Redistricting

I completed this graphic for the November issue of The Torch newsmagazine. It is a representation of the  possibility of new district lines being drawn for the Cedar Rapids Community School District. I chose to go for an abstract representation of redistricting as opposed to the literal map. I drew the puzzle pieces with the pen tool on Adobe Illustrator. The texture came from a live trace of an image then using the subtract from back pathfinder tool. 

The concept for this graphic was thought up by Amy Brause. The story is about a student magician. I created the cards on Adobe Illustrator using simple shapes and the pen tool. Then I used a photo of the student as the top card. The purple from the student's tie is carried throughout the layout to create consistency.

There has been a recent outpour of cyberbullying at Kennedy. This in-depth feature takes a look at the effects of cyberbullying on various levels such as psychoanalytical and law enforcement. I took the photos for this spread and doctored them in Adobe Photoshop. I used a layer mask to create the cloudy effect and altered the levels as well as brightness to create the focus on the computer screen. I came up with the headline, "cyber warfare" to represent the package. I loved the way this spread came together. 

Our women's swim team made their way to the state tournament in Marshalltown, Iowa this year. Sarah Sickles and I traveled to the YMCA in Marshalltown to shoot the event. This was a rather last minute story that pushed back when our publication was to be sent to press. The photos were a challenge to take seeing as pools generally don't have the most appealing lighting. I enjoyed the new experience, nonetheless. A swim meet is something different than any other sporting event. I was glad to have witnessed it and spent the day shooting. 

Homecoming week always holds numerous opportunities to shoot great photos. Lots of action and school spirit takes place throughout the entirety of the week. I took hundreds of photos at the powderpuff football game. Two photos are shown here (top left and bottom right). I loved these photos because they show great genuine emotion. The lighting was also fantastic during the games. I had a great time shooting. I was happy to be behind the lens as opposed to on the field. Much more me. 

Concerns raised upon the recent spike of concussion related accidents has lead to a new set of guidelines regarding recovery for Kennedy students. This package was featured in the health section of the first issue of the Torch. I was extremely happy with how it turned out. I got the idea to make it seem as though it was created on a football play board. I created the graphic in Adobe Photoshop. I used multiple filters and layer masks to create the chalkboard effect. I then drew the brain and text using the brush tool. It took some time to create, but it was worth it. 

This entire package regarding the New Bohemia district and Czech Village of Cedar Rapids was featured in the latest issue of the Torch. The first two images are the inside spread of the Arts and Entertainment section of the Torch that features the actual story. The third image is the front cover and the final image is the back page. I chose to put this story on the cover as opposed to a cover representing the cyberbullying coverage. I felt as if this story better reflected our community and chose to not draw more attention to the cyberbullying incident. I got the inspiration for the visuals from the opening scene of Juno. I took photos in New Bohemia and the Czech Village one afternoon. I was literally laying in the street on 3rd Ave to capture the images. My mother who tagged along was not too amused with that. I applied a filter to the photo in Photoshop then cut out the building. Next I drew the background to create a whimsical depiction of the area. I created consistency by using the same design aesthetic and coloring throughout. The back page always has the same design, only the logo changes color according to the front page. I am rather obsessed with this cover. It took a lot of time to create and perfect. But I am proud of the outcome. 

This infographic was featured in the health section of the first edition of the Torch this 2011-2012 school year. The graphic depicts the new "my plate" nutrition guidelines given by the USDA. It is my interpretation of the USDA's original image. I created it in Illustrator. I altered circles to make "pie-like" shapes. I then used a texture created from a live trace of a photo of wood and overlaid the texture on a darker shade of the same color. The graphic is simple, to-the-point, and visually appealing. 

The three images above are the layouts that appear in every edition of the Torch. They are the Table of Contents and staff listing pages. I created the table of content layout on Adobe InDesign. Once again, I used my simple design aesthetic to create a clean and effective layout. The first image is the table of contents for the first issue and the second image is the table of contents for the second issue. I alter the TOC each issue by changing the color of the headline and the photo. The photo and headline correspond to the cover of the issue. 

Cover: October issue

Our first issue of the Torch came out on Friday, October 7th. The feature was an in-depth about the good conduct policy of Kennedy. I chose to depict this by creating an abstract party scene. The first image and cover image were created the same way. Torchies staged a sort of party-like scene in our workroom. They were holding red cups and lights. I had them wave the lights around with the rest of the lights in the room off. I slowed the shutter speed on my camera down to as slow as it would allow so I could let as much light in as possible. This created the streaking effects of the lights. I then adjusted the brightness and color saturation of the photo to make the coloring more vivid. I love the way it turned out. The middle image is a very blunt depiction of a kennedy student drinking at a party. I used a female student wearing a letterman jacket so I would not be classifying a certain type of student as a partier. I feel as though the letterman jacket represents an involved Kennedy student. The student is holding a red cup seeing as it is a well-known representation of partying. I then took the photo into Photoshop and added the black bar to rid of any identity and added the headline that I thought up, "Caught Red-Handed". I am rather proud of this package as a whole. 

October letter from the editor

I have always been one to take comfort in tradition. I find a familiar routine to be strangely welcoming. Although I love the familiarity of a good tradition, I am also willing to take on change. How contradictory, no? But the thing is, change means progress. Let’s face it, the world is continuously moving around us, and we have to be flexible enough to adapt and embrace change.

I for one am receiving my fair share of change this year. For starters, it’s senior year (142 days left, seniors). This means us as the class of 2012 is entering adulthood and making adult decisions. Like for instance, what we plan on doing for the rest of our lives. Terrifying, right? Change can also be found in simplest of aspects such as the new regional manager of Dunder Mifflin in the television show, “The Office”. (I love you, Andy, but I do miss my “that’s what she said” jokes).  

Perhaps one of the more glaringly obvious changes to occur can be seen in the colored glossy pages you are flipping through right now. The Torch is stepping up this year and venturing into the vast unknown of the newsmagazine. Along with our new print version of the Torch, you can now also keep up to date through our multiple web sources. (Follow us on Twitter @kennedytorch, I dare you). Last, but not least, I am welcoming the new face of Stacy Haynes-Moore. She has a legacy to follow, but she has already impressed me beyond means. And not to mention she already understands my perfectionist tendencies.

With all of this change surrounding us, I leave you with a bit of advice. Embrace change. Take it head on and see where it carries you. Change is inevitable and can lead to great things. It signifies progress. Look for ways to change up your life (Clearly my sense of rambling has yet to change). So in closing, bring it on 2011-2012 school year. I am ready for the change. 

Letter from the editor

It is soon to be 11:11 on 11/11/11. Let’s be real, that’s kind of a big deal. (Don’t worry, if you miss the AM edition, there is always the PM) That’s right, it’s the ultimate day of wishes. In this spirit, I have compiled my own list of eleven (excessive? I’m American) wishes that I would like to have granted right nowish.

1. The perfect (p)leather dress. Is that too much for a girl to ask for? Animal friendly of course, which leads me to my next wish….
2. Vegetarian options at KHS. Sometimes (everyday) I don’t get to make it home for lunch and instead sit in the Torch Mac lab during my lunch hour. I would like to be able to eat something other than pretzels for once. It’s like, where did the popcorn go?
3. Seth Cohen. I mean, I don’t really know if much explanation is needed. Seth Cohen, marry me?
4. That every student would visit the Torch website at least once a week. It has great content that is updated every week. Check it out at torch.kennedymedia.org (follow us on twitter while you’re at it).
5. Everyone to experience a tech-free day. Is the every fifteen-minute Facebook check really necessary? Unplug yourself for the day. Write a letter for a change. Take a breath of air.
6. More Troy Boltons in this world. Go for the HSM (High School Musical for those not in on the lingo) risk; try something completely new and outside your comfort zone. You have to risk it to get the biscuit, right?
7. An acceptance letter. It would be kind of sweet to get into school next year. Colleges, get at me.
8. A day without the pressure. We are all trying to balance a ka-jillion activities along with our AP (insert name here) class and not to mention our struggle of maintaining some sort of social life. A day of just living would be nice for a change.
9. For Torch to once again be the most fun publication staff at the JEA convention next week. (Sometimes the keynote speaker calls out a group for their revolving door habits to the entire national convention. We are fun.)
10. To bring home even more state titles. Yes, journalism kids win state titles too. Where is our banner?
11. Endless supply of coffee. Is a personal barista possible? That fourth hour caffeine crash is the worst. I would love to be that thriving creature you see first hour, all day.

That’s it. That’s all I wish for. (I hope the whole, ‘you can’t say your wish out loud or it doesn’t come true’ thing doesn’t apply here…) It’s 11/11/11 Kennedy High School, so make a wish.  

Remembering 9/11

I created this graphic to go along with the news spread regarding the ten-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011. I used Adobe Illustrator to create the image. I worked with different textures to add complexity to the graphic. I like simplistic design, which I feel is expressed here. A simple design can often be more powerful than an overworked design. My goal was to create an image that would appear lighter than most 9/11 images generally do. The story is a reflection on how far we have come today and I wanted the graphic to reflect that attitude.