. Especially since universities are becoming more and more diverse every year with ever-expanding and increasingly specified creative majors, students are faced with many more options than they’ve ever had before, which presents endless opportunities to students everywhere.

As McCallum seniors prepare to head off on their journeys, whether it be staying in Austin or jetting across the country and world, many mixed feelings are bound to arise. Being faced with leaving home for the first time ever for most can be an extremely intimidating thought, and the complete shift in their routine and daily life can be a scary prospect. “Even though I’m excited to leave home, it’s terrifying to think about not being home and not seeing my parents and my little sister every day,” Morgan says with a tinge of fear in her voice. “It’ll be a very big change in my life”. But even though fears are a normal part of getting ready to leave home for the first time, most seniors feel at least almost prepared to be an adult and live on their own. Along with fears come the titillating excitement of living on one’s own without rules and restrictions of parents, and having the chance to meet new people and learn and grow. Every single McCallum senior is prepared in their own unique way to embark on that journey, whether it be through gap years or college or good old fashioned life and job experience, and fantastic opportunities can arise for anyone and everyone who’s willing to take the leap into their adult life, in whatever way that may be.

Column Emulation Assignment Based off of Bill Plaschke's "It's a Wonderful Life of Writing"

"Wait- are you serious?", she asked her mom, "I really got in?".

The girl had been accepted into an NYU summer program for the Recorded Music Summer Institute. The thought of it was incredibly exciting- a month in her favorite city, surrounded by music and new people- the thought of the memories that could be made was titillating. But she had no idea how transformative 30 days could be, and how different everything would be following her month there.

She arrived in the dorm room at 8 A.M sharp on the morning of move in, which she assumed would be some sort of representation of what it would feel like to really be leaving home forever and moving into a new home once it came time to really go to college. Though it was only for a month, the fear of homesickness and worries clouding her mind consumed her- "What if I don't make friends? What if I'm not good enough? What if I can't handle being on my own?". The room felt small, almost crowded. It was being shared with an earnest cheerleader from South Carolina, attending the Musical Theatre Summer Institute. Though quite a contrast from the type of person the girl would normally associate with, her room mate was warm and genuine. "We're going to have the best summer together!", the room mate said giddily. Though it was nerve-wracking, the girl felt a little bit more at home. The linoleum floors and brick walls slowly seemed a little less sterile, and the view from their little window showcasing the bustling streets of New York practically began to glow.

In the following month, the events that ensued would be life changing for the insecure, slightly lazy, and intimidated girl. She would learn more about herself and her music than she ever thought she could've. Through being surrounded by supportive and artistic new friends and some of the most inspiring mentors she'd ever met, she began to grow. She learned that hard work didn't have to feel like work if it involved completely engulfing yourself in the things you love. She learned that she was more independent than she anticipated, and the streets of New York City weren't all that intimidating once you've walked them enough times, once you find your way around. She learned that there were people who were genuinely not only willing, but happy to be around her and all that she was- her true self, without barriers and pretending. Through all of this, she learned to work hard, and how worth it it could be to get her faltering grades up in public high school. She was willing to put it any amount of work if it could mean to be back there again, maybe even for four whole years. If one month could positively affect her so immensely- imagine what years could do. Immersing herself in the work she got a taste of in her time in New York sounded like heaven.

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Almost a year later, the girl sits at her laptop, bags under her eyes, exhausted from a long and hard junior year. Teaching herself study habits for the first time ever and raising her standards for herself shifted everything. She became more introverted, more focused. The going out with friends that had seemed so attractive and fulfilling just 12 months before seemed almost hollow now. Time spent alone was time that could be spent making music and doing school work- things that could help her progress. Though some procrastination was still evident (old habits die hard), the young woman had really turned things around, and even though it was difficult and often stressful, it was completely worth it to see that GPA raise and self confidence grow. Whether or not she can spend the four years she craves at the school she aspires to attend, the hardworking tendencies, newfound focus and responsibility (mostly), and discoveries about herself would hopefully benefit her for the rest of her life. She thanks her lucky stars every day for the most valuable month of her life and the profound impact it would have on her life forever.





P.S to Mr. Winter- I'm so sorry about the absurd lateness of this, but I'm glad I forced myself to do it because it was very satisfying to write.

P.P.S to Mr. Winter- I know this column is super cheesy and writing in the 3rd person is weird, and I'm sorry if it came across arrogant or over-dramatic in some sections? Who knows! This topic is just super close 2 my heart !

Extra Credit- Career Speaker Series Photographs

WHO'S WATCHING, a sexual predator lives within one mile of most homes in the state of Florida.
This is an extremely powerful image, as the illustration of the faces of sexual predators in a little girl's front yard while playing hopscotch perfectly captures the dangers that children face on a daily basis, and does so much to imply and affect the reader with only some simple editing. It's very powerful.


STUDENT RETENTION, some Central Florida School have 70% turn over in students each year.

I really like this image as it completely catches your eye and makes you want to read the story. He uses very interesting ways to represent stories through photographs, and visual aspects are so vital to making a solid story. He plays with being literal, but not so literal to the point of annoyance.


Sarah Daniels gets in a last minute ballet rehearsal before leaving for a nine-month stage tour of "Bear in the Big Blue House."
I really like the way that he plays with space in this photograph. All of the black space with her in all white in the top of the frame captures the eye, and is a really cool framing technique. If one wanted to analyze it further, the huge black space with her looking tiny and innocent in all white could perhaps be a metaphor for all of the hard work or difficulties she faces as a dancer doing year long tours.


Patrick Lillis holds a self portrait titled "Baggage".
I thought this was a really interesting picture, and paired with only the caption, causes me as the audience to delve a little deeper and infer things from just the picture, which is a sign of powerful photography. The way that the painting of himself replaces his actual face in the picture combined with the title of his self portrait makes me wonder if the painting really looks like him, or if it looks nothing like him and is just a way that he may see himself. I liked this technique a lot.


A home in Indian River County is an Island to it’s self after rains from Hurricane Jeanne left it surrounded by water.
I thought this picture was fantastic in both a photography sense and a journalism stance. First off, it's very pleasing to the eye as the colors are vibrant and clear, and the framing showcasing all of the water surrounding this house accentuates how isolated it is and how little remains as a result of the damages.


A couple stand with their infant in the door of a van they call home in a Houston encampment known as Reaganville.
This is a very powerful image, as it makes the reader feel like they are stepping into the setting in which the photograph shows. It's an honest picture, and the grainy black and white film he chose to use encapsulates the environment perfectly. Even just the look on the faces of the people in the picture seem to represent the hardship and strife they're faced with living in this environment, and it causes the reader to gain some empathy and understanding, instead of the judgement that often comes with people who live in trailer parks. It causes the reader to think a bit deeper.


The space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from the pad for it’s maiden voyage into space.
I love this picture because it's very aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing to the eye. I really like the widespread panning style he chose to utilize for the picture, and the way the clouds frame the rocket-ship to make it look almost beyond real. The glow of the rocket that he captured also represents the possibilities and amazing opportunities that come with space exploration.


Deputies restrain David Letterman’s stalker Margaret Mary Ray as she becomes belligerent and aggressive during her competency hearing.
Though a bit disturbing, this photograph is extremely powerful and important in that it captures perfectly the poor mental state that this woman may be in, and makes the audience feel like they're right there in the scene experiencing this uncomfortable and even scary moment. This picture represents why photojournalism is so important, it can capture a moment in time that says so many words with just a still image.


A mother comforts her son after his father attacked her and then wielded the knife at deputies who shot and killed the man.
This photo is obviously very touching and powerful, and definitely evokes emotion in the viewer. The picture caught a moment in which all of the pain these two are feeling is completely evident, and equally heartbreaking. I think the black and white film was an appropriate choice for the picture as well.


Sunset reflects off of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
I absolutely love this picture and the way that is plays with color and silhouette, making it look almost like an illustration. The way that he framed it accompanied with the shadow of the man and the child, combined with the vibrant colors of the sunset makes it an extremely visually appealing picture.

Video: Jesse's Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esz31sWh0Wc#t=45

Though the re-enactments are sometimes a bit cheesy, the video itself is quite powerful. It's an issue that isn't talked about enough and represents the terrifying and intimidating process that goes along with not only the abuse itself, but also the stigma and embarrassment that can come with attempting to expose the molester.

Front Pages of the World

1. What is your favorite newspaper front page? Why?

Interestingly, I was most attracted to the cover of "China Daily" from Bejing. The cover they showed was in English. I really liked the visual that was presented and the way it was organized, simple but still eye-catching, and neither sparse nor overwhelming.

2. What is your favorite headline from that newspaper? Why are you interested in it?

I was most interested in "Running the World", a story apparently about how fitness focused Chinese people are more interested in taking selfies while running marathons than actually running. I would most definitely read that article. The visual they paired with the article was also quite visually appealing, and tied in with the headline, depicting an illistration of people running around a literal globe.

3. How many stories are on the front page of your favorite?

3 stories.

4. What do you notice that all newspaper front pages have in common? Look at design, size of photos, size of story text, etc.All headlines are relatively big with the text of the article being much smaller, obviously. They all had visual aspects to accompany their articles, though size and amount of pictures varied. Almost all of them included 2 to 3 stories on their front page.

5. What are things that vary (or are different) on the front pages of different newspapers? Look at design, size of photos, size of headlines, etc.

The New York Post had the most different cover, as they just do one huge picture accompanied by a headline instead of putting stories on the front page. Like I mentioned before, size of pictures and amount of visual aspects varied from paper to paper. For example, the newspaper from Prague had a large picture that acted as almost a centerpiece for the front page. Fonts also varied.

Design Vocabulary

Teaser: These promote the “best” stories inside the paper
Folios: a page number; often includes the name and section of the paper

Flag: The name of the newspaper.

Bylines: Where the writer of the story’s name is.

Jumps: When a story is started on one page and continued on another.

Story dividers: any graphic element that breaks the story into parts.

Screens: A shaded area of copy in a newspaper. A text box might have a slight grey screen behind it to make it stand out.

Infographics: A diagram, chart, map, or list that conveys data pictorially.

Masthead/staff box: Main title section and name at the front of a publication; the banner across the front page that identifies the newspaper and the date of publication. Also the publication information on the editorial page.

Bastard measure: Type set in a different width than the standard column measure

Raw wrap: The picture or the story stops the headline from going all the way across the stage.

Reefer:  It refers readers from one story to a related story on a later page.

Wild art: A photo that stands alone and doesn’t have anything to do with a story on the page.

Pull quote: A quote from the subject that appears in a larger font somewhere on the page to be accentuated.

Ears: A small box in the upper corner of the page in a newspaper that contains a printed notice

Banner: A headline that goes across the width of the whole page.

Kicker headline: a headline style that features one secondary headline above one or more lines of primary headline

Wicket headline: a headline design that consists of two or more lines of a secondary headline above one or more lines of a primary headline

Tripod headline: a headline style with a primary headline on the left covering two lines, next to lines of secondary headline

Hammer headline: A type of headline that consists of a few large words over a smaller headline.

Modular design: The style of design where all graphic elements are rectangular in shape and fit together cleanly and concisely.

Text wrap: Adjusting the appearance of text to follow the shape of a graphic.

L-shaped text flow: When there’s a picture in the upper right part of the page and a vertical column to it’s side and a horizontal below it, making it an L shape.

U-shaped text flow: When there’s a picture in the middle of the story with a vertical column on each side and a horizontal column below the photo, making a U shape.