Friday, April 18, 2008
Adam's Story—Corey Flintoff Speech
Corey Flintoff Speech
By Adam Christensen
NPR’s foreign correspondent in Iraq, Corey Flintoff, came to USU to speak about the challenges of news reporting in Iraq. Flintoff opened his speech commenting on security improvements in Baghdad saying that from where he was stationed last December he only heard three car bombs.
“Of course, that’s loose criteria for gauging security in the capital city of a country,” he said, “because you can imagine what it would be like if that were here.”
Flintoff spoke primarily about just what the responsibility of a reporter in Iraq is. With issues of importance such as the war in Iraq, a reporter’s job is to make sure that what is actually happening and what official sources such as the government are saying about those issues match.
When asked a question from one audience member about being able to trust news media accounts especially when confidence in government reports is so low, Flintoff said that the public can trust in news media accounts. This comes with a grain of salt.
“When I tell my listeners what is going on, it’s also important to me to tell them how limited I am in what I’m reporting to them.” Said Flintoff.
According to Flintoff news media encounter no censorship from the government or military, but several factors lend to an inherent censorship in Iraq. Primarily among those is the danger of simply being a journalist in Iraq.
Flintoff spoke of several colleagues who debated how long a western journalist could be out in the open before risking being shot or kidnapped. “I wasn’t part of the speculation,” Flintoff said, “but the timeframe they came up with was about 45 minutes.”
Even Iraqi journalists and interpreters, especially those working with western news organizations, risk their lives and those of their families by serving the public.
Reporting while ‘imbedded’ with American soldiers is another story. Flintoff mentioned that there even exists competition between some units to take reporters out with them. “Public relations officers will tell me ‘if you go with us, I promise you’ll see some action.’ It’s a bit like used car sales.” He said.
But, Flintoff said there is some difficulty in remaining objective while reporting from this perspective. “Everyone on the other side of the bullet-proof glass starts to look like an enemy. The car on the corner is a bomb; the man calling on his cellular phone is giving away your location.”
Throughout his speech, Flintoff used the popular comparison for the war of a hydra, a multi-headed mythical dragon. Iraq is a likewise multi-faceted problem, with difficulties arising from various sources from Al Qaeda and Iran, to newer struggles in the cities Basra and Sadr. Flintoff said that with fewer than 70 foreign reporters in Iraq there simply isn’t enough manpower to cover so many fronts. “It’s difficult for American reporters to give a good picture of what’s going on.”
Flintoff was born in Alaska where he began his radio career with NPR. He now resides in Washington, D.C. and continues his work with NPR.
What do you think? Hit "Comments" link below.
By Adam Christensen
NPR’s foreign correspondent in Iraq, Corey Flintoff, came to USU to speak about the challenges of news reporting in Iraq. Flintoff opened his speech commenting on security improvements in Baghdad saying that from where he was stationed last December he only heard three car bombs.
“Of course, that’s loose criteria for gauging security in the capital city of a country,” he said, “because you can imagine what it would be like if that were here.”
Flintoff spoke primarily about just what the responsibility of a reporter in Iraq is. With issues of importance such as the war in Iraq, a reporter’s job is to make sure that what is actually happening and what official sources such as the government are saying about those issues match.
When asked a question from one audience member about being able to trust news media accounts especially when confidence in government reports is so low, Flintoff said that the public can trust in news media accounts. This comes with a grain of salt.
“When I tell my listeners what is going on, it’s also important to me to tell them how limited I am in what I’m reporting to them.” Said Flintoff.
According to Flintoff news media encounter no censorship from the government or military, but several factors lend to an inherent censorship in Iraq. Primarily among those is the danger of simply being a journalist in Iraq.
Flintoff spoke of several colleagues who debated how long a western journalist could be out in the open before risking being shot or kidnapped. “I wasn’t part of the speculation,” Flintoff said, “but the timeframe they came up with was about 45 minutes.”
Even Iraqi journalists and interpreters, especially those working with western news organizations, risk their lives and those of their families by serving the public.
Reporting while ‘imbedded’ with American soldiers is another story. Flintoff mentioned that there even exists competition between some units to take reporters out with them. “Public relations officers will tell me ‘if you go with us, I promise you’ll see some action.’ It’s a bit like used car sales.” He said.
But, Flintoff said there is some difficulty in remaining objective while reporting from this perspective. “Everyone on the other side of the bullet-proof glass starts to look like an enemy. The car on the corner is a bomb; the man calling on his cellular phone is giving away your location.”
Throughout his speech, Flintoff used the popular comparison for the war of a hydra, a multi-headed mythical dragon. Iraq is a likewise multi-faceted problem, with difficulties arising from various sources from Al Qaeda and Iran, to newer struggles in the cities Basra and Sadr. Flintoff said that with fewer than 70 foreign reporters in Iraq there simply isn’t enough manpower to cover so many fronts. “It’s difficult for American reporters to give a good picture of what’s going on.”
Flintoff was born in Alaska where he began his radio career with NPR. He now resides in Washington, D.C. and continues his work with NPR.
What do you think? Hit "Comments" link below.
Jessica's Story—Flintoff
NPR Correspondent Lectures USU Students on Reporting From Iraq
By Jessica Prado
j.n.p@aggiemail.usu.edu
Friday, April 18, 2008
By Jessica Prado
j.n.p@aggiemail.usu.edu
Friday, April 18, 2008
Safety and cost issues have made it challenging for reporters to provide a “genuinely direct picture” of the Iraq War, said National Public Radio reporter Corey Flintoff, during a lecture given to a large crowd of journalism and communication students on Wednesday afternoon in the Performance Hall at Utah State University.
Flintoff, who spent 17 years as the afternoon voice of NPR's newscasts and is currently a foreign correspondent for NPR based in Washington, said that while he did observe a positive and “meaningful change in security” while working in Baghdad from Aug. 2006 to Feb. 2007, reporters still put themselves “at personal risk.”
According to Flintoff there are “numbers of factions in this war [who] would like nothing better than to get their hands on a western journalist, either to make an example of them or to hold them for ransom” for both criminal and political reasons.
Flintoff said that most of the street interviews in Baghdad must be done by Iraqi reporters “who are able to move around in the society, speak the language, look like other Iraqis…and the danger is considerable for them as well” simply because they work for a western news organization.
After describing some of the most recent incidents of murder and kidnapping among NPR reporters, including an Iraqi native, Flintoff said that the only way a western reporter can safely travel around Iraq is if they are “embedded in a U.S. military unit.”
According to Flintoff reporting from inside a military patrol makes “the real job” of assessing without bias how well the U.S. military effort is doing in Iraq extremely difficult for a variety of reasons.
Why the difficulty?
Flintoff said one of the reasons is that the military has “been very cooperative” with reporters by taking them around Iraq and offering them protection, so “they’re likeable people.”
“I actually had military public affairs officers competing to get me out to their specific units…it’s a bit like used car sales,” Flintoff said.
Also according to Flintoff, a tendency to “take on a lot of the perceptions of the American military” is another reason critical reporting in Iraq is difficult.
“When you’re riding along in a humvee and you’re looking out your little window of bulletproof glass everyone on the other side tends to look like an enemy,” Flintoff said.
To avoid bias in his reporting, Flintoff said that he tries to be honest with himself and his listeners about “just how limited a view” he is able to provide when doing a story in Iraq.
In addition to the safety issue, cost is a heavily contributing factor to the challenges reporters face in Iraq, said Flintoff.
“Obviously doing this job properly requires going to a lot of locations around Iraq and no western news organization really has the facilities to do that anymore,” Flintoff said, “It’s become too expensive to keep people there.”
Flintoff said that just after the war started when “the data came out in 2003” there were estimated 1,500-2,000 reporters from all over the world covering the invasion in Iraq.
That number has since declined to what Flintoff estimated were now around 70 reporters from all nations doing the same type of coverage in Iraq.
Flintoff said that it currently costs NPR “an excess of $1million a year to maintain a bureau” in Baghdad.
With safety being a considerable issue, western news organizations are willing to fork-out the big bucks just to get their employees to and from the airport—a $2,800 trip one way—according to Flintoff.
What kind of airport shuttle service costs $2,800?
The kind that includes “a couple of former British Royal marines with their guns and their ammunition and their expertise and a couple of drivers who’ve been trained in evasive driving techniques,” Flintoff said.
In addition to armored shuttle service, NPR also leases a house in a neighborhood full of other news organizations, like FOX, that is surrounded by paid guards.
Add to that the price associated with satellite transmissions to get stories back to the U.S. coupled with maintaining Iraqi interpreters and reporters—who Flintoff believes aren’t getting paid enough for risking their lives and their families’ lives “to make it possible for us to function in a conflict zone.”
“But those are part of the costs of living in a place like this,” Flintoff said.
After the lecture Flintoff told the Utah Statesman that he has visited many college campuses around the country and commented that USU students are “obviously well informed.”
“I really and truly have not gotten better questions,” Flintoff said.
What do you think? Hit "Comment" link below
Flintoff, who spent 17 years as the afternoon voice of NPR's newscasts and is currently a foreign correspondent for NPR based in Washington, said that while he did observe a positive and “meaningful change in security” while working in Baghdad from Aug. 2006 to Feb. 2007, reporters still put themselves “at personal risk.”
According to Flintoff there are “numbers of factions in this war [who] would like nothing better than to get their hands on a western journalist, either to make an example of them or to hold them for ransom” for both criminal and political reasons.
Flintoff said that most of the street interviews in Baghdad must be done by Iraqi reporters “who are able to move around in the society, speak the language, look like other Iraqis…and the danger is considerable for them as well” simply because they work for a western news organization.
After describing some of the most recent incidents of murder and kidnapping among NPR reporters, including an Iraqi native, Flintoff said that the only way a western reporter can safely travel around Iraq is if they are “embedded in a U.S. military unit.”
According to Flintoff reporting from inside a military patrol makes “the real job” of assessing without bias how well the U.S. military effort is doing in Iraq extremely difficult for a variety of reasons.
Why the difficulty?
Flintoff said one of the reasons is that the military has “been very cooperative” with reporters by taking them around Iraq and offering them protection, so “they’re likeable people.”
“I actually had military public affairs officers competing to get me out to their specific units…it’s a bit like used car sales,” Flintoff said.
Also according to Flintoff, a tendency to “take on a lot of the perceptions of the American military” is another reason critical reporting in Iraq is difficult.
“When you’re riding along in a humvee and you’re looking out your little window of bulletproof glass everyone on the other side tends to look like an enemy,” Flintoff said.
To avoid bias in his reporting, Flintoff said that he tries to be honest with himself and his listeners about “just how limited a view” he is able to provide when doing a story in Iraq.
In addition to the safety issue, cost is a heavily contributing factor to the challenges reporters face in Iraq, said Flintoff.
“Obviously doing this job properly requires going to a lot of locations around Iraq and no western news organization really has the facilities to do that anymore,” Flintoff said, “It’s become too expensive to keep people there.”
Flintoff said that just after the war started when “the data came out in 2003” there were estimated 1,500-2,000 reporters from all over the world covering the invasion in Iraq.
That number has since declined to what Flintoff estimated were now around 70 reporters from all nations doing the same type of coverage in Iraq.
Flintoff said that it currently costs NPR “an excess of $1million a year to maintain a bureau” in Baghdad.
With safety being a considerable issue, western news organizations are willing to fork-out the big bucks just to get their employees to and from the airport—a $2,800 trip one way—according to Flintoff.
What kind of airport shuttle service costs $2,800?
The kind that includes “a couple of former British Royal marines with their guns and their ammunition and their expertise and a couple of drivers who’ve been trained in evasive driving techniques,” Flintoff said.
In addition to armored shuttle service, NPR also leases a house in a neighborhood full of other news organizations, like FOX, that is surrounded by paid guards.
Add to that the price associated with satellite transmissions to get stories back to the U.S. coupled with maintaining Iraqi interpreters and reporters—who Flintoff believes aren’t getting paid enough for risking their lives and their families’ lives “to make it possible for us to function in a conflict zone.”
“But those are part of the costs of living in a place like this,” Flintoff said.
After the lecture Flintoff told the Utah Statesman that he has visited many college campuses around the country and commented that USU students are “obviously well informed.”
“I really and truly have not gotten better questions,” Flintoff said.
What do you think? Hit "Comment" link below
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Metta's Story: Corey Flintoff
NPR Foreign Correspondent Visits USU
By Metta Ray
April 16, 2008
LOGAN—NPR personality and foreign correspondent Corey Flintoff shared stories and experiences from Iraq today at the Utah State University Performance Hall on campus.
Flintoff’s speech was brief, lasting a little less than an hour, but it was informative and impactful. A man with a sense of humor, Flintoff also had some heartfelt comments. He talked about working as a reporter imbedded with the troops saying “they are your best friend” when they are there to protect you. Visiting different classrooms during his time at USU Flintoff said he was asked by one student, ‘if you had information concerning the enemies whereabouts or a planned attack, would you report it to the troops?’ Flintoff said “yes. If I thought I could tell the troops without jeopardizing my informant, then yes especially if we were about to be ambushed.”
During his first visit to Iraq in August 2006, the “sound of bombs and gunfire was common”, but in December 2008 Flintoff “heard scarcely any gunfire at all and only a few bombs.”
Making the audience laugh with political satire was something that seemed to come easy to Flintoff, but he also had some very somber stories to tell. One was of his colleague, who had been kidnapped and held for ransom. He was tortured and then left for dead in the desert once his ransom had been paid.
Working with the Iraqi people is usually left to the locals because they are more likely to be trusted and accepted by the locals, but for the price of $2,800, which buys a one way trip from the airport to the hotel in an armored car with body guards, NPR can get an outside reporter in to the city. This gets very expensive and Flintoff says “it’s too expensive to keep reporters there”
Before becoming a correspondent with the NPR Foreign Desk, Flintoff was a newscaster on NPR’s All Things Considered, a reporter for NPR’s newsmagazines, and understudy on Carl Kasell’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! He was Alaska Public Radio Network’s executive producer for seven years and hosted the newsmagazine Alaska News Nightly. Flintoff has freelanced for NPR, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Monitor Radio and the Associated Press. In 1989, for his coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Flintoff won the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award. He has also written and produced television documentaries that have been shown on PBS and are currently part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection about Alaskan Life.
Flintoff attended the University of California at Berkeley where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and received a master’s in the same at the University of Chicago. Flintoff was born in Fairbanks Alaska and now lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and daughter.
By Metta Ray
April 16, 2008
LOGAN—NPR personality and foreign correspondent Corey Flintoff shared stories and experiences from Iraq today at the Utah State University Performance Hall on campus.
Flintoff’s speech was brief, lasting a little less than an hour, but it was informative and impactful. A man with a sense of humor, Flintoff also had some heartfelt comments. He talked about working as a reporter imbedded with the troops saying “they are your best friend” when they are there to protect you. Visiting different classrooms during his time at USU Flintoff said he was asked by one student, ‘if you had information concerning the enemies whereabouts or a planned attack, would you report it to the troops?’ Flintoff said “yes. If I thought I could tell the troops without jeopardizing my informant, then yes especially if we were about to be ambushed.”
During his first visit to Iraq in August 2006, the “sound of bombs and gunfire was common”, but in December 2008 Flintoff “heard scarcely any gunfire at all and only a few bombs.”
Making the audience laugh with political satire was something that seemed to come easy to Flintoff, but he also had some very somber stories to tell. One was of his colleague, who had been kidnapped and held for ransom. He was tortured and then left for dead in the desert once his ransom had been paid.
Working with the Iraqi people is usually left to the locals because they are more likely to be trusted and accepted by the locals, but for the price of $2,800, which buys a one way trip from the airport to the hotel in an armored car with body guards, NPR can get an outside reporter in to the city. This gets very expensive and Flintoff says “it’s too expensive to keep reporters there”
Before becoming a correspondent with the NPR Foreign Desk, Flintoff was a newscaster on NPR’s All Things Considered, a reporter for NPR’s newsmagazines, and understudy on Carl Kasell’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! He was Alaska Public Radio Network’s executive producer for seven years and hosted the newsmagazine Alaska News Nightly. Flintoff has freelanced for NPR, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Monitor Radio and the Associated Press. In 1989, for his coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Flintoff won the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Award. He has also written and produced television documentaries that have been shown on PBS and are currently part of the Smithsonian Institution’s collection about Alaskan Life.
Flintoff attended the University of California at Berkeley where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and received a master’s in the same at the University of Chicago. Flintoff was born in Fairbanks Alaska and now lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and daughter.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Interesting News
I was listening to the radio yesterday on way home from Salt Lake and heard an interesting news story. There is a lady in Park City who punished her son by making him hold a sign on the street for 3 hours. The boy was in trouble for stealing from 7 stores or something. He is only 10 years old. The sign said something to the effect of "I am a thief. watch your yourself i may steal from you." something like that. I am not sure what the exact words were. I thought it was hilarious. The lady may have gotten in trouble because some people thought it was cruel. I think the little shit deserved it for stealing. How else is he going to learn. She can't spank him cause that would be abuse now days. What do you guys think? Do you think it was fair punishment?
Story Idea: Ruby Pipeline
Newshounds:
The issue of the proposed gas pipeline across southern Cache Valley continues. It’s a promising potential story topic. Here}s some new info from the Cache Valley EcoNet (Bryan Dixon):
The real problem with the Ruby Pipeline is that it will basically sterilize the habitat values along a corridor 150-250 feet wide through our mountains -- including some roadless areas -- for the sake of lower costs for the pipeline owners as they sell gas to northern California. It’s long, long past time for Americans to pay the real cost of energy, including the cost of routing such pipelines along existing corridors, such as Interstate highways, rather than through the mountains of southern Cache County.
The Box Elder High School is located at 380 S. 600 W. in Brigham City, UT, a mere 25 minutes away.
Bryan Dixon (bdixon@xmission.com)
---
From: "Shaun L. Peck"
Date sent: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:08:03 -0600
Subject: Assistance
Please remember to attend the scoping meeting at Box Elder High School auditorium at 7:00 this Thursday (April 17). Plan on arriving early to sign up to comment if you so desire. We really need to send a message to FERC and Ruby, and the scoping meeting is a great opportunity to be heard. Please remember to send your comments to FERC and to your elected officials as well. There is a limited time available to make a difference, so please act now! Please see the website stoprubypipeline.org for additional assistance and
information.
The issue of the proposed gas pipeline across southern Cache Valley continues. It’s a promising potential story topic. Here}s some new info from the Cache Valley EcoNet (Bryan Dixon):
The real problem with the Ruby Pipeline is that it will basically sterilize the habitat values along a corridor 150-250 feet wide through our mountains -- including some roadless areas -- for the sake of lower costs for the pipeline owners as they sell gas to northern California. It’s long, long past time for Americans to pay the real cost of energy, including the cost of routing such pipelines along existing corridors, such as Interstate highways, rather than through the mountains of southern Cache County.
The Box Elder High School is located at 380 S. 600 W. in Brigham City, UT, a mere 25 minutes away.
Bryan Dixon (bdixon@xmission.com)
---
From: "Shaun L. Peck"
Date sent: Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:08:03 -0600
Subject: Assistance
Please remember to attend the scoping meeting at Box Elder High School auditorium at 7:00 this Thursday (April 17). Plan on arriving early to sign up to comment if you so desire. We really need to send a message to FERC and Ruby, and the scoping meeting is a great opportunity to be heard. Please remember to send your comments to FERC and to your elected officials as well. There is a limited time available to make a difference, so please act now! Please see the website stoprubypipeline.org for additional assistance and
information.
Story Idea: Amalga Barrens
Newshounds:
How could you resist a story that you can slug “Amalga Barrens”?
Here's the newstip. Not for the tour—which could make a good story by itself. But the larger issue story is about the Bridgerland Audubon Society’s purchase and protection of this chunk of land. As always, when people are passionate about a thing—as these people are—good stories can emerge. See below....
TP
---
Bridgerland Audubon Society (BAS) fought long and hard to block a dam at the Amalga Barrens. We then purchased 150 acres to make sure we had a voice in any future dam discussion. See why this place is so special. These leaders will show you migrating shorebirds that are on their way to the far Arctic north. Places such as the Barrens are critical refueling spots on this arduous journey. Our visitors should be in full breeding plummage by now and glorious to behold.
April 19: Amalga Barrens for Shorebirds and Spring Wildflowers. We will be looking for early spring migrants and wildflowers with Keith Archibald and Reinhard Jockel. Meet at the parking lot between the Caffe Ibis and the Logan Fire Station (50 East 150 North in Logan) at 9 a.m. For more info call Keith at 752-8258 or Dick Hurren at (435) 720-7074.
Bryan Dixon
H: 435-752-6830
C: 435-760-0691
How could you resist a story that you can slug “Amalga Barrens”?
Here's the newstip. Not for the tour—which could make a good story by itself. But the larger issue story is about the Bridgerland Audubon Society’s purchase and protection of this chunk of land. As always, when people are passionate about a thing—as these people are—good stories can emerge. See below....
TP
---
Bridgerland Audubon Society (BAS) fought long and hard to block a dam at the Amalga Barrens. We then purchased 150 acres to make sure we had a voice in any future dam discussion. See why this place is so special. These leaders will show you migrating shorebirds that are on their way to the far Arctic north. Places such as the Barrens are critical refueling spots on this arduous journey. Our visitors should be in full breeding plummage by now and glorious to behold.
April 19: Amalga Barrens for Shorebirds and Spring Wildflowers. We will be looking for early spring migrants and wildflowers with Keith Archibald and Reinhard Jockel. Meet at the parking lot between the Caffe Ibis and the Logan Fire Station (50 East 150 North in Logan) at 9 a.m. For more info call Keith at 752-8258 or Dick Hurren at (435) 720-7074.
Bryan Dixon
H: 435-752-6830
C: 435-760-0691
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
NewsHounds Gradesheet
Here’s how your grades for the semester break down.
I. Preliminary/In-Class work (60 pts/12%)
Day 1
Leads1 (all 3 for 5 pts)
Leads2
Fire/SpellingBee (5 pts.)
Obama Speech (10 pts.)
Bush Speech (10 pts.)
DelBarco Speech (10 pts.)
Wally Crash (10 pts.)
Overton Fire (10 pts.)
_________________________________
II. Midterm (25 pts./5%)
_________________________________
III. Outside stories (225 pts/45%)
Story1 (20 pts.)
Story2 (20 pts.)
Story3 (20 pts.)
Story4 (4/4) (25 pts.)
Story5 (4/11) (30 pts.)
Story6 (4/18) (50 pts.)
Story7 (4/25) (60 pts.)
__________________________________
IV. Other Stuff (120 pts./24%)
NewsHounds online (20 pts.)
News Quizzes (50 pts.)
Class participation (50 pts.)
__________________________________
V. FinalExam (70 pts./14%)
Extra credit? Adjustments?
Total possible points = 500
Computing Final Grade = I+II+III+IV+V = xxx pts./500 = xx%
I will provide comments individually with your final gradesheet
~~~~~~~~~
Translations: Assignments have been graded this semester with letters, numbers and hieroglyphics. Here’s the translation key
Grades/Scores
A/10 = 100%
A-/9 = 93%
B+/8+ = 87%
B/8 = 85%
B-/8- = 83%
C+/7+ = 77%
C/7 = 75%
C-/7- = 73%
D+/6+ = 67%
D/6 = 65%
F/5 = 50%
F/4 = 40%
F/3 = 30%
Other items affecting grades:
FE*—Fact Error
SP*—Spelling Error
grammar/punct/syntax errors
Questions about any of this or concerns about your grades, make an appointment to see me.
I. Preliminary/In-Class work (60 pts/12%)
Day 1
Leads1 (all 3 for 5 pts)
Leads2
Fire/SpellingBee (5 pts.)
Obama Speech (10 pts.)
Bush Speech (10 pts.)
DelBarco Speech (10 pts.)
Wally Crash (10 pts.)
Overton Fire (10 pts.)
_________________________________
II. Midterm (25 pts./5%)
_________________________________
III. Outside stories (225 pts/45%)
Story1 (20 pts.)
Story2 (20 pts.)
Story3 (20 pts.)
Story4 (4/4) (25 pts.)
Story5 (4/11) (30 pts.)
Story6 (4/18) (50 pts.)
Story7 (4/25) (60 pts.)
__________________________________
IV. Other Stuff (120 pts./24%)
NewsHounds online (20 pts.)
News Quizzes (50 pts.)
Class participation (50 pts.)
__________________________________
V. FinalExam (70 pts./14%)
Extra credit? Adjustments?
Total possible points = 500
Computing Final Grade = I+II+III+IV+V = xxx pts./500 = xx%
I will provide comments individually with your final gradesheet
~~~~~~~~~
Translations: Assignments have been graded this semester with letters, numbers and hieroglyphics. Here’s the translation key
Grades/Scores
A/10 = 100%
A-/9 = 93%
B+/8+ = 87%
B/8 = 85%
B-/8- = 83%
C+/7+ = 77%
C/7 = 75%
C-/7- = 73%
D+/6+ = 67%
D/6 = 65%
F/5 = 50%
F/4 = 40%
F/3 = 30%
Other items affecting grades:
FE*—Fact Error
SP*—Spelling Error
grammar/punct/syntax errors
Questions about any of this or concerns about your grades, make an appointment to see me.
Guns at USU? Story help wanted
On Apr 15, 2008, at 9:20 AM, Raelle Greer wrote:
For my article this week i am not sure what to do it on. I still want to do the article on guns at usu. I interviewed the USU police about the gun policy and they didn't have much to say i only have one quote from them.I think i am going to try again and see if they have ever had any problems with it. I want to ask them about the Virginia Tech incident. i also interviewed someone who actually carries a gun on campus and i have an interview with someone who has a permit but doesnt think it is good to carry them on campus. I am not sure how to focus the story. I think on safety. How safe are we kinda thing. I need help i suck at news writing. I am not creative enough.
Raelle
Raelle: I'm going to post this on NewsHounds to see what the rest of the mob thinks would be a good focus.
Is there a USU NRA club (or some other gun org)? Ask ASUSU if there is a club. While you're at it, ask the ASUSU president what his position is on concealed weapons on campus. Ask him what would happen here if a Northern Illinois or VaTech case happened.
What would the university policy/response be if concealed weapons were permitted on campus? (Actually, what is the law at this point? I think Utah law permits concealed weapons on campus--Google the UofU stories on this from a couple of years ago). Ask the USU Police what the policy--state and local--is on concealed weapons on campus. Is it legal? If so, what's the USU Police position on guns on campus?
Call John DeVilbiss, the USU PR guy (797-1358; 7-1351 office) and ask the same question--what is USU's policy of guns? And what policies does USU have in place if--gawd forbid--something like Northern Illinois or Virginia Tech happened here? Is there a policy? What is it?
Ask President Albrecht (797-1162) the same question. Seriously. If it turns out that there can be guns at USU, call the president's office and ask what his response would be. When they don't provide you with a comment, tell them that you'll just put in the story that, "USU President Stan Albrecht had no comment about the issue of guns on campus." See if that gets you any kind of response.
How about faculty? Ask the president of the Faculty Senate (find these people on the USU website, under Faaculty Senate: Doug Ramsey, President, Professor, Wildland Resources, doug.ramsey@usu.edu, 797-3783) the same questions.
Can you do that? It's a great story.
Comments, anyone?
Ted
For my article this week i am not sure what to do it on. I still want to do the article on guns at usu. I interviewed the USU police about the gun policy and they didn't have much to say i only have one quote from them.I think i am going to try again and see if they have ever had any problems with it. I want to ask them about the Virginia Tech incident. i also interviewed someone who actually carries a gun on campus and i have an interview with someone who has a permit but doesnt think it is good to carry them on campus. I am not sure how to focus the story. I think on safety. How safe are we kinda thing. I need help i suck at news writing. I am not creative enough.
Raelle
Raelle: I'm going to post this on NewsHounds to see what the rest of the mob thinks would be a good focus.
Is there a USU NRA club (or some other gun org)? Ask ASUSU if there is a club. While you're at it, ask the ASUSU president what his position is on concealed weapons on campus. Ask him what would happen here if a Northern Illinois or VaTech case happened.
What would the university policy/response be if concealed weapons were permitted on campus? (Actually, what is the law at this point? I think Utah law permits concealed weapons on campus--Google the UofU stories on this from a couple of years ago). Ask the USU Police what the policy--state and local--is on concealed weapons on campus. Is it legal? If so, what's the USU Police position on guns on campus?
Call John DeVilbiss, the USU PR guy (797-1358; 7-1351 office) and ask the same question--what is USU's policy of guns? And what policies does USU have in place if--gawd forbid--something like Northern Illinois or Virginia Tech happened here? Is there a policy? What is it?
Ask President Albrecht (797-1162) the same question. Seriously. If it turns out that there can be guns at USU, call the president's office and ask what his response would be. When they don't provide you with a comment, tell them that you'll just put in the story that, "USU President Stan Albrecht had no comment about the issue of guns on campus." See if that gets you any kind of response.
How about faculty? Ask the president of the Faculty Senate (find these people on the USU website, under Faaculty Senate: Doug Ramsey, President, Professor, Wildland Resources, doug.ramsey@usu.edu, 797-3783) the same questions.
Can you do that? It's a great story.
Comments, anyone?
Ted
Next-To-Last Week (Yikes!)
My dear, hard-working NewsHounds:
It’s the last two weeks of classes (gasp!)(Hooray!), and the stories that you do this week and next will be the best you can do, the apex of your journalistic endeavor so far. These stories will count more than anything else you’ve done this semester toward your final grade. I'm looking for Pulitzer Prize quality here.
Remember that your story idea(s) for this week (and your final story next week, if you're thinking ahead) are due to me Monday.
These stories, because they represent your best work, will be compelling topics, a minimum of 2-3 pages (double-spaced), with multiple (at least 3) sources, great quotes, excellent punctuation/grammar/mechanics. They should not be simple speech or event stories.
REMEMBER that if your story is about an event—a speech, a bike-swap, etc.—it’s due to me via email and on the blog within 48 hours of the event.
If you like, please discuss story ideas and ask for feedback from your fellow NewsHounds on the blog.
When pitching a story idea to me, please include:
a) the topic—what’s the story about?
b) what about it? (angle/focus);
c) three (or more) possible sources (either specific individuals or a kind of source--e.g., a mechanic or a Middle East scholar) and why? you want them for your story, what kind of info/perspective you want from them;
d) likely timeframe for completion. (All stories are due by midnight Friday. If you’re going to be late—and these things do happen—let me know ahead of time by email.)
Remember that we will not meet on Wednesday this week. There is a speech by Cory Flintoff of NPR on covering Iraq in the Performance Hall at noon Wednesday. Be there. Cover the story for any of the following kinds of credit:
a) to fill a hole if you owe me a story
b) to fulfill this week’s story assignment (IF you have not already done a speech/event as one of your last four stories)
c) as extra credit--on top of everything else you've done this semester.
Flintoff stories due by NOON FRIDAY.
ALSO: Wednesday, 4/16, 5:30-7:30 p.m., BIZ 317: For extra credit, come to a screening of the film, “The Paper,” about a year in the life of the student journalists of Penn State University's Daily Collegian. Find out more about the movie at the PBS website I sent you.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Nicole's Story—POWs
POWs/MIAs
By Nicole Miggin
Two soldiers are guarding a flag for 24 hours on the quad, they are marching in precise formation until Noon today in honor of those troops who are and any who have ever been a Prisoner of War or gone Missing in Action.
“This seems like a good way to honor our troops,” said Melanie Smith, sophomore at USU, “It reminds me of the way they guard the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington.”
The Perishing Guns Club is trying to emulate that same type of memorial here on campus. “We are doing this to cap stone our clubs first semester at USU,” said Jake Rindlisbacher, Bag Piper and Cadet in the Air Force ROTC at USU, “Its how we welcome new members.” The Perishing Guns are a break off of the Air Force Color Guard here at USU. They are part of a national society that focuses on serving the community and rifle competitions said Kirk Smith, Cadet in the Air Force ROTC at USU.
This is the end of their first semester and they have already organized two service projects to keep Logan clean and to help the elderly with yard work. They have also served the USU campus already “We did half time shows for the basketball games,” said Rindlisbacher, “You know we are the ones that spin guns.”
“The main staple of this organization are the guns. So throughout the year we will do fund raisers so that we can buy our guns for competition n,” said Smith. Every member of this organization is a volunteer and the Perishing Guns get no outside funding so their fundraisers are really important because their guns are “freaking expensive” according to the cadets.
As they wrap up their year with the memorial on the quad the soldiers are hoping that USU students will remember to “recognize and appreciate our troops” said Rindlisbacher.
What do you think? Hit "Comment" below.
By Nicole Miggin
Two soldiers are guarding a flag for 24 hours on the quad, they are marching in precise formation until Noon today in honor of those troops who are and any who have ever been a Prisoner of War or gone Missing in Action.
“This seems like a good way to honor our troops,” said Melanie Smith, sophomore at USU, “It reminds me of the way they guard the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington.”
The Perishing Guns Club is trying to emulate that same type of memorial here on campus. “We are doing this to cap stone our clubs first semester at USU,” said Jake Rindlisbacher, Bag Piper and Cadet in the Air Force ROTC at USU, “Its how we welcome new members.” The Perishing Guns are a break off of the Air Force Color Guard here at USU. They are part of a national society that focuses on serving the community and rifle competitions said Kirk Smith, Cadet in the Air Force ROTC at USU.
This is the end of their first semester and they have already organized two service projects to keep Logan clean and to help the elderly with yard work. They have also served the USU campus already “We did half time shows for the basketball games,” said Rindlisbacher, “You know we are the ones that spin guns.”
“The main staple of this organization are the guns. So throughout the year we will do fund raisers so that we can buy our guns for competition n,” said Smith. Every member of this organization is a volunteer and the Perishing Guns get no outside funding so their fundraisers are really important because their guns are “freaking expensive” according to the cadets.
As they wrap up their year with the memorial on the quad the soldiers are hoping that USU students will remember to “recognize and appreciate our troops” said Rindlisbacher.
What do you think? Hit "Comment" below.
Greg's Story—Rugby
USU Rugby
By Greg Boyles
The new Utah State men’s rugby coach is making significant changes to the future of USU rugby that could propel them into NCAA status, said Josh Aldridge, the head coach for the men’s USU rugby team.
By Greg Boyles
The new Utah State men’s rugby coach is making significant changes to the future of USU rugby that could propel them into NCAA status, said Josh Aldridge, the head coach for the men’s USU rugby team.
The team, along with Harvard, Air Force Academy, Princeton and Brigham Young University, are all currently making moves toward NCAA status, Aldridge said.
“The NCAA has always been dominated by football, basketball and baseball,” Aldridge said, “so there are those little-known sports, like rugby, who are trying to make the jump right now.”
This move would establish the USU men’s rugby team as an official school sport and would help to progress the popularity of rugby on campus, Aldridge said.
Since 1941, the men’s rugby team has thrived at Utah State, serving as one of the oldest sports on campus with countless numbers of alumni players, Aldridge said. Its club status, however, has prevented the team from awarding scholarships to promising players and acquiring school funding that would help to enhance the quality of the program as a whole, he said.
On top of trying to achieve NCAA status, Aldridge has also established a full coaching staff as well as a staff photographer and development officer. He has also established a USU rugby foundation, which will help make fund raising for the team much easier, Aldridge said.
Another source of income Aldridge has been able to organize for the team is a new line of sponsorships.
These sponsorships will make it possible for the team to travel and compete more often, Aldridge said.
These companies consist of Red Bull, GD concepts and their largest sponsor, The National Guard, Aldridge said.
“The team has definitely progressed, especially at its level of organization,” said Alex Thorley, member of the team for two years.
All of these progressions have made it possible for the team to host the American Cup, a colligate tournament made up of teams from all over the U.S. and Canada, Aldridge said. This event will be the second largest sporting event in the state of Utah, falling second only to the Olympics.
All of these efforts by Aldridge to improve the USU men’s team are a part of his overall goal to bring rugby as a whole into the spotlight as a mainstream sport in America, Aldridge said.
Rugby, which is very popular among most foreign countries, is an up-and-coming sport in the United States and finds most of its popularity on the West Coast, Aldridge said. Americans are gradually moving away from Americanized sports and shifting toward gladiatorial sports such as soccer and rugby, which are traditionally higher impact sports, Aldridge said.
Aldridge said he is confident that in coming years the USU men’s rugby team will be one of the strong teams representing Utah State.
One of the main differences between the rugby team and other school teams will hopefully be their ability to compete against Canadian and European teams, Aldridge said.
“The real purpose of playing abroad is to bring world recognition to U.S. rugby and to give our players an opportunity to see and experience different styles of play,” he said.
It is because of a sensational staff and team that Aldridge says these changes are possible.
“This team has more talent and more love for the game than I’ve ever seen,” Aldridge said.
Rugby, which is second only to hockey for attendance at matches for non-NCAA sports at USU, attracts approximately 500 spectators every match, Aldridge said. The next home match for the men’s team will be held April 26 on the HPER Field, where they will be playing Tautahi, a semi-pro team from Salt Lake City.
“Watching rugby is addictive,” Aldridge said, “If anybody comes to one match, they’ll come to the rest of them.”
What do you think? Hit "Comments" link below.
Metta Ray
metta.ray@aggiemail.usu.edu
Story Idea:
a) The Anthropology Museum at USU.
b) There are lots of priceless pieces that are exhibited there as well as exhibits that have been placed by students. The museum has had a major overhaul and is having its grand re-opening on April 26th.
c) I want to interview Melissa Allen, Student of anthropology as well as volunteer in the museum (I'm hoping she can share what it's like to put an exhibit together, how much help they receive). Sarah Lundberg, museum coordinator (I want her to inform me of activities and events that take place at the museum), and someone from the Utah Humanities Council, who is funding the project (I would like to find out from them where the money is coming from and how fund raising is going).
What do you all think? Does anyone know someone in the Utah Humanites Council or anyone else that could offer more insight into this subject?
Please let me know if you do!
Thanks,
Metta
Story Idea:
a) The Anthropology Museum at USU.
b) There are lots of priceless pieces that are exhibited there as well as exhibits that have been placed by students. The museum has had a major overhaul and is having its grand re-opening on April 26th.
c) I want to interview Melissa Allen, Student of anthropology as well as volunteer in the museum (I'm hoping she can share what it's like to put an exhibit together, how much help they receive). Sarah Lundberg, museum coordinator (I want her to inform me of activities and events that take place at the museum), and someone from the Utah Humanities Council, who is funding the project (I would like to find out from them where the money is coming from and how fund raising is going).
What do you all think? Does anyone know someone in the Utah Humanites Council or anyone else that could offer more insight into this subject?
Please let me know if you do!
Thanks,
Metta
Bryant’s Story—Clapping & Propaganda
Singing, Clapping, Feminism and Propaganda
By Bryant Vega
Singing, clapping, feminism, and political propaganda were all part of tonight’s annual Fife Folklore lecture series held by Utah State University inside of the Kent Concert Hall with guest lecturer Peggy Seeger.
Seeger, 73, has produced political theatre, run a record company and magazine, she has made over 22 solo CD’s and has been the subject of a BBC documentary. Seeger’s mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger, was an important modern American composer, and her father, Charles Seeger was an imminent musicologist. Her older siblings Mike and Pete Seeger are both still prominent in the music scene. The Seeger family must be what happens when nurture and nature collide in all the best ways.
Shortly after her introduction Seeger asked the audience to sing along to a short courtship song. “Oh when you coming to see me my pretty little buffalo boy?” When the song was completed the audience became hypnotized by a woman with a tissue in her bra, and prescription medicine bottle and coffee mug on front stage. But as Seeger said “folk music is not about the person singing the song it’s about the music.”
“Folk music is not made as a commercial commodity, not made to sing at bars or places of large entertainment, it’s not meant for patronage,” said Seeger. “In an ideal community, folk music was the creation of the lowest economic class, they were the people who did all the work got dirty, died of starvation. They made this music out of their hopes and dreams.”
Folk music, before the 1800s, was orally transmitted and the author was usually anonymous. The instruments were portable, “I can sing any of the songs I know while traveling the interstate,” says Seeger. The harmonic structure is very simple, generally the one chord, four chord and five chord; “anyone can play Folk music, you don’t have to go to school to learn it”
“You can’t write a folk song, the folk create the song,” says Seeger, “I have made up one Folk song in my life, it’s called “The Ballad of Springhill because nobody knows I made it up and there’s already two new verses added to it.”
Seeger played two songs which had political propaganda in both. The first was an anti-Bush song with the chorus of Impeach! Impeach! That's what we need to do. Impeach! Impeach! And take Dick Cheney too." In the middle of her song her fifth string on the banjo broke and she continued playing as if nothing happened.
Her last song was a piano ballad called “Oh how I long for peace”. “The left wing to me is very confrontational and male,” said Seeger bringing in her political and feministic views to close.
What do you think? Hit "Comments" below.
By Bryant Vega
Singing, clapping, feminism, and political propaganda were all part of tonight’s annual Fife Folklore lecture series held by Utah State University inside of the Kent Concert Hall with guest lecturer Peggy Seeger.
Seeger, 73, has produced political theatre, run a record company and magazine, she has made over 22 solo CD’s and has been the subject of a BBC documentary. Seeger’s mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger, was an important modern American composer, and her father, Charles Seeger was an imminent musicologist. Her older siblings Mike and Pete Seeger are both still prominent in the music scene. The Seeger family must be what happens when nurture and nature collide in all the best ways.
Shortly after her introduction Seeger asked the audience to sing along to a short courtship song. “Oh when you coming to see me my pretty little buffalo boy?” When the song was completed the audience became hypnotized by a woman with a tissue in her bra, and prescription medicine bottle and coffee mug on front stage. But as Seeger said “folk music is not about the person singing the song it’s about the music.”
“Folk music is not made as a commercial commodity, not made to sing at bars or places of large entertainment, it’s not meant for patronage,” said Seeger. “In an ideal community, folk music was the creation of the lowest economic class, they were the people who did all the work got dirty, died of starvation. They made this music out of their hopes and dreams.”
Folk music, before the 1800s, was orally transmitted and the author was usually anonymous. The instruments were portable, “I can sing any of the songs I know while traveling the interstate,” says Seeger. The harmonic structure is very simple, generally the one chord, four chord and five chord; “anyone can play Folk music, you don’t have to go to school to learn it”
“You can’t write a folk song, the folk create the song,” says Seeger, “I have made up one Folk song in my life, it’s called “The Ballad of Springhill because nobody knows I made it up and there’s already two new verses added to it.”
Seeger played two songs which had political propaganda in both. The first was an anti-Bush song with the chorus of Impeach! Impeach! That's what we need to do. Impeach! Impeach! And take Dick Cheney too." In the middle of her song her fifth string on the banjo broke and she continued playing as if nothing happened.
Her last song was a piano ballad called “Oh how I long for peace”. “The left wing to me is very confrontational and male,” said Seeger bringing in her political and feministic views to close.
What do you think? Hit "Comments" below.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Ryan's Story: Computer Lab Fees
Computer Lab Fees
By Ryan Avila
A proposal keeping student computer lab fees unaffected passed by the fee board meeting on Friday. The proposal states that lab balances will be allocated among all lab balances based on a percentage of those balances as a whole, said Kevin Abernethy, the academic senate president.
This means that instead of letting the central account for the computer labs stay in a deficit, all the individual labs will send a percent of their balance to the central account creating a zero deficit.
This benefits students because all the computer lab fees will be recycled to cover deficits, making it unnecessary to raise those fees. "I think it's about time they do something to save us students money," said Lance Brown, a junior majoring in business marketing.
With 12 students and four faculty members, the proposal passed in a unanimous vote. This issue was brought to attention because the central lab has remanded in a deficit annually, while extra money has been given to other labs, said Nick West, HASS senator and ASUSU senate pro-tempore.
The next proposal passed says there will be a 5 percent decrease in each lab budget, mentioned at the fee board meeting. One reason for the decrease is because old machines such as computers will be replaced and the 5 percent decrease will allow for money to cover that cost, said Abernethy.
What do you think? Click on "Comments" below.
By Ryan Avila
A proposal keeping student computer lab fees unaffected passed by the fee board meeting on Friday. The proposal states that lab balances will be allocated among all lab balances based on a percentage of those balances as a whole, said Kevin Abernethy, the academic senate president.
This means that instead of letting the central account for the computer labs stay in a deficit, all the individual labs will send a percent of their balance to the central account creating a zero deficit.
This benefits students because all the computer lab fees will be recycled to cover deficits, making it unnecessary to raise those fees. "I think it's about time they do something to save us students money," said Lance Brown, a junior majoring in business marketing.
With 12 students and four faculty members, the proposal passed in a unanimous vote. This issue was brought to attention because the central lab has remanded in a deficit annually, while extra money has been given to other labs, said Nick West, HASS senator and ASUSU senate pro-tempore.
The next proposal passed says there will be a 5 percent decrease in each lab budget, mentioned at the fee board meeting. One reason for the decrease is because old machines such as computers will be replaced and the 5 percent decrease will allow for money to cover that cost, said Abernethy.
What do you think? Click on "Comments" below.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Distorted World
Jessica and Metta raise important issues in their recent conversation about how easy it is now to manipulate images using PhotoShop. This question of how photography—which once was considered unalterable “truth” because if you see it it must be true....—caught up to how words can skew words first burst into “civilian” consciousness when the National Geographic moved pyramids and camels on its cover to make a pleasing composition. Was it a heinous lie? Some thought so.
The central issue of both the manipulation of photographs and the slipperiness of words is the credibility of the press and other mass media—what can we believe? How do we know what we (think) we know? If journalists can select convenient facts and slant the truth in their reports, and if photographers can take reality and put Paris Hilton in the middle of it, then how can anyone trust anything?
Photojournalists deal with these questions all the time. Here's one story on that from American Journalism Review that's worth reading.
Peez, Head NewsDawg
The central issue of both the manipulation of photographs and the slipperiness of words is the credibility of the press and other mass media—what can we believe? How do we know what we (think) we know? If journalists can select convenient facts and slant the truth in their reports, and if photographers can take reality and put Paris Hilton in the middle of it, then how can anyone trust anything?
Photojournalists deal with these questions all the time. Here's one story on that from American Journalism Review that's worth reading.
Peez, Head NewsDawg
Greg's Story—Eve6
EVE 6 comes to Utah State
By Greg Boyles
EVE 6 performed at the Fieldhouse for a crowd of about 1,300 people Wednesday night as a part of their reunion tour, said Tom Atwood, president of Almeria Entertainment.
A crowd of students, parents and fans of all ages turned out at the event all jumping, moshing and singing along to songs.
The reception of the band's comeback tour has been great among crowds at every stop on their tour so far, and Wednesday night’s performance was no exception, said Max Collins, lead singer and bass player for EVE 6.
“This show was fantastic,” Collins said. “The energy was really exceptional.”
Camille Woodward, senior at Sky View High School, said, “Having EVE 6 here is really cool.”
She said although she enjoys going to shows, the lack of a concert scene in Cache Valley makes it difficult, especially since most students do not have the money to travel to Salt Lake City every time a band comes to Utah.
The EVE 6 concert has stirred up a lot of attention and will help to progress the music scene in Logan, Atwood said. He plans to continue bringing mainstream music to Cache Valley, and the presence of EVE 6 is the first of many well-recognized bands to come, he said.
Although Atwood would not disclose the names of the bands he is planning to bring to Utah, he said he expects them to be just as big, if not bigger, than EVE 6.
Opening for EVE 6 was Orem-based band Side Dish, who won the opportunity to play alongside EVE 6 in last month's battle of the bands. Although Side Dish has been playing together since 2001, this is the largest event they’ve ever played at, said Ryan Palmer, singer and trombone player for the band.
“All the guys from EVE 6 are way nice, and we’re just excited to play with them,” Palmer said.
Atwood said, “The show went above and beyond my expectations.”
What do you think? Hit "Comment" below.
By Greg Boyles
EVE 6 performed at the Fieldhouse for a crowd of about 1,300 people Wednesday night as a part of their reunion tour, said Tom Atwood, president of Almeria Entertainment.
A crowd of students, parents and fans of all ages turned out at the event all jumping, moshing and singing along to songs.
The reception of the band's comeback tour has been great among crowds at every stop on their tour so far, and Wednesday night’s performance was no exception, said Max Collins, lead singer and bass player for EVE 6.
“This show was fantastic,” Collins said. “The energy was really exceptional.”
Camille Woodward, senior at Sky View High School, said, “Having EVE 6 here is really cool.”
She said although she enjoys going to shows, the lack of a concert scene in Cache Valley makes it difficult, especially since most students do not have the money to travel to Salt Lake City every time a band comes to Utah.
The EVE 6 concert has stirred up a lot of attention and will help to progress the music scene in Logan, Atwood said. He plans to continue bringing mainstream music to Cache Valley, and the presence of EVE 6 is the first of many well-recognized bands to come, he said.
Although Atwood would not disclose the names of the bands he is planning to bring to Utah, he said he expects them to be just as big, if not bigger, than EVE 6.
Opening for EVE 6 was Orem-based band Side Dish, who won the opportunity to play alongside EVE 6 in last month's battle of the bands. Although Side Dish has been playing together since 2001, this is the largest event they’ve ever played at, said Ryan Palmer, singer and trombone player for the band.
“All the guys from EVE 6 are way nice, and we’re just excited to play with them,” Palmer said.
Atwood said, “The show went above and beyond my expectations.”
What do you think? Hit "Comment" below.
Whitney’s Story—Scary Football
Somewhat scary to interview for news story
Whitney Sant
Projected starting tight-end for the Utah State football team, Rob Meyers, has been sitting out the last week of spring practice after being injured April 8. Meyer’s absence on the field in the annual “Blue and White” spring scrimmage, held today at the Romney stadium, has teammates and coaches looking forward to his recovery.
The 22-year-old junior, originally from Texas, woke up the morning after Tuesdays spring practice to a completely swollen knee, unable to walk. The injury occurred when Meyer’s knee made impact with another player’s helmet during a practice play Tuesday night.
“Initially I could tell something was wrong” said Meyers about the blow to his knee “I went in one more play after it happened and struggled to make it back to the sideline.”
Meyers told that other team members transported him to the hospital the next morning, where he stayed for several hours. According to doctors, Meyers suffered from a ruptured bursa sack in his left knee.
Meyers said that doctors were unable to drain the fluid build up with the standard procedure of sticking a needle under the knee cap to retrieve the liquid. Instead, he said, “they basically had to cut my knee open and push the fluid out, it was that swollen.”
According to one Utah State coach, they are staying positive about Meyer’s injury. “We were happy to find out that it is just a bursa sack injury,” Aggies tight-end coach, Tracy Smith said “He got a lot out of the spring practices before this occurred. We hope he can remain healthy and look forward to his team contribution since he has a good amount of time to recover until the fall season begins.”
Meyers is scheduled to stay on crutches until April 14, the day his stitches also come out. “If it had to happen (the injury), it came at a right time, I would rather sit out now than in the season,” said Meyers “Although, I am anxious to be back to full speed.
The Aggies 4 week spring practice schedule, where they have practice for at least 3 hours a day, with only Wednesday off, has caused several injuries among the team.
Other teammates injured include; Xavier Bowman, with a possible meniscus tear, Jacob Atkinson, with two centimeters of bone missing from his left shoulder, and Dervin Speight, with a strained Achilles tendon.
“Injuries are always going to occur when you are going as hard as we do everyday,” said long snapper Patrick Scales “We just have to rise up as a team and overcome them.”
The Utah State football team ended spring practice today and will have until June. 2 to recuperate from fatigue and injuries. By then, players such as Meyers say they hope to be fully recovered for the 2008 season.
What do you think? Hit “comment” below.
Whitney Sant
Projected starting tight-end for the Utah State football team, Rob Meyers, has been sitting out the last week of spring practice after being injured April 8. Meyer’s absence on the field in the annual “Blue and White” spring scrimmage, held today at the Romney stadium, has teammates and coaches looking forward to his recovery.
The 22-year-old junior, originally from Texas, woke up the morning after Tuesdays spring practice to a completely swollen knee, unable to walk. The injury occurred when Meyer’s knee made impact with another player’s helmet during a practice play Tuesday night.
“Initially I could tell something was wrong” said Meyers about the blow to his knee “I went in one more play after it happened and struggled to make it back to the sideline.”
Meyers told that other team members transported him to the hospital the next morning, where he stayed for several hours. According to doctors, Meyers suffered from a ruptured bursa sack in his left knee.
Meyers said that doctors were unable to drain the fluid build up with the standard procedure of sticking a needle under the knee cap to retrieve the liquid. Instead, he said, “they basically had to cut my knee open and push the fluid out, it was that swollen.”
According to one Utah State coach, they are staying positive about Meyer’s injury. “We were happy to find out that it is just a bursa sack injury,” Aggies tight-end coach, Tracy Smith said “He got a lot out of the spring practices before this occurred. We hope he can remain healthy and look forward to his team contribution since he has a good amount of time to recover until the fall season begins.”
Meyers is scheduled to stay on crutches until April 14, the day his stitches also come out. “If it had to happen (the injury), it came at a right time, I would rather sit out now than in the season,” said Meyers “Although, I am anxious to be back to full speed.
The Aggies 4 week spring practice schedule, where they have practice for at least 3 hours a day, with only Wednesday off, has caused several injuries among the team.
Other teammates injured include; Xavier Bowman, with a possible meniscus tear, Jacob Atkinson, with two centimeters of bone missing from his left shoulder, and Dervin Speight, with a strained Achilles tendon.
“Injuries are always going to occur when you are going as hard as we do everyday,” said long snapper Patrick Scales “We just have to rise up as a team and overcome them.”
The Utah State football team ended spring practice today and will have until June. 2 to recuperate from fatigue and injuries. By then, players such as Meyers say they hope to be fully recovered for the 2008 season.
What do you think? Hit “comment” below.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Anyone can detect fake photos!
http://lemonodor.com/archives/2008/02/protecting_journalistic_integrity_algorithmically.html
Ever wonder about amazing journalistic photos? I do.
Remember when the 9/11 attacks happened and there were all sorts of miraculous photos being released....Like the one where there is a woman standing on an observation deck at the world trade center and there is an airplane in the background headed straight for it.
Well, after reading this article, I found out that anyone can detect fake photos and it's not even that hard!
Check it out!
Metta
Ever wonder about amazing journalistic photos? I do.
Remember when the 9/11 attacks happened and there were all sorts of miraculous photos being released....Like the one where there is a woman standing on an observation deck at the world trade center and there is an airplane in the background headed straight for it.
Well, after reading this article, I found out that anyone can detect fake photos and it's not even that hard!
Check it out!
Metta
"Walk-a-Mile-In-Her-Shoes" 2008 Utah State University
USU Football Team Wins 2008 Trophy
Walk-a-Mile-In-Her-Shoes 2008 Utah State University
Photos by Jessica Prado
Men in High Heels?
By Jessica Prado
Apr. 11, 2008
LOGAN — April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a nationally designated month that is being recognized for the fourth consecutive year by men who are willing to be seen in high heels as they take a stand against sexual violence and raise money to help prevent violence at Utah State University.
The USU Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information office will sponsored the annual “Walk-a-Mile-in-Her-Shoes” event, held Apr. 9, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Taggart Student Center on the USU campus (bad weather location will be the USU Bookstore).
“This is an opportunity for men on our campus to make the statement that ‘sexual violence is not okay with me and I am willing to walk one mile in high heels to prove it!” said Rachel Brighton, SAAVI coordinator.
According to the SAAVI website, one-in-four college women have been the victim of rape or attempted rape since the age of 14, while one out of every 33 men have experienced sexual assault.
“It is important to understand that sexual violence impacts…both men and women…and all of us can do something about the problem,” Brighton said.
Women may also participate as a “Blister Sister” who can assist with recruiting male walkers and help with the walker check-in process, run tables, and escort male participants on their walk during the event.
“Inviting men and women to become allies in ending violence sends a powerful message. Solutions to violence will only be found when men and women work together to end the problem,” Brighton said.
The funds raised at “Walk-a-Mile” help support the SAAVI Office along with the One-in-Four Chapter, a USU all-male peer-education group devoted to educating men about rape and sexual assault.
The USU football team won rights to a new and different Walk-a-Mile Organizational Trophy that is hand-crafted and features a pair of “Jessica Simpson high heels”this year for “Organization/Group with the Most Male Walkers.” Those interested in learning more about SAAVI or “Walk-a-Mile-in-Her-Shoes” may visit http://www.usu.edu/saavi for detailed information including other upcoming events.
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LOGAN – You may not know a man named Doug Hills but you may be seeing Hills in heels at some of your local coffee shops, such as Citrus and Sage, Starbucks and Borders, during the month of April, a nationally designated month for sexual assault awareness.
Hills, 32, originally from Upstate New York and a Logan resident since 2002, has set out to spread awareness and raise money to help prevent sexual assault and domestic violence after accepting a challenge from his wife Stacey Hills, a professor in the Business Administration Department at Utah State University.
Stacey, after receiving a faculty email announcement for the return of “Walk-a-Mile-In-Her-Shoes,” an annual event that is held in order to raise money for both the Sexual Assault & Anti-Violence Information office along with the One-in-Four Chapter, a USU all-male peer-education group devoted to educating men about rape and sexual assault, saw an opportunity for her husband to see how it feels to have to wear high-heels all day and hoped to gain “a little sympathy” from him.
“She says, ‘Well, I don’t think you’re tough enough to do it anyway,’ Hills said, “There’s always that part in a guy’s head whenever someone says, ‘Oh, you can’t do it, you’re not tough enough,’ it’s like…yes I can and I can do it better than you.”
Later, Stacey came home to find that Hills had “upped the anti” just to make a point that walking in heels is easy.
Hills said he not only would participate in the “Walk-a-Mile” event on campus, but he would also wear the high-heels an extra day for every $20 in donations he raised.
Hills agreed to let Stacey “set the rules,” which consisted of a pair of black stiletto boots along with an alternate pair of heels that he must wear during regular business hours Monday through Friday.
The Hills’ childcare providers were the first group of people to hear about his plan and word spread quickly from there to the coffee shops that Hills hangs out at regularly.
Hills’ pals at Borders put up a sign that said, “Do you want to see Doug Hills suffer in stilettos?” which resulted in $180 in funds.
“One of the girls who saw that came up to me and wanted to know what this was all about,” Hills said.
That same girl set up another donation site at a local chiropractor’s office where an additional amount of $140 was raised for SAAVI and the One-in-Four Chapter.
“I honestly did not expect this kind of a turn out,” Hills said.
“Do something silly for fundraising and you’ll always get support,” Stacey said.
Hills supposed he would get a few chuckles or maybe some $5-10 donations, “But I was getting twenties, mostly from girls with a vendetta,” Hills said.
Hills has not had any previous involvement with charity work, although his wife has, but after researching SAAVI and the other organizations surrounding it Hills decided that sexual assault awareness was a cause worth the mental challenge.
“Even if no one is looking at me, there’s that thought in the back of my head like everyone is looking at me,” Hills said.
After completing a test run a couple weeks ago in his high-heeled boots, Hills soon realized that he needed some mental support, which is one of the reasons he plans to stick to his favorite hang-outs, and so that the people who know him can help explain what his purpose is and hand out pamphlets.
“It’s going to be easier to walk around when [Stacey] is with me because by myself…I felt extremely vulnerable and naked.”
Hills related those feelings to victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, “I’m walking a mile to understand the pain of walking in high-heels, but mentally I am understanding what it feels like to be a victim. It’s maybe a small way, but it’s that insecurity, that vulnerability,” Hills said.
Wednesday USU was covered with orange cones and men in high-heeled shoes, Hills included, to rally support for the campus organizations and for the sake of awareness.
Stacey participated in “Walk-a-Mile” as a blister sister and escorted Hills on his walk around campus.
Also there to support Hills on his walk was a family friend, Gretchen Strange, 27, a student teacher at Mt. Logan Middle School, who feels strongly about the SAAVI cause, “because I have some experience with it,” Strange said.
“You don’t think about [sexual assault] until you’re right there in the situation and it’s happening,” Strange said.
Strange sees sexual assault awareness as a community issue because she works with seventh-graders on a daily basis and has heard “through the grapevine of students who will go hang out at college parties.”
“So, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to make it just a college thing,” Strange said, “I don’t think people realize the statistics. I mean, one in four [college women have survived rape or attempted rape], that’s a lot…there’s two of us sitting right here.”
Strange said that the statistic is too high and that she wonders how much of it is due to merely a lack of awareness on the issue of sexual assault.
Some USU students and faculty agree that the SAAVI cause deserves more community-wide attention.
“This is one of those organizations where they just don’t get enough money through the regular system,” said Stacey, who is a member of the USU faculty.
“It is a good cause,” said Mike Hutchinson, a student and Pi Kappa Alpha who got involved with “Walk-a-Mile” one year ago.
Hutchinson said that he hopes to see more support for sexual assault awareness and has contributed as much as he can on his own by watching out for aggressive guys, “whether it be at a party or another function.”
“I just kind of watch the flow of things,” Hutchinson said, “If someone needs to go I’m usually standing there ready to kick him out of a party.”
“When men publicly stand up and show their commitment, their actions encourage other men to start thinking about how they personally can do their part to end violence,” said Rachel Brighton, SAAVI coordinator.
“Something like what Doug is doing is going to make [SAAVI] a lot more visible…It’ll do a lot to open doors for sure…he’s also out in the community, and so he is bringing in outside awareness,” Strange said.
Hills said that donations have “slowed to a trickle” since he announced that he does not plan to continue wearing his shoes after May 1, but he will still be accepting donations at Borders and Citrus and Sage on behalf of the USU SAAVI office and Four-in-One Chapter.
As for the “Walk-a-Mile” event itself, many students participate every year and the number of participants rises each year.
Hills hopes to get more non-student members of the Logan community involved by setting the example and spreading the information around the community.