The State of Play and the Pulitzer Prize.
The State of Play has A list actors playing roles that represent journalists in a time of a top story scandal. A journalist is friends with the person who is a part of a recent death of a lady he had an affair with. The journalist had a choice to protect his friendship and run a story, or help his friend out. This kind of protection is rare in today's society due to newspapers wanting to be the first to publish a story in competition towards other news companies or for money. Exploiting a story on a friend is seen a lot today and the implications for loosing a close friend are not thought about.
A photojournalist was on the scene of a hostage in a small town in Pennsylvania. The scene was dangerous and graphic and he snapped photos, documenting every moment. Well, almost every moment. He put his camera down when a little girl, wounded badly from her father, walked out of the front door. He could not capture a picture of this girl because it was just to horrible. Journalists have the opportunity to capture these moments, but photos are there forever. There is no need for the public eye to see the face of a little girl who was abused. There are some boundaries that a photographer should have. A photographer can take photos that still tell a great story without hurting their audience. Visuals can make a lasting impression on someone, even if they were not there at the time. It is important for a photographer to protect the viewers.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Coding
New York Times
By Scott Shane
The adult sons of Osama bin Laden have lashed out at President Obama over their father’s death, accusing the United States of violating its basic legal principles by killing an unarmed man, shooting his family members and disposing of his body in the sea.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Thoughts on "All the President's Men"
The Watergate scandal was reenacted in the movie "All the President's Men" and a lot of what happened behind the scenes was told through the story. There are two new reporters in the movie that were put in charge of finding out if the scandal is really true or not and dug through paperwork in secret in order to find any evidence of truth. They were caught when they assumed one of the investigators in the scandal inferred they were right by staying silent. The government raged about the false information that the Washington Post publicized. These reporters frustrated their bosses, but they stood by their story believing it to be true regardless of what the government said.
In desperation to find facts about this scandal, these two reporters used different ways to get information out of people. Near the end of the movie, after an investigator on the story told one of the reporters that he could not share anything with him, he thought of a different method that would allow him to get the answer he was looking for. He asked him to stay silent if the story was true and since the investigator did not hang up and chose to stay on the line in silence, the reporter ran with that and shared with his boss that a legitimate source stated that the information was in fact true.
These techniques are looked down upon in journalism and reporting. Even though they felt in their hearts that the story was true, the only way to know for sure is to have hard evidence. Sources have to speak clearly and be quoted correctly. When people questioned the story, they went straight to the source where he was able to protect himself and deny that he said anything. The reporters had no proof that their story was right. It is vital to find legitimate facts because the general public wants the truth. They were lucky that the story ended up being right but in the mean time, the public questioned their accuracy.
Reporters need to be careful of how they find their information. If there are no documents to prove a story or a statement that quote someone accurately, then people are going to reject the story and deem it to be false. This movie displayed how desperate news companies can be to be the first to share a breaking story, but it also shows how necessary it is to give out information that is backed in evidence that can be proven to make the story true.
In desperation to find facts about this scandal, these two reporters used different ways to get information out of people. Near the end of the movie, after an investigator on the story told one of the reporters that he could not share anything with him, he thought of a different method that would allow him to get the answer he was looking for. He asked him to stay silent if the story was true and since the investigator did not hang up and chose to stay on the line in silence, the reporter ran with that and shared with his boss that a legitimate source stated that the information was in fact true.
These techniques are looked down upon in journalism and reporting. Even though they felt in their hearts that the story was true, the only way to know for sure is to have hard evidence. Sources have to speak clearly and be quoted correctly. When people questioned the story, they went straight to the source where he was able to protect himself and deny that he said anything. The reporters had no proof that their story was right. It is vital to find legitimate facts because the general public wants the truth. They were lucky that the story ended up being right but in the mean time, the public questioned their accuracy.
Reporters need to be careful of how they find their information. If there are no documents to prove a story or a statement that quote someone accurately, then people are going to reject the story and deem it to be false. This movie displayed how desperate news companies can be to be the first to share a breaking story, but it also shows how necessary it is to give out information that is backed in evidence that can be proven to make the story true.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Eagle Vision
Eagle Vision is Biola’s on campus news that covers news on and off campus. On Tuesday, April 5, I sat in on their weekly class meeting. It is only a 50-minute meeting every Tuesday, which gives them a short amount of time to plan for the week’s stories and review the previous weeks news. Taelor Smith delegated different stories to each person including news, heath, weather, and different events going on at Biola’s campus. This class is a one-unit practicum that most broadcast emphasis students take, but other emphasis can choose to take as well. The team films on Thursdays and all of the individual stories that were covered have to be turned in by Friday so they can be edited and put together with the other stories. Eagle Vision is launched online on the Eagle Vision website, but is mostly viewed through their Facebook website when they upload it over the weekend. Watching last week’s news coverage allowed me to see what Eagle Vision does and the teacher chimed in sharing what could be improved which helped me understand the process of putting all of the footage together.
Last weeks live footage was filmed outside of the library because the construction prevented them from shooting in their first location. The teacher mentioned that it gave a cool effect and in journalism you “improvise or die.” He told the students to make sure that there is good lighting when filming and when they do voice over, to make sure that the mic. is 6 inches away. He strongly advised the students to not slur and pronounce clearly so that the audience does not tune out, keep your chin parallel to the floor, and have a strong finish. The type of room that the students are supposed to record in is a room that does not have ambient sound but a room that has dead sound. There are a lot of little details that tie all of the filming together and make it more professional and intriguing for the audience.
I learned many technical terms that are used commonly in production. Terms like stand ups, cut away, and sound bites. A stand up is when the spokesperson is explaining the story that is being covered, but what is important about a stand up is to make it interactive, showing something else rather then just talking. For instance, last week they were talking about Japan and Biola’s earthquake preparedness. The reporter went into a room and explained the different supplies that are kept in there if a disaster were to happen. It helps the audience visualize what they are talking about and leave them with a memorable mental picture. “Cut away” is a term used when shooting film style. When there is one camera to shoot an interview, it is hard to capture close shots so after the interview the cameraman takes about 60 minutes of head nods and other expressions to edit into the footage. A sound bite is used to get the audience thinking or relate to what the person is saying. The sound bites that were used in the Eagle Vision’s clips seemed to capture a person representing the general population and saying something of importance. It’s important that every week there is good coverage and content taking your audience to the actual place, making them feel apart of the news. Last week one of the reporters went to the Nascar race showing clips of food, the crowd, and the race allowing the viewers to envision what it is like to be there.
There are many ways to make the audience feel like they are there. Using graphics and showing film footage of the event being talked about help the story move along. Each week they include a “package” which includes stand up reporting, interviews, and B-roll, which is shots with voice over. Having a wide variety of news coverage is also important so that it pertains to a large audience and informs the viewer on all types of different news. I thought it was interesting how much of a variety they had to keep the viewer tuned in and it made the show run smoothly. Eagle Vision has a lot of work to produce every week including coming up with the stories, writing them, filming them, and then getting it in on time for editing. Although they have a hard time making the deadline, Eagle Vision still keeps their viewers watching by making their final product worth watching.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Some History Will Never Be Forgotten
On September 11, 2001, tragedy swept over America. The World Trade Centers were struck by highjacked airplanes killing thousands of people. The ash from the buildings covered the city miles away from the Trade Centers. Hearts ached from family members as they watched the breaking news in their homes because of their loved ones in New York. The country was in shock and frantic to insure safety to those in New York and other potential terrorist attacks. After that day, America would never be the same.
As I sat in class watching a video of still image shots, video, and powerful music, goosebumps filled my whole body. The thought that people were in those buildings, terrified, crying horrifically, in pain from the heat, and considering jumping to escape the terrible situation, makes me view the buildings collapsing differently.
Since this horrific event happened when I was about 8 years old, last year I decided to go on YouTube and watch videos that were shot from that day. My eyes starred at the screen and I kept clicking video after video. Some of the videos I watched that day still haunt me to this day, but I think that it was important for me to not water down what took place and understand what really happened. Videos were taken from bystanders and people in the building. One of the videos I watched was taken from the first floor of one of the Trade Centers and I watched the firefighters cringe when they heard a loud thud. That thud was a person taking their own life to get away from the death they faced up near the top of the building. Fear was a dominant emotion that day. I cannot even fathom being in one of the Trade Centers, facing death.
The whole country was effected by September 11. Emotions were stirred wondering how this could happen and who would do such a thing. It is a day that will be remembered for the rest of history.
As I sat in class watching a video of still image shots, video, and powerful music, goosebumps filled my whole body. The thought that people were in those buildings, terrified, crying horrifically, in pain from the heat, and considering jumping to escape the terrible situation, makes me view the buildings collapsing differently.
Since this horrific event happened when I was about 8 years old, last year I decided to go on YouTube and watch videos that were shot from that day. My eyes starred at the screen and I kept clicking video after video. Some of the videos I watched that day still haunt me to this day, but I think that it was important for me to not water down what took place and understand what really happened. Videos were taken from bystanders and people in the building. One of the videos I watched was taken from the first floor of one of the Trade Centers and I watched the firefighters cringe when they heard a loud thud. That thud was a person taking their own life to get away from the death they faced up near the top of the building. Fear was a dominant emotion that day. I cannot even fathom being in one of the Trade Centers, facing death.
The whole country was effected by September 11. Emotions were stirred wondering how this could happen and who would do such a thing. It is a day that will be remembered for the rest of history.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Create a Dream
Dream Big. This is something that I have heard since I was little and I always set goals that do not seem practical to most people, but I think the impossible is always possible. There are many moments in the day that I stop to think about who I am, who I want to be, and what I want to do with the gifts and passions I was given. My mind is constantly trying to piece together the things that I love to do and be creative of how I can use the things I most enjoy in life to benefit and impact others. My bucket list goes on and on, but I also do not see why these dreams that I have will not come true.
Fashion. There are so many directions someone could take with that industry. Maybe you like to design clothes, make them, sell them, or dress people that do not have a sense of fashion. Then there is behind the scenes with marketing and managing a label. These are all departments of fashion, but I do not think any of these apply to me. When people come to me for fashion advice, it makes me jump up and I get excited to collaborate with the person finding out how to cater to their needed advice. It brings me joy when my closet is shared and going into stores, finding sales and vintage clothing, and working with what I have to be creative with my wardrobe creating my own unique style.
Photography. This is my main passion that I continue to pursue and want to center all of my passions around. There is no limit or set goal that I have with photography. Some day I want to be on the sidelines of green turf with my large lens and hearing the scream of thousands of college students cheering on their school's football team. I can see myself shooting on the side lines of a run way for high fashion and adding those pictures to my photo blog. I want to travel and go to countries where people have never had their photo taken and maybe help those who lost loved ones and use their photographs to search for them. But, out of all these goals, there is one thing that I want to do with photography, the only thing I truly care about, is bringing people joy with the pictures I take.
These are just some of my visions and goals for my life, but I believe that everyone should be thinking about their dreams for their life. There is so many opportunities that we have and we should be finding out our passions and when a door opens, take a leap of faith and walk through it. Being creative with your dreams and setting new goals is so important. When one door closes, a window is opened, so take risks and see where life takes you.
Fashion. There are so many directions someone could take with that industry. Maybe you like to design clothes, make them, sell them, or dress people that do not have a sense of fashion. Then there is behind the scenes with marketing and managing a label. These are all departments of fashion, but I do not think any of these apply to me. When people come to me for fashion advice, it makes me jump up and I get excited to collaborate with the person finding out how to cater to their needed advice. It brings me joy when my closet is shared and going into stores, finding sales and vintage clothing, and working with what I have to be creative with my wardrobe creating my own unique style.
Photography. This is my main passion that I continue to pursue and want to center all of my passions around. There is no limit or set goal that I have with photography. Some day I want to be on the sidelines of green turf with my large lens and hearing the scream of thousands of college students cheering on their school's football team. I can see myself shooting on the side lines of a run way for high fashion and adding those pictures to my photo blog. I want to travel and go to countries where people have never had their photo taken and maybe help those who lost loved ones and use their photographs to search for them. But, out of all these goals, there is one thing that I want to do with photography, the only thing I truly care about, is bringing people joy with the pictures I take.
These are just some of my visions and goals for my life, but I believe that everyone should be thinking about their dreams for their life. There is so many opportunities that we have and we should be finding out our passions and when a door opens, take a leap of faith and walk through it. Being creative with your dreams and setting new goals is so important. When one door closes, a window is opened, so take risks and see where life takes you.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Christian Writer
The question is whether or not it is okay to not implement God in a Christian's writing. A Christian has the chance to bring up God and have their article centered around their beliefs, maybe even quoting the Bible to state Biblical truths. Writing in a way that only relates to Christians can deter non-Christian readers away from the article.
It is beneficial for the writer to write in an indirect way towards about their beliefs because they can reach a larger audience. Most people that are non-Christians will immediately move on from an article if it is based around faith and one religions beliefs. In order to have lots of readers be open to reading the author's work, writing in a way that doesn't disregard the Christian faith and still is honoring to God, will allow more readers to read work that still speaks a lot of truth.
Not all Christian writers have to write in a secular way. There are many cases that writing should mention God and use the Bible to state what God really thinks about a worldly issue. Relevant Magazine brings up God in most of their articles and encourages Christians to focus on what God thinks about technology, entertainment, and culture. This is a magazine that focuses on reaching a Christian audience and is does not hold back from stating their faith.
Writing can pertain to specific audiences, but having writing applicable to a broader audience, can help build the reader up with Biblical truths, even if they do not realize it. Where ever a Christian decides to work, it should be their mission field and they can use their work to bring glory to God. God's truths should be on the tip of the tongue for those who believe, but it is not necessary to be so direct in one's writing.
It is beneficial for the writer to write in an indirect way towards about their beliefs because they can reach a larger audience. Most people that are non-Christians will immediately move on from an article if it is based around faith and one religions beliefs. In order to have lots of readers be open to reading the author's work, writing in a way that doesn't disregard the Christian faith and still is honoring to God, will allow more readers to read work that still speaks a lot of truth.
Not all Christian writers have to write in a secular way. There are many cases that writing should mention God and use the Bible to state what God really thinks about a worldly issue. Relevant Magazine brings up God in most of their articles and encourages Christians to focus on what God thinks about technology, entertainment, and culture. This is a magazine that focuses on reaching a Christian audience and is does not hold back from stating their faith.
Writing can pertain to specific audiences, but having writing applicable to a broader audience, can help build the reader up with Biblical truths, even if they do not realize it. Where ever a Christian decides to work, it should be their mission field and they can use their work to bring glory to God. God's truths should be on the tip of the tongue for those who believe, but it is not necessary to be so direct in one's writing.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Surprising Tragedy (In class assignment)
Friends and family members of Alyssa Alvarez were stunned at the recent news that she passed away today, Thursday, March 24, 2011. This sweet and friendly 19 year old grew up in San Diego County, moving from different houses and attending multiple schools. By the end of her elementary years, she already attended 4 schools, but that did not stop her from cultivating her friendships at her previous schools and making new ones. She was always really involved in school activities like basketball, drama, lacrosse, leading the Christian club and was in two youth groups. Starting in Jr. High, she entered a dark time where her faith was lost and it was not until her sophomore year when she found hope again and became a Christian. Her life dramatically changed and during her exciting and fun senior year, she was certain of what college she wanted to attend, Biola University. She was so excited to study journalism and was excited for her future. Those who knew Alyssa, feel extreme loss for their loved one.
Remembering Laura Cook (An in class excercise)
Laura Cook, a young college student who was passionate about life, unexpectedly died as an oncoming car ran into her when she was walking to class this morning at10:45am. This is a shock for those who know Laura and many do not know how to handle the recent news of her death. Her life impacted many people and today there are many mourning over her death.
The news of her death will linger on in the hearts of those who know Laura for months. Her mother has locked herself in her room and will not speak to anyone, even her husband. Tears soak the kitchen floor as the family only gets up and out of their room to get a bite to eat. Heads are hung low as they remember the short life Laura got to live.
Growing up, there was very little to wipe the smile off of Laura's face. Laughter was always heard when Laura was around. Her vibrant spirit carried her and she set her goals high. Many asked Laura what she wanted to do in the future and she would spend 20 minutes explaining all of her ideas of how she wanted to use her talents and gifts. It was obvious to the people she interacted with where her joy came from. Her love for God caused her to treat others in a loving way and desired to reach out and be a friend to many. The faith Laura had inspired her Christian friends as well as non-Christians in her life who tried to understand why Laura was so sure of her beliefs. There were many people that were impacted by Laura's life, but she also admired and had many people in her life that encouraged and supported her.
She had a very close relationship with her mother who not only taught her valuable lessons and continually loved her unconditionally, but they found how similar their personalities were. They could give each other advice and it developed into more than just a mother daughter relationship, but a friendship. Her father cried with her when ever she was hurt by something or if he couldn't provide for her in the way he hoped for. She noticed her brother calling her randomly at school asking how she was doing and wanting to catch up when he doesn't invest time in many people's lives. Lastly in her family, her sister and her bonded on a deep level and dreamed about having a career together after school and found themselves sleeping in each other's rooms when they were home together. Unfortunately, Laura was looking forward to traveling to visit her sister in Australia in just a few weeks, and now her sister has to fly home to attend a funeral.
Laura had a story coming to Biola. Her testimony of God's provision was inspiring to many and they witnessed God provide miracles in her life.The most important thing to Laura was attending Biola University and when she thought she wasn't going to be able to go back last semester, she was devastated. Laura understands what it feels like not to afford pursuing your dreams and she asked that if any thing were to ever happen, she would want any money that would be spent on other things for her funeral reception, to go to a scholarship fund for students that can't afford going to Biola. This is her way of living her legacy and sharing God's provision in her life with those whose faith is in God.
The news of her death will linger on in the hearts of those who know Laura for months. Her mother has locked herself in her room and will not speak to anyone, even her husband. Tears soak the kitchen floor as the family only gets up and out of their room to get a bite to eat. Heads are hung low as they remember the short life Laura got to live.
Growing up, there was very little to wipe the smile off of Laura's face. Laughter was always heard when Laura was around. Her vibrant spirit carried her and she set her goals high. Many asked Laura what she wanted to do in the future and she would spend 20 minutes explaining all of her ideas of how she wanted to use her talents and gifts. It was obvious to the people she interacted with where her joy came from. Her love for God caused her to treat others in a loving way and desired to reach out and be a friend to many. The faith Laura had inspired her Christian friends as well as non-Christians in her life who tried to understand why Laura was so sure of her beliefs. There were many people that were impacted by Laura's life, but she also admired and had many people in her life that encouraged and supported her.
She had a very close relationship with her mother who not only taught her valuable lessons and continually loved her unconditionally, but they found how similar their personalities were. They could give each other advice and it developed into more than just a mother daughter relationship, but a friendship. Her father cried with her when ever she was hurt by something or if he couldn't provide for her in the way he hoped for. She noticed her brother calling her randomly at school asking how she was doing and wanting to catch up when he doesn't invest time in many people's lives. Lastly in her family, her sister and her bonded on a deep level and dreamed about having a career together after school and found themselves sleeping in each other's rooms when they were home together. Unfortunately, Laura was looking forward to traveling to visit her sister in Australia in just a few weeks, and now her sister has to fly home to attend a funeral.
Laura had a story coming to Biola. Her testimony of God's provision was inspiring to many and they witnessed God provide miracles in her life.The most important thing to Laura was attending Biola University and when she thought she wasn't going to be able to go back last semester, she was devastated. Laura understands what it feels like not to afford pursuing your dreams and she asked that if any thing were to ever happen, she would want any money that would be spent on other things for her funeral reception, to go to a scholarship fund for students that can't afford going to Biola. This is her way of living her legacy and sharing God's provision in her life with those whose faith is in God.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Set Us Ablaze
Mission's conference's theme was to set the hearts of the students Ablaze. Students have been working on Mission's Conference for months now and were excited to see it come into fruition. For those who left early or decided to not attend, really missed out on an event that changed many hearts of students that could not help their souls be ignited for God from the various messages that the speakers touched on.
There were many topics that different speakers spoke on, but the main focus was Jesus' love and His power to heal and change lives. "I felt freedom and released from bondage," said Kendra Schmidt, a freshman at Biola University. One of the speakers listened to the Holy Spirit and sensed that the students were broken and needed confess their sin and not hide what they were dealing with. Adrienne Grey, a freshman, mentioned that after this revival, students need to be held accountable to what they learned because it was a serious time of growth. "My professors ask what we got out of missions conference which helps us remember what we learned," Kendra commented.
How can Biola continue to stay in the same mindset of accountability and focusing on God? Adrienne said, "We need to trust and have openness with one another at all times." Nathan Fan absorbed what the speakers said about the importance of love and obedience, "You can't love God with out being obedient, so I'm encouraged to live out the commandments."
"Missions is a step in the right direction," Nathan said. The hearts of the students were set ablaze and will continue to be on fire for God if students are holding each other accountable and following up with one another. The theme was not just for the three day Mission's Conference, but was a theme to reach the students and transform their lives for the rest of their lives. Learning about the different mission's needs across the world was just an aspect of the conference, but the students did not realize their hearts were going to be transformed and set ablaze.
There were many topics that different speakers spoke on, but the main focus was Jesus' love and His power to heal and change lives. "I felt freedom and released from bondage," said Kendra Schmidt, a freshman at Biola University. One of the speakers listened to the Holy Spirit and sensed that the students were broken and needed confess their sin and not hide what they were dealing with. Adrienne Grey, a freshman, mentioned that after this revival, students need to be held accountable to what they learned because it was a serious time of growth. "My professors ask what we got out of missions conference which helps us remember what we learned," Kendra commented.
How can Biola continue to stay in the same mindset of accountability and focusing on God? Adrienne said, "We need to trust and have openness with one another at all times." Nathan Fan absorbed what the speakers said about the importance of love and obedience, "You can't love God with out being obedient, so I'm encouraged to live out the commandments."
"Missions is a step in the right direction," Nathan said. The hearts of the students were set ablaze and will continue to be on fire for God if students are holding each other accountable and following up with one another. The theme was not just for the three day Mission's Conference, but was a theme to reach the students and transform their lives for the rest of their lives. Learning about the different mission's needs across the world was just an aspect of the conference, but the students did not realize their hearts were going to be transformed and set ablaze.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Favorite Sugary Treat
My eyes grow big when I see the stand at Disneyland. The sweet sugary smell can be smelt 100's of yards away. I can't wait to hold the warm, foot long treat in my hands. When I am handed the buttery, chewy desert, my mouth starts to water. My teeth sink into the top of the desert and instantly my eyes close to capture the taste of this delicious treat. My lips are covered with sugar, but I don't lick it off because I want to savor the flavor. Every bite warms the inside of my body. The ridges on the outside of the desert create the perfect crispy texture. I look forward to this moment every time I enter the gates of the "happiest place on earth." I dread eating the last bite of my churro, so as soon as I finish the mouthwatering treat, I go up to the stand and purchase another one.
How Does Biola Feel?
There is an unusual stillness on campus for a Tuesday afternoon. Students are quietly studying around the cool fountain trying to stay focused. Most students look weary and as they walk by, little conversation is passed between friends. There has to be a lot of students still sleeping and resting in their dorm rooms or diligently studying for the last bit of classes today. The tiredness of the students is obvious as they stare at the fountain's water instead of their book in their hand. Endurance is felt by the students studying around me. Although there are a lot of students weary, I can hear laughter near by and recognize the sense of community around. The fountain gathers students and the misty water makes everyone feel peaceful.
The cement pathways swerving around campus connects the school and makes everyone feel welcome. The cafeteria's outdoor gate's buzzer went off because of an act of rebellion from a student. More loud beeping sounds were overpowering the birds singing from a large crane driving through campus. Next to the crane, a small building's walls are covered with metal and ridged spin dials that students turn in hopes to find a letter sitting in the smooth metal box. If a letter is discovered in the mailbox, students drift over to the forest green, plastic chairs and place their arms holding the letter on the cold, outdoor patio. The school is filled with rough, brick buildings, and tables to encourage people to be outside and share conversation with one another, but it is the nature that pulls everything together to feel serene.
Tim, a resident of Hart, said that every morning he wakes up to the sound of ducks squawking. He quickly gets annoyed because of the early wake up call, but is soon relaxed by the nature that the ducks bring to the campus. As he walks around the school, he feels mellow and loves that Biola's campus makes him feel relaxed outside of the classroom.
The cement pathways swerving around campus connects the school and makes everyone feel welcome. The cafeteria's outdoor gate's buzzer went off because of an act of rebellion from a student. More loud beeping sounds were overpowering the birds singing from a large crane driving through campus. Next to the crane, a small building's walls are covered with metal and ridged spin dials that students turn in hopes to find a letter sitting in the smooth metal box. If a letter is discovered in the mailbox, students drift over to the forest green, plastic chairs and place their arms holding the letter on the cold, outdoor patio. The school is filled with rough, brick buildings, and tables to encourage people to be outside and share conversation with one another, but it is the nature that pulls everything together to feel serene.
Tim, a resident of Hart, said that every morning he wakes up to the sound of ducks squawking. He quickly gets annoyed because of the early wake up call, but is soon relaxed by the nature that the ducks bring to the campus. As he walks around the school, he feels mellow and loves that Biola's campus makes him feel relaxed outside of the classroom.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
What Was That Smell?
The whiff that breezes past me as I walk past a man, always captures my attention. I have often thought about switching wearing my perfume to men's cologne, but socially, that would be bizarre. There is something about men's cologne that is captivating. Maybe it is their job to smell good, but there are distinct smells that make my nostrils flare.
The Pulitzer Prize: The girl in the window by Lane DeGregory
There was a girl found in a closet by policeman who was investigating a run down house that a family lived in. He could barely make out the girl in the dark room and found her naked with soars covering her body, lice in her hair, and a swollen diaper. Investigators wept on the scene and were completey furious that a mother could let this happen to a child. This article was heart wrentching, intriguing, and heart breaking.
After reading this article, something moved inside of me. The end of the last paragraph made me as a reader curious about who the girl was that the neighbors never saw before and that they never saw her again until someone decided to call the police. The writer gave an intense visual of the house that the investigators came across, and the condition of the child. My arms filled with goosebumps when I read "'Due to the severe neglect,' a doctor would write, 'the child will be disabled for the rest of her life.'" The story begins by sharing the mystery of a little girl living in a dark, run down house and tells the story of her rescue and the healing process that she faced at the hospital for 6 weeks. Quotes are used to make the feature like a story and enhance the story to be filled with rage from the people who came in contact with the child. Tears filled my eyes as I read the story. The emotion and visual that was filled in this feature, will stick with me for the rest of my life.
After reading this article, something moved inside of me. The end of the last paragraph made me as a reader curious about who the girl was that the neighbors never saw before and that they never saw her again until someone decided to call the police. The writer gave an intense visual of the house that the investigators came across, and the condition of the child. My arms filled with goosebumps when I read "'Due to the severe neglect,' a doctor would write, 'the child will be disabled for the rest of her life.'" The story begins by sharing the mystery of a little girl living in a dark, run down house and tells the story of her rescue and the healing process that she faced at the hospital for 6 weeks. Quotes are used to make the feature like a story and enhance the story to be filled with rage from the people who came in contact with the child. Tears filled my eyes as I read the story. The emotion and visual that was filled in this feature, will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Protesters Gone Mad
Family members and friends were not the only people to attend a funeral for a marine who died in Iraq , but protesters attended waving flags and signs saying things like "God hates fags" and "America is doomed." These protesters felt it was their right to attend these funeral services and vocalize their opinion. The Supreme Court ruled in a 8-1 decision, that being able to say what you want to is constitutional, regardless if it is offensive or hurts someone.
The words that these protesters said were insensitive and stirred a lot of people's emotions. I was bothered because of the reputation that it made for people in the church. Already, Christians are having to break the perceptions of people who think that Christians and God hate people who are gay. Many were offended and surprised of the Supreme Court's ruling not understanding how they could allow this to happen. The Supreme Court realized the frustration that this instance brought up, but they felt that they had to protect these protesters rights so the future citizens of America have the same rights to freedom of speech.
Whether citizens do not consent or agree with these protesters, I think that the ruling of the Supreme Court was a wise decision. They were not thinking at the present situation and how what the protesters said seemed morally wrong, but they looked at the future of citizen's rights to freedom of speech. It is so easy to say that it is wrong and not allow such things to take place, but the Supreme Court did what was necessary to protect the future of the U.S. citizens.
Deborah stated in her blog about these protesters, that she understood the Supreme Court's ruling, but did not understand how the people could say these things about this marine. She was frustrated that people in the church did not choosing to love this person or feel remorse for his family and criticize the person in such a sensitive time for the family.
The words that these protesters said were insensitive and stirred a lot of people's emotions. I was bothered because of the reputation that it made for people in the church. Already, Christians are having to break the perceptions of people who think that Christians and God hate people who are gay. Many were offended and surprised of the Supreme Court's ruling not understanding how they could allow this to happen. The Supreme Court realized the frustration that this instance brought up, but they felt that they had to protect these protesters rights so the future citizens of America have the same rights to freedom of speech.
Whether citizens do not consent or agree with these protesters, I think that the ruling of the Supreme Court was a wise decision. They were not thinking at the present situation and how what the protesters said seemed morally wrong, but they looked at the future of citizen's rights to freedom of speech. It is so easy to say that it is wrong and not allow such things to take place, but the Supreme Court did what was necessary to protect the future of the U.S. citizens.
Deborah stated in her blog about these protesters, that she understood the Supreme Court's ruling, but did not understand how the people could say these things about this marine. She was frustrated that people in the church did not choosing to love this person or feel remorse for his family and criticize the person in such a sensitive time for the family.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Next Step For My Story
If the editor for The Chimes is interested in my topic, I will expand on my topic to answer the "so what" question. I will also interview more credible sources and find articles that relate to my topic so that my audience recognizes why the story matters to them.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Dear Proffessor Longinow
Coming up with a topic for my story was very easy because I am passionate about one thing on campus, the poor weekend life at Biola. I was apprehensive to go out and interview, unsure of what questions I was going to ask and how the people would respond to me asking them a variety of questions. Once I had the questions written out, I felt my confidence go up. The more prepared I was on my topic, I felt ready for anyone to rebuttal my topic or present questions to me. I loved writing my story and felt proud of it when it was finished.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
On the Record
Asking to be interviewed for an article can make a person very skeptical of the interviewers authority and ability to present them well. Interviews can be very intimidating and if you don't come prepared, you might not be taken seriously and the person being interviewed might not trust your ability to quote them right. Many people don't like their opinion being quoted because they are not confident or sure of their opinion. People feel like it is not necessary to have their name tied to their quote, but writers know how beneficial it is to give the article eligibility. Interviewers should reassure and give the person they are interviewing confidence that their opinion will be published in tasteful and respectable manner.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Exposed on Gawker
Everyone should know by now how public and viral the internet is. Christopher Lee just resigned his position as a U.S. Congressman because information was leaked from his interaction with a lady on Craigslist. We have seen many scandals like this in the government before, and trying to cover up the truth is not uncommon. Lee used the excuse that his email account was hacked into, but still tried to apologize for the disappointment that he brought to everyone. If he took initiative and stepped down from office, why would he not take that opportunity to start making a good name for himself and be completely honest? We all do things we regret, but we also have to take responsibility for our actions in order to gain the respect from those around us. A person in leadership needs to take full ownership. There is always room for redemption, so he should have used that opportunity to his advantage for a fresh start and move past this scandal.
Construction on Biola’s Campus
Laura Cook
Emily Cariaga
Rachel Pierson
Construction is now a part of every student and faculty member’s life at Biola University. Many were shocked when they returned from winter break to see the main road through campus fenced off with a detour in place. There are many changes happening all over campus affecting not only the students that live in the dorms, but also those who commute. Naomi Sornoso, a Biola commuter, shared that she has to deal with the detour on a daily basis, “I drove to school all last semester, but after being twenty minutes late to class, even though I left a half an hour early, I made the decision to start walking to school.”
While some commuters see the construction as a hindrance, others see it as beneficial for the school’s development. Jillian Mepherson commented on the parking structure being crucial to solving the problem of limited parking spaces, but mentioned that the school should have started the project in the summer when it wouldn’t affect the spring semester students. The university started major projects during interterm continuing into the beginning of a new semester when students need convenience so their focus is on school instead of figuring out which detour to take to get to class on time.
Biola has three construction projects taking place right now, making it difficult to get around campus. Naomi shared that facilities should not have decided to do all three projects at the same time, but instead spread the construction projects out over the next few years. But Meagan Bellefeuilde said, “I would rather get it out of the way so that next semester our campus is completed and functional.”
Even though some students think it is better to have the school under construction for a short amount of time rather then spread out over the course of a few years, the argument that Biola should make major changes on campus at a more convenient time is valid.
Even though some students think it is better to have the school under construction for a short amount of time rather then spread out over the course of a few years, the argument that Biola should make major changes on campus at a more convenient time is valid.
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