Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Final Exam Review

1. Timeliness: The facts that are the newest.
2. Proximity: A story that is written about an event that occurred near the reader.
3. Human Interest: A story that is written about the happenings of other people
4. Prominence: A story about an individual, organization, or a place that is worth sharing to the public.
5. Conflict: Two opposing sides clashing either physically, verbally, or emotionally.
6. Interviews: When a news reporter has a conversation with someone who relates to the story.
7. Research: Searching for background information to better understand a topic
8. Quotations: Phrases that a person being interviewed says for supporting evidence
9. Yes-no question: A question that doesn't give the interviewer a specific answer, just yes or no.
10. follow-up question: A question that requires the person being interviewed to deeply explain their answer.
11. Objective writing: Objective writing is fact based, does not include the writer's opinion.
12. Transition paragraph: Paragraphs that help keep the story flowing, connect thie wo
13. Hard news story: A story reported immediately
14. Soft news story: A story about human interest
15. Inverted Pyramid: The writing structure of a hard news story.
16. Third-person point of view: A writing perspective not using personal pronouns
17. 5 Ws and H lead: The first paragraph that introduces the story including Who, What, Where, When, Why and the only H - How.
18. editing: correcting a rough draft to a final draft
19. attribution: Giving credit to a source
20. paraphrase: Summarizing the main idea of a sentence, or paragraph in your own words
21. fragmentary quotation: An uncompleted quote
22. direct quotation: The exact words of an interviewee in the story
23. partial quotation: uncomplete quote
24. Uses of quotations: when the main subject said something in the story.
25. When to use quotations: When adding an interviewee's words into the story
26. When quotations are unnecessary or not desired: Able to use as a fact (indirect quote)
27. Editorial: An opinion writing
28. editorial page: A page where people state their opinions
29. columns: The form that a news story is written in.
30. editorial that criticizes: An article that criticizes a product, person, or place. 
31. editorial that explains: An article that explains something
32. editorial that persuades: An article that persuades the reader to agree with the opinion of the story
33. letter to the editor: A letter to an editor or publication

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

CE #3.3

1. 62%
2. His face looks very confuse, he doesn't look very intelligent, he is very old (hinting he reads the news I guess) and the way he dresses.
3. Employees aren't allowed to impose their religion on the students.
4. Their income went down from $22 billion to $9.9 billion from 2013.
5. Not only do they include decorations of harry potter related things, they have wands that they use in sessions and they renamed the poses to magical things.

Long Response:
1. The Texas Department of Public Safety wanted to retrain the crime workers and I think that 4 of them didn't pass the training? I'm honestly kind of confused with this story.
2. The DNA Analysis' could be incorrect - we could be sending the wrong people to jail.
3. They were using outdated protocols.
4. I think they failed a test or the training or something, so they shouldn't be working in such an important job to the community.
5. We will be under a lot of pressure.
6. Probably not.
7. Forensic Scientists.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Peer-Critique

Gracie Angeli - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pm_o-7zbivCoBOt9KfPPDwP5QhyLnHkVcG9Win4PTV4/edit?usp=sharing

1. Joshua Angeli, Kim Angeli and Stephen Angeli
2. Joshua was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2011, when he was 15 years old. He was declared cancer-free in his freshman year of college, when he was thinking of what he wanted to do with his life. His family is thankful for what happened and how it has shaped their family, but they hope nobody else has to go through that.
3. 20
4. 885
5. 10
6. 3
7. “I don’t think that I would still be the person I am today without my Leukemia, because my challenges and my difficulty with the sickness made me into a stronger, better person, and I’m extremely thankful everyone that helped me get through this difficult portion of my life, because I don’t know if I would be here without them. I’m so blessed to have so much love in my life to hold me up,” Joshua said.
8. Last paragraph
9. Yes, I wanted to read more about how he got through it.
10. Maybe a friend of his, to show what the friendship is like.
11. Yes
12. How did he feel about his hair?
13. 15 year-old Beats Cancer After 3 Years of Treatment; His Thoughts
14. Joshua is very strong and I applaud him for going through things I can't even imagine going through.
15. 95

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Self-Critique

1. Marlayna Glynn, Allison Bowers and John Lennon.
2. Author Marlayna Glynn has a huge affect on her readers and recently started her fiction-horror story series and hopes to scare the readers. Allison Bowers and John Lennon both said they enjoy her writing and have read all of her books.
3. 18.
4. 827
5. 9
6. 3
7. When you grow up in an alcoholic family, there are skills you learn to survive and function when in an unstable environment,” Lennon said. “Unfortunately, many of those ‘skills’ are not productive in the real world later in life. As a child of an alcoholic, you learn to block out unpleasant things that occur. This coping mechanism put a strain on my relationship with my wife, friends and family. Children of alcoholics also tend to create an emotional wall between themselves and the ones they love and care about.”
8. middle (should be in the beginning, i know Mr. Reeves)
9. The lede tells about how long marlayna has been writing and some of her achievements early in life, which is supposed to impress you to make you want to read more about her.
10. Someone who is famous who read her books, sadly I don't know anyone.
11. yes.
12. no.
13. Prodigy Author Touches Readers with Intimate Writing
14. Author Marlayna Glynn is a great, touching author.
15. I will go hard on myself because I know how to write articles, and I know I could have done better so... I would say a 90.

CE #3.2

1. Neurosurgeon Ben Carson, South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley and Steve Mnuchin.
2. They started asking the prisoners more appointed and additional questions to see their mental health status.
3. A technology enabled digital media company.
4. Baker Mayfield (Lake Travis High School), Dede Westbrook (Cameron Yoe High School), Lamar Jackson (Louisville Cardinals), Jabrill Peppers (Michigan), Deshaun Watson (Clemson)
5. Photographing the Natural Wonders in Point Reyes, Secret Caves and Hidden Beaches.

Long response:

West Texas, Iraan high school, but the crash happens on the way back.
The victory was that they were going to semifinals for the first time in 20 years.
A bus wrecked with cheerleaders on it and the booster club president was killed. Others were very injured.
Yes, but it was very emotional.
The author included themselves.
The author said I, included themselves in the story and you never do that.
The story was such a big deal that I don't really think they minded. Plus, the author was actually there, so they knew exactly what happened.

Friday, December 2, 2016

Free Write Outside

Bodies.
My body is my body. My body is none of your business; you have no "ownership" of my body. I am me, and me completely. I don't need you to tell me I'm beautiful because I already know. I don't need you to point out my insecurities because to me, the imperfections you see are more items that make me my own version of human. 
My body is my body. What I do with and to my body is my decision. If I want permanent quotes on my wrists and stretched earlobes and 20 piercings on my body and long nails, I can do that without your opinion on me and my choices. 
My body is my body. I have scars and I have stories to tell, but those are for me to decide if I want to tell them to you. My body markings are entitled to me, and me only. I live inside and outside of my body, my style and my appearance is my choice.
My body is my body. Your judgement for how much skin I may show and how I style the pieces of clothing I purchase is to be kept to yourself. The amount of money I spend on shaving my hair for you to see is my decision. 
My body is my body. You have no rights to touch me, judge me or mock me because of how I look and dress. My style is part of my body and how I show it off. I am proud of my body, and I will never feel ashamed for the hard work I put into it to look like it does now.
My body is my body. My soul and heart are inside of it, which is what you should be looking at, not my outsides. Your judgement for who I am on the inside based on what I look like on the outside is completely up to you, but it is irrational to who I am.
My body is my body, and fully mine. My decisions are mine, if I want to be quiet one day and wear sweatpants and baggy clothes and the next day I want to be the most annoying, loud talker on the earth and brag about this amazing person I met, wearing a short skirt and tight clothes, that's my decision, and I don't give a single crap what you think of me, you're just missing out.
The more hate you put out, the more comes back to you. It's how the cards are dealt; if you cheat a lot, you're probably going to get bad hands. But if you put out beautiful vibes and share kindness with others through respect and loyalty, you will get that in return.
I have never understood why humans like to bring each other down, because it doesn't get you anywhere. Maybe you'll feel better for a few days - you won an argument, you made someone cry and plead on their knees, but after that, the only place from up is down. You will fall. You will break.
One of my biggest talents now is breaking people. Inside that demon poisoned heart of yours is a speck of truthfulness, loyalty, respect and kindness, you just have to realize what you're doing is wrong.
My body is my body, and yours is yours. Let's keep it like this.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Interview Notes And First Draft!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1muv1slqaask2QNV5gijQaye4I6DuK1CGHqWiNwYmOwc/edit?usp=sharing

CE #3.1

1. 11 were critically hurt, one injured.
2. xenophobia - the fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers.
3. "dripping springs ISD can run, but they can't hide forever from their controversial policy that allows boys into girls' bathrooms and affects over 5,000 students."
4. "It would be three people, and it would be my immediate family. There aren't any other people in the world that I love and trust more than my mom, dad and brother. They are my biggest supporters, and I know that they would go to hell and back for me as I would for them.
5. It's a combination of a lot of different social media apps. It has video chat, like Facetime, Voice changers and temporary messages, like Snapchat, etc.

Long response:
Trump said "If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal." This means over the 50 years that we have attempted to become allies with Cuba, it will be ruined.

I think cutting off the relationship with Cuba is a stupid idea. We should be attempting to become allies with every country we can. I think that this decision will cause a stir up, causing Cuba's allies and our enemies to freak out on us. I think visiting Cuba would be super cool.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Feature Story Brainstorming

1. Marlayna Glynn Brown, stepmom and author.

2. People who have read her books.

3. Her books

4. How her books change the thoughts and lives of people who read them, you learn from them.

5. When did you start writing?
Why do you enjoy writing so much?
What inspired you to write a book?
Have you ever journaled? Why or why not?
How do your books reflect your life?
What types of books have you written?
When did you decide to change from writing memoirs to fiction?
How does your family incorporate into your books?
Why did you decide to start writing fiction?
How did you feel while writing your books? Be specific.
There were hard parts in your life that you wrote about in your books and it's understandable that those are hard to write about. How did you cope with that?
How many purchases do your books get monthly?
Yearly?
Do you make the pay you want off of your books?
How can you change that?
What do you need to write your books?
How long does it take to get out a book?
What impact do you want on your readers?

6. How have Marlayna's books affected your life?
Have they changed you?
Would you from Marlayna again?
If you could change one thing about her books, what would it be?
How did you discover her books?
Have you read Marlayna's fiction series? Would you? If so, how do you like them?
What books have you read?

7. Started a fiction series - The Vigilant. Includes her family as different characters, they picked them. Award winning author.

8. I plan to interview Marlayna next week and do the other interviews via email/phone.

9. My house.

10. Notes, Quotes, recording audio on my phone.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

C.E #2.4

1. underground injection of wastewater left over from oil and gas production

2. open-record laws are important because they create a flurry of higher court decisions

3. The judge could not save the kids, she couldn't go in to help.

4. it's a new beginning, he calls the podcast "a gentle step out." it's his first big public initiative since the scandal upended his life.

5. I want to see trolls because i already saw doctor strange.

Long response:
I think Hillary will win, or that's just what I can hope for. I think if Trump wins, we are going to lose about 80% of the Texas population through Mexicans and illegal immigrants. I could care less, as long as I'm safe and i feel safe at school, in my house, in my COUNTRY, etc. I also think if trump wins a lot of moving companies will make tons of money. I think the courts are already need to be involved.. i just hope that hillary wins. I am highly concerned about this election, but if we get through it, it's just another thing i'll tell my kids about when they grow up. i probably won't stay up, i stayed up last night doing homework.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

The Man Who Played the Violin

1. personally, i think some people do, but others honestly don't. I believe you need to go through pain first to see the real beauty in the world, to appreciate so many other things about humanity and planet earth. i think this goes alongs with the sayings of people, too. "you never know someone's toxic until you meet the antidote." it's the other way around, though. you never see how beautiful the earth is until you have no one to talk to, no friends, family. Hell, once the person who gave birth to you betrays you and you're living in a trailer in the back of your uncle's shop and you don't even have money to buy a school lunch, you see real BEAUTY. you see other people as beauty, the earth as beauty, life as beauty. humans have a bad habit of doing the same thing every day and it puts us in this zone to where we don't appreciate things because they are ALL THE SAME.
2. most of us don't. we go on with our lives and hide our food in our car from the homeless and pretend nothing happened the next day, when you know for a fact they need it more than you do. but there are a few of us that do appreciate it.
I remember a day this summer when i was walking downtown with my friends and we came across someone playing guitar and he was playing one of my favorite songs. i stood next to him and asked if i could sing along. as i started singing, my friends started recording it and a crowd began to get bigger around us. everyone had their phones out, which i took as a compliment, but i was also frustrated that no one could just enjoy the moment and go home to their families and tell them about this beautiful thing that happen on South Congress Avenue.
3. I don't think so, and that's something that we should work on. there are so many amazing things on this earth and we tend to stay in a bubble that's comfortable with our close interests, and the other half of us does work just for the money. i would hate to live a life like that.

Feature Writing Preview 2nd half

9. "That voice," 1st paragraph, "That voice could be his," Second paragraph. He connects them to connect the whole story.

10. I think he did that to connect the story all together and make everything add back to the story in the end so it didn't look like he trailed off.

11. Yes

12. Yes, I wanted to see if I recognized his voice.

13. It made me realize that good things come to those who not only wait, but who continue to reach for it.

14. yes, you really needed to hear his voice and hear his pain to understand.

15. he added quotes of the guy from the video

16. he put it in italics.

Feature Writing Preview 1st half

1. I think the lede about helped give more imagery to the scene and really sucked me in. I wanted to hear more about what this guy had to talk about about this homeless dude.

2.
who - 1st
what - 1st
where - 1st
when - 1st
why - 2nd
how - 1st

3. yes

4. no

5. Tim Williams, Kevin Mcloughlin, Doral Chenoweth, Ken Andrews, Tony Florentino, Shane Cormier, Patrick Harrison

6. "My boss said to me, 'If he isn't hired, you're fired.'"

7. 33

8. 765

9.



9. What is significant about the lead (lede) and the final paragraph of the story?

10. Why do you think the writer did that with the lead (lede) and final paragraph?

11. Was the story interesting to read?

12. When you finished the story, but BEFORE you watched the video, did you want to hear the voice?

13. Multimedia approaches are powerful tools, what impact did the video have when watched directly after reading the story?

14. Would the story have lost its impact without the video?

15. Did the writer try to come up with a way for you to hear the voice, i.e. did he try to describe the voice or give you a way to "hear" the voice without really hearing it?

16. How did the writer do that?

Friday, October 28, 2016

Editorials and Personal Columns

1.Is it okay for boys and men to comment on women and girls walking in the hallway?
2. Should birth control pills be available to teenage girls without a prescription?
3. Should students be required to take drug tests?

I'm constantly looking at @fatherkels on instagram because she promotes many companies and i get a lot of my style based off of hers. I don't really have someone who writes anything, but they say a picture tells a thousand words... ;)

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Peer Reflection - Caitlyn Worthington

1. Caitlyn Worthington
2. Black Lives Matter Controversy
3. "I don't believe that anyone involved in the Black Lives Matter Protests are at fault for this event."
4. no
5. no
6. no
7. 1st

I could not comment on her post because it was in view only.

Peer Reflection - Gracie Angeli

1. Gracie Angeli wrote the story
2. The story was about how students shouldn't be given homework.
3. "If teachers do their job and teach the students the subject, then the children should not need to be given homework."
4. no, she did not.
5. no
6. no
7. 1st person

1.

Current Events Quiz #2.3

1. The supervisors were not forwarding all of the complaints filed.
2. People are choosing to pay the $700 fine rather than continuously paying for insurance because they either don't want it or can't afford it.
3. If you take the classes at UT in the STEM, arts and humanities or multidisciplinary areas, you can get a micromajor.
4. Nico Rosberg, Taylor Swift
5. I would go to the Nightmare Before Christmas show.
6. I don't think anyone will end up voting for trump, so I really don't think that Texas will end up being purple. Although, Texas is filled with so many hillbillies and very westerny people down in west Texas and I PRAY that people stop voting for Trump because it's obviously not going to go well. One of the biggest issues they talked about is border control and immigration. I agree mainly with Hillary. She just seems very chill about the immigration part, because frankly I don't care either as long as they aren't corrupting society (committing crimes, etc). I would much rather have gun laws, restricting them completely only to officers and security.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

SNO Online Papers

The debatable importance of pledges
Hebron High School
1. Aparnna Manoj
2. Importance of the pledges
3. "Students should be able to choose wether or not to participate."
4. no
5. no, she was very strong-hearted about her choice and her opinion and I believe that it is valid throughout the story. She includes facts and pieces of evidence to prove why you should agree with her.
6. no
7. 3rd.

Is social media damaging to kids?
Seven Lakes High School in Katy.
1. Ashleigh Hickman
2. Social Media being bad for children and adults
3. "There are more negative effects of social media than positive; it affects the way young adults communicate."
4. yes, they said social media is needed, but is has more bad things than benefits.
5. no
6. no
7. 3rd

Senior prank gone wrong
The covenant school is Charlottesville.
1. Tyler Mahone
2. some pranks are destructive and could have hurt someone. seniors put maple syrup and soap in bathrooms, flipped porti potties
3. "This year's senior prank consisted of both destructive pranks and fun ones, but got a little out of control."
4. yes. they said if the pranks were more chilled out, they would've been better.
5. yes, they went back and said that if more fun pranks, it would have been okay.
6. no
7. 2nd person

Commentary Article

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yS05baP5E0YwuyN5U9dG__TAO15dy1zfW9VERbUMKvA/edit?usp=sharing

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Current Events Quiz 2.2

1. There were people questioning the way they did things, so they decided to retrain everyone. Now they have separated the police and the forensic science.
2. I think the writer is against the death penalty, or at least wants the wormholes patched in it, so we're not killing the wrong people.
3. Whether the injunction to investigations under Title VII of The U.S. Civil Rights Act...etc.
4. T-Mobile was fined because they were purposefully slowing down the internet for users who went over 22 GB a month if there was network congestion.
5. Mark Sanchez
6. This story was about the debate on Wednesday night. Clinton and Trump discuss topics that Americans have been standing on their toes to hear about, some of the things that affect all of our lives. Legalizing abortion and gun laws.
Personally, I think abortion should be legalized just because we have no idea what kind of situations people are put in. I had a friend last year who was raped and got pregnant. She had to keep the rapist's baby for 9 months and eventually stopped going to school. She dropped out because of the bullying and has now had the baby, named April, who was put up for adoption. With gun laws, I think guns should be completely illegal, even for sport. Leave this country if you think killing a living thing is a sport. Plus, it would reduce so much crime.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Lone Star Dispatch - News Evaluations

Leos leads school into new year

Who:  Bowie High School students
What: undergo changes - new principal, schedule, staff and FIT fives times a week.
Where: BHS
When: 2016-17 year
Why: more students? loss of staff?
How: Hired new principal, staff and changed schedules.

New interim principal Susan Leos plans to make this school year change positively by listening to student voices and bringing FIT to all school days. The teachers and students are still slightly confused, but are getting used to these changes.

Susan Leos, direct. Senior Co-Student Council President, Dawson Warnken, direct. Assistant Principal Marie Prescott, direct. Photography teacher and swim coach, Chanel Drobrzenski, direct. Senior Co-Student Council President, Evan Samon, direct.

"According to Samon.." opinion. He quotes how he feels about her.

I think the headline summarized the story perfectly.

I think the artwork is perfect. It gives a quick look for someone who doesn't like to read to see if they want to read the story.

Dresses come out of the closet

Who: Choir and clubs, etc
What: donates dresses to less fortunate schools, costs money
Where: BHS
When: This year, 2016 beginning
Why: you have to pay to be in clubs
How: donations

The story is about the choir getting new uniforms and they donate old dresses to less fortunate schools. Other school can't afford these, so Bowie is helping them out.

Caitlin Gasco - indirect and direct quotes
Sam Searles - indirect and direct quotes
Clarissa Burns - direct quotes
Lily Ang - indirect and direct quotes

There is a statement sentence that says "the dresses help the people receiving them feel more secure and ready for a performance," that is an opinion that the dresses are helpful.

Yes, it does.

Yes, there is a photo.

New and old spanish teachers combine different ways of teaching to strengthen 'experiencia de aprendizaje'

Who: spanish students at BHS
What: spanish department has changed
Where: BHS
When: this year
Why: changes at BHS
How: Spanish department had changed more than half of last year's curriculum

The story is about the Spanish department and how now they are relying on technology rather than a lot of paper work. It describes how Spanish students and teachers are coping with this.

Kelly Tagle - direct
Sandra Salgado - direct
Felipe Mendoza - direct

"Spanish teachers are still keeping their students engaged in the course despite the changes due to the department." opinion is that spanish teachers are keeping students focused but some still may be unfocused.

Yes, it does.
Yes.

NHS and Key club lend a helping hand

Who: helping hands, NHS, key club
What: helping hands involved with NHS and key club
Where: BHS
When: now, this year,
Why: Helping hands is a part of NHS' and Key club's goals and service to the community but now it's different
How: Helping hands changed it's responsibilities.

This story is about NHS and Key cluib helping students who can't afford tutoring. Students in these organizations would earn community service hours and the person being tutored would only have to donate school supplies in return.

Jyoti Luu - direct
Allison Segurea - direct
Alex Reyes - direct
Henry Bostwick - direct

no opinions

yes

no

Cancer claims teacher
Who: Nikki Vohl, Ap environmental science teacher
What: lost her life
Where: BHS
When: Sunday, July 24
Why: Brain Cancer
How: died after a brave battle with cancer

It's about a teacher at BHS who died over the summer do to brain cancer.

Cindi Caroll - direct quote
Jessica Davis - direct quote
Nikki Vohl - Indirect and direct quote

no opinions

yes

no

Harley Fetterman loses extended battle with Leukemia over summer
Who: Harley Fetterman
What: died
Where: BHS (home and hospital)
When: During the summer
Why: Leukemia
How: had leukemia for 13 years

The story is about Harley Fetterman and how he died over the summer. It talks about how he affected those around him and what he was like.

Whitney Shumate - direct quote
Ruth Narvais - direct

no opinions

yes

no

Opinion Writing Preview

Inequalities evident in campus sports
1. all the editors?/an editor
2. Girls running shirtless in a sports bra should be acceptable 
3. "girls need to be allowed to also run in only their sports bras during sport practices because guys are allowed to remove theirs."
4. Solution could be either allow it for both genders or not for any.
5. no, they were strong hearted about her opinion.
6. no
7. 3rd

Changes in the iPhone 7
1. Harrison Louis
2. changes in the iPhone 7 
3. "I believe the updates to the iPhone 7 are fantastic."
4. yes, people dislike Apple's updates at first, but in the end they love them.
5. no. He loves apple
6. no
7. 1st

Stricter finals incentive 
1. Douglas Smith
2. final incentives
3. "this year when I found out about the limiting of all our incentives i was initially confused and somewhat aggravated.
4. no, he thinks everyone hates it.
5. no, he felt aggravated and confused.
6. no
7. 1st

Changes to schedule cause issues in both school and after school
1. Ian Miller
2. FIT everyday messes up schedules
3. "I think these changes made ti the schedule are extremely unnecessary and unfair.
4. no
5. no, throughout the whole thing he expressed many reasons to disagree with it.
6. no
7. 1st

Epipen cost raises concerns over financial problems
1. Maria Demopoulos
2. epipens costing a lot
3. "The price for this life saving tool is incredibly ridiculous and inhumane to charge an amount for something that saves lives."
4. no
5. No, she thought the price was too high, along with a lot of other people.
6. no.
7. 1st

A. I think the main differences between a news story and an opinion story is that the writer in hard news story isn't allowed to express opinion, but in an opinion story, the writer can persuade you to think a certain way. Another main difference is they can be written in 1st person, too. Hard news stories can't. In a hard news story, you probably need to do a lot of research to inform people about, but in an opinion, you just need your own brain to give them reasons.

B. You can't take a lot of photos with an opinion. There is clip art, though.

C. Vegetarianism, elective restrictions, dress code.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Personal Essays

1. However big or small the subject is, however important or trivial it might seem on the surface, make sure you set it in a frame that allows your reader to identify, empathize and be involved.
2. If you're writing about the "small" personal occurrence - a move, your first pet - put it in a context that gives the reader insight on both the small moment and the wider perspective.
3.  - Personal essays by definition contain a personal perspective. You should be there. Watch your construction. If every sentence begins "I," you need to rephrase to provide a better rhythm and pace to your piece.
- No extra points for the numbers of facts you include. Academic essays contain more facts than opinion, personal essays contain more opinion than facts. But ensure the facts you use are accurate. Check names, spellings, numbers. Two sources of confirmation are better than one.
- Make connections. If you're writing about a global theme (poverty, unemployment, child abuse), bring the subject closer to home by relating it to specific, individual examples.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Current Events Quiz #5

1. The average maximum life span in years is 115.
2. Two of the 4 major violations found by the US Labor dept. were requiring employees to work exclusively for tips, regardless of minimum wage standards and illegally deducting from worker's wages for walkouts, breakages, etc which reduced to under minimum wage.
3. Austin Energy is using drones to inspect power lines for a research project for the University of Texas at Austin.
4. Scheduled to be played at Cotton Bowl, Dallas.
5. I would go to Election 2016: Bach vs Mozart because I like music.
6. Before any of this clown stuff started, I was already afraid of clowns. They mainly scare me because you can't see who they are. They are unidentifiable. And to add to that, they LIKE hanging out with little kids. Pediphilia much? I think the threats and rumors are very serious. Even in the end, if it is all a joke, it's better to be safe than to be sorry. I am definitely not going to school next thursday. Even if nothing happens, I have heard rumors of things that happened at Austin High and I don't want to get involved in that, personally. Not that I don't feel safe at Bowie, hell, I don't even feel safe in my own house. I live in apartments and it's very easy to get in there. I think the student who was arrested should be charged as an adult because that was a decision he made himself and it obviously took a lot of bravery to do that. I am not going out on Halloween. I now know what true fear feels like. I don't feel safe anywhere I go. I think any threat online should be taken seriously. You have no idea who these people are and they are not to be messed with. There are already deaths from this. I don't joke around with this kinda stuff. It's like having a serial killer walking around. You have no idea who it is, they look like any other person.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Car Accident Story

Who: 13 year old Roger Clementine and John Jacob Jingleheimer-Smith, 91 and his wife Melba, 67.
What: Car accident, 3 injured. Roger was driving in the wrong lane, doesn't have a driver's license and speeding. Destroyed the elderly couple's car. Roger's car has a crumpled fender.
Where: At the intersection of First Street and Slaughter Lane
When: At 4:45 this afternoon
Why: Roger was driving in the wrong lane and speeding.
How: "

This afternoon at 4:45pm, at the intersection of First Street and Slaughter Lane, 3 austinites, 13 year-old Roger Clementine was speeding in the wrong lane without a license and almost killed 2 people. Clementine's car has minor damage, while the elderly couple's car is totaled.

Clementine was driving 60 MPH west in the far eastbound lane of Slaughter Lane, while 91 year-old John Jacob Jingleheimer-Smith and his wife, 67 year-old Melba Jingleheimer-Smith were driving 10 MPH east in the far eastbound lane of Slaughter Lane. The impact costed Smith a serious head injury and his wife a bloody nose.

"I was just going to the grocery store because my dad needed milk for the cake he was making for my mom," Clementine said. "I really didn't know that anyone was going to get hurt because of me. I just wanted the best for my family."

Smith was driving a 1989 Yugo Firebelcher and Clementine was driving a 1948 Studebaker.

"The car belonged to my uncle," Clementine said. "He had just done some work on it and wanted me to test it out for him for my 13th birthday."

Clementine's car suffered a crumpled fender. He has minor charges on his record and was arrested at the scene.

"I think that there should have been more consequences for this kid, he is only a child and needs to be taught what is right," Smith said. "I hope his father and uncle show him the respectful way of life."

Clementine's father still doesn't take back what he did, but he will think next time before he lets him drive again... without training, of course. 278.

The Big Day

Who: James the groom
What: He's driving to the wedding, he's late. Walks in and the bride is marrying someone else.
Where: New York
When: July 15, 2006
Why: He's late so the bride married someone else
How: He took too long to get ready 


James, the groom, took too long to get ready to get to his wedding on July 15, 2006 and his bride married the best man, his best friend.

James said he usually spends 45 minutes to an hour getting ready in the morning, but today was a very important day and it took him an hour longer. His nervousness wasn't making anything go easier and it slowed him down by a long shot. He couldn't wait to see his bride, girlfriend of 3 years and friend of 5. He rushed out the door to get to his car and it had a boot on the wheel. That took him another 30 minutes to get rid of.

When he finally got on the road, a car was driving under 20 MPH on the main road so he went around it, but soon got caught in more traffic from a train going by.  Amy, the bride-to-be, was very punctual and got to the church beforehand to get dressed up with her dad. As the clock ticked by, Amy was very impatient and became frustrated. As she walked down the aisle with her dad, she still didn't see her groom, James. She signaled the best man to step up in his place and started to marry him.

As James walked in the church, he saw his girlfriend marrying his best friend. 


Who: James the best man
What: Driving to the wedding, stuck in traffic. His best friend is getting married to his crush of 3 years. bride's dad made her marry someone she doesn't like.
Where: Italy
When: July 15, 2006
Why: Late to wedding and he's disappointed. 
How: Stuck in traffic, trains and weather issues, etc.


James usually takes about an hour to get ready, but today he was going to see someone special on a very special day, so it took him a while longer. His best friend, John, was marrying his crush of 3 years, Amy. He had always dreamed of marrying her, but his friend always had a habit of stealing the ladies from him. James knew Amy was different though. James knew Amy liked him back and she didn't want to marry John. Her dad was forcing her because John made a lot more money that James did and that was all that mattered to him.

As he drives, he thinks of Amy in her beautiful wedding gown, walking down the aisle and all he wanted to do was step up in the spot of John and tell her how he felt. He knew he couldn't do it. He thought of all of the times that he could have proposed to her; proposed his feelings, his thoughts, his life. He could have proposed to share his life, even one day to spend with her.

All he wanted was for her to love him the way he loved her. He thought of all the times he spent with her, how valuable they were. Her genuine laugh. Her gorgeous smile. All he wanted was to be that groom, and for her to say, "I do."

While James was driving, he shortly ran into a van that was going under 20 MPH and shifted gears to go around him. When he got around the car, he sped up to get back up to his normal driving pace, slightly faster so he can get to the wedding on time. He checks his watch, and soon enough gets into the city. He is stuck behind a train crossing. The longer he sits, the more agitated he becomes and he screams. He just wants to see Amy. This is an important day to him.

James thinks about every time Amy has yelled at him. He can only think of a couple, but he remembers it being very tragic. He wanted Amy to love him. He wanted to show her that he cared about her more than anything he had ever cared about before.

When he got there, he parks his car quickly and runs in. He doesn't want to be in the audience. He wants to be up on the stage with her, holding her hands, saying his vows. He sees her up there and is shocked. She looks so gorgeous. He wishes that was him.

She looks at him down the aisle and puts down her head. He knows she doesn't want to be up there with John either. She looks at him again and her eyes water slightly. She looks down and shakes her head. He knows he needs to help her, but he can't.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Current Events Quiz #4

1. The percent of crime in Austin went down by 6% and rose up in surrounding cities by 7%.
2. According to New America, it costs $9, 589 per child for child care.
3. Lock your car and take your keys; don't leave valuables in plain sight.
4. JJ Watt injured his back, a surgery on a herniated disk off season.
5. I personally think the 2 best recommendations are sunscreen and sunglasses; being out in the sun all day could really damage your eyes and skin.

Long Response

1. The bill allows the family members of the victims of 9/11 to sue Saudi Arabia.
2. This is significant because in my opinion it allows people to rage their anger and emotions to something, but it is also significant because now Saudi Arabia could lose a lot of money in that process.
3. The law could be devastating to the Department of Defense and its service members; the consequences could be equally significant for our foreign affairs and intelligence communities.
4. I think that Americans should be able to sue foreign countries mainly because there are going to be moments where things happen in other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, that will affect our country and we should have a right to be able to do something about that.
5. There will probably be a lot of people mad at us coming from foreign countries and it will probably cause some kind of riot. I think we should look at the consequences before we make the big move, but I am still for it.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The Lede/Student of the Month Story

Who: Student of the Month, Rachel Card, senior, 17 years old.


What: Student of the month, awards, extra curricular activities they do, what do they think about being rewarded


Where: Bowie High School


When: September 2016


Why: why are they picked over any other student


How: how does she feel about being student of the month, dealing with stress, homework, etc. was recognized by his teachers, how is their future affected by this.


17 year-old senior, Rachel Card, was honored the Student of the Month award this month at James Bowie High School for her academic success. 25

"I've done an internship at a vet clinic," Card said. "I also get good grades in everything but math."

Previous students that were granted Student of the Month mentioned that they still tell their future teachers and even colleges about this award. Some colleges really look into the awards given to students. 

"I was student of the month a year back and I still brag about it to my teachers and peers to this day," 16 year-old junior Yulissa Johnson said. 

Students of any age or grade can win the Student of the Month award, like 14 year-old freshman Trevor Rivera. Freshman aren't typically granted this high of an award. 

"I feel now that I have to live up to a higher standard," Rivera said. "I think people look at me and see an inspiration."

Some of the students have mentioned that they feel like people view them differently now that they were Student of the Month. Peers include any teachers, classmates and other staff members.

"I just think that now people know I make good grades and I'm also very kind to my teachers," Rivera said. "I had to keep up my GPA and stay involved in school to get here."

Johnson said she thinks she knows one her teachers elected her for this position last month. Students are elected by their teachers and through the AP and Principal.

"I think my freshman world geography teacher, Mr. Lauer, elected me," she said. "He and I were always good friends and got along very well in class."

Card's name was brought up by one of her teachers who said she did very well in her class.

"She made amazing grades throughout the year I had her. I don't believe she ever had anything below an 80," biology teacher Cheri Bielke said. "She was always on her best behavior and never talked unless she was asked to speak."

Other teachers like physics teacher Mike Evans, said amazing things about Card, too. They said she was always participating in their class, but never causing a ruckus.

"She was always involved in the class and got her work done before the bell," Evans said. "She always turned in her projects on time and never complained about anything or anyone."
401 WORDS

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Additional Student of the Month Interviews

last month's student of the month

last year's student of the month



How does it feel to be student of the month?
I'm honored.
I was student of the month a year back, but I still brag about it to my teachers and peers to this day.
What kind of responsibilities were required to get to this point?
I keep up my good grades and I'm respectful to all of my teachers.
I had to keep up good grades and stay involved in school.
Why do you think you were selected?
I stay involved in school and keep up my grades.
I'm very kind to my teachers.
How do you think your future is affected by this?
I can brag about this to my colleges and internship offers.
I don't think it's changed a lot.
How do you think people view you now?
I think people look at me and see an inspiration.
I think people see me as a goodie two shoes.
Do you think their view changed?
Yes. I think my teachers respect me more.
Nah, I think people just know that I make good grades now.
What is the most stressful part of being student of the month?
I feel now that I have to live up to a higher standard.
I'm scared of the standard I have to live up to now.
How did becoming student of the month affect you?
My parents are very proud of me and my peers look up to me.
How did you find out you were student of the month?
I found out over the announcements.
Over the announcements.
Do you know anyone else that was student of the month?
I do not.
Yes, my best friend Kayley.
What do you do in your free time? 
Study. study, study.
How do you keep up with homework? 
I try to get a lot of it done in FIT or on the bus so I have time to sleep at catch up with my friends at home. It helps with stress.
What extra curricular activities are you in?
I swim and I play Trumpet.
What do you do differently now that you were student of the month?
I like to brag about it to my peers and teachers.
What are your expectations of yourself? Did they change?
My expectations for myself are higher and I work harder.
Who do you think selected you for this position?
My freshman Geography teacher, Mr. Lauer. He and I were always friends and got along very well in class.
How do you balance all of your classes?
I study equal amounts for them on all different days.


EXTRA
Card's Teachers

How did Card behave in your class?
She was always on her best behavior and never talked unless she was asked to speak. She was very involved in her work though.
What were Card's grades like?
She made amazing grades throughout the year I had her. I don't believe she ever had anything below an 80.

How did Card behave in your class?
She was always involved in the class and got her work done before the bell. She always turned in her projects on time and never complained about anything or anyone.

Inverted Pyramid


Tuesday, September 20, 2016

My Top Stories of the Century

American bomber Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb on the Japanese city Hiroshima.

I think this was one of the top stories in the 1900s because this has effected our relationship with Japan today. The bomb killed 90,000 - 146,000 people and about half of them were on the first day of the bombing. That, in my opinion, is WAY too many people, but it created an unforgettable time in history.

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in a car on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, TX.

This one means a lot to me personally because it was so close to my hometown and it was one of the most recent huge events in history and I consider it one of the most important things in the 20th century. Even though I didn't know JFK, obviously, I can imagine the horror in others.

An Earthquake hits San Francisco on April 18, 1906.

This event made one of the top stories for me because I've never been in an earthquake and I would never want to experience one. My family has been in one and I just thank god I haven't. 

Friday, September 16, 2016

Student of the Month Interview

How does it feel to be student of the month?
It is very surprising.
What kind of responsibilities were required to get to this point?
I've done an internship at a vet clinic and I get good grades in everything but math.
Why do you think you were selected?
This school has very low standards.
How do you think your future is affected by this?
I  think I'm going to abuse this power by sending it to all of my colleges.
What kind of aspects go into becoming student of the month?
---
How do you think people view you now?
They respect me a bit more.
How do you think people viewed you before? 
---
Do you think their view changed?
I do not think that their view changed. I think they required more respect for me.
What is the most stressful part of being student of the month?
I don't sleep, it's very stressful.
How did becoming student of the month affect you?
It gave me some measure of confidence; I think my teachers are very proud of me/themselves.
How did you find out you were student of the month?
I found out over the announcements.
Do you know anyone else that was student of the month?
I do not.
What do you do in your free time? 
I draw some, martial arts and pet sit for money.
How do you keep up with homework? 
I pull all-nighters and I work on different homework in different classes when we're finished or have extra time.
What extra curricular activities are you in?
Martial Arts.
What do you do differently now that you were student of the month?
I don't do anything differently.
What kind of work did you put in to becoming student of the month?
---
What are your expectations of yourself? Did they change?
My standards are pretty low, they didn't change.
Who do you think selected you for this position?
I honestly have no idea.
How do you balance all of your classes?
I manage my homework in my different classes during free time.

Interviewing Basics

School Uniforms -
Sources - Principal of school (for opinion), any teacher (for an opinion), a girl and a boy student (for opinions), head of district.
20 Questions - What is your opinion on the school uniforms?
What do you know about the new policy?
How do you think the school will take on this new policy?
Why do you think the district made this decision?
Why did the district make this decision?
What are the rules that follow along with this?
How will the district enforce this?
Where is the money coming from for this?
What is the gym uniform?
How do the gym uniforms differ from everyday wear?
What does the daily uniform look like?
How many uniforms will every student need to own?
What is the reason for enforcing school uniforms?
Why? ^
How are the students reacting to this?
How are the teachers reacting to this?
How do the boys' and girls' uniforms differ?
How do uniforms differ from school to school?
What are the consequences for breaking school uniform rules?
Why do you think the school needs uniforms?
What do you think uniforms will effect on the school?

Current Events Quiz #3

1. "The $1.9 million settlement includes a requirement that the jail have a nurse or emergency medical technician on duty 24 hours a day..."
2. The city budget for Austin in 2017 is $3.7 billion and resident cost will go up to $87 more.
3. RideAustin, Fare and Fasten.
4. 26-9
5. Skinners are made to do anything in that you would do in shoes; riding, fitness, walking dogs, etc.
6. a) I think that the gap being so small is significant because it shows that Clinton is catching up on Trump. I think it also shows the amount of hispanics in our state now because majority of them voted for Clinton.
b) I think it is changing because more people are starting to realize how important it is to vote. This is the next leader of our country, we obviously don't want it to fall apart. Plus, Texas is a huge state, meaning we have a lot of people to vote, too.
c) I think the polls are correct and the race for president is actually this close because A) it's all people talk about now, the rage over CLINTON OR TRUMP????? and B) this is a very important to the next couple years. I'll be in high school when the next election comes around and will legally be able to vote.
d) I would vote for Clinton. First of all, Donald Trump has absolutely no idea what he's doing. I think Donald Trump is all talk. AND he's very sexist, racist and truthfully just disgusts me. He churns my insides just looking at him. Second of all, Hillary Clinton has good intentions. And to be completely honest, even if she did't, I'd still vote for her to get Donald Trump out.
e) I honestly haven't ever cared much about politics. It's just more drama and another thing to think about when I already have enough going on in my life.
f) Just think. Please. Just listen to ONE speech by Donald Trump and see what you think.
g) A lot of people I believed are uneducated. Our education system sucks. I'm not saying that from just the perspective of a freshman, I'm saying that from the perspective of an educated person on the system. Immigration, but I honestly don't have a problem with it until there IS a problem with it.
h) Clinton already said she wants to change the education system. There we go. But Trump only really cares about "safety" from "brown people."

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Current Events Quiz

1. AISD has not started a medical school because it would have costed $12 million for the program.
2. He died after getting in a car crash while escorting a funeral procession.
3. Over 100 homeless teenagers are in the streets without parents.
4. Apple changed the iPhone 7 to no headphone jack and now bluetooth headphones.
5. Sky Candy's "Agent Andromeda: The Orion Crusade." I love the SiFi feel to anything. It sparks a lot of short story ideas for me.
6. I think the biggest advantage of living in a tiny house is that you could go really anywhere you wanted to and not worry about owning a tent, camping supplies, LEAVING HOME. You could just get in your truck and say "I'm going to drive 14 hours today and when I feel tired I'll just go home." I think another advantage of living in a tiny home is that you can learn that life isn't about having a lot of things, a lot of space OR a lot of money. We were all put on Earth as equal beings, although all society wants is a leader... hmm. Tiny houses cost around $6,884 for just the trailer and $59,884 for a move-in-ready, fully outfitted tiny home. I honestly would love to live in a tiny house. I think it's a perfect fit for me, being a tiny traveler myself and I usually don't have company over so that works perfectly. I don't need the extra space for another person, but when I do, I'd probably live in a one bedroom apartment. I just don't see the need for owning things you don't use daily. I only see life as needing the necessities.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

News Values

1. Timeliness.
I find interest in other countries and this was posted recently.
 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-islam.html?ref=world&_r=0
2. Proximity.
I think this article fits this rule because it says the satistics were taken all over Texas.
Texas must restore family planning infrastructure on Page A7 of Tuesday, August 30, 2016 issue of Austin American Statesman
3. Prominence.
I think this article works for this because a lot of people are still worried about ISIS and I think that it's important that we know about it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/world/middleeast/syria-turkey-kurds-assad-isis-free-syrian-army.html?ref=world&_r=0
4. Impact.
I think this article really shows what kind of world we live in today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/30/world/middleeast/migrants-refugees-rescued-libya-italy.html?ref=world
5. Conflict.
I think this article includes a lot of conflict because people, including myself, think that the leave should be longer for parents.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/08/30/moms-whose-infants-died-day-care-petition-6-months-parental-leave/89582828/
6. Human Interest.
I think this article shows human interest because an parent should be worried about their child's health.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/09/06/how-you-might-making-your-childs-concussion-worse/89913660/
7. Novelty.
I think this article shows novelty because a lot of people just tip no matter what because it's seen "required" nowadays.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2016/09/06/tip-not-tip-what-you-need-know-now/89912312/

Headlines, Links and Photos

Five reasons Hillary could be blowing it

Austin extends moratorium on new downtown events

The ‘son of whore’ story is about so much more than Duterte’s dirty mouth
Video Appears To Show Tourists Destroying Popular Oregon Rock Formation
Trump dismisses questions about improper gift to Florida attorney general

Greta Van Susteren Out at Fox News

Sony Has The Least To Lose With The PS4 Neo And Slim Compared To Microsoft And Nintendo
 

Bill Cosby returns to court for new attempt to get criminal charges tossed

No. 4 Florida State goes on 33-0 run to take down No. 11 Ole Miss
NASA's Juno spacecraft sends back first detailed images of Jupiter

First face transplant patient, Isabelle Dinoire, dies at 49

Samsung Gear S3

Friday, August 26, 2016

Current Events Practice Quiz

1. "It is inappropriate for our goal of diversity and inclusion on campus." The inscriptions were considered to be racist and UT wanted to welcome their African American students. "African-American students were barred from attending until the summer of 1950."
2. He filed a false robbery report - He claimed that the taxi drivers with police badges and guns robbed him. By the video footage, there was no gun seen.
3. Graffiti artist - the graffiti artist's work is seen on train cars, too. His name is Bernd Renik.
4. Number 5
5. I want the MyPhonePocket

1. I think that medical care is so expensive now that it's just ridiculous. But the reason there are so many allergies now a days is because of all of the genetically modified foods that's causing people to get sick. I just think it's dumb that they say "we aren't working for the money, we're working for the people" because that's bullshit. If you cared about people's health you would be working in a farmer's market or something.
2. I think that all health care should be free. Most of the time, it's not even our fault we're sick/hurt.
3. Yes.
4. I honestly don't know but this pisses me off.
5. The CEO sounds like she doesn't really care what happens because she's in it for the money so...
6. Yes.