100-word interview

Lindsay Lagreid – Kinesiology major Junior

- Chose because she has helped me think of ideas for stories in the past and always is very knowledgeable about current events.

Meningitis problem, because it has happened on the WSU campus and a lot of people don’t know the severity of it and should be informed.

The kid who went to the hospital with a .58 BAC, our campus culture warrants that people be educated about the effects of alcohol.

Preview of the spring sports teams, because it will increase attendance of events and people often are burnt out after football season and don’t get pumped up as much about spring sports.

Person that was cured of HIV in Russia through stem-cell research, Sexual health is important to our campus and it can open the doors to a lot of other treatments and medications.

Final Story

Kelsey Carey - 10998309


Are college students' dangerous study habits affecting final exams?

Pre-engineering calculus, gen-ed and chemistry exams, 10-25 hours of studying for each, with just three hours of sleep in the past three days.

Sound like a perfect recipe for a nervous breakdown? Not for freshman mechanical engineering major, Teagan Ryan.

“I spent almost the whole time at the library, a couple friends and I found a great spot and have come every day since dead week,” said Ryan. “Our record was 15 hours straight!”

Ryan’s study regime regularly consists of studying late at night because she enjoys the quiet. However the aid of coffee, caffeinated soft drinks and occasional Adderall usage has been incorporated for finals week.

Adderall is a stimulant containing amphetamine, used to improve attention span and lessen impulsivity, according to adhdnews.com. It is prescribed for Attention Deficit Disorders and occasionally Narcolepsy.

Sociology professor Michael Allen commented on how students usually look as they come into his class for exams.

“Students often look tired and I couldn't honestly tell you how many are on some kind of stimulant,” said Allen.

The cause of the zombie-like nature of their students on test day is not lost on professors, or the general public for that matter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while only 1 in 12 Americans are actually diagnosed with ADHD, the sales of Adderall have increased more than 30-fold since 2001 according to ABC news.

Although students who take these drugs for stimulatory purposes are at risk for several side effects, a severe lack of sleep is what many professors are noticing the most as hindering students.

“When students arrive for a final exam, they usually look stressed and tired. Many are disheveled and also smell bad,” said sociology professor and grad student Craig Macmillan. “It is rare that a student comes to a final exam calm, cool and collected.”

This look of extreme exhaustion is somewhat common amongst college-aged students. Sophomore business major Chris Weber also sacrificed sleep in order to prepare for two finals on Tuesday.

“I drank energy drinks, took occasional breaks, and listened to a lot of music,” said Weber. “When I actually took the exams, my focus was lacking and it was hard for me to recall information because of not sleeping.”

Macmillan believes this behavior is not only harmful to test scores, but also very unhealthy for students.

“Lack of sleep and poor nutrition only compound anxiety. I worry that students actually make things harder for themselves by not taking care of themselves during times of stress,” said Macmillan.

So are the all-nighters necessary? The answer to this question is split between the student and the professor.

“[These study habits] probably do work for some students and not for others.  Everyone handles the stress of finals week differently,” said Allen. “I would guess that the better students are more prepared throughout the semester and experience less stress (and need fewer stimulants) than other students.”

Ryan and Weber however believe it is not necessarily about being less prepared, but simply having far too much stress during both dead week and finals week.   

“I think that really not having any homework during dead week is a good idea, “said Ryan. “Maybe making dead week less busy so people can get a head start on their studying instead of cramming the night before would be helpful.”

Contact list:

Chris Weber – in person interview – 916-479-0256

Teagan Ryan – in person interview – 360-624-7552

Craig Macmillan – cwmacmil@wsu.edu - 509-335-4595

Michael Allen – allen@mail.wsu.edu

Sources:

James, Susan Donaldson. “Adderall abuse alters brain, claims a young life.” ABC news. 08 Nov. 2010. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/adderall-psychosis-suicide-college-students-abuse-study-drug/story?id=12066619

“Glossary” ADHD News. 2008. http://www.adhdnews.com/glossary.html

POST SECRET

I am absolutely TERRIFIED of any kind of scary, potentially scary, or not-scary-to-you-but-scary-to-me kind of movie. I will have nightmares guaranteed even if it is totally unrealistic.

I worry my brother will make all the mistakes I tried so hard to avoid.

ethical analysis

Ethics 4

Several reliable tipsters tell you that city building inspectors, police officers and other public employees are demanding thousands of dollars in bribes from restaurants and bars, and threatening to shut them down if they don't pay. A fellow editor says your publication should test these accusations by opening a phony bar staffed by journalists. Reporters, posing as bar employees, can prove or disprove the allegations by seeing if inspectors, police and others seek bribes.

Finances aside, would you agree to conduct this sting?

1. Define the dilemma. What is the concern?
The dilemma is that the city employed inspector, police officers, and other public employees are taking bribes from businesses in exchange for keeping them in business. Public officials are supposed to conduct themselves professionally and ethically and they arent in this case. A concern in the investigative journalism could be that by attacking such public officials, they could lose their credibility really easily if they are incorrect and their identity discovered.
2. Examine the alternatives. Are there other options to convey the message?
I think a safer way to convey this message would be to simply write this as an illeged crime and investigate it openly. If this was something that was legitimate, you could surely find enough sources without going undercover and trying to trick a bunch of city officials to bust them, which is a tricky approach.
3. Justify your decision. Explain why you decided what you decided.
I decided this because I think this is a touchy subject and if approached in a sneaky and undercover way could do more harm than good for a publication if something should go wrong. Also, even though you said not to consider money, this is an awfully large project to do to thoroughly investigate something brought in by "reliable tipsters." Regardless of their reliability I would want more evidence before getting so invested.

editing peers

Help a classmate. Fix the following sentences:

1. Beat Officer Chris Engle, who was the one to write Felt’s citation, agrees that the issue of minors drinking will remain an issue in Pullman and that beat officers are important in helping control underage drinking.

Beat officer Chris Engle, who wrote Felt's citation, agrees underage drinking will remain an issue in Pullman and beat officers are important in helping control it.

2. According to the data, WSU reported no homicides, 2 aggravated assaults, and several other incidence.

WSU reported no homicides, two aggravated assaults and several other incidents, according to the data.

3. “If it was not for financial aid,” Smith said, “than I would have had a much harder time getting my Bachelor’s degree; not to mention my Master’s.”

"If it was not for financial aid," Smith said, "Then I would have had a harder time getting my bachelor's degree, not to mention my master's."

4. Though the university is losing money, they are also receiving applications from more potential students, Jones said.

Though the university is losing money, it is still receiving applications, Jones said.

5. The Whitman County housing market experienced a 31 percent decrease in home sales in the past year. (Shorten by five words)

In the past year, Whitman County housing market sales decreased 31 percent.

6. As a 22 year old student at Seattle University Stephanie Marie did not know the different risk associated with having unprotected sex. (Correct and shorten by three words.)

Seattle University student, Stephanie Marie, 22, did not know the risks associated with unprotected sex.

7. The Washington State Liquor Control Board has had enough of the caffeinated malt-liquor beverage, Four Loko. It is now in the process of banning it from shelves on Nov. 18. (Combine into one sentence and cut any unnecessary words.)

The Washington State Liquor Control Board is in the process of banning Four Loko from shelves Nov. 18, saying they have had enough of the beverage.

8. Despite criticism for its lack of change so far, legislators uphold their belief that the ban on cell phones while driving will eventually lower the accident rates

Despite criticism for its lack of change, the ban on cell phones while driving will eventually lower accident rates, legislators believe.

9. Police said they do not know (who/whom) attended the party last month.

Police said they do not know who attended the party last month.

twitter exercise

Food stamps source: https://twitter.com/#!/SwallaDaBottle

3 more sources: https://twitter.com/#!/TonyGreen
https://twitter.com/#!/maribfly21
https://twitter.com/#!/nXgenR

Top 3 trending topics
World AIDS , #gogettested , Hanukkah


3 posters within 50 miles of Pullman: 
AlleleSeeds, wa_id_volunteer, Idaho_Laurie


link to twitpic: 
twit pic


Twitter feed: 




5 Sources: 
Social media source 1
Social media source 2
apple cup source
apple cup source 2
AIDs source


Story ideas:
Impact of social media to businesses: social media
Importance of getting tested: get tested
WSU vs. UW apple cup 

Public Record request

November 29, 2010
Joe Smith
Whitman Country Sheriff's Department


Dear Smitty,
Pursuant to the state open records law, Wash. Rev. Code Secs. 42.56.001 to 42.56.904, I write to request access to and a copy of records of arrests made for posession of ecstasy (MDMA) in Pullman, Washington from 2009-2010.. If your agency does not maintain these public records, please let me know who does and include the proper custodian’s name and address.
I agree to pay any reasonable copying and postage fees of not more than $1. If the cost would be greater than this amount, please notify me. Please provide a receipt indicating the charges for each document.
As provided by the open records law, I will expect your response within five (5) business days. See Wash. Rev. Code Sec. 42.56.520.
If you choose to deny this request, please provide a written explanation for the denial including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely. Also, please provide all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.
Please be advised that I am prepared to pursue whatever legal remedy necessary to obtain access to the requested records. I would note that violation of the open records law can result in a fine — payable to me — of up to $100 for each day that I am denied access. Litigation costs, including reasonable attorney fees, may also be awarded. See Wash. Rev. Code Sec. 42.56.550(4).
 
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,


Kelsey E Carey
800 N.E. Campus street Pullman, Wa 99163

Best leads

7. Though Marisa Hagney attends a school with more women than men, when she steps into an architecture class she immediately becomes a stark minority in a sea of males.

17. Aspiring to be a physical therapist, 19-year-old Jesse Robinson had high hopes for earning a degree at Washington State University in Pullman.

The day before he was to move there, his mother was laid off.

College students using food stamps

As financial burdens loom over student’s heads, food stamps are a viable option.

The never-ending list of expenses for college students can be combated with food stamps provided by the Department of Social and Health Services said a working WSU student.

Nationally, about nine million students filed federal student aid forms in early 2008 which was over a 16 percent increase from this time the year before, according to sfgate.com

Candice Kalb, a junior movement studies major said she uses her allotted food stamps to save some money each month and pay her bills.

“I receive $183 a month in food stamps and use them to buy things I absolutely need when I need them, said Kalb. “Its nice to be able to get the necessary items and not have to worry about whether or not I can afford them.”

According to USA Today, in 2009, 86 percent of students and 81 percent of parents said financial aid would be very necessary to pay for college, up from 85 percent and 79 percent the previous year.  

This increase, undoubtedly a result of the economy struggles, can explain the increase in food stamp use, said Ray Sterling, general manager at Safeway in Pullman, Wash.

“I don’t know exact numbers but I know there has been an increase in the usage of food stamps at our store in the last few years,” said Sterling.

In order to receive food stamps as a student in Washington State, you must be working at least 20 hours a week making less than $1,200 a month according to Kalb. There are exceptions, but essentially you must be working and going to school full time.

In the past year, the price of groceries has risen almost 5 percent, the highest increase in nearly two decades according to USA Today. In fact, some have risen even 30 percent.

“I think a lot of college students don’t actually know that they can obtain food stamps if they are working,” said Kalb.

Jackie Helm, a junior fine arts student agreed that this service should be more widely publicized, and wishes she knew about it when she lived in an apartment last year and was eligible.  

“I wish I could’ve done something like that because it was really hard to get a hold of my parents for some extra money for food,” said Helm. “I also felt bad asking for it because they were paying for everything else.”

Removing the pressure of extra expenses like groceries for the week was something Helm regarded as a huge benefit of this program.

“It definitely wouldn’t have made money quite as tight, that was the one thing that I worried about each month,” said Helm. “I had to talk to my parents, and have them transfer money over and I would never know how much I needed.”

Food stamps for students are a great way for families to focus more money on larger expenses.

According to USA Today, when students and their parents were asked what their biggest concern about college was, 37 percent said that although they (or their child) would most likely get into their first choice of college, because of their financial situation, they aren’t sure if they could go.

“I do believe that more people are using food stamps because the economy is bad,” said Kalb. “My thoughts are, if the state is willing to pay for my food while I go to school, let them.”

Contacts:

Candice Kalb, 253-579-8644 

Jackie Helm, 509-879-4811 – in person

Ray Sterling – 509-334-0803

Tanya Schevitz. Student aid requests soar as economy plummets. SFGate. Aug. 11. 2008.

http://articles.sfgate.com/2008-08-11/news/17120771_1_student-financial-aid-administrators-aid-forms-uc-berkeley

Mary Beth Marklein. Economy influences college choices. USA Today. Mar. 29, 2009.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-03-25-college-survey_N.htm

Associated Press. More college students turn to food banks. USA Today. July. 26. 2008.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-07-25-food_N.htm

Otto Zehm lead

After investigation into the death of Otto Zehm of Spokane, Wash., resistance and supposed suspicion of danger led the to officer beating and tasing the man, despite his mental disability, according to a report by a Spokane detective.

who/whom

1. (Who/Whom) did you go to the game with?

 WHOM

2. She’s the student (who/whom) writes the best articles.

 WHO

3. (Who/Whom) did you vote for?

WHOM

4. (Who/Whom) failed the quiz?

 WHO

5. We know (who/whom) pulled that prank.

 WHO

6. We want to know on (who/whom) the prank was pulled.

WHOM

Extra Credit Seminar

I went to the first two presentations on Friday, where I learned about investigative journalism and video documentaries. The first presentation was Rita Hibbard from Investigate West, and she talked about many of the in-depth stories she has done and how she was able to develop them into really impactful stories. She also talked about how she collaborated with Spot.us as well. In the second presentation, Dan Fromshad, a former BBC employee, spoke about his start in documentary making and how he has had to kind of teach himself as he goes about the industry. He started off the presentation explaining his first documentary that was given a budget of $20,000 - which was supposed to cover filmmaking and living expenses through the entire project. He finished with showing us how the documentary/filmmaking industry has developed into a very unique form of journalism today.

I thought both presentations were really interesting. I was especially interested in how both speakers touched on new media, and how video journalism and web journalism has emerged in the last 5-10 years.

Are these libel?

1. “Megan Fox is a man!” Headline on Weekly World News Web site

yes - actually no, because weekly world news is not a credible website - it is known to be false information. no one believes it
2. “Up until the day he died, he was a brilliant writer. But the drugs made him a thief, a pimp and a liar,” said friend Karen Smith, who was with Johnson at the time of his death.

no - actually no - subject is dead so not libel

3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist,” the prosecutor told the jury.

yes - actually no - because of absolute privilege in court, if found out later statement was false, journalist wouldn't get in trouble because it was assumed to be true beacause of court.

4. "In my opinion, he's a murdering rapist," the man said at the rally.
no - actually maybe it depends on the context, who was the man, where he was etc.

Trend story

Revealing clothing is coming back into style, girls of all ages affected

Leggings, and skinny jeans, and yoga pants! Oh my!

No, this is not a marketing ploy; this is just a few of many items on the newly published list of banned clothing items at Kenmore Junior High School in Kenmore, Wash.

Ellie Tillotson, a freshman at the junior high, believed the administration had merit in its recent crack down on the rules.

“The dress code at Kenmore Junior High is very reasonable considering the way articles of clothing are worn,” said Tillotson. “In junior high and middle school, girls are always just looking for attention from boys.”

To achieve this attention, many young girls go to extreme lengths and even inappropriate lengths. Tillotson mentioned it is not simply the clothing but the revealing ways in which they are worn that is the problem.

“Some girls wear yoga pants and ‘jeggings’ [legging-like jeans] without shirts long enough to cover them, which makes them a distraction in class,” said Tillotson.

Ann, Ellie’s mother, also stands behind the school’s decision.

“As a mother of a 14-year-old who has worn yoga pants to school, I heard about all the ‘positive’ feedback and attention that she got from the boys when she wore them,” said Mrs. Tillotson. “I am happy she can’t wear them to school anymore.”

These new more revealing trends such as the yoga pant, the skinny jean and the ‘jegging’ are all a result of a cycle within the fashion world, said sophomore apparel, merchandising, design and textiles major, Kirsten Walter.

“In the early 2000s, really low jeans and belly shirts were popular, eventually they couldn’t make them any shorter or lower so the trend repeated with more conservative clothing,” said Walter. “But now we’re slowly heading back to the shorter and tighter trends.”

Although this cycle can be apparent in retrospect of the culture’s fashion past, it is not always noticed in real-time.

“The trends just become the new cool thing, kids adapt to them and follow them without even realizing they’re dressing more or less conservative,” said Walter.

She holds media responsible for having a large influence on the way teens dress. In the United States, kids and teens spend more time sitting in front of electronic screens such as, TVs, computers and video games, than they do on any other activity besides sleeping, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Sociology graduate student and instructor, Meredith Williams, believes the media gives mixed messages to young girls, telling them to simultaneously be the virgin and the slut.

“The media says young girls’ sexuality needs to be protected and women are sluts if they wear a certain kind of clothing,” said Williams. “Yet at the same time, oversexual clothing is not going away.”

Walter agrees saying, societal pressures also play a role in teen’s choice of dress, but it does not stop at that age. College-aged women are still wearing tight, short and off-the-shoulder outfits.

“Girls of this age think: my mom is not here anymore, so I get to wear anything I want,” said Walter.

The solution? Williams thinks that teaching girls at all ages to become smarter consumers is important. They should be aware that in the end, the advertising company’s goals are to make a profit.

Contacts

Ellie Tillotson: tillotsonfamily@comcast.net  425-488-9653

Ann Tillotson: “ “

Kirsten Walter (in-person interview): 206-940-8775

Meredith Williams (in-person interview): 509-335-4595  meredithta@gmail.com

David R Gifford. TV Has a Powerful Impact on Young People. Rhode Island Department of Health. 2010. http://www.health.ri.gov/family/ofyss/teens/tips/Tip5.php

Outline

I. Jr. high example of dress code crack down

            - Ellie and Mom’s perspective

II. Technical fashion side to explaining clothing

-       Cycle

-       Media influence

-       Kirsten – AMT major perspective

III. Societal pressure side

-       Conflicting pressures for girls

-       How it effects college girls as well

-       Solution? 

What stories aren't being covered

Obama's Stimulus package - not getting proper coverage. has it created more jobs/economic movement. Wall-street bailouts - have they paid back the money. It was presented, went into effect but do we know what is going on. There's information out there that probably represents what is going on but is there much in main stream media that everyone would understand.

the fact that schools have the power to search kids at school for drugs/alcohol based on anybody making a claim...the school holds way too much power...also the kids in the other group at daughter's homecoming were at a restaurant downtown and one of the kids posted on to his FB that people were pretty hammered and the school monitored the FB's and found out and tried to get the kids suspended...that i don't think is being reported.

      - Mark Anderson, CKA creative Graphic Design. 

 1st story: I think I could report on this story or use this as an example. If I was writing about the trend of Presidents making promises they can't necessarily keep, or they keep them but the progress is small or unnoticed I could definitely write about this topic. 

2nd story: I think i could report on this because I know that this is very prevalent in schools today - overprotection from administration is getting way out of control. This is an important trend that I don't think people are aware of. 

Census info

1. What’s the population of Washington state?

    a. What's the percent change since 2000? 13.1%

    b. Go back to the main page. Now look at 'Washington' under the 'Area Profile with QuickFacts.'

            1. In terms of percent increase, which has grown faster in the past decade -- Washington or the U.S.?

            2. What's the median household income in Washington as of 2008?

            3. What's the national median income?

            4. Let's look at ethnicity: Identify one way in which Washington's population differs from the U.S. population.

2. Now look at Whitman County.

    a. What's the population?

    b. What was the percent increase from 2000 to 2009? 4.8%

    c. In 2000, what percent of the population had a bachelor’s degree? What was the percent statewide? 44%, statewide: 27.7%

    d. Median household income?

    e. Persons below poverty in 2008?

3. Let's go deeper. Near the top of the page, click on 'Browse data sets for Whitman County.' You'll find a slew of entry points into the U.S. Census Bureau database. This is a great area if you're interested in finding a particular fact (how much federal $ came into the county last year), as well as if you're just browsing, looking for a little light reading.

Click on the 'Building Permits 2009.'

a. Find the annual total construction costs for building permits for Pullman from 2004 to 2009. Report it for each individual year.

b. Write a lede based on the trend you see in this information.

c. Let's explore other public data online. Type "google public data" into your search engine. Click on "explore the data," and then Unemployment in the U.S.

    1. Click on "By State," and then "Unemployment Rate." What's the current U.S. unemployment rate?

    2. List the month and year for the highest national unemployment rate in the last 60 years.

    3. Now limit the data for Washington state. What's the current state unemployment rate? Has the unemployment rate increased or decreased since January 2010?

    4. This is application is part of Google Labs. As such, it has some quirks. Click on the "+" sign next to Washington to open up more options, then click on Counties, and Whitman County. What's the most recent unemployment rate? What was the rate in August 2000?

    Note: If the data doesn't appear, click "clear selections" at the bottom of the page.

    5. Now find your home county, even if it's not in Washington state (provided it is in the U.S.!) What's the current unemployment rate in your home county?

d. Let's explore some of the data here on campus by checking in with the Washington Center for Real Estate Research (http://www.wcrer.wsu.edu/). Click on the 2010 Q2 housing report.

    1. What's the percent change in the number of building permits issued during the past year? What does that tell us about the housing situation in Whitman County?

    2. What was the median resale home price? How much did it change in the past year? How much did prices decline statewide?

    3. Write a lede based on one of these pieces of information.

4. Return to the Census homepage (http://www.census.gov/). The Census is spewing out data this year. Let's look at the most recent reports. Under "Newsroom," click on "Releases."

                             1. Click on the Oct. 22 tip sheet. Scroll down to the Recently Released data. Click on the American Community Survey.

                             2. Scroll down the page and click on the food stamp program. What's the percent increase in food stamp use from 2008 to 2009 in Washington state? Nationally?

                             3. Scan the page for two other recently released reports that might interest you. List one fact from each of the two reports you choose.

II. Federal grants and insurance

Who needs government? Well, Whitman County certainly received some federal help last year. But we want to know how much.

But fumbling through this site can be cumbersome. Plus, the Census Bureau isn't the only government site with information on Whitman County. If only there were an easier way to search all these sites at once (ah, but there is!)

Go to Google/unclesam is a powerful tool that let’s us search all “.gov” Web sites. Go to the search bar and type  “whitman county federal funds.”

a. Click on the first link. Is this website operated by the state or federal government?

                             1. Click or search for 'Consolidated Federal Funds Report.' At the top of the page, click on 'Online Query System.'

                             2.  Under ‘Available Data,’ choose 2009 and Geography (Federal data almost always lags a year behind). Click ‘Submit.’

     3. On the next page, choose ‘Washington’ and ‘Yes’ on County. We want ‘All Fund Types.’

                             4. On the next page, choose Whitman County.

                    a.  How much did Whitman County farmers receive in Crop Insurance? (Hint: Scroll to the bottom of the page?

                    b.  Tracking grants can also help us identify news stories. How much did Whitman County receive in grants (block, formula, project, etc.)?

                                c.  Name three of the grants.

             b. Return to the Whitman County page. (If you can't find it, return to Google/UncleSam and search for "Whitman County OFM.")

                1. Click on "Criminal Justice." Click on the Databook for 1990 to 2008.

                2. Click on the data for Whitman County.

                3. How many murders are recorded in Whitman County since 1990?

                4. How many rapes were recorded last year?

                5. Look at the number of Adult Arrests -- how many arrest for rape last year?

                6. Why is there a difference between the Crime Index and the Adult Arrests?

Show don't tell

One of the photos I chose was the second photo. It showed the entire town almost completely covered in water. It basically summed up the devastation to the main city as well as the residential area caused by all the flooding. You can see bridges coming in and out of the water, and freeways that simply just end into the water.

The second picture I chose was the shot of the thousands of people trying to get onto the bus going to Houston's Astrodome. You can see just a sea of people with exhausted and frustrated looks on their faces. Also you can see those carrying what remains from their personal possessions. It also looks like people are yelling at eachother and pushing forward.

"Thousands of people push forward in the unruly line waiting for a bus to Houston's astrodome. A desperate attempt to get out of town results in a chaotic eruption of tense frustration from the core of the crowd."

Edit your peers

Edit Your Peers

Our writing continues to improve. But let’s eliminate these stubborn errors.

1. According to opensecrets.org Sen. Patty Murray had raised nearly $11.8 million.

Senator Patty Murray raised $11,781,217, according to the website opensecrets.org.

2.  “I am for state taxes,” said Alexa Mays, Junior Broadcast Production major, “They pay for everything from firefighters to the legislature.”

"I am for state taxes," said Alexa Mays, junior broadcast production major, "They pay for everything from firefighters to the legislature"

3. Wes Smith, Principle at Pullman High School, said the state run liquor stores have a monopoly on sales.

The state-run liquor stores have a monopoly on sales, said Wes Smith, Pullman High School principal.

4. The President of the Washington Restaurant Association, Kevin Wilson, said, “I’m a big fan of the initiative, it is all about the little guy trying to get bigger.”

"I'm a big fan of the initiative," Kevin Wilson, the President of the Washington Restaurant Association said," it is all about the little guy trying to get bigger."

5. 70 percent of the revenue would fund public education beginning November 14, 2011.

Beginning Nov. 14, 2011, 70 percent of the revenue would fund public education.

6. Last month, United States army officials asked congress to clarify it’s policy on gays in the military.

U.S. Army officials asked congress to clarify its policy on gays in the military last month.

7. Washington State marks up hard alcohol 51.9%.

Washington state marks up hard alcohol by almost 52 percent.

8. Many WSU students travel sixteen miles roundtrip to Moscow, Id., to purchase cheaper alcohol.

Many WSU students travel 16 miles roundtrip to Moscow, Idaho, to purchase cheaper alcohol.

9. Jennifer Sessions, a Senior Spanish major, posted flyers in support of I-1098.

Jennifer Sessions, senior Spanish major, posted fliers in support of I-1098.

10. Bobson said “I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman, I know my parents would have loved it”

"I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman, Bobson said. "I know my parents would have loved it."

Two possible trends to write about

1. 58% of Washington's homeless children are white, 28% are hispanic, and 10% are black.
- I think this is an interesting trend to write about because I don't think it is necessarily known or assumed. I think it is something that we don't necessarily consider. Also this is not exactly how homelessness is portrayed in the media. Usually minorities are depicted as homeless or heading that way on the media.

2. A full time worker earning minimum wage ($8.07 per hour) in washington would need to work close to 80 hours per week for 52 weeks a year in order to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent.
- I think that this is an interesting trend to write about because usually this is not something we think about when thinking about homelessness. We most often perceive homeless people as people who don't try to get work or can't because of lack of education or disability. We don't usually consider how expensive it actually to live in even the least luxurious of places. This is a devastating trend that should be reported on, exposing extremely high living expenses.

Article questions on The New Gold Mine...

1. The author of The New Gold Mine: Your Personal Information and Tracking Data Online enriched the story by recording how her subject was so initially surprised when told of the information attached to her "code". That gives the reader a sense of how it can effect everyone. How if you were told how much information you gave up online you would probably react similarly, which makes the story easier to relate to.
2. The author says that online tracking is not new. That it has been around for decades, it has just recently gotten more intricate. When the author quotes David Moore he brings up a interesting point concerning the advertising world and how this form of data tracking advertising is gaining popularity and success. "When an ad is targeted properly, it ceases to be an ad, it becomes important information," he says. This suggests that advertisers goal is for their ad to become "important information" to the perfect audience. So this form of advertising is certainly becoming a trend for advertisers to stay in business. 

Initiatives 1100 and 1105 story

Many people are still unsure about the alcohol initiatives.

A wide spectrum of opinions suggests that the state is still generally undecided about Initiatives 1100 and 1105.

While these two initiatives seem similar, much of the voter confusion can be attributed to their differences.

I-1100 would mean the closing of state liquor stores, and less power given to the Liquor Control Board to tax and regulate licensing, according to the 2010 General Election Voter’s Guide. Also under this initiative, any “general liquor retailer’s license” would allow the sale of wine, beer and hard alcohol, eliminating the middleman distributor.

I-1105 would change the Liquor Control Board’s powers as well, but keeping the middleman distributor. They would issue a “spirits distributor license” allowing a sale to anyone holding that license, according to the voter’s guide.

Naturally the main appealing factor of I-1100 to Washington State students in the small town of Pullman is the drop in cost for consumers, because of the removal of the high tax.

“I think that it should be passed because it would lower the taxes on alcohol making it much cheaper,” said Lauren Reed, Junior Biology Major.

The state marks up hard liquor by 51 percent in addition to imposing the highest liquor taxes in the nation, according to Craig Groshart from the Bellevue Reporter.

“WSU students would care because we’re all going to school paying a lot of money so having alcohol available to people over 21 would be cheaper and more accessible,” said Reed, although admitted she was not sure if this would be totally positive.

Even within the wine industry, potentially greatly affected by these initiatives, there are differences in opinion.

“There are two kinds of producer; medium-to-large, and small-to-medium,” said Roger Gamache, of Gamache Vintners. “Small wineries feel they may get gobbled up, but it may be good for the big guys, depending on if you are open to the competition.”

Competition would result from the initiative removing state restrictions that prevented discounted prices, negotiated payment schedules and so forth according to Mike Veseth from the Wine Economist.

“We ‘self distribute’ in Washington state and being forced to go through a wholesaler would be very detrimental too us,” said Cathy Betz of Betz Family Winery. “We would lose control on where our wines are sold.  We also appreciate the safeguards that 1100 would remove.”

More than anything, it’s the overall confusion of the initiatives that is the problem says Gamache.

“I’m not a big initiative fan, it is all about the big guy trying to get bigger, generally this means the amount of producers will get smaller, said Gamache. ““I think these initiatives are poorly written, they are confusing and they cross over each other.”

Although relatively new to the wine industry, Washington State it is now the second largest wine producer in the nation, according to the Washington Wine commission. It is amongst a minority of states with state controlled liquor sales.

Sources:

Lauren Reed (in-person interview): 509-860-7362

Roger Gamache: 509-539-0295 roger@gamachevintners.com

Cathy Betz: 425-861-9823 Cathy@betzfamilywinery.com

“Washington Wine.” Washington Wine Commission. http://www.washingtonwine.org/washington-wine/

“I-1100 and I-1105.” 2010 General Election Voters’ guide.

http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/PreviousElections/2010/general/Pages/OVG_20101102.aspx

Craig Groshart.“Liquor initiatives: 'Yes' on I-1100, 'No' on I-1105” Bellevue Reporter. 4.Oct. 2010. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/opinion/104984984.html

Mike Veseth. “Economic effects of alcohol initiatives.” The Wine Economist. 12 Oct. 2010. http://wineeconomist.com/2010/10/

Outline

I. Explanation of both initiatives

      - Differences between I-1100 and I-1105

      - Student perspective

II. Different impact on small and large wineries

      - Costco’s influence

      - Small wineries perspective

III. Confusion of initiatives

      - Winery’s frustration with initiative

      - Biggest problem

Math quiz

1. Last year, your business spent $83,000 for computer upgrades. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year?
$78,850

2. The AP Style quiz was taken by 177 students. Twenty-three failed. What percent passed?
87.1%

3. A college’s budget increases from $100 million to $120 million. What's the percent increase?
20%
(New Value - Original Value)/Original Value
4. a. Times are tough on College Hill. Your pizza budget has been cut from $200 to $150. What was the percent decrease?
25%

    b. Bonus! You win $50 in a local pageant. Your pizza budget just jumped from $150 to $200. What was the percent increase?
33.3%

5. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
10.6%
6. Research funding at WSU increased 40 percent this year to $218 million. What was the funding last year?
$155,000,000
7. Joe Smith wants to build a 2,500-square-foot house for him. The builder tells him it will cost $112 a square foot to build. How much will the house cost?
$280,000

8. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax was 5 percent. But now it's jumped to 6 percent.

     a. What’s the percent increase?
20%
     b. What’s the percentage increase?
1%

9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. So, Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502. Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000. How do we compare those two numbers? Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? (Again, not real figures.)
Pullman: 0.0073 x 1000 = 7.3
Spokane: 0.0025 x 1000 = 2.51

10. Five houses sold in your neighborhood for the following prices: $225,000;  $207,000; $3.2 million; $129,000; $192,000.

     a. What’s the mean price?
$6,550,600
     b. What’s the median?
$207,000

To publish or not to publish

I wouldn't publish this story because there isn't adequate proof that the accusation is warranted. The reporter has a unanimous source which could be reliable or not. But I would press the reporter to look further into the issue and look for a source that maybe would be willing to give their name. That way if this accusation is true, it would look more legitimate in print, and defend the publication and the reporter from law suits. A story this huge, one that could ruin the reputation of the senator very easily, should not be printed if there is even a chance that it is false.

oxford comma

 

Correct the following sentences. If the sentence is already correct, write “correct.”

1. He looked through the door, but he did not see anyone inside the church.

2. "We could wait to see if anyone else comes, or we could go back home," she said.

3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.

4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but its officers were unable to attend the event.

5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on Feb. 15.

6. He saw Karen and they had coffee.

7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, Wash., which ships them to Moscow, Idaho.

8. It was raining so we stayed home.

9. Later he phoned again.

correct

10. This will end up effecting consumers, she said.

11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos and Wulff.

Appositions, hyperbatons and non-restrictive relative clauses: We don't need to remember the names of these grammar tools. But let's look at how they can help us form shorter descriptive phrases. In other words, squish these two sentences into one.

1. Sam Reed spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Reed is a graduate of Washington State University.
Sam Reed, Washington State University graduate, spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

2. The concert will be held on Friday night. The concert is part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend.
The concert, part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend, will be held Friday night.

3. President Elson S. Floyd promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia. Floyd is frustrated by cuts to higher education.
President Elson S. Floyd, frustrated by cuts to higher education, promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia.

Initiative questions

1.$44,952,015.27
2.$15,306,285.58
3. STOP THE FOOD & BEVERAGE TAX HIKES
4.CIT TO PROTECT OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE
5.
6. $14,448,077.83
7.
8.AMERICAN BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION
9. National
10. From 5/27/10-8/26/10
11. 8
12. 11.2 million
13. Jack B Korsten, Daniel A Kraft, Janet M Valley, Mark A Baldwin, Frank W Byles
14. 0.00127 %
15.  In-Kind contributions are non-cash contributions, so donating services that save the committee money. (e.g. offering free advertising promoting a cause, wedding present is photography of the wedding, volunteering time to help at promotional functions)
16. 11.2 million?
17.

Questions

1. How did you initially get into journalism?

2. Why did you choose politics as your specialty?

3. How do you separate your personal opinion from your reporting?

Income tax

I think that people who earn more should be taxed more. If it is the other way around, we are furthering the income gap between the wealthy and the poor.