It was announced Monday June 8th, that Washington State University will expand their distance degree programs by using a virtual program called Second Life.
WSU has created a three dimensional campus replica, which will be used all around the world by people affiliated with the school. Far away students and teachers can communicate effectively, despite the geographical separation. This program can be used anywhere in the world as long as the local computer has Second Life downloaded, making the distant degree programs more effective and state-of-the-art.
Second Life, which was created in 2003, is really taking off. Over 100 colleges use Second Life in some way for educational purposes. Some of the highly touted schools that use the program include Harvard and Stanford.
Brett Atwood, a professor at Washington State University, is a supporter and helper of Second Life. He worked with Linden Lab, which is the company that created this virtual world. He plans on using the program this upcoming fall for his classes in Journalism and Public Relations.
"It's easily mocked. I get that," Atwood stated. To some, the program may look like it should be for kids. What they don't know is all the precisions and advancements that make the virtual world more for adults and the real world.
Professors and students will be located on a replica campus, using a 3-D person to act as them. Classrooms and voice chat allow everyone to feel like they are actually in the classroom, despite possibly being 3,000 miles away. Everyone can pitch in on conversations, or the instructor can simply teach their class.
A lot of people don't like change in life. This program can seem intimidating and scare people away, but it is very effective and convenient in many circumstances. It is quite simple to use: one must be 18 years of age and older, and able to download the program.
"It requires somebody to take a leap of faith," Atwood added.Second Life is a major step in the way education is executed. This opens doors to new ways of teaching and learning. The program has rapidly gained popularity and hopefully will change the way schools are run in the future. Professors now have another option for teaching classes online classes could possibly boom.
This new virtual world will make education easier and open up new doors and opportunities for WSU employees and students around the world.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Ethics Assignment
1. When Smith said it was newsworthy if he was the mayor, he meant that the story needs to be read under certain conditions. People with a big title or is an icon nationally or locally have a big target on their backs. Not many people would care about the story if it happened with a person know one knows. But since its a mayor, the story is huge. People looked up to this guy and voted for him for a reason and know they must feel cheated or lied to.
2. Morlin knew he couldn't personally create an identity on Gay.com and disguise himself as someone else. The newspaper would not allow that, so he found a loophole to get the information he wanted. He hired someone on the side to do the dirty work for him so he could have a story. There was nothing illegal about what he did, so he felt what he did was legal and clever and didn't get in trouble.
3. Big stories get a lot of press. When a cities own mayor gets in trouble, several articles are going to be published about it. And with charges pending or the story is ongoing, newspapers are going to update people and bring up new info. Spokane newspapers have an audience that is affected by this scandal. Their largest market is the city that believed in this leader. They deserve to know everything there is about the story.
4. This whole story benefits nobody. If anything, the people of Spokane got to know the truth about their mayor, but most of the story invaded his privacy and was very personal. No one would care if the person in trouble was some nobody who lived alone. The people that are harmed are the people of the city who need a leader, the gay community, and family and friends of Jim West. I don't think the outcome was worth it. There was too much drama and effort put into this, and little to show for it. People don't care about the job offering, just the sexual confrontations with other men. That is his personal life, and now it has ruined it forever.
5. I can see why people are unhappy with how the Spokesmans-Review handles its reporting. They are very aggressive and fight hard for details. The second story seems like they are making a story out of nothing. They could be on to something, but nothing is for sure and they are trying way too hard. It kind of reminds me of paparazzi near Hollywood. The Spokesman seems very pesky and need to just take a break. Sometimes, they just need to not assume and let people live their lives. If they assume something and are wrong, it can still hurt a persons image for life. That seems pretty unfair to me.
2. Morlin knew he couldn't personally create an identity on Gay.com and disguise himself as someone else. The newspaper would not allow that, so he found a loophole to get the information he wanted. He hired someone on the side to do the dirty work for him so he could have a story. There was nothing illegal about what he did, so he felt what he did was legal and clever and didn't get in trouble.
3. Big stories get a lot of press. When a cities own mayor gets in trouble, several articles are going to be published about it. And with charges pending or the story is ongoing, newspapers are going to update people and bring up new info. Spokane newspapers have an audience that is affected by this scandal. Their largest market is the city that believed in this leader. They deserve to know everything there is about the story.
4. This whole story benefits nobody. If anything, the people of Spokane got to know the truth about their mayor, but most of the story invaded his privacy and was very personal. No one would care if the person in trouble was some nobody who lived alone. The people that are harmed are the people of the city who need a leader, the gay community, and family and friends of Jim West. I don't think the outcome was worth it. There was too much drama and effort put into this, and little to show for it. People don't care about the job offering, just the sexual confrontations with other men. That is his personal life, and now it has ruined it forever.
5. I can see why people are unhappy with how the Spokesmans-Review handles its reporting. They are very aggressive and fight hard for details. The second story seems like they are making a story out of nothing. They could be on to something, but nothing is for sure and they are trying way too hard. It kind of reminds me of paparazzi near Hollywood. The Spokesman seems very pesky and need to just take a break. Sometimes, they just need to not assume and let people live their lives. If they assume something and are wrong, it can still hurt a persons image for life. That seems pretty unfair to me.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Frontline
Watching the show opened my eyes to all this journalism going around that I was unaware of. It started off with a good point about how news has changed based on the type of stories published. The Frontline correspondent talked about how stories are getting popularity in todays world, but wouldn't have 30 years ago. I agree and think stories have changed. We are reading more bizzare and entertaining news, rather than important, but bland news.
The internet has opened up opportunities for anyone with access to be a journalist. Students and random citizens are making their own broadcasts and doing their own stories. Like the show said, anyone who captures something new happening and talks about is considered a journalist. People are leaving their original news casts and flocking to the hundreds of different sources online. Even the comedic Jon Stewart show gets watched for news purposes. People's needs for news has adopted a different style of reporting, causing old news sources to dwindle in popularity.
Later in the show, they talked about saving newspapers, specifically the L.A. Times and Craigslist. The founder of Craigslist was asked if he thought his free ad website was hurting newspapers income from classifieds, which he didn't think was happening. Newspapers are on the decline for many reasons. One, the internet holds many more stories, and from different views of different sources. Also, newspapers are read several hours after stories or events happen. The internet can publish stories within a half hour after something occurs. The LA Times was declining, as a result of the internet and TV taking away customers. Head guys were getting fired, shareholders were backing out, and people started getting worried.
The internet has opened up opportunities for anyone with access to be a journalist. Students and random citizens are making their own broadcasts and doing their own stories. Like the show said, anyone who captures something new happening and talks about is considered a journalist. People are leaving their original news casts and flocking to the hundreds of different sources online. Even the comedic Jon Stewart show gets watched for news purposes. People's needs for news has adopted a different style of reporting, causing old news sources to dwindle in popularity.
Later in the show, they talked about saving newspapers, specifically the L.A. Times and Craigslist. The founder of Craigslist was asked if he thought his free ad website was hurting newspapers income from classifieds, which he didn't think was happening. Newspapers are on the decline for many reasons. One, the internet holds many more stories, and from different views of different sources. Also, newspapers are read several hours after stories or events happen. The internet can publish stories within a half hour after something occurs. The LA Times was declining, as a result of the internet and TV taking away customers. Head guys were getting fired, shareholders were backing out, and people started getting worried.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
International News
Al Jazeera-After watching their news, I was quite impressed. They didn't seem biased much, compared to what I was expecting. There was news about riots in Australia, United States and Palistinean successful talks, and the US journalists captured in North Korea. As for those journalists, they even state they "allegedly" illegally crossed the border. For an anti-US market, I would expect them not say allegedly, but in fact DID cross illegally.
Russia Today- The Russian news station was more of an upbeat national news station. Most stations for this assigment do a lot of international stories or conflict reports from within their countries. Russia did stories about little kids who want to be scientists and the importance of the periodic table, another story on the Russian soccer team, and one on a lady who likes knitting really neat and beautiful patterns. The news wasn't negative, and showed the better side of the Russian people.
BBC- The BBC to me was kind of in the middle of their own policies and the murrow paradigm. None of the news they read was opinionated, but the stories were different than most news sources. They did a lot of reporting on torture, misconduct, and foul play of minorities and other groups around the world. There wasn't much world news that is "exciting", but more politics and other bland news. Plus the reporters talked slow and monotone, making the stories less exciting than what they should be.
Press TV- This news station is based out of Iran, and I knew from the beginning that their news would be much different. The stories I listened to actually had a lot to do with conflicts within Iran, rather than international news. There was a lot about the economy there and voting and polling for leaders. The few international stories I heard were mainly about America and our fight in the Middle East. The news slammed us in their stories, particularly about an air raid that killed "dozens of civilians, including 7 children." Even Al Jazeera seemed in support or didn't have an opinion about the American journalists in North Korea. Iran's news doesn't seem that they would read positive United States stories.
Al Jazeera part 2.-
1- The internet is great for reaching out to groups of people to spread your product, but they need to advertise a lot if they want to expand. It's great that they are online, but how would people know that? They need to extend efforts to show their news is out there and free to watch for all with a computer.
2- After watching the news, Al Jazeera wasn't too negative towards America and had a good variety of world news. Their stories were exciting and not just politics and other bland topics. I would not be offended having their news on the US market. Out of these four news sources we watched, this one was actually the most entertaining. With that said, it means I would rather have Al Jazeera on my TV than BBC. I think people like the more exciting news and with their news not slamming the US, I would assume Americans wouldn't mind the news.
3-Their approach to the news was not much different compared to American news. They talked about a market bombing the killed a lot of people, riots in Australia, and the journalists captured in North Korea. All these stories would be top priorities in America, too. I know Al Jazeera gets a bad rap, but after watching their news for a good hour or so, I saw nothing negative about them. They were very similar in chosing their top stories, and didn't show as much bias as most people would expect.
4- Their ethics were followed completely in their news. They read the basic news, didn't have an opinion, and didn't hide the truth. Most would think they would target the United States for bad news stories. But they were well balanced, and just read the biggest stories of the day, despite where they take place. Their style of news is the style I like. I want the facts and no edited or biased stories.
Russia Today- The Russian news station was more of an upbeat national news station. Most stations for this assigment do a lot of international stories or conflict reports from within their countries. Russia did stories about little kids who want to be scientists and the importance of the periodic table, another story on the Russian soccer team, and one on a lady who likes knitting really neat and beautiful patterns. The news wasn't negative, and showed the better side of the Russian people.
BBC- The BBC to me was kind of in the middle of their own policies and the murrow paradigm. None of the news they read was opinionated, but the stories were different than most news sources. They did a lot of reporting on torture, misconduct, and foul play of minorities and other groups around the world. There wasn't much world news that is "exciting", but more politics and other bland news. Plus the reporters talked slow and monotone, making the stories less exciting than what they should be.
Press TV- This news station is based out of Iran, and I knew from the beginning that their news would be much different. The stories I listened to actually had a lot to do with conflicts within Iran, rather than international news. There was a lot about the economy there and voting and polling for leaders. The few international stories I heard were mainly about America and our fight in the Middle East. The news slammed us in their stories, particularly about an air raid that killed "dozens of civilians, including 7 children." Even Al Jazeera seemed in support or didn't have an opinion about the American journalists in North Korea. Iran's news doesn't seem that they would read positive United States stories.
Al Jazeera part 2.-
1- The internet is great for reaching out to groups of people to spread your product, but they need to advertise a lot if they want to expand. It's great that they are online, but how would people know that? They need to extend efforts to show their news is out there and free to watch for all with a computer.
2- After watching the news, Al Jazeera wasn't too negative towards America and had a good variety of world news. Their stories were exciting and not just politics and other bland topics. I would not be offended having their news on the US market. Out of these four news sources we watched, this one was actually the most entertaining. With that said, it means I would rather have Al Jazeera on my TV than BBC. I think people like the more exciting news and with their news not slamming the US, I would assume Americans wouldn't mind the news.
3-Their approach to the news was not much different compared to American news. They talked about a market bombing the killed a lot of people, riots in Australia, and the journalists captured in North Korea. All these stories would be top priorities in America, too. I know Al Jazeera gets a bad rap, but after watching their news for a good hour or so, I saw nothing negative about them. They were very similar in chosing their top stories, and didn't show as much bias as most people would expect.
4- Their ethics were followed completely in their news. They read the basic news, didn't have an opinion, and didn't hide the truth. Most would think they would target the United States for bad news stories. But they were well balanced, and just read the biggest stories of the day, despite where they take place. Their style of news is the style I like. I want the facts and no edited or biased stories.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Human Interest Feature Story
Summer Jobs Rare In College Towns
Pullman, Washington-- The economy has really tanked over the last few years, and hasn’t made much of a recovery so far. How long it will take to return to normalcy, nobody truly knows. Unemployment rates have reached the highest level since 1976, and people are struggling to bring in much of an income.
During a college school year, the university employs hundreds or thousands of students. Most students can only afford a few hours a day due to their busy schedule; therefore several students are used for a basic eight-hour-per-day shift. Many places all over campuses employ dozens, but tend to be closed during the summer. Teachers no longer need assistants, dining halls are used at a minimum, and all other school resources go unused, causing student jobs to vanish.
Another down side of a college town is the tight knit community that knows each other very well. It’s easy to see someone you know living in a small city rather than one like Seattle or Portland. People in these small cities tend to have been born and raised or have a significant history in the area. This comes into effect when high school students need jobs, too. Local high school kids have more connections to the area, thanks to family and friends that are well associated to the community.
“I have been rejected a job that has high school kids and 40 year-old adults working there,” jobless Washington State University student Nick Martin said. “I don’t have a degree, nor do I know the area very well.”
The economy and paranoia surrounding the cities causes backlash and hesitance from store owners and operators. During the summer, business hours are being cut short, stores are not surviving and eventually closing down, and older adults have the upper hand for typical college-aged jobs.
With middle aged people getting laid off from companies cutting back, the unemployment rate skyrocketed. With what minimal jobs are available, there now becomes a larger audience vying for those positions. Instead of having a certain amount of college kids fighting for a job, they are now fighting older adults going for the same position. The older crowds typically have a better resume, having most likely finished college, built a longer and more impressive resume, and become jobless for something out of their control rather than being fired.
College kids in a small town seem to be at the bottom of the food chain. Jobless middle aged adults have the upper hand, as do kids in high school that are more familiar with the area and store owners. The college students, who actually can’t say they have a college degree, have it as hard as anyone else, if not harder, to make money. They are at that transition point in their life where the parents aren’t paying for much, yet they don’t have the credentials to make a lot of money yet.
A lot of college kids are paying their own way through or at least using student loans. They don’t want to start of their careers with a lot of debt needing to be paid off. Not getting jobs during the summer or having to stop your job for the dead season takes away a lot of potential money kids could be making. Families who lose a single source of income still have their significant other to depend on for the time being. Most college students are not yet married, and therefore rely on only themselves. The more the kids sit around without a job, the more dept they will build up.
Most of the jobless talks are focused on middle age people who lost big corporate jobs and are having a hard time raising kids. They usually have a house, a few cars, and several other assets. Kids in college are being released to the new world and not living off of their parents anymore. They have minimal assets, minimal money, and a lot less free time to work.
“I can’t get a job anywhere in Pullman,” unemployed WSU student Chris Darling said. “I have filled out multiple applications and been rejected or ignored every time. I need to pay for summer school and I’m running out of options.”
Friday, May 29, 2009
Feeding The Beast
"Feeding The Beast" gave me a whole new perspective on media and all the work that is put into daily newspapers and newscasts. After finishing the video, I was under the impression that the beast was the public, and it was the media sources job to "feed" them the news. While reading a newspaper or watching the news on TV, one doesn't realize the effort put forth to get you the news your viewing. All we do is notice maybe a few writers on a paper or 2 anchors on a newscast. What you don't see is what is going on behind the scenes.
News is in such high demand that suppliers work very hard and use a bigger crew to make us happy. Most people don't give enough respect because they would be shocked when they knew how many people worked for the news source. There are editors, managers, reporters, and so on. And for each field, there could be dozens of workers. So Feeding The Beast is about making the viewers happy. We are very critical of news sources and easily switch if we are not happy with the news. Meanwhile, they are busting their butts to get as many news sources as possible to please us. My respect went up for these hard workers, for I had no idea this was troubles they were going through just to keep us entertained.
News is in such high demand that suppliers work very hard and use a bigger crew to make us happy. Most people don't give enough respect because they would be shocked when they knew how many people worked for the news source. There are editors, managers, reporters, and so on. And for each field, there could be dozens of workers. So Feeding The Beast is about making the viewers happy. We are very critical of news sources and easily switch if we are not happy with the news. Meanwhile, they are busting their butts to get as many news sources as possible to please us. My respect went up for these hard workers, for I had no idea this was troubles they were going through just to keep us entertained.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
2 Special Leads
Contrast Lead:
Jobs on the firing line as defense cuts loom
Narrative Lead:
Back to Work: America's Commuting Nightmare
Jobs on the firing line as defense cuts loom
Narrative Lead:
Back to Work: America's Commuting Nightmare
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Pullman Summers Fun, But Be Safe
PULLMAN, WASHINGTON -- Summertime in Pullman is a time to have fun and enjoy the heat, but being too wild could be dangerous down at the Snake River.
Every summer, students from all over Pullman and Moscow drive down to cool off on a hot day. The dunes near the Lower Granite Lock and Dam and cliffs just east of the Wawawai landing are the local hot spots that most students travel to. Celebrating a hot day with alcohol is a common theme, but could be a recipe for disaster.
Drownings do not happen very often along the Snake River, according to Nannette Bolyard of the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office. Since 1996, there have only been two people who have drowned in Whitman County, Bolyard stated.
Although the number of Snake River deaths is two in the previous 13 years, both of those occurred during the last three summers. The first happened over the summer of 2006, when a 24-year-old Lewiston man went missing across the canyon from the Wawawai Landing near cliffs. He was with four other friends at the time, and none of whom seemed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The friends flagged down a nearby rowing team who got help at the Wawawai Landing.
The other drowning occurred just last summer to a 23-year-old Washington State University student at the sand dunes, when he attempted to swim to a floating device. The student panicked, and soon went under water. Friends were too far out of reach to save him.
“You never know when an event like this will happen,” recent WSU graduate Erica Jensen, said. “These drownings happen out of the blue. No one plans them and that’s why you must be safe when being at the river.”
The sand dunes, just five miles west of the Lower Granite Lock & Dam on the Garfield County side, is a big, sandy beach that at times consists of a few hundred people or more. The sand goes into the river and doesn’t seem to get any deeper for a few hundred yards, making it a hot spot for college kids to hang out and cool off. The cliff, near Wawawai Landing, is the other popular spot. The danger of cliff diving includes hitting unseen boulders, going unconscious from the impact of the water, or becoming hypothermic from swimming in the cold water for a long period of time.
While planning a trip down to the Snake River, people must think about safety, despite the anxiousness and eagerness to relax and enjoy the sun.
“Never swim alone and be prepared for anything to happen. Have life vests nearby, or some other floating device. And don’t go out into waters if you are not an experienced swimmer,” stated Jensen. Many drownings are caused by alcohol/drugs, or inexperienced swimmers going beyond their abilities. Swimming alone lowers the chances of being rescued by friends. Another popular mistake people make is ignoring “trespassing” or other warning signs. “Kids are reckless and don’t usually think before they act. Sometimes the only way they learn is to experience a tragedy, which is unfortunate,” Jensen added.
Alcohol is another mistake that should be avoided at all costs while swimming. For one, swimming while intoxicated makes it very difficult to maneuver through the water. One can easily become fatigued and disoriented while in deep waters. Alcohol also has an effect on body temperature; the Snake River is relatively cold, so swimming under the influence will cause your body to become numb faster than if a person were sober.
Swimming can be fun, but also dangerous. While at the dunes or cliffs, just follow the rules and be smart. It will turn out to be a fun day you will always remember.
Every summer, students from all over Pullman and Moscow drive down to cool off on a hot day. The dunes near the Lower Granite Lock and Dam and cliffs just east of the Wawawai landing are the local hot spots that most students travel to. Celebrating a hot day with alcohol is a common theme, but could be a recipe for disaster.
Drownings do not happen very often along the Snake River, according to Nannette Bolyard of the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office. Since 1996, there have only been two people who have drowned in Whitman County, Bolyard stated.
Although the number of Snake River deaths is two in the previous 13 years, both of those occurred during the last three summers. The first happened over the summer of 2006, when a 24-year-old Lewiston man went missing across the canyon from the Wawawai Landing near cliffs. He was with four other friends at the time, and none of whom seemed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The friends flagged down a nearby rowing team who got help at the Wawawai Landing.
The other drowning occurred just last summer to a 23-year-old Washington State University student at the sand dunes, when he attempted to swim to a floating device. The student panicked, and soon went under water. Friends were too far out of reach to save him.
“You never know when an event like this will happen,” recent WSU graduate Erica Jensen, said. “These drownings happen out of the blue. No one plans them and that’s why you must be safe when being at the river.”
The sand dunes, just five miles west of the Lower Granite Lock & Dam on the Garfield County side, is a big, sandy beach that at times consists of a few hundred people or more. The sand goes into the river and doesn’t seem to get any deeper for a few hundred yards, making it a hot spot for college kids to hang out and cool off. The cliff, near Wawawai Landing, is the other popular spot. The danger of cliff diving includes hitting unseen boulders, going unconscious from the impact of the water, or becoming hypothermic from swimming in the cold water for a long period of time.
While planning a trip down to the Snake River, people must think about safety, despite the anxiousness and eagerness to relax and enjoy the sun.
“Never swim alone and be prepared for anything to happen. Have life vests nearby, or some other floating device. And don’t go out into waters if you are not an experienced swimmer,” stated Jensen. Many drownings are caused by alcohol/drugs, or inexperienced swimmers going beyond their abilities. Swimming alone lowers the chances of being rescued by friends. Another popular mistake people make is ignoring “trespassing” or other warning signs. “Kids are reckless and don’t usually think before they act. Sometimes the only way they learn is to experience a tragedy, which is unfortunate,” Jensen added.
Alcohol is another mistake that should be avoided at all costs while swimming. For one, swimming while intoxicated makes it very difficult to maneuver through the water. One can easily become fatigued and disoriented while in deep waters. Alcohol also has an effect on body temperature; the Snake River is relatively cold, so swimming under the influence will cause your body to become numb faster than if a person were sober.
Swimming can be fun, but also dangerous. While at the dunes or cliffs, just follow the rules and be smart. It will turn out to be a fun day you will always remember.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
3 Pitches
Dear Editor,
Being enrolled for summer school at Washington State University, I found myself sitting around the house more than during the main school year.
There are so many things to do during the main school year because there are so many college kids in town. But with most kids back home for the summer, the options seem to dwindle down to very few things to do.
What does Pullman have to offer during hot days? What can one do during the summer season that you cant during the winter season? With jobs being hard to get, there is just so much free time, and a lot of us don't know what to do with all of it.
I want to find out all the fun things to do around here. I'm going to talk to professors who live here year-round, and graduate students who have been around to know all the secrets of Whitman County. Let me know if the article interests you and i can show you a list next week about all the entertaining things in the area that most students should know.
Sincerely,
Brock Maxwell
Dear Editor,
Pullman and Moscow are identical cities. We have near the same population, a major state college, far away from anything, and are 8 miles away from each other.
When looking into the cities deeper, each one has things that makes them more unique than the other. Pullman has better sports, Moscow has better shopping, Pullman has a nice movie theatre (that U of I students travel to often), and Moscow has better sit down restaurants.
Pullman needs a fun sit-in restaurant, similar to Moscow's Applebees or Wingers. Granted Pullman just got Dupus Boomers, its location is inconvenient for those not on campus. A Red Robin, Olive Garden, or Chili's would fit perfect in downtown Pullman.
The students and workers at the university make up most of Pullman's population, so getting their views on the idea is a must. I would poll them to get their input, and send some of the information your way to see if you might want more details for a story.
Sincerely,
Brock Maxwell
Dear Editor,
Not many people enjoy the long drive home to the west side of the state. At times its flat, and with bad weather, the scenery is a drag. Many friends of mine refuse to make the boring trip over often, citing gas money and boredom the main reasons.
The bad rap that's brainwashed in our heads overshadows the positive things Pullman gives us.
Take UW for example. Want to pick up a pizza at 6 pm on a friday? It might take you 45 minutes to get there and back. What about wanting to attend a basketball game? Enjoy a 20 minute walk, let alone get a seat. Or what about half the students that go home to see mom and dad on weekends? All of those examples I have heard first hand from several friends at UW. And all of those examples are near non-existant at WSU.
Many of us don't enjoy the location of WSU, but once you move in, most things are pretty convenient.
To write this article, I would need to ask how long it takes students at colleges in big cities to run their errands and do daily things outside the house. Then do the same for WSU students and show how much time and stress we save being in our little town.
If this article interests you, email or call me back and I can give you the details on my research.
Sincerely,
Brock Maxwell
Being enrolled for summer school at Washington State University, I found myself sitting around the house more than during the main school year.
There are so many things to do during the main school year because there are so many college kids in town. But with most kids back home for the summer, the options seem to dwindle down to very few things to do.
What does Pullman have to offer during hot days? What can one do during the summer season that you cant during the winter season? With jobs being hard to get, there is just so much free time, and a lot of us don't know what to do with all of it.
I want to find out all the fun things to do around here. I'm going to talk to professors who live here year-round, and graduate students who have been around to know all the secrets of Whitman County. Let me know if the article interests you and i can show you a list next week about all the entertaining things in the area that most students should know.
Sincerely,
Brock Maxwell
Dear Editor,
Pullman and Moscow are identical cities. We have near the same population, a major state college, far away from anything, and are 8 miles away from each other.
When looking into the cities deeper, each one has things that makes them more unique than the other. Pullman has better sports, Moscow has better shopping, Pullman has a nice movie theatre (that U of I students travel to often), and Moscow has better sit down restaurants.
Pullman needs a fun sit-in restaurant, similar to Moscow's Applebees or Wingers. Granted Pullman just got Dupus Boomers, its location is inconvenient for those not on campus. A Red Robin, Olive Garden, or Chili's would fit perfect in downtown Pullman.
The students and workers at the university make up most of Pullman's population, so getting their views on the idea is a must. I would poll them to get their input, and send some of the information your way to see if you might want more details for a story.
Sincerely,
Brock Maxwell
Dear Editor,
Not many people enjoy the long drive home to the west side of the state. At times its flat, and with bad weather, the scenery is a drag. Many friends of mine refuse to make the boring trip over often, citing gas money and boredom the main reasons.
The bad rap that's brainwashed in our heads overshadows the positive things Pullman gives us.
Take UW for example. Want to pick up a pizza at 6 pm on a friday? It might take you 45 minutes to get there and back. What about wanting to attend a basketball game? Enjoy a 20 minute walk, let alone get a seat. Or what about half the students that go home to see mom and dad on weekends? All of those examples I have heard first hand from several friends at UW. And all of those examples are near non-existant at WSU.
Many of us don't enjoy the location of WSU, but once you move in, most things are pretty convenient.
To write this article, I would need to ask how long it takes students at colleges in big cities to run their errands and do daily things outside the house. Then do the same for WSU students and show how much time and stress we save being in our little town.
If this article interests you, email or call me back and I can give you the details on my research.
Sincerely,
Brock Maxwell
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
News Report Differences From Online Sources
I scrolled through many different news websites, trying to find 3 that were much different from the rest. Most were all similar, reading the typical boring news stories that just about everyone else had. There was no opinionated section, just the bare straight facts. A few stood out in my mind for having something unique about their news. Although they still were quite similar, these did something that most others didn't do.
One that I read on a regular basis is CNN.com. They post several headlines in small print vertically, so it's easy to find an interesting story without having to scroll down the page. It follows the Murrow Standard quite closely. Every day, I notice stories about less fortunate people or incidents that may make America or our companies look bad. Today, for example, had a few that fell in that category. 1) a story about a man on death row for 22 years who was exonerated. The story doesn't only tell what and how it happened, but they stated his post-freedom plans and shared his reborn-again life. 2) a story about how employees hired by US Embassies around the world are making less than $1 a day, and are cutting back to one meal per day. 3) a story about a partially blind man who gets a titanium eye transplant and is able to see his wife and kids again. All these CNN stories give a perspective to its viewers, despite who it makes look good or bad. They also give in-depth reports on sad or miracle stories, that most people might not ever here.
Another site where I read news from was PBS.org. That site seemed very liberal for its load of democratic news, art stories, global warming concerns, and health ideas. A lot of the stories also dealt with Obama and also with the economy. They didn't have much shocking news or celebrity news. The stories were very dry and must aim for an older audience. I was quite bored after a long 5 minutes. Hardly any of the stories pertained to an opinion or point of view from a person or group of people. It was just straight news with no add-ons or extras to make different from the rest.
The third news source I chose online was EOnline.com. Before I explored the site, I was assuming to read all about new fashions and the do's and don'ts of how to present yourself. All I really found was basic newsworthy information about celebrities and reality TV shows. If someone was arrested, they made sure to write about it. They hid nothing like the Murrow Standard follows. They also didn't give a certain image as to what America should look like. There was not much advice on how to dress, how to get dates, or how to lose weight (like most fashion sites). They strictly read the noteworthy news and didn't try and persuade the audience, which is very respectible for the image fashion companies have created over the years.
One that I read on a regular basis is CNN.com. They post several headlines in small print vertically, so it's easy to find an interesting story without having to scroll down the page. It follows the Murrow Standard quite closely. Every day, I notice stories about less fortunate people or incidents that may make America or our companies look bad. Today, for example, had a few that fell in that category. 1) a story about a man on death row for 22 years who was exonerated. The story doesn't only tell what and how it happened, but they stated his post-freedom plans and shared his reborn-again life. 2) a story about how employees hired by US Embassies around the world are making less than $1 a day, and are cutting back to one meal per day. 3) a story about a partially blind man who gets a titanium eye transplant and is able to see his wife and kids again. All these CNN stories give a perspective to its viewers, despite who it makes look good or bad. They also give in-depth reports on sad or miracle stories, that most people might not ever here.
Another site where I read news from was PBS.org. That site seemed very liberal for its load of democratic news, art stories, global warming concerns, and health ideas. A lot of the stories also dealt with Obama and also with the economy. They didn't have much shocking news or celebrity news. The stories were very dry and must aim for an older audience. I was quite bored after a long 5 minutes. Hardly any of the stories pertained to an opinion or point of view from a person or group of people. It was just straight news with no add-ons or extras to make different from the rest.
The third news source I chose online was EOnline.com. Before I explored the site, I was assuming to read all about new fashions and the do's and don'ts of how to present yourself. All I really found was basic newsworthy information about celebrities and reality TV shows. If someone was arrested, they made sure to write about it. They hid nothing like the Murrow Standard follows. They also didn't give a certain image as to what America should look like. There was not much advice on how to dress, how to get dates, or how to lose weight (like most fashion sites). They strictly read the noteworthy news and didn't try and persuade the audience, which is very respectible for the image fashion companies have created over the years.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Chevron Oil Lawsuit in Ecuador
The two videos viewed in class took two totally different perspectives on the oil lawsuit between Ecuador and Chevron. Each major story needs to be seen from both points of view, and that is what got to happen in class. In American media, most stories are shared in ways WE want to hear them, and not the others way who are on the losing end or aren't as popular or respected. In this case, Ecuador is sueing Chevron for the oil mess they made back from the 60's-90's. Long story short, Ecuador wants $27 Billion and both sides of the lawsuit have very good arguements and supporting facts.
The first video was the type of video most people in America wouldn't see. This segment was based on the people of Ecuador and their thoughts and feelings of the conflict. Texaco just up and left in 1992 and abandoned dozens of oil pools and contaminated streams. Ecuador isn't a rich country, and that was obvious in the video. I felt bad seeing Indian Tribes upset over dirty water where they bathe and fish. The people also wash their clothes in the same water that at times is black from the oil. Watching the video made me feel bad for the communities and glad they are forming a lawsuit.
The second video took an approach from Chevron's point of view. It was much different because I learned new things that wasn't said in the first video. After the first one, i had formed the opinion of backing Ecuador in the situation. But after watching both, I found myself quite neutral. Chevron and Equador had a deal to clean up a certain amount of the oil mess when they leave, which Chevron did. Another part of the deal stated the Chevron wouldn't be blamed for anything else and were good to go. Well years later, Ecuador is upset. Oil pools still surround the country and water in contaminated. But a lot of the allegations against Chevron tended to be unsupported and had many generalizations.
In the end, it just seems the Ecuador said Chevron did enough clean-up and was good to go home. But years later, they must have thought they let Chevron off the hook too soon. Now they want $27 Billion (which is more than enough) for a mistake Ecuador made. They made a deal and need to stick to it. It just sounds like they aren't happy and are trying to get money from the rich to solve their problems.
The first video was the type of video most people in America wouldn't see. This segment was based on the people of Ecuador and their thoughts and feelings of the conflict. Texaco just up and left in 1992 and abandoned dozens of oil pools and contaminated streams. Ecuador isn't a rich country, and that was obvious in the video. I felt bad seeing Indian Tribes upset over dirty water where they bathe and fish. The people also wash their clothes in the same water that at times is black from the oil. Watching the video made me feel bad for the communities and glad they are forming a lawsuit.
The second video took an approach from Chevron's point of view. It was much different because I learned new things that wasn't said in the first video. After the first one, i had formed the opinion of backing Ecuador in the situation. But after watching both, I found myself quite neutral. Chevron and Equador had a deal to clean up a certain amount of the oil mess when they leave, which Chevron did. Another part of the deal stated the Chevron wouldn't be blamed for anything else and were good to go. Well years later, Ecuador is upset. Oil pools still surround the country and water in contaminated. But a lot of the allegations against Chevron tended to be unsupported and had many generalizations.
In the end, it just seems the Ecuador said Chevron did enough clean-up and was good to go home. But years later, they must have thought they let Chevron off the hook too soon. Now they want $27 Billion (which is more than enough) for a mistake Ecuador made. They made a deal and need to stick to it. It just sounds like they aren't happy and are trying to get money from the rich to solve their problems.
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