Contents under pressure : an analysis of media as a vehicle in Anderson High School

Abstract

Anderson High School in Anderson, Indiana is a lower ranking public school. The reasons for these statistics are due to a variety of factors, particularly the high poverty rate. The purpose of high schools and education in general is to prepare individuals for post secondary lives, particularly in finding a career or seeking collegiate education or certification programs. There are multiple flaws present in the way this goal is accomplished in Anderson, primarily due to the ways in which information is presented and advertised. Many opportunities are present in ACSC, or the Anderson Community School Corporation, but are not engaged in by the students. The 2019 College and Career Fair served to demonstrate this, as the attendance was incredibly low for the number of opportunities that were made available and the amount of information that was present. This is likely due to two factors. The first factor is that the event was not well advertised, as students were not made aware of the event until two days before it occurred. The second, and far more important, factor is the differences in expectations between students and administration. The two parties have different values and ideas about the future and there is a massive communication barrier that is present. This is likely due to each group making assumptions about the other, and it must be traversed in order to provide students with the best possible futures.