Current Events Final

1. The Labay family wants to destroy a historical house, but the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association doesn't want them to. I think the Labay family has the stronger case. The compromise is subdividing the plot to keep the home but have development on the other side, too. I think its only good for the OWANA because the Labay family would probably still have much of their financial problems.

2. They are competing together for the contract to operate a nuclear weapons lab along with the University of Mexico. the Boeing Co. and the Battelle Memorial Institute. It would allow the universities to be involved with the nuclear weapons lab. I think the proposal is a good idea because it gives them a better chance of winning. I think it is OK for universities to be partners because it is good for them to work together sometimes.

3. Cosby's trial was allowed to move forward. Whenever a judge says there is enough evidence, then I trust them. The former district attorney promised to never prosecute Crosby as a way to get him to testify in a civil suit. No. It says the former district attorney not the present one promised that. I think it should be on the front page because Bill Cosby is very well known.

4. The new name will be Russell Lee elementary. Both Robert and Russell have the same last name and they chose Russell because the school already went by Lee. Another possible name, Bettie Mann, was given to the kindergarten hall. Only one person disagreeing made it a little awkward. I like it because it is basically the same name, only without the confederate part.

5. Ken Starr, the president, could be fired. The school had multiple sexual assault scandals against its football program. I think Art Briles should be fired because he is the person who has the responsibility for this along with the football players.

Journalism piece

It's been a little over a month since University of Texas freshman Haruka Weiser was murdered on the UT campus. And although McCallum seniors are looking forward to graduation and the next stage in their lives, it is hard for some, especially those going to UT, to forget the tragic event.

Murders happen, but this one seemed to really hurt. One reason is that murders just aren't common in Austin. The last murder on the UT campus takes you all the way back to 1966 when Charles Whitman killed 14 people from the UT tower. "It affected my sense of security," said senior Elisabetta Diorio," because we take safety for granted a little bit because Austin definitely does feel very safe and unobtrusive and so that incident, I think, sort of shook everyone up, and made me kind of appreciate the safety that I have a little bit more."

The murder drew different reactions from different people. Some think the murder was tragic but is a part of life, while others were shocked by the proximity of the crime. For senior Caitlin Williamson, who is planning to go to Austin Community College before going to UT, the murder was just an unfortunate event. "I wasn't terribly surprised," Williamson said. "It happens so often, not here, but just around the country.

Although Williamson isn't scared about going to UT, others are worried for their safety. One of which is senior Hannah Cooley, who will be attending the university next year. "It was definitely scary to hear about (the murder) knowing that I'll be there next year and being of the same variety," Cooley said. "She was a young girl and walking around on campus is a scary thing when you're alone. ... It was definitely scary and kind of a reality check about how safe you actually have to be if you're going to be walking around campus alone."

Walking around campus alone is something Cooley won't be doing along with taking other safety precautions to ensure her safety on campus.

"My mom told be never to walk with headphones in because you can't hear what is going on around you. Walking in groups, I plan to not walk alone at least mainly at night, just paying attention to my surroundings."

Despite the different reactions people had, the murder was a reality check that every city and every school is going to have a problem ever once in a while. Like Caitlin Williamson said, "It just happens."

Newspaper Design Terms

Dominance- one thing grabs attention and is twice the size of anything else.
Contrast- has gray black and white.
Balance- placement of design elements in balance and doesn't lean.
Unity- same design throughout the page.
Rhythm- the pages have similar styles.
Even legs of the text- the columns of text are even
Story on top- when the story is on top.
L shaped text flow- the text is in an l shape.
U shaped text flow- when the text is in a u shape.
Photo on left- photo is on the left
Photo on right- photo is on the right
COB photo- cut out backround photo
COMBO plate-
Teaser- brief pieces of info that get a reader to read something on the inside pages
Flag- a display showing what section the page is in
Folios- a section at the top of the page that says basic info like the newspaper or the date
Bylines- the writers name
Jumps- when a story jumps from one page to another
Story dividers- lines dividing the columns of stories
Screens-
Infographics- a representation of info as a graphic
Mastheads- the newspaper name at the top
Bastard measure- a change in the design of a page
Raw wrap- text that extends into a column alongside the headline
Reefer- a line referring to a different story elsewhere
Wild art- a feature shot
Pull Quote- a quote that is pulled out of a story and written in big letters
Ears- a box in the upper corner of the page with a notice
Banner- a logo at the top of the front page
Kicker headline- smaller head above main headline
Wicket headline- two or more lines of secondary headline
Tripod headline- a primary headline of two Lines on the left next to a secondary headline
Hammer headline- type line is big and main line is smaller
Modular design- everything is built in a block grid pattern
Text wrap- text wrapped around a graphic

Other High School Newspapers

1. My favorite newspaper front page was the Tiger Print newspaper. It has a cool background picture in black and white except for one girl.

2. The paper that immediately got my interest was the Odyssey because it has a picture of one guy with a blurred background. It made be think about what is going on with him.

3. The only headline on the Tiger Print front page was "Tipping the scale".

4. The only writing on the front page was that headline.

5. The only things in common was the newspaper name at the top and they all had pictures.

6. Some had one big background picture with a few headlines and some had stories on them. Some had color but some didn't.

7. There were more school newspapers with no stories on it but instead one big background picture and a few headlines.

Intro to newspaper design

1. My favorite newspaper front page was the Daily News in New York because it looks more like a magazine.

2. My favorite headline is It's Slime Not Crime because I wonder what it is talking about and it rhymes.

3. There aren't any stories, just headlines. That is one reason why I like it.

4. Most of the newspapers had a couple big pictures and a couple small ones. They had about die stories on the front page and the name at the top.

5. The way the stories are organized are different. Some have the most important stories in the middle, but some have them on the left. Some have story headlines above the newspaper name, but some don't.

Current Event 6.1

1. Harriet Tubman will be on the $20 bill. Women and civil rights leaders will be on the back of the $10 and $5 dollar bills. A Broadway musical about Hamilton helped him stay on the $10 bill.

2. Three officials have been accused of covering up evidence of lead contamination. There aren't many charges against people being bad at their job. They mislead people that the water was safe. They tampered with evidence. And they failed to order anti-corrosion treatment. The governor is drinking the water for the next 30 days to show it is safe. I think it will help unless he gets sick.

3. They won by a lot. Clinton is close, but Trump has a long ways to go. Primaries in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Delaware. He said the Republican nominating system is bad. Clinton stopped Sanders streak of wins.

4. They sued them over a new evaluation system. The union hopes to block a new evaluation system that would tie teacher's scores to student performance on standardized tests. AISD is adopting a new system that uses those tests results in a limited fashion. Value-added models are models that evaluate teachers by student test scores over time, which is simmilar to the new plan.

5. The deal compensates owners for cars that cheat on emissions tests. $1 billion will be given out. Some cars will cost more to repair. The car cheated emissions tests. They will have to pay for Clean Air Act violations.

6. Memphis has the Blues:

The Spurs dominated the Grizzles again on Tuesday night after the Memphis coach tried to give the team a pep-talk by impersonating Rocky Balboa. It doesn't look like the rest of the series will be close either. With the Spurs winning so easily there is a chance they will loose their groove before their next series.

I choose this article because the Spurs are my favorite team. I also watched that game, so I wanted to see what the writer thought about it. It is also by Kirk Bohls who you have had us read a lot.

Original Column

The Cavaliers were in trouble on Sunday. The 8-seed Pistons were shooting above 50% overall and from three. Detroit was up 7 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter before the Cavs turned it around.

Kevin Love made big shots and grabbed rebounds, Kyrie Irving drived passed the Piston's defense, and LeBron James was clutch in the closing minutes.

The Cavaliers took the lead from the less experienced Piston's and never looked back, winning 106-101.

Maybe the best news for Cleveland, though, was how well the Cavaliers shared the load between their big three. With Love, Irving, and James each getting 20+ points each for the first time since Jan. 14, Cleveland showed a big improvement in knowing their roles than last year and even much of this year. Together they scored 81 points. "I was just getting to my spots," Kevin Love, who missed most of the playoffs last year, said to Lisa Salters. "I think the last three or four weeks of the season (I've been) doing that, shooting the shots that were there for me, being aggressive, that was huge for me."

The three stars working together was a good sign for a team who is trying to avenge their loss in the finals last year. If they continue to play like this, the Cavs should be back to the finals for the second straight year.

The toughest team in Cleveland's road to the title would be, of course, the Warriors. The Warriors beat the Cavaliers both times they played in the regular season, holding Love, Irving, and James to 75 points in their two games combined. So despite the performance on Sunday, it will be a whole different challenge for the Cavaliers if they play the Warriors in the finals.

The Cavaliers play at home against the Pistons again on Wednesday.

Cuent Event 5.2

1. The student was sexually assaulted and strangled. The sources are enforcement officials and they are unnamed because they aren't allowed to speak publicly about the case. They probably gave the information just so more people could know what happened. It has gotten media attention because of how close it is.

2. They pay women less money than men. Hired.com helps connect employers to job seekers so they can review job offers and have 'salary expectations'. The causes are men are disproportionately represented in higher-wage jobs, women are less paid in their first jobs and that affects salaries throughout their lives, and women undersell themselves. The causes don't change how I view the companies. I also think it promoted hired.com a little to much.

3. The order altered the policy for state workers to cover discrimination claims related to sexual orientation and gender identity. ACLU criticized the order. They are protesting the law. They probably caused the governor to make the executive order.

4. The number of child suicide bombers has increased 11-fold. Communities now see children as threats. They say it can't be called suicide attacks because the children are forced to carry them out or don't understand the consequences. Boko Harum has aligned itself with al-Qaida and wants to create an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria. Money motivates people to join Boko Harum.

5. All hands on deck for U.T.
The U.T. football team is installing an up-tempo offense. The tight-ends are doing more, the QB battle continues, and the O-line is changing. I liked how it showed how the U.T. offense is going to play next year.

6. The column had bullet points about different topics. He asked other people for their opinions and wrote them down. I found it interesting that they have golf in the Olympics. I would have gotten rid of number 4. Morris Williams Jr. died 63 years ago.

Sports Columnist

I chose Michael Wilbon and his column "Chicago Bulls success rides on knees of Derrick Rose".

Best Sports Day Ever Final Draft

My best sports day ever was probably August 16, 2015. I was playing in a tennis tournament in Tyler, Texas where my dad grew up playing tennis. I must have some connection with Tyler because I always play my best tournaments there. I got up really early and warmed up with my friends. At 8:00 in the morning, I started my quarterfinal  match against a guy named Trenton Bui. I was playing good, but so was my opponent, so it was a really good match. After winning the first set 6-4, Trenton came back and one the second 6-4. The match went to a third set tiebreaker, just like my match the previous day. The day before I had barely pulled out the win 10-8 in the third set tiebreak. This time my opponent chocked under the pressure and I won 10-5.

A little while later I played my semifinal match against my biggest rival, Varun Somarouthu. We had played many times before and I usually won, but it was always close. I disliked him. He played great in the first set and ran over me 6-2. But during the second set I found a way to beat him and I won 6-2. For the third straight match, I was going into another third set. Lots of my team-mates were there watching me try to pull of another close match. It was really hot and I had been playing lots of tennis already today. We both played great, and the tiebreaker got to 8-8. I was hot and tired, but I was able to win the next two points and win 10-8.

That afternoon I was in the semifinals of doubles, too. My partner Carlos Esteban and I won that match 8-5 (we play to 8 in doubles). We were waiting on our finals match when my friend, Reed Senterfitt, told us about who we were playing. They were two little kids, who were playing up in the 14 and under division. Reed and his partner had lost to them, and Reed said the kids were big cheaters. When we started are match it turned out Reed was right, the kids were calling balls out that were in. I really disliked them and wanted to win so bad. The match was at 6-6, and my partner was getting frustrated. The sun had gone down and we were playing under the lights. Luckily I was playing great and our opponents were starting to feel the pressure. We won the next two games to win 8-6, winning the tournament, and capping my best sports day ever. Carlos and I got our first place trophies, but more important was the win. We really wanted it because we really disliked our opponents. The next day I played the finals of singles against my friend Reed. I beat him pretty bad. Although it was great to beat my friend and earn bragging rights, it wasn't quite as fun as the previous day. It is the best to beat people who you dislike.

Best Sports Day Ever

My best sports day ever was probably August 16, 2015. I was playing in a tennis tournament in Tyler, Texas where my dad grew up playing tennis. I must have some connection with Tyler because I always play my best tournaments there. I got up really early and warmed up with my friends. At 8:00 in the morning, I started my quarterfinal  match against a guy named Trenton Bui. I was playing good, but so was my opponent, so it was a really good match. After winning the first set 6-4, Trenton came back and one the second 6-4. The match went to a third set tiebreaker, just like my match the previous day. The day before I had barely pulled out the win 10-8 in the third set tiebreak. This time my opponent chocked under the pressure and I won 10-5.

A little while later I played my semifinal match against my biggest rival, Varun Somarouthu. We had played many times before and I usually won, but it was always close. I disliked him. He played great in the first set and ran over me 6-2. But during the second set I found a way to beat him and I won 6-2. For the third straight match, I was going into another third set. We both played great, but I was able to sneak by with the win 10-8.

That afternoon I was in the semifinals of doubles, too. My partner Carlos Esteban and I won that match 8-5 (we play to 8 in doubles). We were waiting on our finals match when my friend, Reed Senterfitt, told us about who we were playing. They were two little kids, who were playing up in the 14 and under division. Reed and his partner had lost to them, and Reed said the kids were big cheaters. When we started are match it turned out Reed was right, the kids were calling balls out that were in. I really disliked them and wanted to win so bad. The match was at 6-6, and my partner was getting frustrated. Luckily I was playing great and our opponents were starting to feel the pressure. We won the next two games to win 8-6, winning the tournament, and capping my best sports day ever. The next day I beat my friend Reed in the finals of singles. Although it was great to beat my friend and earn bragging rights, it wasn't quite as fun as the previous day. It is the best to beat people who you dislike.

Finding the flaw

I think both sides are a little bit flawed. First of all, the NFL concussion study did not make it clear that not all concussions were used in the study. They should have mentioned every team that did not participate in the study fully. The New York Times flaw was about connecting the concussion study to the tobacco industry. I feel like that was a bit of a stretch and only deserved a small mention, instead of a part of the headline. I wonder if the Times could take out only that part.

Who's who project which Sam should have done.

Lilli Niester began high school with a goal.
Many goals, in fact, she is ending her senior year with an impressive array of accomplishments.

She started out doing Orchestra and Blue Brigade in her freshman year, continued with both for another three years, and is ending this one with 3 awards in the former.

She's a part of the National Honor's Society, the Spanish Honor Society, and is the current leader of Model U.N. and Philosophy club.

She has tutored for two years, made Honor Roll for three, honestly it would be easier to say what she hasn't done. When we asked her what she's most proud of, she said that she honestly couldn't decide.

McCallum will be missed. Austin's inherent strangeness has left a mark on the school, and Lilli by extension. "Its definitely not a typical high school," said Lilli, thinking about her four years at McCallum. As she and her friends face their futures, it's hard not to reminisce.

Lilli Niester will go to college, but she is not sure where. "I want to major in Neuroscience, and possibly double major in Psychology," said Lilli, who looks like she might keep a large workload as she moves into the next stage of her life.

Current Event Quiz

1. The investigation of a policeman shooting a teen is now over. The timing is signifacant because it was fast. The police can schedule a disceplinary hearing, request another investigation, or exonerate him of any violations. The findings will be released if the policeman is suspended.

2. They want to vote so that Trump won't win. Lots of Mexicans are doing this. Obama has made citizenship easier to access. I think Trump would have said 'it doesn't matter because I will win anyway'.

3. The Commision dosen't have enough money. They are saying that the system will work good when times are good, but bad when times are bad.

4. He ordered this because Nancy Regan died. Michelle Obama will attend the funeral. Nancy had been nice to the Obamas when they came into office. Her legacy is in what she meant to President Reagan and the entire country. She had been working with the Regan library.

5. The jury found that a stalker recorded a nude video. Andrew's parents said they and their daughter had terror after finded out. The stalker was 51% responsible and the hotels shared the rest which was $27 million. The hotels thought it wasn't their fault. I think that it was almost all the stalker's fault.

6. States have to recognise gay parent adoptions. The Alabama Supreme Court did not let a lesbian visit three children she had adopted and raised. The vote was unanimous. They skipped hearing arguments.

Rolling Stones reporting

The Rolling Stone journalists didn't check wether or not the victim was telling her story correctly. They took her word for it and didn't ask anyone else about how they remembered that night.

The lesson is don't just take one persons word about a story but instead make sure they are correct by asking others.

Journalists should write only what they know is true, and not keep it a secret if they don't know something.

I don't know what their normal practices are but i hope that this was just journalists not doing what they were supposed to do. If the journalists just messed up then they don't have to change the policy, just enforce it.

Rolling stone reaction

I liked the article because it was good. I think it did a good job of addressing the issue because it gives a specific situation and shows how sad it is. The story was well reported and written. The only bad part was that it was hard.

Shattered Glass Extension

Patricia Smith wrote a review of a concert she didn't go to and she wrote many columns of fictional characters and fabricated events. She was forced to resign from the Boston Globe. What she did was a lot like what Steven Glass did.

I think what Steven Glass did was very wrong. He didn't just make mistakes in reporting, he just flat out lied. Shattered Glass showed me that it isn't as hard as I thought to make stories up or even accidentally write a false statement that changes the way the reader feels about the subject. It is important to get all the facts right the first time.

Shattered Glass

Option One

Steven Glass showed that he might not be the model journalism at many times. When he says he pretended to be a behavioral psychologist to investigate talk radio coverage of a Mike Tyson fight, he shows he had lied in order to get a good story. Applying to law school might have been a back up plan in case he got caught. It might not have been to make his parents happy. When Michael Kelly finds he has misreported a small detail, Glass offers to resign. He does this to try and get out of The New Republic in case this mistake leads to an investigation that proves Glass has totally made up the entire story. I am also surprised that he got away with what he did for so long.

The Mourning Anchor

I think "The Mourning Anchor" deserves to be considered as a great piece of journalism. He does a great job of showing Bryant Gumble's thinking that everyone needs to be as good as his father. Reilly is able to show this by spending a lot of time with Gumble and those who know him. He shows both sides to all of Gumble's feuds with other people including his own wife. He shows the readers the whole in Gumble's life without his father and how someone can have such a great personality on the outside, but an extremely messed up heart on the inside. Reilly does a good job in showing how this attitude affects Gumble's actions. It makes you feel sorry for him, but also disgusted by him at the same time, which is pretty cool.

Staff Feature Writing

About 50 years ago, Charles T. Mangum was testing his skills on fastballs. About 25 years ago, he was a colonel in the air force. Since then, he has taken on possibly an even tougher task; substitute teaching.

Good subbing takes a variety of talents. Like all teachers, subs have to be good leaders. Good enough to be able to control a classroom full of students. Subs have to fill in for different subjects, so they need a solid knowledge of many subjects. Flexibility is key because different classes will be doing different things. And a touch of improvisation is important to take on lesson plans on the fly. Subs work with less control than your average teacher.

Mangum has gotten good at all of these qualities over the course of his life, which has prepared him for substitute teaching. Mangum's leadership can be accounted to his jobs in the air force. And his flexibility was on display during his life in college, where he juggled playing three sports and being an air force ROTC.

Mangum went to Southwest Texas State College, now Texas State, in pursuit of following his dad's path. "My dad was a principle, coach, teacher," Mangum says. "So I grew up in the education business as a kid." Soon, though, his focus drifted to other things. An air force ROTC, Mangum played football and baseball for three years, as well as basketball for one. During his junior year, Mangum was offered a pro contract to join the Houston Colt .45's, a newly made MLB team. He accepted the offer and dropped out of school during his junior year to play. In spring training, though, Mangum was released from the team. So he reentered school and graduated in his fifth year, 1963.

After graduating, Mangum was obligated to join the air force, where he moved his way up the ladder from second lieutenant to first lieutenant to captain. After five years of service in the air force, Mangum left in order to become a coach and a teacher in Houston, but returned a few years later. He worked his way up to colonel in the air force before he retired in 1993. He worked as chief of plans of fifth army in San Antonio before retiring again, this to time to become a substitute teacher. He started working at McCallum in 2004, but left to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana in 2005. He returned to McCallum in 2007.

Ever since then, Mr. Magnum has taken on the challenge of subbing. This semester Mangum took over the classes Richard Fidelman left when he retired. The previous long-term sub for these classes wanted to become a full time teacher, but after trying to deal with these students whenever Fidelman wasn't there she decided to give up on that dream. Despite the tough challenge of subbing, Mangum continues his work in his old age. "I am out here every day," Mangum says, "because I can adjust to English, History, Math, and fill in, keep the classes going." Mangum knows the importance subs have in giving many students education. If he wanted to, Mangum, being a certified teacher, could be teaching a social studies class full time. But he finds the value in subbing instead. "I like substituting because I'm retired, and I can fill in for Mr. Garrison whenever he needs teachers," says Mangum. "I really do like the students, and I'm older, but I think it keeps me in touch with what's going on. I'm only looking for the best in everybody, and I like substituting because I can maybe inspire someone, encourage them, and so by substituting I get to see more students at McCallum."

Staff feature

Can I write about Mr. Mangum, my long term sub in business information management, for my feature on a staff member?

Where's Jake Scott?

1. Gisondi said feature profiles take a lot of effort and you could see Dave Hyde worked hard to find Jake Scott, get him to talk, and to watch him for two days. It was obviously not easy for Hydeto get to Scott, but he persevered and got a good story. Hyde adds conflict like Gisondi said you should do. There is conflict between Scott and the outside world and conflict between Scott and Shula. The first conflict is resolved, but the second conflict isn't. Gisondi said the conflict didn't have to be resolved. Gisondi said to determine why you are writing the story and that is what Hyde did. He had his three questions he wanted answers to and he stuck with those three to get to know the most important information for the reader to know. All of his other communicated with Scott is to set himself up for those three questions and when he gets to them he gets the answers he was looking for. Hyde also follows Gisondi's advice when he says to put the person in a place. He puts Scott all over Hawaii which makes it easier to follow the story. It also shows why Scott likes Hawaii so much and why he chose to live there. Gisondi said to develop the main character and Hyde does that also. He shows the way Scott lives, acts, and thinks. He dosen't make Scott be all good or all bad either. Gisondi said to learn a lot about the person and Hyde does that. Hyde is also fair and looks at all of the sides to Scott's conflicts. Gisondi said to stay with the main character for a long time and Hyde stays with Scott for two days. He was able to become like a friend to Scott.

How to Write a Feature Profile

1. Gisondi says that feature profiles take a lot of effort. You need to take time to make the best story possible. there should be conflict, but the conflict doesn't have to be resolved. Determine why you are writing this story and remember to put your reason in the story. Put the person in a place whenever you can. this allows the reader to follow the story more easy. The main character needs to be developed into a complex person. Don't make the person all good or all bad. Learn a lot about the person. Include commentary and insight, but don't insert yourself. Make the person being doing something. Tell where the person is going. Look at all sides of an issue, and stay with the person for a long time.

Finding Feature Leads

1. http://niemanstoryboard.org/stories/from-esquire-classic-looking-at-john-sacks-m/

Description-Person

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/06/us/this-land-with-an-act-of-kindness-a-lady-vanishes.html?smid=tw-share&pagewanted=all&_r=1

Then and Now

3. http://niemanstoryboard.org/stories/notable-narrative-beyond-the-finish-line-by-tim-rohan/

Sequence or Narrative

4. http://www.lifeofthelaw.org/2016/01/overruled/

Contrast

5. http://nymag.com/news/features/cancer-peter-bach-2014-5/

Description-Site

Feature Exploration Day

1. I liked the stories because they were interesting and gave a picture of the scenes. They both have traits of good feature writing. They start interestingly, are touching, and end leaving ripples. I liked the one about Allen Burnett better because it did a good job showing how awful, but still common murders like this are. It had some really interesting quotes from the victim's family.
2-1. It tells a story.
2. It shows a reader a scene by having detailed decriptions.
3. Start by grabbing the reader's attention.
4. The lead should start with the specific.
5. End the story subtly.
6. Tie the ending back to the beginning.
7. Tell an untold story.
8. Touch the reader.
9. Add a nut graph after the lead.
10. Use transition quotes.

Iowa Caucus

1. Ted Cruz won and Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton were in a virtual tie.
2. Cruz was the big winner while Donald Trump was the loser because Cruz peaked at the same time and got conservative and evangelical voters on his side.
3. The New Hampshire primary is next and Bernie Sanders is supposed to do well, and Ted Cruz isn't.

Current Event Quiz 4.1

1. He is a Comptroller. He was asked "Is the sky falling in Texas?" because of falling fossil fuel prices. Hager said no, but it is something we need to pay attention to. He said that Texas' economy has become less dependent on oil. Severance taxes are taxes on oil and gas producers. They will bring in less money because of lower oil prices.

2. He is sitting out because he doesn't want Fox to try and toy with him. The Iowa caucuses happens on Monday. Tonight he is hosting an event to raise money for veterans. I think it will hurt his chances.The Democratic candidates are wondering if they should go to a debate. It looks like Clinton and Sanders won't go, but Martin O'Malley said he would. . Five days later is the New Hampshire primary. I don't think the February 4 debate will take place because most of the candidates aren't going to be there.

3. The enemy is a virus. They are helping mosquito eradication efforts. They are transmuted by the mosquitos. He said the war is already being lost, because it sounds like maybe they should give up. The Carnival and the Olympics will take place in Brazil.

4. Faculty members can't ban guns in their classes. Bill McRaven said he will address deans and professors trying to ban guns. The law goes into affect on August 1. The open carry law took effect on January 1. He said nobody is openly carrying on the street.

5. Ken Paxton is the Texas Attorney General and he objected the move to resettle refugees without giving state officials one-week notice. They told Godbey they had moved seven refugees to Houston that day. Paxton asked for an emergency order to stop the flow of refugees. The judge rejected the request.

6. They can win it's 1000th game in school history. They are ranked 6th and are 18-1. The teams greatest weakness is turnovers.

7. I liked the New York Times one better. I liked the New York Times lead better too. The lead talks about his path to success more and it gave more detail than the Austin-American Statesman.

Obituary

Steven Tibbetts, who spent his life analyzing statistics for ESPN, died on Friday after falling of a roller coaster in Austin. He was 80.

From 2026 to 2061, Tibbetts helped ESPN translate numbers into information people could understand. He is also known for his many books about the math in sports.

Tibbetts was born on January 12, 2001 in Austin Texas. He was a graduate from Boise State University where he played college tennis. After graduating, Tibbetts spent a few years as a truck driver. After marrying his wife, Samantha, he decided to settle into his new job as a statistical analyist.

Tibbetts retired when he was 60 and started doing a lot of volunteer work, including helping those hit by natural disasters.

The owner of the roller coaster has apologised to the Tibbetts' family. He said he will work toward giving everyone a fun and safe experience. Tibbetts' family hopes that this incident will help spread awareness for roller coaster safety.

He is survived by his sister, Kristen, his wife, and his two kids, Nathan and Claire.

On Writing

The reason writers are still useful is because they can write instead of just giving basic information. Because writers need to do more than tell the basic facts, leads should grab the reader's attention. Middles should touch the reader with an untold story. Endings should be subtle, but leave the reader with the ripples of the story. That is how to write features.

Leads:
To many news stories start with boring information that causes the reader to lose interest. Instead, start by grabbing the reader's attention. If you can keep their attention through the boring facts, then you have a good lead. With this lead, the reader will be more interested throughout the rest of the story.

Middles:
You can't just write about what has happened. Writers must find new ways to touch the reader. They can't just give the facts because everyone else has already done that. Instead, you must take the reader through a new story. One that has not been told.

Endings:
To many people try to end their story with a loud ending. Instead, writers should end more subtly. Don't tell readers what they should get out of your story. They can figure it out themselves.

Quotes:
1. "We are not just the paper of record anymore." I chose this quote because it makes a good point. He is saying that newspapers can't only tell the truth of important stories because people already know the basic information of a topic. The paper must go beyond that. I agree.

2. "We're a movie culture." I like this quote because it is true. Everyone likes to see something as if they were there. You can take more in when you are seeing something than hearing something.

3. "I didn't just put you to sleep with a bunch of facts." I chose this quote because most news stories I read do put me to sleep. Instead, Albom says to catch the reader's attention. I agree.

4. "By the time the newspaper comes out what is going to be left?" I chose this quote because it shows the position the writer is in. The answer is there isn't much left. Instead, writers must find a new way to touch the reader. A way that hasn't been done yet. I agree.

5. "The best writing just lets it sit there." I like this quote because it is true. It ruins the end of a story to say what the moral is. I agree with the quote.

Obituaries

Monte Irvin should be remembered as a great baseball player who helped lead the way for other African - Americans in the major leagues.

I read the one about Andrew Smith, Amiri Baraka, and Monte Irvin. They all talked about how they died at the beginning and they talked about what they did. The one about Andrew Smith was a lot less detailed and was the only one without a quote in his obituary probably because he was a lot less known and was a lot younger. They all end with family members who are still living except for the Monte Irvin one. I don't know why they didn't have that in his.

When Your Dream Dies

1. It shows that even refs can be sensitive. The author shows this is more important than just one person when he says that many other refs have real, breakable hearts too.

2. The author doesn't insert himself which makes it more about the story than how the author went about finding it and it keeps the story's objectivity.

3. The writer writes about a person in specific. He also used dramatic devices.

4. The writer asked witnesses about what happened. There was probably about 7 sources used. A lot of time was spent reporting. Almost all the article was based off interviews and I doubt much was directly observed.

5. "You've got to understand Kenny. For some of us, refereeing is just kind of a strange way to relax. For Kenny, it was his whole life. He was born into it." Question: Why did Kenny try to kill himself?

"To everyone I love, I'm sorry for what I've put you through. All this harassment is my fault. When I'm not here, it will stop." Question: What did you write on the letter?

"Don't let them win." Question: What caused you to look for help instead of dying?

Intro to Feature Writing

1. Hawthorne suggests that reporters shouldn't write about a subject, but instead they should write about people involved in that subject. For example he says that focusing a story on one person who had they're life changed because of poor working conditions in meatpacking houses is better than just writing about the poor conditions in general. Hawthorne also suggests to use a lot of dramatic devices like drama, character, conflict, dialogue, order, anticipation, climax, and resolution on top of your typical who, what, when, where, why, and how.

2. Hawthorne says to use more human elements and dramatic devices instead of the inverted pyramid. He suggests using drama and conflict and focus the story around one or two people. The reporter should have add more dialogue between characters instead of using dialogue the character told the reporter. Hawthorne advises that the writer should have a plan for the order of the story before starting to write. Adding anticipation, a climax, and a resolution help the story gain excitement before concluding the story in a way that leaves the reader satisfied. Most importantly Hawthorne says to write about specific people and how they are affected by the topic.

Best of 2015

Best Song - Trap Queen by Fetty Wap

I chose this song because it is one of my favorites. I also think it is the best of 2015 because you hear it being played everywhere. Many people from many different places like Trap Queen. That is not true for lots of other songs.

Best Movie - Inside Out

I chose this movie mostly because it was the only one I have seen on Rotten Tomatoes' top 100. I don't have much else to go by. I liked its message and the way it personified the emotions we have.

Most Important News Story - European Refugee Crisis

I chose this story because it is about the major effects of war. This story involves so many people and is affects those people in a life or death way. So many people are being given needed help while others have been run away from safety. What European countries decide to do changes the life of many people.

Person of the Year - Barack Obama

He is the person of the year in my mind because he is the president of the United States. He might have the most power out of everyone in the entire world. He makes decisions that affects this country, but he also sets an example for everyone in the world.

Sports/Entertainment Person - Tom Brady

First, he is the quarterback of the super bowl champs. Second, he is centered around the deflate-gate controversy. Third, he is Tom Brady, probably the most hated and loved person in sports at the same time. Then he backs that up with an amazing season this year despite almost all of his main targets getting hurt.

1. For Christmas, my dad and I got tickets to a Spurs game against the Rockets that we went to on Saturday. The Spurs won by a lot.

2. My dentist said my new year's resolution should be to brush my teeth better. Other than that I got nothing.

3. I looking forward to the summer olympics this year.

2015 Review-Pictures

I like this photo because it looks like the soldier is floating.

U.S. Army
cnn.com

It seems weird that firefighters would be working when the temperature is this cold.

Jacqueline Larma
cnn.com

It looks like a scene from a movie.

Getty Images
cnn.com