The most useful part of this semester in JOUR 3101 has been learning AP style. When I entered the class I was completely unaware that print news reporting had its own 'style' that it followed. I still have much to learn and know with AP style, but it is something that I know I cannot completely memorize. I can only know what I should recognize when writing or proofreading articles.
The least useful part of the class I would say is the powerpoints and lectures. I don't feel like I have completely benefited from the lectures that the class has on Tuesdays. I only found myself referencing the slideshows themselves and my notes a few times throughout the entire semester. It was a lot more useful to have hands on information, like the labs every Thursday, that helped me learn and recognize things that need to be changed while writing articles.
I do find myself reading news differently. I have noticed AP errors in magazines and newspapers that I would no have recognized before. I can also tell while watching broadcast if something on the prompt was written incorrectly or it was a public service announcement.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
89 year old woman shoots at house intruder
An 89-year-old woman from Iowa shot a single shot at a man who bashed in her front door on Tuesday, reports the Star Tribune. The woman, Beatrice Turner, grabbed her handgun and threatened the man who was knocking on her front door. She told him, 37-year-old Nelson McAlpine, that he had the wrong house and to leave, but he then started breaking through the door.
Turner shot at McAlpine after he entered her home.
Police found McAlpine in Turner's front yard. He was unharmed and was arrested on the charges of second-degree burglary.
Turner shot at McAlpine after he entered her home.
Police found McAlpine in Turner's front yard. He was unharmed and was arrested on the charges of second-degree burglary.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Air travel resumes in Europe even as volvano is still erupting in Iceland
A limited amount of air planes were allowed to take flight on Monday in Europe after many have been stranded since last week due to a volcano in Iceland, reports the Star Tribune. London is unlikely to allow air travel even on Tuesday because of the volcanic ash still emerging from the volcano. More airlines are expected to allow travel on Tuesday morning including those in Germany and Scotland.
There is currently a new ash cloud moving towards London's skies. Due to the many cancellations of flights, the London aviation industry is losing nearly $1 billion.
While some scientists say that is safe for air planes to travel through the ash cloud, some said that it is not worth the risk of the travelers. There have many test flights through the ash cloud over the past few days to determine the safety of air planes.
There is currently a new ash cloud moving towards London's skies. Due to the many cancellations of flights, the London aviation industry is losing nearly $1 billion.
While some scientists say that is safe for air planes to travel through the ash cloud, some said that it is not worth the risk of the travelers. There have many test flights through the ash cloud over the past few days to determine the safety of air planes.
One dead after crash near Highway 65 on Sunday
A car crashed into a tree and caught fire on Highway 65 near Isanti, Minn. around noon on Sunday April 18 killing one person, according to the Star Tribune.
The car was traveling at a high speed southbound along the highway passing multiple cars before driving into a ditch and finally landing in a tree and exploding. The was a 1997 Toyota Avalon, which is not included in Toyota's multiple car recalls.
A state patrol spokesman said that it may take longer than usual to identify the driver of the car because of the extensive fire damage. The spokesman also said that investigators are trying to determine why the driver was traveling so quickly, which led to the car accident.
The car was traveling at a high speed southbound along the highway passing multiple cars before driving into a ditch and finally landing in a tree and exploding. The was a 1997 Toyota Avalon, which is not included in Toyota's multiple car recalls.
A state patrol spokesman said that it may take longer than usual to identify the driver of the car because of the extensive fire damage. The spokesman also said that investigators are trying to determine why the driver was traveling so quickly, which led to the car accident.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Analysis on diversity
The article I am going to analyze for the week is about a school in Mississippi which is has now been mandated to integrate races at there school.
The article shows the stereotypes of whites in the South because the school district allows segregation by allowing many white students to transfer out of the school district they live to a school that is now identified as predominantly white. This is a stereotype of whites in the South because during the Civil Rights movement 40 years ago, much of the demonstrations took place in the South because that is where much racism existed at the time.
The article describes the segregation of the public schools by saying there were "'clustered'" students with "'disproportionate numbers of white students into designated classrooms' at elementary schools". The article also says that the school that allows white students to transfer out if they choose is "'...predominately black.'"
I did not know that school's still allowed there to be "segregation" during the 21st Century. I'm also surprised to read that this was an issue that had been going on for a while, since this has been an issue since 1970, that had been dismissed since there was little activity in the ongoing case. I believe this is something, that since it is illegal to have segregation, that should have been looked at in greater detail after it was brought to the courts attention. It should not have occurred this long.
The article shows the stereotypes of whites in the South because the school district allows segregation by allowing many white students to transfer out of the school district they live to a school that is now identified as predominantly white. This is a stereotype of whites in the South because during the Civil Rights movement 40 years ago, much of the demonstrations took place in the South because that is where much racism existed at the time.
The article describes the segregation of the public schools by saying there were "'clustered'" students with "'disproportionate numbers of white students into designated classrooms' at elementary schools". The article also says that the school that allows white students to transfer out if they choose is "'...predominately black.'"
I did not know that school's still allowed there to be "segregation" during the 21st Century. I'm also surprised to read that this was an issue that had been going on for a while, since this has been an issue since 1970, that had been dismissed since there was little activity in the ongoing case. I believe this is something, that since it is illegal to have segregation, that should have been looked at in greater detail after it was brought to the courts attention. It should not have occurred this long.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Man loses life while helping a boy in yard fire
A 21-year-old man went into cardiac arrest and died Sunday night after rushing to help a 12-year-old boy in a backyard explosion in Moorhead, reports the Star Tribune. The boy, Devan Vanbrunt, was pouring gasoline on charcoal to light a fire when the gas vapors ignited, according to the Moorhead fire marshal. 21-year-old Dane Tvedt and his father heard the explosion from his home and ran to help when Tvedt collapsed.
Vanbrunt was flown to Regions Hospital, and is reported to be in critical condition as on Monday night.
Vanbrunt was flown to Regions Hospital, and is reported to be in critical condition as on Monday night.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Mass. teenager charged after fatally stabbing fellow student
A teenager from Boston High School was charged Monday for fatally stabbing a fellow classmate, according to the Star Tribune. The suspect's defense attorney argued that the teen was mentally ill. John Odgren killed 15-year-old James Alenson in January 2007.
Odgren took a carving knife to school the day of the alleged murder after watching killing videos that morning. He then waited in a boys' bathroom and when no one came in, he moved to a second bathroom where Alenson walked in as well.
Immediately following, a student said they heard Odgren say "I didn't mean to kill him. It was a mistake." And later asked police how much time would be served for manslaughter.
Bipolar disorder does run in Odgren's family.
Odgren took a carving knife to school the day of the alleged murder after watching killing videos that morning. He then waited in a boys' bathroom and when no one came in, he moved to a second bathroom where Alenson walked in as well.
Immediately following, a student said they heard Odgren say "I didn't mean to kill him. It was a mistake." And later asked police how much time would be served for manslaughter.
Bipolar disorder does run in Odgren's family.
Plane crash that killed Poland's president may have been due to human error
Russian investigators have come to the early conclusion that the plane crash on Saturday April 3 that killed the Polish president, his wife, and 95 others was due to human error and not technical problems on the plane, reports the Star Tribune. The plane crashed during landing in the fog in Russia. There were no survivors including President Lech Kaczynski of Poland.
The president was traveling to honor Polish officers executed 70 years ago by Josef Stalin's secret police.
The pilot of the aircraft had been warned by air traffic controllers to land at a different airport because of the weather, but did not because it would have put the honoring ceremony behind schedule. The plane had made four attempts to land before the fifth and fatal attempt, which resulted in the crash. The pilots were also told of the bad weather conditions while still in the air away from the original landing site.
Russia and Ukraine declared a day of mourning on Monday.
The president was traveling to honor Polish officers executed 70 years ago by Josef Stalin's secret police.
The pilot of the aircraft had been warned by air traffic controllers to land at a different airport because of the weather, but did not because it would have put the honoring ceremony behind schedule. The plane had made four attempts to land before the fifth and fatal attempt, which resulted in the crash. The pilots were also told of the bad weather conditions while still in the air away from the original landing site.
Russia and Ukraine declared a day of mourning on Monday.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Analysis on number use
The article that I chose to analyze for this week is an article found in the Minnesota Daily on the decreasing number of the sexually transmitted disease in Minnesota for the year 2009.
The reporters uses uses many different numbers to express years, the amount of sexually transmitted disease in the state of Minnesota, also the number of HIV cases that were reported in Minnesota, and also percentages. Also, the title of the article has numbers in it, a 5, to express that STD rates have gone down in percentage. The reporters then goes on to use exact numbers for the number of STD's reported in 2008 and in 2009. I believe can be somewhat overwhelming because the both numbers are in the 10,000 range. Therefore people overlook the exact numbers and continue to read the article without grasping the actual numbers, I did this myself during my first morning class. I think it would more reader friendly if the sentence read "...just over 14,000 cases, up slightly from 2008," instead of "...with 14,186 cases, up slightly from 2008."
The reporters did use math to crunch some of the data down, such as using percentages like 70 percent to explain how much chlamydia cases reported had gone down. I also believe that this helps the reader grasp the data better, especially when they are reading the first few paragraphs of the article, which appeared on the front page of the Minnesota Daily.
The source for the data used in the article comes from the Minnesota Department of Health. There is also quotes and other information from Peter Carr, the manager of the STD and HIV section MDH. There is also information from the Boynton College Student Health Survey, which is a health organization made available to students at the University of Minnesota.
The reporters uses uses many different numbers to express years, the amount of sexually transmitted disease in the state of Minnesota, also the number of HIV cases that were reported in Minnesota, and also percentages. Also, the title of the article has numbers in it, a 5, to express that STD rates have gone down in percentage. The reporters then goes on to use exact numbers for the number of STD's reported in 2008 and in 2009. I believe can be somewhat overwhelming because the both numbers are in the 10,000 range. Therefore people overlook the exact numbers and continue to read the article without grasping the actual numbers, I did this myself during my first morning class. I think it would more reader friendly if the sentence read "...just over 14,000 cases, up slightly from 2008," instead of "...with 14,186 cases, up slightly from 2008."
The reporters did use math to crunch some of the data down, such as using percentages like 70 percent to explain how much chlamydia cases reported had gone down. I also believe that this helps the reader grasp the data better, especially when they are reading the first few paragraphs of the article, which appeared on the front page of the Minnesota Daily.
The source for the data used in the article comes from the Minnesota Department of Health. There is also quotes and other information from Peter Carr, the manager of the STD and HIV section MDH. There is also information from the Boynton College Student Health Survey, which is a health organization made available to students at the University of Minnesota.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
British couple to be jailed after kissing in Dubai
A British couple will spend a month in jail before their deportation from Dubai for kissing in public, according to Fox 9 News. The couple was spotted kissing and touching one another which breaks indecency laws in the country. The couple was also found guilty of consuming alcohol in public which is against the law.
Both the 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman work in Dubai. The couple originally pleaded not guilty and said the kiss was nothing more than a "peck".
The couple was reported to authorities by a mother after her child became upset after the incident.
The couple is talking to their lawyer about a possible appeal with the Dubai court system.
Both the 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman work in Dubai. The couple originally pleaded not guilty and said the kiss was nothing more than a "peck".
The couple was reported to authorities by a mother after her child became upset after the incident.
The couple is talking to their lawyer about a possible appeal with the Dubai court system.
A mine explosion killed at least 25 miners Monday in West Virginia, reports Yahoo News. The search still continued on Tuesday for four missing miners.
Crews are creating an access road in order to drill access holes into the ground to access the trapped miners. The crews were battling poisonous gas from the mine. It may not be until Wednesday night until the first access hole is drilled.
Witnesses said that they knew something was wrong when the carbon monoxide alarms started to go off. After checking the alarms, the workers discovered the explosion.
There were 31 miners in the area when the explosion occurred. Some of the 25 who died may have died from the breathing in the toxic carbon monoxide gas.
Crews are creating an access road in order to drill access holes into the ground to access the trapped miners. The crews were battling poisonous gas from the mine. It may not be until Wednesday night until the first access hole is drilled.
Witnesses said that they knew something was wrong when the carbon monoxide alarms started to go off. After checking the alarms, the workers discovered the explosion.
There were 31 miners in the area when the explosion occurred. Some of the 25 who died may have died from the breathing in the toxic carbon monoxide gas.
University of Minnesota student stabbed in attempted robbery
A University of Minnesota student was stabbed Monday night in the Marcy Holmes area during an attempted robbery, according to the Star Tribune. The student who was stabbed was trying to fend off the suspect.
The stabbing took place at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Sixth Street SE at around 9:40p.m. according to the police.
The victim was jogging through the neighborhood when he came upon the suspect. The suspect demanded that he empty his pocket before reaching towards the student. The student was then stabbed in the lower torso. He ran off, stopped a motorcyclist, then taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. He is currently in stable condition.
The U of M text alert system was activated after the administration became aware of the incident. The texts were sent out just after midnight.
The stabbing took place at the intersection of 11th Avenue and Sixth Street SE at around 9:40p.m. according to the police.
The victim was jogging through the neighborhood when he came upon the suspect. The suspect demanded that he empty his pocket before reaching towards the student. The student was then stabbed in the lower torso. He ran off, stopped a motorcyclist, then taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. He is currently in stable condition.
The U of M text alert system was activated after the administration became aware of the incident. The texts were sent out just after midnight.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Analysis on records/CAR
The article that I chose to analyze for this is about information that has been held from the North Carolina public for 35 years.
The article covers information that has not been disclosed the public about the salaries that government employees receive whether they are promoted or demoted to different positions. The writer goes on to explain that when a woman lost her job that was lower than her previous job she received no pay cut which did not help the economy as a whole. The North Carolina state government does now allow access to the salaries of any employees for up to five years. This has been interpreted as the government is trying to hide information, such as spending, from the public.
The writer also talks about how people have been trying to sway the current law into making the salaries and employment history made public without question, but this is something that according to the article has already been attempted at in 2001 which was denied. The writer then goes on to say that the information could be seen as to too shocking to the public, giving the impression that employees are getting paid far above what they should be during budget cuts to the state.
Computer skills that could have been used to develop the data for the article could be the information about how local news coverage has been able to track down how much government workers have made. There is also the amount of money that is included in the article of how much some employees make. That data had to be found during some sort of computer search online of records that had been made public and most likely was put on to the internet.
The article covers information that has not been disclosed the public about the salaries that government employees receive whether they are promoted or demoted to different positions. The writer goes on to explain that when a woman lost her job that was lower than her previous job she received no pay cut which did not help the economy as a whole. The North Carolina state government does now allow access to the salaries of any employees for up to five years. This has been interpreted as the government is trying to hide information, such as spending, from the public.
The writer also talks about how people have been trying to sway the current law into making the salaries and employment history made public without question, but this is something that according to the article has already been attempted at in 2001 which was denied. The writer then goes on to say that the information could be seen as to too shocking to the public, giving the impression that employees are getting paid far above what they should be during budget cuts to the state.
Computer skills that could have been used to develop the data for the article could be the information about how local news coverage has been able to track down how much government workers have made. There is also the amount of money that is included in the article of how much some employees make. That data had to be found during some sort of computer search online of records that had been made public and most likely was put on to the internet.
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