ASK Facts 5: Catalyst Analysis

ASK Facts 5: Catalyst Analysis

Since this article is the last edition of ASK Facts for this school year, it is only fitting that it will be about the website on which it is posted. The Catalyst has had a long and complicated history. It has been viewed by many eyes throughout its nine-year lifespan. 

           Every year, new journalists come and go, reporting on community news plus more.  The ASK Academy has changed over the years. One significant change concerns the environment at ASK.  We moved into a new building and continue to expand. So how did it all begin?

It started August 27th, 2013 with the article: “Purchase of New Building Off to a Slippery Start”. This was an article about ASK at its original  location when the school  tried to buy an adjacent building to add a gym and more classroom space. This evolved into the current plans of building a new tower at ASK to increase school enrollment and provide a gym.. 

          Also, in that first year, an article titled  “The Catalyst Goes Live, Brings ASK News to Student Body”  discussed how the Catalyst is important, and why it was brought into existence. The Catalyst originated in a writing class, with the first editor in chief named, Jordan Hines. 

Over time, the Catalyst earned its own elective class, Journalism, and has cycled through many Project Managers. These include Ms. Del Cuerto, Ms. Ebernhardt, and the current one, Ms. Hall. Articles originally focused on ASK and its culture, but as time went on, this changed. An increased number of local and international news articles were published in the following years and continue now. Currently, most articles are news-based, and local  . 

 What are some fun facts about The Catalyst ? The most popular article was  posted on August 26th, 2015 titled , “Scholar: Sadie Hawkins Dance is Blatantly offensive”. This addressed  a controversy that dealt with whether girls should be able to ask boys to a dance. This article became The Catalyst’s most controversial article, with many arguments  continuing  in the comments. 

The most popular tag is “topbox” with a whopping 154 articles under the tag. This is a unique tag; however, made for the topbox on the home page. Most comments on the website are posted under the “Mission Statement” tab. After conducting some research, we determined most of these are scams created by bots searching the web for article websites.

That brings us to the end of the school year and this year’s Catalyst publications. It has been fun writing for the Catalyst, and if a future journalist is reading this, remember to use this website to make ASK a better place. Use it to inspire others. Use it to help others through difficult times. Use it to inform people. 

          Whether this column will continue on is something I do not know. What is known is that the Catalyst is a vital part of ASK, and it will be a part of its history forever. 

By Chandler Crandall, a Highschool Scholar at the ASK Academy.

Works Cited

ASK Catalyst, askcatalyst.net/.

“The Catalyst Goes Live, Brings ASK News to Student Body.” ,Jordan Hines 28 Aug. 2013, askcatalyst.net/2013/08/27/the-catalyst-goes-live-brings-ask-news-to-the-student-body/.

“Purchase of New Building Off to Slippery Start.”Ryley Thompson, 28 Aug. 2013, askcatalyst.net/2013/08/27/41/.“Scholar: Sadie Hawkins Dance Is ‘Blatantly Offensive’.”Rylee Felzien, 26 Aug. 2015, askcatalyst.net/2015/08/26/scholar-sadie-hawkins-dance-is-blatantly-offensive/.