High School Journalism Institute » 2010

Domestic Abuse: A Love Story

Cody Kraft - Bearden High School — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:30:07 +0000

Every great love story seems to have its setbacks.

Romeo and Juliet both committed suicide; Cleopatra and Mark Antony set countries against countries; and anyone who was 6 years-old in 1995 knows how Pocahontas and John Smith wound up.

Granted, most twenty-first century flings aren’t so morose; probably because Shakespeare isn’t handcrafting them. However, there is still one hideous aspect of relationships that is very real and very difficult to deal with. Said aspect generally falls under the euphemism domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse is a prevalent issue among teenage relationships as well as their adult counterparts. According to research from the Middle Way House for abuse survivors, one in four people have reported abuse by their partner, and young adults are no exception.

Students across the country have been or currently are swept into abusive relationships. More often than not, the victim, or “survivor,” is reticent to act upon being victimized.

It is a multi-faceted issue, with most victims opting to justify their being beaten or isolated rather than pursuing their best interests. Whether this is out of fear or purely optimism is difficult for outsiders to distinguish.

Naturally, as is with every hot-button topic, there are two sides to the domestic abuse tale. Some partners, be them male or female, are simply more susceptible to sporadic fits of jealousy than others; however, such fits serve as a gateway to more destructive, more caustic behavior.

It is crucial to question one’s relationships when such signs begin to manifest themselves. Teens are immeasurably vulnerable to acquiring behaviors, which they can carry into their adult lives. This makes dating abuse during high school all the more ominous.

They do say that violence feeds violence, after all.

While ending a romantic relationship at its first argument is an extreme piece of advice, The Crimson Chronicle staff cannot condone sticking around with an abuser just to “wait it out and see what happens.”

Relationships are about respect and dignity; not only for one’s partner, but for one’s self as well. It seems that teenagers tend to lose touch with the second part.

It’s 2010. Relationships don’t have to be tragic anymore.

Group work

Michelle Roberts Greenwood Comm High School — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 17:03:34 +0000

Summer is a time of nothing. Nothing to do and nothing that keeps you active, but summer volleyball camps teach hand-eye coordination and teamwork. At the IU volleyball camp the staff tries to keep people active and healthy, but also wants to keep people doing what they love. Eden Jenkins and Madison Woodward going to different schools and in different grades team up to get the ball over the net and win the game.

Surfing the tide of journalism: HSJI 2010

Beena Raghavendran - Mason High School — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:11:04 +0000

The world of journalism is sliding through a futuristic time machine these days – people want information now, now, now in the coolest, most efficient way possible.

So what about us? The newspaper people who love that inky, texty smell and the love for that paper-y feeling, who love to kick back on the sofa, feet up and comfy sweatshirt on, and read, just read, like we used to?

This week, we were tossed into a world of multimedia – for the most part, unfamiliar and different from everything we’ve ever done. The multimedia will be maxed out when we continue working on our website, http://masoncomets.org/features/chronicle/, nicknamed The Chronline after our newspaper, The Chronicle. Our goal is to report the truth in all mediums available – more work, more responsibility, and definitely more fun.

This is my second year at HSJI; our school takes our entire newspaper staff with us to IU, and never have I experienced such an instant connection within a group of people as I have these past years at camp. And I truly mean this when I say: Julia, Janie, Sam, Katelyn, Bobby, James, Joe, Rebekah, Miranda, Thomas, Olivia, Rachel, Janica and Megan, I couldn’t ask for a better staff. And, Carlie – if we can sprint with shoes off and InDesign pages in our hands to make a deadline, we got this!

What I did I learn? Newspaper isn’t dying; journalism is just beginning. And in the wave of the future, we will be surfing the tide with our heads full of convergence journalism and great people by our sides.

2010: The Media Decade

Jessica Haney, Indiana University School of Journalism — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:44:59 +0000

BY DYLAN HODGES, AVON HIGH SCHOOL

Yes, we are in a new year, but more importantly we are facing a new decade, a new chapter. We’re out of the rut that we were stuck induring the 2000s, and we can look ahead to the possibilities of the 2010s.

As journalists, we bite our nails in anticipation of what to expect in our ever-changing profession. It’s exciting, yet terrifying at the same time. We must look back to look ahead and identify the trends. The 1980s were the Internet years— understanding and perfecting the technology for release in the 1990s. In the 1990s we saw the mobile evolution begin with phones appearing in our personal vehicles. The 2000s were just the tuning years for social networking platforms and widespread usage of internet on mobile devices, keeping users an arms length from their favorite mobile application.

I predict 2010 to be the first step toward the mainstream use of social media with changes in mobile technologies and abilities. A mobile phone will have the capability to video conference, stream and distribute video live. As phone providers compete, I foresee these devices permitting us with higher quality services such as an HD camera lens, expanded bandwidth, battery power, and improved security features at an acceptable price range. These new features, while they may take a while to attain, will provide an information grid across the world—transferring data and news in an instant, unlike anything we currently have.

This new information flow from everyday people has already taken effect, as with the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India of 2008. The citizens of Mumbai linked to web sites with more details on the attacks than ever seen on most US networks, alerting the media of the breaking news. Retailers like Zappos, UrbanOutfitters and others use mobile apps for the online shopper and offer their customers a chance to write and publish reviews of products, strengthening the bond between consumer and retailer.

It is evident that the people want to be heard and the media wants to hear them. Many television news programs and newspapers are using their own websites and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to stay connected with the audience.

As news is interpreted and shared, people without journalism degrees will become first hand correspondents by sharing their findings for credit. The place for broadcast journalism and print journalism will only become more competitive as people will be able to decide when, where, and how they want their news presented. As a journalist, you’ll have to know many trades. The ability to report well is only the foundation of journalism. You have to take advantage of this skill and other opportunities in order to capture your audience and be distinguishable from the guy reporting an unfolding story from his cellular phone.

It’s exciting to me. I have great ambition and look forward to the challenge, as well as the chance to work with the new technology. I think the new decade will be very empowering in the sense that our individualistic tendencies as a society will make the media world more personal and collaborative. I am still waiting for cars to fly.

These are just a few of my predictions as I interpret what is taking place and how it can expand. I would love to hear how you think the media world is changing or how you think it will change within the next 10 years.