Last Day

The last day of news writing class is tomorrow.  I've compiled my portfolio and I'll finally be done with my first news writing experience.  Although it was difficult at times, I'm still really glad that I got to squeeze it into my last semester of undergrad.  Hopefully I'll be able to take editing at the graduate level and maybe try a different approach to journalism.  I'm looking forward to new experiences, writing more often, (for leisure), and taking a break for the winter season.  I want to go skiing damn it!

Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Dig Into This

  I was going to save this post for when I saw my work published in The Weekly Dig this issue, but it ultimately wasn't...  Regrettably I don't think I'll be posting many of those published works at all.  Initially, I thought this whole "journalism" internship thing would be fun and interesting.  So far, (within the last month), all it's taught me is that I desperately need some sort of direction to get anything productive done.  With that being said, I don't believe journalism is the correct path for me.  I know I've only tried one avenue for journalism, but the fact that I loathe traveling into Boston every Thursday and would rather spend the day with 11-13-year-olds speaks wonders about my experience so far.
  I will still blog, obviously.  Maybe not here, but maybe I'll start something more personal, or even re-vamp this one to make it less focused on class and news.  Honestly, if I could make an adequate living blogging or vlogging, I'd probably try to do that.  I've gotten more interested in social media and less interested in journalism, but that doesn't mean I won't still write.  My #1 main goal in life is to write and somehow publish my memoir, and whatever it takes to get there, I will do that.  Still, looking into publishing companies and hopefully applying to grad school for writing might help boost my spirits about giving up my dream of being a journalist.  Eventually I'll have to understand that not all of Harriet's goals should be mine too.  I can't always follow in the foot-steps of a 6th grader.

Profile

  I finally decided on what I'm going to do for my profile piece.  I will be focusing on the principle of Newmarket Jr./Sr. High School and the impending building reconstruction issues the school will face in the coming years.  This has been an on-going issue, and since I substitute at the school and know the principle as well as the vice principal, this will be an interesting profile to make.  I hope I can do it justice with just five days to go, but I'll do my best.  That's all I can ask of myself.
  Background: The Newmarket Jr/Sr. High School building has come under fire recently for violating fire and other safety regulations due to it's old and crumbling 1920s-era design.  There are a few proposed plans in the works for improvement, including a demolition and reconstruction of a new building on a different property.  There is actually a meeting today to discuss and possibly vote on options available with the budget the school committee has drawn up.  I look forward to talking with Principal Andriski and learning more about him and the future of the Newmarket Jr./Sr. High School.

Jaws Scene: Alex

  Earlier today a young boy was killed off the shore of Village Beach around 2p.m.  Witnesses claim that there had been a vicious and unprovoked shark attack just moments before the boy went missing.
 
 The boy, who has been identified as 10-year-old Alex Kintner of Mayfair Court, was last seen floating on a yellow inflatable raft just off shore with some friends this afternoon.  His mother, Marion Kintner, was at the beach at the time of his disappearance.
 
 Witnesses say the yellow raft floated ashore, severely damaged and missing a large chunk of material.  Blood was also visible in the water around the area the attack occurred.  A body has not yet been recovered.  Marion Kintner was rushed to Amity General Hospital to be treated for shock.
 
 This tragic news comes just hours after the body of local resident Chrissie Watson was found near South Beach this morning.  Both attacks are seemingly linked and possibly shark related, but the investigation is ongoing.  Police urge residents and visitors to stay vigilant.
 
 A meeting will be held by the mayor, the Amity Board of Selectmen and Police Chief Brody tonight at 6p.m. at Town Hall.  The agenda will include discussion of closing the beaches, the Kintner case and a proposition from a Mr. Quint for catching the suspected shark roaming the waters.

Jaws Scene: Chrissie

  A teenage girl was found dead this morning on the shores of South Beach on Amity Island, MA.  Police Deputy Jay Hendricks discovered her mangled body while responding to a report of a missing person.
  Chrissie Watson, 17, of 23 Sharkstooth St. was last seen at a beach party with friends around 11p.m.  Witnesses claim to have seen Watson leave the party with another teen, Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III after drinking alcohol and possibly smoking marijuana.
  Hoggenbottam, a sophmore at Trinity College and former resident of the island, had no recollection of the night's events after following Watson to the ocean.  At around 6a.m. Hoggenbottam notified police, which resulted in the recovery of Watson's body.
  Watson was a senior at Amity High School, a member of the varsity swim team and a lifeguard at the local YMCA pool.  Police are continuing their investigation and have not ruled out a possible shark attack.  Visitors and residents are advised to stay out of the ocean, as a precaution.

The French Connection

At least six people are confirmed dead after a dangerous shooting in New York City, which left much of the city streets in shambles.  Detective James Doyle and Buddy Russo led the charge against the shooting rampage while pursuing a dangerous suspect.

            The narcotics division of the NYPD is investigating the shooting and capture of a dangerous foreign fugitive.  Pierre Nicoli Jeantot, 36, of Nice, France was shot and killed by Detective Doyle after evading police during a harrowing car chase between the 35^{th and} 15^th Street train stations.

            Detective Doyle sustained non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the chase and is said to have provided valuable evidence on the whereabouts and dealings of a major heroin shipment from overseas.  Local as well as foreign drug dealers are said to be involved.

            According to eyewitness accounts, the shootout began at 1767 West 57^th Ave.  “The first shot fired hit a woman with a baby carriage,” said Sarah Allen, 19, of 16 Brooklyn Drive.  “Then a man ran into the building, up to the roof and the shooter ran out, so the guy followed him,” said Allen.  Allen had rushed to the aid of the first shooting victim, Betty A. Badluck, 63, of the Bronx, who had been walking her granddaughter near her apartment complex.

            Consistent with the eyewitness accounts, the suspect then proceeded to the train station at 35^th Street, from which he traveled all the way to the 15^th Street station.  “It was awful, he just shot that poor guy,” said Lucy Clearwater, 32, of Manhattan.  Clearwater was sitting on the train when the shooter entered her car, demanding to see the conductor.  “He had his gun pointed at the officer on the train and when he tried to step closer he shot him, right in the chest.”  Clearwater said that other passengers started to panic as the shooter gained access to the controls.

            Meanwhile, on the ground, Detective Doyle was seen driving recklessly in pursuit of Jeantot and his train.  Many eyewitnesses claim that Doyle struck more than one vehicle in his haste to catch the suspect.  “He just clipped the truck there,” said Gary Sampson, 43, of Staten Island.  Sampson had been underneath the bridge for the train when Doyle happened to speed past him.  “I heard the beeping and saw the car coming, but didn’t think it would clear the truck,” said Sampson.  Doyle narrowly missed a rear-end collision with a large truck during the high-speed chase.

            As Detective Doyle made his way carelessly to the 15^th Street station, Jeantot had commandeered the train from the conductor and refused to make any stops.  The commuters crowding the train became concerned when the conductor did not make his next scheduled stop and did not answer calls for help.  According to police reports, the train made an unscheduled security stop after crashing into a safety mechanism on the tracks.

            Eventually, Jeantot escaped the compacted train car onto the safety of the platform, only to be greeted by Detective Doyle, who had followed the route of the train from the beginning of the chase.  “The look on the guy’s face was priceless,” said Tony Lavato, 52, of Brooklyn.  “[Doyle] looked up at the guy and he was like ‘Aw, crap.’”  When Jeantot attempted to escape, Detective Doyle shot and killed the suspect, watching him crumple and fall down the steps to his feet.

            Although Detective Doyle was able to prevent his own assassination, he still fought for further questions in the narcotics case.  According to police records, the detectives impounded a vehicle that may have been used to import copious amounts of heroin into the country.  The intended receiver or owner of said vehicle is Henri Devereaux, a prominent French actor.

            Detectives Doyle and Russo used the information they obtained from searching the vehicle and investigating the shooting to set up a temporary road block in an area notorious for drug trafficking and known to Doyle as an area of escape for the foreign fugitives.  According to police, the suspects were seen heading in the direction of the police blockade before fleeing the scene.

            During a routine search of the property where the fugitives were said to be, the warehouse was detained on account of the drug-related charges according to the police report.  Two men were killed in the shootout with police: Sal Boca, an accomplice, and Bill Mulderig of Washington, D.C., a federal agent assigned to the case.  The other fugitive, Alain Charnier, escaped police custody.

            Fortunately, the heroin trafficking center was shut down and the drug pushers held responsible were detained, according to police reports.  Detective Doyle and Russo were reassigned to another division following the death of Federal Agent Mulderig and the police are still on the lookout for Charnier.  Any information regarding his whereabouts should be directed toward the NYPD.

Recently In The News

  These are the stories that I've paid attention to the most recently:

Elmo: Puppeteer has supposed underaged relationship with another guy, guy comes forward with accusations, guy conveniently recants previous claim after puppeteer takes a leave of absence.  Typical hollywood drama, right?  Wrong.  Anything involving puppets and the sexual orientation of their voices is questionable at best, but this is just weird.  I actually feel bad for Elmo, of all people...

Kevin McHale: The Houston Rockets basketball coach's daughter recently died at the age of 22, (a huge wake-up call for those of us who are also 22, like ME).  I also saw on the news this morning that his daughter, Sasha, had Lupus, (again, like ME), so that was really interesting to see.  I was watching with my dad and we both looked at each other when the reporter said that she had been fighting Lupus for some time.  It really makes you think about what you take for granted and what you have to take seriously in life.

Black Friday: Who would've thought that extending hours into Thanksgiving for all those eager beavers out there would actually end up hurting sales on Black Friday, the day that's set aside for trampling people at Walmart to get that 39" television.  In fact, I knew a lot of people who actually went out Thanksgiving night to shop and said it was a lot easier Black Friday to get around.  I wonder when people will realize that this could end up being EVERY DAY of our LIVES eventually, if we keep this shit up.  I mean really, Thanksgiving is one of the only days during the year some people actually see their families, and now we have to worry about big deals and other crap ruining that too?

Newswriting Woes

  As it gets closer and closer to the end of the semester I'm slowly realizing a few things.  I'm almost done with my undergraduate degree, for one, (cue silent cheering and jumping around my living room).  On the other hand, I have been bombarded with classwork winding down to these last two weeks, and I'm not sure if there's enough time in my schedule to accomplish everything.  I still have two more required stories to write, (one being the profile, which I still have no idea who I'm going to write about), and on top of that I have a research project, two large papers and a butt load of group work I'm behind on due to the fact that every waking moment I'm not at school I'm at work...  Nevertheless, I will do my best, and hopefully I'll still graduate with honors.  I've been neglecting my duties as a journalist, but can you blame me really?
  So far this week these are the only things I have to report on: Arsenic and Old Lace had a phenomenal weekend at the Sanborn Regional High School drama department, Lauren won America's Next Top Model, (SERIOUSLY??), UNH lost badly to...some other team, while the Exeter Blue Hawks sailed into yet another Division I State Championship, and the Pats beat the Colts 59-24.  That's pretty much it.  Also, if you haven't noticed, Christmas has already started, so break out the Christmas carols and start writing your wish-list for Santa.  Apparently he's starting an early lay-away program for the Nice List kids...

*Be on the lookout, as I plan to publish more on this topic in the upcoming issue of DigBoston!!

How The Outcomes Of The Election Effect Education

  Recently I read an article in The Huffington Post about how school curriculum all over the country is facing multiple levels of reform due to new bills being passed.  This new legislature is due to the election of new officials and representatives for education departments across the nation.
  Over the past few years, many reform efforts in education have been achieved through the election of people with authority in each state; reform could be looked at through either lens, good or bad in this case.  A lot of people would be surprised at what children are learning today in schools.
  In many southern and western states, homosexuality and sexual education have been banned or restricted to a point where abstinence is the main focus.  Some schools also offer safe sex practice procedures as well as sexual education for parents as well as students.
  The voucher system has come under fire in recent years, stemming mostly from people paying taxes and government involvement in local affairs.  Vouchers, for those who don't know, allow lower middle class families to send their children to private or charter schools with the money they would've been spending in taxes at their local public school.  Obviously there's a lengthy application process involved and approval from the board of education.  Even though I believe the option to send children to other schools should lie with the parents, the voucher system only hurts public education by allowing parents a "safety net" for a better education.  Those in office should be putting more emphasis on funding, reform, and improvement of public educational systems instead.
  Schools across the country have also decided to drop the use and teaching of cursive writing, stating that there isn't enough time or space in each curriculum to devote to this style of writing.  While many students could care less, (who loved learning how to write in cursive?), parents are concerned with the serious change in school policies and curriculum across the board.  The emphasis is now on teaching children keyboarding techniques in order to gear them more towards a 21st-century business zone focusing on technology advances in society.  Although this will ultimately be a useful change in the education system, the loss of cursive writing and other important time-tested teaching practices have startled parents.  If we lose cursive, what's next?  Recess?  Calculators?  Rulers?
  However bleak things may seem for education, there has been significant progress.  According to the article by Huffington Post, last year California became the first state to require the teaching of gay and lesbian history and current contributions to the nation in public schools.  This is a huge milestone in education as well as in homosexual rights and history.  Perhaps this new legislature will eventually move into more public schools across the country, especially with marriage equality growing across the board.

President Obama

  Last night, we found out that President Obama has been elected to a second term.  This reporter has no comment, however, I believe America speaks for itself.  Both candidates made speeches to end the night's events; Obama's victory speech was truly stirring and inspiring.
  Romney also made quite an impressive and humble concession speech.  Both parties seem to be accepting of their new roles in society after one hell of a campaign.  It's nice to see both Obama and Romney congratulating each other and thanking one another for their efforts.  We will surely look forward to seeing them work together on changes to our country in the next four years.

  In voting news, two major and controversial issues were voted upon in some states: the legalization of marijuana and the issue of marriage equality.  Colorado, Montana and Massachusetts were some of the states that voted for legalization of medical marijuana in conjunction with a few more states who voted on less restrictions on their preexisting laws for the drug.  States that legalized same sex marriage were Maine and Maryland, with Washington bringing up the rear as the final tally is counted.  Minnesota also voted for marriage equality, but in a different way.  The vote was against an amendment, with a definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman.  This vote was revolutionary for the state and it is the first state to vote against such an amendment.  We look forward to seeing these two issues resolved all over the country over the next four years.

  As exciting as last night was, refreshing my laptop every 30 seconds, I'm glad it's finally over.  We can now all go back to normal and forget about all of the political jargon that filled our televisions, computers and radios for the last six months or so.  Now what are we going to write about?

First Assignment

  DigBoston is an entirely new and different frontier for news writing.  In fact, a lot of it isn't really news at all; it's more of a local-happenings sort of paper.  Lots of music, food and bar reviews as well as opinion pieces.  One of these columns is called "oh, cruel world!" and is a griping column dedicated to the reader.  I, however, got the pleasure of writing one myself.  Here it is:

To my current roommate and so-called “best guy friend,”

Seriously?  You spend 4 days ignoring the dishes piling up in our sink in lieu of more important things, (ie: Assassin’s Creed III), only to rush them “clean” before your girlfriend comes over.  Like she’s really going to care if your apartment is clean when you two are just going to mess it up again anyway.

Speaking of your girlfriend, you need to take into consideration that your room is not soundproof.  I can hear everything from anywhere in the apartment, so stop waking me up, (apparently your designated fucking time is whenever my alarm goes off).  I don’t care if you got rid of your bed frame and shove a pillow in her face; I have the ears of a hawk.

Lastly, if you touch my food one more time, I will murder you.  You didn’t buy it, so don’t eat it.  I swear, if you go through another half-gallon of milk like it’s the only thing keeping you alive, I will insist you do a gallon challenge, (no, I’m not bluffing).

Sincerely,
The Only Girl Who Lives in The Apartment (until December)

  Having a sense of the tone of the paper, I wrote this based off of other entries from previous issues.  This was fun to write, (and get off my chest), so I'm hoping I have more assignments like this one.  Not bad for my first day?  More to come!

The New Hampshire

  If you happen to pick up a copy of The New Hampshire, the University of New Hampshire's official newspaper, you may find my article talking about the event "Get Out of Bed and Shred" happening on campus this Thursday.  Check it out!  So excited to finally get this done, (and out of the way)!
  Every article I publish I will re-post here, so check back for more as I start my internship with Dig Boston this Thursday!  Hopefully there will be more articles in my future, (and editing jobs).

"UNH to Host Annual 'Get Out of Bed and Shred' Expo"

Balls and Rape

  I highly suggest that if you'd like a laugh, (and a very laid-back view of what's happening in politics right now), to watch these two video clips from Comedy Central, courtesy of The Huffington Post:

Colbert Report

Colbert Report

Jon Stewart

Enjoy:)

Politics and Integrity

  We all understand how important this election is.  We all know how it can be: overwhelming with all the questions, ("Who are you voting for?" "What do you think of this policy/that choice?" etc.), boring with all the arguing on every channel and horrible political advertising that just makes you want to shut your television off.  I've never really been a political person because of these things, and the mere fact that I normally don't pay attention.  Since the start of this news-writing course, I've noticed some trends that happen a lot if you actually know what's going on in politics.
  The first time someone ever asked me who I was voting for was tonight at work.  I knew the moment he came up to my register that somehow we would end up talking politics, (maybe it was the huge Romney button attached to his and his wife's jackets...).  He asked me casually who I was voting for, and I told him I didn't know, because I genuinely don't know.  I hate voicing my opinion because if you even remotely disagree with the person you're talking to, a fight ensues.  Needless to say, we didn't get in a fight, (because I never really answered his question), and I was able to walk away from that uncomfortable moment unscathed.
  I really hate it when people don't respect your opinion.  I understand that there are going to be those people who try to sway you this way or that, but just give it a rest, will you?  No matter how many times you tell me that Romney will have a better education plan or that Obama will make life better for the gay and lesbian communities, it probably won't make me think any different.  I've seen enough in this election to know that both candidates are skating on thin ice and neither one of them is truly good for this country.  Unfortunately, Romney seems less intelligent when he's in front of a camera then in person, but he seems to be closing the presidential race gap slowly but surely.
  I just don't appreciate it when people yell at you for believing in something.  If I had told that guy at work that I was voting for Obama, he would've told me that I was making a terrible choice and that I should consider Romney instead because of reasons A, B and C.  Not taking into consideration that I may be a stupid Liberal hippie-ass who doesn't know any better and attacks poor, innocent Republicans without warning.  Fortunately, I'm good at my job, so I faked a smile and agreed with whatever he said.  His wife proceeded to bombard me with a telling account of a political chat room she had used in which a liberal punk shot down a defenseless Republican girl for valuing Romney.  I'm just sick of the bullshit and I'm tired of pretending to be someone I'm not.
  So, for future reference, at this point in time I have no idea who I'm voting for, or if I'm even voting.  Yes, I said it: I don't even know if I'm going to vote.  It's not that I don't want to, (only 30-40% of me doesn't want to), but I'll probably forget or won't have time to drive all the way back home to spend money and vote at town hall.  I honestly don't even know what day it's on.  But that's my right, so anyone who has anything bad to say about it can suck it.  I can't wait until this election is OVER.

The Presidential Debate

  Everyone is talking about Mitt Romney and President Obama after their heated debate at Hofstra University last week.  Needless to say, it was entertaining.  But the real entertainment came when SNL finally spoofed the debate, along with the infamous fact-checking from Candy Crowley.

  Who better to play Mitt Romney than Jason Sudeikis?  Although he is rumored to be leaving Saturday Night Live after the political season, he will still portray both Mitt Romney and Joe Biden during the debate season.
  Jay Pharoah has also done an excellent job portraying President Obama in the political sketches.  Jay Pharoah started as a featured comedian on the show, but after the departure of Kristin Wiig and Andy Samberg, the featured artists got spots as formal cast members.  Pharoah has done an amazing job with his impersonations, from Denzel Washington to Will Smith to President Obama.

  Look for both of these actors and more during the political season on SNL to get a funny spin on politics.  Election is right around the corner...

"Suspected" Murder?

  So over the last week or so, the UNH campus has suffered a huge loss in Elizabeth "Lizzi" Marriott's death.  According to multiple reports, she disappeared last Tuesday night after class in Dover or Portsmouth, then a Dover resident and UNH alum was arrested in connection with her murder.  The catch: they still haven't found her body.  My questions are: how can they convict this guy of murder when they haven't found her body yet, and what evidence do they have to go on, seeing as he's obviously not telling them where he put her, why would he tell them that he killed her?
  This whole case, as tragic as it is already, is even more confusing.  When I first heard about it through the campus email alert system, I was shocked.  I'm used to seeing emails about reported muggings, fights, and sexual abuse cases, but it's rare that we have a student who goes missing and then is confirmed, but not found, dead within a week.  Where are the police and investigators getting their information?  I don't mean any disrespect, but they should've found her by now, with an already convicted felon in their custody, he has nothing left to lose.  Why not give up the location of the body?
  I will keep an eye on this story in case it starts to make sense.  I hope they do find her, and soon, so that he family can grieve properly without the uncertainty of whether or not they'll get to bring her home.  The way the story was publicized, (first they said she went missing, then they said they were performing searches around Portsmouth, then they said "never mind, there's nothing to see here..." followed by the arrest of Mr. Mazzaglia, then the continued search for her body just after she wasn't officially confirmed dead, etc.), was all wrong.  Now that the press and police finally have at least some important facts to this story, I'm hoping they can make better sense of it as the search continues and the convicted confesses.

Dig Boston

  Dig Boston is an alternative weekly newsletter.  They promote humor in their stories, giving a real taste at the world of twenty-something journalists.  This group of publishers work on everything from beer reviews to movie and show reviews to musician interviews and beyond.  This paper supports local news as well as national and emphasizes local artwork on their cover pages.  It just so happens that I recently got accepted for an internship here for the editorial department.  To say I'm excited about this opportunity is an understatement, but I'll do my best.  I can't wait to join this team of journalists!

For more Dig Boston, check out their website.

Funny News

  A lot of people get their news from the television and from the newspaper.  Usually it's the same old boring news, (deaths, fires, accidents, political up-risings, etc.).  Sometimes people need a fresh new taste on how they receive their news.  These examples provide the comic relief we all need:

  The Daily Show:  Jon Stewart could be considered a genius.  Yes, I know it's not exactly published news, but it is news nonetheless.  Stewart gives the viewer a new spin on the most popular pieces of news.  Satire is extremely effective in conveying a certain attitude about a point.  Stewart frequently gives his opinion on many of the issues he discusses.  He also interviews many famous and newsworthy people, (according to The Associated Press, Obama will be making an appearance).

  The Colbert Report:  Another Comedy Central show focusing on the news in an entirely different way.  Stephen Colbert has a similar set up as Stewart, but in a more theatrical sense.  He too has guest speakers, all the while mocking them and sometimes fighting against them.  These are all tactics to make the show, and the news, more interesting.  Personally, I've seen authors and politicians I've never heard of before, but always learn something about them from Colbert, (the author wrote a controversial book about gay marriage or the politician in Michigan is voting for a waffle tax, etc.).

  Weekend Update:  Who said you couldn't get briefed on the latest news one the weekend?  Saturday Night Live has found a way to let news into it's sketch comedy.  Seth Meyers has taken the reigns to this steady flow of comedy, following such great work from cast members like Jimmy Fallon and Amy Poehler.  You have to keep a straight face if you're in this line of work, but with his "guest appearances," you never know what might happen.

*If anyone else finds an example of "funny" or interesting news, tweet them with the hash tag #funnynews

Political Madness

  Lately the news has been full of political issues due to the upcoming election.  The debate the other night sparked an uproar among Obama supporters and a surge of support from Romney supporters.  All manners of media are making sure that the coverage of every political story is solid and informative.  In every section of the news, from humor to education, politics are the main focus.
  The CEO of PBS spoke out against Romney and his comments during the debate, saying that it's "stunning" that Romney would put more focus on her organization than on the real issues surrounding the country.  She also went on to mention that PBS gets no direct money from the government, and what little money they do receive goes directly to their sister stations.  Romney's attack on Big Bird also sparked a new Twitter account, @FiredBigBird, in which a lot of people are saying "Big Bird for President."  The support for PBS has been overwhelming.
  In the aftermath of the debate, there's another big event happening on Saturday night.  "The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium," featuring Bill O'Reilly and Jon Stewart will take place tomorrow night, and Jon Stewart wasted no time in preparing for his legendary debate.  He enlisted the help of his colleague Stephen Colbert to help him "train" for his match-up against O'Reilly.  Colbert insisted that Stewart "Always Be Attacking," then proceeded to let a chicken lose in the studio and instructed Stewart to catch the bird and then clean his Audi with it.  Needless to say, I feel that Stewart is more then prepared to go up against O'Reilly tomorrow night.
  Daryl Hannah was arrested recently for protesting an oil pipeline in Texas.  The pipeline is being set to pump crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.  Hannah and the landowner, 78-year-old Eleanor Fairchild, were both arrested after protesting by standing in front of the machinery that is being used to set up the pipeline.  In my opinion, as heroic as her actions were, the "hippie" approach rarely works outside of the movies.
  Lastly, a bit of local politics: a new law passed in NH may cost Newmarket schools hundreds of dollars.  The new law is set to provide students with disabilities funding to go to outside charter schools.  This money would come directly from the school districts in order to help those families afford transportation costs among other things.  This is going to hurt the schools in a big way in comparison to before, when the state assisted these families.  As Newmarket is an already small district, this may effect the over-all quality of their educational system.  As a new substitute teacher to this district, I feel that this may effect me in some way eventually.  I'll keep an eye out on this story and see if it develops further.

Students Make The News

  I've noticed lately that there have been many students in the news, mostly for negative things.  It's not often that students make national news, but when it's tragic or devastating, the whole country has to know about it.  I guess it's to make everyone feel like it could happen anywhere; even their own local university.
  The first story I read was about a girl named Alexandra Kogurt, who was murdered in her dorm room at SUNY by her boyfriend, who didn't go there.  As usual, the reporter described her in good light: good student, attractive, many friends, freshman in college, her whole life ahead of her, etc.  I feel bad for her, but at the same time, this happens way too often.  Girlfriends getting choked and slammed to death by their boyfriends who, "wouldn't hurt anybody" or "never acted like that before."  Not everyone is innocent, but if you suspect that you or a friend may be in an abusive relationship, I would hope that you would remember these stories as a warning and tell someone.
  The second story was about a guy named Alexander, (ironically).  Although he didn't die, he definitely could have.  "Xander" Broughton, 20, a member of Pi Kappa Alpha, was hospitalized for a blood-alcohol content of .448 percent.  This was from allegedly "butt chugging" some Franzia blush wine, (meaning someone inserted a rubber tube up his butt hole and proceeded to pour wine into it slowly).  This process has apparently become more popular recently, (maybe and hopefully not up here, but we never know).  I can't understand why, because there's nothing on earth that would make me want to do this.  Embarrassingly enough, they got the poor kid's name, his Greek organization, (which has been suspended upon further review), his university and what type of alcohol they were using, (box wine?.....really guys?)  Then he goes and tells everyone that there's no way he could do such a thing.  Seriously?  They have the proof, the least you could do is make yourself look like less of an ass.
  The third story regarding students is from South Georgia Tech. College.  Adrianna Rhine, 19, died in a fountain on campus with her three-year-old son right near her, completely unharmed.  The details of this incident are still underdeveloped, but it seems to be an accident so far.  Unfortunately, this child of hers will have to grow up without a mother.
  These stories are all about students, and yet they're all different.  They each have something different to attract the reader to them.  From death, to stupidity, to tragic accidents, these are all what make us as readers want to read them,  It's what gives them flavor and pull.

Ending a Week of News

  Here are just a few articles I've read over the last few days...

1. The murderer of a little Iowa girl was sentenced, (he's already in jail on child porn charges, due to get out in 2026...probably not happening anymore).  Did I mention he was the girl's mother's fiance at one point?  Terrifying, but true.

2. An adorable six-year-old child tells everyone how to love.  Everyone should think like this.

3. Erin Moran, from "Happy Days" has been evicted from her trailer park home after causing a disturbance.  Just another example of how being a washed-up celebrity is a constant struggle.

4. Speaking of washed-up celebrities, apparently Arnold Schwarzenegger had not one, but two separate affairs, this new one supposedly with Brigitte Nielsen, back when he was dating Maria Shriver.  In his new book "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story" Schwarzenegger tells all about his life and his mistakes.  Who would've thought that celebrities could make mistakes?

5. Lastly, according to the Huffington Post, Obama would win the election if it were held right now.  Where Obama is narrowing in on the electoral votes, Romney just seems to be slipping away.  Romney should hope to beef up his campaign and win the votes in the last few states before voting happens in November, or Obama will win a second term.  Some people are still on the fence about that possibility, but at the moment, it seems like a valuable option.  We'll see what happens I guess.  

Police Report: Woman Pulls One Over on Retail Store

  Portsmouth- A popular retail store was robbed last night after a run-in with a local habitual offender.  Katrina McLoughlin, 21, of 24 Winchester Street in Portsmouth, entered the Bed Bath and Beyond on Durgin Lane last night around 8:15pm.
  According to surveillance video and store employees, McLoughlin entered the store with a shopping cart and a young child.  She then proceeded to the kitchen gadgets section where she picked up a Brita faucet mount and a package of filters.  It is believed that she placed the items in her purse.  About five minutes later, she approached an employee and claimed she had a return outside in her car, then left the store with the child, returning with a small bag with the items inside.
  After she completed the return, McLoughlin shopped around the store until closing time, around 9:00pm, when she approached the customer service desk and used the store credit to purchase other items.  After she left the store, the manager logged her license plate number and called other local stores to warn them of this theft.
  Upon further investigation, the manager found that McLoughlin had previously been arrested on possession of narcotics this past January.  If anyone notices any suspicious activity from this woman, please don't hesitate to contact local police.

Lockouts, A Fat Lady and Honey Boo Boo

  So I read a whole mess of stuff this week, (so far), and I have to say, the news is pretty interesting.  It's hard to stay focused on anything when there is all this news going around.  We have to stay on top of things!

  First, I'd like to address the replacement refs and the current lockout, which is devastating to the NFL at this point.  An article I read today claimed that they may be formulating an agreement with the regular refs in time for this weekend.  So everyone pray to the football gods that there is justice on Sunday.  I really don't think anyone can stomach another game like the ones they've been calling.  Good thing the Red Sox ended on a good note...oh wait...

  Second, I'd like to mention Romney, (briefly), in order to call attention to some of the things that the Republican party might do for education, if elected.  In one of my education courses we talked about the political stances on education and what each party will bring to the table.  Since this will directly effect future teachers, (like myself), I was concerned particularly with the Republican platform.  This platform included things such as prayer in school, "English only" education, no multicultural or language studies, and no coverage of Native Americans or slavery in American History, (basically having more of a focus on American pride), just to name a few.  I think I speak for a lot of people when I say this is complete crap.  If he thinks that this is encouraging to voters, then he's sorely mistaken.  However, as recent news shows, Romney has lost a great deal of momentum in this race, so our education may be saved, (for now).

  The next story I'd like to discuss would be a huge, 1,100 pound woman named Mayra Rosales, who claimed she killed her nephew by sitting on him.  Apparently she lied and was only trying to protect her sister, who was actually beating her child to death.  That's definitely someone worth saving...  I'm sorry, and I know it's your sister, but Mayra, if she's constantly beating the kids at home, is it really worth it to save her from going to jail so the kids can keep their mother around?  I'm sure her kids are like, "No, Aunt Mayra, it's cool.  Mom can totally go to jail for abuse, it's cool.  We'll be safer in foster care."  I mean really?  The other thing is the fact that her lie was actually believable, the poor lady.  She was willing to go to jail and possibly face the death penalty for her awful sister, just because she was too fat.  That's a new level of horrible, and I'm sad that she has to be hospitalized now, but it's probably for her own good.  I mean, she can't even leave her bed, so what kind of life is that?

  Lastly, (and I know you're all dying to hear this), Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has been renewed for another season, complete with holiday specials!  The fact that this was even a part of the Huffington Post entertainment section is a testament to how ridiculous this show is...  Watch it, don't watch it, Honey Boo Boo don't care.  Clearly TLC is moving to a whole new level of crazy.

Inspiration

  This is what made me want to write.  All of my writing experience culminates from this editors note.

    I am on a mission to be a great writer.  A good friend once told me that all great writers try to see everything.  Okay, here goes:
    I knew this guy once.  He used to be a bajillionaire.  Now he rides a bike.  Want to know the freaky part?  He says the bike's better.  Please write in if you think he's lying.
    There's a difference between looking at stuff and really seeing it.  To really see, you've got to get a closer look.  
    I've noticed that, sometimes, stuff you think is broken forever is actually totally fixable.  But some stuff is supposed to fall apart.  Speaking of which, certain "high ranking officials" of a certain "secret club" had better de-dorkify themselves in a hurry...  Or else everybody's going back to where they were in the first place.  This reporter believes that de-dorkification is a difficult, but not impossible, process.  Mostly, you've got to want to be cured.  But I'm pretty sure it's a two steps forward, one step back kind of deal.
    In theater news, Miss Elson's sixth grade holiday pageant was the theatrical controversy of the season. Some were happy to see it, and who am I to argue?  Others say...it stunk.  This reporter has no comment.  And hey, stupid school board, give Miss Elson a raise, would you?  She's not so bad as teachers go.  And she puts up with a lot.
    There's evidence to suggest that Janie Gibbs will grow up to be the world's greatest scientist.  So far, she has shown amazing progress in the areas of mold manipulation and chemical combustibles.  
    We have also learned that Sport's father is rolling in dough from his latest book, which just goes to show, if you stick to what you love...and work like a dog...you will succeed.
    For those of you who don't know, a retraction is when a newspaper takes something back.  This newspaper would like to retract certain statements in a certain notebook which may have hurt certain people's feelings.  They were lies, and those that weren't lies...were mean.  Like, just because a person's father is far away does not mean he doesn't love you.  Anyway, don't think about it.
    The truth is important, but so are your friends.  And if you can have them both, then it's a good life.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent, Harriet M. Welsch.

-Harriet the Spy, 1996

Leads

  As I've learned through this class, there are many leads to start a news story.  A typical lead starts with a summary of the main part of the story, followed by supporting paragraphs explaining what happened in detail.  Besides the summary lead, there are three others that I've noticed while reading through recent news stories.  Here are some fun examples and explanations of the types of articles and leads I've encountered so far this week.

  Blind Lead:  This type of lead leaves the reader in the dark about the true idea of the story.  In this example, the lead mentions another movie that's being released at the same time, on Christmas Day, before mentioning the main focus, Les Miserables.

  Wordplay Lead:  The lead in this example starts with a popular reference to baseball, hinting at the negative aspects of the story at the same time.  This type of lead plays on words, using puns and satire to make a point at the beginning of a story.

  Direct Address Lead:  These leads refer to the reader in a second-person point of view.  This article implies the second-person by asking a question to the reader.  It's very effective in creating suspense at the start of an article.

In The Field

  This past Monday we split up into groups to scour the campus for acceptable news stories.  Our group explored the downtown area of Durham to get some information on new local businesses and how they're coping with the competition.  We stopped by Aroma Joe's, The Candy Shop, and Tedeschi's Food Shop and got some interesting feedback on student and other business involvement in the community.  We learned that Aroma Joe's is accepting of the challenge set forth by Breaking New Grounds, Dunkin Donuts and other coffee shops located in and around campus to compete for customers.  The Candy Shop is working together with Hayden Sports Complex to bring in new customers for the new school year by handing out coupons.  Tedeschi's and other convenient stores in the area are cracking down on students buying liquor by checking IDs and confiscating fake driver's licenses.  All of these businesses have their own concerns and issues surrounding profit.
  It surprised me that our group found so many interesting story ideas just down the street from campus. Obviously the bars are going to have issues with weekend drinking and transportation, but the new businesses in Durham have the hard job of defining themselves in an already packed space, complete with other local businesses that have held that ground for decades in some cases.  The experience taught me that you can potentially find a good story anywhere you go, in or out of town.
  I think local beat pieces are important because they show what's important in the community.  It's helpful when I'm looking for my own story ideas to look in the local news and advertisements around my town to know what's going on and what would be neat to cover in a story.  Definitely walking around and getting out into the field, just talking to people at restaurants and other locals about the goings-on in a place helps build story potential.
  An interesting story I found recently is one about Jesus, in which a Harvard professor translated an ancient piece of paper to read about a potential female disciple, and possibly his wife.  I found this interesting because of the perspective of the professor, being a female and advocating for the possibility of Jesus having a wife.  Obviously there's a lot of controversy about this topic, especially from the Vatican's point of view, but I'd love to see where this story goes, if anywhere.  It would be interesting to see a follow up story about what other historians think about this theory.

College Life and Entertainment

  Lately I've been reading a lot about college news, in order to get a better sense of what is going on outside of New Hampshire and UNH.  I recently read about a few college campuses being evacuated over bomb threats, which seems surreal to me as a student at another very crowded campus.  One of the articles focusing on the University of Texas at Austin claimed that the campus received a phone call from an Al-Qaeda representative responsible for the threat.  The other similar articles that were about North Dakota State and Hiram College in Ohio did not mention phone calls, but focused more on the evacuation, keeping every other detail under wraps.  It seems like the backlash from the anti-Muslim film and the riots overseas have begun to hit home somehow.  I will definitely pay more attention to what's going on as the stories develop to see if we could potentially be threatened here at home.
  Also, following up on the Chicago teacher's strike, it seems as though wealthy donors have been working to change the union policy surrounding the state.  According to this article, the teachers strike is reaching it's imminent close, but I find that hard to believe.  I guess the donors had a hand in reforming the policy to cater more towards teacher evaluations and making teacher pay contingent on these evaluations and performance, rather than seniority.  It's interesting to me because I may potentially end up as a teacher who has a part in a union, which are good and bad, depending on who you talk to.  I will search for more articles on education so I can be more up to speed on what's going on in the field that I am going to enter someday.
  The other articles I've read are about Kate Middleton and a University of Idaho fraternity brother falling off the roof of his house.  Obviously Kate caused a huge panic in the royal community with her topless photos featured in a french magazine, but the British locals are giving her much needed support.  The majority believe Kate is innocent, and having been on private property the paparazzi should be respectful of that privacy.  Needless to say that will probably never happen, but the fact that nobody thinks she was in the wrong does help her credibility, (at least somewhat).  The article talked about Princess Diana and how the royal family has always looked down on the paparazzi, so this brought back a lot of painful memories for them especially.
  Now the University of Idaho article really got my attention, not just because it mentioned Greek life on campus, but because of the language they used.  They mentioned the word "frat" which is a word that is frowned upon in most Greek organizations.  Being an alumna of a fraternity myself, I saw this word as demeaning toward the Greek community and made this poor guy seem like your stereotypical "frat bro."  Even though his actions probably deserve this treatment, I just feel that a lot of people think of us as heavy drinking, hazing young college students who don't care about their studies.  This may be true for some, but the majority of Greek organizations put a heavy emphasis on studies and grades in order to meet certain guidelines and requirements.  Each Greek organization has it's own standards, and we each must meet this standard in order to be considered for anything, such as a promotion on a Greek council, going to a Greek event, participating in sports or games, and going on Greek-sponsored trips, (to name a few).  The article just made me think about how the media portrays Greek life and how often they focus on the bad rather than the good that we do for each community we serve.  Each Greek organization has it's own philanthropy, and we strive to do the most we can for the our own community service project.
  The news we read often sways our views in one direction or another, and I've noticed many articles are biased at times.  I find the power that each article holds to be interesting and I am curious to see which articles hold the most power.

Death and Destruction

  As you may have guessed, this title sums up most of the articles I've been reading over the past few days.  Recently the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Syria has taken over many of the front pages I frequent, making it a hard article to avoid.  With new details emerging every day, it seems like this story might be around for awhile.  I find it interesting that there are other articles directly associated with Obama and how he's handling this situation, especially in the wake of his speech at the DNC.  I believe he had talked about how the fighting was almost over in Iraq and Afghanistan, but I can't quite remember what he said about Syria...  Apparently he spoke too soon, regardless.
  Another article I found intriguing was one about the Chicago Teachers Union and the strike that has so far lasted four days, (the "destruction" of Chicago's education system).  Recently in one of my classes, I read an older article about the Chicago school systems and how they were looking to reform somehow.  The teachers have now taken education into their own hands, however the mayor seems less than thrilled about it.  From the way the current article is written, I get the sense that the mayor of Chicago doesn't care about the teacher's wages, but just wants kids back in school.  Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'll let you decide.  I think it's great that he's worried about the kids education being disrupted and parents being inconvenienced, but he should also be showing some willingness to cooperate with the teachers union.  The article made him sound like it was a chore to him, and that it's the teachers' fault that the students aren't getting an education right now.  I'm not sure why the pay increase wasn't enough for them, but it's not entirely the teachers' fault for striking and leaving a lot of students out of school.
  Maybe it's just because I'm an English Teaching major, but the second article that I read resonated more with what I pay attention to on a daily basis.  As I take note of this, I might try to read more about education in the online news archives to see what's happening on that end of the spectrum.  It might come in handy at the end of this semester, when I'm thrown into the real world.

My News Diet

  I generally read the news most often when I get up in the morning.  This is when I get settled, sit down with my coffee and look into interesting happenings around the world.  Mostly I seem to be attracted to strange phenomenons, ugly massacres, weird people, or celebrity gossip.  I love reading about the worlds smallest people meeting for the first time or some mom in Idaho kept her young daughter locked up in a room for four years of her life.  These are the stories I crave.
  So I will read them, every day, just to keep up the pace.  I can't guarantee that I can and will read the news on a certain four day stretch because my schedule is constantly changing, so I will do my best to read everything I can before Saturday.  I would like to work towards being more informed about the world before this class is over.
  I don't plan to time myself; this sets a limit on how much I can read, so I'm just going to read for as long as I want.  That way I'm not under pressure to get anything done in a certain time.  The news is constantly changing, and I'd like to see that change develop over time.

Definition of News

  My definition of news is when events happen and are talked about, written about or shown to the world on a vast scale.  News is everywhere, and it differs from place to place, depending on where you are in the world.  Each person has their own life and story to tell, and those that are extraordinary become news.  There are as many ways to live as there are people in this world, and each one deserves a closer look.