CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION

Click HERE to view the creative critical reflection for my magazine KICKERZONE or watch down below! 

A huge final thank you to everyone who has helped me in my design making process, you all helped immensely!

See you next time!


- AC

FINAL PROJECT

The time has come; it is officially time to reveal my final project. The wait is finally over, here it is!

- AC

The End

There are now four days until the end of this journey and I have completely finished my project. What a relief! I can't believe we are already reached this point; the time went so quickly. I guess time really does fly when you're having fun!

Along this journey, I have grown so much; not only physically, but emotionally. I have learned how to manage my time better, manage my stress, and work harder. This project has also strengthened my photoshopping skills, helping me in the long run.

This was a blast! I am so incredibly happy to have found my love for soccer again while working on my career aspirations. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me! See you soon!

- AC

Final Cover!

This is it!! I finally finished the new and final cover page. Here it is: 

In this cover, I decided to  use an image of Jessica facing the camera holding the ball. The use of this image allows the readers to form a connection with Jessica. This connection incline the reader's attention, causing them to open the magazine up; which is ideal what I want. 

Because the size of the ball and Jessica, the prominent colors of the image are pink and blue. Because of this, I decided to make the texts in pink and white. I tried making some of the text in blue but it was not as appealing as white and pink.

Along with struggling with the text, finding the right organization for the text was difficult. After a while though, I figured out the perfect layout.

Now all that's left is to finish my table of contents page and my project will be done! Finally! :)

- AC

Changes, Changes, Changes!

Looking back at my magazine cover, something felt a little off to me. After a couple of hours spent listening to advice, I agreed that my magazine was breaking the rules of magazine conventions. Realizing this, I knew I had to make some changes. The most important focus of a magazine is the cover image. However, the cover image I chose for my magazine wasn't strong enough to capture the attention of the viewers. So, I went through the pictures I took at Jessica's soccer practices and felt that none of the pictures were not strong enough. Ugh! 

There is exactly one week until this project is due and I am in so much trouble! How am I supposed to take new pictures, edit them, re organize my cover, and finish the rest of the project in the span of a week?! And of course this week is the busiest week of my life. The SAT is tomorrow, I have a million hours of homework to finish, and I have a family emergency; what am I gonna do?! 

Instead of stressing though, I have decided to go rest my brain for the SAT tomorrow; ill stress after that! So for now, everything can wait, I have time. I'll let you know how everything goes, and don't worry, ill finish everything; I know I will!

- AC

The Interview!

It is finally Saturday evening and Jessica has arrived back home! This week went by so slowly but the time for my interview finally arrived. As soon as she arrived, she informed me that we could meet and finish the interview. I couldn't wait!

Since she had only answered three of the questions, there was still half of the interview left. We met at a coffee shop, indulging the delicious coffee and peaceful surroundings. After catching up a bit, we agreed it was time to finish the interview. I asked her each question, patiently waiting for her answer. It was somewhat of a challenge for her to formulate her answers because she had so much to say but she didn't know how to express it. After a couple of minutes thinking deeply about each question, she replied with cohesive answers. Here are my questions and her answers: 

1. What does soccer mean to you?

A lot of people like to say "it's just a passion" but to me, it’s what keeps me going in life. When I'm upset or feeling down, I go to the field and play soccer to get my mind off of everything. Yes, soccer is a sport, but it also means everything to me. It is my past, my present, and my future. Soccer is my life.

2. Do you believe soccer is limited to one gender?

I believe it's a unisex game. There really isn't anything that only a man can do or only a girl can do. Now a days, some women are better soldiers than men and some men cook better than women. So soccer isn’t limited at all.

3. Have you heard about the gender equality issues in sports? If so what have you heard?

Though women finally have many of the same rights as men, it isn’t uncommon to hear casual conversations about gender equality. However, it is very rare that these conversations dive into the topic of equality in sports. Many people do not talk about this unfamiliar with it or sadly, do not realize it is an actual issue.

4. Why is so important to talk about these issues?

I believe it is important to talk about these issues so people are more aware of it, and in turn try to do something about it. The less talk, the less action. We need something to be done, we need to be heard! Not only does talking about the issue bring awareness to the subject, but it also empowers other women to fight with us. The more strength we have, the easier it will be to gain these rights.There’s no more time to waste. It’s time for equality!

5. What can us women do to fight for our equality on the field?

I believe women can continue to fight for our equality by showing others how often we win and how we bring home the biggest trophies that men don't win. Women can also fight for equality by respecting their male peers and supporting each other, because equality means equal. It doesn't mean that we are better, we are the same. So if we keeping respecting our peers, I belive it will benefit us in the end. Who wants to help a selfish person who seems to only be fighting for themselves? The answer is no one; no one will help us if we act that way, so we have to be kind. In the end kindness always wins. 

6. Who is your soccer inspiration, and why?

My soccer inspiration is my grandfather. When he was a child, he had played soccer, and influenced me to do the same. He has always been there for me when I left my games; he would tell me "you did great princess, don't listen to them. You just have to improve on...," and told me what I had to improve on for next time. He has never said "you did bad," or "why didnt you play better?" My grandfather has never let me put my head down. Because of him I have continued to grow ans succeed as a amazing player and person. I am currently the captain of the West Pines United girl's U17 team, and have a pending scholarship for a University in Georgia, all because of him. He has inspired my greatness, and I will carry it with me for as long as I live. 

There you have it! My interview is finally finished and I can finally stop stressing! Well, only for a little; I still have to complete my table of contents and double page spread. Let's see how that goes!

- AC

New Cover Page!

My new cover page is complete! I spent around two hours combining different colors, fonts, sizes, and placements just so I could make sure my cover would turn out perfect! Without a doubt, it did! 

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my first cover page had some minor issues, including page numbers, color of the texts, and the masthead organization. Today, after a long day at school, I assured my self that working on my new cover page would help me unwind and relax; so I did just that!

Beginning with the issue with the masthead, I combined the two type layers, KICKER and ZONE, so it would flow smoothly as KICKERZONE. Because of this change, I would have to move the bar code, another issue of mine. As I moved the bar code around the page, I discovered that it best fit in the bottom left corner like many other magazines. The change of the masthead also urged me to organize the sell line and date line differently. Using the same size text this time, I placed the sell line under the masthead on the left side of the page and the date line on the right side of the page. I was finally done with the top of my cover page!

Moving on, I knew it was time to change the cover image. This was one of the hardest parts of the night because every image was beautiful in its own way. However, they did not represent the fight for equality. Finally, I chose on a simple image of Jessica faced away from the camera. This image can stand on its own, without taking too much attention from the rest of the cover. Also, the position Jessica is in, shows the power she has, which ties into the main theme. 

The change of the picture allowed me to move my cover lines around and organize them in different ways. Since Jessica is the main focus of the cover, I decided to increase the size of her name and her interview cover line. Along with increasing the size, I changed the color of Jessica's name causing it to stand out more. However, this increase in text and change of color made the other cover lines look very minuscule and unimportant. Though I wanted the main cover line to be in bigger text, I didn't want it to over power the rest. After what felt like eternity, I was able to find the perfect balance between the texts. I then deleted the page numbers next to each cover line and my masterpiece was complete! I am incredibly satisfied and content with the final product. Here it is: 

- AC

The Cover Page

Meanwhile I wait for Jessica to finish answering my interview questions, I have decided to begin constructing my cover page so no time goes to waste!

Opening up photoshop, I began to organize my thoughts and contain my excitement. Since I had already designed my outlines and taken my pictures, all I had to do was combine everything together. I thought this was gonna be a breeze, but I was completely wrong!

Based off my outline, I placed the picture, of Jessica kicking the ball, onto my document, beginning the cover design. After zooming in to focus on Jessica, I knew it was time to begin adding in the other elements.

Once I placed the masthead and barcode, I knew my cover was going to look great. I included a drop shadow and stroke onto the masthead to enhance the appearance and target the younger audiences. I then proceeded to create my sell line, "Girl's soccer for all." I felt that this sell line was strong and cohesive since it focuses on females yet is open to "all." 

After an hour or so, I had typed up my date line, main coverline, and other coverlines, along with editing each type and organizing my layout. Here is the cover page I created: 

Although this cover is visually appealing and organized, I realized that some elements of the page had minor issues. For instance, the color of Jessica's name does not stand out from the cover, making it less important. Also, the picture I used did not represent my topic completely; yes the picture illustrates female soccer, but it does not explore the theme of fighting for equality. Along with the cover image, I discovered that the placement of the barcode took attention away from the masthead, which is crucial to any magazine. The last minor issue I realized was the use of numbers on the cover page. To me, they are aesthetically pleasing but it just doesn't fit. Having the numbers on the cover page gives off a table of contents look, which I do not want since I have to create a separate page for my table of contents. 

Despite these minor issues, I am very pleased with the outcome of my cover page. Since I have a couple of days until Jessica comes back home, I decided I am going to fix the issues on my page! But for now, I need some rest! I'll update with my new and improved cover page, see you later!

- AC

Communication Is Key

Today actually began pretty well, until a major set back happened...

After my morning workout, I decided it was finally time to get that interview done; it had been two days since I came up with my questions, and I needed to get this interview finished! 

So, I called up Jessica and asked her when it was possible to meet, which she hesitantly replied by saying she wasn't sure if today was a good day. Understandingly, I assured her that it was okay because I was on track with my magazine and had a couple of extra days to spare. However, as I suggested to meet up with her at her next soccer practice, Tuesday the 28th, she informed me that she would not be in town this whole week. I couldn't believe what I was hearing! How was I supposed to interview her when she is all the way across the country? This project was going so well, and now it will be set back a whole week because my main interview will have to be postponed!

After spending an hour or so pondering over how to fix the situation I realized that my problem was that Jessica and I were lacking communication. If I would have communicated with her more often, I would have learned about this earlier, and would have thought of ways to prevent this set back. Communication is key! How could I forget something so simple?

Though this set back required me to step up my game, it taught me a valuable lesson that will help me improve my magazine from here on out! No more staying quiet, it's time to communicate!

With this mindset, I had a major epiphany. Who said an interview can't be through text? I had exactly one hour until Jessica's flight departed and there was absolutely no time to waste!

I messaged her and asked her if she minded being interviewed over text, and with the amazing person that she is, she instantly agreed. She said she had an hour to kill at the airport so why not? With a grin on my face, I sent the questions on her way!

After what felt like an eternity, she replied with her answers; but something was missing. I realized she had only answered the first three questions before telling me her flight was boarding and she would have to leave. So I guess she will have to answer the rest of the questions another time...

But that's okay, at least I got some of the answers so I can begin working on constructing my magazine! 

Nothing can hold me back, not even a trip across the country!

- AC

Interview Questions?

Before I begin my interview process, I want to make sure that I am asking the right questions. But who determines which questions are the right ones to ask? Well, that's what research is for! I have decided to research what questions I should ask my talented friend, Jessica. 

At first, I researched "What to ask in an interview," which generally is a very broad question, as it applies to every type of interview. After scrolling through millions of research on interview questions such as, "9 Good Questions to ask in an interview," I realized that this search I have done wasn't the best idea; all these articles talk about job interviews, which is not what I'm looking for! Maybe I should try searching something more specific? 

I began my research again but this time searched "what to ask in a magazine interview." This search helped me immensely! The first link that came up was "14 Revealing Interview Questions." This article allowed me to explore different questions that would help kick off my interview by allowing the readers to learn more about Jessica. The number one question I would like to include in my interview is "Who is your role model and why?" However, instead of using a question that came straight out of a website, I decided to make the question more original and coinciding with the story by asking, "Who is your soccer inspiration and why?" This focuses more on the topic of my magazine and helps to open up the topic in the interview. 

Another article I found while doing my research is, "30 Questions to ask in an informal interview." Within the 30 questions, I was able to find a couple that I could use. For instance, the question "What do you like most about your job," really stood out to me. To relate it to my topic, I have come up with the question, "What does soccer mean to you?" By using this question, I am allowing Jessica to open up to not only myself, but all the readers out there; which is the basis of any interview. After asking these personal questions, I would like to ask questions that are targeted on the main topic of the article, Gender equality. The research I conducted provided me with the question "What problems do you face on a day-to-day basis?" I decided to expand this question into "Have you heard about the gender equality issues in sports? If so what have you heard?" By expanding this question, I will begin to introduce the topic without getting too deep.

Without the help of that research, my brain would have exploded trying to come up with questions to ask! 

Moving away from my research, I began to base my other questions on my question "Have you heard about the gender equality issues in sports, If so what have you heard?" After brainstorming many different questions, I decided my favorite ones were: 

1. "In your opinion, why do you think it is so important to talk about these issues?"

2. "What can us women do in order to fight for our equality on the field?"

3. "Do you think this a man's game or a woman's game?"

With these powerful questions, there is no doubt my magazine article will come out amazing, I can't wait! Now I can finally interview Jessica. As promised, my interview will come soon, don't lose hope! See you then!

- AC 

Adams, Susan. "30 Questions To Ask In An Informational Interview." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 26 Feb. 2016. Web. 25 Mar. 2017. <https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2015/03/04/30-questions-to-ask-in-an-informational-interview/#45bd89ab215f>. 

Haden, Jeff. "14 Revealing Interview Questions." Inc.com. Inc., 04 Mar. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2017. <http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/14-revealing-interview-questions.html>. 

"Here Are Nine Good Questions to Ask at Your next Job Interview." Monster Career Advice. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2017. <https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/nine-questions-to-ask-interview>.

Importance Of Editing

I finally met up with my model, Jessica Cuenca. As I was driving to her soccer practice, a rush of excitement came over me. I couldn't wait to finally take the pictures for KICKERZONE. With my camera by my side, nothing could stop me.

In the span of an hour and a half, I managed to take about 200 pictures. However, many of the pictures were blurry due to the constant movement of the players; I didn't think it would be this hard! However, some shots came out beautiful. My favorite shots of the night were these:

Looking at these pictures in depth, allowed me to realize that although they are beautiful by themselves, they do require editing. Of course, I wasn't going to edit 200 pictures, so, I chose my best 40 pictures, and began to edit. After around an hour, I was complete. The following pictures are the edited versions of the pictures shown above:

Clearly, these pictures look much more professional once it is edited. Therefore, I have decided to use the edited versions of the pictures for my magazine. All that is left to do is interview Jessica, and begin to construct my magazine. Stay tuned to learn how my interview goes! Wish me luck!

- AC

The Game Plan

Now that I have my outline out of the way, I can begin to plan everything out.

After scrolling through endless examples on table-of-contents layouts on Pinterest, I discovered many different ways to present the contents I want to include in my magazine.

Before I design my contents page however, I need to plan out what stories and articles will be in my magazine. Without a doubt, my main story line will be an interview with my close soccer friend about gender equality on the field. Keeping the topic of gender equality throughout the magazine will help it be more cohesive and structured. Therefore, the other storylines will also be about gender equality.

Now for the design!

The most successful layouts consist of a few images along with bold headings and simple text. For example, FourFourTwo has created many content pages like this one:

This contents page is organized through the use of two columns, few images, bold titles and page numbers, and simple text. The layout also focuses on one main color palette, consisting of red, white,  grey, yellow, and green. All of these elements combined attract the viewers attention and urge them to keep reading more.

This layout has allowed me to brainstorm different ideas for my original layout, resulting in my final design for the contents page.

For my contents page, I have decided to keep the organization nice and simple mainly because the magazine's target audience is younger kids. This simplicity allows the young kids to focus on the important factors without being overwhelmed with too much text or pictures. 

Moving on to my double-page spread!

Since my main storyline is going to be an interview, I have also designed my double-paged layout in a interesting format. Here take a look:

Initially, I had the title set for only one page but realized that having it spread across both pages helps it flow much more smoothly and makes it look more appealing. The use of the two columns on both pages helps unify the spread. I chose to being the interview with an image across the first page to show the person I am interviewing, Jessica Cuenca. After using one big image, I decided to keep the rest of the spread simple and use only two other images so they don't over power the text. Overall, I am content with how it turned out and cannot wait to make it into a reality!

I have chosen this week to finally turn this dream into a reality. I have agreed to meet up with my model on Tuesday to take a couple of shots during her soccer practice. Then on Thursday, March 23, my model and I will meet up once more for the interview. After both of these meetings I will update you on our progress, so stay tuned! 

- AC

Zinio. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017. <https://www.zinio.com/www/browse/issue.jsp?skuId=416333018>.

The Outline

It's time for the big reveal! My outlines are complete and I have never felt better! The two outlines I have created each represent a different layout and organization style. Let's take a look!

OUTLINE #1:

In this outline, the masthead is clear and easy to read, inclining more viewers to read the magazine. The sell line right under the masthead keeps the layout organized along with the placement of the cover lines.  The placement of the barcode really interests me because it is placed in a unique place, making the magazine more original. The barcode also fills in the extra space left from the masthead so the layout doesn't look like it's "missing" something. So far, this is my favorite outline, but let's see what else I can come up with

OUTLINE #2:

My second and final outline! In this outline I changed the layout and organization to vary things up. However, I do not really like it. The image I chose is the only part of the layout that really stands out to me because it makes the viewer feel like they are about to watch the goal of the year. But everything else is sort of plain and unoriginal, which is the exact opposite of what I want. The way the cover lines and masthead are presented are very common among magazines.  So, I have decided not to use this outline.

Out of the two outlines, I think it is clear that my favorite is outline #1. But I was thinking to myself, and I realized, if I combine the outlines, my magazine would look not only amazing, but would be easy to read and appealing to the viewers. So what exactly would I combine? Well, if I took the image from outline #2 and the layout and organization from outline #1, then my magazine would be perfect! I finalized my sketches and this is how the combination turned out:

Looking at it, I realized that all components tie in together, creating a cohesive outline. Since nothing over powers the rest of the elements, I believe this outline is perfect for the cover of KICKERZONE.










Well there you have it folks! My cover outline for KICKERZONE is finally complete. Now all I am missing is my layout designs for my table of contents and double-page spread. But, my brain needs to rest in order to create more masterpieces. Goodnight!

- AC

Scanning The Rivals

A couple days have passed, and I now feel one hundred percent confident in my magazine choice. I am so ready for this!

I have gathered up a couple of images from different Sports magazines such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and NewsWeek, showcasing Women's soccer in their issue. Each cover has a different organization style which interests me and allows me to open my eyes up to different designs.

In this cover by News Week, Hope Solo, the goalkeeper for the U.S. Women's National Team, is photographed in an action shot of her kicking the ball. The angle of the shot highlights her skills while showcasing the actions. This is an interesting photograph because it makes the viewer feel as if they were right there in front of her. Also, the masthead and cover lines are organized in a simple manner so they don't over power the image. Personally, I absolutely love this design since it is so simple; but maybe I should go out of my comfort zone and challenge myself.

The masthead in this layout is bigger and bolder, capturing most of the attention. Although the masthead is the main focus, the contrast of color between the bold red masthead and the blues of the soccer players, allow the viewers to also focus on the players. The red and blue colors are also used throughout the cover lines, which provides a consistent color pattern and organization. This could be the direction I go in since it is so appealing to the eyes. The only change I would make is photographing one player instead of three.

The SportsIllustrated layout focuses mainly on the color red. The attention is mainly on the masthead because of the white text against the bold red background. The jersey of the player, the cover lines, and  everything else sort of blends in together without anything being the main focus. I don't really like the design of this layout since it only focuses on one main color. The intense bold red makes my eyes hurt by just looking at it. However, I really like the simple photograph of the player holding the trophy; maybe I'll use that!

Overall, these three magazines really helped me visualize what I want my cover page to look like. The idea of having two contrasting colors like ESPN, really interests me along with the simple cover lines shown in the NewsWeek layout.  I have a specific image of my cover page in my head but it may look complete different on paper. Stay tuned too see how it looks!

- AC

"Magazine Covers." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. <https://www.pinterest.com/mattandcorrie/magazine-covers/>. 

"People." Pinterest. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. <https://www.pinterest.com/steelone/people/>. 

"SI Covers: 2015 World Cup-winning U.S. Women." SI.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. <http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/photos/2015/07/13/sports-illustrated-covers-uswnt-2015-world-cup/1>.

It's A Girl's Game!

KICKERZONE is finally on its way to becoming a reality. Im just missing one thing, my topic. I know I want to appeal to the younger generation, so I have to focus on a topic that interests all younger kids. Since kids these days are mainly fighting for equality and fairness, I have decided to explore the topic of Gender Equality on the field from the viewpoint of young women.

Reading the research I found, saddened me terribly. Ever since I was little, I knew women did not earn as much as men for the same job; but I only recently started researching about this pay gap issue. The gender pay gap is a huge issue in sports. Can you believe U.S. Women only earn $2 million for winning a World Cup while men earn $35 million for the same champion title? It's outrages. Gender pay gap has always been an obstacle in Women's lives but I never really realized how important it actually is in sports.

This pay gap isn't the only thing women have to face in soccer, they also are limited to playing on turf, an artificial soccer field. Playing on turf has many harmful effects such as cancer resulting from the burnt rubber pieces. Huffington Post writer Peter Andrew, interviewed Amy Griffin, a goal keeper from the U.S. Women's National Team, about her experience in tracking American soccer players with cancer. She has discovered that many kids that play on artificial turf, end up getting cancer. Her research shows that crumb-rubber pellets, made of recycled tires, can contain toxic chemicals, metals and carcinogens. How is it fair for Women soccer players to be forced to play on these harmful fields? Men don't have to, why should we?

Along with cancerous effects, turf fields can cause painful bruises, scrapes, and cuts that can lead to harmful scarring. For instance, Sydney Leroux, a player on the U.S. Women's National Team, has posted many pictures showing the damage done by turf fields:

 

@sydneyleroux: This is why soccer

 should be played on grass!

These facts empowered me to mainly focus KICKERZONE on girls on the field. No more inequality.

It's a Girl's Game!

- AC

Carmon, Irin. "Four Depressing Stats about Gender Inequity in Soccer." MSNBC. NBCUniversal News Group, 06 July 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/four-depressing-stats-about-gender-inequity-soccer-world-cup>. 

Dwyer, Sydney Leroux. "This Is Why Soccer Should Be Played on Grass! Pic.twitter.com/fsNGi27oRY." Twitter. Twitter, 15 Apr. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <https://twitter.com/sydneyleroux/status/323630086249140224>. 

"Gender Differences." Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football. N.p., 28 Apr. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <https://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/world-cup-2015-guide/all-about-that-turf/gender-differences/>. 

Hart, Peter Andrew. "Worries Mount Over Potential Link Between Artificial Turf And Cancer." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 14 Apr. 2016. Web. 16 Mar. 2017. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cancer-artificial-turf-crumb-rubber_us_570960a3e4b0142232493441>.

Titles? TITLEZ!

Now that I know that I am making my magazine about soccer, I have to deeply think about what I am going to name it, include in it, and all that good stuff.

The whistle blows, it's time.

Time to start brainstorming and researching!

The first thing I researched was different soccer Magazines. I found that the most popular are WorldSoccer, SoccerAmerica, and FourFourTwo. All three of these magazines are all about soccer but are completely different. For instance, WorldSoccer specializes in the international football scene. Being a member of the European Sports Magazines, similar magazines to WorldSoccer are printed in other languages to appeal to more readers. On the other hand, SoccerAmerica is purely published in English for its American demographic and mainly focuses on soccer in the United States. 

These differences have been critical in my ideas for my magazine. I decided that I want my magazine to focus on a specific audience like SoccerAmerica, which its main audience includes American soccer players. However unlike SoccerAmerica, my target audience would be younger teens and children soccer players more than U.S. soccer players in general.

Name time!

What should I call my magazine? What is professional but also appeals to a younger demographic?

I wanted to title my magazine with a soccer phrase like FourFourTwo, but found that it was difficult to appeal to the younger audiences with titles like that. I realized that younger audiences are more inclined to titles with a "silly" and fun connotation. After millions of titles thrown away such as Goalz, GoalZone, Kickerz, and SoccerStarz, I found my pattern. I had used a "Z" in all of my titles and realized thats the way I wanted to go. I began to mix up the titles and created a masterpiece, KickerZone. But something still felt a little off to me, so I started playing with the capitalization of the word and found that KICKERZONE was more appealing to the eyes and flowed much more smoothly. 

This is just the beginning!

- AC

"Soccer America." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Jan. 2017. Web. 12 Mar. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_America>. 

"World Soccer (magazine)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Mar. 2017. Web. 12 Mar. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Soccer_(magazine)>.

Game On!

Here we are, the first day of this journey. I am so eager to embark on this adventure, well technically it's not an actual adventure but I mean... my minds going on one so it works. Throughout these past few weeks, my mind has been wandering all over the place. Who knew creating a magazine would be so challenging?

At first, I had no doubt in my mind that my magazine was going to be about food. However, after looking at some issues from Food Network Magazine, I realized almost every issue includes images of their homemade foods. I don't know how to cook though, so how am I going to cook my own original food? Ignoring that thought, I kept on looking at different issues regarding different recipes. Reading these recipes was such a challenge because there were so many words that I did not understand. For example, in an article about Chef's favorite St. Patrick's Day foods, the chef's use words such as doused, malted, brined, and braised. These unfamiliar words confused me but also made me realize that maybe I should stray away from the Food Magazine idea.

So I kept thinking. What is my passion? What am I interested in? What is challenging, but also enjoyable?

Then it hit me; Fashion. Since my best friend models, I can easily get her to be on the cover of my magazine. As I began researching about fashion magazines, I realized that many of them are cliches. They all focus on beauty tips, fashion tips,  and health practices. For instance, Cosmopolitan is one of the biggest fashion/beauty magazines in the world. But every issue only focuses on the sex, beauty, and health cliches.

I didn't want to be another cliche, I want my magazine to be my own original piece. So I kept on thinking...

I could have found different ways to represent the fashion world outside of the clichés, but my brain was going to explode. There are so many aspects of fashion that I am not familiar with, even though it interests me; I never fully dove into that world, just kinda dipped my toes. So the whole process began again.

I pondered over at least a dozen other topics. Nothing was coming to me. I was watching the U.S. Women's soccer team's game against France and I had an epiphany. I HAVE to do my magazine on soccer. After a whole two years of not playing, I realize I should bring back the spark and open up the past. Since I miss the feeling of being a part of the wonderful, exciting, and challenging sport, I set my mind on this topic to bring soccer back into my life.

Game on!

- AC

"Chefs' Top Irish Dishes." FN Dish – Food Network Blog. N.p., 10 Mar. 2017. Web. 14 Mar. 2017. <http://blog.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/2017/03/chefs-picks-st-patricks-day/>. 

Swantek, Braelyn Wood and Samantha, Laura Beck, Aurora Tower, Peter Wade, Alyssa Bailey, Sarah Weinberg, Katie O'Malley, Kayleigh Roberts, Candace Braun Davison, Kelsey Kloss, The Editors, Matt Miller, Estelle Tang, Rachel Torgerson, Mylan Torres, Danielle Tullo, Samantha Swantek, Gina Mei, Diana Bruk, Tess Koman, and Emma Dibdin. "Braelyn Wood and Samantha Swantek." Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017. <http://www.cosmopolitan.com/>.