THE WORK OF CLAIRE STEIGELMAN
My Professional Journalist Portfolio
ROOM FOR GROWTH: CHS TEACHERS USE BOOKS TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF COLOR AND IDENTITY
September 2022
The sun beat down upon the wooden deck. A group of CHS teachers chatted about their summers as they helped themselves to a variety of snacks and settled underneath the umbrellas blocking the hot summer sun.
The book group was originally formed before the pandemic by multiple CHS teachers concerned about equity. At the first meeting they read “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo, a book that gives insight into the minds of how white people see race.
TAILGATING TROUBLES
November 2022
A noticeable absence from the field this year was the presence of motorhomes. The large vehicles that had once been a staple of tailgating at PHS could no longer be found in the vicinity. It was decided that due to safety and liability reasons, PHS could no longer accommodate the vehicles for University of Michigan football game days.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
January 2022
When Covid-19 spikes, going online may be our best option. The Omicron variant peaked in January and, because it’s winter, everyone is staying inside more, especially while eating lunch when everyone removes their masks. I would prefer to be in-person, but I don’t mind being online for short periods of time if the activities are engaging. There are also other aspects that make online school appealing, such as sleeping in and being able to eat during class.
WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY VS. THE CAVE DWELLERS
October 2022
Society is an unfriendly place. The pressures people are put under to be the best are unrelenting, and the competition to be at the top is cutthroat. Then kids enter the scene. It isn’t enough for them to be on top themselves, but now they are thinking about their legacy. This can be detrimental for kids and those around them.
“Where the Grass is Green and the Girls are Pretty” and “The Cave Dwellers” share this similar theme and outlook on the world, yet the stories have stark differences. One ends on a positive note, the other in darkness and trauma.
