Alexa Dragone Portfolio

portfolio 2k16-2k17

alexa giovanna elizabeth dragone

self-analytical evaluation

Work work work. That is all I have done. This first semester has been one like no other. With a staff of only 18, and the teams being so small, leadership is vital. I have learned many things, but I believe the most important thing I learned this year is patience. Our staff is pushing the limits of time like no other and patience is key.

Our teamleaders this year are incredibly strong headed, and even though they are hardworking, they complain a lot. I have had to learn that oin order to make them less stressed I must take it easy on them and encourage them instead of yell. I know it is unrealistic to expect them to be perfect and get everything done, so I continue to offer my help and pick up the slack of the team members and leaders wo can not finish their work.

Being a third ear yearbook student, there is not much more to learn about production skills. The basic things I know an continue to use every year is just get it done, be creative, and there is always an angle. These three things are what have gotten me through every deadline night. “Just get it done” is pretty self explanatory.

Yearbook is not jut a class, it is a production. I have spent countless days and nights in room 609 jus editing and fixing and submitting pages. Yes, I wanted o go home and yes I did not always want to be here but as Editor-in-Chief you just have to get it done. “Be creative” and “there is always an angle” go pretty hand in hand but what I mean by this is even the most boring subject has an angle, ou just have to be creative.

So this year in yearbook I have had a couple instanses where I had to yell at Korie Kerr because she wanted to crop and edit photos for the yearbook and I had to explain to her that that is not proper journalism ethics and even though she still wanted to do it anyway I did not let her. Like yes, the judges will not know the difference if the teacher has tattoos or not but he students will know. And yes, Gold Crowns are amazing, but what the students get is more important to me.

If anyone were to question me dedication to the yearbook I would laugh in their face. I am the first one to show up and the last one to leave at every deadline night and every production night. Even though I am not pursuing journalism in my future, I want to produce a quality product that the student body will look at and truly smile and enjoy the memories that come to mind. So if anyone was to question my dedication to the yearbook, they would just have to look at the yearbook and see my dedication for themselves.

As proud as I am at myself this semester, there were no lack of harships.

Because our staff was so small this year, everyone had to step up. As managing editor I had to stay on my toes and make sure that not only were the team leaders on their toes, but that my fellow editors were also on their toes. It is hard to lead people your same age. I have learned that in every publication there are a few people who have an ego problem and can not seem to just get over themselves and realize this production is not about them it is about making the best product we as a class can make.

Overall, I feel as though I excelled as a managing editor with my patience and mind set. I love my job and I can not wait to see how the book turns out!

reflection 1

This publication has blossomed. Every since summer camp, I feel as though my contribution to the yearbook this year is greater than every other year. As managing editor I do not do much of the gritty work. I am not assigned to make photos and I am not assigned to do interviews.

However, as the stress of deadlines hit the team leaders I do the best I can to pick up their slack and help them out. That is probably what I am most proud of this year, my way of stepping out and not leaving the team leaders out to dry. For example, I do not know what happened with one of Emily Watkins stories and on deadline I had to rewrite the whole thing. It was not hard, it took me only a couple minutes and it was a quality story. As managing editor I should be someone that my team leaders and members can rely on.

With my efforts I feel as though I have definitely helped this yearbook grow and become the beautiful publication I know it will be. Since summer camp, Ashley Kritzstien and I have spent countless nights staying late at school, editing and submitting spreads. I not only stay late on our class deadline nights but also the actual submitting deadlines too. It seems as though some of my team members are not doing their jobs and because this is a real production the job cannot go undone. That is where I come in.

I am not going to lie, this semester was rather easy. I mean I was stressed because I do not like relying on other people to finish work that will have my name on it. So, in that term it is stressful, but because all of the work was distributed to the members of my staff, my actual work load does not over bare my until the deadline approaches. Once the deadline is within reach, that is when everyone begins to panic. That is where I come in.

My most significant piece of work as of right now is the Haunted House spread because I took all of the photos on that spread. Also, I take pride in the P.E. spread because that is the spread I had to quickly rewrite the entire main story.

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