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Semester I Portfolio 2013

Thomas Toghramadjian, Opinion Editor

Thomas Toghramadjian10951 Flanders Ct. NEBlaine, MN 55449ttoghramadjian@gmail.comEducation: 2011:• JournalismEducationAssociation/NationalStudentPressAssociationNationalHighSchoolConventionAttendedsessionsonEthnicJournalism(IthoughtitwasEthicsinJournalism),Editorialleadership,sportswriting,broadcastjournalism,pagedesign,andontellingcompellingstories.• WritingforPublicationI2012: • WritingforPublicationII• EditorialLeadership

• MHSPAStateConvention

AttendedaportionofthestateconventionafterreportingonanassemblywithTimPawlenty,watchedBobbyHarrowerlecture.2013: • EditorialLeadership• MHSPAStateConvention

Attendedsessionsonqualitiesofaward-winningnewspapers,maintainingstaffconnections,andkeynotebyBoydHuppertonpersonalizingstories.

Experience:2013-2014:OpinionEditor,TheRubiconResponsibilitiesinclude:• Determiningsectioncontent• Writingstoryassignmentsandeditingallpieces.• DesigningtwoOp/Edpagesinafourweekcycle• Contributingtoapre-critiqueandpost-critique• UploadingcontenttoTheRubiconOnline• Editingthestaffeditorialandwritingorassigningmini-editorials• Writingstoriesforothersection

2012-2013NewsEditor,TheRubiconResponsibilitiesinclude:

• Determiningsectioncontent• Writingstoryassignmentsandeditingallpieces• DesigningtwotothreeNewspagesinafourweekcycle• Contributingtoapre-critiqueandpost-critique• UploadingcontenttoTheRubiconOnline• Writingstoriesforothersections• Editingorwritingnews-in-briefs

2011-2012StaffWriter:TheRubicon• Writingatleastonestorytobeconsideredforpublicationineveryissue• Helpingcopyeditpages• Co-designingpageswithotherWritingforPublicationstudents.SpecialSkills:• Hard-earnedproficiencyinAdobeInDesign• Strongopinionwritingabilities• Neverhavebeenrejectedwhenrequestingpermissionforanimage• GeneralknowledgeofAPstylerequirements• Abilitytoproduceagreatdealofcontentonshortnotice.• MaintaininggoodconnectionswithfacultysourcesIndividualAwards:• JournalismHonorRoll2012and2013• NorthStarEditor2013

• NSPAFirstClass• CSPAGoldMedal

RubiconAwards:2011: • JEMAllStateGoldPrint• NSPAFirstClass• CSPAGoldMedal2012:• JEMAll-StateGoldPrint• JEMAll-StateSilverOnline• MHSPABestinShow• NSPAAll-American• CSPASilverMedal2013:• JEMAll-StateGoldPrint• JEMAll-StateSilverOnline• MHSPABestinShow

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Photography September 2013

Photography September-October 2013

Photography October-December 2013

Photography December 2013

Photography-Videography December 2013

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Online December 2013

Theweekleadingintothisyear’sPopsConcertwasmarkedbyadistinctsenseofcrisis.Timelimitationscausedbythenewclassschedule,alongwithanambitiousarrayofpieces,leftthemusi-ciansandtheirdirectors“scramblingforsolutions,”inthewordsofUpperSchoolOrchestraDirectorAlmutEnglehardt.Despitethechallengesthatsurroundedit,Pops2013cameoffwithoutavisiblehitch. Amongtheconcert’shighlightswasAdele’sSkyfall,acollaborativeeffortbytheSummitSingers,AdvancedJazzEnsemble,andseniorvocalsoloistEmmaChangwhosangthethemefromthe2012JamesBondfilminitsentirety.Theirperformanceendedtheconcert’sfirsthalfwithathunderousandprotractedovation.“IthinkAdelejustgotout-Adeled,”senioremceeYusraMuradremarked. Changsecuredherpartweeksbeforetheconcert,afterChoirDirectorAnneKlusannouncedanopportunityforasingertosingsoloinconjunctionwiththeGoldBand.“Icameinonedayduringafreeperiodandsangforher.AfterawhileshethenaskedmetocomeinagainandonedaysheannouncedduringchoirthatIwasgoingtosingwiththeband,”Changsaid. Afterthat,sherehearsedinone-on-onesessionswithKlus,withthechoralaccompaniment,andwiththeband.Despiteheryearsofexperience,Changacknowledgedthatshewasnervousbe-forehand.“IhadtotakeafewdeepbreathsbeforeIsang,”shesaid. Theconcertendedwithanotherjointeffort:aperformanceofEurope’s“TheFinalCountdown”byGoldBandandorchestra.Thecustomaryfinale,includingallthedifferentensembles,didnotoccurthisyearduetotheschedulechange.However,“TheFinalCountdown”was

anexcitingconclusionthatfeaturedtwolengthyimprovisationalsolos,byjuniorShaanBijwadiaonaltosaxophone,andbysophomoreDanishMahmoudonelectricguitar. “Dr.MaysonjustaskedmeifIcouldplayasoloforafewbarsandIpulledoffsomethingdifferenteverytimewerehearsedthesong.AttheconcertIcombinedalltheideasandwentoffinadifferentdirection,”Mahmoudsaid.“Iwasjustnotsurewhatmessagetoconveytotheaudience.IsortofmadestuffupasthesecondspassedbyandbeforeIknewit,mypartwasover!Butattheendoftheday,Iwasjustenjoyingtheamazingmusicthatthebandandorchestrawerecreating.” Bijwadia’ssoloonFinalCount-downwasmorescripted,butstillreliedheavilyonhisimprovisationalskill.“Ihadapre-writtenskeletonthatIembellishedupon.EachtimeIplayeditwasdifferent,butasyoupracticeyougetafeelforwhichnotesandphrasesgowellwiththeaccom-paniment,”hesaid. EnglehardtwasparticularlyimpressedbytheHonorsSinfonia,notingthattheirpiecesrequired“highqualitysoundandintensitythroughout,whichrequiresnon-stopfocusandahighleveloftechnicalskill.”Shealsowasproudoftheorchestra’sabilitytorecoverfromthelossofastrongseniorclass.“Iamsoimpressedbyhoweveryonehassteppedupandfilledthatvoid,makingthetransitionthisfallseamlessandsuccessful…OnegroupIamparticularlyhappywiththisfall[is]ourfreshmenwhohaveexceededmyexpec-tationsoneverylevelandwhostandoutasagroupofyoungandexcellentplayers,”Englehardt said. WhilePops2013wasastrikingsuccess,byalloutwardaccounts,theout-comefeltuncertainintheweekpreceding

theconcert.IntheweekbetweenThanks-givingbreakandtheperformance,thefullorchestrahadonlytwo35-minutetutorialpractices,significantlylesstimethanfive45-minuterehearsalstheyusedtohaveinthattimeperiod,accordingtoEnglehardt. Orchestrastudentsworkedover-timetomakeupfortheloss.TheorchestracameinbeforeschoolonWednesday,Dec.4,andaddedanadditionaltutorialpracticeonThursdayEnglehardtcalledtheThurs-daypracticea“lastresort;thestudentsneedtimewiththeteachers.” Despitethedifficultiesimposedbytheschedulechange,Englehardtac-knowledgeditsoverallvalue,aswellastheschooladministration’seffortstofacilitatetherehearsalprocess.“Itwouldbeun-gratefulnottomentionhowsupportivetheadministrationhasbeenaswehavetriedtomanagethescheduleinpreparationforthe concert,” she said. “Therehearsalprocessneededtobestructuredsowewerestillabletogetinsectionalsaswellasfullrehearsals.ThisimpactedAcademyChorale.”ChoirDirectorAnneKlussaid.Theintensifiedlast-minuterehearsalprocessevident-lycontributedtotheconcert’seventualsuccess,butitalsomanagedtodrawthesingersandplayersclosertotheirteachers. “Ithinkitallwentprettywell,andMs.Klusdidherbesttogetusreadyevenwiththechangedschedule,”seniorFrankNahurksisaid.Eveninthemiddleofthehecticfinalweekbeforetheconcert,Englehardtexpressedgratitudefortheorchestra’sstrongefforts.“Ingeneral,Iamveryhappywithallofmystudentsthisyear.Everyoneisworkinghardandisdo-ingtheirverybest,”Englehardtsaid.Andasalways,themusicians’bestperfectlyfineforeveryone

Component: Published Interviews October 2013

Question: Let’s start with the politics. What was your opinion when the prospect of American intervention was initially discussed?Evan: The short answer is that I didn’t approve of it. While I by no means support Assad and his actions (specifical-ly the significant chemical attacks), and I recognize that it is important for the Obama administration to uphold Obama’s line in the sand regarding the use of chemical weapons, I felt that an armed intervention was premature and rash. Question: Did you think the president’s red line on chemical weapons was ill-advised as well?Evan: Morally, no. But in a political situation in which the only option to enforce the strict policy is to engage in further conflict, it would be a poor decision to uphold the policy.

Question: How legitimate and feasible do you think the Russian proposal is?Evan: I think that the proposal is completely reasonable, but the proposed time frame is not. Due to the ongoing conflict, I think it is ridiculous to give Syria only one week to hand over all chemical weapons, especially due to the reported quantity and dispersal.

Question: Can you see the war ending anytime soon?Evan: The war could end as abruptly as it began, but I fear that any resolution which occurs relatively soon would likely occur either as a large political overthrow which we have already discussed the consequences of (likely due to a withdrawal of Russian support or a UN approved military strike against the Assad regime) or a continued stalemate in peace talks combined with increased support militarily from Russia, which would ultimately suppress the rebels. Neither of these short term solutions are favorable to me. The resolution that I want to see is one that will take sig-nificant time, effort and negotiation over the course of months, and will occur not on the battlefield, but in a po-litical forum in which all involved parties are represented.

Component: Published Interviews December 2013

What kinds of academic dishonesty do you see people commit most commonly?

Copying homework answers from each other.

Do you see the same people commonly rely on cheating, or is it an isolated incident?

I don’t really see the same people rely on it as the only way of getting their homework done, usually if some-one copies someone else’s homework, they will return the favor later.

How many times have you let somebody copy your home-work this year?

A rough estimate is probably around 10 times.

And how many times have you copied somebody else’s?

Probably about the same, around 10.

Have you ever seen anybody cheat on anything bigger?

The biggest thing I have seen some-one cheat on is a test.

Were you involved at all, or did you just see? And how did they do it?

I have been involved in allowing someone to cheat, but not cheating my-self. That case just involved them look-ing at my answers and me not stopping them. But in other cases I have seen people using phones or notes during tests.

Do you ever feel there’s a threat of being caught copying homework, or does it feel ca-sual?

Homework feels more casual, it’s not as big a part of the grade for the class, and there is no time limit or proc-toring. I have never seen someone get caught copying homework, and have never heard of any consequences, so

there is no real threat.

Do people do it for the grade, or just because it’s awk-ward when the teacher checks and you don’t have it?

People do it for the grade. Especial-ly with the huge workload we have at SPA, it is not always possible to get all of your homework done, but that usually is not a credible or acceptable excuse, so students are pressured to get the work done, but not always by themselves.

Back to cheating on tests, have you seen people premedi-tate it or plan it, or do they just look around when they don’t know an answer?

I have never seen anyone premed-itate it, just trying to find the answers once they realize they aren’t prepared for the test.

Do you think copying home-work is morally wrong?

Not really.

Why not?Because teachers don’t care if you

use outside sources for homework, so copying isn’t much different. Plus, if you copy homework, chances are you won’t be prepared for that lesson’s ma-terial on the test later, so you will be punished by yourself in the long run.

Thomas Togradmadjian conducts an interview with an anonymous student at St. Paul Academy and Summit School on the secret life of cheating.