Some layout designs and articles that I wrote during my time as Editor-in-Chief of the Raider Voice.
Writing Samples from The Raider Voice:
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Welcome to the new freshmen:
On August 19, 2015, the freshmen orientation welcomed all of the new students. With speeches from Mr. Schoenwald, Mr. Steel, and Mrs. Sullivan, the year began with a very positive start.
Transitioning from the middle school to the high school is a huge change for freshmen. Anticipating harder classes and stricter teachers, the new students are full of questions for the Link leaders who are all stationed inside the gym ready to answer them. High school is an entirely new adventure to them.
“I am looking forward to a new experience at a new school and making new friends. I feel very welcome especially after the freshmen orientation,” said freshman Ruben Penaranda.
A diverse group of students, the class of 2019 has already assimilated into high school life. Many took advice from the upperclassmen who urged them to sign up for clubs while others immediately joined the summer sports such as swimming and football.
“Based on conversations with Link leaders, and having them reach out to their crew of freshmen or crew of new students, it seems that they have acclimated really well and they're finding their way around campus easily and for the most part are trouble free. How long that lasts I have no idea - but we’ll see. However, I think they’re doing great,” said Mrs. Bowen.
It is important for freshmen to remember that school should be an inviting place, full of resources. There are plenty upperclassmen willing to help them out and make them feel even more secure in their new school.
“As they descend into the abyss that they call high school, I feel that it is my duty to throw them a rope and help them move through it slowly,” said senior Dominic Benitez.
Slowly but surely, the freshmen become such an integral part of the school. With their class elections coming up, they’re finally starting to create their own identity within the school.
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Link Crew sidebar:
Headed by Ms. Bowen, Ms. Keepax, and Mr. Piggot, Link Crew has become an increasingly popular activity for juniors and seniors to participate in.
After being at the school for two years, these students are able to volunteer to show other the new freshmen or any other new students how the school works. Whether it is showing a student where the 300s hallway is or giving them tips on how to survive their first year of high school, Link Crew leaders are specially trained to help all the new students arriving at school.
“I know that highs chool can seem scary, particularly to new students. I joined Link Crew to help the incoming freshmen as well as the other new students assimilate and become familiar with high school life. I also like how Link Crew allows me to keep in touch with the students and see how they evolve throughout the year,” said senior Francis Barassi.
Link Crew leaders volunteer a few days during their summer in order to attend training days which involve developing their communication skills and bonding activities. Along with the sponsors, the Link leaders try and discuss which topics to cover with the freshmen or other incoming students.
“Link Crew has been a great experience for me. I’ve been at Gulliver almost my whole life and I like to think that I know the school like the back of my hand. I really enjoy sharing my experiences with the new students and helping them out throughout the year,” said senior Jaclyn Soria.
Link Crew really helps students assimilate into life at school and guarantees that new students will have Link leaders to rely on if they ever need someone to lean on.
Tips for Freshmen:
Don’t procrastinate!
Caring about school is not uncool
Freshmen year DOES count
Make sure to develop a good relationship with your counselor
Join clubs!!
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Health Information Project kicks off another healthy start:
On Oct. 7, the Health Information Project (HIP) officially began its 6th year at school with a full day training session in the library.
With a new board of student members as well as Ms. Landsom and Mr. Gambrell as sponsors, this year looks very promising for the club. They hope to be able to engage the freshmen in a mutual conversation about issues that all students face when first coming into high school.
“So far, the HIP members are very enthusiastic about teaching the freshmen. I’m very pleased with how everything is going,” said Mrs. Landsom.
Like any other club, HIP members are required to attend meetings held every other Wednesday. However, these meetings turn into two hour training sessions where the students, also known as Peer Health Educators (PHEs), read through different modules presented in a booklet provided by the founders of HIP.
The HIP student board is fully composed of seniors. There are two presidents on the board, Dominic Benitez and Joao Guimaraes. The rest of the board is comprised of the vice president, Isabela Medina, the treasurer
“I believe that students should be informed about everything that HIP teaches before they actually experience these things. I also joined HIP because I really like teaching and talking in front of other people; HIP really gives me this opportunity,” said Joao Guimaraes.
HIP usually schedules their training sessions, which are all mandatory, for Wednesdays after school for two hours. The club takes training its’ PHEs very seriously considering that these same students will be relaying vital information to younger students, who are eager to listen to their advice as well as experience.
“I not only like that we’re teaching and raising awareness in other students but I feel that we are actually learning from the modules as well. I would really suggest this club to sophomores who can join in the upcoming year because it has been a great experience for me,” said Sofia Espinosa.
The club plans to spread awareness about several issues including mental health, relationships, nutrition, and how to be healthy. The first training session will be on Oct. 19.
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Pop singer, Tiffany Houghton, showcases her new album:
On Oct. 24 the Raider Voice hosted Tiffany Houghton, an upcoming singer and songstress, for an acoustic performance in the drama room.
Houghton set aside time from her radio tour to perform and answer questions from a panel of students in the journalism program. She opened up her performance with her newest hit single, High. Throughout the interview, she discussed the background and stories behind each of the five songs she performed.
Houghton explained that she feels blessed to have been given the opportunity to enter the industry and pursue her dreams. However, she also states that in order to pursue her dreams she had to overcome various obstacles, including being away from her family. She revealed that moving to Nashville from Dallas in order to pursue her career, was “the best and worst thing” she had ever done in her life. Houghton then sang the song “Glitter” which explains how the music industry was not what she expected it to be when she was younger.
“I really like country pop music and I felt it was inspiring to see another female musician enter this genre,” said Cecilia Perez.
Houghton briefly discussed what it is like being a female in the music industry. She explained that when she was little she always looked up to pop country female and pop artists including Shania Twain, Sara Bareilles, and Taylor Swift.
Houghton not only discussed her personal experience but also gave advice to those who were interested in pursuing a career in the music industry. She emphasized her belief in the “10,000 hours of practice rule” and her belief that hard work always pays off in the long run. She believes that the most successful people in this world are those who grow from their failures and do not give up when faced with difficult situations.
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Girl Like Her Review
A Girl Like Her, an enticing movie about the harshness of teen bullying, premieres Friday, Mar. 27, 2015.
Director, writer, and actress, Amy S. Weber shows off her multiple talents in her 2015 documentary-like movie about the life of high schooler, Jessica Burns, and her struggle against Avery Keller, her bully. Interestingly, this movie is filmed in a variety of ways. The trailer itself shows the audience how Jessica Burns plants hidden cameras on herself with the help of her friend, Brian Slater, and records Avery’s multiple insults and threats. The movie also shows Avery talking directly to her webcam and arguing that she really is a “nice girl.”
With a young cast and intriguing plot, this movie has already sparked interest throughout social media. Marketed as “based on a million true stories,” hopefully this film will be able to open up the eyes of many high schoolers dealing with harassment in their daily lives, whether it be online, in their home, or in their school.
“I think that when you undergo any sort of bullying you feel really vulnerable and insecure, and the hardest thing to do is speak up for yourself and try to counter all this negativity you're enduring undeservingly, because that's what bullying is. So even though it can exist in countless forms that aren't necessarily what's depicted in the movie, if you see films like these the issue itself gains a lot more exposure and as a result becomes a more prominent social issue that more people are willing to combat,” said junior Valentina Wakeman.
The movie’s marketing team was also able to reach out to an abundance of teenage girls by partnering themselves with the social media app, Kik. An instant messaging service, Kik’s users are mostly young girls who upon seeing the propaganda for the movie could instantly click it and be directed to more information about the movie.
A much needed spotlight, A Girl Like Her takes away the glamor of high school and digs deep into problems that many teenagers face every day. Students will be able to reflect on their own community and maybe even begin to understand on a wider spectrum the cruelty of mocking other students.