NewsHounds1

Foot-Thump Car-Bombing

2009-05-04T09:12:00.002-07:00

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Foot-Thump Fixt
PEASE 5/2009

Remembering the Newsdawgs’ Final Exam….

It was a deceptively benign beginning to what would become a hellaciously sneaky story to write. In fact, all it took was a little focus and discipline, as the editor of the Fearless Foot-Thumper News later reflected.

“Most of these greenhorn kids fell for it hook, line and pencil-nosed toesucker,” editor Warren Pease chuckled.

“If they’d just remembered old Fred from down the block, the handy summary lead and the dependable old inverted pyramid, why, they’d have written a crime story, not a dam’ zoning meeting story. But most of ’em got tied up in their underwear and were completely hornswoggled. Hahahahaha! Whatever that means…”

“Poor little lost newshounds.”

You remember, don’t you, the calming effect when you started reading the instructions for the final news story of the semester, your excitement at having landed the Foot-Thump job in this lousy economy….

Congratulations! You have landed a reporting job at the Fearless Foot-Thumper News in Foot-Thump, Mont., a community of 32,000 in the eastern foothills of the Rockies, 70 miles southeast of Helena, the state capital. It’s been an eventful day or two. This morning’s events, following last night’s excitement after the weekly meeting of the Foot-Thump Regional Planning Commission, come after several months of controversy. Here are your notes, complete with background. Start with a good, strong summary lead, followed by the most important stuff in inverted pyramid structure. Read your notes carefully (warning: there may be red herrings, obfuscation, distractions and general hilarity). This is a MAJOR story. Your story must cover all the essential events and provide enough background context so that readers will understand what’s going on. This is an important, page-one lead story affecting the economy and political climate of the state.

Remember that? You do? SO WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED?! Here’s my finished version, for those of you who care to have a look at the story I was looking for.

Essential elements:
WHAT: Bombing, 2 dead/1 injured; FBI manhunt; attacks on commissioners; zone change
WHO: 2 dead (Delvy, Frazzle); 1 injured (Goodbottom); 6 sought in FBI manhunt (Throttle, Zimmer and four others)
WHERE: Foot-Thump, Mont.; Regional Planning Commission
WHEN: today/last night
WHY: ping-pong plant; environment; threats
HOW: car-bomb, threats

Nut Graf: FBI, police looking for six people this morning, including the city manager and a corporate CEO, on charges including murder of two Foot-Thump city officials killed in a car-bombing.

Foot-Thump Bombing
Pease

The city manager of Foot-Thump, Mont., and the head of an international conglomerate have been charged with murder and are the objects of the largest manhunt in Montana’s history after a (Monday) car-bombing killed two city officials.

City Manager John P. Throttle and Thornton Zimmer, CEO of the Zip-Zimmer Ping Pong Ball Corp., and four others are sought by the FBI and state law enforcement officials in connection with Monday’s car-bombing and a range of related charges.

Foot-Thump Police Chief Martin Malone said this morning that dynamite wired to the gas tank of a car driven by Thaddeus Goodbottom, chairman of the Foot-Thump Regional Planning Commission, exploded when Goodbottom started the car after Monday’s Planning Commission meeting.

“Boom,” Malone said this morning. “The Goodbottom vehicle exploded at approximately 10:48 p.m. as a result of explosives that apparently had been wired to its gas tank.”

Commissioners Pat Delvy and Ted Frazzle were killed in the explosion, Malone said. Goodbottom is in satisfactory condition, say doctors at the Foot-Thump Medical Center, with multiple broken bones, lacerations and second-degree burns over 35 percent of his body.

Malone said Throttle and Zimmer, who fled following the explosion, are charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder, in connection with the bombing. The FBI has been called in to participate in the search for the two executives and four unidentified accomplices.

Goodbottom, 46, regained consciousness this morning, doctors said. He and his family have been placed under protective custody, Malone said. Goodbottom told police that Throttle had threatened him shortly before the zoning commission meeting, Malone said.

>>>break<<<

The car-bombing came immediately following a contentious public meeting, attended by more than 250 Foot-Thump residents, during which the planning commission denied a long-debated zoning change that would have permitted construction of the world’s largest ping-pong ball factory. The proposed $732 million plant would have employed some 3,500 workers, but would have been built on 467 environmentally sensitive acres on the city’s water table near Lake Algae.

City officials, activists and environmentalists have charged that the plant would pollute Lake Algae and threaten the pencil-faced toe-cleaner, a small fish on the federal endangered-species list.

>>>break<<<

The regional planning commission meeting Monday was called to make a final determination on the Zip-Zimmer Corp’s application to build its plant, and the session rapidly turned ugly. Delvy charged Zimmer and Thornton with corruption, and the city manager attacked Delvy, attempting to strangle him, according to police.

Commissioners Delvy and Goodbottom said they had been threatened by proponents of the ping-pong ball factory. Delvy urged the commission to “throw this scoundrel out of town. Zimmer’s filthy proposal smacks of organized crime—look at the threats all of us have received today!” As evidence, Delvy offered his family’s dead cat, which he said had been found with a ping-pong ball stuffed in its mouth.

In his motion to deny the Zip-Zimmer factory’s zone change, Delvy cited consultant reports that predict environmental damage if the project is approved.

“From all our studies, it seems perfectly clear that building this factory will leave us and this town as dead as poor Fluffy, here,” Delvy said, indicating the corpse of his family’s pet. “Waste from that plant would contaminate our drinking water within a year. And in three years nothing would grow in soil from here to Missoula.”

Some economists and Zip-Zimmer proponents have argued that the factory, which they said could have supplied ping-pong balls for the upcoming Beijing Olympics, would have been a windfall for this economically challenged part of Montana. “We’ll be a boomtown,” argued Throttle, the city manager, before attacking Delvy at Monday’s meeting.

>>>more background, description of bombing, threats<<<

—30—

Feature Story

2009-04-23T11:06:00.002-07:00

SO I am doing my feature on a basketball player from Australia. Does anyone have any ideas of an angle for the story or something I should focus on? Any thoughts and or comments?? Thanks!

2009-04-15T14:20:00.002-07:00

I'm doing one of my stories on bad behavior in schools. I have a lot of it covered, but if anybody knows a middle or high school teacher that thinks behavior/respect has been decreasing please let me know! merci beaucoup!

Eating Disorders and Obesity in Logan

2009-04-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Hey! So this is my story, I think... anyone have any ideas and/or suggestions for angles or what I should write about or sources? Let me know!!

Makenzie

2009-04-13T09:59:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! For my feature story, i am doing it on Facebook and the time that it consumes in our lives and the way that our generation is changing because of the way we interact on facebook. let me know what ya think! how often do you use facebook? are you a facebook stalker? what do you use facebook for? do you communicate with teachers or use it for classes?

PostSecret

2009-04-13T09:43:00.002-07:00

For one of my in-depth stories, I am writing on a man who met his girl friend through PostSecret after she responded to his thread. What are all the other places people meet online? Any success stories?

2009-04-12T09:24:00.003-07:00

Hey I'm writing a story about gays and lesbians at Utah State, and what it is like for them living in such a conservative environment. I want to include their thoughts about Prop 8, and any other important events. If any of you know anyone willing to talk, or any other good sources, please let me know!

Quadriplegics

2009-04-08T13:50:00.001-07:00

Ok I might do my profile story on a guy that works here on campus who is a quadriplegic. He works for the center for persons with disabilities and has had some cool life experiences, his name is Gordon Richins.

Does anybody know anyone else here on campus that has disabilities or works with any other disabled persons? Maybe even someone who might know Mr. Richins?

Journalists!

2009-04-06T11:08:00.002-07:00

Okay I posted about this earlier but didn't end up doing the story, I keep changing my mind :) For my issue story I want to cover student journalists in a struggling market. We all know that newspapers are going down the drain and I want to know what you guys's reasons for being in this major are. Have any of you changed your mind because of the struggling market or for other reasons? If you are remaining in journalism are you nervous that your degree will end up being useless? All you journalism majors would be BRILLIANT sources. I'd appreciate the help :)

My Issue Story - Ex-Mormons

2009-04-06T09:33:00.003-07:00

For my issue story I'm writing an in-depth artical on Ex-Mormons. Does anyone know anyone that is or has left the church and has a really interesting story. Obviously there would be a semi-compelling reason if they are leaving the church. Email would be the best way for me to contact anyone who you provide me with. Thanks.

President Albrecht News Conference Prep

2009-04-05T12:37:00.002-07:00

NewsHounds Memo

Tomorrow (Monday) in class, please come prepared with everything there is to know about USU’s (and Utah’s) budget crisis—tuition, budget cuts, measures the university is taking to make ends meet (including early retirement buy-outs), etc., etc.—so we can prepare for Wednesday’s live press conference with USU President Stan Albrecht.

You can start researching this with this entry on the USU Today website, and then look for everything else you can find elsewhere on USU Today and the other Utah press (Trib, HJ, etc.) about financial issues in higher education. If you find particularly good sources as background, please post them here with URL links on NewsHounds1.

Two weeks ago, the president announced a 4.5 percent Tier II tuition increase. The student body also adopted a $130/year athletics fee increase. Also, today’s (Sunday) HJ reports that 200 faculty/staff are taking the buy-outs. Who are they? What departments? Faculty or staff? How much will that save USU? How will this effect YOUR education @ USU? Is that enough to keep the university afloat? Look for other old news to use as the basis for your questions of the president on Wednesday.

You need to have a clear understanding of both the state’s fiscal shortfall that has precipitated this crisis, as well as the particulars of USU’s budget woes. So do some homework! What do you think your readers (at USU, in Cache Valley, in your hometown...) will want to know from the president about economic shortfalls and the university?

Come to class tomorrow prepared with SPECIFIC questions and lines of questioning that you’d like to hear the president address when we meet with him.

• What do you want to know about the university's fiscal situation that you don't already know from previous press reports?
• What kinds of issues or topics would you (and your readers, whom you represent) want to hear the president of the university discuss?
• What specific aspects of the economic challenge do you think need explaining to your readers?
• What specific subjects have you heard the president (or others in higher ed) discuss that are unclear, fuzzy, confusing, of particular concern?
• If you had USU President Albrecht’s focused attention for five minutes (which you will!), what do you think USU students, parents, local residents, faculty, etc., would want to ask him?
• Remember to think of followup questions. If you ask him X, and he answers Y, what (from your research) would be a probing follow-up question that would get closer to the “truth” you want to discover?

Remember the three basic rules of interviewing:
1. Do your homework.
2. Set parameters of the interview.
3. Repeat No. 1.
(3.a. Be flexible. Think. Bring your brain...)

We’ve already set No. 2: our conversation will focus on the university’s fiscal issues and whatever related areas that you see being affected by the budget shortfall. So you all need as much info and understanding (see Nos. 1&3 above) as you can get so that you can ask informed questions, and recognize when you may not be getting the full, accurate response from the president.

I will expect EVERYONE to ask questions at Wednesday’s press conference, which will last only 30 minutes. So get ready. Remember that, like every interview, the conversation may wander. So you must be prepared not only to follow the wandering, but to bring the subject (President Albrecht) back to the primary focus.

Remember that any interview, and especially a press conference with a public figure like the president, is a bit of a struggle between the interviewer(s) and the interviewee to control the direction and tenor and subject matter of the conversation. If you let him, the president is perfectly capable of talking without a breath for 30 minutes, which means that he will have controlled the conversation, and that the representatives of the press (you) will not have gotten a word in edgewise. We call those kinds of sessions “speeches,” not press conferences or interviews.

Be ready to discuss—substantively!!!—these issues when we meet tomorrow. I am copying this to Tim Vitale, the university’s PR guy, who will attend our session on Wednesday. He may have other suggestions (and is welcome to come to class Monday—10:30 a.m. Tim?)

El Peez

Student Unemployment!

2009-04-03T09:06:00.002-07:00

Hey Newshounds!
I want to do my issue story about student unemployment. I want to look into jobs on-campus and off-campus that students generally have to cover the costs of school that will be cut next year. I especially need students who are worried about this. Do any of you know someone who has lost or will lose their job next year? Also is there an off-campus employer that employs a lot of students? Also I was thinking of focusing on the middle class. It seems to me like they often have the hardest time paying for school because the government pays for the poorest people to go to school, and the richest bunch can turn to Mom and Dad. I feel like the economic climate would affect the middle class the most because they have to fend for themselves, does anybody know someone with this problem? THANKS!

The Last Big PUSH

2009-04-02T10:59:00.005-07:00

Housekeeping

Good meeting with you all yesterday and Tuesday. Hope that helped you focus on the final requirements in our last three weeks of classes (GASP!?!).

1. For Monday: Read everything you can about the USU and Utah higher ed budget crisis situation, including the tuition increase, faculty layoffs and whatever else seems to relate. This will be in preparation for our news conference Wednesday with President Stan Albrecht. The news conference REQUIRES that reporters ask questions and steer the focus. Otherwise, savvy politicians (including university presidents) will simply spoonfeed you press releases. So think about SPECIFIC questions/topics you want to ask the president about. So Google topics that will give you good background for questions. Also, see the USUToday website to see what the president has posted there on the budget/tuition/program cuts/layoffs etc. topic—USUToday will be the official policy on these issues. We’ll discuss all this in Monday’s class.

2. Next week’s story: ...will be your story based on the president's news conference. It will be due by noon on Friday.

3. The Final BIG Stories: We’ve talked about these, in-class and individually, but I’ve also posted some advice on these stories on AskDrTed. Click here for that link. They are due in any order on the last two Fridays 4/17 and 4/24.

4. The Final Exam: Will be a take-home, which you may start Friday, 4/24—due Monday 4/27 at noon; or may pick up Monday, 4/27, due Wednesday, 4/29, at noon.

5. EXTRAS! You may hand in as many extra stories (or rewrites) as you like between now and the last day of classes (Friday 4/24) at noon. These might improve your grades, assuming that they are not worse than the other stuff you've already done(!). If they are not more complete and better sourced stories than you've already done, I will wonder if you’re wasting my time. That would be bad.

OK? Questions, let me know or ask in claass Monday. I have COMPLETE FAITH in you!

El Peez

Lord, give me strength!
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Story for the week...

2009-04-02T08:10:00.001-07:00

Hey I'm doing my story this week on "brain food." I wanted to know if eating certain things can really help you on tests, and be able to focus better. I have been talking to a doctor about it, and wanted to know if any of you guys know anything about this topic? ... or any other sources?

Eating

2009-04-01T13:24:00.003-07:00

I'm doing my issue on eating disorders/dieting habits of college students. I'm looking for some real live people that suffered from an eating disorder that will share their story. Or even just somebody who was a friend of someone with the disorder and would talk about it.

I would also like to find someone who is obsessed with dieting- we all know someone like this can you guys maybe give me some names and numbers?

Pease said a sorority would be a good place to ask around, can anyone connect me to some sorority girls that would talk to me about the pressures to be thin and diet?

Out of State Students

2009-04-01T10:04:00.001-07:00

for my feature, i'm doing on students from out of state. know any people with wild, crazy stories on how they got to utah?

Story Idea—Bottled Water

2009-04-01T06:46:00.001-07:00

Newshounds:

See this link on AskDrTed for an idea for a story. Could be either a feature or an issue, depending on how you use the data.

El Peez, Grand Poobah

Summer Service Projects/Interns

2009-03-31T21:03:00.002-07:00

Hey all-
I am wanting to do a story about all the places USU students go in the summer. I need sources that have gone or are going to other countries or states for either a summer service project, study abroad,internship, or work. Thanks.

Tressa.

Rings and Flowers

2009-03-31T13:19:00.003-07:00

Hey Newshounds!

I'm doing two stories for the statesman/and this class where it would be nice to get some student opinions and thoughts. Does anyone know someone who recently got engaged and has the ring? I'm doing a story on how to pick diamond rings and some vendors in Logan. Also, does anyone know a florist or someone who has worked with flowers? The statesman is doing a wedding issue for April, hence the rings and flowers. Let me know if you know anyone who has experience with these topics! Thanks!

2009-03-24T20:47:00.002-07:00

Hey, so this week I think i'm going to do a story on new journalists. I want to talk to you guys about your challenges with your first stories and ways you've improved and stuff...is that weird? I think it would be interesting, so if you have any horror stories or just want to be in the story let me know :)

Run for Red

2009-03-24T20:44:00.003-07:00

I'm writing a story about a race being held at the HPER on march 28 to support the red cross. Anybody participating or know anyone affiliated with Cache Valley Red Cross?

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

2009-03-23T10:35:00.002-07:00

I'm writing a story about a new recovery support group for those with mental illnesses in Cache Valley. Does anyone know someone with a mental illness who would be willing to talk about it or anyone that lives with someone with a mental illness. Or has anyone talked with someone who has a mental illness? Really, anything helps! Thanks!

Extra! Extras!

2009-03-21T11:23:00.001-07:00

Story Possibilities This Week

Dear NewsHounds:

There are at least three possible stories ready-made for you on campus this week if you want them, whether as this week’s submission or as an extra*.

1. Monday @ 1 p.m., President Stan Albrecht will discuss tuition issues and the budget crisis in Taggart, the Sunburst Lounge.
2. Tuesday, 3-5 p.m., Library: the Reinventing Barbie Bash
3. Thursday, 7 p.m. (dunno where): Dr. David Lancy of Anthro is giving a lecture on childhood development of some primitive people (I think—I only just caught it on the radio).

*Extras: Remember that you all have the option of writing extra stories between now and the end of the semester. In addition to the stories due each week, if you do extra stories, they will count, either to replace other stories that weren’t so hot, or in addition to your final story tally—whichever benefits you more.

Spring Break stories- Tolman

2009-03-06T23:23:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone! I would like to do a story on all the cool stuff that different people are doing for the break. What's the coolest thing/furthest away vacation that you have heard of/are taking/know someone that is taking? I know someone who is going to Mexico... Can you top that?
Source: Shannon Lee, music major- Mexico vacation

Security systems, pest control...

2009-03-06T09:27:00.002-07:00

Anyone ever sold the stuff? You know...over the summer, with the khaki shorts.
Or your buddies or anyone you know I could interview? Thanks.

Story Idea

2009-03-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

St Patricks Day

what is there to do in Logan/Salt Lake/Utah in general for paddys day? are there parades? are there parties? green beer? traditions?

people who grew up here: what traditions are there? who do you know that participates in these? does it matter if you are irish or not?

My story idea

2009-03-04T16:01:00.003-07:00

I want to do a story on Facebook. Did any of you ever imgaine that you would waste so much time on a single website? Have any of you deleted your accounts so you would no longer waste time? Do you know anyone that has? Thanks let me know!

Basketball fans

2009-03-03T21:36:00.003-07:00

Ok, so I am thinking about doing a story on our basketball fans. We seem to be really, lets just say, full of school spirit. But does our enthusiam destract our own team? I am thinking about interviewing some of the basketball players. Anyone know where I can contact them? Preferrably the ones that play. :) Let me know!
Thanks!

Walmart

2009-03-02T12:01:00.003-07:00

it is time for Walmart's annual inventory. Last years inventory resulted in finding out that there was over $1 million of missing and stolen merchandise at our north Logan Walmart. The result was new training for the people greeters, firing people for "time theft", a bunch of new security guards, and the possible demotion of the store manager. My question. how will this year's inventory go? What are some of the more interesting stories of theft at Walmart? What do you think?

Housing Rush

2009-03-02T11:08:00.002-07:00

I'm thinking of doing my next story on the mad rush for next years housing. It seems like students are all going crazy trying to get into the apartments they want or sell the contracts they need to get rid of. anyone have a rant or know someone who does? anyone having housing issues?

Feral Cats

2009-03-02T09:46:00.004-07:00

I heard that there was a feral cat program on campus where you can go and feed this colony of feral cats that roam around the campus. I was thinking of doing a story about this, does anyone know any information or people who have participated in this?

Smoking on Campus -Tolman

2009-02-26T16:00:00.002-07:00

So i have switched story ideas now and am doing a story on smoking at USU. Does anyone know anyone with asthma that I could talk to? thanks--Ashley Tolman

Why USU needs Athletics

2009-02-26T14:51:00.003-07:00

I'm doing this story on a presentation that was given by USU Athletic Director Scot Barnes in one of my classes. It's basically showing why the athletic fee raise of $65 per semester is necessary and ultimately helpful to the University in it's entirety. There is also a vote on March 23 on whether or not to accept the $65 fee that has been announced

Craig Jessop

2009-02-25T19:18:00.002-07:00

One of my stories is on Craig Jessop. I already interviewed him about why he is here instead of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir...etc. I wanted to find students that are in his one choir class. Anyone know of people?

Plasma!

2009-02-25T17:51:00.002-07:00

I'm wanting to do my next story on college students donating plasma for extra cash. Does anybody know someone who donates regularly or has donated? It would be best if there's some kind of juicy story behind it, like they donate plasma before a date so they can afford dinner or something like that. Help would be appreciated!!! :) Thanks!!!

Deseret News

2009-02-25T07:18:00.003-07:00

DNews to Become “Mormon Niche Publication”?

Glen Warchol’s blog: Salt Lake Crawler
Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Getting the 'tone' at the DNews

Update . . .

Deseret News government reporters pulled their bylines today in protest of management changes made as the paper transforms itself into a Mormon niche publication.

Assistant managing editor for news Chuck Gates and business editor Julianne Basinger have been demoted. Gates is now a "special writer." Basinger has been sent to the copy desk. State government editor Josh Loftin says, "In both cases, you can't call it anything but a demotion."

Why? In the words of veteran DNews reporter James Thalman:

We weren't going Mo' enough, fast enough.

Gates and Bassinger reportedly often fought against stories being killed or slanted because they "were not acceptable to the LDS reader." The change is not coming from the Church Office Building, Loften says:

This is a decision made ultimately by Joe Cannon. It's being done because he believes sincerely the way to save the newspaper is to turn it into a publication for a niche LDS reader. The News needs to still educate them, [Cannon says] but not offend their sensibilities or put the LDS chuch in a negative light.

Tad Walch, a Utah County reporter, will replace Gates, Loftin says, because Walch "gets the tone" that Cannon, a former GOP state party chair and lobbyist, has been pushing since he took over at the DNews. "They can never tell us what the 'tone' is," Loftin says. "They say, 'You'll know it when you get it.' "

Loften's government staff, including political editor Bob Bernick, pulled their bylines from their stories — the only real control a reporter has over his or her work. The bylines were replaced with "By Deseret News staff."

(T)Editorial Comments #1

2009-02-23T07:44:00.002-07:00

Random (T)editorial comments
from Dr. Ted

An occasional series of newswriting tips culled from students’ writing—deobfuscating common AP style issues and common writing/construction problems. . . in no particular order . . .

1. WHAT HAPPENED???? Get the lead right!

EX: The Political Science Department at Utah State University sponsored a speech on how history repeats itself titled, “Déjà Vu All Over Again: Rise of the New Russia.” (when?)

This is a classic “The City Council met…” lead. So what? The fact that a meeting or speech took place is not the news—what happened at the meeting/what was said at the speech?

2. THAT/WHICH

EX: 200 people attended the speech which was sponsored by the political science department.

a) What’s AP style rule for numbers that begin sentences?
b) that, which—see Stylebook. This is important. Basically, use of “which” in a sentence denotes a nonessential (or parenthetical) clause and requires use of a comma; use of “that” connects to an essential part of the sentence. For example:

1. The dog that was brown bit Tom.
2. The dog, which was brown, bit Tom.

What’s the difference? AP says, if you can drop the clause without losing the meaning, use which and set the phrase off with commas. In the first sentence, the brown part is essential to ID the vicious dog. In the second, the dog’s color is a throw-away: oh, by the way, the dog was brown. The important thing in the second example is that the dog bit Tom. See Stylebook, “that, which” entry.

3. AP STYLE—You’re still making too many basic AP style errors. No “last night” or “yesterday”—use day name. Number/numeral errors. a.m. p.m.

4. ATTRIBUTION/QUOTES: You MUST attribute all fact statements to a source. Who says? Unless the statement features unassailable or commonly accepted facts (EX: It had been snowing all day… or “Slum Dog Millionaire” is set in one of the many huge slums that ring Mombai…), attribute the sentence to a source.

Ninety percent of the time, use said as the attribution verb: he said, the professor said, police said…. Remember to bury the attribution in the middle of a statement or quote if you can, usually at a natural pause in the sentence cadence: “Funding from the bailout package will begin to trickle down within the month,” the senator said, “as quickly as agencies can process proposals.”

DO NOT place the attribution at the front of the quote, unless absolutely necessary for transition:
• NO: The senator said, “Funding from the bailout package will begin to trickle down within the month, as quickly as agencies can process proposals.”

That’s lazy. Figure out how to make a transition into the quote, to alert the reader of a change of subject. Like this:

(transition/set-up): Despite Tuesday’s passage of the $800 billion economic stimulus package, officials say it may take several weeks before the first impacts will be felt on Main Street.
(leads into quote): “Funding from the bailout package will begin to trickle down within the month,” the senator said, “as quickly as agencies can process proposals.”

5. ABBREVIATIONS: Only on second reference (Utah State University first, USU subsequently; driving under the influence first, DUI later….); also, NEVER 1400 N—the name of the street in Utah cities is 300 East, 1450 West, 400 North, etc. (the East West North is part of the name, and so does not get abbreviated): “The accident at North Main Street and 1400 North sent two people to the hospital….” Because the name of the street is 1400 North (or 300 West), just like “Main” or Center” or “Fox Run” are street names, the North is never abbreviated: “He lives at 213 E. 1400 North…”

6. SHOW, DON’T TELL—Let facts speak for themselves. Don’t try to shove stuff down the reader’s throat.

EX: Juan Delgado, employee of store owner Marcus Gilbert, needs a new kidney desperately. If Delgado doesn’t receive a kidney soon, he will die of kidney failure….

Show, Don’t tell: Don’t tell us he’s desperate—let the facts demonstrate desperation (a kidney and impending death at 16 is pretty desperate…)
(Also note that this student used “kidney” three times in 26 words…)

7. NAME or LABEL IN LEAD?—Unless the subject of the story is well known (e.g., Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., President Barack Obama…), it is better for the reader if you label or characterize the individual in the lead graf in news stories, and use her/his name later.

In the previous example, no one knows who Juan Delgado is, so call him a “16-year-old sandwich shop worker” or something on first reference.

NO: Walter P. Alley, 15, died in a freak traffic accident Wednesday.

Well, Fred will ask, “Who the heck is Walter P. Alley?”

Better to write this: A 15-year-old Logan middle school student was killed Wednesday…. And then use his name in the second graf.

BUT! While this is generally true in straight, hard news stories, you can get away with the name of an unknown in feature stories, using a “suspended interest” approach that teases the reader into the story.

EX: For Franceen Follicle, hairdo’s are all about fun—and go-go boots, strobe lights and disco music.

We don’t know who Franceen Follicle is, but the other details make the reader want to read on to find out.

Thus endeth this lesson. More to follow...

news pitch idea... Help?

2009-02-22T23:04:00.002-07:00

Ok guys, so I was thinking of some story ideas and one that came to mind is the fact that study abroad students, like some Armenians that I know, are on a scholarship and are affected by the budget cuts to a point where they can't come back to school next semester or possibly ever.

Do you know any other information about this or students that are also affected? And Peez, what do you think? I still want to do the one about the student that buys a ton of mints at the cafe but I can't find him. lol

Athletics Fee Increase

2009-02-21T13:41:00.003-07:00

.
Facebook Group Opposes Fee Hike

This just came to me via FB, FYI. Tyler Riggs, BTW, is a JCOM grad, former HJ reporter and editor, and now is on KVNU and KUSU.
TP

Tyler Riggs sent a message to the members of Say NO to an athletics fee increase at USU.
Subject: Please spread the word about the fee increase proposal

Hello everyone, thank you for taking interest in saying NO to an athletics fee increase at USU.

I promise not to flood you with messages in the coming weeks before the student vote, but I will send along some pertinent information as it becomes available about the issue and supporting reasons about why we need to vote no on the increase.

For now, however, please pass along word of this group to your friends on Facebook and also talk about the fee increase with people you know off Facebook. Like any election, the result of this vote is going to come down to who gets the most voters out to the polls. Unfortunately for us, the pro fee increase vote has the luxury of making announcements at sporting events, distributing a newsletter at sporting events and access to student groups throughout campus to promote the effort.

We must be more guerrilla and evangelize as best we can.

In the next few weeks, I will have USU Athletics Director Scott Barnes on KVNU radio to talk about the fee increase, and I will let you all know about the date when it happens. We will ask tough questions and attempt to expose many of the frauds in the talking points that are being used, such as saying athletics may have to "drop out of Division 1" if this fee increase isn't approved.

I also will attempt to set up an on-campus debate regarding the fee increase. Also, we need to get letters in the Statesman and the Herald Journal about the increase, because awareness is by and large low right now.

Thank you again, everyone, for taking interest in stopping this injustice of a fee increase from becoming a reality.
--Tyler Riggs
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/inbox/readmessage.php?t=1032348970820&mbox_pos=0

Good question, Ashley

2009-02-20T13:48:00.002-07:00

.
Can I Have Fun with Frisbees?

On Feb 20, 2009, at 10:37 AM, Ashley Moscon wrote:

El Peeze:

Guess what—I had a blast interviewing USU’s ultimate frisbee team. They are an interesting bunch! But I’m having a hard time knowing how to start my story. It’s hard for me not to put my own opinions in it. I wish I could write a column or something instead. This doesn’t have to be inverted pyramid right? So we can have a little more fun with this one? Do Feature pieces still have to be objective?

your pissant,
ashley

The omniPotent Peez rePlies:
That’s a good question, Ashley. You do NOT have to use the standard hard news structure, although you will want to move logically from one point to another in this just as in any other story. And remember the “Romper Room Rule”—Show, Don’t Tell. You can start with a strong statement, but then back out of the picture and use quotes and facts and description to show the reader what you want her to see.

The concept here is to come up with a general theme about the people or topic, and then build it throughout. For example, are these guys NUTZ? and is that a theme you would want to follow (and have info to illustrate)? Then you could start like this:

These guys are nuts.

Every weekday afternoon, rain or shine, hot or freezing, the core 12 members of USU's ultimate frisbee team hit the field—or more recently, the snow drifts—for a little....

<And now a quote that reflects “nuts”.... “The colder it is, the better I like it,” said sophomore friznut Danny Dischead, standing ankle-deep in melting snow, oblivious to the slush heaped up around his sodden Vans. “This is no game for wimps.”

Or do you want to compare them to slushy ballerinas—leaping in a graceful arabesque through the 23-degree air after a frisbee tossed just beyond his fingertips, and then smashing into a snowy heap? Or frozen Neanderthals, thumping through knee-high snow in shorts after the frisbee. Or whatever.

These choices can reflect your opinions, but you don’t actually have to come out and write an editorial. It’s easy to express your perspective through the details you select, the quotes and descriptions, and how you arrange them, without writing a column. That’s a different beast. Try to keep your own presence hidden, and let the story focus on your sources and their activity and quotes without distracting the reader.

That make sense? Do have fun.

El Peez

Bathrooms

2009-02-20T11:56:00.003-07:00

Topic: Where can you find the cleanest, most pleasant bathroom on campus.
What about it?a. Where they are clean
b. How busy they are
c. how the lighting, general ambience is
d. how large it is.

Sources:
a. Several volunteers of both genders, names to be released later.

Tolman's ideas

2009-02-18T18:05:00.002-07:00

ATK Thiokol adjusting to economical changes:

Topic: businesses have to adjust to fit the changing society.

Does anyone know ppl at Thiokol that I could talk to about the switch from shuttle stuff to weapons for the military forces?? Thanks?

Also, I wanted to put an Anthropology story on the backburner... Anyone know anything about that?

Story Pitch

2009-02-18T11:37:00.006-07:00

Topic: Steel Industry
Focus: The economic effects being felt in a local town
What about it?
a. This business last year hit record numbers
b. Many employess, who were once working full time, have been cut to 28 hours a week
c. This steel plant employs many people from Plymouth and surrounding cities, how are the families being affected

Sources:
For a. Eileen Udy, Sales Representative for Nucor Steel Utah
For b. Kirk Pinder, employee for over 25 years
For c. Wes Udy, employee for over 10 years

Ranting mad professors anyone?

2009-02-18T11:33:00.002-07:00

Pitch: Student vs. Faculty spring break...
Want to know how faculty will spend their spring break-whilst being unpaid.
Are students taking extravagant vacations? no?

I NEED:
any student taking a fatty trip-or staying to tend their earth worms.
any professor raving about the break? good or bad! thanks...
Tressa.

Health Promotion on campus

2009-02-18T11:32:00.003-07:00

Topic: USU Health Fair
Focus: Promotion on USU campus
What about it?
In what ways is health promoted at Utah State besides this health fair and has it been effective?

Does anyone know nutrition majors? Or has anybody ever made food choices, good or bad, that were influenced by a program or event put on by the NFS department?

Idea Pitch

2009-02-18T11:28:00.002-07:00

I didn't know about this until after 11 pm tuesday night, so I chose the easy route to have an idea ready for class
Topic: Speech
Focus: Chaco World Newest Research
Anthropology speech on Friday, Dr. John Kantner,
Sources: Dr. John Kantner, introductory/concluding/hosting speaker, audience reactions

Fieldhouse Story

2009-02-18T11:20:00.003-07:00

Fieldhouse Drama

Story: The machines (mainly treadmills) are always broken causing students to have to wait for people to get off the working machines. Mantience always comes in to fix them, but they just break again. How does our fitness center compare to other schools in Utah? How much money goes to the fitness center? After budget cuts?

SO WHAT? Students want to know why the machines are always breaking and what can be done to improve the equipment at USU.

Sources: USU Students, Fieldhouse staff, manager of fieldhouse

Suggestions? Sources? Let me know...

CAPSA

2009-02-18T11:11:00.002-07:00

Outside Story 1: CAPSA
Topic: CAPSA in Logan, UT. What they do, and how they help.
What about it?a. information about CAPSA
b. stats on domestic violence/rape/etc in Logan- IT CAN AND DOES HAPPEN HERE!
c. try to find a person who is willing to tell their story, how CAPSA helped them OR a volunteer for CAPSA
d. ongoing charity fund by Sigma Chi

Sources:
a. Cathy bullock (on CAPSA board)
b. CAPSA volunteer
c. Jordan Taylor (EX Pres)
d. random person (find out how much the average student knows about CAPSA)

Outside Story #1

2009-02-18T11:09:00.002-07:00

Utah State is obssessed with ultimate frisbee... They even have an official team
anyone know someone who absolutely loves/hates to play ultimate frisbee?
anyone have a cool funny story about playing ultimate frisbee?

Story Pitch

2009-02-18T11:08:00.006-07:00

My topic is about the Accommodations (or lack there of) for Deaf students at USU, my focus is that there is not much being done. For example, when they showed Iron Man on campus, the people in charge wouldn't set up the closed captioning so the deaf students could watch and understand the movie.
I also will cover what the University has and does do, such as the Deaf dance before Valentines Day... And what USU can do to improve.
I'll try to find out about the challenges and help etc... uplifting or depressing, we'll see..
So far my sources are a couple of deaf students, lab teachers, ASL teachers, and some students who attended the deaf dance. Let me know if you know any deaf students or have other useful sources.
Muchas Gracias!

Story Proposal #1 - Zac Pierce

2009-02-18T11:00:00.005-07:00

General Topic: Economy

Focused Topic: Business that are thriving in a downward economy

Angle: Why and How are they thriving? What are they doing right? What can they improve on?

Sources: Owners of recently built businesses; Papa Murphy’s and Arby’s (Providence), Financial Professors, Nutrition Specialists

Does anyone have any other good ideas to go with this?

Outside Story 1: Old Barn Theatre

2009-02-18T11:00:00.004-07:00

Topic: Community Theatres in Small Town

Focus: Old Barn Community Theatre in Collinston, UT

What about it?

a. how it continues to run based on donations (mainly)
b. what the theatre means to the locals
c. try to find conflict with funding or something else that could shut the theatre down (how is the economy affecting the theatre)
d. upcoming shows and information (I really don't want to do this but it would be the last resort)

Sources:

a. Maury Bergman, Tina Gregory, or Heather Gleason (board of directors for theatre)
b. Locals near the theatre, a friend that has performed in Old Barn shows
c. One or some of the board of directors again, mayor (if there is one) of Collinston
d. Website, board of directors

Marching Orders, NewsHounds

2009-02-17T16:58:00.003-07:00

.
Dear Picayune Pissants:

First, I don’t believe it has ever happened in the 30 years since Wally Alley first fell off his pickup truck in Belchertown, Mass., that EVERYONE writing his tragic accident story managed to get fired for making errors of fact. That’s extraordinary. I will consider whether I want to rehire you for Pease’s Picayune Pissant....

Next, for those of you who missed today’s class (and those who were there but are easily confused), some recaps and reminders:

1. Read Chapter 6 in Harrower (“Beyond Breaking News”). Note esp. pp. 114-115 as you start developing your own story ideas, most of which will not be breaking news, summary leads, but “softer” feature stories.

2. If you did not do so today, please bring me your Gartner speech stories tomorrow (and anything else that you did, but for which the grade on your gradesheet is missing).

3. Generating Story Ideas. We now move into the latter half of the semester, in which you are increasingly responsible for finding and covering your own stories. As discussed, you should start NOW building a file of possible story leads—topics that interest you, flyers, newspaper clips, ideas that come to you in the shower, etc.

This is important, because you will be writing (almost) one out-of-class story per week, starting next week. And you will have to come up with most of your own story ideas, pitch them to your gruff-but-lovable editor (me), and organize your time to bring them off.

Here is (one way) to develop a story.
1. Come up with a general topic (in Peez’s fable, Michelangelo wanted to portray the general epitome of male beauty)
2. Focus on some aspect of the topic. What about it? (Michelangelo focused on David)
3. Figure out the angle you want on your “David”—So what? You should be able to answer that question in a short sentence.
4. Who are your sources? Minimum three sources per story. Who can you talk to who will provide good insight, expertise on your “David”?
(If you missed class today, you have no idea what “David” means. Tough.)

4. From now on (more or less), you will have pitched me a story by every Friday (or Monday, latest), which will be due the following Friday by 5 p.m. (this is flexible, depending on the story). I will give you a set of dates in class tomorrow. This means that you will be planning next week's story as you interview and write this week's story. OK?

5. Your first three out-of-class stories:
1. Friday, 2/27: Your own story idea (see No. 6 below)
2. Thursday, 3/5: Story growing out of the Annual Career Fair in the TSC, all day Wednesday, 3/4. Stories due to me by 6 p.m. Thursday via email.
3. Friday, 3/20: Conceive and pitch a story (by 3/4), due the Friday after Spring Break.

6. Tomorrow (Wednesday) in class, bring a written (typed) pitch for your first story (due 2/27).

For example:
Topic: Winter roads
Focus: County snowplow drivers
What about it?
a. County is running out of road salt and will cut back on plowing. OR
b. Plow drivers are POOPED from long hours, and their overtime is breaking the budget. OR
c. The long, dark, lonely road of the snowplow driver—I wanna ride around with Butch.
Sources:
• For a: Daryl, the Cache County Road Manager, County Executive Lynn Lemon, plow driver? Sheriff?
• For b: Daryl, other county people, snowplow drivers.
• For c: Find a plow driver and ride with him (or her). Talk to drivers about how plows are a) dangerous or b) saviours? Talk to homeowners who get pissed when plows knock over their mailboxes, plow their driveways in....

7. Once you have pitched your story tomorrow, post it here on NewsHounds. Then read each others’ story pitches and make suggestions on angle, focus, ideas for sources, etc. You will do this every week.

8. Story Frames. Today’s video offered some suggestions/perspectives on how to approach news stories. Too often, the narrators said, journalists focus on the extremes—he said/she said, conflict, etc.

While these elements do help the journalist write an easy story, they may be too easy and too simplistic (and this may contribute to why a lot of people don't like journalists....?). A more accurate way to reflect the community and your readers is to focus not on the extremes, but on the middle.

Tension in a story/topic may be a better way to think about how to frame the issues—disagreements on issues, not screaming. Most issues are not simply black and white. (BTW, this also relates to the journalistic myth of objectivity. Read my essay On Objectivity.)

So now, in addition to asking yourself the Fred question—What happened?—also start thinking in terms of the deeper issues: people’s motivations, emotions, the So what? and Why? questions.

As Harrower points out (pp. 114-115), you may start with an event—the WTO demonstrations in the video, for example—but then evolve to thinking about the “sidebar” stories beyond the central-event story. Harrower uses the example of graduation (an event) to construct what he calls an “Idea Map”—tangent ideas of stories growing out of the main event. These may be called “sidebars,” but really can be more interesting than the main event. This relates to the video’s message of looking for stories behind events, stories that answer more than just What happened?

This strategy is useful on a number of levels, because it means that you are not tied to the event, which is old news if you don’t get it done right away.

Thus, we talk about two general kinds of stories: “time-bound” stories, which are constrained by their time elements; and “process-oriented” stories, which means the deeper, featurey kinds of stuff that gets at motivations, emotions, character, process, history, etc. (See Bill Blundell's story blocks.)

Reporters have to make this kind of extrapolation all the time when they have some kind of annual, time-bound event to write about, but they get bored writing the same stories year after year about: Graduation, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Halloween, solstice, etc. Ditto with issue stories that are TOO HUGE to tackle—air pollution, cancer, sports, mental health, gender—so the reporter must find a smaller focus to serve as a vehicle for the larger topic. For ex: Focus on someone with bad asthma who is housebound while the inversion fills the valley with smog as a way to write about air pollution. Etc.

9. Coming Attractions:
1. Interviewing. Next week, we’ll talk about interviewing. After the actual writing, information-gathering (and interviewing, specifically) is the most central basic skill of the journalist. So we’ll talk about doing that. (Re)read pp. 74-83 from Harrower’s Ch. 4 on interviewing, quotes, attribution, etc.. And read the related interviewing handouts listed on AskDrTed: Interviewing and More Interviewing Skills.
2. Midterm Exam. Wednesday, 2/25. This will include some “knowledge” questions on news values drawn from your readings; a section of AP Style stuff; and a fact sheet from which you will write an inverted pyramid news story. You may use your Stylebook.

OK? We’ll discuss all this in class tomorrow (2/18)

Headlines

2009-02-11T11:23:00.003-07:00

“Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim”

Click here for examples of headlines that readers love ... and that get copy editors fired!

Ughh.

2009-02-09T08:28:00.001-07:00

Anyone else think Monica Crowley is one of the most frustrating people to listen to?

Obama Declares

2009-02-04T09:48:00.002-07:00

Feb. 10, 2007
On a bright, chilly February morning in 2007, an obscure long-shot stood on the steps of the state Capitol building in Springfield, Ill., to declare his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president.

Click here for speech (text & video).

2009-01-26T10:29:00.007-07:00

Zac Pierce

zjp42990@mac.com

Hometown: Willard, UT

Major/Minor: Broadcast Journalism/Spanish

I once went Bungee Jumping, which was really cool.

I used to have a dog named Daizi, then I moved out of my parent's house.

I have one sister who is a year younger than me.

I speak spanish pretty well... I've studied it for about 7 years.

I like to read, watch movies and play the piano.

One of my favorite foods is the potato.

My favorite drink is water, but on occasion an ice cold Coke out of a can.

My favorite movie is The Green Mile.

My least favorite movie is The Great Gadsby.

My first job was at a bowling alley/ice cream shop. Now I work at Papa Murphy's.

I competed at a National FBLA Competition and made it into the finals round.

Adam Ward

2009-01-25T21:15:00.002-07:00

• Age: 18 (19 on Jan. 31!)
• Hometown: Murray, Utah
• Where were you born? Murray, Utah
• How many siblings? 2 older brothers, 1 older/younger sister.
• Academic Major/minors: Undecided, Planning on JCOM Public relations or print journalism.
• Describe yourself: I stick out of the crowd, I'm noticed pretty easily, and people seem to like me because I'm polite and am rarely late.
• Weirdest/strangest/most interesting thing you ever did/happened to you: I have had a lot of interesting things happen too me. Some fun stories.
• Pet(s): None in Logan, in Murray I have the fattest cat on earth, and a tiny white dog.
• Foreign languages: Spanish only.
• Hobbies: Trying new things, eating adventurous things, doing pretty much whatever I want.
• Favorite thing in the world to do: Relax with good company.
• Favorite sport: Rugby.
• Favorite food: Can't choose this, love it all.
• Favorite drink: Water, I used to get a gallon and a half every day, now I am not as good.
• Most hated food: I love all food.
• Favorite music/musician: Depends on the genre you ask. Heavy? As Blood Runs Black, Norma Jean, Parkway Drive. Alternative? Jack Johnson, James Blunt, John Mayer. Country? Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift. Rap? Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, Tupac. I listen to everything.
• Most hated music: I have never been able to get too into yodleing(sp?). I can handle a little, just not a lot.
• Favorite movie: Has to be 300.
• Worst movie: I've seen too many aweful ones to choose.
• Favorite info source: Real sources? USA Today, New York Times, BBC, and the Economist. Fun sources? Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert, and The Onion.
• If you were a food, fruit or vegetable, what would you be? Apple.
• What do you want to be when you grow up? Rich? Whatever life brings to me.
• If you could do any one single thing, what would it be? I plan on skydiving one day, that's pretty high on the list.
• How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? I'm well informed. I have USA Today, New York Times, and BBC installed on my phone, so I can read most of their stories at any time, which I do pretty often.

Lacey Saxton

2009-01-22T14:45:00.004-07:00

Age: 18 (yes I am a young one!)

Hometown: (Preston! Yes, it is super BIG... in fact, it even has TWO stoplights now!)

Major/Minor: P.R. and History/ Sociology

News Source: Internet, local newspaper

Hey! I’m Lacey! I am a junior at USU and love it. I am super random, love doing anything spontaneous, I am usually always talking, and I laugh A LOT. I am tall, and have dark hair (but it is constantly changing!)

I love semi-sweet chocolate, NORDSTROM, and occasionally shaving my cat. I like to believe that I am a professional shopper, and I have a fetish with brushing my teeth.

I think the best thing in the world is a long run outside directly after it rains. I love the gym, it’s super great! ... I also am addicted to food (mainly sugar)! To be honest, my friends call me the “garbage can” since I can put down so dang much food!

I have played the piano for pretty much a lifetime (or so it feels like!) I love it. I love everything about music. I love playing the piano, listening to music, and dancing OF COURSE. I have a million favorite bands, but I think the best band of life is definitely BRAND NEW.

A few random facts:

I plan on running a marathon at least once in my life. I am a Kappa Delta. I am going to law school. I tend to say exactly what I think — and it often times gets me in BIG trouble! I want to meet Misty May and Kerri Walsh (yes, volleyball is the best sport!)

If you have any other questions, ask me! And, I think we should probably become friends:)

2009-01-21T10:59:00.002-07:00

Abigail Ford

abbie.ford@aggiemail.usu.edu

Age: 21(WOW!)I attended school in Sandy, Utah my entire life, but rarely lived there. While going to the same school, I lived in Tooele, Murrey, SLC, and West Jordan

I have one older brother, Ben (23). He is an engineer major at BYU (Don’t worry, insanity doesn’t run in the family). My dad remarried when I was 15 and I gained a stepsister: Amanda (22).

I am double majoring in English, Technical and Professional Communication; and Journalism and Communication, Public Relations. I graduate next spring.

I am extremely excited because for my 21st birthday my Dad and Stepmother gave me a trip to Europe! I leave May 21 for London, Paris, and Rome. (Conveniently missing my stepsister’s birthday)

The coolest pet I have ever had is Charlie, he is a cat. He looks and acts just like Charlie Chaplin. I absolutely love to read. I spend hours everyday reading. The only downside is that I can’t read and run at the same time (exercise it’s a good thing).

My favorite movie of all time is A Few Good Men, and while I don’t have a least favorite movie, I have least favorit actors: Jack Black, Adam Sandler, and Will Farrell. I can’t stand the reigning kings of stupid humor.

My ultimate goal in this life is to write fiction. Cross your fingers since it is mostly luck if you make it.

Kathryn!

2009-01-20T12:32:00.007-07:00

Name: Kathryn Bair
Email: k.m.Bair@aggiemail.usu.edu

• Age: 29
• Hometown: Lewiston, UT
• Where were you born? Logan, UT
• How many siblings? 5—two sisters, three brothers
• birth rank? 3rd
• Academic Major/minors (declared or possibilities): Journalism Major, Theater Minor
• Foreign languages: A little of French, Spanish, and Sign. Some day I would like to learn them fluently.
• Hobbies: Writing, Crafts, Outdoor things
• Favorite thing in the world to do: Sing
• Favorite sport: (watching or doing) Running
• Favorite food: Potatoes
• Favorite drink: Milk
• Most hated food: Green Beans and Mushrooms
• Favorite music/musician: Pop Rock (’80s)
• Most hated music: Hard Rock, Rap
• Favorite info source: Alternative News
• What do you want to be when you grow up? Singer
• How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? Better than average when I am awake

Amanda

2009-01-20T12:12:00.017-07:00

My name is Amanda Thomas, I am from West Point, Utah ( In the Layton area for those, most of you, who don't know where that is.) I have lived in Utah my entire life, and on my dad's side of the family the entire extended family lives within twenty minutes of each other. My mom is from Puerto Rico, and I like to brag about it because it makes me a little less boring. We visit there often and it is beautiful! I would like to live there for awhile so I can perfect my Spanish!

My favorite color is RED!!! Its so vibrant and it makes a statement. A favorite food is hard to choose, but I think pot roast wins. I am a history fanatic...sort of. Ask me anything about dates or specific people, and I probably won't be able to answer, but I love looking back at different clothing styles, hairstyles, popular music, and old movies, and romanticizing what it might have been like.

My family is the absolute most important thing in my life. I find myself jetting home way too often on the weekends to see them. They're perfect, and no one lends a listening ear better. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and roommates.

My hobbies include MUSIC, cooking, reading, and anything active. I hate sitting and I can't watch TV for more than a half hour without getting restless. I will however sit through a good movie time and again. My favorites include Breakfast at Tiffany's, Somewhere in Time, The Lake House, The Majestic, and The Sound of Music. Old music, and movies are usually better. I love raiding my dad's ipod on occasion for good old music.

I am a journalism major, most likely with a print emphasis. My minor is undecided, but some options are music, (yes, a far cry from journalism) spanish, or political science.

Anike Pullens...ME!

2009-01-19T20:30:00.031-07:00

My first time to Idaho, just this past sunday.
I know, it's not that big of a deal....John Allred singing to just my friends and me, because we asked him!!!!!
My family (except the oldest, Ian) about to run the midnight 5K

TARGET! Which we
SOOOOOOO NEED!!!
PAINT DANCE!

SUMO WRESTLING.... lol

Name: Anike Pullens
anike.pullens@aggiemail.usu.edu

• Age: 18-1/2 :)

• Hometown: Army brat... so closest thing would have to be Heidelberg, Germany.

• Where were you born? Fort Hood, Texas.
• How many siblings? 4

• Academic Major/minors (declared or possibilities): I was undeclared, now it’s theater arts but will change to journalism. I haven't decided what emphasis. I am so indecisive this will probably change.

• Describe yourself: I am too well-rounded, and yes there is such a thing. I have done and like too many things which brings me to a stop, kind of.

• Weirdest/strangest/most interesting thing you ever did/happened to you: Kissed a complete stranger on new year’s to start out my bold year!

• Your pet(s): I have never had a pet. My dad said we could get a dog if we kept the house clean, never happened.

• Foreign languages: Both my parents are fluent in German and my mom is from there, and I lived there for 7 years so... I speak a little Deutch. I also know sign language.

• Hobbies: Sports, photography, music, books, theater arts, watching plays, being in plays, singing and dancing

• Favorite thing in the world to do: try and experience new things

• Favorite sport: (watching or doing) LACROSSE

• Favorite food: Ice cream... YES it counts as a food!

• Favorite drink: Water

• Most hated food: fish.... all fish.

• Favorite music/musician: Guster, Rocket Summer, Phantom Planet,

• Most hated music: Rap in general

• Favorite movie: Home Alone

• Worst movie: invisible

• Favorite info source: GOOGLE of course

• If you were a food, fruit or vegetable, what would you be? Chocolate, everyone LOVES chocolate

• What do you want to be when you grow up? I actually used to want to be a fire woman, secret spy agent, lol, a secretary for some odd reason, a cop, beach volleyball player, singer/actress, pretty much everything. Now.... I don't know... some of those things I still want to be...

• If you could do any one single thing, what would it be? Jump from a plane

• How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? Average... I guess.. .lol

Ashley

2009-01-18T15:23:00.006-07:00

ASHLEY MOSCON

My name is Ashley Moscon and I am from Idaho Falls, ID. Even though I call Idaho my home, I have kind of lived all over the place growing up because my Dad is in the Navy. My favorite place I ever lived was Okinawa, Japan (the most beautiful island on Earth!)

In high school I ran track and cross-country and was in student government. I still love to run and I’m pretty sure I think up all of my most brilliant ideas while I’m running.

I also was in all of the high school plays and I competed on the debate team. I thoroughly enjoyed being a nerd to this day. In fact, I think that’s why I’m taking an awesome news writing class even though it’s not my major.

I absolutely love to go boating and snowboarding! I’m not good enough to do any neat tricks though. My favorite ride at Lagoon is the Skycoaster and my dream is to go skydiving one day.

I really like to play board games and card games with my family and friends because I win a lot. My favorites are Rook and Settlers of Catan. I am the oldest of five kids and I have three brothers and one sister.

My favorite treat is ice cream and I love all varieties of pasta. I also like oriental food and Mexican food. Actually I really just like all food in general, eating is one of my hobbies.

The best TV shows ever are The Office and Scrubs. I also love watching football. My team is the Seahawks (even though I will admit they struggle lately) and I watch college ball mostly for the quarterbacks (Tim Tebow? – Yes please!)

I absolutely love Cache Valley and Utah State and I look forward to at least 3 more years here!

Tressa M. Gilbert

2009-01-17T10:50:00.006-07:00

{boring stuff}

Name: Tressa M. Gilbert

Email: truffle40@gmail.com

Age: 20

Hometown: Roosevelt, Utah

Born: Bartlesville, Okla.

Siblings: Two older sisters, one older brother, and three little brothers.

Major: Public Relations

Minor: Environment and Society

{less boring stuff}

Description: seems like I'm brave sometimes, hungry all the time, and never bored.

Strange happenings: entire time spent at Snow College, getting eight blocks of Velveeta cheese for Christmas, rocking a bulldog to sleep...

Pets: NEVER owned a pet.

Hobbies: I am just now exploring the culinary world and loving it, reading is rad, ping pong is my sport currently but always basketball and soccer, Sudoku, watching football, and playing 20-questions.

Favorite food/drink: lemon meringue pie/grape koolaid

BAD foods: marinara sauce, green chiles, and mango.

Favorite musician(s): Chris Martin of Coldplay, Bono of U2

Hated musician: there isn't one. I can appreciate and embrace all kinds.

Movies: Little Women and The Guardian are pleasing, The Lake House was not.

Source: online newspapers.

Fruit or Veggie: maybe a grape. I like all things grape.

When I grow up: a r0ckin' mom, an educated citizen, a tour guide/historian.

ONE thing: grow up in the fifties.

Informed: well informed in Utah news, pretty good nationally, but scared of the international news and lacking.

Natasha Bodily

2009-01-16T09:52:00.007-07:00

Natasha Hope Bodily

natashabodily@gmail.com
• Age: 18, or as Steven put it, I'm on the 19 side of 18
• Hometown: Layton, Utah
• Where were you born? Ogden, Utah- IHC
• How many siblings? I have 3 brothers, one older (Adrian), two younger (Aaron and Austin).
My older brother is 22 and engaged. Aaron is a daredevil 15 year old and Austin is the most adorable 11 year old ever created.
• Academic Major/minors: Major: Public Relations, Minor possibilities: French, Psychology, and I want to get a Sign Language certificate to be an interpreter.
• Describe yourself: I’m very introverted in new groups of people (you’ve probably noticed—or you don’t know that I exist), but I really am quite outgoing once you get to know me. I like to watch people and I don’t need to be noticed so I keep to myself in large group settings. Most people take my quiet persona as a sign that I’m stuck up, but really, I am not at all-Promise!
I’m pretty self motivated and hard working. I’ve been financially independent since I was 16, so I know how to work hard and save money. I always need to be working on a project and I’m fairly productive. I work about 26-29 hours a week tutoring at Sky View High School and filing at the Budge Clinic at IHC. Even though I work a lot, I still make time for play, I love hanging out with my roommates and all our friends. I live in Old Farm so you almost have to make an effort if you don’t want to be social.
• Weirdest/strangest/most interesting thing you ever did/happened to you: For lack of a better story… I have lived in New York City –Manhattan and Brooklyn- during the summers since I turned 16. The first time I moved out there was a week after my 16th birthday. There are lots of weird/strange/most interesting things that happened during those times, but that would not be a brief entry… If I were to pick one of the best stories it would have to be the one involving the Italian mafia, a slightly promiscuous (but amazingly kind) roommate, her ex-best friend and the crazy love pentagon I witnessed. Or maybe it would be story of escaping the ghetto and the old crazy roommate….
• Your pet(s): My family has a small white teacup poodle named Gizzy. She thinks she can eat you and is still not fully potty trained even though she is 6 years old. We have a bird who I don't like too much. My brother accidentally killed our last bird, but I didn’t think we would get a new one.. They poop all the time...
• Foreign languages: I took 4 years of French in High School, but I’m definitely rusty. I also took a year of Sign Language and I’m taking that again. I’m in Spanish 1010 and after I take a few Spanish courses I hope to also learn Portuguese and Italian. I don’t think I’ll ever try conquering Asian languages, they seem so complex, but Japanese would be nice to know if I ever do try.
• Hobbies: This question always makes me feel lame. I never know what to say. I like to read and hang out with people…
• Favorite thing in the world to do: Travel, spend time with my friends.
• Favorite sport: Tennis is the only sport I ever played on a team for, and I’m not very good. But I do enjoy playing every now and then. Basketball is my favorite sport to watch.
• Favorite food: My favorite healthy foods are grapes, raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, sushi and green beans. My favorite unhealthy foods are Cheez Its- Jalapeño Tabasco Sauce flavored and Whales (they are like Goldfish crackers but cheaper)
• Favorite drink: 30% of my body’s fluid is composed of Hot Chocolate.
• Most hated food: meat in general… except fish. I’m a vegetarian, but I’ll eat sushi on rare occasions.
• Favorite music/musician: Kina Grannis, Leona Lewis, Missy Higgins, Sara Bareilles, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Josh Groban, Celine Dion (don’t make fun), Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Three Days Grace, etc etc etc.
• Most hated music: heavy metal
• Favorite movie: Zoolander
• Worst movie: Burn After Reading
• What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be accomplished in whatever I do. I want to be successful in my career, but I also want to be a mom someday. In my dreams I’d love to work for a big magazine like Vogue or something.
• If you could do any one single thing, what would it be? Travel the World
• How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? I’m more informed than most of my family and friends, but I definitely could be more informed.

Crass the Magnificent

2009-01-15T14:44:00.003-07:00

Steven H Crass the magnificent

• Age: On the 20 side of 19
• Hometown: Sandy, UT (TP Note: AP error!)
• Where were you born? Sandy, UT (same house all my life!)
• How many siblings? I am number 2 of 2 with an older sister
• Academic Major/minors: Currently, Journalism Major and PR minor. It’s my first one I’ve declared so it’s pretty likely to change, but I’m enjoying it so far!
• Describe yourself: I am 5'7"—which is short in my group of friends (I thought I was doing so good!). I have really curly, bushy hair which is very uncontrollable unless I slice most of it off. Overall I’m a quirky, fun-loving guy who is willing to try anything (at least I think so!). I’m pretty much the best friend you’ll ever have.
• Weirdest/most unusual thing you ever did/happened to you: I was in a pretty wicked car crash a couple years ago in my beautiful ’63 Plymouth Valiant (Don’t laugh Pease, it was cool! I'll show you a picture sometime). (TP Note: Who’s laughing?) Anyway, it was totaled, and that’s how I got my scar....and lost 5 teeth.....and broke my nose. I miss my car :(
• Hobbies: playing video games, watching TV/movies, cooking, doing anything outdoors, hanging around old cars and old people in hopes of getting them to leave their cars to me in their will, just kidding!
• Favorite thing in the world to do: I would have to say going super fast in anything. Like, 0-100 in four seconds!
• Favorite sport(s): golf, hiking, rock climbing, basketball, volleyball, frisbee, and snowboarding
• Favorite food: cheesy garlic biscuits from Red Lobster (sooo good!), and steak from Ruth Chris
• Most hated food: Mushrooms. Nastiest smelling things on Earth (TP Note: Hey, they’re fungi....)
• Favorite drink: Cherry Limeade
• Your pet(s): I have a 5- or 6-year-old Border Collie named Daisy, and she is the best dog in the world. She’s too smart to play fetch or anything like that, but she’ll wrestle with you and try to herd you like a sheep if you crawl around on the floor. She’s also very cuddly and she has a fantastic singing voice!
• Foreign languages: Pig Latin
• Favorite music/musician: Classic Rock, especially los Beatles. Also Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, John Mayer, Eric Clapton, and older jazz like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and the rest of the Rat Pack.
• Most hated music: Dragonforce. It’s too fast!
• Favorite movie: RENT, Moulin Rouge, Cars, Ferris Bueller, Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Forrest Gump, The Cinderella Man, Transformers, James Bond, Indiana Jones, Austin Powers, and lots more!
• Worst movie: Marley & Me (not really, but I hate admitting that I like movies that make me bawl my eyes out)
• Favorite news source: SL Trib, Headline News, Utah Statesman, Colbert Report, Daily Show, and Craig Ferguson
• If you were a food, fruit or vegetable, what would you be? A Maui Gold Pineapple
• What do you want to be when you grow up? Attractive..... But I’ll settle for a multi-millionaire TV journalist/car enthusiast
• If you could do any one single thing, what would it be? Tour all of Europe at my own pace in a sports car.
• How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? I’d like to think I’m pretty well informed. I may not know all the details of an event or story, but I least I know that it’s happening. (TP Note: We’ll see about that.)

me!

2009-01-14T11:18:00.007-07:00

Jessica Vasil

Email: jessica.vasil@aggiemail.usu.edu
Age: 19
Hometown: Chicago [south SIDE!]
Where were you born? Chicago
How many siblings? what kind? your birth rank? I have one sister who’s 15, she’s an animal lover, and an amazing horseback rider. Last year she was ranked 5th in the nation in her age level.
Academic Major/minors (declared or possibilities): double major in political science and journalism emphasis in PR, minor undecided

Briefly....
• Describe yourself (physically/psychologically/stylistically/metaphysically/etc.): I’m crazy and typically up for anything. I’m a huge football fan and LOVE the Bears! I played soccer my whole life. I’m random. I’m Christian. Jody Picult is my favorite author. I think quotes are a great thing. Loyalty is a big one for me. My friends are like my family, and I’m ’way close with my family.
• Your pet(s) (name, type, age, description, personality, most amusing/annoying trait): I have two dogs that I love! I also have two ferrets, two shrews, fishies, frogs, and horses. All of the other pets are my sister’s. She’s an animal freak.
• Foreign languages: L’il bit of Spanish (TP Note: poco?)
• Hobbies: MUSIC, soccer, rock climbing, friends
• Favorite thing in the world to do: be with the people I love
• Favorite sport: (watching or doing) watch-football, play-soccer.
• Favorite drink: nothing legal.
• Favorite music/musician: Anything from classical to country to rap to oldies.
• Favorite movie: Boondock Saints, Tommy Boy, Baby Mama, Live Free or Die Hard.
• Worst movie: Napolean Dynamite
• Favorite info source: Internet
• What do you want to be when you grow up? (fantasy—e.g., fireman—is OK) Famous Hollywood actress
• If you could do any one single thing, what would it be? Travel whenever I want, wherever I want with money as no object
• How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? fairly well informed

Whitney’s Story

2009-01-14T06:40:00.003-07:00

.Whitney Glenn

Age: 21, yep finally legal!

Hometown: Logan, UT(TP Note: AP error!) and NO VA! (TP Note: AP error!)
Where were you born? Logan, UT…boring, I know! Ask me why out of all of the places that I have lived and this is the one that I chose to move to? I am still asking myself why!? (TP Note: OK, I'll bite—why?)
How many siblings? I am the oldest of 3. (TP Note: AP error!) And I have a little sister who people often mistake as my kid! Sure . . . if I’d had her when I was 12!
Academic Major/minors: At USU it is PR and a minor in HR, but there is still a small hope that I might become a dental hygiene major at Weber, if I ever get into the program.
Describe yourself: I have the attention span of a gnat! Pease I love you already! (TP Note: We’ll see about that...) There is no way that I could ever lose attention in your class. You keep it interesting, the way it should be. I love to wake up early and work out to get my day started but I also like to go to bed early! I cannot stay awake during a movie to save my life and I never watch TV. I am slightly OCD and as mentioned above, ADD. But the combination of the two makes me highly productive and very efficient.
Weirdest/strangest/most interesting thing you ever did/happened to you: The weirdest thing that has ever happened to me would have to be my first day in Southern schools. I got detention for not replying, “Yes, ma’am.” I could not figure out why the teacher kept saying, “Excuse me?” “What?” was not the answer she was looking for!
Your pet(s): I have no pets, only pet peeves. I am too much of a clean freak to have an animal.
Foreign languages: none
Hobbies: I love to run, snowboard, wake board, exercise, cook, clean, organize, and use the Internet.
Favorite thing in the world to do: any form of physical activity
Favorite sport: soccer if I am playing, football if I am watching on TV, and baseball if I am going to the game!
Favorite food: Lebanese, Afghan, or Vietnamese! (TP Note: Yikes. So where do you eat in Logan???)
Favorite drink: Pepsi
Most hated food: any cassarole!
Favorite music/musician: Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood
Most hated music: Emo Screamo (TP Note: A lot of people say that. So I guess it’s OK that I have no clue...?)
Favorite movie: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Worst movie: any that I fall asleep in (TP Note: which is most of them, I guess?)
Favorite info source: Google, I can find anything!
If you were a food, fruit or vegetable, what would you be? I would be a grape! They are so delicious!
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to do PR for a fitness magazine or company.
If you could do any one single thing, what would it be? See what my future holds.
How well informed would you say you are about current events/the world? pretty well informed

My Bio

2009-01-13T21:01:00.006-07:00

Makenzie Hunter

My name is Makenzie Hunter and I am from Denver, CO. (TP Note: AP error!)
• I was born in Portland, OR (TP Note: AP error!) and I have also spent 6 years on Long Island, NY.
• One interesting thing about me is when I was 5 I did a commercial in New York City.
• I have three siblings, I have an older brother who is 21 and serving a mission in Spokane, WA, and two sisters, one is 15 and the other is 13.
• I also have to yellow labs (I love dogs and hate cats!).
• I love to run, I ran cross country in high school and I run the Bolder, Boulder, which is a 10K race. I also love writing almost anything including poetry. I enjoy spending time in the mountains hiking, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and spending time at our family’s cabin.
• My favorite thing to do is go on vacations with my family because we have so much fun together.
• I hope to major in Journalism and maybe minor in photography or creative writing.
• My favorite movies are The Patriot, Saving Private Ryan, The Notebook, Mean Girls, Forest Gump, all of the classic Disney movies, Twilight, and the Harry Potter movies.
• I do not love to read, but my favorite books are the Harry Potter series, Twilight, The Glass Castle, The DaVinci Code, and the Prologue.
• I love to be active and am pretty easy-going.
• My favorite food is definitely my mom’s Mexican food—nothing can touch it—and waffles!
• I am enjoying my time at Utah State and I think that Logan is a beautiful city.

Uncle Jay’s 2008 News Wrap-Up

2009-01-04T13:06:00.001-07:00

Click here for a recap of the major news events of 2008.

News Writing Syllabus (S09)

2009-01-04T13:02:00.004-07:00

Click here for the syllabus for Pease’s JCOM 1130—Newswriting class (Spring 2009).

Congrats, NewsDawgs!

2008-12-06T08:13:00.003-07:00

NewsHounds Get Cyber‘ink’

Congrats to Ravening NewsHounds Courtney Schoen, April Larsen, Satenik Sargysan and Storee Powell, whose in-depth stories were published yesterday by the Hard News Café and the Statesman.

• Courtney’s story is a profile of her 90-year-old great-grandmother, Sybil T. Goodey (“An Oldie But a Goodey”), who was born and raised and has lived all her life on the same patch of ground in Clarkston.

• April’s story about Logan restaurants illustrates what we’ve discussed about taking a big national issue (economy) and giving it a local focus.

• Satenik’s story about the struggles of gay and lesbian students also plays off a recent news event—Prop 8—to explore on a challenging social issue and give it a local face.

• Storee profiles Al Lewis, the “voice of the Aggies,” an icon for generations of local sports fans.

I have a BIG (Dawg)PILE of all your stories to read on the plane to Ohio, and fully expect others to make it into (cyber)print. Once published in this or dead-tree form, by the way, your stories are eligible to be entered in the annual Region 9 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence competition in January. Fame! Glory! Attractive certificates!!

I’m proud of you guys.

El Peez

Stressed? Save Fido, He'll Save You

2008-12-05T17:08:00.003-07:00

By Storee Powell

Depression is the number one diagnosis at the USU Student Health and Wellness Center, according to Dr. Jim Davis.

A statistical survey conducted by the Center in 2007, sheds some light on the high levels of depressed students. Students surveyed responded to multiple questions concerning their happiness, anxiety and behavioral levels. When asked if they recently had felt so depressed they wondered if anything was worthwhile, over 40 percent of students responded that they were feeling various levels of extremely high to moderate depression.

Responses to other related or similar questions showed many students suffered anxiety and emotional instability enough to make them concerned over its affects, like losing control.

But why are so many students struggling with these issues? Davis explained his theory that most of the students currently at USU are of the Generation Y. These students, he said, were sheltered and protected by parents, teachers and coaches growing up.

“Your parents strapped you into a car seat, and scores weren’t kept at little league,” said Davis, “So these students have not experienced the same stress levels previous generations have. They don’t know how to manage stress when they are in college.”

Stress is related to depression, according to Davis, because anxiety and stress cause serotonin levels in the brain to deplete. Serotonin is the brain chemical that makes a person happy and motivated, so a lack of it will cause a person to become depressed, said Davis.

“The thing to realize is that if the depression is interfering with the person’s ability to cope, that’s the threshold to when a student needs to seek care,” explained Davis.

There are many methods students use to cope with stress and depression, but not all are beneficial, said Davis. Though not common, shopping, drinking, eating disorders, and drug use are detrimental methods. But exercise, being with friends, and pet therapy are positive ways to combat depression, said Davis.

The health surveys show USU where it needs to put their resources to help students. USU provides exercise facilities to students, as well as a pet therapy program.

In the last 20 years, pet therapy is an area that’s received more attention in research and use nationwide, including academic settings, according to Mary Doty, a psychologist and pet therapist at the USU Counseling Center.

According to Doty, pet therapy is becoming less based on anecdotal evidence, but experiments that are revealing important information to the therapy world. The research shows that pets can lower stress and increase health by decreasing blood pressure and heart rate. A person who has a meaningful interaction with a pet can increase their living time and alleviate depression, all of which are important to successful therapy of students, explained Doty.

“This research is just giving credence to what pet owners already know,” said Doty.

All kinds of animals are part of pet therapy, including dogs, cats, horses, birds, and farm animals. The deciding factor on what animal to use is its obedience and behavior in social settings.

There are several reasons why animals in therapy can be so effective, said Doty.

“They are unconditional with their love, they give people a sense of acceptance because they aren’t judgmental and they can help people feel more in control and less isolated,” said Doty.

In some cases, a pet can bring a person into a healthy human-to-human relationship because of the trust their learned to build and accept with a pet. More often than not, the student attending therapy will be more likely to open up to the therapist because the pet acts as an intermediary, calming the patient, explained Doty.

“Animals can provide something that human therapists just can’t. An animal can cross boundaries I can’t, with no strings attached,” said Doty.

The animals can serve as icebreakers for students, and a metaphor for the therapist to use. For example, a dog that throws its water dish because it’s empty is not being passive, but showing its feelings. Doty said she would use this to explain how students can be assertive.

Doty said the Counseling Center treats students with a variety of issues and mental illnesses. War vets, students with relationship conflicts, bipolar disorder, OCD, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, Autism, recovering drug users, sexual assault victims, and the most common problem, students with adjustment concerns about college, marriage and homesickness.

Also, according to Doty, a third of the patients report depression symptoms, and another third report anxiety symptoms. In any given semester, the Counseling Center will see around 300 to 400 clients, said Doty.

Students are eligible for treatment by pet therapy if he or she is a student on the Logan campus with at least six credits. The therapy is free, and is confidential. A student who is feeling any symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression should not hesitate to go, said Doty.

“Students who miss their pets back home can stop by anytime to just visit with the dogs,” said Doty.

Currently, the Counseling Center has two dogs, though they previously had cats. Remy is an Australian Cattle dog that was rescued; and Boris is a female that’s part Yellow Lab, part Retriever. Both are well socialized and very lovable.

While the pet therapy can be very successful, the counselors don’t recommend everyone actually owning a pet. Students with emotional problems may not be fit to care for an animal, said Doty.

Also, student housing can be difficult to find that will allow pets, not mention the financial pressure of owning a pet.

“People under the right conditions can own a pet, but it is a big responsibility, rather like having a child. It is definitely a two way street,” said Doty.

Shannon Clemens, a USU graduate student pursuing a Masters in Environmental Management, agreed, “People should think where they will be in 10 years, like where they will live, how much they’ll travel, and if they can afford pet. The pet should be considered part of the family.”

Clemens is a full-time volunteer for the Cache Valley non-profit shelter, Four Paws Rescue. The shelter, founded in 2002 by Logan resident Lisa Shaw, houses 80 to 90 dogs, and finds foster homes for near 40 cats. The animals are either surrendered by owners or taken from the pound.

When received, all of the animals are vaccinated, and are observed in social settings to see if they’re adoptable, said Clemens.

The cost to adopt a pet ranges from $125 to $200, according to Clemens. The shelter will allow someone, after an interview to see if they are pet-worthy, to take a pet home for a week for a trial run, said Clemens.

Clemens, who is a busy and now single student, agreed that pets are definitely therapy. Her dog, Gina, is a Lab and Pointer mix, and is her “best buddy.”

“My dog is my best buddy. We camp and hike together, and in many ways she has improved my life, especially in companionship,” said Clemens.

A student who is feeling stressed can save a pet, and the pet can save the student.

“A great animal interaction can really surprise a student, and even change their hearts,” said Doty.

The Ambitious Courtnie Packer

2008-12-05T16:42:00.001-07:00

By Jessica Allen

Ever since she was 8 years old Courtnie Packer has always wanted to be a journalist and is on her way to be being a great one.

The oldest of four sisters, Packer grew up in southern Utah until her family moved to Tremonton where she attended Bear River High School and graduated with the class of 2007.

While attending Bear River, Packer got an internship at KVNU radio station and reported a lot of college news stories and reported the news at night for two and a half years until she quit over the past summer to go to work for KSL.

Working for her high school newspaper, the Standard Examiner, Packer interviewed the features editor at Utah State where she told she was coming to USU and the editor at the time told her she should come and work for the Statesman.

Later the same editor e-mailed Packer after she had seen some of her work and asked her to apply to be the senior writer.

Ironically Packer is not a Journalism print major but rather is going into broadcast as she has a love for radio.

“I’d like to do KSL radio in Salt Lake,” Packer said, “I want to be in front of the mic. Getting involved with newspaper was actually sort of a fluke.”

Packer said she only took one journalism class in high school and when she became the senior writer at USU she said she wanted to quit all the time because she felt like she didn’t know what she was doing and thought her stories were horrible.

Packer said she would often meet with Brittny Jones who was last year’s features editor for the Statesman, to discuss her stories and was always in there working on them with her and finding ways to make them better.

Later on when the semester was coming to a close Jones urged her to apply for her position for the upcoming year, which Packer did.

Now Packer and her features assistant Amanda take turns working on different issues of the paper, like the layout and editing.

Packer explained that as a senior writer she took stories that need to be done quickly and had them thrown at her last minute.

Last year, Packer said, she had to do stories all the time for the Statesman however this year her senior writer hasn’t had to take too many and sometimes ends up calling her asking what he should do as he doesn’t have anything to do.

Packer currently has 16 staff writers working on the features stories leaving her, Amanda, and her senior writer with little to do.

She had a goal to do a story every other week but it’s been hard to do that this year as she has so many writers.

Sometimes she has to pull a story out that she really wants to do before letting her writers take their picks.

Packer said she that it really is a good job for her as it can easily fit into her schedule and is flexible and has really come to love it.

On top of working for the Statesman she also writes once a week two minute news casts for the student radio Profusion that are reported at the top of every hour.

Packer is well aware of how young she is taking this position as features editor as half of her writers are older than her.

Packer said she has always wanted to be a journalist and when she was eight she had a neighbor who she would go and tend the kids of while the mother did a radio show in the garage and then e-mailed it to the station.

The mother would often show Packer the equipment and what she did, and since then Packer knew that was what she wanted to do and as she got older she continued to pursue it despite her father’s insistence that she should try the medical field as he thought at that was her calling.

Packer has a love for news that is sometimes made fun of by her roommates as she reads the Deseret News every morning at breakfast reading all of it except the classifieds.

Packer is already into her second year here and is in her third semester with only a year and a half left to go.

However her world does not revolve solely around school and the Statesman as she is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is a relief society teacher in her ward.

Between school and church she also dates and claims that she is a magnet for weirdoes as she described many of the men she has gone out with.

Packer said that she loves building her resume and does everything she can to make it impressive to future employers as she wants to have an edge of the competition when she leaves school in search of a job when she graduates.

Living by her planner Packer said she is very organized and loves to have everything written down.

For Packer the biggest weakness that she sees in her self is not being tough enough on people when they come to her and say they can’t get a story done.

Often times Packer said she is too nice and will just blow it off and find some way to make it work rather than making the writer take more responsibility.

Some stories that Packer has done has really affected her like an adoption story that she did where she went and interviewed young mothers, most of them college students who had given up their babies, which really tore her up as she watched as they sat and sobbed right in front of her.

Arie Kirk, the editor in chief of the Statesman said that Packer has always been “really sensitve and that helps a lot with interviews, she can relate and see compassion.”

Kirk said she first meet Packer when she was an intern at KVNU and has always known that she had real talent and potential as “she can sense where the story is and know how to write it.”

Packer has a real connection with the students as USU, Kirk said, as she has really focused on features on campus and different types of stories that haven’t been done before.

The layouts that Packer has come up with on her own for the features section have impressed both Kirk and the faculty advisor Jay Wamsley.

Wamsley said that he hopes that “she hangs in with us for a couple more years” and was impressed with how she threw herself into the senior writing position as a freshman.

She doesn’t get stumped by too much, Wamsley said, and really gets along with the other editors and writers of the Statesman.

However Packer does face some challenges like a computer that gives her more grief than anyone else’s computer does in the office.

“I’d have a heart attack if I had the problems she has on her computers,” Rachel Christensen, assistant to the campus news editor said.

Many people comment on her difficulties with the piece of equipment saying it always picks on her more than anyone else’s weather it’s refusing to print or defaulting randomly to it’s original settings without saving anything.

Cameron Peterson, a photographer for the Statesman, said that Packer always has a positive attitude about things and that she is always chipper and is very dependable.

“Everyone misses an opportunity or has dropped the ball but Courtnie is so far ahead that she doesn’t have to worry about that ever happening,” Peterson said.

Packer isn’t described as the loudest in the office but she defiantly isn’t shy either and many find her easy to talk to and very personable.

Word of Advice.

2008-12-05T15:04:00.002-07:00

Hey I just want to make a suggestion to everyone so they don't have a near nervous break down like I am about to have. Do not and I beg of you DO NOT buy a digital recorder. You see what happens is when you interview people and then go to listen to them while your writing your story only to have the battery die sucks. But the real tragedy is when the digital recorder is supposed to save all the information despite this and will keep all your interviews when you have to put new batteries in. Except it doesn't. Instead it erases ALL of them while you sit there screaming wordlessly. I'm getting rid of the damn thing this weekend or even tonight when I get done with work and getting an old fashioned tape recorder.

DONE!!!

2008-12-05T14:37:00.002-07:00

I feel like a zombie after the second allnighter in a row!!!! I just felt like sharing this great relief with ya'll!!!

P.S. I hate saying good-byes. I'll just say 'see ya'll later!'

Yoga

2008-12-05T14:25:00.004-07:00

Bend & Stretch
By Satenik Sargysan

Yoga is the short path that leads to a peaceful mind and a healthy body from injuries and discomfort.

Yoga is a fundamental of Hinduism. Originated from Sanskrit word meaning “to control,” “to unite,” yoga has yoked together the West and the East in a fast-growing “yoga culture.” According to recent studies, 16 million people in the United States practice yoga on regular basis.

“I think the reason why yoga is so popular today is that we, often times, distance away from the society and need something to bring us together. Yoga is the bond between us and the outer world,” says a first-year yoga student Ani Mirzakhanyan.

There are currently four yoga classes offered at USU for spring semester. They all filled up within the first couple of days of registration, as evident on class search agent. They are mostly combinations of the three basic kinds of yoga: veniyoga, anusara and hatha.

“Some instructors focus on meditative part of yoga; others concentrate just on the physical aspect,” Mirzakhanyan says.

Vineet Lakhlani is a native former yoga practitioner. His practice of yoga included both meditative and exercise part of yoga.

“I practiced meditative part of yoga for quite a while,” says Lakhlani, “but the exercise part of yoga I did for two years. My high school yoga class concentrated on different things. It mostly focused on helping us become more attentive students. It also helped the torso muscles and the digestive system.”

Some exercises increased the antioxidants’ level in the body and helped the digestion process.

Laklani rarely practices yoga since the time he moved to the United States. He says that he is very disheartened by how westernized yoga has become.

“Yoga was found by saints who practiced it as a part of their devotion and sacrifice to God, Lakhlani says. “They sat in one posture, padmaasana, for hours to express their gratitude to God.”

‘Padasmaasana’ is one of the basic yoga postures where one puts his feet on his hips, brings his wrists down to his legs and meditates to God.” ‘Downward facing dog’ is another well-known simple posture that deeply stretches the back, opens the chest, and builds upper body strength. This posture stimulates the brain and nervous system, improving memory, concentration, hearing and eyesight.

“Sometimes western yoga instructors don’t even use the correct yoga terms. In my opinion, it’s not true to the culture that it belongs to.”

High blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, mood, cognition and quality of life, strength and flexibility are some of the reasons why people start practicing yoga, according to MedicineNet website.

After practicing yoga for 11 years, yoga instructor Emerald Green admits that in the earlier stages of her life, she did not expect to be involved with yoga. The sexual abuses she had to go through as a child, led to serious injuries and chronic pain.

“My back was horrible,” recalls Green. “I couldn’t stand the pain in my shoulders. I was sick of my headaches. I was on the edge of dropping out of school.”

Later she was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. It is the most common and widely known of the entrapment neuropathies in which the body's peripheral nerves are compressed or traumatized. Because of decreased grip strength it was difficult for her to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks.

The doctor gave her an option. She either had to have a surgery or take yoga classes. This is how her love affair with yoga started.

“I didn’t like it in the beginning,” she said. “It hurt. But after my teacher approached me, I accepted the challenge.”

After teaching for several years, Green states that the main demographics for yoga in her classes are women in their late twenties to their fifties. Most of them practice yoga to improve their flexibility. Children and “troubled teenage girls” are among her many students as well.

“It is an absolutely different experience teaching these girls to calm down and find the awareness of their breath,” Green says. “Yoga helps them find their sense of ‘self.’ They can understand themselves better physically and mentally.”

Another yoga instructor from Dallas, TX says that unlike Emerald Green’s class her class is more diverse in terms of gender.

“Almost half of my classes consist of men. Often men are more conscious about posters. But I am glad we are overcoming the trend of ‘female western yoga.”

A 2001 research study at the University of Miami looked at a resistance and yoga program for older men and women between the ages of 60 and 79 years. This study wanted to determine if doing moderate exercise consistently over a relatively short period of time (3 times per week for six weeks) carried over into the ability to have a better quality of life. The study showed that yoga provided strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance in an exercise program that translated into an increased ability to perform activities, the energy to do things, and restful sleep.

Brenda Cooper, 61, is a professor at Utah State University. A dedicated runner with more than 30 years of serious road work behind her back, she says she always found yoga “boring.”

“I tried yoga in my early days of running because I read an article in ‘Runner’s World’ that if I did yoga, it would help me be more flexible and have faster times in the races that I competed in,” Cooper recalls. After a couple of “extremely boring classes,” she was sure she would never go back.

Years later, though, she had to face a tough decision. A hip fracture took her away from the track. The only physician who believed she would be able to run again had one recovery plan: yoga.

“Finally I decided to go take three classes and tell my physician later that I hated it. And I loved it.”

She practiced Anusara yoga, which concentrated more on “opening of the human heart,” rather than the physical aspect of yoga. Her relationship with the instructor helped her open up and feel comfortable in the class.

One of Cooper’s biggest concerns was her age. Everyone in her class was younger than her. The discomfort didn’t last long.

“Once we are in class, nobody watches. We are all in our little ‘zen’ area,” says Cooper.

Yoga helps people be more flexible. At the age of 61, Cooper can do a handstand. But there is something beyond the physical aspect of yoga she says: stress release and mental peace.

“Yoga is the hour and a half that I can really zone out,” Cooper says, “When I get to class I am not focusing on my mom’s health or the papers I have to grade. With all the stress in my life, I can get lost in the movement and concentrate only on breathing.”

All They Need Is Love (And a Home): Unwanted Pets in Cache Valley

2008-12-05T12:19:00.001-07:00

By Jessica Allen

A big problem in Cache Valley that animal shelters and animal control are battling constantly is unwanted pets.

Animals are left behind by their owners, often apartment owners, who move from one complex that allows pets to another that does not.

Some pets are left at the complexes, others are abandoned in the country to fend for themselves, some are taken out and shot, or others still are taken to vets to be put down or shelters to be put up for adoption.

Bryan Lay, an Animal Control Officer in Logan, said that in their impound they have around 380 to 400 dogs each year and twice as many cats.

About half of the animals are claimed by their owners and the rest are rescued by the Cache Humane Shelter, adopted by other people, or euthanized.

Lay said “most people want them, but they move from one apartment to another and they aren’t in a situation where they can keep them.”

Quite a few calls are made to animal control daily for animals to be picked up, reported, or abandoned.

Lay said that aggressive pets are left to be taken care of by their owners and what those pets do are the owner’s responsibility.

Overly aggressive stray dogs are not found as often as lost or abandoned pets in Logan, Lay said.

About half of the animals that are found have collars and half of that have tags to contact the owners.

At the impound the dogs and cats can be adopted for $25, however each week due to not being adopted and over crowding about ten cats are euthanized despite the cheap adoption fee.

However the number of animals that have had to be put down has gone down due to the opening of the Cache Humane Shelter which has taken many of the animals to be put up for adoption by them from the impound.

Michelle Cordova director of the CHS said that they opened up in October but had started taking animals in August.

Cordova said that by the first of October the CHS was filled to capacity with 40 to 50 dogs, 90 cats, several birds, guinea pigs, and rabbits.

The CHS gets at least 40 calls a day asking if they will take in animals that people can no longer take care of or want and the majority they have to turn down or put on a waiting list.

“People should be responsible for their own issues,” Cordova said. “If they got a dog and it grew up be bigger than what they expected then they shouldn’t have gotten the dog in the first place or don’t let your cats breed and have 8 or 9 kittens.”

Cordova said that she’s trying to make people take responsibility for their own animals and only use the shelter as a last resort to take their unwanted pets.

Coming in and giving them a dog, even with a $100 donation is an easy way out, Cordova said, and shouldn’t be the first thing that owners do.

There are times that Cordova said she’ll make room for an animal in emergency situations where she thinks that the owners are going to take it out and shoot it if she doesn’t accept the animal.

One such situation was when one college student came in and asked if she would take his girlfriend cat that she had left at their place.

At first Cordova said that she told him no, but when a friend walked in holding the orange feline asking if she was going to take it and she got to see the broken leg and lack of nutrition the animal was receiving, she quickly changed her mind and told them she would take the cat.

Now ‘Lucky’ as she calls her, has healed and isn’t nearly as thin as she once was when she first entered the shelter.

Some ways that people can find home for their pets before going to the shelters is placing ads in the newspaper, advertisements on KSL.com, or going to the vet and leaving fliers saying that you have a free dog or cat.

The CHS is always busy and they have had to turn people away or else they would have to put down animals that are already there to make room.

Instead they have a long waiting list of many people who want to bring their pets to them and when there are openings they are given a call.

Some of the ways that they have tried to find homes for some for some of the cats is by putting them on sale until New Years in hopes of encouraging people to adopt an adult cat.

The cats are on sale for $30 as opposed to the regular $50 at the shelter but despite the fact that they are not making any money off of the cats it has helped a couple adult ones go to good homes.

Cordova said they would like to put adult dogs on sale but it costs too much to spay and neuter them that they are not able to at this time.

The money that people pay for the animals goes to getting them neutered and spayed so that they can be adopted and not continue to add to the overpopulation of unwanted animals.

According to the American Humane Association in 1997 when 1,000 animal shelters filled out a survey for the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy it was reported that only 25% of dogs and 5% of cats were ever adopted and 15% of dogs and 2% of cats were recovered by their owners.

The AHA stated that animal control and care centers are not required to keep any records of the number of animals that they euthanize each year, though many do for personal records.

However from the shelters that filled out the surveys showed that roughly 64% of the animals were euthanized that year, 56% of them being dogs and 71% of cats.

These findings from the National Council were that roughly 2.7 million animals, from only those 1,000 shelters that returned the surveys, were being euthanized.

The number of shelters in the United States in not known, but it is estimated that every year at least 9.6 million animals are put down annually.

The CHS has not had to put very many animals down and they try to do everything they are able to do to prevent such actions.

However at the shelter it is sometimes necessary as they have to euthanize kittens when they get distemper or puppies when they get very ill.

Some dogs have had to be put down when they were too aggressive towards kennel workers or have been abused to the point where they are unable to be adopted or helped.

The CHS doesn’t report people if they think an animal has been abused, Cordova said, because if people think that they will call the cops on them for animal abuse they will just take the animals out and shoot them instead.

Sometimes the shelter will try and talk people out of adopting an animal if they think that the animal is not right for an individual or that they won’t be able to take the proper care needed for it.

The CHS tries to be very honest with people about their decision if they don’t think an animal is right for them.

If people can not keep the animal that they do adopt they are told that they are welcome to bring it back to the shelter, and sometimes people have done that.

The shelter is trying to become the central impound for the city, Cordova said, as they try to encourage people to bring their animals to them rather than taking them to the vet to euthanized.

As they can’t take in all animals the shelter will often work together with Four Paws, a no-kill non-profit shelter also in Logan, in picking up animals from animal control.

Cordova said that at the pound there was once a litter of 8 puppies and the shelter took 4 of them and Four Paws took the other half so that neither had to take on all 8 to take care of.

An onsite vet comes out the shelter three times a week to help with the animals and give shots, and the Cache Meadow Vet Clinic also works with them and sometimes calls them up with animals that people bring in to be put down, Cordova said.

What helps with animals going to good homes is when people come in after doing their homework and research on what they want in a pet and what will best suit their lifestyle, Cordova explained.

The best adopters are the ones that have a general idea of what they are looking for so that she can help them find the best pet, Cordova said, they are the ones that know what type of characteristics they want rather than just a type of breed.

Some ways that people can help shelters other than just adopting an animal can be by donations or fostering pets if they have the means and homes that will allow them to do it.

A donation in the form of sweaters, food, animal toys, and money helps the shelter out though not too many money donations are seen.

Cordova said that they sometimes get $30 or $40 dollars here and there but rarely big donations.

Some of the animals that are fostered are either ones that aren’t doing very well in the shelter or have been there for a very long time.

Fostering an animal can help make an animal more appealing to adopt as the foster family or person can tell the potential about the animal’s personality, needs, and habits making it so much more adoptable.

Click here for more American Humane Association information.

Cache Economy

2008-12-05T10:12:00.004-07:00

Economic Crunch Puts Pinch on Local Restaurant Diets

By April Larsen

Many might think eating out is too expensive with today’s economy, but keeping food on the table is more the challenge for restaurants. The cost of groceries and non-food items, like paper products and supplies, has greatly increased.

Angie’s Restaurant owner Saboor Sahely said the price of eggs, flour, and shortening has had a minimum increase of 30 percent. A bag of flour which cost $9 last year costs $17 this year.

Mohit Singh, owner of Tandoori Oven, said a 20-pound bag of rice costs $7-8 more than it did last year. Spices are up 10-20 percent. He said those increases are a challenge because Tandoori Oven includes rice in their meals for free and they cannot change any of their recipes, as customers rely on the taste of their food.

The challenge restaurant owners feel more than ever is the delicate balance of keeping their business up without pricing themselves out of the market.

“We don’t want to rock the boat,” said Sahely. Although operational costs, including labor, are always increasing, he said he will not pass it on to his customers.

“It would shock them,” he said. He said their bill would literally double if he charged more to make up the difference.

Singh expressed the same idea, adding that they want their customers to return.

“We want our customers to come back,” he said. “We don’t want them to overspend their money.”

Sahely said there are little things which can help manage the cost without charging customers more. Among the changes at Angie’s, he said, they have taken some items off the menu, and expanded the lower cost items like chicken, building specials around items that don’t cost as much to make.

The changes are not enough to fix the cost, he said. But most restaurant owners remember their customers are affected by the economy, too.

“We cannot raise our prices,” Sahely said. “Menu pricing cannot keep up with it because you don’t want to raise your prices substantially because the economy is affecting them too.”

Singh said his prices have only increased on some items, only 10 to 20 cents. Besides that, he said, the prices have been the same for four to five years.

According to Chicago-based foodservice consultants Technomic, Inc., 74 percent of consumers will visit restaurants less often due to the economic downturn. They report over 50 percent of consumers, and over 70 percent of high-income consumers, will spend less at restaurants when they go.

The study says people will pull back because they are concerned about the future of their retirement, home equity and credit card debt. It says “As a result, they indicate clear intentions to reduce spending in a variety of ways. Restaurants will most certainly feel the effects of the pull-back.”

Sahely said Angie’s still has repeat business with “a fairly loyal customer base,” coming three to seven times per week, up to three times per day. But, he said, there is a trend of fewer dinner patrons.

“Evening business is where you can feel it more than in the morning and lunch time,” he said. “When it comes to spending more for evening, they’ll sacrifice that.”

New York City reports that many restaurateurs “battle for survival,” where upscale restaurants have switched to more conventional dishes.

Detroit Economic Growth Corp. lends money to projects which might improve the struggling “motor city.” Roast, owned by celebrity chef Michael Symon, received such funding. It opened October 23 and it’s too early to see the outlook.

A bizarre exception, Abilene, TX boasts the amount of diners hasn’t decreased and restaurant business hasn’t even so much as “hiccupped.”

Article comments try to solve the Abilene mystery. They suggest citizens are indulging in comfort food, and there isn’t anything else to do in Abilene anyway.

“You know how long it takes for fashion trends to hit the Big Country?” another states, “Well I guess it’s like that with recessions, so we should feel the effects somewhere around 2018.”

It’s hard to tell the direction Logan restaurants are headed. Some less popular and less busy restaurants may close, but the local business could still sustain a lot of the establishments.

Facing unpredictability is nothing new to the restaurant business. Sahely said they will continue to do what they’ve been doing.

“We have to weather the storm, so to speak,” he said. “We’re still making a living, still keeping 70 plus employed. That’s the goal--make a living in this economy. As usual, we have to be aware of competitors and the moves they make.

He summed up the challenge in one line.

He said, “You can only stretch so far before you break the elastic.”

Hey ya'll

2008-12-05T10:06:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone, its me Casey. So as I was finishing up my last two stories, I was thinking about all the good and funny times that we have had this semester and i realized just how much fun I have had this semester. So i just wanted to say thanks for all your help and all the things that I have learned from all you. Also thanks for all your comments on my stories and my ideas. Good luck to all of you in the future.
Casey Petersen

A Right to Love

2008-12-05T09:04:00.005-07:00

Gays, Lesbians Struggle after Prop 8

By Satenik Sargysan

Despite the fact that society’s attitudes towards homosexuals have become more accepting in recent years, sexual prejudice remains widespread in the United States.

Kolby Kent Nelson, a former USU student and a current graduate student at Penn State University, is openly gay. When he came out, his older sister told him that if he were to choose ‘that lifestyle,’ she did not want her son to know he existed.

Bailey Bell, a USU psychology major, had to withdraw from her former university when her roommates told the university headquarters that she was lesbian.

A USU business student Moudi Sbeity’s mother sent him to a psychologist ‘to cure him from his illness’ as soon as she found out that her son was homosexual.

For Earnest Cooper the president of L.I.F.E. Liaison, admitting that he was gay, turned into excommunication from his church.

Maure Smith was asked not to be around her sisters when she told her parents she was lesbian.

The results of a survey of 191 employees by National Survey of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Physicians reveals that 27 percent would refuse to hire and 26 percent would refuse to promote a person they perceived to be lesbian, gay or bisexual. The fear of being judged based on sexual preference makes it hard for homosexuals to ‘come out.’

“It's never easy being gay,” says Kolby. “You never know how people are going to react around you for who you are. It's painful at times to see people draw away in fear.”

Kolby recalls his internal struggle when he realized he was gay. For four years, he and his mother had the same goal of ‘trying to make him straight.’

“The hardest part of coming out wasn't that I had to come out to my family,” he says. “It was that I had to come out to myself. I had to admit to myself that I was gay.”

Moudi, on the other hand, points out the struggles of his mother as the most challenging part of ‘coming out.’

“She kept on crying for two months every single day, blaming herself for what I’ve become and the fact that I grew up without a dad,” he says. “She started hating life because her son was gay.”

When Smith was told that she couldn’t hang around her sister much, her concept of family collapsed.

“It almost killed me,” she says. “Being raised LDS I was taught that families are forever.”

Smith is now the program coordinator of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Association at USU. The organization helps students ‘to come out’ or overcome the issues GLBT youth experience. She underlines that homophobia (defined as ‘irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals’ in Merriam-Webster dictionary) has not faded away with time. Instead, she says, the term has evolved to mean ‘discrimination and harassment, fear and hatred’.

“Some of the stories I hear from my GLBT youth and co-workers are physically violent,” she says. “One of the students that we are working with now, has been attacked by baseball bats twice.”

Logan community is not a gay-friendly place, Cooper says.

“I had people who told their kids who I work with not to be around me because they would get raped by me,” he says.

On the other hand, despite the fact that ‘cat-calls and dirty looks’ have always been prevalent on campus, USU students have mostly been tolerant of gay people.

Things changed drastically with the last election and Prop 8 when homophobia started showing its ‘ugly head.’

“The biggest challenge we have faced so far has been Prop 8,’ says Smith. It’s hard for everyone. It makes people say hateful things to each other.”

Moudi says that passing Prop 8 made him feel discriminated on a national level.

“We don’t want to get married to show people that we can. We want to get married because we love each other and we want an institution to support us so we can make it real,” Moudi says. “If our political and social institutions do not see us as real couples, how can we see us as real? If you don’t believe in God, how can God be real?”

Many people received numerous hate emails before the election. In one of the emails Cooper was told that he would be prohibited to going to any weddings because he supported gay marriage.

LDS church’s contributed banning gay marriages in California. Kolby calls LDS church’s actions regarding Prop 8 “one more slap in the face to years of not answering his questions; years of not giving the proper guidance to their members who have same-sex attraction.”

Prop 8 has been an incentive for people to express their feelings about homosexuality more openly.

Jen Stevenson is a Journalism student at USU. She doesn’t have any close gay friends. She says that she doesn't agree with ‘homosexual lifestyle’ but she wouldn't treat somebody differently just because they were gay.

Maure strongly disagrees with the term ‘homosexual lifestyle.’

“I don’t like the word ‘homosexual’ because it emphasized sex,” she says. “It’s unfortunate because that is not all I am about. There is not one way to be gay. Just like there is not only one way of being heterosexual. Saying ‘gay lifestyle’ implies that every gay person lives the same way. That can’t possibly be right.”

___

“People say God hates fags. That breaks my heart . . .
What makes me so different from heterosexuals?
I have a heart. I eat, I sleep. I shower.
And I love, just like them. The only difference is
the person I love happens to be a man.”

___

Lia Inoa is Moudi’s friend. She doesn’t recall when she learnt that Moudi was gay. In her words, it never mattered to her what Moudi’s sexual preference was. She characterized Moudi as “a passionate and a very honest person, one who can talk about any topic and stand out for what he believes in.”

“When people find out that someone is gay, they usually tend to define personality and don't allow themselves to look beyond that,” she says. “All other traits of the person are framed under the ‘gay tag.’ Instead of seeing the friend or the student, it becomes the gay friend or the gay student.

Moudi finds it offensive that when most people hear the term ‘gay,’ they think about sex.

“They don’t think about emotions or people’s personal characteristics,” Moudi says. “It has come to be a sexual term. It does refer to a person’s sexual preference but it shouldn’t limit people’s perception of gays.”

In areas with one dominant religion, the majority of people holds a commonly accepted opinion about controversial issues, particularly about gay rights.

Codi Richardson is an LDS student at Lyon College in Arkansas.

“I don’t approve of the lifestyle,” she says. “But all the homosexuals I’ve known are wonderful people so I like the people and not their choices.”

In Maure’s words, saying that they hate the sin, not the sinner, people discount a large part of who she is.

“I am not talking about whether I choose to be sexually active or not. I am talking about who I choose to love and how I choose to create my life.”

Even though the American Psychiatric Association dropped homosexuality as a psychiatric diagnosis in 1973, some people still claim homosexuality a psychological disorder or a ‘temptation.’

USU Journalism student Shannon Ballard knew a couple of people in high school who identified themselves as homosexual. She has always thought of gay love as a temptation.

“I don’t think that gay love is natural love,” she says. “Having gay feelings is a temptation that people must overcome just like overcoming the temptations to cheat, steal, or look at porn. It’s a trial that many people have to deal with but should strive to overcome.”

Because of their backgrounds and religious beliefs many people choose not to come out. GLBTA encourages students to do what they feel is right. The stories of gays in heterosexual marriages remain untold.

“I am personally in complete favor of anyone who follows what they believe,” says Kolby. “And what he and I believe is right and wrong may be different, but that's what is so great about this life. We all get to make our own decisions, and in turn, we all pay our own consequences.”

Fortunately, after long years of difficult conversations families of Kolby, Moudi, Maure, Bailey and Cooper were able to accept them the way they are: gay and lesbian.

Moudi’s last relationship failed because his former partner was LDS. With hatred surrounding him as a gay, he chose not to come out.

“We still love each other,” he says. Why should we be stripped of our love just because people don’t accept us as gays?”

Since July 1999, the Army has regulated ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, justifying that “the presence of individuals in the armed forces who engage in homosexual acts creates an unacceptable risk to unit cohesion and standards of morale, good order and discipline.’ A feeling that brings joy to people was censored.

“People say God hates fags. That breaks my heart because I believe in God,” says Moudi. “I pray to him every night. What makes me so different from heterosexuals? I have a heart. I eat, I sleep. I shower. And I love, just like them. The only difference is the person I love happens to be a man.”

Final Exam Reminder

2008-12-05T07:46:00.002-07:00

Dawgs:

A reminder: The NewsHounds JCOM 1130 final exam is a take-home, available in the JCOM office.

If you pick it up today (Friday), it’s due back to Leisa in JCOM no later than noon on Monday.

If you pick it up Monday (at 9 a.m.), it’s due back to Leisa in JCOM no later than noon on Wednesday.

I’ll be in Ohio until Thursday late visiting Brenda’s mom, so if you have questions, I won’t be available until Friday. Don't even THINK about pestering me about your grades!! I’ll be chest-deep in grading through next weekend.

Have a great holiday, you dawgs.

El Peez

My head is exploding!

Enlightening!!!!

2008-12-05T03:31:00.002-07:00

So I never realized the true meaning of the phrase "your story is as good as your sources" until now!! As I was listening to my interviews, having A MILLION IDEAS what I was going to focus on, my sources gave it out to me! It was as if I were having a discussion around a table with people who have different opinions about the same issue! The more they talked, the easier it got for me to sort everything out. And the things that overlapped in most people's interviews automatically became my focal point!!!!! Gotta love interviewing a million people!!!!!!!!!

After School Club

2008-12-05T01:59:00.001-07:00

“I’m happy I get to stay at school after school ends,” said Jose, a second grader at Bridger elementary. Both of his parents work until 5:30 P.M. so Jose has nowhere to go after the final bell rings at 3:30. Even with their heavy workload his parents do not make enough money to allow him to participate in extracurricular activities, and he needs a fee waiver to participate in many school activities.
Many children in Cache Valley share a similar story. Fortunately these children have a place to go to keep them off the streets and which allows them to participate in healthy, positive activities.
After School Club (ASC) is part of Alliance for Youth, a local group which also includes Boys and Girls Club, Logan School District and 4-H. Alliance for Youth is dedicated to uniting sources and the community to help the youth of Cache County.
According to recent polls, about 1.2 million teenagers drop out of high school every year in the U.S. Although this number has been declining slowly, the rate of Hispanic American drop-outs is, and always has been, much higher than that of Caucasians. At Bridger Elementary School in the west end of Logan, for example 52% of the students are Hispanic Americans, 87% of students in ASC are Hispanic Americans.
One of the main reasons, experts say, is that Hispanic children with immigrant parents come from low income homes. The parents of these children work longer hours, which means less time for them to be home teaching their children important social and creative skills, and helping them with their homework assignments.
After School Club is a program dedicated to reversing this trend. The program accomplishes this goal by helping the children understand the importance of school and their own capability. The leaders are there Monday through Friday from the end of school until 5:30 P.M. working hard to create a positive learning and skill building environment to build the base the children need to be successful in the rest of their lives.
Katrina Barker, the site coordinator at Bridger Elementary said, “After School Club gives the children a positive place to be.” She described it as “a place where the children can have fun, stimulation, safety and good role models.”
ASC focuses on the three main rules: be safe, be respectful, be successful. These are implemented in each of the activities done daily.
The program offers a 50 minute “Learning Center” at the beginning of each day. During this time, the children have 20 minutes to read and 30 minutes to do their homework. Each learning center is divided into grades with at least two ASC leaders working with each grade to help the children with their homework, particularly their math and reading skills.
Jesus, a fifth grader in ASC, said, “Homework time is my favorite because it gives me time to do my homework and I really appreciate that because I haven’t missed any assignments this year.”
Barker said, “We provide an opportunity to get homework done which isn’t always a priority with their parents because of their work.”
Each Monday there is an enrichment activity. During this time the leaders teach meaningful lessons, such as teamwork, communication, drug awareness and service, using hands-on activities. For example, Jenessa Talbot, a leader at Bridger, had the children tie quilts to send to the Community Abuse Prevention Services Agency for the children there. The children were really excited to donate the quilts they had tied. Graycie, a second grader said, “It made me feel really good to give the quilts to other kids. I really hope they like them.”
Carlos Linares, the parent of a first grader in ASC, said the program has helped his daughter with her communication and cooperation skills. He said, “She has been a little bit difficult to work with, but I have noticed that ASC has helped her make a lot of progress.”
Tracey, a fifth grader in ASC, says the Monday enrichment activities have helped her “learn more about distraction and not being a bully and not being a bad student.”
Tuesday through Thursday is dedicated to giving the children time to work on important skills. Each leader plans a two week “club inside the club” to teach new skills like different sports or health. Each child can choose which club they want to join.
Danielle Hunt’s club for the month of November is a science club she calls “Potions.” Each day she does a different science experiment to show the children how different chemicals react to each other.
Moises, a third grader, said, “I’ve learned a lot of things in clubs that I used at home.” The example he used was making slime out of water, glue, and borax to play with (from Hunt’s club).
According to recent studies, programs like this give children a better chance to graduate high school and get a substantial job when they’re older.
By building this base of new and different skills, the children that participate are put at lower risk than others to drop out of school.
“Hopefully the children come away with more self confidence and a better understanding of their potential,” Said Barker.

First to Pile on April's...sorry.

2008-12-05T00:17:00.003-07:00

Stress leads to Success!

Alyssa Quinn, 21-year-old junior in mechanical engineering, said nothing helps her reduce stress like taking fake engagement pictures with cute boys.
There are many things USU students do to ease the stress associated with finals week.
“When I need to clear my mind I take pictures or give funky new hairstyles to my roommates,” Quinn said.
The last week of the semester can be a scary week on campus. It is a common sight to see nervous students frantically flipping through pages in the library or reviewing flash cards as they bustle to class.
Jim Davis, Medical Director at the Student Health and Wellness Center, said stress management is critical but completely avoiding stress can stop a student’s progression.
“There is a healthy balance between stress and growth,” Davis said, “We could not grow, thrive or develop on any level without stress.”
Davis said if students wish to succeed in any realm—athletics, physical characteristics, or the anxiety of test taking—there must be some stress.
Davis strongly encourages students to figure out what stress relieving techniques helps them best manage, not avoid, stress.
Davis suggests socializing, but not using substances, at parties because social interaction has proven to be a positive way to lower stress levels.
Kelsi Callister, freshman in elementary education, loves joining in on her roommate five-minute dance parties that happen every hour in her apartment during intense times of stress.
Callister also said she loves to throw random, fake, surprise birthday parties and go for strolls through the cemetery when she needs to clear her mind.
“Dead people can’t stress me out,” she said. “They are already dead so I can just walk around in peace.”
Several people use walking or exercise as a stress reduction method. Another common method is people watching.
Ashley Ylst, junior in elementary education, said she prefers fish tanks to people.
“I like to watch the fish at Wal-Mart,” Ylst said, “They are calming.”
While observing fish at Wal-Mart may relieve stress for some, Davis suggests avoiding shopping as a stress management method.
Davis said a recent study proved that shopping increases the risk of being in a high stress group by three times the normal amount.
In addition to shopping, Davis said prayer was another method that was surprisingly suggested as counter productive to relieving stress.
Other variables the study identified as counter productive risk factors included vacationing, writing in a journal, mentally blocking stress and cleaning, Davis said.
However, the study also suggested some protective factors for stress reduction, Davis said. These include sleeping, calling a parent, singing and playing an instrument.
Davis said students need to learn which technique works best for them.
“I personally go to my happy place,” he said.
Davis said he likes to imagine digging his toes in the warm sand or he reflects on memories from his childhood. He said students can physically turn away from the source of stress by closing their eyes and focusing on other visual images.
“Stress is the salt of life,” he said. “Without stress, life would have no flavor.”
Davis said the more stress one has, the more potential a student has for succeeding. Davis said as stress increases, accomplishments increase, until one hits the point of burning out, which is when stress becomes counterproductive.
Everyone just needs to know how much stress they can handle before they burn out, Davis said.
When students hit or go past the point of burn out, depression might set in, Davis said. Statistically, more students visit the SHWC because of depression than any other ailment and stress is a major contributing factor to depression.
Students may feel overwhelmed or stressed because they are trying to juggle too many tasks, Davis said.
Brian Laird, junior in mechanical engineering, said, “Juggling gets my mind off of my problems,” Laird said, “because it’s rhythmic and distracts me from the troubles of school.”
Everyone has something special they can do to better manage their stress levels while still keeping a positive outlook on life, Laird said.

Read this before a million people pile theirs on top of mine between now and noon tomorrow.

2008-12-04T20:33:00.042-07:00

Black Friday ’08 Tragic Nationally, Invigorating Locally
By April Larsen

In “Men in Black,” Tommy Lee Jones says people are smart, unless they are in groups.

“A person is smart,” he says, “People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals.” Black Friday is a great example. It’s the day when happy individuals become frantic, storming swarms of people out to get a great buy, saving money but possibly costing them more.

Some might call it a holiday tradition, since it falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Others call it a shame. As written in The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch, the day is named after the profits which take retailers’ balance sheets from red to black. However, this year, many say the day lived up to its name as a tragedy.

A 34-year-old temporary maintenance employee was trampled to death working at the Long Island Wal-Mart. Two men shot and killed each other in a Southern California Toys R Us.

Blogs and comments are rich with accusations placing blame. Some call the consumers “pathetic.” Others claim retailers asked for it by encouraging the behavior and not organizing their systems well. Several consider the root of the problem to be based in societal fundamentals and the global economy.

Some suggest “Buy Nothing Day” is the solution. The annual anti-capitalistic campaign points out gross statistics, such as, “the U.S. accounts for 20 percent of the world’s population, but uses 80 percent of its natural resources.” As the idea grows in popularity, many promotional video ads can be seen on YouTube. The main focus is to discourage individuals from consumption of any type on the day after Thanksgiving, specifically by not making any purchases. A supporter of the campaign said, on YouTube, the fatalities never would have happened if people would observe “Buy Nothing Day.”

But shoppers are still the majority by far. Despite the economic downturn, Christmas will remain merry for most Americans. BizReport states this year’s Black Friday haul was 1 percent higher than last year. They report women only plan to spend an average difference of $50 less this year than last year, omitting gifts to neighbors and bosses, in order to keep gifts under the tree for their families.

Internet articles report that this year online sales will be up, Americans will be using less credit to make purchases, and people will plan and organize their purchases prior to shopping. Overall, they report that Christmas shopping in unaffected by the state of the economy. It could be because, as the Associated Press reported, consumer prices dropped a record 1 percent in October. Cheaper gas translates into more presents.

Utahans were out in droves before Black Friday hit. More than 150 malls across the nation held a “Jammy Jam,” opening at midnight and holding special promotions. Five Utah malls, including the Cache Valley Mall, participated. The South Towne Center offered live music and a free gourmet breakfast to the early-early morning customers. Within five seconds, the 200 free FM100 CDs were gone. Surrounded by empty boxes, the people stationed to hand out the freebies were stunned.

Spencer Hutchinson of West Valley City didn’t stop for a CD. He went straight to Play N Trade to get his Wii gaming system. He was at the mall at 9:30 p.m. to make sure he’d get it. He was content because it paid off. He was first in line and got a free iPod and a free Guitar Hero guitar. At 12:04 he was leaving the mall with a grin.

Six minutes after 12:00, the mall was packed and crawling with people on all sides, levels, and stairs. Stores were jam-packed by predominantly teenage crowds. Aeropostal was filled literally shoulder to shoulder; the line to get in wrapped around kiosks.

Kelsey Jones, 21, travelled down from Rexburg because Utah “has better shopping,” she said. She compared the crowd to last year.

“It feels a lot younger than last year. There are a bit fewer people but more teens,” she said.

Children were overwhelmed. Five-year-old Abby Tuckness said she heard a man looking for his little boy. She was startled and said she thought she might get lost.

“I was so scared,” she said, still shaken up.

Many Black Friday shoppers make a plan to visit several stores throughout the night. Tammy from Sandy said when she finished at South Towne Center she intended to go to Target for a kid Power Wheels and Wal-Mart for ad price-matching.

Individuals were less energized and more irritated by crowds about an hour into the Jammy Jam, but the mall was still buzzing.

At 1:00 a.m., the Lehi Wal-Mart was a quiet store. Two women sat in their van studying the Black Friday advertisements. A maintenance worker was buffing the floor and employees were calm. An employee named DeAnn was flipping through ads at her register. Working her regular overnight shift, she said she wasn’t nervous for the 5 a.m. sale to begin.

“It’s just another normal type thing at Wal-Mart,” she said.

Her co-worker Stefan came over and said, “It’ll be fun.”

Wal-Mart in Lehi is open 24 hours so there was no line and people just hung around inside, waiting for 5 a.m. The Black Friday merchandise displays were ready to go but wrapped in Saran wrap like giant Christmas presents. Instead of “Do not open ‘til Christmas,” signs were posted on them which read, “This merchandise is for the 5 a.m. sale only. Sorry for any inconvenience. Please don’t open!”

If anyone were to be seen tampering with the restricted merchandise, they would run the risk of being kicked out of the store, DeAnn said.

People were staked out at the items they already claimed. There were four Samsung 46-inch LCD TVs which had all already been claimed by people who sat waiting in camp chairs. They read magazines and lightly dozed, but kept an eye on any approaching activity.

Seven of the eight Samsung 50-inch Plasma TVs were already claimed by a group of individuals who had been there since 9:30 p.m. One was a 17-year-old girl whose mother was staked out at the scrapbooking Cricuts. Some people toted walkie-talkies to communicate with their friends and family waiting at various sites throughout the store.

The eight who had claimed the plasma TVs were strangers when the night began but they became a union, with an oath to ensure they each got the TV for which they waited so long. Common phrases on Black Friday are “first come, first serve,” and “you snooze, you lose.”

However, Wal-Mart’s policy was not thus. The first to get the enormous television up to the register and pay for it would be the one to own it, assuming they would live to watch it anyway. A man came at 3:30 a.m. and claimed the last TV. Helping each other at 5:00 a.m., all eight of the individuals who had claimed the TVs were successful.

USU students April Lockwood, junior in special education and math education, and Melanie Voshell, senior in special education and elementary education, were there for amusement. Lockwood said her Black Friday tradition is instigating fights.

“That’s the only reason I go,” she said. “I actually hate shopping. I just think Black Friday is really funny. I just wander around and look for where the most people are because I think where the most people are gets the craziest,” she said. She said she likes to grab several of the items people want, to upset them. Asked how many she would take, she said, “As many as it takes to start a fight.”

She said the way Wal-Mart explained their rule-enforcement didn’t restrict her.

“They said, ‘Don’t move anything because we’ll come and move it back.’ So what? That just makes more work for you. I can move whatever I want,” she said, “and just watch you run around and put it back.”

She said last year she saw a woman bite a man over a Razor Rip Stick and get thrown out of the store.

"He had it in his hands and she came up and wrapped her arms around it," Lockwood said. "He looked at her and said, 'Are you kidding?' She said, 'No,' and bit him."

She said she would like to work retail on Black Friday.

“I’d be the one to open the doors,” she said.

Five minutes before the sale began people were clustered around the stacks of merchandise. They were helping each other arrange the piles so they could easily grab the colors of the items they wanted and get out of the way. At 5:00 a.m. a muffled announcement was made and commotion and noise moved like a wave from the back of the store to the front as people realized the sale had begun. Most grabbing went smoothly, but there were tears where there were 15 KitchenAid mixers and more than 15 people who wanted them.

The line outside K-mart more than quadrupled, by people who had been waiting in their cars, ten minutes before the 7:00 a.m. door-buster began. A small group of people waited about 30 yards away from the door. People in line shouted at them, calling them “line-butters,” and telling them to get in line. The group was impassive. When 7:00 a.m. came, they patiently watched the long line stream into the store.

Jerry Van Wagenen, computer science senior, said he likes Black Friday regardless of whether or not he buys anything.

“Most guys don’t like shopping, but I love Black Friday,” he said. “Even if I don’t end up buying anything, I just love the atmosphere and watching people freak out. There’s no other day of the year you’ll get that.”

Completed: Oldie but a Goodey

2008-12-04T11:29:00.001-07:00

Oldie but a Goodey

In all of her 90 years, Sybil Goodey has moved maybe 150 yards.
As the middle of five children, Sybil T. Goodey was born and raised in the farming community of Clarkston, Utah.
“I grew up, married my neighbor, and we’ve moved half a block in our life,” Sybil said.
And while she may not be the most well known woman in the valley, Sybil knows Cache County well and is a huge USU fan.
Sybil and her late husband Dallas used to regularly attend the Aggie sporting events. Basketball was their favorite sport to watch together.
When the games were held in the Nelson Field House and the Aggies scored over 100 points, Sybil recalled, she and her husband would get the free french fries Labeau’s gave out.
And when the Aggies started playing in the Spectrum, there was no keeping the Goodeys out of the games.
“We had season passes and sat right on the floor,” Sybil said, “but now I watch at home because I can’t make it up those stairs anymore.”
Sybil sits alone in her rocking chair, usually with needle and thread in hand, cross-stitching different designs on dish towels for her children and grand children.
She used to go on regular walks to the local cemetery, but now she has a hard time even getting out of her recliner in her living room.
However, when the gracefully aged, white haired woman does need to get out of her chair, she gives herself the motivational count off, “1-2-3 up,” and slowly begins the standing process.
Sybil fought through tears when she recalled dancing the night away with her childhood sweetheart decades ago at Utah State’s 50th Anniversary party.
In 1938, Dallas Goodey, Utah State Agriculture College forestry major, invited Sybil to go with him to the campus’ celebration.
He may not have loved dancing, but he was in love with Clarkston’s “Miss Utah”—the title Sybil held during the Pioneer Day parade the previous summer.
When Sybil was 21, Dallas made Sybil his permanent dancing partner.
The two Clarkston locals were married in 1939 and stayed happily married for the next 68-½ years, never relocating from their hometown.
Sybil was a September bride, along with three of her best friends since 1st grade.
All of those brides out-lived their husbands, and currently three are still “alive and kicking,” as Ulalia Simper, one of elderly widows, said.
Ulalia and Sybil are both living alone now, and since neither has the strength or ability to leave their home, they chat on the phone to keep in touch.
She was always willing to help and she was a good wife to Dallas, Ulalia said, “Sybil was a good friend.”
Sybil misses her husband, and even displays a fridge magnet and throw pillow that read, “I love Dallas.”
But Sybil is still going on as strong as she can, swallowing 16 pills and at least one Coke daily as she works through Parkinson’s Disease, cancer, and a broken foot among other ailments.
“I still haven’t had to work a day in my life,” she said. “I stayed home with the family, but that wasn’t work.”
Karen Kent, Sybil’s oldest daughter, said her mother meant to say she never needed work for pay a day in her life. Karen said her mother has had plenty of work experience.
“She would wake up at the crack of dawn every day,” Karen added, “She never quit.”
Sybil was a hard charger, never giving up on her family or anyone else.
In addition to being a homemaker for her family, Sybil worked with many other organizations, like Daughters of the Utah Pioneers since 1942 and the 4-H Club since 1938.
Sybil was one of the original presidency members in 1970 for the North Cache Valley chapter of DUP.
Louise Butters, dear friend of Sybil’s and current historian of the DUP chapter, said Sybil was one of the most organized ladies she has known and was always dependable in any office she held for DUP.
Both Sybil and Dallas valued service and improving the lives of people around them.
In fact, Sybil supported her husband in his work as a sextant for the Clarkston cemetery by keeping all the records for the cemetery while Dallas hand dug the majority of graves for 33 years.
Mervin Thompson, the former mayor of Clarkston, said Dallas and Sybil were exemplars for their community and “did a lot for our town.”
Thompson nominated the Goodeys to receive the Mayor’s Award in the Humanities from the Utah Humanities Council in 2002.
After being nominated on the local level, former Sen. Lyle Hillard honored the Goodeys for “dedicating their lives to the betterment of others” at a city council meeting.
It may have been several years since receiving the award, but Sybil can still proudly display the certificate and remember that day clearly, just like many of her other reflections from younger years.
Sybil’s favorite memories in life have included riding with her husband when he was a bus driver for the school district and going for sleigh rides in Trenton with her family.
Dwelling on positive memories, like raising her seven children in her 101 year-old home, bring a thin smile and more creases to Sybil’s beautifully wrinkled face.
The home and two acres she currently lives on was bought for $700 in 1939 when the two Clarkston lovebirds married.
But living alone in her home where most of her memories come from is difficult, she said.
Sybil can hardly stand to eat dinner at the kitchen table anymore because she does not want to sit down without Dallas.
Memories are the reason for living, Sybil said. They let her dwell on fun filled events and learned lessons from the past.
Her good memories motivate her to stay strong, but Sybil is getting tired.
“I’m feeling old,” she said, “very old.”
But nobody knows, perhaps Sybil needs to reach over 100 before she can get the french fries at the end of her game.

Becoming Al Lewis

2008-12-04T08:38:00.004-07:00

By Storee Powell

Al Lewis is a man who’s always been overflowing with an undying and unconditional love for the Utah State University Aggies, second only to his love for his wife, Teresa. Lewis is a true-blue, dyed in the wool, through-and-through Aggie; who was born in Logan, and raised in Logan. Despite the unmentionable nature of the probability of the unspeakable, Lewis has lived in Logan near his whole life, and doesn’t have plans to change that.
“Al lives and dies with the Aggies,” said Mike Parson, another Aggie fan and life-long friend of Lewis.
Lewis’s career and much of his life has been centered on this love of Aggies and athletics. As a young boy, Lewis lived near the USU campus, and even went to grade school on the campus. Besides just watching Aggie sports games, Lewis attended the practices, where he memorized stats, players and collected autographs.
“Al used to sit alone in the old Field House in a reserved seat. He would keep stats. There is no doubt that Al is one of the most loyal fans the Aggies have ever had,” said Teresa Lewis.
For many of Lewis’s school years, he played sports himself. Eventually, however, Lewis decided being an athlete wasn’t his life’s calling. “I always wanted to do something for the Aggies though,” said Lewis.
Lewis realized he was meant to be a radioman. Signs of Lewis’s destiny were evident in his early years. Teresa explained that while watching sports on television, Al would announce them, play by play, using a Tinker Toy as a microphone. As Al got older, he would bring a tape recorder to Aggie basketball games. Along with Parson, they would announce the games together.
“Al always wanted to be a broadcaster,” said Parson, “and he has stuck to his dream since he was a little kid, and now he is living his dream.”
A great influence to Lewis was his childhood neighbor and friend, Reid Andreasen, who worked at the local radio station KVNU and did the color commentary for Aggie games.
“Many times, if I had a few extra tickets I would take Al with me to the games,” recalls Andreasen, “I believe that my being a radio personality during those years that we lived next to Al was a contributing factor in his desire to be in broadcasting.”
Although Lewis moved to Las Vegas for a couple of years with his family while he was in high school, he knew he wanted to come back to Logan and be a radio announcer for the Aggies.
And so he did. Lewis attended USU, and graduated in three short years. While in school, he got a job at KVNU as a DJ, with the help of Andreasen. He also assisted in announcing USU games.
After graduating, Lewis was hired as a sports broadcaster and announcer at the radio station, KVNU, now owned by Kent Frandsen. Lewis has worked there ever since, and has racked up 36 years of on-air experience. He does the early morning show, which includes the news.
“I have to tell the story of the news fast, while keeping facts as clear as possible,” said Lewis, “but my job is never the same or boring.”
In order to prepare to air at 5:30 am, Lewis wakes up at the ghastly time of 4:15 am.
“It suits Al to get up at 4:15 am every morning and cheerfully greet his Cache Valley listeners,” said Teresa.
Lewis admits though, that the early morning risings aren’t what they used to be.
“It gets harder every year to be up so early. Sometimes I may get giddy on air from a lack of sleep,” Lewis said.
“Lately,” explained Teresa, “Al falls asleep on the job. Sometimes his head hits the microphone and it wakes him up!”
But Lewis has a “therapy” and passion, which is announcing the USU games. While Lewis has contributed to the Aggies from his beginning, he officially began announcing football and basketball games for USU in 1995.
Aggie pride emanates from Lewis when announces. His preparation for the games is unmatched. According to Teresa, he spends hours preparing. He goes over stats, names of players, past games and creates scripts of commentary as well as elaborate charts of plays he learns by attending practices.
“I love pre-game prep, especially football,” said Lewis, “there is lots to learn that leads up to one game. I don’t think people know what goes into announcing a game.”
Dedication to excellence describes Lewis, and all concur on this matter.
“Al is dedicated to his job and his audience. He is professional all the way. He likes to feel he accomplishes a lot in his day, and he goes until he drops,” said Teresa.
Andrea, Lewis’s 16-year-old daughter, agreed, “My dad works very hard, and I am very proud of him.”
Andreasen said, “Al has a tremendous ability with statistics, and a memory of athletes and games that is awesome.”
“I just have to put my heart and soul into stuff—I can never just to things to get them done,” explained Lewis about his dedication to his job and life in general.
Parson confirmed this with, “Al is organized on and off air, and he is very dependable. He wants to do a good job. Al always sticks to his word.”
Teresa attributes her husband’s success at radio because “he is humble, so he doesn’t make a big deal about himself. He knows what his responsibilities are, and he takes them seriously.”
Lewis has interviewed many high-profile people, including Major League Baseball player Hank Aaron, former professional basketball players Karl Malone and Charles Barkely and even the actor Paul Newman.
But, Lewis said he really enjoys interviewing local high school students and athletes. Often, Lewis will interview players of high school teams from both sides before the game.
“I think people appreciate this. It means more than just announcing what happened in the game,” said Lewis, “This shows there is still a place for local radio.”
Lewis is something of a celebrity himself, locally anyway. According to Teresa, “Al has a following that he is not even aware of.” The Lewis family often have people talk to them they don’t even know, but the people feel they know Al, and the whole Lewis family.
“People start their days with him. It’s like he is part of their family,” said Teresa.
Andrea is not too keen on how her dad will sometimes mention her while on air; she said it is sometimes “embarrassing” and that “other people know too much about me.”
“My teachers at school know more about my life than me,” Andrea said.
And though Lewis has to travel a lot with the teams, and spends time away from home, this doesn’t stop him from keeping up and track of his family.
“I can’t keep track of where he goes all the time, but he calls me from road trips and says, ‘Where are you?’ He keeps track of me no matter where he is,” revealed Andrea.
As a sports announcer, being away from home for long periods of time is a fact of life for Lewis.
Andreasen explained that as a broadcaster, Lewis has to “sacrifice his time for the benefit of bringing the games to the folks back home.”
Andreasen remembered from his own career that even at local games, his family didn’t sit with him.
“I have heard Al mention on occasion that he missed his wife and family also. He does have a very friendly personality and is well liked by his peers,” said Andreasen.
But Lewis makes time to be a family man. Teresa said, “He is a loyal friend, father and husband.”
Al and Teresa are coming up on their thirtieth wedding anniversary. They grew up within two blocks of each other, but didn’t get together until Al’s friends set him up on a date at age 24. Al shares his love of broadcasting with Teresa by having her be his co-host on the early morning show once in a while.
“Al and I work really well as a couple because he is grounded. I am the creative, nervous, take-charge wife...he makes me feel secure, and I make his life a party,” explained Teresa.
The Lewis’s have two adopted children, Andrea and Nick. Andrea is a high school student, and Nick has since graduated. Lewis enjoys spending time with his family and friends, especially while playing golf.
“I just like to have him to myself sometimes,” said Andrea, “We go to lunch and play golf.”
Parson and Lewis are still two peas in a pod. For the past 10 years, they have done call-ins on the road for Aggie basketball games. Parson describes his friend as a man who would give him the shirt off his back. But the two weren’t always so close-knit. Parson went to a neighboring elementary school of Lewis, so they were originally rivals on little league. Parson said Lewis didn’t like him at first. But all that rivalry has since gone away, mostly anyway.
Parson and Lewis are very competitive when it comes to their favorite pastime of golf. Lewis’s golfing skills are apparent by the Club Champion award he received in 1983, from the Logan Golf and Country Club. Parson said Lewis could even show a bad temper occasionally during the game. He recalled a story of such a nature. During a game, there were a couple of people playing very slowly just ahead of the two friends. Lewis got a “little steamed” on the twelfth hole as he shot his ball into the sand trap.
“He was yelling and screaming for five minutes, hitting the sand with his club,” Parson said laughing, “The sand was flying by his ears, and I razzed him a bit after, and told him I would call this the Famous Sand Fit.”
Parson said, however, that Lewis is usually very agreeable and friendly, and that Lewis has always been there for him. Parson recalled another story that brought the two closer, as well as the Logan community.
An outstanding Aggie basketball player, Wayne Estes, was a hero to both Lewis and Parson growing up. Lewis said he supervised on the playground at lunch hour, and that they would jump on his back and he carried them around. The two agree that Estes would have been a pro player had he not died in 1965 by a tragic accident.
“It just killed me when he died. It affected all Aggie fans for a long time. He was definitely a superstar in my eyes…he was a big gentle giant,” said Lewis.
Parson noted that during this time, video games weren’t the method of entertainment, but rather watching the Aggies, so the event was traumatic for a close community and Lewis because of his passion for Aggies.
While Lewis is very passionate during announcing, his off-air personality is somewhat different, according to Teresa and Parson. Both said he is more laid back off-air, and perhaps even shy in social settings.
“On the radio, Al is totally in his element,” said Teresa.
Lewis described his two personalities exactly the same, acknowledging his outgoing nature on-air, and his quiet nature off-air.
“I am not really comfortable in social settings like hosting a dinner,” said Lewis.
But one thing is for sure; Lewis is passionate man on and off the air, about his job, golf, his family, and the Aggies. His dedication to life is apparent, and his USU pride is unmistakable. There's no doubt Lewis is a True Aggie in every sense of the phrase.

2008-12-03T23:36:00.002-07:00

Whoever was writing about study habits, you may be done with your story but and in-depth feature could be study habits the week before and week of finals. I am at the library now it's almost midnight and it's still very much full here.

OPINIONS NEEDED!!! ASAP!!!!

2008-12-03T22:44:00.002-07:00

Hey guys! I need more opinions for my homosexuality article!! THE MORE, THE BETTER! Help me out and let your voice be heard as well!!!!!!!!!!

So the question:

Do you have any homosexual friends?
Why? Why not? Does the sexual preference matter?

Thanks!!!

Not worth Shit?

2008-12-01T12:27:00.001-07:00

Hey guys i was just wondering if everyone thought it was funny when Dr. Pease said that blaze, matt and casey arent worth shit!!!!! HAHAHAHA. So we, meaning the three of us, were just wondering if you agree?
Please Respond.

bleh!

2008-11-29T01:00:00.002-07:00

Is it me or does that Orbit pomegranate gum only work for three minutes before disintegrating like paper and losing all flavor?

I think... there could be a story there.

Oldie but a Goodey

2008-11-28T00:33:00.000-07:00

Oldie but a Goodey

In all of her 90 years, Sybil Goodey has moved maybe 150 yards.
As the middle of five children, Sybil T. Goodey was born and raised in the farming community of Clarkston, Utah.
“I grew up, married my neighbor, and we’ve moved half a block in our life,” Sybil said.
She may not be the most well known woman in the valley, but Sybil knows Cache County well and is a huge USU fan.
Sybil and her late husband Dallas used to regularly attend the Aggie sporting events. Basketball was their favorite sport to watch together.
When the games were held in the Nelson Field House and the Aggies scored over 100 points, Sybil recalled, she and her husband would get the free french fries Labeau’s gave out.
And when the Aggies started playing in the Spectrum, there was no keeping the Goodeys out of the games.
“We had season passes and sat right on the floor,” Sybil said, “but now I watch at home because I can’t make it up those stairs anymore.”
Sybil sits alone in her rocking chair, usually with needle and thread in hand, cross-stitching different designs on dish towels for her children and grand children.
She used to go on regular walks to the local cemetery, but now she has a hard time even getting out of her recliner in her living room.
However, when the gracefully aged, white haired woman does need to get out of her chair, she gives herself the motivational count off, “1-2-3 up,” and slowly begins the standing process.
Sybil fought through tears when she recalled dancing the night away with her childhood sweetheart decades ago at Utah State’s 50th Anniversary party.
In 1938, Dallas Goodey, Utah State Agriculture College forestry major, invited Sybil to go with him to the campus’ celebration.
He may not have loved dancing, but he was in love with Clarkston’s “Miss Utah”—the title Sybil held during the Pioneer Day parade the previous summer.
When Sybil was 21, Dallas made Sybil his permanent dancing partner.
The two Clarkston locals were married in 1939 and stayed happily married for the next 68-½ years, never relocating from their hometown.
Sybil was a September bride, along with three of her best friends since 1st grade.
All of those brides out-lived their husbands, and currently three are still “alive and kicking,” as Ulalia Simper, one of elderly widows, said.
Ulalia and Sybil are both living alone now, and since neither has the strength or ability to leave their home, they chat on the phone to keep in touch.
“Sybil was a good friend,” Ulalia said. She was always willing to help and she was a good wife to Dallas.
Sybil misses her husband, and even displays a fridge magnet and throw pillow that read, “I love Dallas.”
But she is still going on as strong as she can, swallowing 16 pills and a Coke daily as she works through Parkinson’s, cancer, and a broken foot among other ailments.
“I still haven’t had to work a day in my life,” she said. “I stayed home with the family, but that wasn’t work.”
Karen Kent, Sybil’s oldest daughter, said although Sybil may have never been employed, she was definitely the hardest worker Clarkston has ever known.
“She would wake up at the crack of dawn every day,” Kent said. “She never quit.”
Sybil was a hard charger, never giving up on her family or anyone else.
In addition to being a homemaker for her family, Sybil worked with many other organizations, like Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.
Sybil was one of the original presidency members for her chapter of DUP.
Louise Butters, the current historian for DUP and dear friend of Sybil’s, said Sybil was one of the most organized ladies she has know and was always dependable in any office she held for DUP.
Both Sybil and Dallas valued service and improving the people and area around them, which is why they worked at the Clarkston cemetery for 32 years, hand digging the grounds and maintaining the lawn.
Mervin Thompson, the former mayor of Clarkston, said Sybil was the best record keeper the cemetery has ever had.
In fact, Thompson nominated Dallas and Sybil for the Utah Humanitarian Award for Service in 2003.
After being nominated on the local level, the Goodeys actually received the prestigious award for their dedication to their community from the governor of Utah.
It may have been several years since receiving the honor, but Sybil remembers that day clearly, just like many of her other reflections from her younger years.
Sybil’s favorite memories in life have included riding with her husband when he was a bus driver for the school district and going for sleigh rides in Trenton with her family.
Dwelling on positive memories, like raising her seven children in her 101 year-old home bring a thin smile and more creases to Sybil’s beautifully wrinkled face.
The home and two acres she currently lives on was bought for $700 in 1939 when the two Clarkston lovebirds married.
Memories are the reason for living, Sybil said. They let her dwell on fun filled events and learned lessons from the past.
Focusing on good memories and retelling stories are motivational factors for her now.
But Sybil is getting ready to give the self-motivation a rest.
“I’m feeling old,” she said, “very old.”
But nobody ever really knows, maybe Sybil still needs to reach over 100 before she can get the french fries at the end of her game.

Stuff-a-bus

2008-11-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

Hey Did anyone of you guys go and help with the stuff-a-bus, or does anyone know who was involved or organizes it every year?
Thank-you!!

Got windowshopping?

2008-11-24T18:17:00.002-07:00

Hey Newsies,

I'm doing my in-depth feature on BLACK FRIDAY. Are any of you planning on hitting up anywhere specific on Friday morning? Are you participating at all? Have you got any leads for me as far as good places to target? (Target, perhaps?) Are you going to buy anything? Are your family members into it? Come on, tell me your opinion...

President-Elect Talks Good, Critics Complain

2008-11-20T07:31:00.002-07:00

Obama’s Use of Complete Sentences Stirs Controversy

By Andy Borowitz

Huffington Post • Nov. 17, 2008

In the first two weeks since the election, President-elect Barack Obama has broken with a tradition established over the past eight years through his controversial use of complete sentences, political observers say.

Millions of Americans who watched Mr. Obama’s appearance on CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday witnessed the president-elect's unorthodox verbal tick, which had Mr. Obama employing grammatically correct sentences virtually every time he opened his mouth.

But Mr. Obama’s decision to use complete sentences in his public pronouncements carries with it certain risks, since after the last eight years many Americans may find his odd speaking style jarring.

According to presidential historian Davis Logsdon of the University of Minnesota, some Americans might find it "alienating" to have a president who speaks English as if it were his first language.

“Every time Obama opens his mouth, his subjects and verbs are in agreement,” says Mr. Logsdon. “If he keeps it up, he is running the risk of sounding like an elitist.”

The historian said that if Mr. Obama insists on using complete sentences in his speeches, the public may find itself saying, “Okay, subject, predicate, subject predicate—we get it, stop showing off.”

The president-elect’s stubborn insistence on using complete sentences has already attracted a rebuke from one of his harshest critics, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.

“Talking with complete sentences there and also too talking in a way that ordinary Americans like Joe the Plumber and Tito the Builder can’t really do there, I think needing to do that isn’t tapping into what Americans are needing also,” she said.

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and writer whose work appears in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and at his award-winning humor site, BorowitzReport.com.

The Future of Journalism?

2008-11-18T12:36:00.001-07:00

.
The New York Times

November 18, 2008
Web Sites That Dig for News Rise as Watchdogs
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

SAN DIEGO — Over the last two years, some of this city’s darkest secrets have been dragged into the light — city officials with conflicts of interest and hidden pay raises, affordable housing that was not affordable, misleading crime statistics.

Investigations ensued. The chiefs of two redevelopment agencies were forced out. One of them faces criminal charges. Yet the main revelations came not from any of San Diego’s television and radio stations or its dominant newspaper, The San Diego Union-Tribune, but from a handful of young journalists at a nonprofit Web site run out of a converted military base far from downtown’s glass towers — a site that did not exist four years ago.

As America’s newspapers shrink and shed staff, and broadcast news outlets sink in the ratings, a new kind of Web-based news operation has arisen in several cities, forcing the papers to follow the stories they uncover.

Here it is VoiceofSanDiego.org, offering a brand of serious, original reporting by professional journalists — the province of the traditional media, but at a much lower cost of doing business. Since it began in 2005, similar operations have cropped up in New Haven, the Twin Cities, Seattle, St. Louis and Chicago. More are on the way.

Their news coverage and hard-digging investigative reporting stand out in an Internet landscape long dominated by partisan commentary, gossip, vitriol and citizen journalism posted by unpaid amateurs.

The fledgling movement has reached a sufficient critical mass, its founders think, so they plan to form an association, angling for national advertising and foundation grants that they could not compete for singly. And hardly a week goes by without a call from journalists around the country seeking advice about starting their own online news outlets.

“Voice is doing really significant work, driving the agenda on redevelopment and some other areas, putting local politicians and businesses on the hot seat,” said Dean Nelson, director of the journalism program at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. “I have them come into my classes, and I introduce them as, ‘This is the future of journalism.’ ”

That is a subject of hot debate among people who closely follow the newspaper industry. Publishing online means operating at half the cost of a comparable printed paper, but online advertising is not robust enough to sustain a newsroom.

And so financially, VoiceofSan Diego and its peers mimic public broadcasting, not newspapers. They are nonprofit corporations supported by foundations, wealthy donors, audience contributions and a little advertising.

New nonprofits without a specific geographic focus also have sprung up to fill other niches, like ProPublica, devoted to investigative journalism, and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, which looks into problems around the world. A similar group, the Center for Investigative Reporting, dates back three decades.

But some experts question whether a large part of the news business can survive on what is essentially charity, and whether it is wise to lean too heavily on the whims of a few moneyed benefactors.

“These are some of the big questions about the future of the business,” said Robert H. Giles, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Nonprofit news online “has to be explored and experimented with, but it has to overcome the hurdle of proving it can support a big news staff. Even the most well-funded of these sites are a far cry in resources from a city newspaper.”

The people who run the local news sites see themselves as one future among many, and they have a complex relationship with traditional media. The say that the deterioration of those media has created an opening for new sources of news, as well as a surplus of unemployed journalists for them to hire.

“No one here welcomes the decline of newspapers,” said Andrew Donohue, one of two executive editors at VoiceofSanDiego. “We can’t be the main news source for this city, not for the foreseeable future. We only have 11 people.”

Those people are almost all young, some of them refugees from older media. The executive editors, Mr. Donohue, 30, and Scott Lewis, 32, each had a few years of experience at small papers before abandoning newsprint. So far, their audience is tiny, about 18,000 monthly unique visitors, according to Quantcast, a media measurement service.

The biggest of the new nonprofit news sites, MinnPost in the Twin Cities and the St. Louis Beacon, can top 200,000 visitors in a month, but even that is a fraction of the Internet readership for the local newspapers.

VoiceofSanDiego’s site looks much like any newspaper’s, frequently updated with breaking news and organized around broad topics: government and politics, housing, economics, the environment, schools and science. It has few graphics, but plenty of photography and, through a partnership with a local TV station, some video.

But it is, of necessity, thin — strictly local, selective in what it covers and with none of the wire service articles that plump up most news sites.

VoiceofSanDiego grew out of a string of spectacular municipal scandals. City councilmen took bribes from a strip club owner, a mishandled pension fund drove the city to the brink of bankruptcy and city officials illegally covered up the crisis, to name a few.

A semiretired local businessman, Buzz Woolley, watched the parade of revelations, fraud charges and criminal convictions, seething with frustration. He was particularly incensed that the pension debacle had developed over several years, more or less in plain sight, but had received little news coverage.

“I kept thinking, ‘Who’s paying attention?’ ” Mr. Woolley recalled. “Why don’t we hear about this stuff before it becomes a disaster?’ ”

In 2004, his conversations with a veteran columnist, Neil Morgan, who had been fired by The Union-Tribune, led to the creation of VoiceofSanDiego, with Mr. Woolley as president, chief executive and, at first, chief financial backer.

Most of this new breed of news sites have a whiff of scruffy insurgency, but MinnPost, based in Minneapolis, resembles the middle-age establishment. Its founder and chief executive, Joel Kramer, has been the editor and publisher of The Star Tribune, of Minneapolis, and its top editors are refugees from that paper or its rival, The Pioneer Press in St. Paul.

MinnPost is rich compared with its peers — with a $1.5 million bankroll from Mr. Kramer and several others when it started last year, and a $1.3 million annual budget — and it has been more aggressive about selling ads and getting readers to donate.

The full-time editors and reporters earn $50,000 to $60,000 a year, Mr. Kramer said — a living wage, but less than they would make at the competing papers. MinnPost has just five full-time employees, but it uses more than 40 paid freelance contributors, allowing it to do frequent reporting on areas like the arts and sports.

If MinnPost is the establishment, The New Haven Independent is a guerrilla team. It has no office, and holds its meetings in a coffee shop. The founder and editor, Paul Bass, who spent most of his career at an alternative weekly, works from home or, occasionally, borrows a desk at a local Spanish-language newspaper.

In addition to state and city affairs, The Independent covers small-bore local news, lately doing a series of articles on people who face the loss of their homes to foreclosure.

With a budget of just $200,000, it has a small staff — some are paid less than $30,000 — and a small corps of freelancers and volunteer contributors. It does not sell ads, which Mr. Bass says would be impractical.

“There’s room for a whole range of approaches, and we’re living proof that you can do meaningful journalism very cheaply,” Mr. Bass said.

Crosscut.com, a local news site in Seattle, does reporting and commentary of its own, but also aggregates articles from other news sources. It began last year as a business, but is changing to nonprofit status.

VoiceofSanDiego took yet another approach, hiring a crew of young, hungry, full-time journalists, paying them salaries comparable to what they would make at large newspapers and relying less on freelancers. Mr. Donohue and Mr. Lewis earned $60,000 to $70,000 last year, according to the VoiceofSan Diego I.R.S. filings.

On a budget under $800,000 this year — almost $200,000 more than last year — everyone does double duty. Mr. Lewis writes a political column, and Mr. Donohue works on investigative articles. But the operation is growing and Mr. Woolley says he has become convinced that the nonprofit model has the best chance of survival.

“Information is now a public service as much as it’s a commodity,” he said. “It should be thought of the same way as education, health care. It’s one of the things you need to operate a civil society, and the market isn’t doing it very well.”

For the Issue Story

2008-11-17T10:53:00.003-07:00

So guys I am needing some contacts to with economic pressure on families this holiday season. It can be a sensitive topic, if anyone knows anyone who would be directly affected and willing to voice what is on their minds, whether it is a family who is struggling with finances because of the economy or an expert a professor that will have a valid opinion on what will be happening during the holidays, or someone in welfare I would really appreciate it and would be very nice to anyone you could refer me to.

MATT!!!!

2008-11-17T09:55:00.002-07:00

Hey Matt!! So i was reading the paper this morning and i read an interesting aritcle about your favorite man up on campus, Brent Guy. It looks like you're going to get your long awaited wish after all. He is being fired. HAHA. Are you planning on doing a story on this subject? I know we only have the issue story and the feature story left to do but if you are not going to write an article about this I would love to. So let me know ok. Take it easy!!!!!