Monday, Dec 5 JAWS continued... July, 4th articled

Giant killer shark caught by local fishermen

AMITY - The shark responsible for the deaths of two local residents, 17-year-old Christine Watson and 10-year-old Alex Kitner, was caught by local fishermen this morning, ending the search for the beast that terrorized the waters.

The shark was caught one mile south-southwest and killed shortly after its capture by lead fisherman Mike Swenson of Medford, Mass.

Swenson will receive the $3,000 bounty for his "heroic and selfless efforts," according to Police Chief Martin Brody.

After the shark was brought ashore, it was inspected by marine biologist Matt Hooper from the Oceanographic Institute in Woods Hole, Mass.

Hooper, one of the world's foremost experts on sharks, identified the shark as a nurse shark, known for being one of the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks. Nurse sharks have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers' deaths along the East Coast of the United States.

All of the beaches were reopened immediately, and in a press release from Brody, he explained that he urges residents "to recreate at the beaches in order to encourage the participation of all our visitors in the wonderful water sports," adding that beach-goers should "swim and have fun!"

Brody added that islanders and guests should not be alarmed by the presence of shark spotters from various organizations including the Coast Guard, the Marine Patrol, the Massachusetts State Police, and the U.S. Navy, among others. They are merely a safey precaution in order to put visitors to the island at ease.

At midday, the beaches were crowded with guests and residents who were hesitant to enter the water after the recent incidents, but shortly after a family of five went in, the waters soon became crowded as well.

Two 12-year-old boys and residents of Amity, however, Wayne Winston and Brad Kaplan, were found wearing large fins in the water so as to scare swimmers. Although their prank caused swimmers to panic and leave the water, no serious injuries resulted from the incident.

The two boys were remanded to the custody of their parents.

Furthermore, any shark sightings should be reported to the proper authorities at 1-800-sharksee.

Monday, Dec 5 In class exercise - JAWS SECOND DAY STORY

Bounty offered for shark that killed two Amity Village residents

AMITY – A $3,000 bounty was offered last night by Marion Kitner at an emergency meeting called by Mayor Larry Vaughan and Police Chief Martin Brody for the capture and killing of the shark that has claimed two victims in less than 48 hours.

The first victim, 17-year-old Christine Watson was killed Sunday night while swimming at a remote section of South Beach, and the second victim, 10-year-old Alex Kitner, was killed while floating on a rubber raft at Village Beach. 

The bounty Kitner’s mother offered was told to those in attendance at the meeting. A sign outside the meeting hall read "$3,000 bounty to the man or men who catch and kill the shark that killed."

Townsfolk, motel owners, fishermen, and others gathered at the meeting to discuss safety measures for the coming days as well as the bounty and the possible closing of the town beaches.

Police Chief Martin Brody announced that the beaches would be closed because of the attacks and that specialists would be coming to the island to assist in the search and capture of the shark.

When asked how long the beaches would remain closed, Vaughan explained they would only be closed for 24 hours.

Brody appeared shocked at the 24 hour limit for safety reasons but was unable to comment on the matter, while one woman exclaimed, “Twenty-four hours is like 3 weeks on this island!”

Before the meeting adjourned, professional shark hunter Ben Quint entered the meeting, getting the attention of the arguing crowd by scratching his nails against the chalkboard in the back of the room.

“This shark will swallow you whole,” Quint said, explaining that he could catch the shark and kill it, but he valued his life for more than $3,000 dollars, asking instead for a $10,000 bounty.

The mayor and selectmen, after speaking with Mrs. Kitner, agreed to increase the bounty to $10,000, explaining they would come up with the extra $7,000 necessary to do so.

Jaws Sidebar (due by Dec. 5)

Shark attacks unlikely in N.H. after tragedy in New England coastal town

By Cady Kolnaski

DURHAM – When N.H. native Marissa Correll drives to Hampton Beach for her morning swim, the fear of sharks never crosses her mind.

“In the summer I swim in the ocean for about 30 minutes every morning. I’m usually the only one in the water and at the beach that early, but I’ve never seen a shark or worried about seeing one,” Correll explained.

Correll is like many other seacoast residents with regards to sharks, and there might be reason for that.

Even in the wake of the tragedy in the seacoast town of Amity Village, where two individuals were mauled and killed by a vicious, unprovoked great white shark, N.H. residents should not fear swimming in local waters.

According to Doug Grout, the N.H. Fish and Game Marine Fisheries Division Chief, “it is highly unlikely there will be any shark attacks in N.H. in summers to come.”

Grout, who has worked in marine biology for over 30 years, explained that the sharks that can be dangerous to humans “simply don’t come this far north.”

In fact, there have been no reported sightings or attacks in N.H. history, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology website.

Before this summer, the last fatal shark attack reported in all of New England was in 1936 in Mass., thus showing how rare attacks are.

Grout added that there are sharks further off-shore, but they aren’t the types of sharks that harm humans and they never come close to shore.

“The water close to shore is oftentimes colder because of prevailing winds,” he said, adding that “that keeps the sharks away.”

Even after the tragic deaths due to shark attacks in Amity this summer, it is safe to say that N.H. residents need not worry about sharks this summer or in future summers.

Sources:

(603) 868-1095 NH Fish and Game

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/statistics/GAttack/mapusa.htm

Another Monday, Nov 28 In class exercise

Possible shark attack occurs at Village Beach

AMITY - Following the death of Christine Watson Sunday night, 10-year-old Alex Kitner appears to have been killed in a vicious and unprovoked shark attack off the waters of Village Beach today.

Kitner, who was visiting the beach with his mother Marion Kitner, had asked his mother for ten more minutes in the water before grabbing a yellow rubber float and running into the ocean, according to several witnesses.

He had been floating on the raft at crowded Village Beach around 2 p.m. when the apparent attack occurred. Several children were close by in the water at the time of the attack.

Beach goers heard screams from the children and witnessed commotion in the water, running to the edge in search of their children.

Kitner’s damaged raft floated ashore shortly after the incident with what appeared to be a giant bite taken out of it and bloodied water surrounding it. His body, however, has not been recovered.

Kitner’s mother, who was at the beach at the time of her son’s disappearance, is being treated for shock at Amity General Hospital, where she is in fair condition.

A black Labrador retriever, named Pippet, has also been reported missing.

There were no other injuries.

Amity Police Chief Martin Brody believes the Watson death may be linked to the possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity. The investigation into the incidents is ongoing.

A special meeting will be held by the mayor, police chief, and the Amity Board of Selectmen at 6 p.m. today in Town Hall to discuss Police Chief Brody’s plan to close the beaches on July 4, the Kitner family reward of $3,000 for capture of perpetrators, and the offer by fisherman Ben Quint to hunt down the shark thought to be the perpetrator of this tragic incident.

Monday, Nov 28 In class exercise

Death of teenage girl found on beach being investigated

AMITY - The body of a teenage girl was found early this morning washed up on the beach after a brief search by the Amity Village Police Department.

The girl, identified as that of Christine Watson, was reported missing at 6 a.m. this morning by Christopher Hoggenbottam III, a former resident of the island and sophomore at Trinity College.

Watson, a 17-year-old resident of the island and senior at Amity High School, was last seen alive leaving a beach party with Hoggenbottam around 11 p.m. Sunday.

According to the Amity Police Chief Martin Brody, Watson decided to go swimming and entered the water at a remote section of South Beach, near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy.

According to the local weather report, the weather was clear and the seas were calm when Watson entered the water.

When Watson, a member of AHS’s varsity swim team and lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA, did not return from the water, a concerned Hoggenbottam notified police officials.

Witnesses told police investigators that both teenagers had been drinking heavily and possibly smoking marijuana throughout the course of the evening.

Her body was found severely mauled by an attacker of unknown origin and was transported to the coroner’s office for autopsy shortly after it was discovered.

The medical examiner assigned to the case, Dr. Robert Nevin, said that it is likely Watson was killed due to a motorboat accident, explaining she could've easily gotten caught in the propeller. According to Dr. Nevin, "her body appeared just like every other body in a motorboat accident."

As of yet, no charges have been filed in the case, and police are continuing to investigate the incident involving Watson’s death.

Although a shark attack has not been confirmed nor denied, Brody wants to assure all residents and visitors that they are in no threat of danger.

He confirmed that “our lovely beaches will remain open for swimming pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Letter to accompany my application!

My name is Catherine Kolnaski and I am currently a student at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire. I am writing to you about my interest and application for the Development Editor K12 Assistant position that you are hiring for. I have been studying English and Education while at UNH and have a love for children and education that has grown over the course of my time here in New Hampshire.

I came across this position through an online posting and was immediately interested because it combines the two things I want to do in my life: work in publishing and work in education. I have always loved reading and writing and have wanted to pursue a career in publishing since I started my education at UNH. Pearson Higher ED is not just a reputable and respectable publishing company, but to me, it is the ideal workplace. I have spent almost over seven years working with children, volunteering at schools, teaching lessons, and for the past six years I have taught tennis to children ages four through sixteen. I have developed an understanding and love for children of all ages and it is my dream to work in a field that allows me to help them. Since my other passion, besides children, is reading and writing, this position would be an amazing opportunity for me to work in an environment devoted to education and children. I feel my background in teaching children tennis has given me an understanding of how children behave outside of the classroom in a fun, yet still educational, environment. My experience inside classrooms, as a volunteer, aid, and participant in an internship, has given me the knowledge of how to run a classroom and how to be a good, impactful teacher. I believe my knowledge experiences will allow me to help Pearson Higher ED and I am most definitely willing and eager to learn more as I grow as an adult.

I would be incredibly grateful for an opportunity to interview for the position and talk with you about my experiences and hopefully you will be able to see how truly passionate I am about children, reading, writing, and I will be that way about Pearson as well. My goal in life is to improve education and improve children’s lives and I believe that if I am an employee of Pearson, I can help to do that. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

Catherine Kolnaski

Wednesday, Nov 16

There's an article in the NYT today about a Nashville bookstore that is set to open today! The article, titled "Novelist Fights the Tide by Opening a Bookstore", is about the woman behind the opening, author Ann Patchett. Although I haven't read any of her books, I think what she is doing is really great. The article says how Nashville was once the "Athens of the South" because of its rich cultural tradition. I've been to Nashville a few times and it is an absolutely beautiful city - street cleaners clean the streets every night! Apparently there are very few bookstores left in the city, which to me, a HUGE book lover, is really really sad. However, I hope that the efforts of this woman help return some of that rich cultural tradition back to Nashville. The article also mentions RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, which I didn't realize needs $100,000 to stay in business. Over 150 people packed inside the store last week "to discuss its fate." It would be really upsetting to love RiverRun so I'm thinking about getting some of my friends to see if we can help out in any way possible!

Tuesday, Nov 15

I know we are supposed to stay away from writing about sports but I couldn't help myself when I saw that one of the articles in the NYT today was about the situation the NBA and all of the people affiliated with the NBA are going through. Apparently, the union representing the players in the NBA "formally disbanded" Monday, saying it would take the league's owners into federal court. Ultimately, it is looking like there is going to be little to no season this year. Apparently the players want to sue, claiming the league's 4.5 month lockout is illegal. There's a lot of stuff I don't really understand with this whole lockout going on but ultimately, it discourages me. The reason I wanted to write about this is because I just find it hard to believe that these players need to be paid anymore than they already are. Do they really need more money? Maybe there is a deeper issue to this whole situation that I am missing, but as of now, I cannot see it. I mean, I understand that if the league has to make sacrifices financially (which would in turn come out of players' salaries), then yes, that's a little upsetting, but when compared with almost every other occupation, I'm assuming those players will still be pretty well off. All in all, I'm one of those people who feel professional athletes are paid way too much money (money that could be spent on many other things), but we are a nation that has high regards for both entertainment and sports. Oh well! We'll see what happens!

Monday, Nov 14

It was only a matter of time before the Occupy protests going on all over the United States, focused in major cities, made it's way onto college campuses. There's an article featured in the Nation section of the NYT today about this happening through a group called "Occupy Colleges". Occupy Colleges is a "national group coordinating college-based protesters" and has put up encampments at a handful of colleges throughout the United States including Harvard and various University of California schools. The article explains how the goal of Occupy College organizers is to get more students involved.Several groups of students are protesting tuition increases at their respective schools, but many of these protests have been broken up by police officers, results in arrests oftentimes. There are, however, some groups of protestors that have withstood eviction from their properties, including groups in Oregon where people "staved off eviction on Saturday with the help of hundreds of supporters who poured into two city parks near each other." Ultimately, like I said at the beginning of my blog, it was only a matter of time before students starting protesting as well on their own campuses because there are always things on college campuses that can be improved upon, such as tuition increases. It will be interesting to see how long all of this lasts!

Wednesday, Nov 9

The very first article I saw in today's issue of the NYT had the word A-bomb in the title. Without reading any other titles, I picked up the paper and started reading the story, titled "U.N. Agency Says Iran Data Points to A-Bomb Work". The title alone made me a little nervous just because it mentioned a bomb, but nonetheless, I wanted to read on. Apparently the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report saying because of new evidence the U.N. has amassed it finally made a judgement "in its decade-long struggle to pierce the secrecy surrounding the Iranian program." There are discussions about how to stop the Iranian program, whether by diplomatic pressure, sanctions, sabotage, or even military action. The reporters explain that because of past issues with credibility and false information/reports, the judgment includes a section called "credibility of information". One of the other key things I noted about the information in this article was that the reporters explained how the report laid out how Iran had created computer models of nuclear explosions and they conducted experiments on nuclear triggers. "It said the simulations focused on how shock waves from conventional explosives could compress the spherical fuel at the core of a nuclear device, which starts the chain reaction that ends in nuclear explosion." Yikes! Now that's something to think about.

Tuesday, Nov 8

An article about the death sentence for youths caught my attention in the National section of today's NYT. I'm definitely one of those people who likes watching Law and Order, CSI, etc etc and so naturally, I find stuff like this article really interesting. However, just because I like watching those shows, doesn't mean I've been desensitized to the information presented. For example, this article was about the Supreme Court agreeing to hear cases on whether  sentencing teenagers involved in killings to die in prison is a violation of the Eighth Amendment. Having taken a political science course on the US legal system, I am very much familiar with certain amendments, including this one, and I think the reporter raised a lot of good points about why this might be in violation of that amendment. However, it wasn't until the end of the article that the two cases in question were described. One of the cases is about a boy who was 14 years old when he killed a 52 year old neighbor. He beat the neighbor and set fire to his home after a night of drinking and smoking, causing the neighbor to die of smoke inhalation. To me, although the individual was young and not yet mature, I can't imagine he wasn't aware of what he was doing and therefore, I believe he should be justly punished. Maybe if he's a changed person he deserves to be free one day, but that's an awful crime to commit and after reading the article I was definitely a little disturbed.

Monday, Nov 7

There was an article in the NYT today about the "racial fault line" and what it means to be born along that line. I found the article in the Arts section next to a picture of Jay-Z and Kanye West performing at a concert in New Jersey. The article, titled "Born Along the Racial Fault Line" introduces Mark Whitaker, who wrote a book called My Long Trip Home: A Family Memoir. In my sociology class, we just spent about two weeks discussing race and issues that come with classifying race, discovering race, etc. and many people in my class were shocked to learn that race is a socially constructed institution - it has no scientific evidence, proof, backing, or anything. We, as a society, have created the idea of race and over time, it has just stuck. I found that really interesting and as we further discussed things like the racial fault line, I became more and more interested in the dynamic between interracial couples, families, etc. The article discusses how a child from a white mother and a black father would identify him or her self. I just found a lot of the points made in the article really neat, especially considering everything I've been learning about in regards to race. It's discouraging to think that we have to identify ourselves by our ethnicity or color when in fact, there is no difference between us (race-wise) biologically. Crazy!

Wednesday, Nov 2

This afternoon in my sociology class we were discussing the current state of Greece and its government, economy, etc. My professor explained that if the people of Greece do not approve of the pending bailout, the government and what will basically fail. It's so strange to think of a country or state "failing". The article in the NYT today called "Revolt in Greece on Bailout Vote May Oust Leader" focused on the Prime Minister and the possibility of him being ousted. Having little to no background in economics or politics, except for two political science courses, I don't understand the state of the Greek government nor do I understand how it works. The article did a good job of keeping the information in pretty simple terms so I got the gist of the article. The other article I read was about jeans. An avid jean wearer, I think it is really neat what Levi Strauss is trying to do by creating a nonprofit program that teachers farmers in various countries a new irrigation and "rainwater-capture" technique to reduce the amount of water used in the product of jeans. I really like reading about the things people and companies are trying to do to reduce the amount of resources that we use so often.

Tuesday, Nov 1

I am actually really surprised with the stories featured in the NYT today because they seemed to cover a wider array of topics than they have been covering lately. By this I just mean that there have been a ton of articles about the presidential candidates and topics surrounding that, about the protests all over the country (and world), etc etc. Today I noticed a lot of articles that were about different things. On the front page there were articles about money missing from a brokerage firm, a sexual harassment claim, Haiti's legal system, and even an article about airport travelers and their respective delays. I'm sure if I looked closely enough I'd find articles about the protests and the presidential candidates, but it was refreshing to not be overwhelmed with that information for once. Granted, I couldn't find many positive articles in the NYT today, but at least I got to read about some new things going on in the world. I spent a lot of time reading the article about airport delays because I just booked my flight to Florida for an internship in the spring last night and so I thought that was a cool coincidence.

Monday, Oct 31

Today in class we discussed the article in the NYT titled "Cruel Trick of Weather Sows Havoc in the East" and I had planned on writing about it here anyways because it definitely caught my eye. The article was about the October snowstorm that hit on Saturday and went into early Sunday morning. It explained that in some places, damage was worse than the damage after Hurricane Irene. In CT, where I'm from, Governor Malloy even declared a state of emergency (there were 12+ inches in some places which is wild because up until this point in time, the record for that day was less than 1/10 of an inch!). What I really found interesting was how the reporter first discussed the damage, then Halloween, and then global warming. At first glance, I thought this was really neat how the reporter showed a bigger picture than just another storm. The article explained that this doesn't prove or disprove that global warming is real and happening and I thought that weaving this into the story of a current event was very creative and appealing. It showed that this one event might be part of something bigger, or hey, it might not be.

Monday, Oct 31 In-class exercise

Rare spotted leopard cannot be found in Durham Zoo

By Cady Kolnaski

DURHAM - Confusion and contradiction surrounded the Durham Zoo this morning when Fluffy, a rare spotted leopard, could not be found and zoo officials and police tried to explain what was going on to visitors and local residents.

Fluffy, a 10-year-old, 146-pound Romanian spotted leopard was reported missing by a visitor to the zoo at 7:30 a.m.

The zoo was closed by nine a.m. to allow for searches to take place. Police and zoo employees were dashing frantically around the zoo, some carrying high-powered rifles and others clutching their holstered pistols, searching everywhere for the spotted leopard.

James Petronkis, a resident of Newmarket and daily visitor to the zoo, said when he arrived at Fluffy’s cage he knew something was wrong. “She usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest – there wasn’t even any straw.”

He further explained that he was dismissed by a guard when he expressed his concern, causing him to pull the fire alarm to get the attention of the directors and employees.

 Petronkis was told she was in her “little house” and to not worry. Thirty minutes later, when Fluffy still hadn’t made an appearance, employees checked the house and found that Fluffy was not there.

“All hell broke loose,” Petronkis commented.

Gerry Durrell, the director of the zoo, explained during a press conference this morning that they were doing everything possible to find Fluffy and bring her back. “We love that cat,” he said. “We don’t want to lose her.”

He explained that everything in her cage seemed normal, adding that “the door was shut and did not appear to have been tampered with.” 

Employees were searching the grounds of the zoo, but Police Chief William Blair stated that if they could not find her in the zoo, they would begin searching the neighborhood.

“We are concerned because this is a residential neighborhood with an elementary school and we don’t want Fluffy wandering around after the kids get out of school,” Blair explained.

According to Kitty Smith, the zoo’s chief biologist, the animal is “extremely dangerous,” adding that these leopards were on the brink of extinction in Romania “because of their appetite for young children.”

Officials are hoping to find the leopard before three p.m. or else “it could be a very messy night,” according to Blair.

Blair has asked the New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department to aid in the search for the missing animal. Officials will search every inch of the zoo before moving outward, farther and farther away from the zoo until she is found.

The National Guard is supplying five helicopters with infrared sensors to help locate her.

“We’re gonna find this cat if it kills us,” Blair added before leaving to aid in the search.

Wednesday, Oct 26

I keep seeing articles with the name Perry in the titles, specifically in the Nation section of the NYT, so today I decided to read one and see who exactly this Perry character is. Apparently, he is a Republican and Governor of Texas and he is running for the office of President in 2012. Until I started reading the NYT, I had never heard of Perry and my only knowledge of politics in Texas is about the Tom DeLay messiness that went on at least five or so years ago. I found two articles in the NYT about Perry today and I chose to read "Perry’s Emphasis on Birther Issue: A Wink at the Right?" because it sounded interesting - I mean, what on earth is the "Birther Issue"? Apparently Perry believes President Obama was not born in the United States and he, along with members of the "birther movement", think that Obama occupies the presidency illegally. Personally, I find it pretty amusing that people are questioning the validity of Obama's birth certificate and what not because in reality, we voted him into office so hey if he for some reason really is in there illegally, whose fault is that? I just think it's funny but more sad and discouraging how willing people are to slander one another in pursuit of their own goals and aspirations. Since when is it acceptable to dirty someone's name in order to get what you want? I understand that that's politics and the society in which we live, but it just doesn't seem right or fair. Just another thing to think about!

Tuesday, Oct 25

After yesterday's article about more animals dying and being slaughtered (even with bans prohibiting that and what not) I was relieved to see no articles about animals today - whether good or bad. I did, however, come across an article about children spending too much time in front of screens (TV screens, iPad screens, video game screens, etc). I found the following quote to be pretty interesting... "Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics’ longstanding recommendations to the contrary, children under 8 are spending more time than ever in front of screens..." Personally, I've seen so many children under the age of ten or so given "iPad time" for the more affluent or "TV time" for the less affluent (according to the article that is how the break up between screens is made) whether it be when I'm babysitting or teaching tennis lessons. I taught lessons to a family from NYC this summer and the mother always came and watched the lessons on Saturdays and Sundays. She usually brought her daughter along to the tennis courts and if she behaved, she was rewarded with five or ten minutes on the iPad. I just remember always being outside and doing things when I was younger and rarely remember being rewarded with TV or computer time even though I know it was common even then. I'm interested to see how the "app gap" as researchers are calling this age group of children with so much technology will diff from other generations. Who knows!

Monday, Oct 24

I couldn't help but notice another article about the slaughtering of animals on the front page of the NYT today. Just last week the Times featured an article about an exotic farm owner who released his animals (tigers, lions, bears, leopards, monkeys, etc) before committing suicide. More than 48 of his animals were killed by police following "shoot-to-kill" orders. Although I understand the animals could've been dangerous, I wish they had been tranquilized or something because the thought of those animals dying kills me. In this article, the victims are horses. I didn't even realize horses could be (and are) consumed by people. What are "tare de cheval" and "basashi sashimi" and if there is a ban on the slaughtering of horses, how come they are still being consumed in other countries? One of the latent dysfunctions of this ban on horse slaughter is that just as many horses are being "destined for dinner plates", just not in the U.S. The article features a breeder who takes in starving horses and he even said that the ban hasn't improved the lives of horses. I understand the need for newspapers to report all the news that is out there - we need to be aware of what is going on in the world around us - but please, no more stories about animal slaughter (or at least I hope not).

Thursday, Oct 20

The NYT usually has a few light-hearted (or at least not super negative) stories in it every day, maybe to balance out the amount of negative news stories and events going on in the world around us. Today, however, I struggled to find something optimistic. There was a story about exotic animals being killed after they were released onto an Ohio reserve, which I didn't read because anything having to do with hurting animals really bothers me - I just don't have the stomach for issues with animals. There were a bunch of articles in the National section about the upcoming election, which I can't believe is in about a year! It seems like only yesterday I was a senior in high school, anxious for the presidential (and even local) election so that I could vote for the very first time. Many of the articles featured stories about candidates and the "bad blood" between certain ones, among other things. I'm starting to realize how much work really goes into putting a newspaper together because the massive number of stories written on such vast topic areas is unbelievable to me, and the fact that they produce this paper every single day is remarkable. I think I have taken for granted the fact that newspapers do all of this hard work to provide us, the readers, with information they've deemed necessary to give us. Just something to think about on this rainy day!

Tuesday, Oct 18

I couldn't really find anything that I wanted to read in the NYT today, at least in the sections that I usually browse and read from like the front page, the world section, the U.S. section, (and lately the business day section), etc, but today I figured I'd take a look at the science-based section of the paper, section D I believe. Most of the articles sounded too advanced for me, even though I've heard that the NYT is written at a third-grade reading level (I could be wrong though). An article in the section, "Not Such a Stretch to Reach for the Stars", caught my attention initially simply because of the title. When I started reading the article, I couldn't believe what I was reading was real because it discussed visiting the stars (in the future, of course), what it would take to create an engine that could propel a starship, the fact that an engine like that could destroy the planet, and so much more. None of the information made sense to me because although I realize technology has made amazing advances in this field, it's crazy (but I guess not too crazy) to think that traveling to the stars is possible in the somewhat near future. The article mentioned that NASA's future is uncertain, but the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Darpa, is the organization heading this possible century-long space project. The name of the organization, specifically the word "defense", makes me wonder what we are defending ourselves from... Anyways, it's articles like this one that make me realize just how small our world, and even our planet, are!

Monday, Oct 17

There was an article in the NYT today about Amazon encouraging writers of all genres to "cast aside their publishers" and join up with them instead. The article, "Amazon Signing Up Authors, Writing Publishers Out of Deal", says that this fall alone, Amazon will publish 122 books of various genres in both physical and e-book form. This will cause Amazon to be in direct competition with top publishing companies and I'm interested to see how the big publishing companies and publishers respond to this. I, personally, love love love to read and have for years. I remember laying in my bed with a flashlight balanced on my shoulder trying to stay awake and finish another chapter in one of the Chronicles of Narnia books, among countless others. For a little while, I've thought about entering the publishing world after college and pursuing a career in the field. It's strange to think of Amazon possibly being a publishing powerhouse because it's such a successful company already. Who knows if it'll do well but with the amazing success of the Kindle and other e-readers, as well as e-books, Amazon seems to be heading in the right direction with acquiring writers and authors as well.

Monday, Oct 17 In-class exercise

Proposal for Saturday detentions sparks controversy

Portsmouth – A motion to approve a new policy on Saturday morning detention sessions for students with disciplinary problems was presented at a Portsmouth School Board meeting, meaning students would be trading in sleeping in their beds for sitting at their desks.

Tim Steele, the board member who made the motion, explained that the policy would require students to attend Saturday detention sessions from 8 a.m. until noon.

During discussion of the proposal, Peggy Bacon, a parent, said she was not in favor of the new rule. She commented that it is hard enough to get her son off to school five days a week and that parents shouldn’t have to worry about doing that on Saturday as well.

“I just don’t think it’s going to make any difference,” she said. “The parents are going to pay for it – in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays.”

The new disciplinary measure is being proposed in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions. Students in in-house suspensions are not allowed to make up class work they missed during that day. Students caught smoking in the high school bathrooms are automatically given in-house suspensions, meaning they miss an entire day of class time and work.

Proponents believe this will ultimately help students because they would not miss class time or class work.

Furthermore, Steele hopes the threat of Saturday detentions will cause students to re-think breaking school rules and policies.

Resident Bob Farley, a proponent of the proposal, said he liked the idea of the new rules and commented that it was time for parents in America to take responsibility for their children.

“That’s the whole problem,” he explained, “parents aren’t teaching their kids any discipline, so the kids have no respect for the rules.” He believes that if students have to sacrifice a few Saturday mornings then maybe they will start acting appropriately.

If a student chooses to skip a Saturday session, however, “he or she would not be allowed to return to school until the detention has been served,” according to Steele.

Lisa Gallagher, a senior who attended the meeting, responded to the repercussions for missing a Saturday session, saying “What are they going to do, make them stay all weekend?”

Gallagher believes the point of the new rule is make life easier for school faculty, meaning they won’t have to deal with detentions during the school week.

The school board voted 5-3 to table the issue until the next meeting, March 7, when Steele is to return at that time with figures on in-school detentions for the current school year.

Friday, Oct 14

The article "Eating Disorders a New Front in Insurance Fight" caught my eye this morning when I picked up the paper from my local market because I came home for the weekend. I was hoping to find some articles on the protests going on in Hartford and Boston because my brother told me a lot about them last night and I wanted to learn more but this article seemed interesting just by the title. When I was in high school I found out that one of my close friends had an eating disorder, and luckily, she received help and has been on a healthier track ever since. However, the focus of this article is how people with eating disorders, like anorexia, are having trouble getting the support they need from health insurance in order to go to in residential treatment centers. This goes for other mental disorders as well. The article states that insurance companies have "re-emphasized" that they do not financially support people like this. There was a decision made in California that insurance companies have to pay for in residential treatments but that case has now gone to appellate court so it will be interesting to see how that plays out!

Tuesday, Oct 11

In the article "Stutterer Speaks Up in Class; His Professor Says Keep Quiet" a student was told not to speak during class because of his noticeable (and apparently distracting - words of the teacher, not mine) stutter. From what I can tell, this professor is painted negatively by her mistreatment of the student but the article also says that students really like her and respect her. For that, I think the writer deserves some credit because at first it seemed as though the article was very much against the professor, but by showing her respectability it gave the article less of a critical-sounding element. I do, however, think it is unbelievable that an educator would deter students from participating in a class by asking questions and answering questions. I understand the points made in the article about how there is an interesting and complex balance between the needs of an individual and the good of a group, but I feel bad for Garber, the student featured. He should not be discriminated against for his disability - if I can even call it that since I guess it is not recognized as a disability by most universities - especially since he is willing and eager to participate in the learning environment. I found this story somewhat discouraging because I believe in the power of teaching and education and this educator seems to have made a mistake that turned out to be more serious than I'm assuming she expected it to be. I'm interested to see where this issue goes. I wonder what UNH's response the this article is...

Tuesday, Oct 11 In-class exercise

The following is my article for the in-class writing exercise we did today. My outline looked like this:
- Main point: A young man saved an elderly man's life this morning
- Next point: What happened first? (Laboke's role)
- Next point: What happened next? (Paradiso and the role of the police)
- Next point: Status of the victim
- Final point: Afterthoughts on the incident (Laboke's thoughts, comments on his character from his boss)

And here is the article I came up with...

Old Orchard Beach - James Laboke, a resident of Old Orchard Beach, Maine for three years, wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning and walks four miles to his job at the Eezy Breezy Restaurant on East Grand Street waiting on tables.

This morning, however, Laboke came across a car that was stalled on nearby train tracks with a driver who appeared to be unconscious. He ran 100 yards to the police station on Pier Street where he reported what he saw to officials at 6 a.m. The police report said Laboke “pounded on the window but the driver remained unconscious”.

Janet Paradiso, a captain on the police force, was a mile away from the railroad crossing when she received the call on her cruiser’s radio about the stranded vehicle on the train tracks. She arrived at the scene at 6:05 a.m., five minutes before the scheduled 6:10 a.m. Amtrak Downeaster train was due to pass through Old Orchard Beach.

Upon arrival, Paradiso heard the approaching train’s whistle and later explained that she “knew there was no time”. She knew she needed to do something.

Chief of Police Brian Paul explained that Paradiso then rammed her police cruiser into the stationary vehicle, pushing it from the tracks.

Thirty seconds later, the scheduled train passed through the railroad crossing at 40 miles per hour.

“It was that close,” Paul said.

The driver of the vehicle was 80-year-old Francois Truffault, from Quebec City, Canada, who said he has been coming to Old Orchard Beach since he was a child.

He was brought to Southern Maine Medical Center after the incident where he said that he did not remember a thing. He also added that he was a diabetic, which could have caused him to go into insulin shock just as he reached the railroad crossing in his vehicle.

Truffault was listed in stable condition.

Laboke, a 17-year-old refugee from Afghanistan, told police he never thought about his actions. He continued, “I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”

Laboke’s boss and owner of the Eezy Breezy Restaurant, Charles Champaigne, commented on his employee’s actions, saying “That young man is one of my most responsible employees.”

Monday, Oct 10

I keep finding myself reading articles about the media, whether it be how the media is affecting the protests and rebellions all over the world or how the media affects education and children, etc. Today I chose to focus on an article from the Business Day section (a section I rarely pay attention to as I mentioned in an earlier blog simply because I never really find articles that I find interesting in it, but lately I have). The article "A Protest's Ink-Stained Fingers" was about the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in Zuccotti Park where demonstrators have created a newspaper and have been handing it out to city-goers on Wall Street. The Occupied Wall Street Journal is a four page document of the demonstration which began almost a month ago. The part of this article I really liked was a few paragraphs in where the writer discussed how uncommon print newspapers are becoming but how this particular publication has been "eagerly received" in the city. The following paragraph is what I really liked about the article. It reads: "Forgive an old newspaper hack a moment of sentimentality, but it is somehow reassuring that a newspaper still has traction in an environment preoccupied by social media. It makes sense when you think about it: newspapers convey a sense of place, of actually being there, that digital media can’t. When is the last time somebody handed you a Web site?" How true is that? I thought the writer did a great job of creating a little bit of sarcasm here about handing someone a web site, but maybe I only found that comment amusing because I, too, suffer with technology and its advances. All in all, it's obvious how present the media is on our lives and this story was just another example of it but in a new, refreshing way because it showed how this small publication is doing well in a time when everything seems to be going paperless.

Wednesday, Oct. 5

I wanted to write about the Amanda Knox case today because there was another article in the NYT about the trial, her image, and what not. This article, titled "A Court Fight and a Tireless Battle Over an Image" had a lot of similar elements to it as the one I read yesterday in the paper but what I thought was really interesting about this one was the focus on the media. In general, I think the media is a fascinating thing and the way it has developed over the span of my short 20-year life is unbelievable (but by no means am I saying it has only positives and no negatives). Whether Amanda Knox committed the crime she was acquitted of or not, her image to the people of Italy and more specifically Perugia, will always be tainted because the media coverage on the incident was insane. She was portrayed as a "she-devil" during the trial but her public relations company specializing in crisis management has helped portray her in a better light now. Moral of the story, I am amazed at the power the media can play and for Knox's sake, I hope the media in the U.S. is a little less critical of her now that she has been acquitted.

Tuesday, Oct 4

I was instantly drawn to the article about Amanda Knox and the verdict of her trial for many reasons (besides the fact that it has been in the news for awhile now). For instance, I found her case both interesting and confusing because she is pretty close in age to me, she was studying abroad when her life began spiraling out of control, and much more. The fact that something as scary, confusing, complicated, etc. as this trial and all the events that brought on the trial could happen to someone just like me was hard for me to wrap my mind around. I really can't say whether I believe she is innocent or guilty and I think the writer of this article deserves some credit for that. Povoledo did a very good job of staying unbiased and presenting both sides of the trial and overall story, leaving me with only my views and beliefs to decide whether or not I agree with the appellate court ruling or not. Povoledo makes a good point at the end of the article when she writes that the Italian justice system will most definitely be facing some scrutiny for holding two innocent people in prison (and especially Knox because she was away from home the entire time) for the entirety of the court and trial proceedings. All in all, I enjoyed this article because I felt like at the end of reading it, I was left with only my judgment to decide whether I agree or disagree with the ruling and I was not swayed either way throughout the entire article.

Monday, Oct 3

Today I had trouble finding articles that I was genuinely interested in and wanted to read in the newspaper today. The front page didn't really have anything I was interested in - an article on tax breaks, another on Mexican immigrants resuming lives in the U.S., and many more. I turned to the Business Day section, a section I NEVER read just because I never seem to understand the things discussed in it, or maybe I just thought I wouldn't understand the things discussed in the section. Nonetheless, I figured I'd try it out today and actually found an article called "Social Media News Site Gains Clout". One quote that I found especially interesting was the following: "Mr. Wiesel, who wondered aloud during the talk what might have happened if Moses - and also Hitler - had used social media tools to get their messages across, was trending worldwide on Twitter." I wrote on my blog last week about an article about the unrest and rebellion happening in countries all over the world and how technology has played a role in grouping people together in order to gain power. It's crazy to think about the power the Internet and social media tools have and could have if people used them in unintended uses or functions. Just food for thought!

Monday, Oct. 3 In-class exercise

After refusing to divulge the names of the perpertrators of the prank on Headmaster Trask, Charlie Simms, the headmaster recommended to the disciplinary committe that Simms be expelled.

Outraged at the apparent injustice, Lt. Col. Frank Slade, sitting beside Simms, exclaimed that Simms was "not a snitch" before continuing on to passionately defend his decision to not give up the names of the perpertrators.


Slade warned the prep school to be wary of the kind of leaders they are making at the establishment, explaining that they lack leaders with integrity and courage. Furthermore, he says that Simms is symbolic of the leaders they should be creating.

Wednesday, Sept 28

The first article I read today caught my attention because of the first paragraph where it introduced examples of a few countries that have citizens in them rebelling for one reason or another. Now I don't know if I just haven't paid good enough attention to the news over the course of my life or if this is all starting to happen within the past couple of years, but it seems like unhappy people are starting to rebel all over the world, for varying reasons. I think that the reporter who wrote this article did a fantastic job because every question that I had while reading the article was answered. Some of the things I found really interesting about this article, besides how it was written, were the facts and information in it. For example, one individual explained that she feels voting in her country is worthless and that is why she, along with many others, is trying to give more power to the people. It seems as if the protesters are frustrated with their governments for different reasons (corruption, lack of affordable housing, lack of jobs, etc) and that they all feel that their votes don't matter. I have gone through phases where I feel like even if I vote in an election, whether it be a town one, state one, or presidential one, it won't make a difference but now that I understand exactly how our government and elections work, I realize that in some ways our votes do matter. The last point I want to talk about from this article is the internet! I had never thought of this before but the reporter mentioned how because of the internet, people all over the world are able to connect with one another all day, any day. What this means is that this allows for people with common goals, grievances, interests, etc. can all band together via the internet and coordinate protests, rallies, and what not. It seems like the internet is helping the rebels and protesters in the cases I've been reading about.