Thursday, December 16, 2010

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

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

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.

Monday, December 6, 2010

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.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

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: 
AlleleSeedswa_id_volunteerIdaho_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