LUCIA BERMUDEZ
Champion Journalist Portfolio
Informing the community
This fall, I had the privilege of interviewing Deborah Gonzalez, the District 117 Representative in the Georgia House of Representatives. I had a lengthy interview with Gonzalez during her candidacy and compiled an informative piece on her political background in order to inform CCHS students and Athens community members of the House of Representatives race and one of its candidates.
Superintendent Q&A
During the first month of the 2018 school year, the ODYSSEY Media group held a press conference with our new superintendent Dr. Demond Means. After this, I had a one-on-one interview with Dr. Means to uncover more about him as a person and what brought him to the Clarke County School District. This piece was informative for students, many of whom hadn't heard of Dr. Means.
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Principal Q&A
Last year, I sat down with CCHS' newly appointed Principal Marie Yuran for a Q&A to give students a better understanding of her as a person and educator. The candid conversation was beneficial to students, as discovered by Letters to the Editor.
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Clearing things up
In light of the U.S. attorney Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcing the rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) immigration policy, I felt it was important to inform students of the immigration policy, its implications, and its effects.
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News brief
This news brief, written my sophomore year, gives information on the CCHS drama department and its current events. It was my first published news brief, and it made me more comfortable with news writing and encouraged me to continue informing my peers of the events that take place at CCHS.
News Feature
During my freshman year, I took notice of the various foreign exchange students at CCHS and became curious about how the process worked. I wrote "Exchanging Places" to explain the various aspects of that process, which took extensive interviewing and research. I spoke to a variety of stakeholders, including students, teachers and host families, and was able to inform my peers about a process that was unfamiliar to many.
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News gathering at CJI
During the summer of 2016, I attended the Carolina Journalism Institue (CJI) summer camp. In light of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting, my group of students composed a package of stories and videos highlighting LGBTQ+ issues and the Harriet Hancock LGBT Center in South Carolina.
Left: I interviewed Dr. Laura Hein, a member of the advisory board at the center, and was able to share a bit about her life and her experiences as a part of the center and an activist for her community.
Right: I also wrote a news story on the transgender bathroom bill that was trying to be passed at the time, and created an infographic to accompany the story.
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