AHS Seniors launch TWIST
Monday, Jan 16, 2012
With just a semester left of high school, seniors Renee Chang and Ezgi Ustundag formulated a way to address a need they had noticed as underclassmen. Although AHS students had access to athletic, music, and academic calendars on the Ames High website and at other corners of the Internet, figuring out the date of the next home soccer game and what time the winter musical starts required students to browse numerous webpages.
Chang and Ustundag came up with the idea for the website after Ustundag became frustrated with finding concert and sporting event dates on several different websites.
"I knew Ames High students would be more likely to go to a game or a concert if they had an easy-to-remember and frequently updated Internet resource that laid out all relevant upcoming events," Ustundag said. "That's why Renee and I decided to ask Spence (Evans) if we could build a website like the one we had wanted for the past four years of high school."
TWIST did not become a concrete product until Ustundag and Chang devised a name for the site a few days after the idea emerged.
"It's easy to remember, which we agreed was a necessary aspect of the site," Chang said. "It also fits nicely with our team name, the Little Cyclones, and the idea of 'staying in the loop.'"
Working closely with principal Spence Evans, District ELP coordinator Linda Telleen-Martens, and Ames High technology director Patrick Hall, Chang and Ustundag built TWIST shortly after first semester finals in mid-January. Evans and other school administrators were quick to support TWIST because of its potential to engage AHS students while also fitting in with an increasingly technology-centered curriculum.
"We were lucky enough to get Mr. Evans's support a few days after we developed the idea for TWIST further," Ustundag said. "I met with him and showed him my preliminary sketch for the home page and a site map, and he was as excited as I was to get started. He is always looking for simpler ways to get AHS students involved in their school."
Now that the infrastructure for the site is complete, Chang and Ustundag plan to expand its content base in the coming weeks.
"Right now, we're focused on getting a core group of writers and designers together to build the site's content bank," Chang said. "Without that group, TWIST could die after we graduate."
Chang and Ustundag have been working hard to recruit interested underclassmen so TWIST can continue to be a resource for Ames High students. Ustundag added that TWIST has the potential to become a valuable teaching tool after it gains a strong student following and has enough staff members to update it with new content regularly.
"TWIST can become part of the Ames High core curriculum," Ustundag said. "It combines writing, web design, social networking, photography, and video editing. All staff members must be fluent users of the Internet and understand how to write for a high school audience without compromising the quality of their language. Once we have enough people checking the site regularly, it could be worked into Intro to Journalism.
"But right now, we're focusing on getting students on our team who are willing to write and build this site."
Check back in the coming weeks for more news, stories, videos, and photos.
With just a semester left of high school, seniors Renee Chang and Ezgi Ustundag formulated a way to address a need they had noticed as underclassmen. Although AHS students had access to athletic, music, and academic calendars on the Ames High website and at other corners of the Internet, figuring out the date of the next home soccer game and what time the winter musical starts required students to browse numerous webpages.
Chang and Ustundag came up with the idea for the website after Ustundag became frustrated with finding concert and sporting event dates on several different websites.
"I knew Ames High students would be more likely to go to a game or a concert if they had an easy-to-remember and frequently updated Internet resource that laid out all relevant upcoming events," Ustundag said. "That's why Renee and I decided to ask Spence (Evans) if we could build a website like the one we had wanted for the past four years of high school."
TWIST did not become a concrete product until Ustundag and Chang devised a name for the site a few days after the idea emerged.
"It's easy to remember, which we agreed was a necessary aspect of the site," Chang said. "It also fits nicely with our team name, the Little Cyclones, and the idea of 'staying in the loop.'"
Working closely with principal Spence Evans, District ELP coordinator Linda Telleen-Martens, and Ames High technology director Patrick Hall, Chang and Ustundag built TWIST shortly after first semester finals in mid-January. Evans and other school administrators were quick to support TWIST because of its potential to engage AHS students while also fitting in with an increasingly technology-centered curriculum.
"We were lucky enough to get Mr. Evans's support a few days after we developed the idea for TWIST further," Ustundag said. "I met with him and showed him my preliminary sketch for the home page and a site map, and he was as excited as I was to get started. He is always looking for simpler ways to get AHS students involved in their school."
Now that the infrastructure for the site is complete, Chang and Ustundag plan to expand its content base in the coming weeks.
"Right now, we're focused on getting a core group of writers and designers together to build the site's content bank," Chang said. "Without that group, TWIST could die after we graduate."
Chang and Ustundag have been working hard to recruit interested underclassmen so TWIST can continue to be a resource for Ames High students. Ustundag added that TWIST has the potential to become a valuable teaching tool after it gains a strong student following and has enough staff members to update it with new content regularly.
"TWIST can become part of the Ames High core curriculum," Ustundag said. "It combines writing, web design, social networking, photography, and video editing. All staff members must be fluent users of the Internet and understand how to write for a high school audience without compromising the quality of their language. Once we have enough people checking the site regularly, it could be worked into Intro to Journalism.
"But right now, we're focusing on getting students on our team who are willing to write and build this site."
Check back in the coming weeks for more news, stories, videos, and photos.