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Santa Susana High School

Sharing the Spotlight from an Early Age


Teaching Performing Arts to Children at a Summer Camp

Kellie Elhai
AP Literature Period 2
Mrs. P. Bradley
18 November 2016

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Ever since I was young, I have always had an inward love of theatre. I did not realize my
passion until I entered high school and had the opportunity to channel my passions into
professional-quality productions. The reason I was unable to identify my love of theatre until
then was because I simply didnt know I loved theatre. I had not received a good arts education
growing up, and as a result, I vowed to ensure one for other potential theatre geeks. For my
senior project, I participated in an internship in which I, and thirty-six other incoming seniors in
high school, were selected to run a day camp for children from ages four to eleven. I applied for,
and was selected as, the performing arts specialist. This role provided me with the
responsibilities, and privileges, of planning, preparing, and running hour-long performing arts
workshops for various age groups of children. There were one to three workshops a day, five
days a week. This project produced no tangible result; rather, it planted a seed inside these
kids, one that, for some, would bloom into passion for theatre as they grow up. For others, these
workshops will draw them out of their shells and give them confidence and creativity that they
didnt know they had. Having already been participating in theatre for years, I had a solid
foundation of knowledge about this topic. I have also been performing comedy in an
improvisational acting troupe since ninth grade, which lends me the out-of-the-box thinking tools
and fun ice breakers I needed to compose activities that even a four year-old would enjoy. I also
have experience working with children, as I was a counselor in a different, week-long summer
camp for multiple years before then, and a mentor for struggling middle school students. As a
result, I knew how to create a fun, yet educational environment for children of different ages.
This project was a learning stretch, as I have only been a counselor or a short amount of time,
and have never focused on performing arts for activities. I had to constantly plan different
activities, as there were workshops every day, and I was really required to think far outside of
the box in order to keep coming up with games that were fresh, educational, and still held the
kids attention. Working with the same children for eight weeks would allow me to form deep
bonds that would last a lifetime, but any issues we had with a camper had to be dealt with, as

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opposed to just waiting it out until camp was over. We also had a blind camper that attended all
summer long, and none of the counselors had ever dealt with something like that before. This
was one of the most difficult learning stretches I had to meet for my project. Performing a wide
range of research on the topics of working with difficult children, planning and executing
activities, and properly communicating with both peers and kids would have allowed me to meet
and exceed the challenges presented to me in my senior project.
Teaching the arts from a young age helps the childs development not just during
adolescence, but during adulthood as well. According to an AHAA study, a 20% decrease in the
chances that a child would ever be suspended from their school had a significant association
with each additional year of arts education (Elpus). This may be because arts classes gave
students a class that they genuinely enjoy, a subject that they look forward to learning about
each day. A suspension would only push them away from that class and pull them out of their
theatre production, music seminar, dance recital, or whatever activity they were going to show
off their hard work in. Their arts class gives them motivation to stay on the straight and narrow;
as research shows, students of dance are 47% less likely to have used marijuana in childhood
years than students that did not study dance (Elpus). Besides childhood, arts education also
helps the journey into adulthood. The AHAA study found that arts students were considerably
more optimistic about their futures in college than those students that did not study any form of
art, and that their vocabulary was also wider.
According to EMU graduate Mandie Moore, drama is a natural, innate form of learning
for children (Moore). Growing up, kids play the classic games of hopscotch, handball, jump
rope, and pretend. They pretend to be doctors saving lives, chefs preparing a gourmet meal, or
even sports stars scoring the winning goal. Children are constantly using their imaginations and
creativity to step into the shoes of someone else-that is the very definition of drama (Moore).
That creative thinking can be harnessed and used in the classroom, not necessarily only for arts
classes. In a history class, children can be divided into groups and given instructions to create

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skits featuring famous historical figures, or act out the short story they just finished reading in
English class. Especially with students that have trouble learning through lecture or other
traditional means, integrating drama into the classroom helps them learn much more
effectively, and they will retain that information longer and more accurately (Moore). One way
that drama in the classroom helps students learn a different subject is through drama therapy.
Sally Bailey, a registered drama therapist, spends her days working with former drug addicts,
current inmates, and the disabled to assist them in becoming more comfortable and responsible
with themselves (May). Bailey uses a variety of techniques, including improvisation, puppets,
and short plays to teach those she works self-esteem, determination to follow through on a
project, and socialization skills.
When setting foot into the actual education setting, it is important to know how to set up
a series of rules that the pupils will respect and follow throughout the teaching period. Creating
a classroom culture that enforces these rules, as well as allowing the students themselves to
compose a list of behavioral expectations they should follow, further instills these values into
their minds, both consciously and subconsciously (Gatens). Collaborating with colleagues to set
up these same standards wherever the children go will also keep them consistently behaved,
knowing what punishments to expect if they misbehave and how to act wherever they go.
Getting the parents and outside community involved in the childs education is also a great way
to enforce these expectations, as they will have to adhere to them in their learning environment,
as well as at home. Giving the students, as well as the parents, ownership in their learning-that
is, allowing them both to have a say in the rules that shape the learning experience- would both
make the children feel more obligated to follow the standards set forth, as they came up with
them, and give the parents a much sunnier disposition towards the school, as well as increase
the probability that they would be willing to volunteer their time, money, and efforts to the school
(Willis, Wright). However, too much parent involvement can repel the students and make them
feel suffocated within their own classroom. A balance must be struck between the two.

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In any classroom or outside educational setting, trouble students will be encountered.
Whether these students are a distraction to others, unwilling to participate, or simply dont pay
attention to the curriculum, each requires a slightly different approach, depending on the
specifics of the situation. There are also the hesitant students, those who are too shy to
participate thoroughly, as interested as they be in the topic of conversation. In this case, they
might not even be shy at all; there may be other factors influencing their behavior that have
nothing to do with the school environment whatsoever. When this occurs, the teacher must
always be open and never force them into the spotlight without seeing whats really going on
first (Gatens). If the student is too uncomfortable to speak up, coming up with an alternative way
for them to showcase their knowledge of the material, such as through a written report or art
project. This allows them to individually express themselves, while still ensuring that they
understand what is occurring in class, and that the reason for their silence is not a lack of
comprehension (Gatens). Of course, creating a safe environment and building up to their feeling
comfortable openly participating in class is always a goal.
Working with blind, partially blind, or visually impaired students is always a definite
possibility. When faced with one such student, independence is always something to strive
towards. Some ways to ensure that a blind student becomes more independent and able to do
things by themselves is establishing and following a set routine, allowing them to choose what
they wish to do by offering up some choices, and making activities more physical and talkingbased as opposed to eyesight-based (Brown). Giving them items that have an assortment of
unique and different textures will provide entertainment for them and allow them to build upon
their motor skills and hand coordination. When going through specific motions, they can be
guided through the actions first a few times, then encouraged as they attempt to perform the
actions by themselves. The teacher must be cautious not to give the blind child too much
attention, especially when they have students with full vision capabilities in the class, as some
may become resentful and jealous of the unequal division of attention (Brown). It is of the

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utmost importance to always remember that the blind are people, too, and are capable of
incredible things if they are determined and have the right support system.
Teaching and coming up with new lesson plans on a daily basis requires out-ofthe-box thinking. Some may find mental roadblocks when attempting to create these lesson
plans, but there are several methods that can open the mind and allow creativity to flow.
Different methods may find varying levels of success with each person, but getting active,
listening to poetry or calm music, or getting the boring, small preparations out of the way before
sitting down to plan provides the calmness needed for the freedom of mind (Ruesink). When the
lesson is all planned and prepared for, the execution may sometimes be rough, especially when
working with children. Shortness of attention spans are a common issue encountered when
teaching, and it continues to become a more prominent problem in the current day and age
(Paxton, Shoemake). Specific methods and techniques can be integrated into the lesson plan,
or even stand alone as its own lesson, that may help to increase a childs attention span and
benefit them immensely in the long-term. First of all, an activity must catch their interest. This
can be done easily and effectively with a short skit, joke, or game, so that the children are and
remain interested in completing the planned activity. Throughout the lesson, having a
continuous project that can only be completed by paying attention to the lesson will help the kids
focus, since they have motivation. For example, giving students a Bingo grid with names while
discussing famous presidents would excite them, allowing them to simultaneously have fun and
learn historical terms (Paxton, Shoemake). However, teacher must ensure that the lessons they
plan include everyone, and make sense to all levels of understanding within the class, yet still
provide an adequate challenge. A prepared educator should have back-up assignments ready
for those students who work quickly, and other, simpler assignments prepared for those who are
unable to complete the given work (Wood).
Although my senior project was already completed over the course of the
summer, the research I conducted helped me gain a better understanding of my topic, and, if

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given the chance, I would be able to repeat the project with added elements and improvements.
The most prominent learning stretch for me over the summer was figuring out how to best
interact with our blind camper. According to Carla Brown from the Texas School for the Blind
and Visually Impaired, setting up and sticking to a definite routine each day allows a blind child
to feel more comfortable and independent in their environment, knowing what will happen from
day to day. We did have a weekly schedule; however, Ive always enjoyed being spontaneous
and offering up surprises for those around me. I was unaware that those surprise activities,
those deviations from the schedule, might have been doing more harm than good.
Performing arts requires confidence. It takes a lot of courage in order to voluntarily put
oneself in the spotlight in front of ones peers. If a child is uncomfortable in that limelight, its
unwise to force them into it; rather, devising an alternate way for that child to showcase their
skills would be another path that they might be willing to try (Gatens). During the daily
workshops, especially with the younger children, there were several kids that were too shy to go
up on stage and perform individually. As much as I attempted to accommodate this and work
towards their comfort, the majority of my activity plans counted upon participation. This may be
why some of them fell flat. Had I known what I know now at the beginning of my project, I would
have been able to plan activities that everyone felt comfortable participating in, especially during
the first couple weeks. These first weeks were difficult for everyone, as the campers were just
getting used to their environments and were still uncomfortable around both their counselors
and fellow campers. Learning about creating a safe space for each and every child would have
allowed me to do just that.
Setting up ground rules at the beginning of the school year, and instilling them into the
classroom culture, will help students behave properly throughout the year (Gatens). Although I
did not teach in the traditional classroom setting, I do believe that establishing a set of behavior
expectations to follow definitely would have helped keep the campers under control throughout
the summer. There were days, especially with the youngest kids, in which the entire group was

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either bouncing off of the walls with energy or dragging their feet from weariness. In both cases,
the campers ignored the activity I was executing. Further research that could be conducted that
would have helped even more could revolve around setting up these ground rules with different
age groups. Establishing rules with four year-olds is extremely different from establishing them
with eleven year-olds.
The research I conducted also communicated the importance and positive effects of an
arts education. In the long run, children who were active in the arts performed better both
academically and socially (Elpus). This information, although it would not have altered my
execution of my project had I known this at the beginning, makes it all the more worthwhile now
that it is completed. Reading about how experiencing the arts from a young age improves the
quality of life for the majority of participants gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. The knowledge that
I was able to make a meaningful contribution to dozens of childrens summers, and provide
them with memories and experiences that they will never forget, is priceless. I could have done
a project that impacted only me and a few others, but instead, I was able to change kids lives
and aid them in finding their passion for theatre and other expressive arts. If I could re-do my
project, there are definitely changes I would make, but I would never never the project itself, as
it allowed me to make a tangible difference in my community.

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Works Cited
Brown, Carla. "General Considerations in Working with Young Children with Visual
Impairments."
Texas Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired Website. Texas Institute for the Blind
and Visually Impaired, nd. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
Elpus, Kenneth. "Arts Education and Positive Youth Development." 53.1 (n.d.): n. pag. Art
Works.
University of Maryland, nd. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Gatens, Brian P. "Strategies for Teachers Working with Hesitant Students."Concordia Portland
Online. Concordia University, 2 Oct. 2014. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Gatens, Brian P. "5 Guidelines for Creating and Enforcing Effective Classroom Ground Rules."
Concordia Portland Online. Concordia University, 20 July 2016. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
May, Cheryl. "Drama Therapy Helpful to All Ages." K-State Online. Kansas State University,
2004. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Moore, Mandie M. "Using Drama as an Effective Method to Teach Elementary Students." EMU
Digital Commons. Eastern Michigan University, 2004. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.

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Paxton, Jackie, and Teresa Shoemake. "Fun Ways to Increase Children's Attention Span."
SpringerReference (n.d.): n. pag. Arkansas Tech University Online. Arkansas Tech
University, 2007. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Ruesink, Megan. "20 Brainstorming Activities to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing." Rasmussen
College Online. Rasmussen College, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.
Wright, Kay, and Susan Willis. "Engaging middle school parents, students, and teachers in a
learning community: a case in point." Childhood Education 80.2 (2003): 54+.
Professional Collection. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
Wood, John P. "Classroom Strategies and Techniques from the Experiences of Veteran Art
Educators." Scholarworks at Georgia State University. Georgia State University, 14 July
2008. Web. 9 Sept. 2016.

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Annotated Bibliography
Brown, Carla. General Considerations in Working with Young Children with Visual
Impairments. http://www.tsbvi.edu/program-and-administrative-resources/3270-generalconsiderations-in-working-with-young-children-with-visual-impairments. Texas School for
the Blind and Visually Impaired. Web. September 9, 2016.
This online article states the importance of including and actively engaging children with
visual impairments, especially when working with children without. This can be done by
editing activities or playing social games that are based on words. Incorporating touch
into a game may also help them, as in an art project. However, they must not be
underestimated- they can perform a variety of actions, if they have someone to walk
them through it.
The author, Carla Brown, is a Program Specialist at the Texas School for the Blind and
Visually Impaired. The school itself is the sponsor for the article, and as it is a specialty
educational facility for the topic it is addressing, it is a reliable source to use. The
information contained within the article is a healthy mix of facts and opinions, as it does
mostly come from experience and general expertise on the subject field. The article does
not have a date on it, but none of the sources are more recent than 2000, so it may be
fairly old. However, working with visually impaired children is a topic that does not need
recent input, as it has been dealt with for centuries. The piece is nicely thorough, and
presents helpful, experienced input on working with blind children.

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Elpus, Kenneth. Arts Education and Positive Youth Development:
Cognitive, Behavioral, and Social Outcomes of Adolescents who Study the Arts.
https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/Research-Art-Works-Maryland.pdf. Arts.gov. Web.
September 9, 2016.
This article documents a study that was performed to show the overall positive impact on
children who receive an arts education versus those that dont. The statistics were
gathered and displayed accordingly in this article to prove the authors point: cognitively,
behaviorally, and socially, children are better equipped for life if they study the arts.
The author of this study, Kenneth Elpus, is an assistant professor of music at the
University of Maryland. The fact that this is on a government website and was funded by
several different grants makes me feel that this is a reliable source. The wealth of
statistics provides plenty of factual research to use. There isnt a publishing date, so Im
not sure how long ago this article was published, but many of the sources are recent.
Gatens, Brian. Strategies for Teachers Working with Hesitant Students.
http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/principals-office/working-with-the-hesitant-student/.
Concordia University, October 2, 2014. Web. September 9, 2016.
This article discusses the reasons behind hesitant students, and why its important to
work to help them overcome the shyness. Without this help, the student will never break
out of their shells and have a hard time going into the real world. However, with time,
patience, persistence, and a variety of non-targeting methods, a teacher can create a
safe space where a student can feel comfortable.
The author of the article, Brian Gatens, is the superintendent of schools for the Emerson
School District in New Jersey and has been working within the education system for over
two decades. His column on the Concordia University website, From the Principals
Office, is sponsored by the University, which makes it a fairly credible source. The
article does not contain much research; rather, its the author speaking from experience

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and offering relevant advice. It was published somewhat recently, in 2014, and is up-todate and thorough on the subject it is addressing.
Gatens, Brian. 5 Guidelines for Creating and Enforcing Effective Classroom Ground Rules.
http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/principals-office/creating-enforcing-classroomground-rules/. Concordia University, June 20, 2016. Web. September 9, 2016.
Gatens article claims that all classrooms and classroom settings need established
behavioral expectations that are reinforced throughout the year. This can be done in
several ways, some of which include getting parents involved, being firm and consistent,
and collaborating with colleagues. Doing these and keeping up the ground rules will
encourage the students to meet the basic expectations you are setting forth.
The author of the article, Brian Gatens, is the superintendent of schools for the Emerson
School District in New Jersey and has been working within the education system for over
two decades. His column on the Concordia University website, From the Principals
Office, is sponsored by the University, which makes it a fairly credible source. The
article does not contain much research; rather, its the author speaking from experience
and offering relevant advice. It was published very recently-this year, in fact, and is very
thorough on the subject that it aims to address.
May, Cheryl. Drama Therapy Helpful to All Ages.
https://www.k-state.edu/media/webzine/0301/dramatherapy.html. Kansas State
University, 2004. Web. September 9, 2016.
This article discusses the somewhat new topic of drama therapy and its healing effects
to people of all ages. It follows the story of college professor Sally Bailey, who previously
helped recovering addicts speed the process along with drama therapy. Through
puppetry, improvisation, and other basic yet fun acting techniques, Bailey helped her
students regain their former lives.

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The author of this article, May Cheryl, is a professor for Kansas State Universitys
Department of English. The publisher is, therefore, the University of Kansas, which is a
credible source, as the website ends in .edu. The article seems more factual than
opinionated, as Cheryl is reporting the accomplishments of another person. Although it
was published over ten years ago in 2004, it is still relevant for my research subject, as
theatre is timeless and has existed, fairly unchanged, since ancient times. It is fairly
thorough with the interviews conducted, although perhaps more people could have been
interviewed, and it does appear well-researched.
Moore, Mandie. Using Drama as an Effective Method to Teach Elementary Students.
http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1112&context=honors. Eastern
Michigan University, 2004. Web. September 9, 2016.
This article argues that drama is one of the most effective methods to teach elementary
school students, whether theyre learning performing arts or math. This technique of
teaching gets the students on their feet, actively participating in the lesson and
collaborating with their classmates. Research shows that using drama in the classroom
as a teaching medium communicates information more effectively and helps growth
within the students. For example, in a history lesson, the students could be divided into
several groups and each could present a skit on a famous world leader.
This article was the authors, Mandie Moores, senior honor thesis when working towards
her degree in teacher education at the sponsoring school, Eastern Michigan University.
They are a credible source, and the fact that this thesis was chosen as an honors thesis
lends some more credibility to it. Its saturated with facts and statistics, as well as
opinion, as the author is trying to prove a point. It was published in 2004, which means
that it is over 10 years old. It is still relevant; however, I should definitely look for more
recent statistics, as the numbers could have changed since then. Other than that, the
thesis is incredibly thorough and well-researched.

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Paxton, Jackie and Shoemake, Teresa. Fun Ways to Increase Childrens
Attention Span.
https://www.atu.edu/research/ProfessionalDevelopmentGrants/0607/JackiePaxton/Final_Report-Fun_Ways_to_Increase_Children_s_Attention_Span.pdf.
Arkansas Tech University, 2007. Web. September 25, 2016.
This article states that short attention spans are an issue in todays youth, especially with
the increase of diagnoses of ADD. Although medications and therapy are often
prescribed, there are methods and specific activities that can be used to hold and keep
their attention for extended periods of time, and this article explores those techniques.
Giving them a creativity-based project to work on, a small job, or a responsibility can
held extend how long they are able to focus on tasks.
The two authors, Paxton and Shoemake, are the Associate Professor of Education at
Arkansas Tech University and an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher at an
elementary school, respectively. Paxton has received a Ed. D, and Shoemake has a
variety of experience when it comes to disabled and abled children. They are both
sponsored by Arkansas Tech University, a credible source. The article seems more
factual than opinionated, as it the results of a research project. The article was published
in 2007, but it is not out-of-date for my subject-it is still relevant and helpful. The article is
very well-researched and thorough, and since it was sponsored by a grant, we are led to
believe that they were able to conduct more intense research.
Ruesink, Megan. 20 Brainstorming Activities to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing.
http://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/design/blog/brainstorming-ideas-to-get-creative/.
Rasmussen College, September 21, 2015. Web. September 24, 2016.
This article offers brainstorming exercises for the creativity burnout all artists inevitably
suffer every once in awhile when they hit a roadblock. It offers some simple
activities to engage in, such as performing a mindless task or listening to poetry. This

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can be important, especially when people such as myself are brainstorming activities
every day for eight weeks straight. Running out of ideas is inevitable.
The author of this article, Megan Ruesink, is a writer who writes on behalf of Rasmussen
College, the sponsor, so we know that its a credible source. The article is definitely
much more opinionated than factual, as she is writing what has worked in her
experiences, but it may not work for everyone. It was published just last year, so the
outdatedness of the information is not impactful. The article appears to be fairly thorough
and as well-researched as it can be, when the author is offering advice from her own
personal experience.
Willis, Susan and Wright, Karen. Engaging middle school parents, students, and teachers in a
learning community: a case in point. http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?
tabID=T002&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&searchType
=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=4&docId=GALE
%7CA112165885&docType=Article&sort=RELEVANCE&contentSegment=&prodId=PPR
F&contentSet=GALE
%7CA112165885&searchId=R3&userGroupName=santa&inPS=true&u=santa&authCou
nt=2. Childhood Education, 2003. Web. September 9, 2016.
This article emphasizes the importance of involving everyone in a learning communitythe children, the parents, and the community. It argues that no one knows the children
better than the parents, and to take advantage of that fact. This can be done in several
ways, as well as bringing in the community. For example, having a class work on a
project that benefits their community would teach them important values.
The authors of this article, Willis and Wright, have both written several articles on various
subjects. The article is published by the Association for Childhood Education
International, and since its within a reliable database, it is reliable, as well. The article
does have a small bias, from the teachers perspective, but they do address the

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students concerns about having their parents involved in their school. Although definitely
thorough, the article was published thirteen years ago, in 2003. The information is still
relevant, but I will need to be a tad careful when deciding which facts to use, as some
may be out of date.
Wood, John. Classroom Strategies and Techniques from the Experiences of Veteran Arts
Educators. http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1028&context=art_design_theses. Georgia State University, July 14, 2008. Web.
September 9, 2016.
This thesis by John Wood explores the trials and tribulations faced by all arts educators
at one time or another in their careers and how to overcome these obstacles. For
example, working with a child that is against participating and is spreading negative
energy to the rest of the group is a challenge. The thoughts and insights from educators
that have dealt with these issues are an invaluable resource.
The author, John Wood, is a student, as this is his student thesis. However, we can
assume that it is reliable and well-written since it is featured on the website of the
sponsoring school, Georgia State University. The article is mostly opinionated and bias,
but since there are several different viewpoints gathered, we are able to view a range of
perspectives. It was published about 8 years ago, so the information and advice offered
is still fairly relevant. It is definitely very thorough and well-researched.

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