Datos Personales:
De donde eres? Yo soy de Standish, Maine
Cuando es tu cumpleanos? Mi cumpleaños es el 29 de junio 1989
A que universidad asistes? Sí voy a la Universidad de Maine en Orono.
Cuantas clases tienes? tengo cuatro clases y un laboratorio.
Que hay en la clase?
Que dias y a que hora tienes la clase de espanol? Tengo clase de español los martes y jueves a las once de la mañana
En que ano de estudios estas? Estoy en mi tercer año en la Universidad de Maine
Como es tu familia? Mi familia es de tamaño mediano. que es muy amable y cariñosa
Como es tu pariente favorito? mi pariente favorito es mi abuelo de Stan. Vemos el fútbol y el béisbol juntos y es divertido
Teines Hermanos? Tengo dos hermanas, dos de ellos son más jóvenes que yo. Nicole tiene 17 años y ella está en highschool, Samantha es de 13 y ella en la escuela media.
Que te gusta y que no te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? Me gusta ver fútbol con mis amigos, jugar al baloncesto en el gimnasio, y van snowboard. No me gusta dormir o limpiar la nieve
Adonde y por que prefieres viajar? Quiero ir a las islas de Jamaica, porque es siempre cálido y todo el mundo es tan amable
por cuanto tiempo? Me gustaría ir a Jamaica durante dos semanas
Cuanto cuesta tu viaje? El viaje costaría por lo menos mil dólares por persona, incluyendo boletos de avión.
Como prefieres viajar? Prefiero viajar en avión o en barco. Un crucero a Jamaica sería más divertido, pero le costaría más dinero
Que piensas hacer en tus vacaciones? Quiero poner en el sol, aprender a hacer surf, y beber piña colada vacaciones todo
Como eres? Soy alto y muy atlético en mi opinión. Tengo el pelo negro y ojos castaños. Tambien, soy muy cariñoso y agradable.
Como es tu mejor amigo? Mi mejor amigo es Bobby. Fuimos juntos a la escuela secundaria
Usa los comparativos. Somos muy parecidos físicamente, pero nuestras personalidades son diferentes. Bobby le gusta la lucha libre y me gusta jugar al fútbol. tambien, él es de Bosnia y soy de California.
Como es tu casa? Mi casa es verde. Tiene dos pisos y cuenta con nueve habitaciones, dos baños, cuatro dormitorios, una cocina, el comedor, y sala.
Como es tu dormitorio? Yo no vivo en los dormitorios, vivo en una casa de fraternidad. Se puede estar loco a veces, pero me gusta vivir en la casa
Cual es tu cuarto favorito y por que? Mi habitación favorita es mi dormitorio porque me gusta la privacidad y es muy cómodo
Que cuarto no te gusta y por que no? No me gusta la cocina porque siempre es desordenado y la comida es siempre falta
Que quehaceres domesticos haces en tu casa? de las tareas, por lo general vacía la basura y pasear al perro.
Cual es tu rutina diaria por la manana, por la tarde y por la noche? mi rutina diaria en la mañana es levantarse, vestirse, cepillarse los dientes, y hacer el desayuno. Por la tarde, voy a la escuela o practicar deportes. Mi rutina en la noche es para terminar mi tarea, me cepillo los dientes, y ir a la cama
Que te gusta desayunar? para el desayuno, me gustan los huevos, tocino, y un bagel.
También me gusta el café con el desayuno
Que almuerzas? Para el almuerzo, me gusta el queso a la plancha y sopa de tomate
Que meriendas? Me gusta comer manzanas y plátanos para meriendos
Que prefieres cenar? Mi comida favorita es la carne y las papas con brócoli para la cena
Que compras en el mercado o supermercado? Cuando voy al supermercado. En general, me gusta comprar leche, cereales, pan, verduras, frutas, y muchos otros artículos.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
CMJ 236 Final Article....
Maine has become only the fifth state in America to have a vote passed allowing marijuana dispensaries. This state, however, claims that they will not be as lenient as other states like California. There, people can essentially get access to medical marijuana for being depressed or having joint pains. The vote passed 51 to 49 throughout the state however, in the Orono area which happens to be where the University of Maine is located, the vote passed 73 to 27. One of the larger fears that many people had was that According to Ethan Nadelmann of the New York-based Drug Policy Alliance, "There’s no chance Maine would become like Los Angeles."(BangorDailyNews) he then referred to Los Angeles as the "Wild West" of Marijuana dispensaries. The 4 other states include California, Rhode Island, Colorado, and New Mexico. Many of them have relatively strict policies while others like California allow for independent owners and distributors. Well, according to Nadelmann, Maine will enforce stricter provisions and will require the dispensaries to be run by the state.
The approval of dispensaries in Maine was a big one at that. The passing of this bill not only opens the opportunity to the expansion of Medical Marijuana policies in the future, but it creates a new source and type of dispensary in this state, which may not necessarily be a negative thing. There are many of those who would go to the extent of saying that they believe the legalization of marijuana would not only create a more accepting environment but it could potentially help this consistently slipping economy. However, for all those in favor, there are always going to be those who oppose.
It is true that marijuana can attribute to some potentially harmful side effects with extended use, however those who disagree simply argue that too much of anything in this world is bad for you. One University of Maine student by the name of Kelsey Treptow seems to believe those words adding, "it's all about moderation, I think the government should give people the same laws and limitations for marijuana that they do alcohol and just legalize it already.." Views such as this are the biggest source of fear for Maine voters because they believe if we allow dispensaries, we are just paving the way for the eventual allowance of Legal Marijuana. For now though, the vote in Maine hasn't legalized the product, it has simply provided easier access to those who need it. A few states have taken a very interesting approach on a very touchy subject in the United States and I think the nation is curious to see what else will happen.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
CMJ 100 Final Project
What audience is this magazine directed at. How many stories in this edition. How many advertisements. What types of ads are they? Could some be adjenency ads? How along does it take to read the magazine? Talk about the function of the magazine.
The magazine I chose for this particular assignment was an intriguing one to say the least. I chose this magazine not necessarily because of the predominant popularity to its male audience, but rather because it is a classic example of adjacent advertisement that has continued to expand throughout magazines world wide. The magazine of course, is none other than the well know Playboy, which has been a continual success since its creation by the famous Hugh Hefner. While it is well known that Playboy's central theme revolves mostly around the exposure of nude women, the majority of their 184 page magazines generally consist of nothing more than adjacent advertisements and opinionated articles.
In regards to the targeted audience, I believe it's safe to say that the vast majority of Playboy's subscribers are middle-aged males. This particular magazine has a target audience that is specifically intended for males simply because of it's content. When one hears Playboy, it's not uncommon for certain individuals to think of inappropriate or indecent content. However, what speculators who have yet to be exposed to this magazine may not have realized is that the majority of content covers a variety of different categories such as Sports, Interviews with famous actors, and even reviews for upcoming movies. These articles and extras are perfect examples of yet another attempt to draw in the middle-aged male audience to this particular product. For example, this particular 2004 edition contains an interview with Professional Baseball player Derek Jeter, and he is confessing to some form of childhood abuse. This example is one of several other implications that Playboy is targeting this particular audience.
This magazine contains 23 different articles which are written by several different authors. The table of contents even breaks down and separates the articles into subcategories like: fashion, reviews, pictorials, interviews, features, notes, news, and even fictional stories. One interesting characteristic about the magazine is that the pictorials, which are generally considered the climax and/or purpose of the magazine don't appear until page 102. What's even more interesting than that is the mere fact that of those 23 articles, only nine are present before the pictorials start. Those particular articles take up a total of 36 pages, which may have you wondering, "what could possibly be taking up those other 66 pages?" And the answer is simply this: Advertisements.
While they may not all be examples of adjacent advertising, the vast majority of these advertisements are directly related to the content of this magazine. For example, while reading the article on Derek Jeter, it is no coincidence to me that we see advertisements about where to find authentic baseball jersey's on the side of the article. The majority of Playboy's advertisements seem to only continually feed the stereotypical needs of today's middle aged males and they show no signs of backing off. The majority of the initial advertisements are about common necessitates like cigarettes, sports cars, whiskey, men's cologne, beer, motorcycles, and deodorant. Another rather obvious example of adjacent advertising noticed was a cigarette advertisement which immediately alluded to a Zippo lighter advertisement on the next page.
I began Reading the Magazine around 3:00 p.m. and found myself finishing up the final article at 4:36 p.m. There were some distractions of course, but the magazine was not to difficult to finish in one sitting. A lot of the articles were much more intriguing than I ever expected. Some of them contained very insightful and beneficial information. One article detailed methods and ways to conserve more energy Around the house, while another provided some very interesting information about a very popular baseball player. There is no doubt that Playboy is intended for the mature audience, not only for it's pictorial content, but also for some of the articles as well. Some articles, naturally, cover sexually related material like ways to increase sexual performance or personal stories about sexual experiences. However, the majority of articles located in this magazine were surprisingly, insightful and very entertaining pieces of reading material.
Overall, Playboy provides a textbook example of advertisements role in today's society, while also living up to today's standard of entertainment not only through the physical aspect, but the intellectual aspect as well. The Magazine contains several useful bits of information all the while, living up to America's new found standard of being consumed by advertisement and any forms that pertain to it. Playboy may not be on many peoples' Christmas lists for obvious reasons. However, it would be difficult for even jolly old saint nick to resist reading some of these articles.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Bonus Article about Newspaper, Radio, and Multimedia Debate
As the teams got situated in their respective positions, It wasn't long before a member of the multimedia group raised their hand and asked, " Don't we win automatically?" This particular student was in 1 of 3 groups assigned in today's' writing for the Mass Media class, which consisted of the Radio group, the Newspaper Group, and the Multimedia group. Teacher and quiz guru Raiha Sagawa Mahmoud arranged a debate between the three groups and asked them to come up with reasons as to why their group was more affective in terms of providing the most accurate news.
As the teams wrote down their last bit of reasoning, it was time to disagree. Raiha set the debate up as a court hearing. Every group had an opening statement as to why their particular type of news broadcast was more reliable, they then exchanged views and argued for their respective side.
The multimedia groups' argument was that multimedia is simply the most in depth, effective, and frequently updated type of news broadcasting in today's society. They further explained that Multimedia can not only disperse news immediately, but that multimedia broadcasting was the fastest and most effect way of retrieving the most recent news. One partner explained that in a way, Multimedia news was essentially like having a newspaper and a radio combined in one. In fact, you can listen to the radio on the Internet. And in regards to the newspaper, they argued that you could listen to someone reporting about an incident and read the article at the same time. There was also the availability of selection. Another group member explained that When one is reading a newspaper or listening to the radio you cant choose what is reported or what to read about, it is all limited broadcasting to a point. However, with multimedia news, they argue that not only can you choose what news you want to read about, you generally have a variety of different sources so that you can choose one for more or less credibility according to the individuals discretion instead of a broadcasting companies opinion.
The newspaper group didn't have much to say aside from the fact that you can carry a newspaper along with you if you don't have time or you can use it to start a fire in case one gets lost in the woods. Their biggest selling point was that of convenience if you are not around a computer but also, the fact that newspapers are generally well respected and trusted companies so reliability was a beneficial aspect.
In regards to the radio group, they argued against multimedia explaining that their news was updated just as frequently if not faster sometimes pending the circumstances of the news through radio. They also argued for credibility, however, the opposing groups added that radio broadcasting can contain vast amounts of bias in the process of reporting or determining what news to report. Aside from that they also explained that all you need is an antenna to get radio signal whereas multimedia needs an Internet signal.
All in all, the debate amongst three groups seemingly began to turn into a two on one battle against multimedia. For every reason the opposing two groups proposed, multimedia generally either could supply that capability online, but could also provide a larger variety of reports and sources to help verify accurate reporting. While there was no victory determined amongst the groups at the end of the day, it was difficult to not think Multimedia walked out victorious.
As the teams wrote down their last bit of reasoning, it was time to disagree. Raiha set the debate up as a court hearing. Every group had an opening statement as to why their particular type of news broadcast was more reliable, they then exchanged views and argued for their respective side.
The multimedia groups' argument was that multimedia is simply the most in depth, effective, and frequently updated type of news broadcasting in today's society. They further explained that Multimedia can not only disperse news immediately, but that multimedia broadcasting was the fastest and most effect way of retrieving the most recent news. One partner explained that in a way, Multimedia news was essentially like having a newspaper and a radio combined in one. In fact, you can listen to the radio on the Internet. And in regards to the newspaper, they argued that you could listen to someone reporting about an incident and read the article at the same time. There was also the availability of selection. Another group member explained that When one is reading a newspaper or listening to the radio you cant choose what is reported or what to read about, it is all limited broadcasting to a point. However, with multimedia news, they argue that not only can you choose what news you want to read about, you generally have a variety of different sources so that you can choose one for more or less credibility according to the individuals discretion instead of a broadcasting companies opinion.
The newspaper group didn't have much to say aside from the fact that you can carry a newspaper along with you if you don't have time or you can use it to start a fire in case one gets lost in the woods. Their biggest selling point was that of convenience if you are not around a computer but also, the fact that newspapers are generally well respected and trusted companies so reliability was a beneficial aspect.
In regards to the radio group, they argued against multimedia explaining that their news was updated just as frequently if not faster sometimes pending the circumstances of the news through radio. They also argued for credibility, however, the opposing groups added that radio broadcasting can contain vast amounts of bias in the process of reporting or determining what news to report. Aside from that they also explained that all you need is an antenna to get radio signal whereas multimedia needs an Internet signal.
All in all, the debate amongst three groups seemingly began to turn into a two on one battle against multimedia. For every reason the opposing two groups proposed, multimedia generally either could supply that capability online, but could also provide a larger variety of reports and sources to help verify accurate reporting. While there was no victory determined amongst the groups at the end of the day, it was difficult to not think Multimedia walked out victorious.
(Corrected 2nd part) Follow up assignment for Town Issue Article
It's getting close to Ice fishing season in Sebago Lake Village, Maine. This, of course means the town natives will be making good use of the new right of way that was made in the beginning of the year around the Sebago Lake Boat Launch. There was a huge controversy over the right of way between the rival Portland Water District and the town of Standish/Sebago Lake Village no more than 8 months ago and so far, the Portland Water District has stood firm on the no response approach.
For years, The town of Standish has owned and publicly shared a boat launch right in the center of Sebago lake village and for years, the Portland Water District has been extremely bothered about it's location. The Portland water district has restricted a 3 mile radius of water in the Sebago Lake from anyone swimming or even touching the water. The townspeople were outraged by this initially because they refused to take blame for having they're boat ramp placed in this location. As a matter of fact, the Portland Water Distrcit choose this section of water with complete knowledge of the boat launches location in Sebago Lake Village, which had been there long before this decision for restricted waters was even considered.
Naturally, this sparked somewhat of a rivalry between the Portland Water District and the Townspeople of Standish. The Water District has made several attempts to get rid of or limit the desire to use the boat launch over years past, but nothing has stopped this town from backing their boats in the water every summer. The district's most recent attempt came when they blocked off the only parking around the launch with large boulders which was technically they're property and have added a fine for anyone caught touching the water. However, according to a contractual compromise reached between the two parties, the Town of Standish is entitled to a right of way into Sebago Lake. So the town simply widened they're right of way and paved for new parking along the route.
Since this recent action, there hasn't been much activity by either sides. But, one can only imagine that when the local Ice Fishermen park their vehicles in the freshly paved right of way parking lot this winter, it will be hard for them not to feel like they've won this battle.
For years, The town of Standish has owned and publicly shared a boat launch right in the center of Sebago lake village and for years, the Portland Water District has been extremely bothered about it's location. The Portland water district has restricted a 3 mile radius of water in the Sebago Lake from anyone swimming or even touching the water. The townspeople were outraged by this initially because they refused to take blame for having they're boat ramp placed in this location. As a matter of fact, the Portland Water Distrcit choose this section of water with complete knowledge of the boat launches location in Sebago Lake Village, which had been there long before this decision for restricted waters was even considered.
Naturally, this sparked somewhat of a rivalry between the Portland Water District and the Townspeople of Standish. The Water District has made several attempts to get rid of or limit the desire to use the boat launch over years past, but nothing has stopped this town from backing their boats in the water every summer. The district's most recent attempt came when they blocked off the only parking around the launch with large boulders which was technically they're property and have added a fine for anyone caught touching the water. However, according to a contractual compromise reached between the two parties, the Town of Standish is entitled to a right of way into Sebago Lake. So the town simply widened they're right of way and paved for new parking along the route.
Since this recent action, there hasn't been much activity by either sides. But, one can only imagine that when the local Ice Fishermen park their vehicles in the freshly paved right of way parking lot this winter, it will be hard for them not to feel like they've won this battle.
Attended Court Hearing Article.....
( TO : RAIHA I didn't get an actual opportunity to attend a court hearing so I found out about a high ranked councilman online that got caught for a DUI and instead, wrote an article about how he was going to court. For the sake of extending the articles length I added some false details and used some reporting techniques that i found in other court hearing articles as reference. Because I was falsefying some information about this councilman, I also changed their respective names. I basically just used the situation as reference for this essentially made up story. I tried to find court hearing transcripts online but it was simply impossible to find a reliable or legible transcript. If this wont suffice as a replacement for the court hearing article please feel free to let me know. )
Local Town Councilman George Hartlin's misdemeanor DUI charge will be making its way through District Court this upcoming Wednesday. Hartlin's attorney Mack Landers will defend George, according to the towns web site. Hartlin's Attorney Frank Bartone stated on Wednesday that the judge would appoint a special prosecutor in the case for him. According to sources, this is typically only done in cases involving elected officials to try and avoid a conflict of interest. Thursday's’s scheduled hearing is expected to be continued and George told People Magazine that he would not be in court. He declined to comment any further. George, 52, faces a DUI second offense charge after being arrested early June. 17 in Pearson by an off-duty state police officer. He was released on $4,000 bond from the Nevada County Jail later that morning. According to the State Police spokesman Sgt. Diego Greens, Ryan was stopped on Woodview Lane around 1:30 a.m. after the trooper saw the man operating his motor vehicle in a reckless way. According to a warrant filed in District Court, Special Agent Tom White wrote that he observed George’s vehicle cross the center line 37 times. Court documents indicate Ryan had a blood alcohol level of 0.35, more than triple the legal limit. A Pearson native, George was elected to Town Council in November. He previously served on council from 2000 to 2006 and in his final three years was a vice mayor. George was convicted of DUI in October 1997, according to court records. He paid a $400 fine and lost his license for a year. He also told People Magazine that while campaigning for council last fall that he was completely embarrassed by what happened. George said at the time, however, that he didn't think the DUI conviction impacted his ability to sit on Town Council. George declined to address that matter Wednesday, saying he had been advised by his attorney Lucas Duntun not to comment.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
School Board or Government meeting article.
On Tuesday, December 1st, the Inter-fraternity Council (IFC) arranged to meet at the Alumni house on the U-Maine campus at 6 p.m. regarding sexual harrassment. There have been recent reports that member of opposing fraternities have been yelling and shouting crude and homo-sexual jokes at other members of the Delta fraternity. While members who were responsible for the harrassing remarks have not been identified, the previous victims were able to indentify that they were members of another fraternity. In response to this, the Fraternity Council has decided to gather the presidents of all fraternities and the IFC council to meet at the alumni house to adress this issue. As all of the Fraternity representatives arrived, the IFC council followed, along with the inter-fraternal advisor to all GREEK members, Deven Anderson. The clock struck 6:00 p.m. and so it began.
The IFC council began the meeting with a short introduction and reitirration as to why they were all there, they then proceeded to explain to all of the fraternities that crude and sexually discriminant action by any GREEk member is simply unacceptable. "This is a clear indication that we need to focus on becoming a more acceptable culture, this is simply not what greek life is supposed to be about." New president of the IFC stated. From that point forward each individual president took time to explain what they would do to try and prevent this situation as well as explaining that they would adress this issue to their respective fraternities. The meeting came to a close around 6:45 p.m., however some presidents remained to speak with the GREEK advisor individually. As he was leaving Phi Eta president Breet Plousay had this to say, " Obviously there are going to be people who get drunk and say foolishthings, there's no way were going to be able to stop that. But, what we are hoping we can stop is the discriminatory action towards people who simply don't deserve it." from this point forward it is up to the fraternities whether this becomes a recurring theme or not.
The IFC council began the meeting with a short introduction and reitirration as to why they were all there, they then proceeded to explain to all of the fraternities that crude and sexually discriminant action by any GREEk member is simply unacceptable. "This is a clear indication that we need to focus on becoming a more acceptable culture, this is simply not what greek life is supposed to be about." New president of the IFC stated. From that point forward each individual president took time to explain what they would do to try and prevent this situation as well as explaining that they would adress this issue to their respective fraternities. The meeting came to a close around 6:45 p.m., however some presidents remained to speak with the GREEK advisor individually. As he was leaving Phi Eta president Breet Plousay had this to say, " Obviously there are going to be people who get drunk and say foolishthings, there's no way were going to be able to stop that. But, what we are hoping we can stop is the discriminatory action towards people who simply don't deserve it." from this point forward it is up to the fraternities whether this becomes a recurring theme or not.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
MULTIMEDIA:
The Oakland Raiders pulled os a 20-17 upset over the Cincinnatti Bengals Sunday night. They were down 17-10 with 59 seconds left when replacement quarterback Bruce Gradkowski drove the raiders downthe field and completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Rookie Wide Receiver Louis Murphy. The first two scores of the game were back to back go ahead touchdowns y Cincy's quarterback Carson Palmer himself. He ran both touchdowns in to put them up 14-0. Shortly before the half ended though, Replacement QB Gradkowski put together a 1:35 second drill that ended with a Zach Miller Touchdown. This game may not mean much for Oaklands season, but it could have much larger implications for the franchises future. As for Cincinatti, they are still atop the AFC North division, however this loss doesn't help given they have a very tough division consisting of the Steelers, Ravens, and Brown. All in all, the Raiders may not be a playoff caliber team, but this win should certainly boost their confidence and help them aim towards next year.
The Oakland Raiders pulled os a 20-17 upset over the Cincinnatti Bengals Sunday night. They were down 17-10 with 59 seconds left when replacement quarterback Bruce Gradkowski drove the raiders downthe field and completed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Rookie Wide Receiver Louis Murphy. The first two scores of the game were back to back go ahead touchdowns y Cincy's quarterback Carson Palmer himself. He ran both touchdowns in to put them up 14-0. Shortly before the half ended though, Replacement QB Gradkowski put together a 1:35 second drill that ended with a Zach Miller Touchdown. This game may not mean much for Oaklands season, but it could have much larger implications for the franchises future. As for Cincinatti, they are still atop the AFC North division, however this loss doesn't help given they have a very tough division consisting of the Steelers, Ravens, and Brown. All in all, the Raiders may not be a playoff caliber team, but this win should certainly boost their confidence and help them aim towards next year.
Newsworthy Blog Post Three Styles: Radio Broadcast
RADIO BROADCAST:
Speaker: "Today, problably the biggest story in NFL news was the upset of the Cincinnatti Bengals by the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are coming off a 3 game losing streak while the Bengals have come off three straight wins. In the first half, all signs were pointing Cincy's way, however as the second half began it was an entirely different ball game. The Bengals began the game scoring two touchdowns on their first 2 posessions, from that point forwards it was all Oakland. 2nd year Tight end Zach Miller and rookie receiver Louis Murphy both had Touchdown Grabs while new starter Bruce Gradkowski threw for 181 passing yards. Their final score, however, came on a last second touchdown pass to Louis Murphy which kept them in the game. They responded on special teams by forcing a fumble on the opposing teams own 20 yard line which set up a game winning janikowski field goal. The team may not be in the playoff race, but any signs of improvement for this young Oakland team will help at this point. And this might give them the light they need to continue they're growth in the NFL."
Speaker: "Today, problably the biggest story in NFL news was the upset of the Cincinnatti Bengals by the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders are coming off a 3 game losing streak while the Bengals have come off three straight wins. In the first half, all signs were pointing Cincy's way, however as the second half began it was an entirely different ball game. The Bengals began the game scoring two touchdowns on their first 2 posessions, from that point forwards it was all Oakland. 2nd year Tight end Zach Miller and rookie receiver Louis Murphy both had Touchdown Grabs while new starter Bruce Gradkowski threw for 181 passing yards. Their final score, however, came on a last second touchdown pass to Louis Murphy which kept them in the game. They responded on special teams by forcing a fumble on the opposing teams own 20 yard line which set up a game winning janikowski field goal. The team may not be in the playoff race, but any signs of improvement for this young Oakland team will help at this point. And this might give them the light they need to continue they're growth in the NFL."
Newsworthy Blog in 3 Styles: Newspaper Article
NEWSPAPER VERSION:
The Oakland Raiders have just come off only they're third victory all year against the Cincinnatti Bengals. However, according to head coach Tom Cable, it won't be their last. The Raiders have lost three consecutive games and they were 60 seconds away from losing their fourth until Bruce Gradkowski, newly replaced quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, decided to drive his team down the field to set up the tying score. It started with a 25 yeard bomb to Receiver Chaz Schilens on a fourth and ten, which set them up for running Michael Bush who plowed an additional 17 yards on the next play. With no timeouts and only 48 second on the clock, Gradkowski looked right, looked left and fired a bullet to rookie Wide Receiver Louis Murphy who had to force his body an extra 2 yards after the catch into the end zone for the game tying score. The Raiders didn't give up from the point forward and following the kickoff rookie tight end Brandon Myers forced a fumble on the 20 yard line where the Raiders were set up for a 25 yard game-winning Janikowski Field goal. Overall, the raiders scored ten points in under a minute, which gives them a high feeling of confidence considering they have averaged less points than that all year (9.6).This may be only one victory for this Oakland team, but it's a step in the right direction according to head Coach Tom Cable.
The Oakland Raiders have just come off only they're third victory all year against the Cincinnatti Bengals. However, according to head coach Tom Cable, it won't be their last. The Raiders have lost three consecutive games and they were 60 seconds away from losing their fourth until Bruce Gradkowski, newly replaced quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, decided to drive his team down the field to set up the tying score. It started with a 25 yeard bomb to Receiver Chaz Schilens on a fourth and ten, which set them up for running Michael Bush who plowed an additional 17 yards on the next play. With no timeouts and only 48 second on the clock, Gradkowski looked right, looked left and fired a bullet to rookie Wide Receiver Louis Murphy who had to force his body an extra 2 yards after the catch into the end zone for the game tying score. The Raiders didn't give up from the point forward and following the kickoff rookie tight end Brandon Myers forced a fumble on the 20 yard line where the Raiders were set up for a 25 yard game-winning Janikowski Field goal. Overall, the raiders scored ten points in under a minute, which gives them a high feeling of confidence considering they have averaged less points than that all year (9.6).This may be only one victory for this Oakland team, but it's a step in the right direction according to head Coach Tom Cable.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Sports Article
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Phi Eta Kappa floor hockey team gathered around for one last huddle. It was the second round of the floor hockey playoffs and as hard as they played, it wasn't enough. They lost to their common sports rival SAE by a score of five to three, and while they're season is over, they're not going to hang theirs heads over it. "we played really well, and we let up a lot of unneccesary goals. I don't mean to point the finger either, we need to play smarter defense." Brendan casavant remarked. The game started at a very fast pace, and Phi Eta ended up scoring the first goal. However , from that point forward it was a seemingly unsurmountable slope. SAE came back with three goals in a row and by the half the starters were winded and the attendance of Phi Eta's bench was lacking. According to the Hockey goalie Nicolo, the teams attendance was the biggest contributing factor. " I could see our guys getting tired out there, but because our bench was limited, they stayed in for longer periods of time and you could see it affecting us." he added. As the second half began, they boys tried another approach by having three forwards and stationing two on defense and it apparently seemed to work, at least for the first 10 minutes. Brendan Casavant put them up one more point, making the score 4-3 with 6 minutes left and it seemed as though they had a chance. But, without any hesitation and without wasting anytime SAE's most talented player Greg Scott whipped a long ranging goal in 60 seconds later. From that point, it was a desperation game. They tried everything in their power to just get one goal, pt SAE's goalie was just to good. With goal block after block, reality began to sink in with only 60 seconds remaining. Before they knew it, They were out of the playoffs for a second straight year. However, they have brighter things to look forward to, this year's pledge class contains a Umaine hockey player and according to Galen Munroe, he's the new secret weapon.
Police File Article
Last Thursday, at approximately 10:00 p.m. University of Maine student Matthew Stevens was pulled over for performing what is considered a rolling stop. No one was hurt in the incident, however according to officer Landers someone easily could have been. As the student approached the stop sign in front of the University Union he slowed his vehicle but, " persisted to roll right through without any hesitation" Said Landers. When asked whether he thought he came to a complete stop, Matthew remarked, " unless my brakes don't work anymore I came to a complete stop, I dont know what he was looking at.". The pull over resulted in a sightly heated argument between the two because matthew not only thought he came to a complete stop, but was running late for a floor hockey game. After the officer checked his driving record, he came back out with more than just his information. The ticket handed to Matthew totaled in $135. When told he could contest the ticket, Matthew replied, " I'll see you in court". and drove to his game. Officer Landers had this to say about the incident: " I see people speed through here all the time thinking they can get away way things like this, but this is a University and whether you think you looked both ways or not, you never know who could be crossing the road." While Matthew insists he is innocent and until proven guilty he is, the determining factor lays in the judges hands now.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Obituary....
Eric Tapley, former mechanic of 13 years passed away last Monday while, ironically enough, repairing a transmission in his SUV. He died of a sudden heart attack around 7:00 p.m.
Tapley, who had no former health conditions to this extent was a long time local of the town of Standish. " he was always so kind, and he always fixed my car at a decent price." local annie briggs added. The funeral has been scheduled for this Sunday and the attendance level is supposed to be quite large. "everyone in the town knew him, he was our town mechanic, its such a terrible loss of such a great person." said town official andrew lacey.
He had worked for NAPA auto parts for the first 7 years of his career before becoming self employed right across the street from his biggest competition, Standish, Mobil. " he was one hell of a competitor, every time we lowered our price, he insisted on going one cent lower." current Standish, Mobile owner said.
eric had been working on cars ever since he took shop class in High School. He was playing with toy cars and pretewnding to repair them ever since watching NASCAR as a child. He was his life ling dream to work in a pit crew.
The funeral will be held in Sebago Lake village at the united church of Christ at 11:00 a.m. and the families have requested that everyone park in their driveway if needed which is right across the street.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Article on Tsunami (Twitter/Wikipedia assignment)
killing nearly 230,000 people in eleven countries, the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami was one of the countries worse natural disasters in recent history. The tsunami was caused by an undersea magathrust Earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004, containing an epicenter off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The Tsunami reached coastal shores of 11 different countries with some waves as high as 100 feet high. It was the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph with a magnitude between 9.1 and 9.3. The countries who received the biggest hit were Indonesia, India, and Thailand. This underwater earthquake also had the longest duration of faulting ever observed. It lasted approximately 8 to 10 minutes. The earthquake was so loud that it triggered earthquakes as far away as Alaska.
Given the length of time over which the earthquake took place, it created a series of waves instead of just large one. An estimated 1,600 km of fault line slipped about 15 meters of it's original location and happened over a series of two shifts.
Because of the tsunami's devastating results to countries across the globe, it sparked a very large humanitarian response. Countries from across the globe donated money to the struggling countries totaling around seven billion dollars. The largest economical impact the tsunami brought to these countries mainly surrounded fisheries. Being an export-oriented sector, that is responsible for generating substantial foreign exchange earnings, these countries took a massive financial hit. Also, because of the psychological effects the tragedy had on so many people across the world, many places saw a vast number of resort cancellations for tourists. Even the areas that were not affected by the tsunami experienced huge cancellations.
The main environmental impact aside from the human death toll was the sanitation and condition of much of the land. Mangroves, coral reefs, forests, were all destroyed and even the sewage system was completely ruptured. Overall, the Tsunami was one of the worse natural disasters in recorded history and it will affect the these countries for many years to come.
Given the length of time over which the earthquake took place, it created a series of waves instead of just large one. An estimated 1,600 km of fault line slipped about 15 meters of it's original location and happened over a series of two shifts.
Because of the tsunami's devastating results to countries across the globe, it sparked a very large humanitarian response. Countries from across the globe donated money to the struggling countries totaling around seven billion dollars. The largest economical impact the tsunami brought to these countries mainly surrounded fisheries. Being an export-oriented sector, that is responsible for generating substantial foreign exchange earnings, these countries took a massive financial hit. Also, because of the psychological effects the tragedy had on so many people across the world, many places saw a vast number of resort cancellations for tourists. Even the areas that were not affected by the tsunami experienced huge cancellations.
The main environmental impact aside from the human death toll was the sanitation and condition of much of the land. Mangroves, coral reefs, forests, were all destroyed and even the sewage system was completely ruptured. Overall, the Tsunami was one of the worse natural disasters in recorded history and it will affect the these countries for many years to come.
Friday, November 6, 2009
First Article: EDITED and quotes added.
Portland Water District Makes Another Attempt to Close Sebago Lake Boat LaunchThis marks another chapter in the ongoing dispute between the Portland Water District and the Town of Standish. For years, the Portland Water District has been trying to relocate a boat launch in Sebago Lake that has been a popular place for tourists and town locals. However, due to the fact that the town owns that property and is entitled to a boat launch, the Portland Water District cannot do anything about the launch unless the town agrees. The Portland Water districts primary concern is the popularity of the boat launch and the high exposure of contamination to the water it presents.The most recent attempt by the Portland water district to bar off town locals took place when they decided to place large boulders in front of the common parking lot used at the launch site. In response to this, the Portland Water district stated that the town had every right to a 90 ft. Right of way to the water, but that the parking lot was technically their property. The town was not surprised by the act and neither were the town locals. In fact, local boat owner Stanley Sanborn claims, “They've been trying to get us out of there for years now. We're not even allowed to touch the water, they have workers at the launch who inspect your boat and fine you if you so much as touch your foot in the water. It just makes it more difficult for us old guys to get our boats in the water and it’s just an unnecessary inconvenience…..” The town retaliated by passing a $105,000 proposal to expand they’re parking lot and compensate for the Portland Water District’s actions. “It's really quite a beautiful view coming down the hill. More importantly though, it shows the water district we are not backing down from this issue and that we deserve a right of way to this water front.” Stanley added.The boat launch has been a source of conflict between Standish and the water district for more than a decade. This includes multiple court cases, in which residents have twice rejected referendum proposals to move the launch. The main source of the districts’ concerns regards the drinking water that they draw from the southern end of the lake for nearly 200,000 people in Greater Portland. “They're just looking for any reason to limit the crowd down here.” Stanley included. Being the only public boating access on the southern end of Maine's second-largest lake, and most of the people who use it come from other communities in southern Maine, it has become quite the controversy in the past decade. The only other state-owned boat launches on the lake are on the northern end, at Sebago Lake State Park and at a small public ramp in Raymond.The town of Standish has worker’s at the boat launch on busy days, issuing passes and supervising parking. However, the launch is open t the public every day.The district hopes Standish's new parking area is just a temporary solution and that the town and water district will be able to revive discussions about an alternative launch site.Town officials and water district have claimed that relations between each other have improved recently but this is mostly because they haven’t discussed anything relating to the boat launch recently. "It's very unfortunate that things couldn't have been worked out to everyone's benefit," said Lunt, the water district trustee. "We've decided now to leave the boat launch issue up to the state and Standish."So for now, the town has reached a temporary solution to a seemingly persistent and relentless Portland Water district. However, I don’t believe we’ve seen the end of this one, and it would not surprise me if both sides agreed.
Essay on Bias
When it comes to bias, I personally try to avoid any and all forms of it. If I want to become a legitimate and well respected journalist, you simply have to avoid these temptations to speak in relation to your beliefs. For example, my favorite football team is the Oakland Raiders, so if I was reporting on how badly they lost, I may be slightly tempted to identify the positives rather than focus on the negative outcomes. However, this can be an issue considering my job is to report what is actually taking place and what has happened, not what I think was a good sign or what could be. In other words, it is dependant on what I am reporting when it comes to journalism bias.
For this particular subject, the bias I have chosen to identify is within situational stories. When reflecting or reporting back a story, I have been extremely tempted in the past to reflect my personal views on the current issue reported instead of simply reporting what has happened and what may preceded the incident. This, of course is no the best approach and from a journalists' perspective it is almost the opposite of what I should be doing dependant on the job. For example, Sports journalists' are supposed report what happens after the game, but they are also encouraged to reflect their personal views on the progress of the team and what they think this victory or lose may mean for the future of the team. These are technically blogs, but regardless they are still getting paid to report what happens.
I think i would be much better at personalized journalism because, well, who wouldn't want to reflect what they're personal opinion on an issue is? especially if it happens to be a topic of interest. When it comes to simple cold cut journalism though, I feel as though that is my weakness and I could certainly improve it in many different ways. One way I could improve this it to simply have another person read it so that I'm not using my own personal bias to avoid these potential biases. That may not seem as though it makes sense but at times i can literally tend to avoid my own mistakes because I believe they are right or think they should be included regardless off their requirements behind it.
Overall, I feel as though I have a relatively liberal sense of bias. In other words, I can control it for the most part. However, things can always be improved and having someone proofread my writings seem to always help.
For this particular subject, the bias I have chosen to identify is within situational stories. When reflecting or reporting back a story, I have been extremely tempted in the past to reflect my personal views on the current issue reported instead of simply reporting what has happened and what may preceded the incident. This, of course is no the best approach and from a journalists' perspective it is almost the opposite of what I should be doing dependant on the job. For example, Sports journalists' are supposed report what happens after the game, but they are also encouraged to reflect their personal views on the progress of the team and what they think this victory or lose may mean for the future of the team. These are technically blogs, but regardless they are still getting paid to report what happens.
I think i would be much better at personalized journalism because, well, who wouldn't want to reflect what they're personal opinion on an issue is? especially if it happens to be a topic of interest. When it comes to simple cold cut journalism though, I feel as though that is my weakness and I could certainly improve it in many different ways. One way I could improve this it to simply have another person read it so that I'm not using my own personal bias to avoid these potential biases. That may not seem as though it makes sense but at times i can literally tend to avoid my own mistakes because I believe they are right or think they should be included regardless off their requirements behind it.
Overall, I feel as though I have a relatively liberal sense of bias. In other words, I can control it for the most part. However, things can always be improved and having someone proofread my writings seem to always help.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Article on attended meeting...
Coming off a disappointing 2009 spring season, the Phi Eta Kappa Softball team has recently decided to arrange a meeting at the Fraternity house this wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Sports rep. Galen Munroe also stated that it may even consist of a short practice depending on how long the duration of the meeting will be. " At this point, we are sick of doing poorly in sports that we know we have superior talent in. It's been too long since we've won the B.C Kent and we are going to do everything we can to prepare ourselves for this game." he added. The B.C. Kent is the award handed to the fraternity with the most overall points in fraternal league sports. Last year, Sig Ep won the B.C. Kent with quite the margin of victory. This year however, Phi Eta is planning on changing that.
As the team gathered in the front room, several brothers had already begun talks about the upcoming game against none other than Sig ep for the opening playoff round of floor hockey. The game is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday and according to some of the brothers this could be their year. " We have always had the talent, we just need the motivation." fellow first baseman justin Brown added.
The meeting consisted mostly of strategies on the batting lineup and determining who should play the outfield. Overall, it was a very short meeting, however, the boys seemed to be fine with that consideruing they went out in the front yard and practiced pickup drills until the start of the softball game. The game hasn't been played yet, but with the intensity this phi Eta team is walking around with, thing might get interesting this year.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
30 second broadcast script
[Patrick]
The two current sports representatives of the fraternity Phi Eta Kappa have arranged a meeting of the fraternity in preperation for otnights softball game. Tonight is the beginning of the single elimination fraternal softball tournament, and Phi Eta seems determined to win it all this year.
[Take VO]
[Showing the two sports reps. and clips from last years softball games]
Phi Eta was not exactly a contender last year, but the fraternity claims it was due scheduling conflicts and a lack of attendance. This year they are planning on taking a new approach in hopes that it will revitalize they're once dominant sports reputation.
[Take SOT]
Sports rep. Galen Munroe claimed that " we needed to do something different this year, we just didnt have that fire like we had in the past and we realized something needed to be done so we're trying anything and everything."
[CG:Sports Rep. Galen Munroe]
[TRT: 0:10]
This year, the Sports reps. have even alluded to a possible pick up game before they're match tonight, time will only tell for the green wave. (Team name)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Personal Interview
(This happened to be my grandfather who lives right next to the launch and has a perfect perspective)
What did you think of the Portland water districts recent attempt to bar off parking at the Sebago lake boat launch?
“Well, they've been trying to get us out of there for years now. We're not even allowed to touch the water , they have workers at the launch who inspect your boat and fine you if you so much as touch your foot in the water. It just makes it more difficult for us old guys to get our boats in the water and its an unnecessary inconvenience in my opinion. Think about the motors that are in the water? Arent those just as harmful?”
What did you think of the towns reaction to the districts' attempt?
“Clever, it may have set us back a couple dollars, but not only does it provide adequate parking, but the trees expose a straight path and you can see it when your coming down rt. 35. It's really quite a beautiful view coming down the hill. More importantly though, it shows the water district we are not backing down from this issue and that we deserve a right of way to this water front.”
How long have you lived in Sebago Lake village (Standish)?
“43 years and counting, and there has been a boat launch here my entire time here. I understand they just want to keep our drinking water clean, but there are things much more foul than the bottom of my shoe going in the water everyday.”
Do you think the parking might serve as an inconvenience on busy days given it's size?
“Well, it is smaller and now that the parking has been moved to the entrance lines might be an issue and it could conflict with the four way intersection. But, I believe I heard they are planning on expanding it even more after this winter.”
Has the conflict affected you in any way?
“I regularly use the boat launch, so aside from the inconvenience it really hasn't been that large of an issue in my days now.”
Do you think the Portland water district will have a response to our new parking lot additions?
“I don't know if they can. We are entitled to a right of way into the water and that stretch is the states property. They're just looking for any reason to limit the crowd down here.”
Thank you.
What did you think of the Portland water districts recent attempt to bar off parking at the Sebago lake boat launch?
“Well, they've been trying to get us out of there for years now. We're not even allowed to touch the water , they have workers at the launch who inspect your boat and fine you if you so much as touch your foot in the water. It just makes it more difficult for us old guys to get our boats in the water and its an unnecessary inconvenience in my opinion. Think about the motors that are in the water? Arent those just as harmful?”
What did you think of the towns reaction to the districts' attempt?
“Clever, it may have set us back a couple dollars, but not only does it provide adequate parking, but the trees expose a straight path and you can see it when your coming down rt. 35. It's really quite a beautiful view coming down the hill. More importantly though, it shows the water district we are not backing down from this issue and that we deserve a right of way to this water front.”
How long have you lived in Sebago Lake village (Standish)?
“43 years and counting, and there has been a boat launch here my entire time here. I understand they just want to keep our drinking water clean, but there are things much more foul than the bottom of my shoe going in the water everyday.”
Do you think the parking might serve as an inconvenience on busy days given it's size?
“Well, it is smaller and now that the parking has been moved to the entrance lines might be an issue and it could conflict with the four way intersection. But, I believe I heard they are planning on expanding it even more after this winter.”
Has the conflict affected you in any way?
“I regularly use the boat launch, so aside from the inconvenience it really hasn't been that large of an issue in my days now.”
Do you think the Portland water district will have a response to our new parking lot additions?
“I don't know if they can. We are entitled to a right of way into the water and that stretch is the states property. They're just looking for any reason to limit the crowd down here.”
Thank you.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
First article...
Portland Water District Makes Another Attempt to Close Sebago Lake Boat Launch
This marks another chapter in the ongoing dispute between the Portland Water District and the Town of Standish. For years, the Portland Water District has been trying to relocate a boat launch in Sebago Lake that has been a popular place for tourists and town locals. However, due to the fact that the town owns that property and is entitled to a boat launch, the Portland Water District cannot do anything about the launch unless the town agrees. The Portland Water districts primary concern is the popularity of the boat launch and the high exposure of contamination to the water it presents.
The most recent attempt by the Portland water district to bar off town locals took place when they decided to place large boulders in front of the common parking lot used at the launch site. In response to this, the Portland Water district stated that the town had every right to a 90 ft. Right of way to the water, but that the parking lot was technically their property. The town was not surprised by the act, as a matter of fact they retaliated by passing a $105,000 proposal to expand they’re parking lot and compensate for the Portland Water District’s actions.
The boat launch has been a source of conflict between Standish and the water district for more than a decade. This includes multiple court cases, in which residents have twice rejected referendum proposals to move the launch. The main source of the districts’ concerns regards the drinking water that they draw from the southern end of the lake for nearly 200,000 people in Greater Portland. Being the only public boating access on the southern end of Maine's second-largest lake, and most of the people who use it come from other communities in southern Maine, it has become quite the controversy in the past decade. The only other state-owned boat launches on the lake are on the northern end, at Sebago Lake State Park and at a small public ramp in Raymond.
The town of Standish has worker’s at the boat launch on busy days, issuing passes and supervising parking. However, the launch is open t the public every day.
The district hopes Standish's new parking area is just a temporary solution and that the town and water district will be able to revive discussions about an alternative launch site.
Town officials and water district have claimed that relations between each other have improved recently but this is mostly because they haven’t discussed anything relating to the boat launch recently. "It's very unfortunate that things couldn't have been worked out to everyone's benefit," said Lunt, the water district trustee. "We've decided now to leave the boat launch issue up to the state and Standish."
So for now, the town has reached a temporary solution to a seemingly persistent and relentless Portland Water district. However, I don’t believe we’ve seen the end of this one, and it would not surprise me if both sides agreed.
This marks another chapter in the ongoing dispute between the Portland Water District and the Town of Standish. For years, the Portland Water District has been trying to relocate a boat launch in Sebago Lake that has been a popular place for tourists and town locals. However, due to the fact that the town owns that property and is entitled to a boat launch, the Portland Water District cannot do anything about the launch unless the town agrees. The Portland Water districts primary concern is the popularity of the boat launch and the high exposure of contamination to the water it presents.
The most recent attempt by the Portland water district to bar off town locals took place when they decided to place large boulders in front of the common parking lot used at the launch site. In response to this, the Portland Water district stated that the town had every right to a 90 ft. Right of way to the water, but that the parking lot was technically their property. The town was not surprised by the act, as a matter of fact they retaliated by passing a $105,000 proposal to expand they’re parking lot and compensate for the Portland Water District’s actions.
The boat launch has been a source of conflict between Standish and the water district for more than a decade. This includes multiple court cases, in which residents have twice rejected referendum proposals to move the launch. The main source of the districts’ concerns regards the drinking water that they draw from the southern end of the lake for nearly 200,000 people in Greater Portland. Being the only public boating access on the southern end of Maine's second-largest lake, and most of the people who use it come from other communities in southern Maine, it has become quite the controversy in the past decade. The only other state-owned boat launches on the lake are on the northern end, at Sebago Lake State Park and at a small public ramp in Raymond.
The town of Standish has worker’s at the boat launch on busy days, issuing passes and supervising parking. However, the launch is open t the public every day.
The district hopes Standish's new parking area is just a temporary solution and that the town and water district will be able to revive discussions about an alternative launch site.
Town officials and water district have claimed that relations between each other have improved recently but this is mostly because they haven’t discussed anything relating to the boat launch recently. "It's very unfortunate that things couldn't have been worked out to everyone's benefit," said Lunt, the water district trustee. "We've decided now to leave the boat launch issue up to the state and Standish."
So for now, the town has reached a temporary solution to a seemingly persistent and relentless Portland Water district. However, I don’t believe we’ve seen the end of this one, and it would not surprise me if both sides agreed.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Local News Report
The Computer support company PlumChoice is going to make one hundred and twenty
five jobs available by the end of the year for a new office in Scarborough. The company
Plumchoice, is known for providing remote technical support for computers, smartphones, mp3
players, etc. The majority of the work offered through this company are at home full time
technicians slots. Given the states current economical standpoint any oppurtunity for more
employment is greatly appreciated. Originated in Billerica, Massachusettes, this would be the
first expansion of the company Plum Choice out of state. Plum Choice is going to be moving into a
two story office building as a result of company expansion and is said to be expanding a few more
buildings in the Maine area as they continue to grow.
five jobs available by the end of the year for a new office in Scarborough. The company
Plumchoice, is known for providing remote technical support for computers, smartphones, mp3
players, etc. The majority of the work offered through this company are at home full time
technicians slots. Given the states current economical standpoint any oppurtunity for more
employment is greatly appreciated. Originated in Billerica, Massachusettes, this would be the
first expansion of the company Plum Choice out of state. Plum Choice is going to be moving into a
two story office building as a result of company expansion and is said to be expanding a few more
buildings in the Maine area as they continue to grow.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Profile Story
While studying abroad isn't exactly an option for all University of maine students, it most certainly was for fellow student Matthew Stevens. Matt Stevens, a current Anthropology major is planning on spending his second semester of college lving and going to school in Costa Rica. He will be living with what is referred to as a host family and he will have to depend on them for the entire semester. He is not the only students traveling there this year however. He is also going with an additional 16 students tied into the program. When asked why he decided to do this, Matt simply replied, " Why not? This is a great oppurtunity to not only perfect my Spanish and escape the Maine winter, but it is also a great chance for me to see what it is like to live in another culture." Another aspect that intrigued Matt was the fact that he was going to experience living in something other than a dominant country like the United States. Matt is also currently involved in the greek life with the fraternity Phi Eta Kappa. When asked what he thought of the greek life he stated, " I was skeptical at first, but once i actually met everyone and got over the fraternity stereotype everyone forces on you, you begin to realize that is all just a bunch of bull anyway...." After this year, Matt will be a senior and according to him, he is more than ready to start looking for a job as soon as possible.
News Release About Campus Event
On October 17th, 2009, the University of Maine Black Bears will be hosting the Richmond
Spiders for their homecoming game. Homecoming marks the time where several former alumni
come up to visit. The Black Bears haven't exactly had the best start to the season, while starting
off at a promising 2-0. They have lost there last three games straight, including one against
Syracuse University.The game is on a Saturday and kick off is at 12:00 p.m. There is much
expected hype for this game because the Black Bears have one other game before homecoming
against Hofstra. This next two games are going to be crucial in determining whether or not the
Black bears will have a legitimate chance in the CAA and if they can finish these two games off
with a win, they will be looking at a 4-3 record, which will put them back over .500 for the
season. The Black Bears showed alot of promise against a developing Syracuse team, and
actually had the lead in the first half. However, the defense gave up some unfortunate plays in
the second half. The Black Bear offense has shown promise, and that is not the main question
coming into this homecoming game. The real question is, can they're defense limit The Richmond
Spiders deep pass attack? They're quarterback has a strong arm with some very complimentary
wide outs to compliments his talents and if the Black Bears corners can't contain they're pass,
they could be in for a high scoring game. Now, it is simply a matter of time. However, a win
against Hofstra could certainly help put them in the position they need to be in to win.
Spiders for their homecoming game. Homecoming marks the time where several former alumni
come up to visit. The Black Bears haven't exactly had the best start to the season, while starting
off at a promising 2-0. They have lost there last three games straight, including one against
Syracuse University.The game is on a Saturday and kick off is at 12:00 p.m. There is much
expected hype for this game because the Black Bears have one other game before homecoming
against Hofstra. This next two games are going to be crucial in determining whether or not the
Black bears will have a legitimate chance in the CAA and if they can finish these two games off
with a win, they will be looking at a 4-3 record, which will put them back over .500 for the
season. The Black Bears showed alot of promise against a developing Syracuse team, and
actually had the lead in the first half. However, the defense gave up some unfortunate plays in
the second half. The Black Bear offense has shown promise, and that is not the main question
coming into this homecoming game. The real question is, can they're defense limit The Richmond
Spiders deep pass attack? They're quarterback has a strong arm with some very complimentary
wide outs to compliments his talents and if the Black Bears corners can't contain they're pass,
they could be in for a high scoring game. Now, it is simply a matter of time. However, a win
against Hofstra could certainly help put them in the position they need to be in to win.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
30 second reader script
Every year it is a tradition here on the Umaine campus to have activities and events to start of
each semester and this year is no different. The University of Maine is hosting a Winter Carnival
this upcoming February. It will be a week full of on campus events ranging from games night at
the union, to “Kickin' Flicks” in DPC. The Carnival will kick off on February 9, 2009 with games
night at the union. Followed by “Java Jive” where people go to listen to live bands and enjoy a
cup of coffee. The kickin' flick will take place the very next day on February 11th, featuring the
film Zack and Mir Make a Porno. To conclude the week, they will be hosting a Disney trivia
competition in the bear's den on February 12th. All of these events are scheduled to start later in
the night in hopes that more students will be able to attend these fun-filled events. If there's a
free spot on your calendar I would highly recommend checking out at least one of these events.
It usually ends up with great results and from the looks of the students, it is a great time.
each semester and this year is no different. The University of Maine is hosting a Winter Carnival
this upcoming February. It will be a week full of on campus events ranging from games night at
the union, to “Kickin' Flicks” in DPC. The Carnival will kick off on February 9, 2009 with games
night at the union. Followed by “Java Jive” where people go to listen to live bands and enjoy a
cup of coffee. The kickin' flick will take place the very next day on February 11th, featuring the
film Zack and Mir Make a Porno. To conclude the week, they will be hosting a Disney trivia
competition in the bear's den on February 12th. All of these events are scheduled to start later in
the night in hopes that more students will be able to attend these fun-filled events. If there's a
free spot on your calendar I would highly recommend checking out at least one of these events.
It usually ends up with great results and from the looks of the students, it is a great time.
Friday, September 25, 2009
What would you change about newscast?
This particular newscast was discussing the potential of Bonny Eagle High Schools football team this year. They have won the last 4 out of 5 class A state championships which is the most in school history. The actual reporting was mediocre at best, and the statistics were relatively vague. The only mentioned the fact that they had won last years state championships instead of recognizing that they had won the last four. Which is a record for a class A High school football in the state of Maine. Also, they seemed to focus on Portland and Windham high school more than they did the former state champs. Now, i might be writing with a slight amount of bias because this was my high school team, but regardless it takes talent and good coaching to repeat state championships and they deserve the recognition that these local portland networks aren't giving them. Also, the reporters seemed too scripted, they almost appeared to be reading straight of the teleprompter with no added personal dialogue. If I had control over the newscast I would have put much more emphasis on the defending champs and they're plan of attack this year. It would be a more attractive details to those watching and others teams may even use all the attention they're getting to their own benefit. However, given the fact that it is only one newscast that would be relatively doubtful. Either way it wasn't a terrible broadcast, but it certainly wasn't how i would have gone about it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Evaluation of how reporters write to their story...
This particular article was about John McCain's unexpected decision to run for office with Sarah Palin. Now, given the topic of discussion it was relatively difficult to dissect the true narration in comparison with the video. Most of the clips were of the two senators attending public meetings while others were simply the news reporter themselves talking at the camera or “to the people”. Because of the historical significance this combination would have made, I might have added some statistical information regarding the fact that no woman had ever been elected to be vice president or president. The campaigns alone were historically relevant. I'm not sure if a woman has run for either office in the past myself, but I do know that I would have discussed the rarity of that detail. This article was relatively short and it was a special report by CNN immediately after McCain announced it. Still, there was some narration used to help explain Sarah Palin's political history and McCain's interview after announcing he had chosen her. Personally, I would have gone more in depth with Sarah Palin's political history. Also, in this particular report they seemed to repeat the same information a little bit more than necessary. For example, they continued to stress the fact that this was so unexpected. Which is understandable because this is regarding our future leaders of the country, however to the extent that they used it it seemed to almost be distracting in terms of actually taking in all of the information that is being conveyed. I began to almost just focus on how many times they said unexpected rather than listening to the details of the report. Overall, the report wasn't terrible, however the relevance of the story was certainly the more attractive detail.
Response to muted newscast
The particular newscast I selected was about a tiger who managed to escape the San Fransisco zoo and attacked three people killing one and badly wounding the other two. I listened to the video with audio first to really try and absorb all of the details they verbally projected, then i proceeded to listen to the video on mute. For this particular report they used many subtitles to assist in delivering the newscast, however as the video goes along it is very evident that you miss out on crucial details to the story. For example, at one point they show a clip of a tiger being fed raw meat in its domestic cage and as that is shown they discuss the age of the tiger and where it had come from. Later in the video they show a loop of the same exact clip except this time a reporter is explaining how almost a year to date prior, this particular tiger showed a vast amount of aggression by attacking its trainer in a public display. After watching it the second time with no audio it almost seemed as though I missed out on about seventy five percent of the story. While it is relatively easy to grasp the overall report due to their occasional subtitles, it really goes to show how crucial the audio is, at least for this particular network. The basic understandings that i got from the muted video was that a tiger had escaped and killed a man, nobody knows how it escaped, and the police eventually had to shoot it dead before it attacked anyone else. When watched with the audio you learn that not only did the tiger kill a man, but he also wounded two others, had a history of being aggressive, was named Tatiyana, and was transferred from the Denver zoo. Now, while all of these details may not necessarily be needed to fully grasp the overall story, it can help people to understand the situation more and even accumulate their own opinion better. Overall, the story was still easily conveyed, however their could have been a lot more done to help visually explain what happened as well.
Critique of a contemporary news article
The particular article I have chosen to evaluate covers the topic of the death penalty. It is titled “The Death Penalty-American Attitudes”. The article evaluates many different American views on the legitimacy of the death penalty and provides plenty of statistical data to help support the claims. The writer consistently uses attribution throughout his article citing many different sources and crediting many external studies. All of the sources are named and properly cited so the use of anonymous attribution is out of the question. Based on the style and manner this person has written their article it was very difficult to detect any sort of legitimate bias. For the most part it was very well written and evaluated both sides of the argument without noticeably favoring one side. The writer explained different positions and stances on the death penalty by simply showing how the public felt based on surveys.
I Terms of balance, this particular writer seemed to focus a little bit more on those who opposed the death penalty rather than those for it. While the majority of the public (57%) were in favor of the death penalty and the belief of an eye for an eye, he seemed to have more to say about those who opposed the death penalty and their reasoning behind their views. I did not see any significant signs of objectivity in this article, for the most part, the writer took a neutral stance regardless of of who he used as a source. By this, of course, I mean he didn't add any noticeable personalized comments about these sources, he simply explained their position and compared the opposing view. The Article also incorporates that of human interest by mentioning previous cases or people on death row that many would recognize such as, Timothy Mcveigh's bombing etc.
Overall, the article in my opinion, was very well written and incorporated many different components that were provided throughout chapter 2.
I Terms of balance, this particular writer seemed to focus a little bit more on those who opposed the death penalty rather than those for it. While the majority of the public (57%) were in favor of the death penalty and the belief of an eye for an eye, he seemed to have more to say about those who opposed the death penalty and their reasoning behind their views. I did not see any significant signs of objectivity in this article, for the most part, the writer took a neutral stance regardless of of who he used as a source. By this, of course, I mean he didn't add any noticeable personalized comments about these sources, he simply explained their position and compared the opposing view. The Article also incorporates that of human interest by mentioning previous cases or people on death row that many would recognize such as, Timothy Mcveigh's bombing etc.
Overall, the article in my opinion, was very well written and incorporated many different components that were provided throughout chapter 2.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Convergence and Consolidation in Journalism
Since the exposure of the Internet there have been many technological advances. One in particular, is the ability to relay news straight to your home computer without the burden of waiting to see the news reported on television. Another capability Internet media has provided is the ability to be selective of the news you want to read. For example if you are watching Fox news, you have to observe all the reports in the order that they choose to broadcast it, regardless of your preference. With the Internet it works like the newspaper however, the newspaper is not immediately updated or as quickly updated as the Internet can be. This is another very huge advancement in media journalism. The ability to relay the news as soon as possible once as it has been verified as legitimate to the people is one of the largest benefits to on line journalism. Which brings me to convergence journalism. It is simply the most common reference for on line news, multimedia journalism, digital news, etc. In other words, when broken down into simplified terms it is referred to as electronic content delivery.
A classic example of convergence in todays media was the merger of AOL and Time Warner. Being a content company, Time warner merging with an on line delivery company such as AOL, not only provided as a perfect example of convergence, but they became one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. This however, began to create some confusion for they had such a vast amount of success, many other companies began to converge creating what is now known as media consolidation. The term media consolidation refers to the majority of these media outlets being owned by a small number of corporation i.e. Time Warner solely linked with AOL. Media consolidation helps to characterize ownership structure of these major media industries and has become one of the more widespread approaches to on line media today.
A classic example of convergence in todays media was the merger of AOL and Time Warner. Being a content company, Time warner merging with an on line delivery company such as AOL, not only provided as a perfect example of convergence, but they became one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. This however, began to create some confusion for they had such a vast amount of success, many other companies began to converge creating what is now known as media consolidation. The term media consolidation refers to the majority of these media outlets being owned by a small number of corporation i.e. Time Warner solely linked with AOL. Media consolidation helps to characterize ownership structure of these major media industries and has become one of the more widespread approaches to on line media today.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Journalism Resume
Patrick Michael Avery ( I couldn't figure out how to get the web site link)
Contact Information
Patrick Avery
12 Royal Pine Drive
Steep Falls, Maine
(207) 642-5491
Patrick.avery@umit.maine.edu
About Me
I am currently a journalism major at the University of maine. I was born in Los Angeles, California but moved up to maine at the age of three for family reasons. I have wanted to become a screenwriter/ director since my eighth grade term in middle school. However, since becoming a student at the University of Maine the idea of Journalism has tweaked my interests slightly. I'm currently a junior and am looking to take my journalism career with me back to California where I can hopefully incorporate my writing skills learned through journalism with screenwriter in an abstract way.
Journalism Experience
• Took Journalism Senior year in High School
• Was in Honors English throughout High School
• Wrote two articles for the school Newspaper
Personal Skills
• Think of myself as a good writer
• Not afraid to ask questions
• Not afraid to find answers
• Enjoy writing
Contact Information
Patrick Avery
12 Royal Pine Drive
Steep Falls, Maine
(207) 642-5491
Patrick.avery@umit.maine.edu
About Me
I am currently a journalism major at the University of maine. I was born in Los Angeles, California but moved up to maine at the age of three for family reasons. I have wanted to become a screenwriter/ director since my eighth grade term in middle school. However, since becoming a student at the University of Maine the idea of Journalism has tweaked my interests slightly. I'm currently a junior and am looking to take my journalism career with me back to California where I can hopefully incorporate my writing skills learned through journalism with screenwriter in an abstract way.
Journalism Experience
• Took Journalism Senior year in High School
• Was in Honors English throughout High School
• Wrote two articles for the school Newspaper
Personal Skills
• Think of myself as a good writer
• Not afraid to ask questions
• Not afraid to find answers
• Enjoy writing
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Three Media Law Issues
The three media law issues I have chosen to discuss regard Censorship, Libel, and the Shield law. Of the three media law issues, Libel seems to obtain most of the attention in today's media. It has been an area of concern in journalism throughout its exsistence and thanks to a supreme court ruling in 1964 it has become even more problematic for those who fall victim to this. Clearly libel, which are legal claims for false statements of fact about a person, can be damaging to anyone who encounters it. However, it is not like libel is the number one option for journalists when they first hear a report. Consideration is taken in this day and age for the sake of accurate reporting, atleast in most cases. The fact that journalists have more freedom due to the 1964 ruling doesnt help in the prevention of its use either
Another common issue in journalism today is media censorship. While some forms of censorship seem only neccessary for the protection of our children and our nation, one major issue is the beleif that the government can regulate and control what news is and isn't reported. If this truly is the case, and there are seemingly unavoidable points that this could be, it can prove to be harmful to a society more than beneficial. Withholding information from the public not only creates grounds for conspiracy theorists but it can also create a feeling of distrust by the public.
The Final media law issue choosen was the shield law. Like the discussion we had in class friday, the shield law seems deemably situational. If you give someone your word, it your obligation as a person on a moral level to respect that. For example, if someone gives you information at the expensive of nto naming your source, would you leave that source nameless if it meant more recognition and profit for you personally? It is a difficult issue and it boils down to your integrity as a reporter and what you beleive provides a better outcome for the people.
Another common issue in journalism today is media censorship. While some forms of censorship seem only neccessary for the protection of our children and our nation, one major issue is the beleif that the government can regulate and control what news is and isn't reported. If this truly is the case, and there are seemingly unavoidable points that this could be, it can prove to be harmful to a society more than beneficial. Withholding information from the public not only creates grounds for conspiracy theorists but it can also create a feeling of distrust by the public.
The Final media law issue choosen was the shield law. Like the discussion we had in class friday, the shield law seems deemably situational. If you give someone your word, it your obligation as a person on a moral level to respect that. For example, if someone gives you information at the expensive of nto naming your source, would you leave that source nameless if it meant more recognition and profit for you personally? It is a difficult issue and it boils down to your integrity as a reporter and what you beleive provides a better outcome for the people.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Journalism Bias
When discussing particular morale issues in journalism, it is seemingly impossible to avoid that of journalism bias.Whether you consider yourself to be the most objective writer in the world or not, it's hard to beleive that not everyone has incorporated some sort of bias through there writings at one point or another. It has been one of the most consistent and contraversial areas of journalism to this day. So when it comes to my view on the topic of journalism bias, I simply look at it like this, as human beings we are all victims to our own opinion.
Bias is one of the more common characteristics of personalized and opinionated writing. Now, there are certainly many forms of objective writing but, for the writers of such pieces, it is still difficult for the reader to not extract or absorb some sort of opinion through the writers work. Bias is not always a bad thing, especially in terms of persuasive pieces, you want the reader to agree with you and that bias can help you display a strong level of confidence through your writing which many readers could recognize. However, when journalists begin to seperate fact from opinion it can become a very problematic and misleading situation, especially to those reading and interpreting the material. Now, whether the readers interpret opinionated material as fact or opinion is obviously to their disgression, but there has to be some sort of limit to the amount of bias a writer uses for it to be considered "fair" and accurate journalism. For example, One web site attributes journalism bias to the many pressures a journalist faces throughout their career explaining that, " Journalism is a competitive, deadline-driven profession. Reporters compete among themselves for prime space or air time. News organizations compete for market share and reader/viewer attention. And the 24-hour news cycle--driven by the immediacy of television and the internet--creates a situation in which the job of competing never comes to a rest. Add financial pressures to this mix--the general desire of media groups for profit margins that exceed what's "normal" in many other industries--and you create a bias toward information that can be obtained quickly, easily, and inexpensively." (http://rhetorica.net/bias.htm) I don't know if journalism bias is neccessarily the largest morale issue in the world of journalism, to an extent some types of bias seem only natural. Of course, this is all dependant on what the writing regards and what type of journalism we're talking about.
What I can tell you about journalism bias or bias in general is that i find it is almost impossible to beleive that perfectly objective writing has become the norm in our day and age of journalism. I know it's the goal in most cases, but actually reaching that goal seems to have become the real challenge in journalism today.
Bias is one of the more common characteristics of personalized and opinionated writing. Now, there are certainly many forms of objective writing but, for the writers of such pieces, it is still difficult for the reader to not extract or absorb some sort of opinion through the writers work. Bias is not always a bad thing, especially in terms of persuasive pieces, you want the reader to agree with you and that bias can help you display a strong level of confidence through your writing which many readers could recognize. However, when journalists begin to seperate fact from opinion it can become a very problematic and misleading situation, especially to those reading and interpreting the material. Now, whether the readers interpret opinionated material as fact or opinion is obviously to their disgression, but there has to be some sort of limit to the amount of bias a writer uses for it to be considered "fair" and accurate journalism. For example, One web site attributes journalism bias to the many pressures a journalist faces throughout their career explaining that, " Journalism is a competitive, deadline-driven profession. Reporters compete among themselves for prime space or air time. News organizations compete for market share and reader/viewer attention. And the 24-hour news cycle--driven by the immediacy of television and the internet--creates a situation in which the job of competing never comes to a rest. Add financial pressures to this mix--the general desire of media groups for profit margins that exceed what's "normal" in many other industries--and you create a bias toward information that can be obtained quickly, easily, and inexpensively." (http://rhetorica.net/bias.htm) I don't know if journalism bias is neccessarily the largest morale issue in the world of journalism, to an extent some types of bias seem only natural. Of course, this is all dependant on what the writing regards and what type of journalism we're talking about.
What I can tell you about journalism bias or bias in general is that i find it is almost impossible to beleive that perfectly objective writing has become the norm in our day and age of journalism. I know it's the goal in most cases, but actually reaching that goal seems to have become the real challenge in journalism today.
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