This editorial represents the unanimous opinion of all 15 Outlook editors.
Traditionally, The Aragon Outlook has published a college map at the end of every school year to celebrate the colleges and universities graduating students plan to attend. However, a map focusing only on college admissions has the potential to promote unhealthy competition among students and reinforce the idea that a student’s success and identity is tied to their entrance into a prestigious four-year university. Therefore, the editors of The Outlook have elected to alter the map to encompass a broader spectrum of post-graduation plans in order to promote greater inclusivity.
With the end goal of celebrating students’ diverse and unique accomplishments, The Outlook chose to refocus this year’s centerspread on geographical areas seniors are planning on going to, rather than the specific institutions they are matriculating at. We are aware that the ingrained culture of sharing college-specific accomplishments and plans will still continue on other social platforms and in conversations. However, as a student-led publication with a broad audience, we have the responsibility to accurately represent the Aragon community by voicing as many student perspectives as possible.
“Success comes in different forms, and equally representing what this post-graduation success looks like for Aragon seniors is an important aspect of credible journalism”
The Outlook hopes to reduce the elitism associated with college maps by leaving ours open to conversation about seniors’ post-graduate plans that does not exclusively revolve around attending four-year universities. Focusing on the names of colleges may further discourage students from reporting their future plans, which reduces the accuracy of our spread. In addition, it is difficult to represent the portion of students who choose to pursue alternative paths, such as enrolling in community college, trade school or taking a gap year, when the format of the spread centers on specific institutions.
In last year’s map, out of the 428 students in the senior class, only 236 people, or 55% of the class, voluntarily reported their post-graduation plans: 85% planned to enroll in a four-year college, compared to the 57.1% who actually committed, and 10.6% of which planned to enroll in a two-year college, compared to the actual percentage of 32.8%. These disparities and the overrepresentation of students going to four-year schools make it even more crucial for us as a student newspaper to address the shortcomings of our reporting. Success comes in different forms, and equally representing what this post-graduation success looks like for Aragon seniors is an important aspect of credible journalism.
Modifying traditions may feel uncomfortable at first, but The Outlook believes that taking the first step toward change is crucial to help future classes celebrate more diverse post-graduation plans and give the Aragon community a broader picture of its students and their accomplishments.
