Full Spread

This issue is happening. It is real and happening to students all over the nation.

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/current-college-students-struggle-to-survive-rising-tuitions/


Also, here are some other infographics on the issue. Quick and easy way of understanding this injustice that is happening.

Reality. At what point is all the debt finally worth it?

http://kiplinger.tumblr.com/post/29449893080/do-we-face-a-higher-education-bubble-education

.. and that's the way it works. 

How many American's borrow money to pay for college?

Student Loan Debt Statistics.

Student loan debt doesn't only effect the student loan borrower, but can also effect the national economy in a negative way.

http://www.asa.org/policy/resources/stats/

New Intervention

My last intervention was crap to say the least. So I came up with a new intervention which I would still like to improve on. I would like to redo this intervention in the lighting studio to make the impact of the images and my message more serious since it is a serious issue I am trying to get people aware of. I would like the signs to be more formal, or maybe replace the signs with the individual holding their old cell phone they have to use because they cant afford  a smartphone .. or something along those lines. These are just a few of the images of the new intervention I would like to improve on.

Also, I made all the people I took a photo of fill out a checklist/survey of all the things they have sacrificed in order to pay their way through college. A few statistics from this checklist are: 

• 3 out of 7 people said they would be in debt after college
• almost half (4 out of 7) students said they sacrifice quality food/groceries in order to save money
• more than half (5 out of 7) students said they sacrifice their time for work to pay for college

Intervention [Documentation]: May the Fourth Be With You

On May 4, 2013 I made a few different flyers to hang up on my neighbors' doors. The flyers have an image of a Star Wars character with each one saying "May the Fourth Be With You". The bottom of the flyer has 6 lightsabers (the 3 different colored lightsabers in Star Wars) you can rip off, as it states right above them, "Take a lightsaber".  I tried to capture moments of the intervention throughout the day.

Someone has already taken a blue lightsaber. 

He's taken a red lighsaber... oh no! He must be a sith!

Another blue lightsaber taken. 

She's a sith too!

The "force" is strong with this one. The lightsaber gave her the "force" to kill a bug that was on the door frame. 

Lightsaber battle!

May 5, 2013. Apparently random people that passed by overnight or early in the morning took some lightsabers too. 

This intervention was supposed to empower people who took a lightsaber, whether it was in the smallest way possible. Holding that paper lightsaber gave them a sense of power, or "force", for a short amount of time. Maybe sometimes we need something to remind ourselves that we do have "the force" within us. We can carry this intervention's message further and put our "force" to use in a productive manner in our lives. 

Its never to early to start saving money for college. 

http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/financial-aid/saving-for-college-timeline-infographic/

30 Second Pitch

What am I doing?
The 6-8 page spread will take you on a journey through the life of a full-time student that has a job. As you go through the pages, it will be a timeline of the students activities and responsibilities on a daily or weekly basis. Also incorporating photos throughout of the student holding a sign that states the time of the day or activity they look forward to out of their responsibilities or during their free time (if they get any). .. might juxtapose this with them holding a sign stating what time of the day they hate. These would be positioned in accordance to the timeline.


Why is this important?
1. There are more students than you think that are struggling with financial struggles to stay in school and maintain a healthy living in addition to the usual college student stresses and responsibilities.
2. Sometimes having to work a job makes it extremely difficult to maintain a good academic standing.
3. Financial struggles consumes time and creates stress, whether its planning out budgets or working a part/full-time job, which hinders a student emotionally and physically. Sometimes leaving them no choice but do drop out of school.

BECOME AWARE OF THIS INJUSTICE TO BRING ABOUT A CHANGE. 

Student debt, rising tuition, more students working. Will it ever end?

Something I found on the noodle website I posted the link to earlier. Very informative and clear data about student debt, tuition, and related topics.

I added this image to show the gradual increase of students working. I'm not quite sure for what reasons these students were working but it could be that they need the money to pay and stay in college.

A Link for Less Struggle

http://www.noodle.org/noodlings

Great website for the issue I am trying to tackle and inform others of. Financial struggles among college students is prominent and this website provides some help and solutions!

Exploring Layout Designs

http://beingwellcenter.wordpress.com/tag/academic-struggles/

This design interested me. I might want to incorporate something like this and tweak it to fit my issue better.

Prof. Ross liked my first spread was a great start. He suggested that now I focus in and get more specific with the topic.

I'm not sure how many pages our spread is supposed to be but if its more than two pages I'm thinking of incorporating a series of photos where I ask several different financially struggling college students to write on a poster board either what part of the day they or activity they wait for, what part of the day or a task in the day they hate doing the most. They would hold this sign in a relevant area that the sign is talking about... or maybe I should do this with a white backdrop and just use the lighting studio instead?

What do you guys think?

https://www.facebook.com/FiresCenterofExcellence?hc_location=timeline

Roughly, maybe something along the lines of this image.

Layout Draft

These photos are in fisheye format to sort of imply that you are looking at, or through, the lens (eyes) of a struggling college student. The photos take you through their day and the usual things they have to do on a daily to monthly basis. Please feel free to give any feedback, comments, questions, critique, anything.

Manifesto: What Grinds My Gears

photo taken from:
http://thecommittedindian.com/grinds-my-gears-121/

You know what really grinds my gears?! .. I’ll tell you. Living in Isla Vista, one becomes aware of the diversity, whether its diversity between race, gender, sexuality, nationality, majors, interests, etc. The range of difference between people range from similar to completely different people. The spectrum has a large extent to it and experiencing both the opposite ends of the spectrum brings about the radical comparison between the two, which also leads to recognizing things that are different that shouldn’t necessarily have to. There are college students that are doing just fine in school, getting good grades, dont need a job, financial aid and/or parents can pay for their education, food, supplies, etc. and so all they have to worry about it studying. Great! College is hard sometimes and to get the best out of it a student should try their best at all times, maybe involve themselves in a sport or organization, perhaps an internship to gain more experience and become involved...

But what about those college students that dont have time to get involved because they have to work to make money to pay for their tuition in order to even stay in school? What about those college students stressing over where they are going to eat for dinner and where they are going to sleep that night? What about those college students that are getting into debt more and more every year because of loans? What about those college students that are missing out on a social life because they are too busy with work, internship, class and homework? When do they have time to finally take a breath and relieve some stress? What about those college students that are about to give up on their education because they have no other choice?

THIS IS WHAT GRINDS MY GEARS.

Is there a solution to getting those struggling college students to having their main worry be getting good grades? ... yes, no, I dont know?... We can make one! Raise awareness of this problem. Let us share ideas to develop a resolution that will work and execute it. The college experience for any incoming student should have the same and equal set of opportunities no matter their family income, where they come from, social or economic status, etc. From there, the student can determine the way the rest of their college experience will go without unnecessary stresses and troublesome situations going on in their lives.

Thinking about perspective/POV

Different perspectives of people that may be involved with the issue or related somehow might help me in come up with creative ways to take more photos. I'm considering getting into contact with organizations that involve my issue and asking questions, such as what they do, who they benefit and why they do what they do. Maybe get opinions from college advisers on campus, professors, several students.

 http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/low-income.htm
http://www.hsf.net/

Tuning up my ideas

After presenting my topic and my ideas in class yesterday, Patrick gave some advice and mentioned some things that I could consider thinking about as I get closer to what I want my photos to look like.
The following are notes and thoughts I wrote down:

• be careful NOT to patronize the subjects (i.e. the struggling students I would be photographing)
• while also not putting them on a pedestal; praising them (in a way that still says what they are accomplishing is great and take much determination and hard work)
• maybe focus on the goal of the student
• what there dream is; if they are getting closer to it or not 
• when will all the extra hard work they are putting in is going to pay off?
• capture the triumph of the student
• maybe come up with a guide to get through a life like this 
• think about those who are privileged 
• don't make them feel as if their the a**holes that are just lazy bums while there are students working their butts off to get and education and graduate
• just make them like they should be aware of this; it could be the situation of one of their peers and maybe they should help in changing this
• maybe even try looking at this same situation in an opposing point of view
• what argument would someone make to say this isn't something that people should know about, need to care about or make any changes to

http://www.kypolicy.org/education

http://dailytrojan.com/2010/10/14/entrepreneurship-isn%E2%80%99t-just-for-grads/

Looking at photos to get new perspectives on how to take my photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57840197@N07/6858860778/

Referencing money with college and graduating. Thinking about the importance of money in higher education and obtaining a degree. 

Trying to find some solutions

First-Generation Students and Their Struggle to Succeed
http://www.diversityjournal.com/10109-first-generation-students-and-their-struggle-to-succeed/

How many of you know this is going on?

College students not getting enough financial aid forced to drop out
 http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/35266854.html

For Poor, Leap to College Often Ends in a Hard Fall
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/education/poor-students-struggle-as-class-plays-a-greater-role-in-success.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&

Photo taken by Sara Quintanilla

Joshua Moon Johnson and his guests give an hour long lecture for the intermediate photography class and writing class.

I chose these 3 photos as my best ones... Thinking about angles, placement and negative space for potential layout designs.