By Nick Davis
Staff Writer
On Jan. 13, 2012, in the school’s new commons area, Indian Trail Academy will host its first Portfolio Review Night, which is an opportunity for Communications seniors to show off their work from the last four years and portray what the academies have to offer both individual students and the community.
Organized by Sandra Bleser, senior Correlations of Design and Graphics teacher, the evening’s main goal is to give students the opportunity to talk to professionals from the real world in professions that students have requested. Professionals invited range from web designer to chef, journalist to mortician, and musician to prison guard.
Each student will have their own table to show off their work.
“They determine what their strengths have been, collect what they feel best represents those skills, the finish with a few supplemental pieces to show variety,” said Bleser.
Such strengths may lie anywhere amongst the curriculum taught over the student’s last four years in the Communications Academy. Such strengths may include photography, illustration, multimedia production, and journalism. For students who are very strong in the multimedia, they are encouraged to use their laptops to show short clips of their work over the years.
“After seeing the unique integration of technology and other creative projects, it is my hope that [the community] will begin to understand how important the academies are,” said Bleser.
Not only is the review night important to the academies, it is also important to the seniors participating. While it will offer the opportunity to meet experts in several different fields, it is also a requirement that Communications seniors attend, for it is part of their final exam grade.
Student opinions on the event vary from individual to individual. Communications Senior Travis Hurst is worried that students who have requested that professionals show, may not attend the event themselves.
However, while Hurst, who requested that a computer technician be present, is worried about students participation, he is looking forward to the night on an individual basis, and hopes to learn more about the field that he plans to get into and thoroughly enjoys.
For students whose requested professionals could not attend, Bleser set up a specific time for a Skype call between them.
“It was really productive,” said Communications Senior Reia Holst, “I learned some things about the music industry that I would not have known otherwise.”
Holst, who spent almost an hour on her Skype call with Music Producer Vinny Millevolte, is still required to attend the Portfolio Review Night as part of her final exam, in addition to her call with Millevolte.
While academy-based artwork is the main focus, the evening will also feature performances by the Indian Trail bands, others works from the art department, and refreshments for those attending.
In the future, Bleser hopes the review night will become a staple of the academies and hopes that other academies will join in to show off their skills and what they bring to the community.
The public is welcome to attend the free event, which will not only take place this semester, but also next semester on May 25, 2012.