Current Event Final

1. The Labay family, who runs Nau's drug store, is undergoing health, family, and financial issues and wants to sell an abandoned house that's been in their family for years in order to earn some money to get them back on their feet as opposed to losing money from a house they don't use. The only problem is that the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association objects to the demolishing of the home to sell the land, (which is the only thing of any value in the situation) because of its location in a historic neighborhood and how long it's been around. The OWANA also has a strong case, being that they would like to keep the spirit of old Austin alive and well and not encourage people not up-keeping properties and selling the land so more condos and apartments can be built, which is practically an epidemic in Austin right now. Honestly, I think they both have strong cases and I deeply sympathize with the Labay family, but I agree with OWANA's stance and think that they're just attempting to keep the limited historical neighborhoods of Austin maintained and existing, which is a noble task, and unfortunately it's difficult to make exceptions. The compromise being proposed is subdividing the lot to keep the home there and having the other part of the land be open to development. This honestly seems to be the fairest option, as this way the Labays could make some money to preserve their business without killing a little bit of the Old Austin that is so quickly deteriorating in the face of the mass and rapidly expanding gentrification and urbanization that Austin is undergoing. 

2. UT and A&M are proposing a partnership with the Sandia Nation Laboratories in New Mexico (a federally funded nuclear weapon lab), and they are partnering with the University of New Mexico, the Boeing Co., and the Battelle Memorial Institute. Basically, this would allow for the universities to run the lab and provide research and work experience for engineering students. Though I don't know much about the topic of nuclear weapon labs, it seems like a good idea to me. Giving university students hands on experience in a lab like this could be extremely beneficial for the students, and it's a university's job to expand their student's resources and make sure they're getting the most possible out of their education, which includes getting direct experience in a high level environment.

3. Bill Cosby is finally being taken to trial as an assaulter for one of his victim's whom he assaulted in 2004. I do agree with the judge's decision that there was enough evidence for the case to move forward, as it's glaringly obvious that Cosby is guilty on at least some accounts given the absurd amount of women who have come forward with reports of drugging and sexual assault on Cosby's part. His lawyers are arguing that instead of using a police statement that the victim gave a year after the incident 10 years ago, that they should have instead put her on the witness stand, and that this was denying Cosby the right to confront his accuser. I sort of understand this perspective from a legal stance, but it's not a substantial enough argument to let him go free. I think this merits front-page placement, as it's a relevant topic which many people are interested in keeping up to date with, and it's important that the topic of sexual abuse stays discussed in the media, as terrible as it is, so that people can be aware of what is going on and hopefully take whatever measures they can to utilize that awareness to stop it from happening. 

4. The board of trustees officially decided to rename the school after Russell Lee, an influential Depression-era photographer who started the Photography department at UT and lived in the neighborhood of the school. The name was chosen as a result of the desire to change the name from someone who advocated for the confederacy to somebody who is a more positive and less controversial figure in Austin's history without having to completely change the name. The vote was a bit awkward because one of the potential namesakes for the school, Bettie Man, the school's first African American teacher, was actually in attendance at the vote and wasn't chosen. The kindergarten hall of the school was instead named after Mann. The decision seemed like a fine one to me, it's not particularly bold, but I think it was a smart choice that was relatively moderate while also making the name not associated with a confederate leader, which is very positive. It could very well set the precedent for more AISD changing their campus's names from leaders who advocated for racial inequality.

5.  It is likely that Baylor University may be sued for not protecting victim of sexual assault's rights after many of their football players have been accused and jailed for sexual assault. It is possible that the university's president, Ken Starr, may be fired as a result of the scandal. I don't have much prior knowledge of this story, but I believe that Baylor should take full responsibility, punish the assaulters to the greatest extend they can, and attempt to advocate for the victim's safety. I believe it is the job of every university to put their student's safety as their first priority and avoid being biased because of college's weird protectiveness of their sports players. Exceptions and excuses shouldn't be made for rapists just because they can throw a ball around a field. 

Feature Story

The After School Special
By Grace Schmidhauser

The hectic and anxiety inducing nature of deciding what to do with one’s life after high school is something that almost everybody experiences at some point in their life, and it can often be extremely intimidating. Though McCallum is a widely accepting campus that doesn't encourage rigorous or unfriendly competition against one another in the college process, it's difficult not to compare your own plans or goals to someone else's and often experience self doubt. A question that almost every senior is faced with on a day to day basis from peers, adults, and family is, “So where are you going to college?”, a question to which many don’t have an answer. And that’s completely okay. The fact is that everybody is suited to different forms of education, whether it be a liberal arts college, an Ivy League university, community college, or even learning by going out and gaining life experience, and the traditional college experience is not suited for everyone. Especially given that McCallum is a Fine Arts academy, our seniors are all pursuing different paths and alternate routes to their visions of success for themselves, and thankfully the environment in which we go to school is very encouraging of alternative learning styles and embracing one's instincts, whether it be going to community college, art school, or traveling the world.

Senior Lev Baker, a guitar major and high level classical guitar player, is somebody who is considering one of these alternate routes. Upon graduation, he plans on taking a gap year and backpacking around Europe for two months on his own. A bold and brave choice, he plans on starting in Berlin and going through central Europe and Italy, France, and Amsterdam, to name a few. He’s a perfect example of the type of student who’s seeking to broaden their horizons after high school in ways other than college, and feels that the period right after high school is a great time to explore. “This is the only time I can do something like this- travel alone and backpacking without a specific reason. This this is my only chance to do that while I don’t have any obligations like work or school and my parents telling me what to do”, Baker says. While right now he’s planning on pursuing studying guitar performance following his gap year, he believes that his time in Europe could potentially change his perspective. “I’ll gain a lot of travel memories and maybe even figure out something that I want to do”, he says. Traveling is a wonderful opportunity to place oneself in the larger global context of the world and gain a better understanding of different cultures and regions of the world, and taking the initiative to do that right after high school is a fantastic potential option for people seeking alternative routes to finding themselves and figuring out what they’d like to pursue in their adult lives.

That being said, going to college is obviously a wise option for students to pursue after high school, and a path that many McCallum seniors are getting ready to go down in the fall. Senior Zoe Morgan will be attending Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in the fall, and plans to double major in Outdoor Education and Recreation and Spanish. Morgan decided to leave Austin for college as a result of the realization that the major she was interested was a relatively rare one, and more confined to more outdoorsy states such as Colorado. She, like Lev, wanted the opportunity to broaden her horizons and get outside of Austin for a while, explaining, “I just like to move around a lot and I thought going to college somewhere different would be a cool opportunity to go somewhere new.” Going to university provides students with the opportunity to get out of their comfort zone and also be given the opportunity to study in the field catered to their personal interests, as opposed to the sometimes limiting public high school curriculum of strict course requirements in all subjects. Especially going to a liberal arts school such as Fort Lewis, students can also experience an education that is much less focused on standardized testing and more on what they want to do, something that Morgan is particularly excited about, saying “I’m excited for the learning aspect of college and so excited to go to school and have it not only be focused on testing, but actually have it focused on what I want to be learning”. This is a notion that is extremely attractive to most students, and especially because of our Fine Arts Academy, many McCallum students have very specific ideas of what they want to study in higher education, often based on their major within McCallum. Especially since universities are becoming more and more diverse every year with ever-expanding and increasingly specified creative majors, students are faced with many more options than they’ve ever had before, which presents endless opportunities to students everywhere.

As McCallum seniors prepare to head off on their journeys, whether it be staying in Austin or jetting across the country and world, many mixed feelings are bound to arise. Being faced with leaving home for the first time ever for most can be an extremely intimidating thought, and the complete shift in their routine and daily life can be a scary prospect. “Even though I’m excited to leave home, it’s terrifying to think about not being home and not seeing my parents and my little sister every day,” Morgan says with a tinge of fear in her voice. “It’ll be a very big change in my life”. But even though fears are a normal part of getting ready to leave home for the first time, most seniors feel at least almost prepared to be an adult and live on their own. Along with fears come the titillating excitement of living on one’s own without rules and restrictions of parents, and having the chance to meet new people and learn and grow. Every single McCallum senior is prepared in their own unique way to embark on that journey, whether it be through gap years or college or good old fashioned life and job experience, and fantastic opportunities can arise for anyone and everyone who’s willing to take the leap into their adult life, in whatever way that may be.

Column Emulation Assignment Based off of Bill Plaschke's "It's a Wonderful Life of Writing"

"Wait- are you serious?", she asked her mom, "I really got in?".

The girl had been accepted into an NYU summer program for the Recorded Music Summer Institute. The thought of it was incredibly exciting- a month in her favorite city, surrounded by music and new people- the thought of the memories that could be made was titillating. But she had no idea how transformative 30 days could be, and how different everything would be following her month there.

She arrived in the dorm room at 8 A.M sharp on the morning of move in, which she assumed would be some sort of representation of what it would feel like to really be leaving home forever and moving into a new home once it came time to really go to college. Though it was only for a month, the fear of homesickness and worries clouding her mind consumed her- "What if I don't make friends? What if I'm not good enough? What if I can't handle being on my own?". The room felt small, almost crowded. It was being shared with an earnest cheerleader from South Carolina, attending the Musical Theatre Summer Institute. Though quite a contrast from the type of person the girl would normally associate with, her room mate was warm and genuine. "We're going to have the best summer together!", the room mate said giddily. Though it was nerve-wracking, the girl felt a little bit more at home. The linoleum floors and brick walls slowly seemed a little less sterile, and the view from their little window showcasing the bustling streets of New York practically began to glow.

In the following month, the events that ensued would be life changing for the insecure, slightly lazy, and intimidated girl. She would learn more about herself and her music than she ever thought she could've. Through being surrounded by supportive and artistic new friends and some of the most inspiring mentors she'd ever met, she began to grow. She learned that hard work didn't have to feel like work if it involved completely engulfing yourself in the things you love. She learned that she was more independent than she anticipated, and the streets of New York City weren't all that intimidating once you've walked them enough times, once you find your way around. She learned that there were people who were genuinely not only willing, but happy to be around her and all that she was- her true self, without barriers and pretending. Through all of this, she learned to work hard, and how worth it it could be to get her faltering grades up in public high school. She was willing to put it any amount of work if it could mean to be back there again, maybe even for four whole years. If one month could positively affect her so immensely- imagine what years could do. Immersing herself in the work she got a taste of in her time in New York sounded like heaven.

----------

Almost a year later, the girl sits at her laptop, bags under her eyes, exhausted from a long and hard junior year. Teaching herself study habits for the first time ever and raising her standards for herself shifted everything. She became more introverted, more focused. The going out with friends that had seemed so attractive and fulfilling just 12 months before seemed almost hollow now. Time spent alone was time that could be spent making music and doing school work- things that could help her progress. Though some procrastination was still evident (old habits die hard), the young woman had really turned things around, and even though it was difficult and often stressful, it was completely worth it to see that GPA raise and self confidence grow. Whether or not she can spend the four years she craves at the school she aspires to attend, the hardworking tendencies, newfound focus and responsibility (mostly), and discoveries about herself would hopefully benefit her for the rest of her life. She thanks her lucky stars every day for the most valuable month of her life and the profound impact it would have on her life forever.





P.S to Mr. Winter- I'm so sorry about the absurd lateness of this, but I'm glad I forced myself to do it because it was very satisfying to write.

P.P.S to Mr. Winter- I know this column is super cheesy and writing in the 3rd person is weird, and I'm sorry if it came across arrogant or over-dramatic in some sections? Who knows! This topic is just super close 2 my heart !

Extra Credit- Career Speaker Series Photographs

WHO'S WATCHING, a sexual predator lives within one mile of most homes in the state of Florida.
This is an extremely powerful image, as the illustration of the faces of sexual predators in a little girl's front yard while playing hopscotch perfectly captures the dangers that children face on a daily basis, and does so much to imply and affect the reader with only some simple editing. It's very powerful.


STUDENT RETENTION, some Central Florida School have 70% turn over in students each year.

I really like this image as it completely catches your eye and makes you want to read the story. He uses very interesting ways to represent stories through photographs, and visual aspects are so vital to making a solid story. He plays with being literal, but not so literal to the point of annoyance.


Sarah Daniels gets in a last minute ballet rehearsal before leaving for a nine-month stage tour of "Bear in the Big Blue House."
I really like the way that he plays with space in this photograph. All of the black space with her in all white in the top of the frame captures the eye, and is a really cool framing technique. If one wanted to analyze it further, the huge black space with her looking tiny and innocent in all white could perhaps be a metaphor for all of the hard work or difficulties she faces as a dancer doing year long tours.


Patrick Lillis holds a self portrait titled "Baggage".
I thought this was a really interesting picture, and paired with only the caption, causes me as the audience to delve a little deeper and infer things from just the picture, which is a sign of powerful photography. The way that the painting of himself replaces his actual face in the picture combined with the title of his self portrait makes me wonder if the painting really looks like him, or if it looks nothing like him and is just a way that he may see himself. I liked this technique a lot.


A home in Indian River County is an Island to it’s self after rains from Hurricane Jeanne left it surrounded by water.
I thought this picture was fantastic in both a photography sense and a journalism stance. First off, it's very pleasing to the eye as the colors are vibrant and clear, and the framing showcasing all of the water surrounding this house accentuates how isolated it is and how little remains as a result of the damages.


A couple stand with their infant in the door of a van they call home in a Houston encampment known as Reaganville.
This is a very powerful image, as it makes the reader feel like they are stepping into the setting in which the photograph shows. It's an honest picture, and the grainy black and white film he chose to use encapsulates the environment perfectly. Even just the look on the faces of the people in the picture seem to represent the hardship and strife they're faced with living in this environment, and it causes the reader to gain some empathy and understanding, instead of the judgement that often comes with people who live in trailer parks. It causes the reader to think a bit deeper.


The space shuttle Endeavour lifts off from the pad for it’s maiden voyage into space.
I love this picture because it's very aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing to the eye. I really like the widespread panning style he chose to utilize for the picture, and the way the clouds frame the rocket-ship to make it look almost beyond real. The glow of the rocket that he captured also represents the possibilities and amazing opportunities that come with space exploration.


Deputies restrain David Letterman’s stalker Margaret Mary Ray as she becomes belligerent and aggressive during her competency hearing.
Though a bit disturbing, this photograph is extremely powerful and important in that it captures perfectly the poor mental state that this woman may be in, and makes the audience feel like they're right there in the scene experiencing this uncomfortable and even scary moment. This picture represents why photojournalism is so important, it can capture a moment in time that says so many words with just a still image.


A mother comforts her son after his father attacked her and then wielded the knife at deputies who shot and killed the man.
This photo is obviously very touching and powerful, and definitely evokes emotion in the viewer. The picture caught a moment in which all of the pain these two are feeling is completely evident, and equally heartbreaking. I think the black and white film was an appropriate choice for the picture as well.


Sunset reflects off of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.
I absolutely love this picture and the way that is plays with color and silhouette, making it look almost like an illustration. The way that he framed it accompanied with the shadow of the man and the child, combined with the vibrant colors of the sunset makes it an extremely visually appealing picture.

Video: Jesse's Story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esz31sWh0Wc#t=45

Though the re-enactments are sometimes a bit cheesy, the video itself is quite powerful. It's an issue that isn't talked about enough and represents the terrifying and intimidating process that goes along with not only the abuse itself, but also the stigma and embarrassment that can come with attempting to expose the molester.

Front Pages of the World

1. What is your favorite newspaper front page? Why?

Interestingly, I was most attracted to the cover of "China Daily" from Bejing. The cover they showed was in English. I really liked the visual that was presented and the way it was organized, simple but still eye-catching, and neither sparse nor overwhelming.

2. What is your favorite headline from that newspaper? Why are you interested in it?

I was most interested in "Running the World", a story apparently about how fitness focused Chinese people are more interested in taking selfies while running marathons than actually running. I would most definitely read that article. The visual they paired with the article was also quite visually appealing, and tied in with the headline, depicting an illistration of people running around a literal globe.

3. How many stories are on the front page of your favorite?

3 stories.

4. What do you notice that all newspaper front pages have in common? Look at design, size of photos, size of story text, etc.All headlines are relatively big with the text of the article being much smaller, obviously. They all had visual aspects to accompany their articles, though size and amount of pictures varied. Almost all of them included 2 to 3 stories on their front page.

5. What are things that vary (or are different) on the front pages of different newspapers? Look at design, size of photos, size of headlines, etc.

The New York Post had the most different cover, as they just do one huge picture accompanied by a headline instead of putting stories on the front page. Like I mentioned before, size of pictures and amount of visual aspects varied from paper to paper. For example, the newspaper from Prague had a large picture that acted as almost a centerpiece for the front page. Fonts also varied.

Design Vocabulary

Teaser: These promote the “best” stories inside the paper
Folios: a page number; often includes the name and section of the paper

Flag: The name of the newspaper.

Bylines: Where the writer of the story’s name is.

Jumps: When a story is started on one page and continued on another.

Story dividers: any graphic element that breaks the story into parts.

Screens: A shaded area of copy in a newspaper. A text box might have a slight grey screen behind it to make it stand out.

Infographics: A diagram, chart, map, or list that conveys data pictorially.

Masthead/staff box: Main title section and name at the front of a publication; the banner across the front page that identifies the newspaper and the date of publication. Also the publication information on the editorial page.

Bastard measure: Type set in a different width than the standard column measure

Raw wrap: The picture or the story stops the headline from going all the way across the stage.

Reefer:  It refers readers from one story to a related story on a later page.

Wild art: A photo that stands alone and doesn’t have anything to do with a story on the page.

Pull quote: A quote from the subject that appears in a larger font somewhere on the page to be accentuated.

Ears: A small box in the upper corner of the page in a newspaper that contains a printed notice

Banner: A headline that goes across the width of the whole page.

Kicker headline: a headline style that features one secondary headline above one or more lines of primary headline

Wicket headline: a headline design that consists of two or more lines of a secondary headline above one or more lines of a primary headline

Tripod headline: a headline style with a primary headline on the left covering two lines, next to lines of secondary headline

Hammer headline: A type of headline that consists of a few large words over a smaller headline.

Modular design: The style of design where all graphic elements are rectangular in shape and fit together cleanly and concisely.

Text wrap: Adjusting the appearance of text to follow the shape of a graphic.

L-shaped text flow: When there’s a picture in the upper right part of the page and a vertical column to it’s side and a horizontal below it, making it an L shape.

U-shaped text flow: When there’s a picture in the middle of the story with a vertical column on each side and a horizontal column below the photo, making a U shape.

What is your favorite newspaper front page? Why? 
I liked the Booster Redux Newspaper from Pittsburg High School the best because it looks professional and has an interesting yet still subtle visual on the cover. They also strategically placed the most compelling and outrageous story, "The Naked Truth" on the front cover, in which a student talks about their consequences for distributing naked pictures. I would read it, it caught my attention.

Which paper immediately grabbed your interest? Why? 
The "Viking Saga" grabbed my interest immediately with the unbelievably horrible animated cover and terrifying comic sans font that made it look like it was the cover of a really bad pamphlet about bullying from 1999. I hate it and also love it because of how much I hate it, but I'm assuming that's not what they're going for.

What is your favorite headline from that newspaper? Why are you interested in it? My favorite headline is "A Primer on Memes", which is probably the most ridiculous headline I've ever heard of, especially considering how outdated all of the memes they talk about are. This newspaper is a literal joke and not in any way capable of being taken seriously. It still caught my attention though, so that's something.

How many stories are on the front page of your favorite? 
3 stories were on the cover of my favorite one, the Booster Redux paper, and all of them looked really compelling and relevant.

What do you notice that all newspaper front pages have in common? Look at design, size of photos, size of story text, etc.
They actually varied quite a bit, as some of them were really far from being traditional newspaper covers. Some of the covers were just one huge picture with a single headline. Some of them mimicked a magazine cover and just put a picture in which they listed all of the stories inside of the issue. This style was probably the most prevalent one, though definitely not the most effective or professional looking. The only thing that was consistent through all of them was that they all had the name of the paper accompanied by a logo on the front cover.

What are things that vary (or are different) on the front pages of different newspapers? Look at design, size of photos, size of headlines, etc. 
As I talked about before, the size of headlines and front cover pictures varied a lot, as some were more traditional style newspapers with one or two medium sized headlines accompanied by a few stories, and some were more like magazine covers. Some had huge pictures to go with the stories that dominated the whole page, and some had smaller pictures to accompany the individual stories.


Were these similar to what you saw last class when you looked at daily newspapers from around the world? 

Current Events Quiz 6.2

1. If Secretary Jack Lew's proposal goes through, Harriet Tubman, a black woman and former abolitionist, will replace the slave-owning white man, Andrew Jackson, on the face of the 20 dollar bill. He also proposed adding women to the $5 and $10 bills, but the law decided instead to keep Alexander Hamilton on the 10 partly as a result of the broadway rap musical, Hamilton, that puts him in quite a positive light in the public eye. This proves that musical theatre may have significant cultural power, especially when extremely effective and well-done. (I was lucky enough to actually see it on Broadway and it's pretty incredible, and that's coming from someone who's not usually a big musical theatre fan). The compromise that is being offered is that Lincoln and Hamilton stay on the 5 and 10 dollar bills on the front, but they are planning on putting influential women on the back, including Marian Anderson and Eleanor Roosevelt, two women who historically advocated for black rights. These are incredibly important steps for women and the black community, and even though it may seem insignificant for some, representation is incredibly important in order to humanize black women especially. The new designs, if approved, will take into effect around 2020.

2. More issues in the Flint water crisis have emerged, with felony charges being filed against 3 officials involved in covering up evidence and mishandling the situation to an insane degree. Rockind, a defense attorney, calls this a rare case as officials rarely face legal action for essentially just being bad at their job. Busch and Prysby, state officials, made some essential mistakes, such as telling people to run their water before they were tested for lead poisoning, and are now facing huge legal threats. Yikes!

3. Clinton and Trump's campaigned have been apparently "invigorated" as Clinton has 81% of the delegates she needs, so even if she lost very remaining "contest", as long as she gains a few more delegates (which she is bound to do) she has pretty much secured the nomination. After Sander's surprising loss in New York, he unfortunately has a very low chance of securing the nomination, but still plans to campaign at the Pennsylvania Democratic convention. Trump is still in the lead, but he needs 1,237 more delegates, and must focus on winning the rest of the New England states and California. Though he still has a ways to go, at this point Cruz has no mathematical potential to win the public vote, but he's hoping to be saved at the convention and is gathering up delegates who might shift their support to him. Trump's familiar argument that he discussed yet again was the fact that his competitors are trying to "buy" the election with delegates. The ridiculous amount of hypocrisy in this statement is honestly unbelievable coming from Trump, but I shouldn't be surprised. Tuesday is a big day for the candidates as Connecticut, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island are holding their primaries.

4. The Teachers Union has sued the head of the state education agency because they have implemented a new evaluation system which evaluates teachers based on student's performances on standardized tests, which they feel is not at all an accurate depiction of the teacher's effectiveness.

Current Events Quiz 5.2 

1. Detectives and forensic scientists have discovered that Weiser was sexually assaulted and died due to strangulation. They have a prime suspect, a homeless 17 year old man, who is being held in jail. The sources were the police, but they preferred to remain anonymous. I’m assuming that this is because they felt that it was important to share this information with the public but weren’t technically allowed to talk about it. I think so many people are talking about this story because it’s been so long since there was a murder on campus, so it’s especially scary and out of the blue.
2. Hired.com found that 69% of the time, males receive more money than women at the same tech company. Hired.com gives people an opportunity to get an insider view of the tech industry online while seeking jobs, as women have lower wage expectations. One cause that they state for this salary inequity is that women “undersell themselves”, causing employers to believe they can get away with paying them less. It doesn’t change my point of view much, as I already assumed that companies like this would have salary inequity, but it doesn’t make it any less unfair. I do think they could’ve made the article more interesting, as it’s a really important subject, but it did end up coming across stale and almost like an advertisement for hired.com.
3. Pat McCrory, who signed the controversial bill in North Carolina preventing transgender people from using public restrooms, recently signed an executive order altering the bill to cover LGBT+ discrimination issues in the workplace. The ACLU responded by claiming that McCrory’s alteration was an attempt to make himself look better after intense criticism. In protest of the bill, PayPal, Deutsche Bank, the NBA, and Bruce Springsteen have all threatened to drop or cancel events, which would definitely pressure McCrory to change something to avoid further scrutinization.
4. According to UNICEF, terrorist group Boko Haram has been using more child suicide bombers than ever. Because of this, people have began to distrust children and become threatened by them. Experts on the subject refuse to call the attacks "suicides", as children have no way of possibly being old enough to understand the missions and be genuinely willing to sacrifice their lives for their ideals they are too young to understand. Boko Haram has aligned itself with al-Qaida because both of their goals is to create an Islamic caliphate, but the Boko Haram is location in Nigera, while al-Qaida is based in the Middle East. According to a new Mercy Corps report, many people join the Boko Haram for financial reasons.
5. The article that caught my eye was "Some Democrats Accuse Sanders Supporters of Harassing Delegates". It's a short and concise article, which basically just quickly elaborates on the topic in the clear headline. Some Bernie Sanders supporters have voiced their issues with the super-delegate system and its unfairness, and have decided to take action by developing a website which releases said delegates' contact information and encourages people to reach out to them and try and change their points of view, or "harass them", as the creator said. The article was fine, and it stayed relatively neutral and delivered the information clearly and accurately.
6. Even though I have little to no context for any of this sports information due to a purposeful avoidance of sports-related news, I appreciated the way he set this up. He provided sufficient information and observations, and the "story-line" segment gave really good background information so that even a complete sports-novice like me could understand and gain some context. The fact that he broke up the column into little concise sections was great for the reader, as one can just choose their section of particular interest out easily without having to sort through a lot of information they're not interested in. It provides all the essential information while also avoiding it being stiff and just stats. A+.

My “Best” Day in “Sports”

By Grace Schmidhauser
I waddled onto the vast field, prepared for battle, equipped in my armor consisting of oversized knee pads, shin pads, tiny cleats, and of course, my Marble Falls Girl’s soccer jersey. I was 4 years old and approximately four feet and two inches tall, but nevertheless extremely determined. I was ready to WIN, against all odds, no matter what. Five goals were to be scored, by me and nobody else. The other team was going to be demolished. Flashback to five minutes earlier- my hulking and somewhat buff leader, a retired Marble Falls High School football coach who now coached a band of fiery four year old girls kicking around a soccer ball with great ferocity, gave me a seemingly light hearted pump up speech intended to fire me up for the upcoming game. “You can do it, Grace! You can score FIVE goals if you want to!” He told me earnestly. “You can win this for us, let’s do it!”, he encouraged me. See, I had never scored a goal before, as I wasn’t exactly destined for the World Cup (The fact that I had to google what “that big soccer game thing” is proves just how athletically compelled I truly am), but this speech had me determined as ever. I was going to win! I was going to score FIVE WHOLE GOALS. I would be worshipped, the hero of the Marble Falls Youth Soccer League. So I marched onto the field, my strawberry blond pigtails flowing in the wind, ready to own that field.

And I succeeded, to a certain extent. I kicked that ball with all of the strength I could possibly conjure up in my miniscule feet, and managed to slip 3 goals past the other team’s similarly tiny goalie. The team had won, victory was ours! The other little girls high-fived each other in satisfaction, but my attitude was a little bit different. Instead of jumping up and down with glee, I was sobbing uncontrollably. I ran up to my mom, tears streaming down my cheeks, staring up at her utterly confused face. “Sweetie, what’s wrong? You won! You scored three whole goals!” She told me, still completely puzzled. How dare she? ‘Three whole goals’, a phrase that stung my ego to its core. I explained the obvious to her, that I was supposed to score not three measly goals, but FIVE glorious goals. I was devastated, convinced that I had sabotaged the team’s glory and failed my leader and my teammates. My coach was equally as puzzled at this inconsolable four year old child, and upon my mother explaining my dilemma, he attempted to explain to me that he didn’t mean that I literally had to score five goals, and that the three that I had made were perfectly respectable. I’m sure I continued to cry for a while after this, but I eventually settled down and recovered from this humiliating failure.

I didn’t pursue a career in sports, despite my obvious potential for athletic excellence, due to an extreme aversion to any sort of sweating, but my competitiveness has not faltered in the 12 years since this event occurred. This competitive energy has manifested in many different ways, whether it be in my grades, my musical interests, or beating my little brother in arm wrestling, and I’ve continued to be known to get violently fired up over pretty much anything, especially in conversations regarding feminism and social justice. It has worked against me on occasion, but as I’ve grown up I’ve tried to learn to use it as a positive tool to motivate myself to live up to my potential and work to reach my goals, and my competitiveness has definitely worked in my favor in many ways. I feel lucky to be passionate about things, a skill that my surprisingly athletic family has taught me through countless half-comprehensible sports analogies, along with endless support. I've learned never to settle for anything less than that fifth goal, whatever that may be, if that's what I really want. Passion is necessary for success in any area of life, whether it be in little league soccer or music or the classroom, and lessons can be learned in unlikely places, including but not limited to that god forsaken Marble Falls soccer field.

Finding the Flaw- Is it with the NFL or the Times?

Matters like this are usually complicated and subjective, and this instance is no exception. The Times did publish an article full of insinuations and implications and not many hard facts, but a journalist's job is to question everything and make people think a bit. The direct connections that they are claiming that the NFL has with the tobacco industry are a bit stretched, and the evidence seems to be a bit unclear and unstable. This being said, it was a well written and thoroughly researched article, and though it could have potentially contained more hard facts, the Times did not claim that their implications were absolute fact, they were simply speculating. I do understand why the NFL would be outraged at their accusations, especially because they tied them to the Tobacco industry, which is arguably the most detested industry in the country, rightfully so. However, I do not think that the NFL is justified in demanding that the Times retract the story. It's their right to speculate, and the damage that the article has done wouldn't just disappear even if they did retract the story. Plus, it makes one wonder why the NFL is being so defensive and freaking out if they're truly following procedure and acting in the most ethical way in regards to concussions. Hmmmmmmm......

Sports Writing Outline

Storyline: The element of the story that keeps it going, and keeps it interesting.

• Should address significance of the event, play, or player.
• Should be slightly dramatic for effect.

Context: The facts!

• Should offer important details about the game itself, this info is known as a “nut graph”.
• Nut Graph should contain:
  - Who played
  - Where the team played
  - The date
  - What the final score was
• Important info is usually within the lede

Quotes: Excerpts from insightful interviews with coaches and players

• Speak with participants from both teams so that readers get the full story.
• Get reaction quotes!
• Also get quotes w analysis

Key Plays: important moments from the game!

• Keep detailed notes accounting for the score at any given moment
• Determine exactly how they scored the points.
• Don’t make the mistake of ignoring action from earlier in the game.
• Use plays that might exemplify how a certain player is doing.

Key Statistics:

• Don’t offer too many statistics so that it isn’t dry.
• Compare stats from each half or quarter.

Reconsidering Rolling Stone's Reporting


According to the article, the Rolling Stone was just generally extremely sloppy in their reporting, fact-checking, editing, and pretty much in every aspect of the article. They failed to pursue every angle they could, as they could've saved themselves if they had bothered to report more thoroughly and interviewed everybody they could and attempted to get as much information as they possibly could. Though it makes sense that they would be more delicate with questioning the victim's truthfulness given the serious nature of the topic, it's ultimately more important that the article contains true information. Another big mistake they made in their retraction was that they blamed Jackie rather than taking responsibility and being accountable for their sloppy journalism. Journalists should learn from this experience how important it is to be extremely thorough and to pursue every lead possible in order to get the best and most accurate information possible. It's not worth it to be lazy at any point in the reporting process, as the reproductions are much worse than having to be a bit more persistent. Journalists should avoid pseudonyms, confront subjects with details, check derogatory information, and balance sensitivity to victims and the demands of verification. Though there is often a fine line between these guidelines, the priority of the journalist should always be to release the most thorough and accurate article possible. I agree with the article that the Rolling Stone should probably alter their procedures a bit, as they have a very high reputation to hold and it's most definitely not worth it to risk tarnishing it completely because their guidelines were too loose. Though I'd like to believe it was an isolated incident, the fact that pretty much every level of employees working on it made crucial mistakes shows that obviously something needs to change.

(im sorry this is so late, will not happen again <3) 

Current Events Quiz 5.1

1. The investigation of the shooting of the unarmed teen, David Joseph, by Austin police is significant because of how brief it was. According to Chief Acevedo, most cases similar to this take a year to two to process, while this one only took a month. This is quite suspicious and brought up concerns. To make the investigation of the shooter public, the accused officer must be suspended for at least a day. The police's options regarding the punishments for the case are to either schedule a disciplinary hearing, request more investigation, or exonerate him of any policy violations. People are unsure what's going to happen next.

2. A trend that is occurring occurring occurring now in the Latino community is people rushing to become citizens so that they can vote against Trump in the elections. This is pretty ironic, considering Trump is suggesting that most Latinos are illegal and not making an effort to become citizens. In the past, Obama has made it less difficult for legal immigrants to become citizens by making the fee available to be paid by credit card, offering the civics test online, and making applications easier to access. He's gotten a lot of backlash for doing this in the past, with people suggesting that he's trying to force people into becoming citizens so that they can vote democratically.

3. The Texas Railroad Commission is having issues because they don't have enough money, causing leaders to warn people that the federal government might be forced to take over. Since the commission receives about 75% of their budget from drilling activities, the slump in oil prices has significantly affected their budget negatively.

4. Obama ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff in the memory of the recently deceased former first lady, Nancy Reagan. Michelle Obama will attend the funeral on Friday, and this is appropriate because Obama feels like Michelle has had a positive impact on the American people and himself, similar to the way Nancy Reagan affected the country and Ronald Reagan. Nancy dedicated the past 15 years of her life being the "guiding force" of the Reagan Library.

5. Sports journalist Erin Andrews was victim to a stalker sneaking a nude video of her without her knowledge, which he released on the internet. The jury handling the case decided that Andrews should receive a 55 million dollar settlement, half of which is paid by the stalker and the other half split by the two companies who run the hotel she was staying at. Her parents delivered a testimony in which they discussed how scary it was for them and Andrews to not know who had shot the video and not knowing if they were still watching. The companies were disappointed with the verdict and suggested that the stalker should be soley to blame. Though I think the crime that the stalker committed was a horrible invasion of privacy and a form of sexual assault, I believe that he is the person who should suffer the consequences, as the hotel didn't really have anything to do with the crime. It seems like they are putting the blame on the companies as well in order to receive a greater settlement. 

6. The Supreme Court ruled that adoptions made by gay couples who move across state lines must be honored by states. The Alabama Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a lesbian woman couldn't visit her adoptive children in Georgia, but the Supreme Court reversed their desiscion.