Second Semester Work Sample
Reflection:
Over the course of this semester I have done my best to positively contribute to the quills mission and the overall well being of the organization. The Quill is a vital part of our Animas High School community by bringing all of the pressing information and issues to our audience, in order to keep them updated and prepared. At Quill I help with keeping Instagram up to date with the current happenings of our school by posting on the story about upcoming events, making slide posts featuring students/faculty in the community, and making videos that tell a larger story. I contribute to these by taking photos+video clips, editing, and making captions to post them along with. I have also helped with the behind the scenes necessary, by making a “how to make a quill post” handbook.
Here at the Quill we are faced with a unique opportunity to capture the history in the making. With the move to our new building, there are many exciting things on the horizon for Animas, unpredicted events. That we have the obligation to capture and record for generations to look back on. Also At the Quill, we have a spotlight on us in the school, we are always running around capturing the magic. Students look up to us, and we must remember to always have our best foot forward while out on assignment. As student journalists we are also always embedded in the story, having to keep a watchful eye out for the news that could break at any moment.
This class has impacted me greatly throughout my time at the Animas Quill, it has challenged my beliefs and what I believe to be news. Helping to shape how I get my news in a democratic society has taught me to always be wary of what the world wants me to see. I now know that I must be skeptical about what is in front of me and makes me look beyond the norm. To find the hidden story and see who is truly being impacted when all of the dust settles. The Quill has made me realize that our media is impacted by the larger society around us. Corporations and politicians have a large influence on what we see, that news can be bought out. As a citizen of today's society we must fight for free and unbiased news for everyone, that is honest.
Over the course of this semester I have done my best to positively contribute to the quills mission and the overall well being of the organization. The Quill is a vital part of our Animas High School community by bringing all of the pressing information and issues to our audience, in order to keep them updated and prepared. At Quill I help with keeping Instagram up to date with the current happenings of our school by posting on the story about upcoming events, making slide posts featuring students/faculty in the community, and making videos that tell a larger story. I contribute to these by taking photos+video clips, editing, and making captions to post them along with. I have also helped with the behind the scenes necessary, by making a “how to make a quill post” handbook.
Here at the Quill we are faced with a unique opportunity to capture the history in the making. With the move to our new building, there are many exciting things on the horizon for Animas, unpredicted events. That we have the obligation to capture and record for generations to look back on. Also At the Quill, we have a spotlight on us in the school, we are always running around capturing the magic. Students look up to us, and we must remember to always have our best foot forward while out on assignment. As student journalists we are also always embedded in the story, having to keep a watchful eye out for the news that could break at any moment.
This class has impacted me greatly throughout my time at the Animas Quill, it has challenged my beliefs and what I believe to be news. Helping to shape how I get my news in a democratic society has taught me to always be wary of what the world wants me to see. I now know that I must be skeptical about what is in front of me and makes me look beyond the norm. To find the hidden story and see who is truly being impacted when all of the dust settles. The Quill has made me realize that our media is impacted by the larger society around us. Corporations and politicians have a large influence on what we see, that news can be bought out. As a citizen of today's society we must fight for free and unbiased news for everyone, that is honest.
Made Weekly Posts Updating The Animas Community: On The Quill Instagram
Helped Edit The Osprey Week Video
Feature Bonanza Video
First Semester Work Sample
We Have Lost The War On Drugs: Now What?
Zoe Ramsey
Every day more than one hundred and fifty people have a fatal overdose from synthetic drugs and fentanyl is one of the main culprits. As a society, we need to find a way to protect one another and stop this tragedy. Fentanyl abuse and misuse is a critical issue that impacts a large population in the United States. Shockingly, overdoses have quintupled in the past 20 years. So what do we do? More education and information is needed to address this crisis.
The opioid epidemic is an issue that we have been facing for about the past 20-30 years. Astonishingly, little to no preventative measures have been taken on a national level. There needs to be mandatory education in schools about the dangers of opioids, specifically fentanyl. We need to create and update our drug education curriculum to encompass opioids. Having a comprehensive drug education course to serve the needs of American students would make a positive impact on this epidemic.
Over the past ten years, we have seen an extreme rise in overdoses and misuse of fentanyl across the country. In 1959, fentanyl was synthesized and by the 1960’s it was used in hospitals across the country as an intravenous anesthetic. Today it is produced by the pharmaceutical industry and is used to treat pain in a professional setting. On the flip side, cartels are also making it, along with lacing other drugs with fentanyl to be sold illegally.
From 2011 to now, the amount of overdoses and deaths that have involve fentanyl has increased dramatically. This number has risen from 2,666 in 2011 to 31,335 in 2018 (DEA, April 2020). As the rates of overdose and deaths increase, we can see that this is directly related to a re-emergence of trafficking, distribution, and abuse of illicitly produced fentanyl and fentanyl analogs.
Fentanyl is deadly. It is one of the leading killers in this country because of how dangerous a small amount is. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than powerful and 50 times more potent than heroin. (CDC, February 2022) The tiniest amount of fentanyl can kill you, about the size of two grains of salt. It is tasteless, scentless, too small to see, and also extremely cheap to make, (both legally and illegally).
Opioids impact people from all backgrounds, all over the country. Fentanyl is by far the most deadly drug America has ever faced. It is affecting people from New York City to Durango. Whether you have lost someone, are addicted to drugs, are in the medical industry, or know someone who has suffered, it touches all of our lives. Fentanyl is highly trafficked and is spread throughout the country. As it grows it becomes more and more dangerous.
The pharmaceutical industry is one of the legal giants fueling this epidemic. It is common knowledge that the pharmaceutical industry and drug companies have been promoting the sale and use of opioids since day one. The pushing of opioids leads to a dependency on the drug and gets people hooked. In turn, this creates widespread misuse of opioids all across the country.
Over prescribing leads to a dependency on opioids, a need for them is in people's day to day lives. After their prescriptions were gone, the craving for opioids was not. This forced the market to turn to new distributors, cartels, finding drugs illegally. Although now they are consuming unregulated substances with no way to know what is in them.
Since fentanyl is cheap to make, dealers and distributors have started cutting other drugs with it. There is no good way to tell how much fentanyl you are putting in any given substance. This means, you could accidentally ingest a lethal dose without being aware. This increases the profit of manufactures while hooking everybody on their addictive product.
This all seems extremely daunting and overwhelming. Even though most of this is out of our control, there are still steps we can take to combat the epidemic. This starts with simply educating one another on the issue at hand. In America, we have mandatory sex education in high schools. It would only make sense that we also have mandatory drug education classes as this is an equally pressing epidemic.
In the end, people are going to do drugs if they want to and there is nothing you can do to stop them. One measure you can take to mitigate the impact is by testing your drugs. You can not always test the entire sample but at least you can learn a little more. Having affordable testing strips available to the people who need them can be helpful.
Defibrillators and basic first aid supplies are a must in every public building. It should be the same with Narcan. Everyone should carry it on hand at all times. Narcan is a life-saving last resort that should be provided everywhere. All types of people should be educated on how to administer it. Education around Narcan is only the first step of many.
The one thing people agree on in this country is drugs are bad, people should not sell or take drugs. Although it is extremely strange that no one is doing anything to educate the public, prevent people from dying. Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between need to come together to solve this problem. Educate one another to stop the issue and save lives.
From talking to my peers and advisors one thing that is constant that I have found is there is not enough education around this issue. People do not know about Narcan or the proper way to use it, along with the general dangers that come with taking drugs in this country. Nothing is what it seems when it comes to taking drugs, you can never be 100% sure about what you have. (Unless it is prescribed.) Fentalyn is simply not safe.
Education and harm reduction needs to be a priority in this country. Mandatory education around drug abuse, free fentanyl test strips, and Narcan in all communities should be the norm. It is not okay how hard it is to gain access to Narcan, let alone how expensive it is. $150 for two doses is insane and having to be 18 to buy it is impractical. Harm reduction measures should be accepted and encouraged in our society, not taboo.
All of this can make one feel hopeless, but it is important to remember that there is something we can do. Spreading awareness, education, and resources throughout our communities is just the beginning of the solution to this crisis.
Photo Journalism Mini-Project
Ospreys On The Road: A Trip to Telluride
Instagram Contributions
Over this semester I have made various instagram videos and posts here are some of my favorites.
Snow Real
Spirit Week Day 1, Spirit Week Day 2, Spirit Week Day 3, Spirit Week Day 4, Spirit Week Day 5
Appreciation Video
Sexual Violence Protest Video
Snow Real
Spirit Week Day 1, Spirit Week Day 2, Spirit Week Day 3, Spirit Week Day 4, Spirit Week Day 5
Appreciation Video
Sexual Violence Protest Video
Final Feature Story Reflection
Throughout the first semester of Advanced Journalism Zoe has continued to help run the Instagram, while teaching others to do the same. About this time a year ago, Zoe and her old classmate Scarlett Moore, convinced Jessica McCallum to let them reboot the Quill Media Instagram account. “I didn't have a passion for writing stories, I thought it would be more helpful and practical to give the people the news in a more timely manner.” Zoe advocated, then they made a 7th period Quill class from digital media Quill shenanigans.
This semester the class was opened to all Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors, growing the class exponentially. That has led to more and more people willing to help out with the Instagram account. “It has been really cool to see my classmates' passion for creating news and informing our community.” Zoe has been helping other students learn how to make Quill videos. Sharing her love for making silly content that also keeps their audience up to date.
As a class they have made some fun videos, that they are proud of, will all sorts of topics. “Over the course of this year we have all been experimenting and learning how to best produce the work we want to make.” Zoe thinks that it has been a wild ride throughout the semester. Everyday walking into class not knowing what exactly to expect. Each class was a new adventure, trying to discover what was really happening on campus. Leading the 7th Period Quill class all over the place.
“I love how free form this class is, you can really take it wherever you want, that is one thing that makes the Quill so special and different from other classes. I am so excited to see what we create next semester. “ As the Quillspreys are flying to their new nest it opens up so many new possibilities. Who does what they are going to accomplish next?
This semester the class was opened to all Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors, growing the class exponentially. That has led to more and more people willing to help out with the Instagram account. “It has been really cool to see my classmates' passion for creating news and informing our community.” Zoe has been helping other students learn how to make Quill videos. Sharing her love for making silly content that also keeps their audience up to date.
As a class they have made some fun videos, that they are proud of, will all sorts of topics. “Over the course of this year we have all been experimenting and learning how to best produce the work we want to make.” Zoe thinks that it has been a wild ride throughout the semester. Everyday walking into class not knowing what exactly to expect. Each class was a new adventure, trying to discover what was really happening on campus. Leading the 7th Period Quill class all over the place.
“I love how free form this class is, you can really take it wherever you want, that is one thing that makes the Quill so special and different from other classes. I am so excited to see what we create next semester. “ As the Quillspreys are flying to their new nest it opens up so many new possibilities. Who does what they are going to accomplish next?