Junior Year Work

Project 3 involved creating a Documentary Book. I chose to document the Mountain View Queer-Straight Alliance.

Concept

I completed a documentary Project Proposal sheet for the QSA, which is a club that I am passionate about and wanted to shed some light on. I wrote up a list of interview questions for different people associated with the club.

Production

I interviewed members of the QSA, took photos at meetings, researched benefits of having a QSA at our school, typed up the research paper involving portions of my interviews, and designed the layout of my Documentary Book.

Final Product

You can see my finished book, Haven. My entire research paper and the best photographs of the club are included, and you can take a look at the graphic design elements and (lack of a) color scheme.

Profile Magazine Article

From May to November, I got to know my Profile star, Danielle Cohen. I spent time with her, conducted interviews regarding her life and her work as a School Board member, photographed Dani and her family, and met with some of her friends and colleagues who offered me more information and different perspectives on Dani's life. I also researched issues relevant to Dani such as the current state of funding for public schools and the difficulties and rewards of having a child with autism.

"What Good Looks Like: A Profile of Danielle Cohen"

You can see here the use of recurring graphic design elements and the presence of a color scheme, which I didn't implement in my Documentary book. I'm very proud of this magazine article, which was created in InDesign, because it was chosen as a winning article and displayed in the book at Exhibition. More importantly, Danielle was able to attend the Exhibition and see my work for herself, and she was equally as proud.

Growth

I've learned and practiced many skills since I joined the Freestyle community, and expanded my ability to communicate effectively with others through the use of technology and face to face interaction.

I've grown in many areas since the Self-Portrait unit.

You can see the implementation of some different skills and techniques that I've picked up along this journey. For example, there's a drastic difference between my Documentary Book and my Profile Magazine article.

I figured out how to utilize programs like InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Reason, ProTools, AfterEffects, Dreamweaver, Flash, etc. to my advantage. I figured out what a color scheme and design elements are and why they're important. I learned how to troubleshoot problems in Dreamweaver, and problem solving is a useful skill in any situation.

Through my work here, I've grown  so much as an artist, as a problem solver, an intellectual, a writer, a student, a teacher, a peer, a communicator, and as an individual. I'm grateful for the 21st century skills that I've picked up along the way that will definitely help me moving forward.

Reflection

I'm so lucky to have been a part of the Freestyle experience, because I've had an education here that you couldn't match anywhere else. I feel much more prepared for college after working with the Freestyle staff in a much more adult way than I interact with my MVHS teachers. I've gotten to personalize many parts of my curriculum, so my education is tailored to fit me and my interests. I've had moments of intense self-reflection and found numerous ways to share my thoughts and opinions with others. I'm leaving Freestyle with a very different attitude towards myself, towards life, and towards technology and the ways I can utilize it. The skills and perspectives I've gained over the past two years are definitely going to shape my foreseeable future.