Current Events 3.5

Michael Dell Story from page 1

1. Tell me three things you learned about Dell the company

It is now private, they have more storage bits than any other company, and they are third in networking solutions

2. Why did Michael Dell choose to buy his company back and make it private?

Dell can now acquire another private company and the company's ability to disrupt will be greater than ever.

3. What does Michael Dell think about "cloud-based" IT?

He likes the idea of new innovations

4. Who is Dell (the company) new market to sell their products, according to the story?

To the different countries around the world that don't have them

5. What does Michael Dell think is the future of computer use?

He thinks it will be good, his business is growing rapidly

From the rest of the paper:

A. What local district attorney will be allowed to keep her job despite getting a recent DWI?

Rosemary Lehmberg

B. Who is Time Magazines person of the year?

Pope Francis

C. Who is the front runner to replace Mack Brown as the coach of the UT Longhorn football team?

Saban

D. Who is Joel Sidelnik and what is his claim to fame?

A furniture retailer who makes furniture out of old, rustic furniture

E. What famous person passed away this week in South Africa?

Nelson Mandela

Answer the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1.) Please go to page A13 and look at the political cartoon on the bottom portion of the page. Although we have yet to discuss political cartoons and how to interpret them I would like you to do your best on this one, later we will talk about these. So what do you think the message of this cartoon is and tell me why you interpreted this way?

I think the cartoon is saying that the second term for somebody is not going very well. It could be saying that their term was not good and it slowly getting worse. I think that because on the ornament is says "term 2" and the ornament is breaking/cracking slightly at the bottom.

Feature Story Brainstorm

1. My brother, Josh

2. My grandma and mom

3. How he changed after he went to prison and his experience there that changed him

4. First-hand experience

5. How did you use to act before you went to prison?

Why did you act like that?

What were you thinking whenever you found out you'd be going?

How long were you in prison?

What were your thoughts whenever you first arrived?

How did the inmates act in there?

How did the guards act?

What was the worst thing you saw while in prison?

What was it like?

When did you realize that you needed to change your ways?

Why do you think it took going to prison for you to change?

What did you miss the most while you were incarcerated?

What was a typical day like for you in jail?

How did you feel whenever you got out?

What was the first thing you did whenever you got out?

How do you think you changed now, from then?

What do you think your best qualities are?

What is your favorite thing about yourself, or your favorite change that you made, since being out?

How long did it take for you to adjust back to the free world?

What were you thinking whenever you saw how different things were in the world whenever you got out?

6. Mom:

How did you feel when you heard that this happened to Josh?

How do you think he learned from that experience?

What was your reaction whenever found out the news?

Why did you react that way?

When do you think he finally realized he needed to make a change?

Grandma:

How is Josh different now from before?

What was going through your mind whenever you heard about it?

Why was this experience so hard for you?

When do you think he finally realized he needed to make a change?

How do you think he learned from that experience?

7. Aggravated assault cases are first degree felonies. First degree felonies prison sentences range from 5 years to 99 years. 67 percent of people go back to prison on repeated charges within the first three years of being released. 

8. Over the break, either December 25 or December 26

9. At my grandma's house

10. Take notes

Key Ingredients Feature Writing

1. Saying who "Client 9" was, "the money he had promised to pay would cover all expenses", and the description of the girl

2. That she is "pretty and petite" and which room number they booked

3. Yes

4. "She lay on a torn, moldy mattress on the floor.", "insect bites, rashes, and sores pocked her skin.", and "one skinny arm was slung over her face."

5. "Though she looked old enough to be in school..." and "except for a swollen diaper"

6. Awful, unsanitary, harsh conditions

7. Yes

8. It show's that people could have had a lot of sympathy for the kids on the second floor

9. Yes

10. "fixing a water pipe on private land in a narrow cannon", "the temperature was headed toward 100 degrees", and ""Soon flames were rushing through the brush toward Zaca Ridge."

11. "Rainfall the previous winter had been among the lowest on record in Southern California.", and "...about 50 miles north of Solvang"

12. Showing how and where a fire started

13. "...the Zaca made a run"

14. Yes

15. "A decade ago, the agency spent $307 million on fire suppression.", "Last year, it spent $1.37 billion.", and "In California, state wildfire spending has shot up 150% in the last decade, to more than $1 billion a year."

16. "Last year, it spent $1.37 billion."

17. Yes

Caption Writing

Professional golfer, Phil Mickelson, bends down on his hands and knees to watch his golf ball, on Tuesday morning at the Torrey Pines Golf Course. He is known for doing this pose after an intense putt.

Lady Gaga arrived at the American Music Awards on a horse, in Los Angeles on Sunday evening, to show how extreme she can be. She ranked number seven on the Best Pop Music list.

Steven, the driver of the train, crashed in the Bronx on sunday morning going around a curve, because he dozed off behind the wheel. This crash is the worst that has happened in American history.

George is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having 75 close pins on his face at one time, at the Guinness World Record arena in New York. He is the only person that has ever attempted this.

Current Events Quiz 3.4

1. How many years is it estimated that it will take to complete the MoPac toll road?

2 years

2. What major fast food chain opened its first Austin location this week? Are you interested in eating there?

In-N-Out, yes I am interested. I have been to the California one before.

3. What innovative technology is Amazon.com hoping to utilize to deliver packages to customers in the next 4-5 years?

a PC

4. What is the current reason a commuter train in New York City crashed, killing four people and injuring dozens?

The driver of the train reportedly "dozed off"

5. What is "Cyber Monday" and why is it named that?

A day that has extreme sales, like Black Friday. A lot of things in stores are on sale. It is named that before most of the shopping and sales are online.

Answer the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1. In the news recently there has been a heated debate over Mascot names. The most visible is the Washington Redskins, although there are high school and college teams with similar names. Opponents of the names conclude that the mascots/team names are derogatory and rude and what them changed, while proponents believe that the historical significance of the names are overrated and that the schools/teams should not be forced to change their mascot. Here is some additional information: the Washington team has been names Redskins since 1933, there is a baseball team in Atlanta called the Atlanta Braves, and Native Americans have come down on both sides of the subject with some demanding a change and others who believe the name is fine. What is your opinion of the subject? Make sure to tell me why you think that way!!

I do not think that mascot names should be changed. I don't think so because they've been that way for such a long time. Why change the names now? If there was really an issue with the names something would have been done about earlier. Even if some people think it's rude, it wasn't the members or staff of the team now that decided the name, so people can't really be mad at anybody for it since it happened so long ago. I think that the names should stay the same and not change.

Thanksgiving Story

    I left school early on Tuesday and went home to get ready to leave for the valley.

    My mom and I left at around 3:00 on Tuesday to go to my grandma's house in Mission, Texas.

    The trip takes approximately five hours. At around four hours in, we stopped in Premont, Texas at a Diary Queen to get food.

    We arrived at my grandma's at 8:15 Tuesday night.
 
    I relaxed around her house all night, waiting for my brother to get home. I fell asleep at around midnight watching t.v.

    Wednesday morning, I woke my brother up for him to go to work.

    I got ready for the day at 10:30 that morning.

    My mom, grandma, and I went shopping at Target and Kohls. We then went to visit my brother at his job, Luby's, and ate lunch.

    Whenever we got back to my grandma's, I saw a police car had pulled somebody over in front of her house. I was closing her gate when I saw 10 more police officers had shown up. A news crew came and was recording what was happening.

    That night, we were watching the news and saw that there was a Mexican drug cartel shooting that day down the street, and they found the shooters in a car in front of my grandma's house.

    Whenever my brother got home, we went and picked up his friend from her house. We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant.

    My brother and I ate cheesecake and cookie cake that night.

    I went to lay down and fell asleep around 2:30 Thursday morning.

    The next morning, Thanksgiving Day, I woke my brother up to go to work.

    I got ready for the day and heard my uncle had arrived.

    I talked to my uncle while my grandma and mom cooked in the kitchen.

    We then set up the table at my uncle's house.

    I ate lunch and waited for my brother to come home.

    When he got there, him, my mom, and I left to go black Friday shopping. We went to Kohls and Bealls.

    We weren't gone long. When we got back, I fell asleep at 9:15 on my grandma's couch.

    Friday morning, I watched t.v. while my brother slept. I got up to get ready for the day, then went back to sit with him.

    We left my grandma's house at about 2:00 that afternoon to go eat a Mexican restaurant.

    Once we were finished eating, we met one of his friend's outside her house. We stood outside and talked with her and her roommate for about an hour.

    We left her house and went to another one of his friend's houses. We only stayed there for about 15 minutes before going back home.

    Me and my brother both took naps until 8:00 that night, then got ready to go out to one of friend's jobs.

    It was a bar/restaurant and we stayed until midnight.

    We left and went to go get gas before going home.

    Once we got home, his friend left her job and came to my grandma's house to hang out with us. She stayed until 3:00 that morning. Once she left, my brother and I ate and went to sleep.

    I woke my brother up Saturday morning. We ate breakfast and talked before he had to leave.

    My mom and I left my grandma's to come back to Austin at around 11:15 that morning.

    We stopped at Wal-Mart before leaving town.

    We then went to El Pato, a breakfast taco spot, to get my mom something to eat.

    It took us five hours to get back home. We arrived at my house at around 5:00 that afternoon.

    I went to my friend's house that night for a couple hours, and then went home to eat dinner.

    I watched a couple of shows that I had recorded while I was gone.

    Sunday, I didn't do much of anything at all.

    I went over to my friend's house again and came back home that evening and watched a show.

    I got my stuff ready for school the next day, and then went to bed.

   

Funny Captions

Tom walks into his daughter's room, at his home in Southland Oaks, at 2:30pm because his boss let him leave due to an alien invasion. Tom had video cameras in his house so that he knows what's going on when he's not there, so it's not the first time he'd seen strange things.

Jerry woke up early today to go on an adventure in his neighborhood in Maine, because he has been hearing loud noises every morning. Jerry, the alcoholic, found the culprit and took him home, alive.

Samantha is in charge of changing the sign outside her store in Atlanta, Georgia, every Tuesday, because the manager trusts her. She got into an argument with the manager, who smells, and wanted to make her angry and give her a hint.

Current Events Quiz 3.3

1. Monday, page A1 (front page) - "Most food trailers..." - What are the THREE biggest differences for food trailers and the inspection process versus brick-and-mortar restaurants, according to the article?
Lack of constant source of water, power, and refrigeration.

2. Monday, page B5 - "Twitter latest to..." - What does Perfect Forward Secrecy do?
It adds an extra layer of security to Web encryption to make government eavesdropping much harder.

3. Monday, page C4 - "Report: Investigator will..." - What is the current situation for Jonathan Martin?
He will be interviewed again be an NFL special investigator.

4. Sunday, Page C1 - "Time for some parting shots" - What was Mike Leggett's final parting statement to his friends on the Statesman staff?
"Now, beer is forbidden at the paper, and we don't even have dark rooms anymore. It's time for me to go."

5. Sunday, Page D1 - "Blueprint" - What portion of the Blueprint caught your eye first when I directed you to the page?
The green beans with spicy coconut.

6. Sunday, Page E1 - "I, Robot..." - Do you think robots will have an active role in your life in the future? Why or why not?
I don't think that robots will be a part of my daily life in the future. It doesn't seem realistic to have  robots around at all times, doing things that humans do. I understand that they may be around in laboratories, but the likelihood of them just being around everybody, I think is slim. They're expensive and could cause serious dangerous issues.

Current Events Quiz 3.2

1. Thursday, Page A5 "Ancient Boy's DNA..." What were the two surprises about the remains of the boy in Siberia?
The boy's DNA matches that of Western Europeans and also it matches 25 percent of the DNA of living Native Americans.

2. Thursday, Page B5 "11-year old boy honored..." What paragraph did you learn the following information:

Who: Leo "Willy" Click Jr.
What: Saved his family's lives by pulling them from a burning vehicle 
Where: Texas 35
When: August 18
Why: Saw they were injured and in trouble
How: Flagged down people driving by to help him save his family



3. Thursday, Page D1 "No Barriers" What is so different about this tv show? What are some of the ways deaf people communicate with the hearing, according to the story?
This show gives viewers a glimpse of deaf communities around the world. The hearing will let the deaf people know things a head of time so that they have time to prepare and also they read off of pieces of paper.

4. Sunday (Nov. 17), Page A13 "Lincoln' true words" What was the most important difference between the supposed different versions of his famous speech, according to the article?
The most important difference is the presence of absence of the phrase "under God".

5. Sunday (Nov. 17) Page E5 "Now you can sail..." What does this app do and why is it significant to people who like John Lennon?
Has music, photos, and interviews that go into detail about Lennon's life. It's significant because it takes you into detail about some of his experiences and shows you a little bit of what he did. 

"November 22, 1963"
    I learned how important President Kennedy was and how much he seemed to be loved. I didn't know much at all about him or his assassination before I read this article. He was shot while giving a speech outside.
    Then, President Kennedy's employee and friend moved into the white house. Him and his family. Everybody had a hard time adjusting to his death. A lot of people were devastated but eventually moved on. Now, he is remembered every November 22.
    

Lone Star Dispatch Issue #2

News: Support for coach Landers at benefit

Coach Landers was diagnosed with cancer and many people are supporting him. There was a benefit held for him and he enjoys that so many people care for him.

Who: Coach Landers
What: a benefit for him
Where:
When:
Why: for support
How: running, walking, or just hanging out at the benefit

Coach Landers, Dana Neal, Kennedy Godsey

"Sometimes we fret the little things in life. We go through the drive-thru and didn't get our coke. We got diet coke. Some of those things don't bother you nearly as much as they used to."

Yes

A quote

Commentary: New bill changes testing requirements

House Bill Five is now in effect and will impact the incoming freshmen in 2014. There are many different changes, both good and bad.

Who:
What: House Bill Five has passed
Where:
When:
Why: more direct graduation requirements and less testing
How:

Nobody

No quotes

Yes

Statement

Student Life: Rain doesn't just go away for Huebner's hosuehold

Tristan Huebner and his family were greatly affected by the flooding on October 13th. They had never seen it so bad, and there was five inches of water in their house.

Who: Tristan Huebner
What: flooding inside their house due to rain
Where: his home
When: October 13th
Why: flash flooding caused it
How:

Tristan Huebner, Dan Huebner

"Once the water came in it kept rising and at the highest point there was probably about five inches of water in the game room."

Yes

Statement

Entertainment: STC brings shows to kids

The Starlight Theatre Company at Bowie is very talented with everything they do. Christian Haddad is now one of the directors and it looking forward to being in charge this year.

Who: Christian Hadded
What: became senior director this year
Where: Bowie High School
When:
Why:
How:

Christian Hadded, Kalyn Holloway

"To say there's a lot of pressure is gross understatement, but being a senior director means making 'it' happen, when before I had just been a part of the show"

No

Statement

Trends and Culinary: Culinary cooks up bake sale goodies

The culinary program put together a terrific bake sale for their Annual Bulldog Bakery. Each and every one of the culinary students love the program and work hard.

Who: culinary program students
What: baked and prepared food for their bakery
Where:
When: October 25th
Why: for their Annual Bulldog Bakery
How: preparing and cooking weeks before

Ciara Ruiz, Katelyn Ruel, Elena Granados

"...I personally like baking and seeing the reactions of costumers on our pastries felt good because I felt like the class and I did well."

Yes

Quote

Sports: Famous number retired

Michael Griffin retired his old Bowie jersey at the Bowie vs. Akins football game. Griffin remembers when he went to Bowie what it was like.

Who: Michael Griffin
What: retired his football jersey
Where: Burger Stadium
When:
Why:
How:

Michael Griffin

"Man, it's a big honor, especially since they have been doing real well they only lost one game so far."

Yes

Statement

In-Depth: Bill changes graduation requirements

There are mainly benefits coming from House Bill Five. A lot of things will change, but it should be for the better.

Who:
What: House Bill Five, new requirements
Where: Texas school districts
When:
Why: less standardized testing, different requirements
How:

Karina Reyna, Natalie Pelayo, Garret Custer, Campbell

Yes

Quote


REWRITE FOR HUEBNER'S HOUSEHOLD: The severe flooding in Austin on October 13th greatly affected Tristan Huebner and his family. The rushing water damaged the family's home.

Current Events Quiz 3.1

1. In Thursday's paper on page D1in the story called "Flatbed taking on key role in arts," what is the main focus of the story? Please be specific and summarize the entire story.

The main focus in the story is pretty much the location of their gallery and how much business they get. Flatbed moved their store around a decade ago and has sense gotten plenty of business. They opened a second gallery with a different type of art, recently. 

2. On the side of that story, there is a "sidebar" with additional information about arts in Austin. What types of information were provided in those sidebars that you didn't get from reading the "Flatbed" story?

In the sidebars it shows what somebody said first hand about their artwork. It shows detailed information about what they'll be showing, how they got started, and more. The Flatbed story didn't go into specific detail.

3. In Wednesday's paper on page D1 in the story called "Formula one for success," what is the main focus of the story? Please be specific and summarize the entire story.

A boy and his father would go to many different car races in different countries. One country's food was so amazing, it was his favorite part of the trip. He decided that he would cook a different meal each week, according to where the the race would be that week. The meal he cooked was food that was common in the country where the race was. He did it all the time, and found some meals were better than others, but loved the thought of it.

4. What does the writer do that causes you to keep reading the article even if you don't care about cooking, or formula one car racing?

The writer shows how exciting it was and how much he loved cooking and racing. Even though people may not care about racing or cooking, it's a very cool and interesting idea to make a meal from a different country according to where the race is held that week. Everyone likes food, and might not have tried such a variety of foods like that man. It's just interesting to see what he makes and how it turns out.

5. What techniques did the page editors at the Austin American Statesman use to break up the lengthy text present in that story?

The page editors would only use a few sentences in each paragraph. Each paragraph had something different going on and wasn't the same as the paragraph before or after.

6. In Tuesday's paper on page D1 in the story called "Hug to out is the ethos of Roy Spence," 

what is the main focus of the story? Please be specific and summarize the entire story.

Roy Spence was a man who felt really lonely one night, and didn't have anybody to hug him. He needed a hug more than ever at that moment. He wrote a book called "The 10 Essential Hugs of Life". The different hugs he describes have different meanings. Each one it suppose to help with a certain feeling or emotion.

7. Would you want to get a hug from Roy Spence? Why or Why not.

I might want a hug from Roy Spence, depending on what mood I'm in. He seems like he knows what he's talking about when it comes to hugs, and he seems very friendly. 

Feature Writing Preview

1. A hard lead is something new and interesting. The story above is interesting, but it's more informative, not explanative.

2.
a. Ted Williams
b. Has an incredible voice that is perfect for radio announcements
c. Works the Hudson Street Ramp off I-71
d.
e. Held a sign saying "God-give gift of voice"
f.

3. Yes

4. Most of them are in the same style.

5. Kevin McLoughlin, Doral Chenoweth III, Ken Andrews, Tony Florentino, Shane Cormier, Frank Willson, Patrick Harris

6. "I think he really has no idea how big this is going to be," Florentino said.

7. 33 paragraphs

8. 762 words

9. Both are implying something about his voice

10. To show how important his voice is

11. It's interesting to read because it's not common to hear about a homeless man getting so much attention only because of his voice.

12. Yes

13. It was pretty shocking because voices like that are rare.

14. It wouldn't have lost all of its impact, but it would have been frustrating to read all of that and then not know what his voice sounds like.

15. I don't think so. I had no idea what his voice was going to sound like.

16. The only thing that was said was that he had "the gift" and "that voice".

Current Events Quiz 2.4

1. Who is the new UT Athletic Director, or what school did he come from (first or last name)?

Steve Patterson

2. Did the affordable housing bond pass?

Yes

3. Why is the county about to pay almost $50,000 to move a tree?

It's dangerous because of how big it is and how low it hangs down. It's also very close to the edge of the road.

4. What is the 15th state to allow gay marriage?

Illinois

5. What country just launched a mission to Mars?

India

Answer the questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1. A Miami Dolphin football player, named Richie Incognito, was just suspended this week from the team for allegedly bullying a teammate, named Jonathan Martin, so much that Martin walked out in the middle of the day just before practice and has not returned to the team. Feedback from the league has been mixed. Some former players say that this kind of thing should never happened and that the severity of the bullying went way over the line, while others say that Martin needed to deal with the situation behind closed door and that he is a "sissy" and a "tattletale". Do you think that professional football players should be held do a different standard when it comes to these types of incidents because its a "Mans" sport or not? WHY? (MAKE SURE TO ANSWER WHY?) Do you think that Incognito should be allowed to play again? WHY? Do you think the other Dolphin players will welcome Martin back to the team with open arms? WHY?

I think that he should be held for what he's done, no matter if it's a man's sport or not. It doesn't matter who it is, bullying can hurt anyone. Just because he's a man doesn't mean that it doesn't affect him. Yes, I think he should be allowed to play again as long as he doesn't do anything like that again, or just not as severe. I think that some of the Dolphin players would welcome him because they might feel bad. Others won't because they might think he's "weak" or can't deal with things like other players have.

Second Opinions Piece: Regular / Normal

   Social media is the center of our world today. It has a good and bad impact on society. I think that we could all do without social media, and the world would be somewhat better.

   It seems like nobody can go a full day without checking their Facebook or Twitter. Social media has an intense impact on teenagers these days. Many kids are bullied online, which was never the case just a decade or so ago. If there was no social media, I feel like there would not be as much online abuse. Cyber bullying can really hurt somebody, and is just as bad as being bullied while at school or wherever. It's sad that people use social media to make others feel bad, but that's another reason on why  it is not good and there would be many benefits if we didn't have it.

   Social media may be fun to chat with family and catch up with old friends, but it is pretty dangerous to have multiple accounts on different websites. Also, many kids are tricked into meeting people who are not who they say they are online, and then something bad happens to them. Kids could be sexually assaulted, kidnapped, or even worse, when meeting up with complete strangers who they met online.  Social media is not particularly safe, and nothing is really private. Anybody can find things out about you, and that could lead to something harmful.

   Many good things would come from completely eliminating social media from our lives. The world would be somewhat safer. There is really no point to have Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. Society could live without it. If somebody wants to share pictures or updates with family or friends, they could simply send them an email. Nothing negative would come from not having anymore social media.

Editorials and Personal Columns

1. Not being allowed to music in class/only allowed to have one earphone in
2. Only seniors are allowed to leave campus
3. Dress code

I don't regularly read one specific columnist. I check the Yahoo home page multiple times a day and read stories off of that website by different people.

Current Events Quiz 2.3

1. In Tuesday's paper on page A3 "Ellis Island", what do you know about Ellis Island? Would you like to visit the island? WHY or WHY NOT

I know that Ellis Island use to be the place where they would take European immigrants. I would like to visit Ellis Island because it has so much history connected with it. It would be interesting to see what the immigrants saw such a long time ago. I think it's neat that they have reopened.

2. In Tuesday's paper on page A7 "Thanks, Texas..." What points are the author trying to make about Texas? Do you agree or disagree with his perspective? WHY or WHY NOT

The author is saying how generous Texas is for sacrificing our own people to help other states' people. I agree with what he saying. I agree that we are a generous state and help others when we can. 

3. In Tuesday's paper on page B1 "School staff to get ...." What are your reactions to the story? Do you think the Bastrop staff should get the training? WHY or WHY NOT

I think that that is awful that school staff are talking to students like that and telling them those things. Discrimination was suppose to end a long time ago and it's sad that it's still an issue in some places. I think the staff should get training because that is unacceptable and unfair behavior.

4. In Wednesday's paper on page A11 "NFL not..." Do you think the concussion issue is enough to cause changes in the NFL? WHY or WHY NOT

I don't think the concussion issue will cause changes. So many players get concussions and then are allowed to play again after only a couple games of sitting on the bench. It's dangerous and it should change but chances are, it won't. 

5.  In Thursday's paper on page A1 "Guards at lockup..." What should happen to guards at the facility?

The guards at that facility should lose their jobs. If they are working for a program to try to calm aggressive teens, why would they be aggressive towards them? It doesn't make sense to attack teens that already have issues. The guards probably only made the kids worse, and for that they deserve to get fired for not following the rules.

6.  In Thursday's paper on page 1 "Sebelien apologizes: Obama tries..." Should the computer problems plaguing the ACA be reflective on the job the President is doing as the leader of the United States? WHY or WHY NOT

The computer problems should not be blamed on how Obama is doing as a leader. It's not his fault  that the website collapsed. He can take responsibility for it crashing, but that doesn't mean it was his fault. He is doing a great job as leader of the United States.

SNO Online Papers

School crosses line on rights
1. Deandra Tristan
2. How the school dress code policy is unfair
3. "In order to solve this situation, administrators should be lenient on our dress code but know where to draw the line."
4. Yes
5. No
6. Yes
7. 1st person

Preventing tragedy: What are the warning signs?
1. Miranda Rocha
2. The different types of murders and their warning signs
3. "People need to stop ignoring the warning signs in order to prevent further tragedies from happening."
4. No
5. No
6. No
7. 3rd person

Custodians Not Shown Enough Appreciation 
1. Emily Carr
2. How custodians are hard workers and deserve more appreciation/respect
3. "I have a lot of respect for them and I wish more people did as well."
4. No
5. No
6. No
7. 1st person

Personal Essays

1. Choose a topic that gives you an intense emotion like excitement or anger.

2. Be very specific and detailed to draw the reader in.

3. Try to use all of the five senses, note reactions and feelings, may start with a small detail then open to a wide view and then back to a small detail, or vise versa.

Opinions Writing

   Only seniors are allowed to leave campus during lunch or off periods at Bowie High School. I think that that is an unnecessary rule. Every grade level should be able to leave.
 
   Back some years ago, grades ninth through twelfth were allowed to go off campus. The rules changed whenever the crime rate went up in Austin during the time from when lunch started to when lunch ended. The new rule was that only twelfth graders could leave. I understand why the rule changed, but there are other things the administration can do to only have consequences for the people breaking the law.
 
   It is unfair that only seniors can leave, because the juniors that have off periods, have to stay on campus. Most of them don't anyway, but if they are caught leaving, they get in trouble. It doesn't make sense to punish everybody else for things that use to happen.
 
   Even if the new rule at our school helped lower the crime rate, they should have only punished the people that were responsible for the crimes. All grade levels should be able to go off, with certain exceptions like not having any referrals or having good grades. The kids that are causing trouble should have to stay on campus.
 
   It would be a good idea to change the rule back to how it was, with having those certain "good" characteristics at school.

Opinions Writing Pre - Write

1. An opinions piece is basically all opinions, no statements. A hard news story has quotes from other people. A hard news story has no opinions and all statements or quotes.

2. There probably aren't very many photos on this page because since their all opinions from the author, there isn't much to put about other people.

3. Not being allowed to listen to music in most classes, the rule that only seniors are allowed to leave campus for off periods and lunch, and gay marriage.

Opinions Writing Preview Activity

FIT proves beneficial for student body
1. It doesn't say
2. The good and bad effects that FIT has on the students
3. "Other issues include: the portal is not accessibly and runs terribly, shortened passing periods with a greater possibility of being tardy or late to class, and FIT doe not provide enough time for additional instruction."
4. Yes
5. Yes, they were. "There are solutions to these problems of the portal, passing periods, 33 minute time span, and tardies or absences."
6. No
7. Third person

Dress code enforcement remains drastically strict
1. Elyas Levens
2. How ridiculous and useless dress code enforcement is
3. "To sum things up, dress code is, simply put, useless."
4. No
5. No
6. No
7. Third person

Seniors are stereotyped by poking fun at "fish"
1. Meagan Prehn
2. How exciting senior is
3. "Being a senior makes you want to enjoy every second of high school..."
4. No
5. No
6. No
7. First person

Social media damages teenagers minds
1. Ashlee Thomason
2. The effects that social media has on teenagers today
3. "Social media dictates the lives of teenagers, which affects their day-to-day moods."
4. Yes
5. No
6. No
7. Third person

Stress, pressure, and grades
1. Maryam Hussain
2. How stressful school can be and the pressure with keeping grades up
3. "As a junior I feel that I am constantly worrying more about my grades than the content of the work being studied."
4. No
5. No
6. No
7. First person

Current Events Quiz 2.2

1. In Monday's paper the lead story on the front page was about bond supporting affordable housing. Why do you think that the city should or should not pass an additional bond this year to help build more affordable housing?

I think that the city should pass a bond this year. If passing an additional bond will help more people, then I think it should be done. The affordable housing keeps many people safe and off the streets, which is a good thing.

2. In Monday's paper the top story in the Life and Arts section is called "It's back to the basics". Why would or would you not like to participate in an adventure race like the ones described in the story?

I would not like to participate in adventures like that. Those types of activities were considered normal back in the day and almost everybody had to things like that to survive. I wouldn't want to do those activities because I don't need to to survive. I see why people would want to, though. It seems very tough and it takes a strong person to do that.

3. In Monday's paper, on the second page of the Life and Arts section is a regular column called "Like a Local". The main part of the story is about a woman who wrote a book. The story goes on with a list of Becky Murphy's favorite places to go in Austin. Write a short paragraph in that same style about a favorite place you like to go.

Iron Cactus, in downtown Austin, has one of the best brunch buffets in the city. My favorite thing there, the chocolate fountain. The restaurant has an upstairs balcony with a pretty overview of the streets.

4. In Tuesday's paper, on page A8 there is a story about two Utah men who pushed an ancient rock formation off its foundation. Do you think the men should be prosecuted? WHY OR WHY NOT.

I think that the men should be prosecuted. What they did is unacceptable. They claim that they're sorry, but in the video, they're laughing and dancing. I don't think they feel bad for what they did, which is sad because that rock was over 170 million years old.

5. In Tuesday's paper in the Business section on page B7, there is a story titled "Report: 15% of younger Americans idle. In a paragraph tell me your reactions to that story.

That story really opened my eyes, because I had no idea so many people were out of school and work. It's sad that some people aren't motivated enough to make a good life for themselves. It's a good thing that some young people are trying to get help with looking for work, though. These are the most important years of peoples lives that determine our future.

6. In Wednesday's paper on the front page, there is a story title "Officer in shooting abruptly retires". Should the officer have been able to retire, and receive a full pension after the incident (please note he was able to buy additional years to get his full pension)? WHY OR WHY NOT.

I think that he should have been able to receive his full pension. Even though bad things happen, he worked for the city for so many years and deserves to receive it.

7. In Wednesday's paper in the Metro and State section, the lead story is about a stolen laptop. Do you worry about your private information getting out to the public? WHY OR WHY NOT.

I don't really worry about my information getting out to the public. I'm a private person and don't put my business out there for people to see. I am also careful who I give my information to.

Lone Star Dispatch - News Evaluation

Mentoring program creates mixed feelings on campus
1. Who- Students
What- Changing from advisory to FIT
Where- Bowie High School
When- 2013-2014 school year, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Why- To focus more on academics
How- By adding FIT and taking away advisory

2. Some students are all for the change to the FIT schedule. Some students are not liking the change, though. There are many examples from both sides that explain their opinions.

3. Science Instructional Coach Robert Deckard - direct quote
Principal Stephan Kane - direct quote
sophomore Madison Cooper - direct quote
junior Scott Mayo - direct quote
senior Meagan Hudson - direct quote
senior Joseph Lewright - direct quote

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. Yes

Campus fund raiser helps out the Landers' family
1. Who- volleyball coach Jason Landers
What- fund raiser
Where- Bowie High School
When- October 26th at 10:00am
Why- to help raise money for his liver cancer
How- donate money

2. There will be a fund raiser to help Coach Landers with medical expenses. Show up wearing a super hero costume and participate in fun activities.

3. No quotes

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. No picture

Harding inspires campus with the Groundwater Stewardship Award
1. Who- Jill Harding
What- Groundwater Stewardship Award
Where-
When- September 26th
Why- helped restoration efforts for the on-campus cave
How- made cave safer

2. Jill Harding won the Groundwater Stewardship Award. She helped make the on-campus save safer for students and the community to visit.

3. No quotes

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. No picture

Outdoor performing ensemble comes out on top with a first place win at "Bands of America" contest.
1. Who- JBHSOPE
What- placed first in the Bands if America Austin Regional.
Where-
When- September 28
Why-
How-

2. JBHSOPE won first place at the Bands of America Austin Regional. They worked very hard for their placement.

3. Madeline McBride - direct quote
Jordan Sanchez - direct quote
Moody Schoolar - direct quote
Stephen Howard - direct quote
Franco Palomo - direct quote

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. Yes

New cell phone policies and dress code enforcement
1. Who- Students
What- taking students' cell phones
Where- Bowie High School
When- 2013-2014 school year
Why- to keep the classroom strictly a learning environment
How-

2. Teacher and administration are cracking down on taking up cell phones and enforcing dress code. Some students agree with the cell phone idea. Not many are fond of the dress code policy.

3. Jacob Blacklock - direct quote
Dana Stiles - direct quote
Denise Sanders - direct quote
Katy Jacobs - direct quote
Karla Boone - direct quote
Erin Crowley - direct quote

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. No picture

The newest social media
1. Who- Teens
What- new social media app, Pheed
Where-
When-
Why-
How- Post plain text, pictures, videos, and songs

2. Pheed is a new social media app that allows a person to post text, pictures, videos, and songs. Many find it unnecessary because there area already other apps that can do each of those separately.

3. Alexa Boone - direct quote
Karla Castro - direct quote
Ramiro Huerta - direct quote

4. "Pheed uses the easy Facebook layout for the dashboard." Some people may think that Facebook is difficult and not easy to use.

5. It does

6. No picture

Yearly event Bulldogs and Hotdogs continues on dispite bad weather
1. Who- Students and Bowie staff
What- Bulldogs and Hotdogs
Where- Bowie High School
When-
Why-
How-

2. The Bulldogs and Hotdogs social event was a success even though it was raining hard. There were a lot of different activities and booths set up for people.

3. Stephen Kane - direct quote
Noe Barrios - direct quote
Ethan Berdofe - direct quote
Michelle Shadwick - direct quote

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. Yes

Debate Team starts off the season strong with a win
1. Who- Bowie Forensic Team
What- the team got 2nd place
Where-
When-
Why-
How-

2. The Bowie debate team won 2nd place at their first competition of the season. The team members really like working with each other. They are looking forward to the rest of the season.

3. Miguel Lozano - direct quote
Jamie Godwin - direct quote
Tanner Berg and Lozano - indirect quote
Havlin and Godwin - indirect quote
Hoban - direct quote

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. No picture

Hope4JD event brings much success
1. Who- JD and his family
What- JD suffered from HAI
Where- in the family's pool
When- October 2008
Why-
How-

2. JD suffers from an illness due to his non-fatal drowning. His family started a charity to raise money and provide support for other families that are in their situation.

3. John Hartman - direct quote
Beth Hartman - direct quote

4. No opinions

5. It does

6. Yes

Current Events Quiz #1

1. How many days has the government shut down been going?

11

2. What school had a new sidewalk opened to help students get to school safer?

Leander High School

3. Who is Texas playing in football this weekend? OR What is the rivalry called?

The Sooner's

4. What very small cars are people starting to "Pimp out", just give me one example?

Lexus

5. A fairly important person died yesterday, his name was Scott Carpenter, what is he famous for?

He was the second person to orbit earth

Answer the four questions below, please write at least a paragraph (3-5 sentences):

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

1. It seems the government shut down is about to come to a close. Have you kept up with what is happening? Explain as best you can what you know about the past 11 days, tell me what has happened as the President and the Congress have been working through their difficulties. Maybe you have heard your parents talking about it, or maybe even in social studies class you have discussed it. Tell me what you know.

I have kept up with the shutdown but not very much. Obama signed a bill and few days ago that said military families would get death benefits. Also, they still haven't agreed on a decision for the cost but somebody sent Obama an offer for a negotiation. A lot of people are angry about the fact that they can't go to work and it's worsening the debt. Some congressmen still don't agree with each other in the Austin area. Also, people are upset that a few years ago Obama said that there wouldn't be a president that takes over health care, but he is the one that has.

Earthquake Story

   An earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area on Monday morning at 8:12 PDT.

   A building called McHenry's Auto Supply at 2342 Plum St. had partially collapsed. The earthquake occurred on the Hayward Fault.

   Two people were killed and six people were injured because of the earthquake.

   "Names of the dead are being withheld pending notifications of families," public information officer from the Hayward Fire Department, Jennifer Vu said.

   Three out of the six people injured were hurt bad enough to the point that they had to be sent to the hospital. They were sent to the Hayward General Hospital.

   "No other serious injuries have been reported," Vu said.

   Hayward Firefighters used ropes to secure the auto supply shop and they conducted a search of the building where they found a gas leak and capped it.

   "Twenty-one fire personnel, 12 police and five American Red Cross workers responded to the building collapse, with some arriving within four minutes of the quake," Vu said.

   The earthquake occurred on the Hayward Fault which is under the Hayward Hills.

   "The epicenter of the earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter Scale, was under the Hayward Hills. It was a strong one," scientist from the U.S Geological Survey in Menlo Park, Penny Gertz said.

   Mike Beamer, who is a resident in Hayward, was in his apartment across from auto supply shop and felt a rolling motion that lasted for about 30 seconds, with a big jolt coming in the middle.

   "I was eating my breakfast when the room started rolling. I dove under the table just as I heard an explosion outside and a chunk of cement flew through my kitchen window. That's when the screaming start across the street," Beamer said.

   The earthquake was very large and affected many people.

   "People as far south as Los Angeles and as far north as Redding felt the quake," Gertz said.