Monday, June 8, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Editorial Piece
Ever since the 9/11 attacks and our involvement in the Middle East, our country has seen major economic storms with incredibly high gas prices and a whirlwind of people getting fired from their jobs. While we have always heard about these events in terms of large statistics, such as 7.2% of 307,212,123 Americans are unemployed as of 2008, it is important to look around us and relate these statistics to our own community. Of course everyone has been able to feel the ever growing hole in their pockets spew out their hard worked money on raised prices for energy, gasoline and even milk, but what about those in our community that are not so fortunate to even be able to afford the higher prices? Work is hard to come by, and even harder to maintain in the dog eat dog world of capitalist corporations. Just on my street there are three hard working, responsible adults that have lost their jobs not of incompetence but because their line of work is tanking. It's easy to blame people and events for the cause of this economic rollercoaster we've been riding, like the war in the middle east or the credit card companies, but what is important now at this point in time is to reach out within our communities and give eachother a helping hand. Chances are that there is someone within your own local community or neighborhood that can barely afford to get by with basic neccessities we take for granted every day. While helping these people in need out may take away even further from the material wants that you may think you need, the personal gratification of helping someone out in a desperate time outweighs personal desire. While I'm reminded from time to time that our countries economic problems are effecting my own home life, my parents have also made certain to let me know that things could be way worse and have actually taken to helping out one of the three unemployed neighbors. Think about if you were to be in a position where you couldn't pay for milk, transportation or even to heat your house, would'nt you want somebody to help you?
Editorial Questions
1. What is a problem/issue that our entire student body (our school, community, country, etc.) faces today?
It's incredibly hard to find work for people of any age. I'm dealing with this, my neighbor is dealing with this and tons of people around our country.
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
I think that our economic down turn has caused lots of stress for everyone in our country. We are all effected in some way, and lots are having trouble finding work.
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
My desired result would be to get people to be a little more compassionate in a time of high tension.
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
(1.) State some statistical facts from credible website on unemployment rate.
(2.) Personal story of family friend getting layed off out of the blue.
(3.) My own job hunt as an 18 year old going off to college.
(4.) Recent news worthy events about this issue.
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
Colloquial language and personal stories.
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
Give a new perspective on an important topic.
It's incredibly hard to find work for people of any age. I'm dealing with this, my neighbor is dealing with this and tons of people around our country.
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
I think that our economic down turn has caused lots of stress for everyone in our country. We are all effected in some way, and lots are having trouble finding work.
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
My desired result would be to get people to be a little more compassionate in a time of high tension.
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
(1.) State some statistical facts from credible website on unemployment rate.
(2.) Personal story of family friend getting layed off out of the blue.
(3.) My own job hunt as an 18 year old going off to college.
(4.) Recent news worthy events about this issue.
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
Colloquial language and personal stories.
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
Give a new perspective on an important topic.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Peer Edits Featured Article
Jessica Karam and Jason Higgins. Posted comments right on their stories.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Feature Article
Every year there are several dances at Eastview, prom and homecoming being the most popular, and every year countless boys think and strain themselves to come up with original ideas to ask their girls of interest. But has asking the girl always been as big of a production as today’s teens make it? Or was there ever a point in time in which asking out a girl to a dance wasn’t as in depth? I myself, being a guy, have often wondered at what point in time asking a girl to a dance got to be so ridiculous. But if I’ve learned one thing from high school events, it’s how to ask a girl to one of these dances, and for any prospective underclassmen out there, this article will help a lot.
It all starts out how any good plan does, preparation. Every fall and spring I put money aside and gather supplies for this big event that was incredibly foreign to me all throughout middle school. My parents observe this process with curiosity, especially my dad.
“Why don’t you just walk up to her and ask her,” he’ll question, “If you guys already know you’re going together, why do you have to go through all the hoops to ask her?”
Every single time I think to myself, “good question dad.” I’m not saying that I don’t like doing something nice and thoughtful for my girlfriend, but just simply wondering how this whole idea of the elaborate method of asking became the norm amongst my peers.
First we should start off by examining why girls would want a boy to ask them in a time consuming, surprising way. Obviously, if a boy puts enough time into asking a girl to a dance and it’s apparent he did a very nice job, it shows the girl that he wanted to go with her so bad that he was willing to sacrifice his time and money. This goes on to make the girl feel special and important in his life, going along with the basic human psychological needs of belonging and love.
Being creative and doing a nice job also helps to ward off any other notion that she should be going with a different person. I mean… how could she say no to you if you woke up at 3 in the morning and stuck a thousand plastic forks in her yard spelling out “prom?” and the other guy simply wrote on her car window with a paint pen? Creativity is appreciated because it helps weed out the competition. No longer is it a surprise if you get asked in a really weird way, it’s actually expected.
Probably one of the most fundamental things to understand when talking about this is plain and simple, girls love to gossip. Not only do they love to gossip, but they love to compare themselves to everyone else and everyone else to themselves. I’ve had firsthand experience throughout my life with this gender trait, from my sister, girlfriend and mostly girl neighbors. When you (guys) ask a girl to homecoming or prom in a creative way, it gives them something to bring up in conversation with their girl friends. It also gives them something to compare other friend’s relationships to hers. Just think of it like, the more proudly and confidently she can tell her friends about the way you asked her, the better. It’s awfully hard for her to proudly tell her friends that she was asked the same way every other girl has ever been asked, with a little message written on her car in paint pen.
What will make your method of asking the girl to homecoming or prom the best is customizing it to fit her specific expectations. Now this can be challenging if you haven’t really been involved with her for long or… ever, but if you’ve been in a relationship with this girl for a while, it would help to find something personal you’ve shared and use it. I’ve been going out with my girlfriend for almost a year and one month now and over this period of time we’ve found this spot next to the Mississippi river in west Saint Paul. The first time we went there I carved our names into the side of a cliff wall, and this year for prom I carved out the date we started dating along with a giant “prom?” in the wall as well. She was so happy with the way that I asked her because it was personalized. Absolutely no other person at prom will have a similar way to mine.
Although asking a girl to dance has evolved from simply walking up to her in the hall and popping the question, to forking and car paint, there is still hope for the not-so-thoughtful-or-romantic guy. It’s important to see why the asking game has changed, and if you poor underclassmen guys out there follow my advice, you’ll have no problem dealing with the next steps in the evolution of this yearly process.
It all starts out how any good plan does, preparation. Every fall and spring I put money aside and gather supplies for this big event that was incredibly foreign to me all throughout middle school. My parents observe this process with curiosity, especially my dad.
“Why don’t you just walk up to her and ask her,” he’ll question, “If you guys already know you’re going together, why do you have to go through all the hoops to ask her?”
Every single time I think to myself, “good question dad.” I’m not saying that I don’t like doing something nice and thoughtful for my girlfriend, but just simply wondering how this whole idea of the elaborate method of asking became the norm amongst my peers.
First we should start off by examining why girls would want a boy to ask them in a time consuming, surprising way. Obviously, if a boy puts enough time into asking a girl to a dance and it’s apparent he did a very nice job, it shows the girl that he wanted to go with her so bad that he was willing to sacrifice his time and money. This goes on to make the girl feel special and important in his life, going along with the basic human psychological needs of belonging and love.
Being creative and doing a nice job also helps to ward off any other notion that she should be going with a different person. I mean… how could she say no to you if you woke up at 3 in the morning and stuck a thousand plastic forks in her yard spelling out “prom?” and the other guy simply wrote on her car window with a paint pen? Creativity is appreciated because it helps weed out the competition. No longer is it a surprise if you get asked in a really weird way, it’s actually expected.
Probably one of the most fundamental things to understand when talking about this is plain and simple, girls love to gossip. Not only do they love to gossip, but they love to compare themselves to everyone else and everyone else to themselves. I’ve had firsthand experience throughout my life with this gender trait, from my sister, girlfriend and mostly girl neighbors. When you (guys) ask a girl to homecoming or prom in a creative way, it gives them something to bring up in conversation with their girl friends. It also gives them something to compare other friend’s relationships to hers. Just think of it like, the more proudly and confidently she can tell her friends about the way you asked her, the better. It’s awfully hard for her to proudly tell her friends that she was asked the same way every other girl has ever been asked, with a little message written on her car in paint pen.
What will make your method of asking the girl to homecoming or prom the best is customizing it to fit her specific expectations. Now this can be challenging if you haven’t really been involved with her for long or… ever, but if you’ve been in a relationship with this girl for a while, it would help to find something personal you’ve shared and use it. I’ve been going out with my girlfriend for almost a year and one month now and over this period of time we’ve found this spot next to the Mississippi river in west Saint Paul. The first time we went there I carved our names into the side of a cliff wall, and this year for prom I carved out the date we started dating along with a giant “prom?” in the wall as well. She was so happy with the way that I asked her because it was personalized. Absolutely no other person at prom will have a similar way to mine.
Although asking a girl to dance has evolved from simply walking up to her in the hall and popping the question, to forking and car paint, there is still hope for the not-so-thoughtful-or-romantic guy. It’s important to see why the asking game has changed, and if you poor underclassmen guys out there follow my advice, you’ll have no problem dealing with the next steps in the evolution of this yearly process.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Feature Story Pre-Production
Theme Statement: When you think of high school dances, the only important one that comes to mind is Prom. Yes, prom. This timeless coming of age dance where boys become men and grow a set to ask that dream girl to the event of her high school life. But has it always been as big of a production as todays teens make it? Or was there ever a time in which prom wasn't as in depth?
Sources:
1. Mr. Kelly
2. Rachael Anderson
3. Kellie Van Beck
4. Principal
5. Alex Sertic
Questions:
1. What was prom like for you and how have you seen it evolve into what it is today?
2. What kinds of things do you expect of prom. (flowers, transportation, afterparty)
3. Comment on the importance for the guy to ask in an elaborate way.
4. How was your prom experience compared to what you've seen at Eastview?
5. What goes into planning prom for the school?
Sources:
1. Mr. Kelly
2. Rachael Anderson
3. Kellie Van Beck
4. Principal
5. Alex Sertic
Questions:
1. What was prom like for you and how have you seen it evolve into what it is today?
2. What kinds of things do you expect of prom. (flowers, transportation, afterparty)
3. Comment on the importance for the guy to ask in an elaborate way.
4. How was your prom experience compared to what you've seen at Eastview?
5. What goes into planning prom for the school?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Feature Story
Prom?
Drinking at prom?
Cost of prom.
Why prom is such a big event now
the origins of prom
history timeline prom
Drinking at prom?
Cost of prom.
Why prom is such a big event now
the origins of prom
history timeline prom
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