Final Exam Review

1. Timeliness: Recentness of the facts in the story.

2. Proximity: Closeness of an event to where you publish from .

3. Human Interest: Dramatic/emotional struggle.

4. Prominence: Importance/"newsworthiness" of a piece.

5. Conflict: Two physical, emotional, or philosophical contradicting sides meeting.

6. Interviews: Talking with a subject of the story. They answer questions and share their views, opinions, stores, beliefs, etc.

7. Research: Looking up information about the topic or subject of your piece prior to the interview.

8. Quotations: Real things the interviewee said.

9. Yes-no question: A question with a yes or no answer. Asked to qualify facts.

10. Follow-up question: A question you ask to get more information on a topic or for when the topic steers in a new direction.

11. Objective writing: Writing about something with out showing your opinion on the subject or topic.

12. Transition paragraph: A paragraph between two quotes that flows them together.

13. Hard news story: Stories that are very timely and newsworthy and usually are about war, politics, economy, etc.

14. Soft news story: Stories that don't have to be super up to date and are usually bout music, arts, human interest, etc.

15. Inverted Pyramid: The way typical news stories are structured. Most important info --> important details --> other info

16. Third-person point of view: The POV that explains all sides and doesn't take a side.

17. 5 Ws and H lead: Who, what, where, when, why, how. As many as possible are answered in the intro sentence.

18. Editing: Modifying/making changes to your original piece.

19. Attribution: Giving somebody credit for something or a quality of a person.

20. Paraphrase: Briefly explain something. Not using the original wording.

21. Fragmentary quotation: A piece of a quote.

22. Direct quotation: Something the interviewee said verbatim in a piece.

23. Partial quotation: Using parts of a quote to make more sense to the piece.

24. Uses of quotations: Use quotations to add personality and a voice to the piece.

25. When to use quotations: Use quotations in between transitions.

26. When quotations are unnecessary or not desired: When they just give straight and boring facts or information that could be included in transition paragraphs.

27. Editorial: Gives the authors opinion on a topic.

28. Editorial page: Page with editorials on it.

29. Columns: A continuous opinion or advice piece in a newspaper.

30. Editorial that criticizes: An opinionated piece that criticizes a certain topic. The opinion of the author is strongly against the topic.

31. Editorial that explains: An opinion piece that explains why a person feels a way about a topic.

32. Editorial that persuades: An opinionated piece that persuades readers to agree with the author's opinion on a certain topic.
33. Letter to the editor: A letter sent to the newspaper by readers and is typically published.

Current Events #3.3

1. How many percent increase of his salary paid as a bonus COULD have Mark Houser gotten according to his contract?Mark Houser could have gotten a 200% increase on his salary under his contract.

2. What NON-TEXTUAL clues are evident in the political cartoon on page A7 help the viewer to understand the artists perspective?
-the sarcasm of this piece
-the stereo typical dumb trucker look of the character
-the phrase on the shirt
-the second speech bubble as kind of an afterthought 

3. What is the so-called 'Merry Christmas Law?"
The 'Merry Christmas Law' is under the first amendment and states that "no school official in Texas can silence a biblical reference to Christmas. This is an attack on religious liberty."

4. Why is Whole Foods being removed from the Nasdaq-100 index?
Whole Foods is being removed from the Nasdaq-100 index because the Whole Foods market cap has dropped from $22 million to about $9.9 billion in the past three years, and "the Nasdaq-100 index is composed of the 100 largest non financial companies companies."

5. What is so special about Harry Potter yoga?
Harry Potter yoga is special because it is a yoga class with Harry Potter decorations everywhere, and the participants pretend they are in Harry Potter world, transforming into features or casting spells with their wands.

6. Long Response
The DNA analysis lab at the Austin Police Department has officially been shut down. The staffers working to get it up and running again after its temporary break didn't meet expectations and as a result the lab will not be in use. Two of the staffers were sent to a different location to continue working with hopes of getting the lab running again. The lab was using out of date protocols which were skewing the results of the lab. I think it is crucial for the teams to use the newest and proper protocols in order to get the most accurate results. When dealing with crime, you can't run the risk of accusing the wrong person or mixing up results. It's important that the staffers chosen to leave left because they weren't qualified for the job of DNA testing. If they didn't meet the department's expectations of following correct procedures and continued to defend their outdated protocols, then it is for the better that they were asked to leave. The lab closed in the first place in June due to operational issues, and is unable to get running gain due to four scientists on the staff there. Not having a DNA testing lab in our police department will affect our safety department as well as our community as a whole. Tricky cases that require DNA tests will be delayed and hopefully labs in nearby cities or police departments will be able to assist our police. I do not think that our police department should be running a DNA testing lab if we do not have the proper staff to work it. I think having the lab would be good, but that requires having a staff that meets expectations.

Self-Critique

1. Who were the sources?
Sabrina Der, Andrew Aman, Winnie Aman

2. Summarize in 1-3 sentences the story:
Sabrina is a young adult with disabilities. She applied for and was accepted into Project SEARCH. This story is about what Project SEARCH is and how it has helped Sabrina.

3. How many paragraphs is the story?
30

4. How many words is the story?
960

5. How many direct quotes are there in the story?
14

6. How many different people are quoted in the story?
3

7. Which quote is the most impactful of all the ones included?
“I think a lot of people know that I have a disability, but some people do not know,” Der said. “And one of them doesn’t really like me because I can be really slow or get behind. But Project SEARCH taught us that if someone doesn’t like you, you can still work really well and focus on your own accomplishments.”

8. Where is that quote located in the story (beginning, middle, end)?
Towards the end

9. Does the lede effectively capture the readers attention?
Yes

10. If their could have been one additional person interviewed for the story, who would it be?
Someone from the hospital

11. Is the story objective, which means are all non-direct quotes statements of fact and NOT the opinion of the writer?
Yes

12. Are there any unanswered questions that you have after reading the article?
No

13. Write a headline to go with this story:
Searching for new opportunities 

14. Sum up the opinion of the story:
Project SEARCH is an opportunity for young adults with disabilities to get real world work experiences.

15. Give yourself a self grade from 0-100
88

Current Events #3.2

1. Who are three of the Trump cabinet choices that critics say are unqualified to be in those positions?
Three of the Trump cabinet choices that critics say are unqualified are Ben Carson, Nikki Haley, and Steve Mnunchin.

2. How, specifically, have county jails in Texas reduced the number of suicides over the past year?
County jails in Texas have reduced the number of suicides by paying closer attention to inmates who have mental health issues or who do require special attention based on their physical or mental state.

3. What kind of business is Perk Inc.?
Perk Inc. is a mobile rewards business that awards prizes to users for doing certain things like shopping or playing certain games.

4. Who are the five Heisman candidates and what school do they attend?
The five Heisman candidates are Lamar Jackson from the University of Louisville, Jabrill Peppers from the University of Michigan, Deshaun Watson from Clemson University, and Baker Mayfield and Dede Westbrook both from the University of Oklahoma.

5. What are two things you could do in Pt. Reyes, CA?
Two things you can do in Pt. Reyes are going on the Meteor Shower Kayak Adventure or going on the Secret Caves & Hidden Beaches guided walk.

6. Long Response
This story took place in west Texas, near Big Spring, Texas. The victory was Iran's football team winning the game and advancing to semifinals. The tragedy was that their bus driving cheerleaders and two of their team sponsors got in a fatal car wreck. Many of the cheerleaders had injuries, and one of the team sponsors passed away. I really enjoyed this piece. It was about something sad, but the author wrote it in a very interesting, but very tasteful and sensitive way. The author addressed the audience in the opening and gave almost all the 5 Ws. I think they did this because it was a very sensitive and touchy piece, and it was sort of a forewarning set up to the story. It showed how unexpected things can happen and how they were originally just planning to cover the school's football game.

Peer-Critique

Peer critique on Imogen's story--

1. Who were the sources?
Steve Southerland, Steviee Southerland, Heather Southerland

2. Summarize in 1-3 sentences the story:
Eldon Rainey lived in Spokane, Washington. He fixed the clocktower for the fair. 
When his life was coming to an end, the clock stopped at the exact time he was
 saying his goodbyes, as if it were having a moment of silence.

3. How many paragraphs is the story?
34

4. How many words is the story?
929

5. How many direct quotes are there in the story?
16

6. How many different people are quoted in the story?
Three

7. Which quote is the most impactful of all the ones included?
The final one

8. Where is that quote located in the story (beginning, middle, end)?
The last paragraph

9. Does the lede effectively capture the readers attention?
Yes, it draws in the reader, but it seems like it's just thrown in. It isn't specific 
to the story. It builds up a huge event.

10.If their could have been one additional person interviewed for the story, who 
would it be?
Someone who knew the story, but did not know Eldon.

11. Is the story objective, which means are all non-direct quotes statements of
 fact and NOT the opinion of the writer?
No

12. Are there any unanswered questions that you have after reading the article?
No

13. Write a headline to go with this story:
"A Moment of Silence for Rainey"

14. Sum up your opinion of the story:
I loved the story, it was about something super cool! I think it could have been 
written better by getting to the actual even quicker and elaborating on that part 
instead of most of it being build up. Also, it was kind of confusing to read with all 
the brackets.

15. Give them a peer grade from 0-100
90

Feature Story

Feature Story Work

Story First Draft

Fun in the Sun!

It seems to me that the people change with the seasons. And I know it's not just me, that's just a basic cliche. And I know there is definitely scientific proof backing me up, but this year especially I have noticed things in other people as well as myself that I haven't before.
I have learned so much in 2016, book smarts and street smarts included.

So, with that being said, here are 50 things I learned in 2016--

1. Don't be afraid of change, embrace it.
2. Success doesn't come without hard work.
3. Give 110% into everything you do.
4. Do not be afraid of voicing your opinion!
5. Cry whenever you feel like it.
6. It is so so important to pay attention to your own happiness and health.
7. Who cares what other people think of you.
8. Spend as much time as you can with your parents.
9. Splurge on yourself once in a while.
10. Saturdays are for the girls (;
11. Roll down the windows and sing as loud as you can.
12. Online shopping is the best therapy.
13. Postmates are a gift sent from heaven.
14. Put yourself out there as much as possible.
15. Take personal days.
16. Prepare for the worst.
17. Tell the truth.
18. Cousins make the absolute best friends.
19. Set goals.
20. Try out new restaurants and shops often.
21. Do things that scare you.
22. Eye contact and a nice introduction does go a long way.
23. Be engaged when you're talking to somebody.
24. Learn as much as you can!
25. Judging others does you absolutely no good.
26. Forgive, but don't forget.
27. Make the best of every situation.
28. Just because your friends don't invite you to something, doesn't mean they don't like you.
29. Get as close as you can at every concert.
30. Take hot baths.
31. Let people you care about know how much you appreciate them on a regular basis.
32. A snapchat streak is not a friendship.
33. A high school break up is not the end of your life.
34. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
35. Don't go to bed mad at someone.
36. It's okay to say "I'm sorry, I'm too busy."
37. Go get a second serving of that cake.
38. Live in the moment.
39. People have different opinions, accept that.
40. Stretch on the daily.
41. Memorize the directions to your best friends house, the grocery store, and the nearest Coffee Bean.
42. Not everybody is going to like you.
43. Nobody can define who you are but yourself!
44. Remember little details about your friends.
45. Keep an organized agenda and to-do list.
46. Mind your Ps and Qs.
47. Learn how to accept compliments.
48. Find what you are passionate about.
49. Remember: this is just high school. Don't take things too seriously.
50. Have as much fun as you possibly can!