Monday, March 31, 2008

DEADLINE: April 4 Stories

Dear NewsHounds:

Please file everything about your APRIL 4 DEADLINE stories here by clicking on the “comment” link below and ading your....

• queries about story ideas/sources
• suggestions for other writers
• your actual stories
• discussions/feedback on the stories of others

Please enter your pitches for future stories under the appropriate deadlines (e.g., April 11, April 18, April 25).

REMEMBER!!!!!

Every time you make an entry/post on this site, you MUST start it with your topic (e.g., NEW:, FEEDBACK , QUERY , etc.), followed by YOUR NAME and YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.

Like this:
QUERY: Sources on attics needed


Followed by your query: "I'm doing a story on what's in people’s attics. Anyone have a good source--a gramma, a neighbor, some weird guy down the street....? I NEED IT SOON!!!!”

OK?

Professor Pease
Ask Dr. Ted: http://askdrted.blogspot.com

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Five bands from Utah competed Friday night for the opportunity to open for the upcoming Eve 6 concert in Logan on April 9, said Tom Atwood, president of Almeria Entertainment.
Local radio stations KLZX and KSM along with Almeria Entertainment organized the event in attempt to expose local talent, help bands get their name out, and to acquire fans in front of a large audience, said Atwood. The battle showcased bands: Dr. Rock, Short Access, Side Dish, Mad Love Spell, and The Narwahal Crisis made up of Utah State students.

“This will give bands an opportunity to premier their work where otherwise they would not be able to,” said DJ Feelright from KLZX.

The event, held at the Logan fairgrounds, was the first battle of the bands KLZX has ever put on, Feelright said. The five bands who played the event were selected from 37 bands who sent demos to KLZX. These demos were played on the radio and voted on by the station’s listeners, Feelright said.

A panel of five judges evaluated the bands on five categories including stage presence, creativity, cohesiveness, intros/endings, and crowd response. After the groups played three songs each, judges combined their reviews to determine the winner.

The winning band, Side Dish, is an Orem based ska/rock band. Ryan Sanders, the lead singer and guitarist, said although this was a smaller event they had just as much fun playing Cache Valley as they did at all other events. “It’s just fun to play in front of a large crowd who digs your music,” said Sanders,

Although historically the music scene in Cache Valley has not been great, Atwood is determined to make Logan a hub for popular music. “These events are just a scratch on the surface,” Atwood said. He plans to work towards bringing more mainstream bands like Eve 6 to Logan. In addition he plans on providing local bands with more opportunities like Friday night’s battle of the bands to reach out to a broader audience.

By the end of the night a couple hundred people turned out for the event, all supporting the band they voted for, Atwood said. “Over all it was a fantastic show.”

Anonymous said...

That last story was Greg's, sorry. I'm just currious what everyone thinks

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Story Idea
Harper
cameron.harper@aggiemail.usu.edu

Hey , every week there's a group that meets and does western swing dancing, I have some friends who do it and it kinda sounds like fun. I was thinking of doing my story on that... what do ya think?

Metta Ray said...

Story Idea
Metta
metta.ray@yahoo.com

My story idea for my April 4 story is an issue story about favoritism in the local judicial system based on a story about a girl who was hit by a car, while riding her bicycle, who was driven by the owner of Edwards Furniture. He sued the bicyclist for breaking his headlight, even though he ran the red light, causing the accident.
The judge ruled in the car drivers favor!
You may be interested to know that the store owner and judge are neighbors....

sources will be;
the bicyclist
the driver of the car
the judge

Anonymous said...

Comment
Arriola
joshua.arriola@gmail.com

Anyone have any ideas for a story?

Anonymous said...

COMMENT

Leilani Vaiaoga
LeilaniV@cc.usu.edu

Prof. Pease-
I'm gonna do a sports story which may seem boring to some in our class- but I don't care because it interests me. I'm going to do a story on:

NCAA March Madness Tournament

-students who do a bracket and how much the pay outs are in their betting pools
-the Final Four play this saturday; Jaycee Carroll is participating in the 3-point competition at the Final Four
-predictions for Final Four winners and the championship winner;why do people love March Madness so much

Thanks.

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff said...

FEEDBACK from Pease

1. Greg: If that's your story on "Five bands...," please refile with your name/email on the top, as per NH1 (NewsHounds1) required style. Are you looking for feedback from the rest of the class?

Others NH1s (NewsHounds1): If you will read and comment on Greg's story, please ID yourself and slug your post "Comment on Greg's Bands story.

2. Cameron: Swing dancing MIGHt make a story, but what about it? Will need plenty ofdecription of the people, costumes, music, dance moves. How to frame it????

3. Metta: Might make a good story if framed the right way. You'll need everyone's story, if possible--the bicyclist, the driver, the judge, the cops. And then the focus might be on the judge—what "lesson" did he think he was sending in finding against the cyclist, and to whom? Is this a story about judicial discretion?

4. Leilani: A March Madness story MIGHT be OK, depending on your focus and your timing. Is it about gambling (the brackets)? about sport nuts? About the scene while watching the semis (in which case, you'll have to be there and describe the participants, the game, etc.....) The danger is that it might be an obsolete story by the time you get it done.

What do the rest of you think?

Dr. Ted

Cecily Frances Kiss said...

story idea: hookah

I feel like a ton of people smoke hookah and I don't really know anything about it, but there are even hookah bars, when I think of it I think of some crazy drug, so I want to know more about it and i think other people would be interested too. I was thinking of talking to some people who don't know what it is and finding out just how much people know about it and then talking to people who smoke it and seeing what they know, and then maybe someone who sales it, and a doctor who knows health info about it.
what does everyone think?

Cecily Kiss
cecily.kiss@aggiemail.usu.edu

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff said...

FEEDBACK from Pease

Cecily: I had no idea that hookahs were back in vogue (and for smoking things other than opium and hash, etc....!). Tell me more?

TP

Anonymous said...

Tanner Symp.
Arriola
joshua.arriola@gmail.com

The Tanner symposium is gonna be here tomorrow until friday. I thought I would pick a day and go to one and then write something. Any suggestions for sources or better ideas/

Anonymous said...

Cecily Kiss
Hookah Smoke
4-4-08

With flavors like vanilla, orange creamsicle, mint, and strawberry, the tobacco that is used in hookah practically sounds like candy. Hookah is a water pipe used to smoke flavored tobacco, it is also known as shisha, narghile, and goza. Hookah has been around for centuries in the Middle East and Asia but it has more recently become popular among teens and young adults in America. Although Hookah is believed to be less harmful than cigarettes, studies show that an hour long hookah session is equivalent to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette.
“I love it because it makes me very relaxed and able to let all my worries go,” Sadie Green a freshmen at Utah State said “It’s not addictive and I don’t think it can be that bad for you because its flavored smoke.” In all actuality hookah smoke, which is filtered through water is just as bad if not worse than smoking cigarettes. It still contains high levels of carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals as well as nicotine, which is the addictive substance in tobacco.
“The first time I saw someone smoke hookah I couldn’t believe that someone could breath in that much smoke and not cough,” Zachary Matthews said “But that’s what is so great about it, you can breath in so much.” Hookah has become popular with young adults looking to relax and socialize. Hookah bars are popping up across the country, and anyone who is of legal age to purchase tobacco can enjoy smoking hookah in a hookah bar.
Ryan Barfuss, the prevention specialist for the student wellness center said that smoking hookah is not safe, and it is just as addictive as cigarettes. “People have a false hope that its safer,” Barfuss said “ However it is not safe at all.”

Cecily Kiss
cecily.kiss@aggiemail.usu.edu

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff said...

HOOKAH...

It's a start, Cecily...more? What's your focus?

Ideas, anyone else?

Let's talk.

Professor Pease

Anonymous said...

Comment
Jessica Prado
j.n.p@aggiemail.usu.edu


Cecily: This is really interesting. I have never heard of hookah. Weird. There is one sentence that sounds funny though;"In all actuality hookah smoke, which is filtered through water is just as bad if not worse than smoking cigarettes." It seems like this should have been in quotations with the way it was worded, although I am gathering it is not a quote but rather your own statement. I suggest revisiting that sentence. It may sound better to simply eliminate it altogether. I like the sentence,"It still contains high levels of carbon monoxide, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals as well as nicotine, which is the addictive substance in tobacco." However, I would delete the "It still" and replace it with "Hookah." Then I would move that sentence to the bottom of your story so that is closer to the Barfuss quote. It seems like it would fit better there. Anyway, very interesting. Good job.

Anonymous said...

April 4th Story
Jessica Prado
j.n.p@aggiemail.usu.edu

Step Aside for Men in Heels

LOGAN — April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a nationally designated month that is being recognized for the fourth consecutive year by men who are willing to be seen in high heels as they take a stand against sexual violence and raise money to help prevent violence at Utah State University.

The USU Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information office will sponsor the annual “Walk-a-Mile-in-Her-Shoes” event, which is scheduled Apr. 9, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Taggart Student Center on the USU campus (bad weather location will be the USU Bookstore).

“This is an opportunity for men on our campus to make the statement that ‘sexual violence is not okay with me and I am willing to walk one mile in high heels to prove it!” said Rachel Brighton, SAAVI coordinator.

According to the SAAVI website, one-in-four college women have been the victim of rape or attempted rape since the age of 14, while one out of every 33 men have experienced sexual assault.

“It is important to understand that sexual violence impacts…both men and women…and all of us can do something about the problem,” Brighton said.

Women may also participate as a “Blister Sister” who can assist with recruiting male walkers and help with the walker check-in process, run tables, and escort male participants on their walk during the event.

“Inviting men and women to become allies in ending violence sends a powerful message. Solutions to violence will only be found when men and women work together to end the problem,” Brighton said.

Shane Sessions, of USU Campus Police, has participated in the occasion for the past three years and plans to show his support again this year.

“I must love to wear women’s high heels,” Sessions said.

Sessions added that he is a strong supporter of SAAVI and its education and awareness efforts because with his experience in law enforcement he has worked with victims and has seen firsthand—“what we don't want to see in our society”—the damage caused by sexual assault.

The funds raised at “Walk-a-Mile” will help support the SAAVI Office along with the One-in-Four Chapter, a USU all-male peer-education group devoted to educating men about rape and sexual assault.

There will be gift cards, door prizes and other awards for certain categories such as "Most Money Raised" and "Most Enthusiastic Walker.”

Brighton said that this year the “Organization/Group with the Most Male Walkers” will be awarded rights to a new and different Walk-a-Mile Organizational Trophy that is hand-crafted and features a pair of “Jessica Simpson high heels.”

Those interested in participating or learning more about SAAVI or “Walk-a-Mile-in-Her-Shoes” may visit http://www.usu.edu/saavi for detailed information including walk times and other upcoming events.

Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff said...

FEEDBACK: Jessica
Pease
ted.pease@usu.edu

Jessica:

Nice preview. Is this your finished version? Comments, everyone else?

TP

Anonymous said...

Yah. I suppose that's the finished version. I'm not really sure what else to add. Besides, I am more interested in the story I am working on for next week. I think it'll be funny.

Anonymous said...

Reply to Feedback
Jessica Prado
j.n.p@aggiemail.usu.edu



OOOPS! That last response was mine.

Anonymous said...

STORY
MIGGIN
nicolemiggin@yahoo.com

“Dancing with the stars has nothing on us” said Hayley Hayden, Pres. of the USU Ballroom Dance Team as she described the teams Spring Show that will be held tonight at the Ellen Eccles Theater at 7:30 pm.

Of the 13 dances on the program the ballroom team will dance six, including a team Waltz, Cha-Cha, Latin Medley, Viennese Waltz and two solo performances said Hayden. Each of these dances was chosen because they are favorites of the team and the audience. “This years team enjoys the faster dances like the Cha-Cha,” said Hayden, “but the audience likes the slower dances like the Waltz.” Trevor Frodsham, sophomore and USU Ballroom enthusiast agrees the Waltz is like “poetry in motion.”

The team has been practicing three hours per night, three days per week, all year in preparation for the Spring Show, said Bryan Jackson, USU Freshman on the ballroom team. The Spring Show is something the team looks forward to the whole year and is the culmination of all our hard work Hayden agreed.

This performance and others like it help the almost entirely self-funded team to raise money for traveling, competing, and costumes. “The school (USU) gives us a space to practice, but then it is up to the team to find a way to get to competitions.” said Hayden. The team has already participated in two competitions this year and everyone on the team has made it to the semi-final rounds. “We are under funded, but (we) have the some of the best talent,” said Jackson. The money from the Spring Show will help the team get to their third competition this year. “It is our first competition where we will be judged as a team and not as couples, and we will place.” said Hayden.

On the team are Hayley Hayden, Danielle Holcomb, Chaylse Johnson, Natalie Shaw, Idena Ward, Daniel Burton, Mike Godfrey, Dayne Howard, Bryan Jackson, Bentley Miles, Nathan Johns, and Dallin Smith. Their next competition will be in Las Vegas on April 17. GO AGGIES!

Anonymous said...

Story "plan"
Whitney Sant
whitneyjo@hotmail.com

soo I was thinking of doing a story about my teacher who is from Siera Leone in Africa and also another boy that attends that same class with me.. talk to them get some points of view of the U.S. and Utah in particular. But today by the grace of something greater I took a wrong turn down the wrong street and came head to head with a fire truck that was pulling up to a woman under a huge tree, next to a tree branch on the ground... So I pulled over and talked to the paramedics, neighbor and am planning on calling the hospital in a few hours to check on her condition... procrastination is my friend.( sorry prof pease, pretend you didn't read this)

Raelle said...

Raelle Greer
Daily Kos publisher and founder, Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, addressed USU students in an attempt to better inform them for the up coming election.
Markos Moulitsas Zúniga’s remarks were drawn from an unconventional question answer type lecture on different issues posed in the upcoming 2008 presidential elections.
“Political Junky” Zúniga said he is a former “Mexican Republican” turned “partisan hard core democrat” and being founder of the Daily Kos has had time to do his homework on the most pressing issues.
He grew up in El Salvador but later moved to the United States where he joined the US Armed Forces.
After his service he went to school at Northern Illinois University where he majored in Philosophy, Journalism, and Political Science.
Zúniga did have a prepared speech but found through his recent visits to other places, the majority of people wanted to talk more about the 2008 election rather than gate keeping and the media.
He found the same reaction with the students attending this most recent lecture.
“Politics is supposed to be fun,” he said as his speech covered topics’ ranging from those who are most likely to be vice president to the Iraq War.
Most of the questions about the election were focused towards Barrak Obama and Hillary Clinton seeing that the United States has never had such candidates run.
“It is the first time in history that the white guy gets screwed,” he said in reference to a students question about the race and gender of the candidates.
Zúniga being a democrat focused on the more positive side of the issues facing the democratic candidates, while trying to make the Republican Party not look as well.
He also addressed how the Democratic Party is on the rise and how more conservative states like Montana and Colorado are starting to turn around and elect democrat leaders.

Anonymous said...

Story - Markos Moulitsas Speech
Thach
khaivien.thach@aggiemail.usu.edu

Founder and author of the popular liberal weblog Daily Kos, Markos Moulitsas, shared with Utah State University students his feelings and thoughts about the 2008 presidential campaign and the Democratic Party on Thursday.
In the 90-minute question and answer session Moulitsas answered, and even asked the mostly liberal audience, various questions dealing with the candidates in this year’s election to his own decision to become a Democrat after growing up in a dominantly Republican community in Illinois. The change came after leaving service in the United States Army, where he was exposed to lot of different life experiences, said Moulitsas.
“Being a Republican didn’t seem right to me,” said Moulitsas. After graduating from Northern Illinois and Boston University School of Law, Moulitsas founded Daily Kos in 2002 which has become “the premier political community in the United States,” says the Daily Kos Web page.
Moulitsas’ first question was about his thoughts on the race and gender factors in this election. He said that this campaign was difficult for the other Democratic candidates because they were basically running against history, a chance for a black or female candidate.
“For once in history, the white guy got screwed,” said Moulitsas of John Edwards, who he felt was a very impressive Democratic candidate early in the race, but fell behind Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Moulitsas was excited about Obama and Clinton and what their campaigns have done to change politics in America.
“It’s progress that we’re even having this discussion,” said Moulitsas. With the two historical candidates and many Americans wanting change from the current Presidency, record numbers of voters have come out and a lot of excitement has been created on the Democratic side, said Moulitsas.
When an audience member asked Moulitsas who he thought would win the Democratic primary, his answer was Obama because of some of Clinton’s weaknesses. One of her biggest mistakes, said Moulitsas, was having her husband, former President Bill Clinton, on the campaign trail because of all the terrible and absurd things he has said.
“He has been an absolute disaster,” said Moulitsas.
Mouilitsas ended the discussion by calling on the few Republicans in the room and asked them if they were still planning on voting Republican this election. He also asked the Libertarian members in the audience and asked them about who they are voting for this fall and why. Moulitsas then talked about the Mountain West area and the increasing number of libertarian Democrats, like himself, in states like Utah and Idaho.
“It’s fascinating to see how rapidly politics are changing in this region,” said Moulitsas.
Along with publishing Daily Kos, Moulitsas is a contributing columnist to Newsweek magazine and a weekly columnist at The Hill (Washington D.C.) newspaper.

Cameron Harper said...

April 4 news story
Cameron Harper
cameron.harper@aggiemail.com

Markos Moulitsas, founder of the popular online blog site “Daily Kos,” addressed USU students Thursday and expressed his opinions on the upcoming presidential election.
“To me, politics have to be fun,” said Moulitsas, and the love of his job was evident as he discussed with students the importance of being politically aware during this election season. His lecture became a 90-minute question and answer session where many students had the opportunity to ask Moulitsas questions, and a lucky few were than asked questions about their own political views.
A wide variety of subjects were discussed from the Iraq war to Vice Presidential candidate possibilities for both John McCain and Barack Obama. The generally liberal crowd that attended asked questions about what they can do to get their views represented in a predominantly republican state. “It’s easier to change politics in states like Utah,” said Moulitsas, “but if you’re looking for instant success… you’re going to be disappointed.”
Moulitsas was born in Chicago in 1971. He became a republican because that was the norm of the area he grew up in and wanted to “fit in.” After serving in the Army for three years he abandoned the GOP. Moulitsas earned two bachelors degrees at Northern Illinois University with majors in philosophy, journalism, and political science. The New York Times has named him “the single most successful entrepreneur of the progressive movement,” was listed 26th in PC World's list of the "Most Important People on the Web,” and is co-author of the critically acclaimed book “Crashing the Gate.”
Moulitsas attributed the hype over this election to a “difference in voices,” saying this is the first election where we have had a white woman, a black male, and an old man as our major contenders for president, “people will vote if they see a contrast.”
The self-proclaimed “libertarian-tinged democrat” talked about the great advances the Democratic Party is making in the mountain west. He talked about the election of democrat John Tester in Montana and how even in Idaho and Utah democrats were making gains and changing public policy. “Change, in a way, can be as simple as I don’t like what’s happening now,” said Moulitsas, “let’s see what someone else can offer.”