East Aurora High School setting students on the right path

By Jillian LeBlanc 

East Aurora High School continues to send 90 percent of its graduating student body to college. Despite the increasing student loan debt and vocational trainings available, this first ranked Western New York school district challenges students to continue their education.

Alka Moudgil, an English teacher at East Aurora High School, aims to prepare students for a world beyond basic schooling. Teaching juniors and seniors, Moudgil primes her classes to think about the future, whether it involves college, vocational training, or military work.

Until junior year, students live rigid schedules, with few choices. Then they are forced to think outside of the high school walls.

The Aurora Film Academy lays the foundation for creativity

By Jillian LeBlanc 

Chris Cummins and Thomas Kegler teach creativity at East Aurora High School in three classes, under the umbrella of moviemaking.

The Aurora Film Academy (AFA) is a series of three classes, which simultaneously work together to create a tangible product. Devised of a creative writing course, a drama class, and a film/editing workshop, seniors at East Aurora High School mimic the film industry on a smaller scale.

“The Aurora Film Academy is a combination, or should I say, an amalgamation, of three classes that go through the process of making a film. The creative writing portion, for scripting; the dramatic portion for acting and directing; and of course the filming and the film editing portion, for creating the final product,” Cummins said.