Final J305 Story (#6)

During dead week and finals week, students spends most of their time studying at a local coffee shop in downtown Pullman. But when the Daily Grind closes at 11:30 p.m., the students pack up their books and head over to the Compton Union Building on the Washington State University campus.

The CUB is the center of activity on campus. Students are always flowing in and out of its doors to grab a snack from the food court or print off a last minute paper before class.

The CUB is extending its hours during dead week and finals week. During the other 13 weeks of the semester, the CUB is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. However, during the final two weeks of the semester, the CUB opens its doors for 24-hour operation starting the Wednesday of dead week through Friday of finals week.

According to Ashley Fagerlie, Assistant Director of Marketing Services, this strategy was implemented in the fall of 2008 when the new building opened.

“We are open 24/7 during these weeks to better accommodate students as they are studying for their finals,” said Fagerlie.

One of the accommodations the CUB offers besides the 24-hour open doors, are complimentary cookies and coffee between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Many students are very ecstatic about the 24/7 policy. Cat Holm, an intercultural communication and human development major absolutely loves the new hours.

“It makes it easier to study, especially when the library closes but I want to able to continue to study instead of going home,” said Holm. “And if I need a break, I can go watch the TV in The Lair and take some time to relax a bit.”

Courtney Clark, a criminal justice major, agrees with Holm. She is sitting at a table in the CUB flipping through her study guide for her final on Monday.

“I really appreciate getting away from a busy house and having some quiet time to concentrate,” said Clark. “The 24/7 policy gives students a place to study when other places are closed.”

She wrapped her hands around a cup of coffee, took a sip, and laughed. “Did I mention the free coffee?” said Clark.

While many students take advantage of the CUB’s late hours and free refreshments, many student employees dread the extended hours. Andrea Burke, a facility operations manager, is used to the late shifts normally scheduled.

“Most of my shifts are from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. which is fine, but I have class at 9 a.m. so sometimes I will skip it because I am so tired from work.”

Burke is scheduled to work the Friday before finals week from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. She has a study group for one of her finals at 7 p.m. but will have to skip it because she could not find anyone to cover her shift.

“Many people are not willing to come in so late on Friday, especially when Ludacris is performing at Beasley Coliseum tonight,” said Burke with a shrug.

The CUB student employees are responsible for managing and exchanging their shift times. If a student has a shift during a final, they are accountable to find someone to cover that shift.

“As a student, I appreciate that the CUB is open and available to students,” said Burke. “But as an employee, it is a bit more stressful because we are the ones who have to make those free cookies and coffee.”

Kayla Griffin, a broadcast major, is satisfied with the 24/7 policy starting on the Wednesday of dead week rather than Monday.

“I think Wednesday of dead week and on is when most of the finals week studying gets done,” said Griffin. “I don’t think many students start studying on Monday or Tuesday.”

Nicole Van Dyk, a civil engineering major, does not agree with Griffin’s statement.

“I think the 24/7 policy should start the Monday of dead week because many students have lab finals, presentations, and projects that are due during dead week,” said Dyk. “The CUB’s later hours make it easier to get group projects done because you can work with group members’ schedules.”

The CUB has been serving student’s needs since 1946.

###

The Secret

I like making myself miserable sometimes

Answering a question next to Bill Gates

Why do we use Facebook? Are we seeking content or connections?

I believe many people use Facebook in order to seek connections. Many people use Facebook to find old friends from different high schools or colleges,to find colleagues at work and potential clients. Facebook can also be used for networking. I do no believe many people use Facebook for content. There is a lot of content on Facebook that could not be considered reliable or even newsworthy.

Who/Whom

Post your answers on your blog.

1. (Who/Whom) did you go to the game with? Whom

2. She’s the student (who/whom) writes the best articles.Who

3. (Who/Whom) did you vote for? Whom

4. (Who/Whom) failed the quiz? Who

5. We know (who/whom) pulled that prank.Who

6. We want to know on (who/whom) the prank was pulled. Whom

Libel or Not?

It is not libel because the tabloid newspaper did not knowingly publish false information.

Best Lede for J305 section 3

WSU student Miranda M Crowell, 21, runs her fingers anxiously through her hair and chews her bottom lip as she stands at Chevron, watching the total price of her gas purchase rise higher and higher.

News Feature

Imagine getting a bus ride to Washington State University, eating lunch at a dining center, getting a grand tour of the campus and residence halls, attending an academic workshop, and getting to work out at the Student Recreation Center. All for free.

This is a typical day at a Future Cougars of Color visit. However, according to Anthony Smith, a Clerical Assistant for FCOC, this was not how the program was when he first attended a visit.

“Currently, FCOC has been focusing on the recruitment aspect rather than the retention aspect.” said Smith.

According to the “Visitation Attendance Trends” graph from 2005-2011, the 2007 FCOC visit turnout consisted of 120 students. Comparatively, the 2011 FCOC visit had a turnout of 580 students.

FCOC students who have been retained without assistance from the program are in the 90^th percentile. This was because those students were carefully selected and brought to the university. Currently, this number is dropping to the 80^th and 85^th percentile because FCOC is not bringing in the quality students the program was originally seeking; now, anyone can sign up.

Smith said that FCOC is all about growth, networking and making sure students are appropriately prepared for a college level education and atmosphere.

“We lose sight of that when we bring in a lot of people,” said Smith. “FCOC should bring it back down to 250 students maximum. Students want that small intimate feeling, to know there is a support network here to support them along the way.”

Monica Palmer, who attended the FCOC visit in 2007, agreed with Smith. She said when she received a letter from the FCOC about a scholarship, she felt special.

“Having a more close knit group kind of made us feel important, that we were chosen to come,” said Palmer. “I definitely felt everyone was kind of a family.”

Smith experienced a similar situation. “We did a lot more bonding because we were such a small group and we had the opportunity to do more activities at a faster rate,” Smith remembered fondly.

Andre Jensen, who also attended the FCOC visit in 2007, disagreed with both Smith and Palmer.

“I feel like FCOC being a recruitment tool definitely has more ups then downs,” said Jensen. “I understand the basis for using a merit based scholarship program. But at the same time a lot of people don't realize their full potential until they get to college. A person who really didn't shine much in high school could come to WSU and be a total badass.”

The closing ceremony at the end of past visits was very formal compared to recent closing ceremonies. The scholars used to have a nice sit down dinner at SEL Event Center where WSU faculty and current students could mingle and answer any questions or concerns the scholars had.

In addition to the smaller number of FCOC scholars, there were also ten extra scholarships handed out, including a $10,000, $5,000, and $3,000 scholarship.

The program has crossed hands fives times in the past four years alone. Michelle Henely of Student Affairs and Enrollment is next in line to take over the FCOC program for the following year. However, it will still be focused on recruitment rather than retention.

“I definitely think FCOC would benefit more from keeping it a hand-picked, small-applicant scholarship,” said Palmer. “However, I understand their goal is to bring in as many people as possible. But I do wish they had kept it to a select few and kept it that family oriented special feeling kind of program.”

An FCOC focus group was conducted to discuss potential improvements to the program. They decided selecting students to attend the FCOC visit was a more effective option for admitting motivated students rather than letting anyone join.

However, no changes have been made yet. Donors are leaving the program and scholarships are becoming scarce.

“In reality, the FCOC program is just a visitation,” said Smith. “No one wants to deal with it. This will lead to the demise of the FCOC program if no one steps up to change it.”

News Feature Contact Information and Outline

Contact Information:

Andre Jensen: jensenandre@yahoo.com

Monica Palmer: monica.palmer@email.wsu.edu.

Anthony Smith: wasmiths1807u1@gmail.com

Outline:

I.          Anecdote

-What happens at an FCOC visit.

II.   Lede: Currently, FCOC has been focusing on the recruitment aspect rather than the retention aspect.

III. Body

-       Visitation Attendance Trends graph statistics from 2007 and 2011.

-       FCOC student retention rate.

-       Opinion on the number of students attending FCOC visit.

-       Quotes from Anthony Smith, Monica Palmer and Andre Jensen.

-       Comparison between 2011 and 2007 closing ceremony and scholarships available.

-       How the program has been directed in the past and future.

-       FCOC focus group findings.

IV. Conclusion/Tip

-Quote from Anthony Smith about FCOC.

Is it libelous?

As we pursue our features, let's stop and talk about libel law. Read the four statements below. Are they libelous? Why or why not? Post your answers to your blog.


1. “Megan Fox is a man!” Headline on Weekly World News Web site
Yes. This statement is an example of defamation and is a false statement.

2. “Up until the day he died, he was a brilliant writer. But the drugs made him a thief, a pimp and a liar,” said friend Karen Smith, who was with Johnson at the time of his death.
No. This man is dead and cannot defend himself, prove that the statement false, nor sue for libel.

3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist,” the prosecutor told the jury.
No. The opinion is spoken in a court of law and protected under the Fair Report privilege.

4. "In my opinion, he's a murdering rapist," the man said at the rally.
Yes. There is no protection from the law.

Ayman Mohyeldin talk

After the talk, post a lede, two quotations, your three questions, and a nut graph about Mohyeldin's talk.

Lede: Ayman Mohyeldin, the Middle East correspondent for the English channel Al-Jazeera, spoke to WSU students about the rise of revolutions in the Middle East.

Three Questions:
1. Does the success of the revolution in Egypt show that social media can be powerful?
2. While being detained, were you scared? and did you anticipate being detained?
3. What advice would you give aspiring journalists?

Trend Story Outline and Contact Information

Contact Information

1.     Eddie Aviles (360) 853-6139

2.     George Castro (509) 335-3397

3.     Ron Lo (949) 282-8594

Outline

I.          Anecdote

-about FCOC student and why he made the decision to attend WSU

II.   Lede: the number of high school students who have attended an FCOC visit has              increased from 2005 to 2011.

III. Body

-Trend statistics

- cause of increase in FCOC participants

- quote from FCOC participant

-purpose of FCOC program and visit

-How to apply for FCOC

IV. Conclusion/Tip

-FCOC impacts WSU

Trend Story

Eddie Aviles remembers fondly when he sent in his acceptance to the University of Washington. It was only an offhand chance, he said, that he decided to attend the Future Cougars of Color Visit and Scholarship Program at Washington State University. Throughout the program, Aviles learned more about what WSU had to offer and was even interviewed for the chance to be awarded a higher scholarship.

After being introduced into the FCOC program and realizing what it had to offer, Eddie immediately called admissions at the University of Washington and terminated his acceptance and admission.

Eddie then joined the ranks of the many high school students who had participated in FCOC and therefore decided to attend Washington State University.

The number of high school students attending the Future Cougars of Color Visit and Scholarship Program at Washington State University has increased significantly from 2005 to 2011.

According to the “Visitation Attendance Trends” graph from 2005-2011, the 2005 FCOC visit turnout consisted of 88 students. Comparatively, this weekend the sixth annual FCOC visit has an expected turnout of 580 students. The program has increased its FCOC attendance by more than 500 percent. This rise in attendees is quite the morale booster for those involved in the FCOC program.

This increase can potentially be due to the incentive of a scholarship as well as all expenses paid while attending the FCOC program.

All attendees receive a $4,000 scholarship paid out at $1,000 per year. The program also includes a chance to compete for a scholarship program awarded at almost $20,000. This scholarship money could be the difference between whether a student attends WSU or not.

WSU student Ron Lo, a marketing major, attended the FCOC visit in 2008. For Lo, this experience determined his choice in a university.

“That $4,000 scholarship helped with the financial burden of college and sealed the deal for WSU as my choice college,” said Lo. “The scholarship showed that the people here really cared about me as a person rather than just another statistic.”

The FCOC program began in 2004 as a recruitment program for high-achieving students in the state of Washington. Eligible students come to WSU’s Pullman campus for a weekend visit in the spring to tour classrooms, eat in the dining centers and meet current students and faculty.

Confidential Secretary of Student Affairs George Castro said this weekend is designed to give students an introduction to the university.

“We want to make the idea of college more accessible to more people,” Castro said.

In fact, the FCOC program is mostly intended for students who may have never considered attending a university.

“The main focus of the FCOC program is not to see how many high school students we can get to attend WSU but to see how many first generation college students we can get to visit WSU,” said Castro.

To attend the FCOC visit, students must have applied for admission and scholarships by the Jan 31 deadline and have been offered admission to WSU. In order to be considered for other scholarships besides the one already offered, students must attend an interview, a group activity and a review of academic and personal achievements

The FCOC program and visits are one of the ways WSU is encouraging diversity in its student body and recognizing the changing demographics of Washington state.

Trends in Local Government

I. State and Local

2. There was an increase in food stamps in Washington state by 27.7%. Nationally, it increased by 19.8%.





d. 1) It dropped 12.5 percent.
2) $183,700, it went up .2 percent
3) Median resale home price jumped up 50 percent from 37 percent last quarter.




b. 3) There have been 6 murders in Whitman County since 1990.
4) 14 rapes
5) 4 adults were arrested for rape.
6) Crime Index measures all crimes reported and Adult Arrests are measure the number of adults arrested for commiting crimes.
7)11 months is the average number of jail sentences for sex crimes in 2009.
8) 64.4 months is the average number of prison sentences for sex crimes in 2009. Difference due to severity of crime.

Twitter Blog!

3. http://twitter.com/#!/IISRADIO

Critiquing Twitter Tweet

Pot arrests disproportionately high in Pullman

This story does a good job of giving the statistics of arrests for marijuana possession for three years at Washington State University in a graph. It helps with the visual aid.
However, the store focuses more on student athletes getting arrested rather then ordinary students. The fact that they are student athletes just makes the basic story of marijuana possession, even more popular in the media's eye. Any scandal related to student athletes and drug possession definitely grabs the media's attention.
This story also needs a bigger city comparison with regards to arrests for marijuana possession.

Hurricane Katrina picture observations

Picture #1:
1. The policemen are all white and the accused man is black.
2. Amid the devestation left behind by Katrina, crimes such as looting are still being enforced by the law.
3. All they found in his bag was beer. His looting did not consist of high value items but rather cold drinks.

Picture #2:
1. The storm hit so fast, many residents did not have time to grab possessions, especially necessary items such as shoes.
2. The material the shoes are complied of has a scary yet inspiring message typed on them 'keep moving'.
3. The simplicity and desparate way the shoes are held together shows how easy it is to lose everything that we take for granted.

J425 Stories

Pick one of these stories and answer the following questions on your blog:
Social Media Monitoring of Athletes on the Rise by Ryan Burnett

1. How does the writer use personal accounts and anecdotes to enrich the story?
2. What evidence does the writer provide to demonstrate the subject's story is part of a larger trend or problem?

1. The twitter postings and comments from the basketball players.
2. The trend of athletes posting on social networking sites can be harmful to the players life after college and media image.

2 potential stories

1. AFFORDABLE HOUSING: A full-timer worker earning minimum wage ($8.07) in Washington would need to work close to 80 hours per week for 52 weeks a year in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent.

2. HEALTH: homeless children in Washington are also more than twice as likely as middle income children to have moderate or sever health problems, such as asthma, dental problems, and emotional difficulties.

Political Story

Tanning facilities will have licensure requirements as well as restricted access by minors, according to House Bill 1363.

House Bill 1363 has the intent to reduce the incidence of skin cancer in the state of Washington by restricting access by minors to indoor tanning facilities and by implementing safety, training, and licensure requirements for these facilities.

Beginning on July 1, 2012, all tanning facilities in the state must be licensed by the Department of Health (DOH). The license must be in a location clearly visible to customers and the fee for licensure and renewal must be set in amount necessary to defray the costs of the tanning facility licensing program, but in no case may exceed $125 per salon and $25 per additional bed more than 10.

Starting July 1, 2013 all operators must have successfully completed a DOH-approved training course. An operator must be able to recognize the customer’s skin type based on the “Fitzpatrick Scale,” which classifies skin type based on the skin’s reaction to the first 10 to 45 minutes of sun exposure after the winter season. An operator must also limit the customer’s tanning session to the duration and frequency recommended by the tanning equipment’s manufacturer.

A tanning facility shall post a warning sign in place readily visible to persons entering the establishment and must include the words, “danger-ultraviolet radiation” in letters at least one-half inch high.

The Washington State Dermatology Association [WSDA] noticed that the tanning industry in Washington is completely unregulated. “There is no required training for tanning salon employees, nor is there any state oversight of tanning salons or tanning beds,” said Sasha C. Kramer, treasurer of WSDA. “Currently, 36 other states and 7 local jurisdictions have such regulations in place.”

Representative Deborah Eddy is a supporter of this bill. “We are simply saying that this activity is sufficiently dangerous to the child, in terms of overall sun exposure, throughout the child’s lifetime, to set limits,” said Eddy. “I’m not anti-tanning; but the growth of the industry and its reliance on young women and their vanity in maintaining the profitability of the industry dose worry me terribly.”

The implementation of House Bill 1363 could drive small businesses out of business due to the rising costs for tanning facilities. Since Pullman is such a small town, with many family-owned and small businesses, this bill could make bigger waves here than in a larger town such as Spokane. All of the additional add-ons such as the personal security devices as well as licensing fees may prove to be too much for a small company to afford. Simply Tanning and Nail Spa declined to comment.

Brad Kelly owns Kelsun Distributors, the largest supplier of indoor tanning lamps in the Western U.S. Kelly does not agree with some parts of the bill. “The bill had the highest proposed registration fees in the nation at $500 per location and $100 per bed over 10 units,” said Brad. “This was a blatant attempt at taxing small businesses and a job killer in an already tough economy.” The prices were reduced to $125 per salon and $25 per additional unit, which was thought of as more reasonable.

The DOH-approved training course for tanning facility operators will have an impact on people who want to work in the tanning business. The training course may cost more money to the potential employees and deter them from pursuing a job in the tanning industry. Others may not have the time to complete such a course in order to receive a position. However, Jill Owens, a Human Development major, thinks this is a good requirement. “I really want to work in a tanning salon and this training course shows the facility is concerned about the safety of their customers,” said Owens, “However, if the price for the training course was too expensive and I had to pay out of my own pocket, I would probably look for a different job.”

This state law will most likely have a minimal impact to college students living in Pullman. Sunlight provides Vitamin D that is essential to reducing risk of heart disease and improving the functioning of your immune system that in turn helps fight cancer. The eastside of Washington state usually receives three months of warm weather and sunshine. However, that leaves the other nine months to be consumed by frigid temperatures and extreme weather patterns such as snow and hail. In order to get enough Vitamin D to ensure vitality, students and many others turn to tanning facilities in order to get their daily dose of the vitamin or to get a beautiful bronze glow.

Lindsey Klumb, a Criminal Justice major, feels that this law will not have a big impact on college students. “I understand that people need to have training in order to run and work in a tanning salon but I don’t think this law will be effective with raising public awareness,” said Lindsey with a frown. “People have their own reasons for tanning and the warnings don’t really matter.”

Contact Information and Politcial Story Outline

Contact Information

Deborah Eddy: (360) 786-7848

Brad Kelly: (425) 453-1199

Jill Owens: (425) 220-2124 *interviewed in person

Lindsey Klumb: (425) 894-9078 *interviewed in person

Sasha C. Kramer: (800) 552-0612 Ext. 3038

Outline

Lede/Main Point:

·      House bill 1363 requires that all tanning facilities in the state of Washington be licensed.

Body:

·      What the bill is.

·      What the bill would do.

·      Input of those who support the bill.

·      Downside of bill.

·      Input of those against the bill.

·      How it would impact Pullman residents.

Math is not required for Communication majors

1. It will spend $7,885 this year.
2. 82.9%
3. mean salary: $67,500
median salary: $40,000
4. They are both right regarding their stance
5. a) 25% decrease
b) 33% increase
6.10.7%
7. mean: $790,600
median:$207,000
8. each roommate gets 3 slices of pizza.
9.More likely in Pullman (safer in Spokane). 2.5% in Spokane and 7.2% in Pullman.
10.$150,000

Edit Your Peers

1. The government controlled public messages to Arab countries in the past however social mediums can’t be controlled.
-The government controlled public messages to Arab countires in the past, however, social media cannot be controlled.
2. The first nation to revolt against their government was Tunisia on January 14.
- On Jan. 14, Tunisia was the first nation to revolt against its government.

3. Founding dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and presentation speaker Dr. Lawrence Pintak described the beating of a man that had taped a illegal police activity.
-Dr. Lawrence Pintak, Founding Dean of The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication,  described the beating of a man who taped illegal police activity.

4. Cell-phone pictures of a Tunisian fruit vendor who lit himself on fire in protest of police seizing his fruit cart were broadcasted online, igniting conflict throughout Arab nations.
-Cell-phone pictures of a Tunisian fruit vendor, who lit himself on fire in protest of police seizing his fruit cart, were broadcast online by bystanders, igniting conflict throughout Arab nations.


5. Reverend Jesse Jackson talked about lessons learned from the civil rights movement, if people became politically active than they could change government policy.
-Rev. Jesse Jackson talked about lessons learned from the civil rights movement. If people became politically active, then they could change government policy.

6. The 18 day revolution in Middle East was not an unplanned event, the oppressed lower class Arabs had been preparing for years, Pintak said.
-The 18-day revolution in the Middle East was not an unplanned event, said Pintak. The oppressed lower class Arab had been preparing for years.

7. The Arab Government pulled the plug on the Internet in Jan.
-The Egyptian government pulled the plug on the Internet in January.

8. “I loved the 90’s,” Smith said. She said the 1990’s resulted in more technological innovations that any decade in the 20th Century.
-" I loved the 90s," said Smith. She said the 1990s resulted in more technological innovations then any decade in the 20th century.

Leg. Money Tracking

Initiatives
We’ll start with initiatives, the process by which a group of Washington voters can propose a law. Let’s look at spending on initiatives in recent years. How much was spent in each of these years?
2010- $60,683,508.66
2009-

$6,986,958.85

2008-

$9,547,845.16

1. Under ‘Search the database,’ navigate to ‘Committees’ and then ‘Initiatives.’ 2011 is too young -- let’s look at spending in 2010.
    a. How much was been raised for initiatives in 2010?
$61,620,635.33
    b. How much was spent?
$60,683,508.66

3. Each column header allows us to sort the data in different ways. For example, if we click on the ‘Spent,’ we can rank the committees by spending.

   a. Click on ‘Spent.’ (You’ll notice that it shows the money from lowest to highest. We’re interested in big money, so let’s click on the column header again to reorganize most to least.)
        I. Which committee has spent the most money this year?
STOP THE FOOD & BEVERAGE TAX HIKES
        II. Which initiative is the committee opposing?
CIT TO PROTECT OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE
        III. What would the initiative do?
Stop food and beverage tax hikes
        IV. How much have the supporters of this initiative raised? (Hint: Click the column header ‘Ballot’ to group by initiative.)
$16,797,752.50
        V. Who won? Check Google.
STOP THE FOOD & BEVERAGE TAX HIKES


    c. Let’s look closer at the committee that outspent all others. Who funded it? To the left of the committee’s name, click on ‘Details.’
        I. Which individual group has contributed the single largest donation to this committee?]
The American Beverage Association
        II. Where is this group based?
Washington D.C.
        III. When was the last donation from this group sent to Washington state?(Specifically, what’s the date?)
8/26/2010
IV. How many separate contributions did the group make to this committee?
9
V. In total, how much money did it send to the committee in August 2010?
about $17 million.

4. Change the year to 2011. Which committee has raised the most money? State Candidates
            1. How much did Gov. Chris Gregoire received in campaign contributions in 2008?
$13,661,703.15

Washingtonians for Humane Farms

a.  Click on “reports” next to the committee’s name.  Then click on the first C3 form, which tracks donations to the  committee.

b. Which national group gave this committee $150,000?

Humane Society

c. List the treasurer’s phone number.

(206) 325-5013

SB 5621

WHAT WOULD IT DO?

Students who are 14 years of age as of the date of a school board election

are entitled to vote in the district election where they are enrolled.

SPONSORS?
Senator White.

FISCAL NOTES?
Not available.

Exploring our government

SB 5749
1. GET is Washington's 529 prepaid college tuition plan. Families can prepay for their children's college tuition today knowing that the value of their account is guaranteed by the state to keep pace with rising college tuition
2. Since 1998, families have opened more that 119,000 accounts.
3. If the bill passes, the program will now have to pay service and activities fees.

HB 1325
1. Sponsors: Hunt. Dammeier, Darneille, Liias, Carlyle, Roberts, Jinkins, Orwall, Kenney, Hasegawa, McCoy, Fitzgibbon, and Tharinger.
2. This bill would cut the number of school districts in half.
3. 300
4. To implement a comprehensive statewide reorganization initiative to streamline and provide efficiencies in the administration and operation of school districts and educational service districts.
5. $397,963

Editor decision: to publish or not to publish.

I would not publish the story because we do not all have all the facts. All of the information we are dealing with so far has been from a blogger and his unknown source. In order not to lose the credit of the news website, we must dig deeper into this story and get facts that we can back up with evidence. Also, in order to not be bias, we must get information pertinent to this accusation from both sides. This includes the senator himself. The Internet is similar to Wikepedia, anyone can put up information and claim it is true.

Homecoming Lede

The Student Entertainment Board at Washington State University has decided that starting this year, there will no longer be a homecoming queen and king.

Speech Story

 According to Lucy Craft, a CBS news correspondent, Japan has become a pop-culture oasis based on anime and manga.

Craft talked to students about this new wave of pop-culture at 6 p.m. Friday at the Center for Undergraduate Education. Craft has covered social and political trends throughout Asia and is currently based in Tokyo, Japan. “Japan is involved in what is known as the ‘cool Japan’ promotion strategy,” said Craft. She described ‘otaku’ as the Japanese word for ‘nerd.’ Otaku describes people with a deep passion and obsessive interest in anime, manga and video games.

Pop-culture consists of Pokémon, Sailor Moon and Hello Kitty. Japan has generated a ‘creative industries promotions office’ whose goal is to turn Japan into a pop-culture paradise and market it around the world.

Anime and manga made its mark in Japan after World War II. Japan was hungry for western culture, especially in the comic books brought over by soldiers that contained animated cartoons from Walt Disney. Osamu Tezuka was the ‘god’ of anime and manga as he pioneered the Japanese style of cartoons. He drew comics similar to sketches of frames for a film. “We have a comic culture here, but over there they have different aspects of a comic culture,” said Joshua Hardy an Asian Studies major.

Akihabara, Japan, is well known as a nerd paradise. The area is filled with stores that sell the hottest new games, costumes, and manga. “Akihabara is the one place in town for geeks to hang out, they don’t have to dress well or even take a bath!” said Craft jokingly. There are Mai cafes where girls greet the customers by saying “welcome master” and serve comfort food such as macaroni and cheese. Akihabara is so popular, the name is used in a famous music group called AKB48: 48 girls who sing, dance, and explore the fantasy world of nerds.

Not all Japanese are fans of the nerd culture. In the 1980s there was a serial killer known as the ‘otaku murderer’ who was a pedophile obsessed with anime. There are 2-D Otaku who prefer romance with cartoon characters rather then humans. This phenomenon has created concerns among the Japanese culture. More and more young people are not getting married and having kids. Many Japanese believe this 2-D trend is to blame.

Japan is extremely sensitive to what other countries around the world think of them.  They are very interested in making friends and influencing people. Joseph Nye, a professor of international relations, calls this concept ‘soft-power’ or the countries ability to attract others through cooperation and attraction. “I never thought of Japan using their culture to deal with politics,” said Kaho Tsang, a WSU student. “I thought it was just pop culture, like how we view football in America.”

Craft hopes that Japan will use this cool image to move on to more important issues facing their country such as immigration reform and tackling the greenhouse gas matter. “What if Japan could reduce carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2020 like they promised?” said Craft. “Now that would be really cool. That will make Japan really cool.”

3 questions for Lucy Craft:

1.     How did Japan go from big and scary like Godzilla, to cute and small like Hello Kitty?

2.     Have there been anymore major hate-crimes against otaku in Japan?

3.     Why are the young Japanese no longer interested in studying abroad?

Contact Information and Speech Story Outline

Contact Information:

Joshua Hardy: joshua.hardy@email.wsu.edu

Kaho Tsang: masterkaho1@gmail.com

Lucy Craft: lucy.craft@gmail.com

Speech Story Outline:

What happened?

·      Lucy Craft: “Anime Cool and Manga Chic: How and Why Japan Became a Pop-culture Oasis” Feb. 11 6:00 p.m. in CUE bulding.

·      Craft covers the pop-culture in Japan as well as how that impacts the politics and the Japanese image.

How did it happen?

·      Background on Lucy Craft.

·      Explanation of ‘cool Japan’ promotion strategy.

·      Definition of ‘otaku’

·      Introduction of anime and manga in Japan.

·      Insight on Akihabara, Japan.

·      Internal dispute on ‘otaku’ culture.

·      Japan’s image and influence.

Reaction?

·      Students were surprised to see coloration between politics and anime/manga.

·      Lucy Craft hopes this ‘cool image’ will help Japan move on to help the issues facing their country.

Two Leads, One Story

At the Los Angeles Times, editors had a choice between two ledes. Read each version and select one.

Which do you choose?

I liked story version #1.

Why?

I chose this story version because the openning sentence really caught my attention and helped to create a connection with the vicitims.

Do both versions have the same impact?

I think the first version had a more emotional impact whereas version number two hit hard in the beginning with the raw facts.

How does the emphasis change from version 1 to version 2?

Version #1 did not really get the news out fast enough so there was more emphasis on her story rather than the overall impact of the defective tires.

Is more important to first hear the story of McKinney or to receive the overview?

It depends on who is reporting the story.

Story Version No. 1

On the day Christy McKinney turned 21, she was running an errand with her 7-month-old son, Conner, in her Ford Explorer when the tread on her left rear tire peeled loose, causing her car to sail off an embankment on Interstate 40 near Alma, Ark.

The sport-utility vehicle rolled over twice. Conner was ejected from his baby seat, suffering cuts and bruises to his face. He was the lucky one. His mother was thrown from the vehicle--even though she was wearing her seatbelt, according to her attorney--and landed on the highway's grassy shoulder. McKinney and her son were rushed to a hospital in nearby Fort Smith, where doctors declared her a quadriplegic.

The toll from defective Firestone tires mounted on Ford Explorers has largely been measured by the 101 deaths compiled so far by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But as investigators delve into about 400 injury cases, story after horrific story emerges, some involving people who have become paraplegics or quadriplegics.

These victims will have to cope with the fact that their life expectancies have been shortened as they face the prospect of raising enough money--sometimes millions of dollars--to pay looming medical bills. The costs also include an emotional toll, changing the lives of these victims' families who must now grapple with caring for their loved ones.

In McKinney's case, her mother, Sheri, was recently forced to give up her job, leave her own 13-year-old son behind, and borrow money from friends and relatives so that she could watch over Christy, who has been transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Story Version No. 2

The toll from defective Firestone tires mounted on Ford Explorers has largely been measured by the 101 deaths counted so far, but as investigators delve into about 400 injury cases they are finding horrific tragedies that have left some victims paraplegics or quadriplegics.

These victims will have to cope with shortened life expectancies as they face the prospect of raising enough money--sometimes millions of dollars--to pay looming medical bills. The costs also include an emotional toll, changing the lives of these victims' families who must now grapple with caring for their loved ones.

The number of people left paralyzed in these crashes is also bringing fresh attention to the tendency of some vehicles' roofs to cave in during rollover accidents, which can cause fatal or crippling head and neck injuries. Consumer safety advocates have criticized the auto makers for not strengthening roofs and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for not toughening the roof-crush standard.

A close look at some of these tragedies, alongside an analysis of government crash data, shows that in many cases the human cost was raised by occupants simply not wearing their seat belts. But in others, the violence of the crash--and the damage to the vehicle--was so extreme that wearing a seat belt was not enough to save passengers or drivers from death or crippling injuries.

Consider the case of Christy McKinney.

On the day she turned 21, McKinney was running an errand with her 7-month-old son, Conner, in her Ford Explorer when the tread on her left rear tire peeled loose, causing her car to sail off an embankment on Interstate 40 near Alma, Ark.

The sport-utility vehicle rolled over twice. Conner was ejected from his baby seat, suffering cuts and bruises to his face. He was the lucky one. His mother was thrown from the vehicle--even though she was wearing her seatbelt, according to her attorney--and landed on the highway's grassy shoulder. McKinney and her son were rushed to a hospital in nearby Fort Smith, where doctors declared her a quadriplegic.

Paraphrase Exercise

According to award-winning journalist Jonathan Fabulist, some of his best stories are completely false. He admitted to fabricating parts of his autobiography but believes the truth should not stand in the way of a good story .

Peer Edit redux

1. Washington State provided a subsidy of over $2000 for in state students.
-Washington state provided a subsidy of more than $2,000 for in-state students.

2. “The 13.5 million is the tip of a larger iceberg,” Coordinator of Arts and Culture, Jerry McCollum, said.
-"The $13.5 million is the tip of a larger iceberg," said Jerry McCollum, Coordinator of Arts and Culture.

3. “What I know if the system is broken right now, we can’t live in a world with 14% tuition increases,” President Floyd said.
-"What I know is if the system is broken right now, we can't live in a world with 14 percent tuition increases," said Floyd.

4. The Co-President’s announced a club to meet more people that are interested in hiking.
-The co-presidents announced a club to meet more people who are interested in hiking.

5. Williams said, “There are still new things to say with art music, it’s hard to stop and listen, but when you do it can be an extremely pleasant surprise.”
-"There are still new things to say with art music," said Williams. "It's hard to stop and listen, but when you do, it can be an extremely pleasant surprise."

6. In Sept. 2010, the wine tasting endorsement will be available to stores, according to Jane Westman, Culinary Coordinator for Metropolitan Market.
-Accodring to Jane Westman, Culinary Coordinator for Metropolitan Market, the wine-tasting endorsement will be available to stores by September of 2011.

7. He died from a massive heart attack in Sept. 1996.
-He died of a a heart attack in September 1996.

8. In fact, the club even has their own audio engineer.
-The club has its own audio-engineer.

9. When it blasted off, the shock of excitement from the noise of the cannon added to the emotion of the game.
-The shock from the noise of the cannon added to the excitement and emotion of the game.

Shorten the following sentences.
 
1. It is evident that sleep becomes less of a priority for many students.
-Sleep becomes less of a priority for many students.
 
2. In fact, there is a new workout routine that is sweeping the country.
-A new workout routine is sweeping the country.