Column Assignment

Tibbetts Tidbits

Bring the Computers Back Out

The College Football Selection Committee has come out with their second end of the year ranking of the top four teams in college football. After studying the 128 teams in the FBS, the 12 committee members decided on Clemson, Alabama, Michigan State, and Florida in a much less controversial decision than in their inaugural year.

I still question the committee's system, though. I like the expansion of the playoffs to four teams, but it I dislike how the four teams are being chosen. I believe that the computers used to create the BCS rankings were more accurate in ranking the most deserving teams. I would rather go back to having the computers determine the top teams in the country.

Pro sports have it easy when it comes to deciding who makes the playoffs. They decide how many teams will make it, and then the teams with the best record move on. No thinking, no controversy, no struggle. College sports, however, can not do this. The strength of schedule that the teams have vary so much that with conferences and choosing your own non-conference schedule, it would be unfair to to just take the team with the best record. That is why every legitimate college football ranking takes into account strength of schedule as well as record. And that is where it should stop.

But, the selection committee decides to keep going with new factors. Like later results counting more than earlier results, conference champions, game control, head to head, results between common opponents, and (the worst one of all) the eye test. Has any American sport up until this point cared how good you looked in your loss! It sounds like something your mom would say to you after a game. 'That was a tough one buddy. But, at least you kept the game and close and you looked really good out there.' Instead of coming up with a ranking they can't explain, the committee should keep it simple. Use only the two factors that actually matter. Everything else is just a tiebreaker. The committee's rankings would be more accurate if they didn't even watch the games. If they just saw Notre Dame's (ranked 8th) 10-2 record with a best win against Navy, would they really put them 8 spots ahead of Oklahoma State (ranked 16) who has a 10-2 record with a win over TCU?

The committee says they are doing their best to find the best teams. I am sure they are. They also say that these factors, like the eye test, are needed to reach this goal of finding the best teams. I agree with that too. However, I disagree that the committee should be trying to find the best teams. Instead, they should be finding the most deserving teams.

Finding the best teams goes against everything we love about sports. There are no underdogs, no importance in comebacks. It replaces wins and losses with point differential. Teams would run up the score to show their dominance. Worse teams would be glad about close losses, and better teams would get punished for winning by less than they should have. A touchdown at 21-0 would mean the same as a touchdown at 6-7. By this method the Heat would have won 4 championships with LeBron James, and the Patriots would have been wining almost every super-bowl in the last decade and a half. Of course, this is if we went completely by the best teams idea. Luckily, even the committee doesn't do that.

Finding the most deserving team, though, is about winning games. At the start of the season, Temple and Alabama are at the same level. Underdogs would have a chance. Teams that do well under pressure wouldn't be thought of as lucky. Performance on the field would be more important the talent. That early loss would be just as bad as that late loss. Last year TCU gets in over Baylor and Ohio State. This year Oklahoma is playing Alabama and Michigan State is playing Clemson.

I bet many computers out there would agree with me there. But some people don't like computers deciding things. They like other, imperfect people making the decision about who the top four should be. They like to blame someone when their team doesn't get in. They don't like formulas that they don't understand deciding the fate of who they will watch on New Year's Eve. I would be fine, also, for a committee to decide the top four teams based off only record and strength of schedule. But only if they are completely unbiased, don't care at all about how the teams look, and don't think about how well the teams will do in the future, but only what they have done so far. I don't think any person in the world, even I, would be able to do that. That is why the computer is our best bet on finding those most deserving four teams. Something like ESPN's strength of record (SOR) ratings.

Although the selection committee got their way through a pretty uncontroversial 2015 college football year, their rankings still looked a little off. Especially from #5 Iowa to #16 Oklahoma state. The selection committee is improving, but it will never be perfect. Now a computer with a formula based on only record and schedule, then we're getting somewhere.

Current Events 3.2

1. The measure adds new screenings for refugees from Syria. It is popular because of fear after the Paris attacks. The next step for the bill is the senate. Obama will veto the bill. They feel the bill would undermine American leadership in Syria. They feel the refugees don't pose much of a threat.

2. The decision will ease regulations for building garage apartments. The decision will make less expensive housing and a way to provide supplemental income. She said garage apartments could override neighborhood plans. They said it is the only way some people can afford t live in Austin. I think it is a good idea.

3. District 10

4. They approved modified salmon. They said safety studies were not adequate and wild salmon might be affected if the modified salmon escaped into oceans and rivers. The decision took long because it was the first approval of a modified animal. The chief executive said he was delighted and surprised. GMO's are gaining popularity.

5. Zimmerman proposed a resolution stopping Austin's government from spending money to help Syrian refugees stay in Austin or otherwise assisting them. They said we should support the refugees. 1,225 refuges came to Travis County in 2013. Sid Miller compared Syrian refugees to rattlesnakes in a post including a picture of snakes and a picture of a mass of refugees. Democrats accused him of fanning "the flames of fear and xenophobia."

6. Raphael Holiday was convicted of killing three kids. Texas has executed 13 convicted killers. The other 49 states have executed 13. He thought it should be appealed because Holiday's attorneys abandoned him. The conviction and some trial testimony were improper. The Texas attorney general's office overturned each appeal.

7-1. Campus carry laws - I don't think guns should be allowed at U.T. I just don't see any need to have one. It can only hurt to have them.
2. 86% of students who fail 2 exams graduate with new law - I think that number is to high. People need to step in and keep these kids from going downhill.
3. Do presidential debates matter - In the end, I don't think they affect who wins. But, I think it is important for the viewers to see what the candidates have to say, and it might change a few opinions. As long as people enjoy watching them, they can provide some entertainment.

Column Questions

1. He shot a police officer.
2. He said he didn't do it.
3. In October 2005.
4. May 14, 2014.
5. He was in his girlfriend's apartment.
6. He didn't have any phone records from when he said he called his girlfriend.
7. The records were found.
8. A document that shows one of the prosecutors had requested the records.
9. They haven't responded.
10. She asks the appeals court to hurry up.
11. I think they will have a new trial, but the decision won't be changed.
12. The writer says the facts first, then in the last paragraph she shows her opinion. Lots of op-ed columns have facts first and opinions second.

Editiorial Questions

1. The lead describes a typical restaurant dishwasher. It shows how the restaurant workers are treating unfairly.

2. The restaurant industry exploding and the income gap widening.

3. She dismisses the argument that the low wages represent a market-driven distribution of labor by saying waiters make poverty wages, go to public aid, and make Americans subsidize the restaurant industry.

4. She said that after higher wages in California, the number of restaurant jobs is supposed to increase by 9.1 percent.

5. She says that restaurant workers make up 10% of the workforce, and a disproportionate number of low-wage workers.

6. Customers should argue for more rights for workers. Lawmakers should reject the demands of the National Restaurant Association.

7. They made the "tipped minimum wage", which allows restaurants to pay workers $2.63 thinking they will get at least $8 per hour from tips.

8.They blame low wages and poor conditions on slim profit margins.

9.She says raising wages everywhere won't change the competition.

10. They don't get paid enough with just one job.

11. He was mistreated in his restaurant job so it provides the view of someone who has been in that position.

12. Restaurants are involved in wage theft.

13. Massachusetts' restaurants owed $1.7 million to workers because of wage theft.

14. She says the mayor should streamline the permitting process and help stop wage theft.

15. She shows a way to help restaurant workers and convinces the reader it will work. I think it is effective. It isn't like other conclusions I have written.

Current Event Quiz 3.1

1. Abortion restrictions might be reviewed. We will know if they will be reviewed by Monday morning. Some think it should be reviewed because it makes it hard for women to get to clinics. The Texas Attorney General says it shouldn't be reviewed because the law was to improve medical care for women wanting abortions.

2. Charles Kleinert was shielded from the charges. The judge cited a federal precedent from 125 years ago that gives broad legal protection to officers who use deadly force. The Supremacy Clause says the Constitution is the primary law of the land. This case could set an example for future cases involving the same thing.

3. Washington is doing more sightseeing and cultural prep than U.T. for the game in China. The game will be the first regular season intercolegiate game between two U.S.-based teams played in China. This is involved in a trend to have games played internationaly. Shaka Smart is concerned about missing classes, eating habits, overall strength level, missing the first days recruits can sign leters of intent, and only Pac-12 officials officiating.

4. Many voters voted for the first time on Sunday in Myanmar. Many people crowded inside buildings to vote before it started raining and the voting ended peacefully. Voting counting began in while hundreds of people gathered under umbrellas to see the results, until they were told the results wouldn't be available that day. The main fight is between the National League for Democracy and the rulling Union Solidarity Develpment Party. The NLD is expected to win which will bring Democracy to the country for the first time in over 5 decades.

5. The Pope deemed the leak of document a crime. The action made the discoveries of mismanagement and alleged greed, and an iternal struggle inside the Vatican possible. The Pope is upset beacuse the documents got out.

6. Sanctuary cities are cities that don't detain immigrants for minor offenses. One opinion is that there shouldn't be sanctuary cities, and one says they are okay. The no sanctuary city author said every crime commitied by an illegal immigrant was preventable. The pro sanctuary city author said cities don't have the room to detain immigrants for minor offenses. The first comic says sanctuary cities are like inviting criminals to come. The second one says Greg Abbott is making a big deal about it for political reasons only. I think cities should treat immigrants like normal citizens when it comes to crime.

This page has two of the staff's contrasting opinions on one page. I like this because it shows conflict between the co-workers.

Bring Home the Bacon

1. They found processed meat raises the risk of colon cancer.
2. Environmental groups want warning labels on meat.
3. It means it is carcinogenic, but he said that doesn't mean it is as dangerous as some other things in Group 1.
4. It shows that many people won't care about its risks.
5. I think his opinion is that there really isn't that much risk. He has the diner ignore the other guys warning.
6. I only eat processed meat every once in a while. The report won't change what I eat as long as my sister doesn't hear about it.

Curent Event Quiz 2.2

1. The fire could be a farm accident or an intentional violation of the burn ban. At 10:30, displaced residents were allowed to return to their properties. 64 homes were destroyed, 4,600 acres burned, and hundreds of millions of dollars will be lost for damage costs. The interviews gave more feeling to the story because you hear from people who were hurt by the fires.

2. Math and social studies textbooks are digital. These are cheaper and will help students with their computer-dependent futures. The Robertson family had trouble using it, so they bought a geometry textbook. Mellisa Prepster said there is more content she can get out of the digital textbooks. The Eanes and Leander districts made devices available to each student. I don't like the online textbooks because it has been hard for me to use. I think it would be a good story for The Shield.

3. Justin Trudeau was elected for Prime Minister. This will bring a Liberal into power unlike the conservative people before him. Canada will be a more compassionate and constructive voice.

4. Alan Guckian is up for the 2016 Music Educator Award for bringing his band program back after almost being closed by the state. He is a semifinalist, one out of 25. If he wins, he will put the award on a mantle next to his wife's Oscar.

5. Shaka Smart is trying to get the players to play as a team. To do this, he is trying to make the game more fun.

Final Draft Journalism Assignment

    Most sports fans in Austin have found themselves in the difficult position of choosing where their loyalty lies: Houston or Dallas. An Austin option, even though it would be welcomed, has never seemed like a real possibility.
    Austin is the largest city in the United States without a major professional sports team, and that will not change in the foreseeable future. According to Lance Aldridge, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission, no talk of expanding or relocating to Austin has been made within the major four leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL).

    The continuous growth in Austin the past years is a good sign for future teams coming here, but the effects of our growth won’t kick in until further down the road. “While we are now the 11th largest city in the country, so much of our growth has been so recent,” Aldridge said. “This means we’ve missed out on larger growth opportunities for most leagues.”

    One growth opportunity that Austin hasn’t missed out on, though, is Major League Soccer (MLS). “There is a lot of talk behind the scenes regarding a MLS franchise launching here in town,” Aldridge said. “This will only happen if we first are able to build a new multi-purpose facility to accommodate a potential team. This facility would need to seat a minimum of 18,000 and will also be used for high school football and several other sports.”
    A current soccer team in Austin is the Austin Aztex, a member of the United Soccer League, a less popular league than the MLS. In a USL News Release on October 2, 2015, the USL announced that the Austin Aztex have gained permission to skip the 2016 season because they don’t have a stadium that meets the USL’s standards. The flooding of House Park, the Aztex’s old stadium, has slowed the team’s search for a new location. The development of a new stadium will take place in 2016 and the Aztex are expected to return in 2017. How the city goes about finding a new stadium may affect whether or not an MLS team in Austin will happen. If a new stadium is built, and it follows the MLS protocol as well as the USL’s, Austin would be a step closer to hosting a MLS team. So while Austin most likely won’t be one of the teams in the ‘24 by 2020’ goal the MLS has set, it could be a viable option for further expansion of the MLS.

    Other reasons why Austin appears to be out of the picture for a major professional sports team are because of proximity to other sports franchises and UT. Since DFW, which has a team in all of the four major leagues, Houston, which has a team in three, and San Antonio, home of the Spurs, are all so close to Austin, supporting a team would be difficult. UT gives another problem for any pro sports thinking about Austin. “We have also been fortunate to have the largest and arguably most successful collegiate program in the country,” Aldridge said. “Therefore we’ve been labeled as a college town for better or worse.”

    So, for now, fans in Austin will still be wearing Cowboys or Texans jerseys. But there are still many other sporting events in Austin people may be interested in. In addition to UT athletics, Austin is home to some minor professional teams. The Texas Stars, the Austin Spurs, and the Round Rock Express, are all minor league teams. The Austin Aztex, and the Austin Aces, a team in World Team Tennis, a league where tennis players play in a team format, are a couple of teams in less popular leagues. Austin is also a home to auto racing and the X-games is big for many in Austin. “There’s a big community of people that do that stuff,” said Trent Huffaker about the X-games. A freshman at McCallum, Huffaker said he likes seeing the X-games in Austin rather than a major professional sport.

    Despite there not being a MLB, NFL, NBA, or NHL team in Austin, we still have many sporting events the people of Austin can enjoy. Lance Aldridge agrees. “While I wish we were fortunate enough to have a pro franchise, we all need to be proud of what we have as the Round Rock Express are arguably the most successful MLB franchise in the country and the Austin Spurs are very successful as well!”

Current Event Quiz 2.1

1. The perk is that members of the parks and recreation board get two VIP passes for one weekend of ACL. Tom Donovan received the passes and the Austin Parks Foundation is defending this by saying it is for work purposes. Rick Cofer and Don Zimmerman declined to use the passes because they felt uncomfortable about doing it. Sabine Romero said it was okay for them to accept the tickets in an email. Ann Kitchen used the passes and Ora Houston gave them away. I don't see a problem with giving the members passes. If they want to go they should be allowed to because it might help them in their jobs, but if they don't, they shouldn't be allowed to give them away.

2. Oklahoma implemented a stay of all death-penalty executions because the wrong drug had been sent to the execution. Texas is trading drugs used in executions, and in Montana a judge has stopped all executions. Midazolam is a sedative that is used, but it is now considered to be unreliable. Without midazolam, it is harder to carry out executions.

3. Benjamin Netanyahu has barred ministers from visiting a holy site. He told police to stop members of  parliament from going to the holy site. He hopes this will stop violence and unrest. Members of Parliament didn't listen to the decision. Muhanad Halabi, a law student at Al Quds University was killed after killing two Orthodox men in Old City.

4. Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel Prize for Literature yesterday. She is famous for works about female Russian Soldiers in World War 2 and the Chernobyl disaster. This is a rarity because her work is mainly non-fiction. She blends literature and journalism. She looks to the future thinking she has much more work ahead of her.

5. Professor Emertius Daniel S. Hamermesh has decided to stop teaching at U.T. next fall. The Statesman reporter found out about this when the Daily Texan got a copy of a letter sent to the U.T. president. Hamermesh is the first professor to have decided to leave because of the concealed carry law. He also quit because he has opportunities to work elsewhere.

Free-Response - Reigning After Delay:
The Astros beat the Royals 5-2 in the opening game of their AL Division Series. Colin McHugh only allowed four hits in six innings and the relievers didn't give up a run.

The extra sections are different because it goes in-depth on not as important matters. The Statesman is including them in the electronic edition because the paper is limited in how much is included. I think it makes the paper better because lots of people care about the content in the extra section or find it interesting. I think it makes the electronic edition better.

Observation Assignment

The scoreboard at Nelson Field is counting down the last few minutes before the start of the second half. The McCallum band finishes up their half-time performance. The band is made up of many people, moving around the football field on the same beat while playing their music with a big sound. McCallum also has their blue brigade and color guard with their big flags out on the field. They finish the performance and walk off the field with to all the parents in the stands clapping. Up next is Lanier's band. They walk onto the field and right away you can see a difference between the two bands, even before a single note is played. Compared to McCallum, Lanier's band is tiny. They probably have half the people that McCallum does, and the instruments the students are using don't look as nice. It is obvious if you just compare the two percussion sections. The McCallum percusion has about 12 members marching, all playing snare drums, bass drums, toms and cymbals. In "the pit", an area on the sidelines where percusionists are not marching, McCalum had about 12 more students, playing big keyboards and more cymbals and another bass drum along with some of the smaller percussion equipment. Lanier, however has only a few students playing snare drums and much smaller bass drums. When Lanier plays, the stadium seems to big for their small sound. It sounds like they are aways away instead of just six rows of bleachers down from me. As they walk off the field, all the football parents settle in for another half. The scoreboard indicates that the first half was good for the McCallum half of the stadium. 28-0 is the score as the Knights kicker starts off the second half. The second half starts off the same way the first half went. On the Vikings third play of the drive, a defensive linemen got pass the offensive line and brought the quarterback. After three plays McCallum is already set to get the ball back. The punt is a bad one, only moving the ball down about 25 yards. The stadium is not very electric at this point in the game, most likely because they see the path this game is going on. The stands are only full around the 50 yard line, with the exception of the band which is a little way out. The McCallum offense makes its way onto the field.

Observation Practice

The scoreboard says 28-0 Knights as McCallum kicks off to start the 3rd quarter. I am six rows up from Lanier's 35-yard line. The spectators are mostly parents, with a few students mixed in. A sack on third down forces a punt and it is not long until McCallum puts up 7 more points. The other half of the stadium finnally gets something to cheer about as Lanier gets a long completion. It gets quiet again, though, once a referee signals a false start. It is another 3-and-out for the Vikings.

Current Event Quiz # 3

1. The Pope said that the U.S. should use its power to help heal a broken planet. The speech was delivered to Congress. The story says tens of thousands of people were invited to watch on a jumbo screen at the Capitol. He is the first pope to give a speech to a joint meeting of Congress. House Speaker, John Boehner invited him to come.

2. There are a lot of different opinions about whether the official used racial slurs. Mack Breed has resigned and the two players will attend an alternative school until Jan. 15. Mike Motheral, the chairman of the committee, was upset about the official, players, and coach Mack Breed not being at the hearing.

3. The students and teachers were mad about the school district moving teachers around. Teachers were moved to comply with class size. It hurt Maplewood's sixth grade because one teacher now must teach a class of almost 30 students, all at different learning levels. In a similar protest at Bryker Woods, a teacher who was going to be moved was allowed to stay.

4. John Whitmire asked the attorney general for his opinion on whether the state's open carry law will allow holstered firearms on school properties. Whitmire thinks that the law will not allow openly carried guns on school properties, but you could interpret it so that they are allowed n parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways. The attorney general has 180 days to respond, but it might not matter because the open carry law will allow those with a license to carry weapons.

5. There was a memorial service for Daniel Hampton, a Burnet paramedic and firefighter, on Thursday. He died on September 18. I think the story was covered well. It was short and sad and had lots of quotes from people that knew him.

6. Obituaries are made up of lots of memories and a kind of run down of the person's life. You can only find a summary of a person's life in an obituary. I think that one of these would take a lot of research, but not much in the way of getting quotes. It would be fun.

Interview Assignment

Interview of Tiffany P.

"What is the best thing that has happened to you?"

"It's hard... I think the best thing is still waiting to happen."

Current Event Quiz 1.2

1B. Yesterday's presidential debate gave long-shot candidates a prime time stage so they could prove they are worthy of attention. Donald Trump was the focus for the other candidates.

2. John Brennan, the CIA director was at U.T. yesterday for the release of 2500 daily briefs given to JFK and LBJ. A trend toward openness in government led to the announcement. The public can go to the CIA's website to access the briefs. PDB's are like a diary of challenges and insight for a president. It   is important because is show what a president is thinking.

3.Hungarian security forces used water cannons and tear gas on asylum seekers. Now refugees are trying to get to the Serbian-Croatian border which is an area that has active land mines.

4. A McCarthur High School student got detained for a homemade clock he brought to school that looked like a bomb. A school official declined to confirm the suspension another school officials said they were only concerned with student safety and not with the kid' faith. Barack Obama called the clock "cool" and half a million others tweeted the hashtag #IStand-WithAhmed. People in Irving fear that tis is connected to a city council resolution past last spring because it endorsed a bill that would stop judges from making decisions because of "foreign laws".

I first learned about this story when I read it right now. Social media isn't as reliable or fair to all the parties as it is in the news. For the news, people could lose their jobs for writing something that isn't reliable or fair, while in social media people can say almost whatever they want without any big consequences. In the news, people are forced to be more reliable and fair than in social media.

I think the story was at the right place. It seems that everything has worked itself out involving the issue and it doesn't really affect anybody outside of Irving. It is a scene that is very sensitive to people in this country, though. If I was the editor, I would have put the story where it is now.

Current Events Quiz 1 continued

5 Co-mingled means that they are combined together. Clinton appologizing and what may take place involving with the controversy are co-mingled in this story. In 2002, Clinton was late to appologize for supporting the invasion of Iraq.

6 Two Jon Jay football players are suspended for attacking an official. An assistant coach was also suspended for saying that the official needed to pay for cheating them. Some students say the official used racial slurs at them.

The Ohio State Buckeyes beat Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, Virginia, 42-14 on Monday night. Cardale Jones started at quarterback while Braxton Miller found his new spot on the team at wide reciever. Cardale Jones passed two touchdowns and ran in a third. Braxton Miller scored on a 54-yard pass, and a 53-yard run. Ohio State stays a unanimous number 1.

This story has a lot of currency. I think the reporter did a good job for the amount of space he had. The story had observations and an interview. It was well written and had all the stats everyone would want.

Curent Event Quiz 1

Current Event Quiz 1

1 The two student graduate assistants assaulted a gay man in 2004. The university officials say they can't talk about the hiring because of laws protecting students information. I don't think the university knew that the student graduate assistants knew about the assault before the hire because nobody wants people like that involved with them.

2 The city of Baltimore gave the parents of Freddie Gray a $6.4 million settlement after police killed their son. The mayor thinks that it will help the city and avoid more costs. The trail for the officers who killed Freddie is still going on.

3 Vice Chancellor Sig-mar Gabriel said that Germany will let in 500,000 refugees each year. Some blame Germany for giving such a good offer to refugees that they are willing to risk their lives to get there. German leaders responded by reducing the cash given out to refugees. People who left to Germany from countries not at war, are now needing to be pushed out of Berlin.

4 Ted Cruz invited Donald Trump to his anti-Iran nuclear deal rally. Unlike other Republican candidates, Cruz is not going after Trump. He said that he invited Donald Trump to increase the publicity of his rally. Trump is not one of Cruz's standard targets because he has never held office.

5 On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton apologized for her private email as secretary of state. Two republicans in Congress are thinking about giving Clinton's former personal server legal protection so that he might testify.

RESEARCH SCENARIO, PART 2

Research Scenario, part 2 

The reporter used lots of sources throughout the article. He used lots of interviews with people like Linda Anderson, a person who works for APS, the site where the teachers got the PowerPoint, Matt Cardoza, a person from the Georgia Department of Education, and Timothy Guiney, the prinicipal of the school. The reporter also used a document, the PowerPoint, which I find to be most reliable because it is a primary source. I feel like the reporter did a good job with the story, but I didn't think that this was such a big deal. In my opinion, this was only a big story for the people within the school district. I don't think it needed to go beyond the county that this took place.

Research Scenario, Part 1

RESEARCH SCENARIO, part 1

If I were assigned to this story, I would first talk to one of the students in the biology class. I would ask for a copy of the PowerPoint presentation. If I got a copy of the presentation, I would go on the district website and try to find the approved lesson plan. Then, I would compare the PowerPoint to the approved lesson plan. If they were similar, I would interview some of the people complaining, and see what they would like to be done to avoid the subject of creationism in school. If the documents were different, I would talk to the principal about his thoughts on the subject.

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