The Blue-gate ordeal
*Note: The Following is my Common App Essay which I used to apply to college.
The response to the videos was incredible; they spread at an unprecedented rate. Our website received 1,929 page views that day alone, a far cry from our daily average of 50. We moved one step closer to reaching our goal of improving the cafeteria. We should have felt elated given our level of success, but instead, my two classmates and I felt nervous walking toward our high school principal's office. The worn-out look on her face made it clear that she had not called us in to praise our investigation. Our principal stammered, "Maria has quit her job. She pointed to BLUE-GATE as the reason behind it." As we left her office, a question kept echoing in my head: "Was better food worth someone's job?"
In mid-2017, El 107, our school's student-run publication, released its first issue. Our platform shed light on relevant matters which impacted our school community, quickly becoming the main vehicle for student voice. So everyone wondered when we would tackle the pertinent issue within our school, the cafeteria. We knew the potential risks and uncertainties surrounding this sensitive topic. Regardless, during the latter half of my junior year, two classmates from my Applied Journalism class and I developed BLUE-GATE, a four-episode docuseries with a total runtime of 56 minutes. Our investigation explored concerns regarding our school's outsourced cafeteria, Blue Leaf, notorious for its poor food quality, lack of stock, and steep pricing.
Over the course of three months, we interviewed many people, including Blue Leaf's CEO, our school's superintendent, and, most notably, our school's food nutritionist, Maria. Through BLUE-GATE, we uncovered things about the cafeteria that we never anticipated. Much of the ASFM community, including students, teachers, staff, and parents, rallied behind the cause. We were proving that change was within the realm of possibility, giving people hope. However, less than 24 hours after publishing the first two episodes, we were censored and told this was due to Maria quitting. Though, clearly, there was more to it; the school feared a tainted image with the exposure of this poorly managed cafeteria.
After hearing about Maria, I talked with my Applied Journalism teacher-advisor. We spent the rest of our school day reflecting on what happened. I learned that when inciting a change, one needs to anticipate unexpected consequences and potential outcomes. Maria's quitting made me realize the power of our investigation. It made me empathize with Felix, the CEO of Blue Leaf, who saw the company he built tumble down, and Dr. Adams, who received countless letters from angry ASFM parents demanding he step down as our school's superintendent: all of them, casualties of BLUE-GATE. While this thought initially led me down the paths of guilt, shame, and regret, it soon dawned on me that every transformation will have its casualties. I came to accept that it would be impossible for every decision to please every individual. However, I also understood that if I align my actions with my values, I can be confident in the choices I make. I acknowledged that it was vital for me to own up to my decisions, make the end result worth it, and most importantly: have the outcome be beneficial to the community at large.
A few days after Maria quitting and our videos being taken down, the school announced that Blue Leaf would no longer be the cafeteria provider. Our goal was met. Following the announcement, the school administration presented us with a compromise: to create a single ten-minute video with specific talking points and a list of things we could not mention. We refused to create this new video, as doing so would not be congruent with our values as journalists and members of El 107. I realized that we had fought for more than tastier tacos, we fought for students to raise their voices, and recognize the importance and feasibility of standing against strong, powerful currents.
