Semester Exam

1. What did she write?

The woman wrote "It's a beautiful day but I can't see it"

2. How did this video make you feel inside?

It got me kind of teary so, at first, I felt sad. Disturbed by the few coins the man was seeing. But then when I saw what she had written it made me feel good to know there are people out there that are willing to help others in need. 

3. Why would I show this video to you?

To show us newspaper staff members that words are powerful and can change how people act, see things, or think.

4. How can you "Change your words" to impact the readers of your school newspaper?

There's also the use of rhetorical strategies like ethos, pathos, or logos. For example, this woman used a shocking statement that made me and possibly others think. It made me feel something emotional which is pathos. I can do the same by getting to the reader, making them think, and use words in a sense that will encourage them to see my point of view or make them feel/think/act a certain way.

5. How many different ways did the Guardian cover the story of the three little pigs?

It covered the story with video, writing, social media, photography, television reporting and direct evidence. 

6. Is the story the same as you remember it as a child?

No, not at all.

7. Who did they interview?

It seems as if they interviewed people who knew the pigs, the wolf, and people who were trying to receive justice on a verdict of if the pigs framed the wolf or not. There was also lots of people talking and discussing their opinions on the matter around the world, but not interviewed directly.

8. What aspects of the story did they cover?

Directly after the police came and took the pigs, putting the pigs into custody, the updates on evidence and research involving the case, facts, riots/people's responses, and the hearing.

9. Were there any aspects of the three little pigs story that were not covered?

If the pigs were proven guilty or not, their backstory involving the wolf or personal backstory, why they did what they did if proven guilty.

10. Did the Guardian ever offer their opinion of what happened, who was guilty, who was not guilty?

No

11. Can we do this for events on our campus on a daily basis?

This is extensive research that would possibly take a while so, no, I don't think it could be done daily. But the coverage with the usage of different types of medias is possible.

12. How can you help make this a reality?

Research, find different people to interview instead of just students and teachers, be creative with graphics/visuals.

Reflection:

The most important thing I learned while taking newspaper this year was definitely leadership and the importance of working with others. As you know, I'm not a huge fan of group work because of my introverted manner. But this class opened doors for me and taught me ways that I can benefit from working in a team and what it feels like to make connections with your staff members. Having Editor in Chief in mind in the future, I know this year as just an Editor of the newspaper helped me immensely with learning how to work with people and handle tough situations when they come across. 

To keep a positive and successful work ethic in this class, I'll remember what it takes to get things done well and on time. It takes an immense amount of work and time, but keeping that in mind will help me continue to excel with spreads, stories, and working with others. The only thing I can think of coming up with improvement ideas is putting the stories back on the board with the page it is going on and who is the editor of the page. This will help with students not getting confused on who their editor is that they need to go to or, for the editors, what stories are going on their page. I've had lots of confusion with that this past semester put putting it in written form up in the room would help. Besides that, I think focusing stories on one person is really awesome. That improved our paper overall!

Biography for Online Newspaper

Grade:  10^th 
 
 Year on staff: 1st   

Newspaper role: Student Life Editor   

Why on staff? Writing and photography are both driven passions of mine. They are my two favorite things.   What do you do for fun? I enjoy being with my best friend and family, creating art, listening to music, writing, taking photos, or doing things involving fashion.   Plans for after high school? I hope to be a professional photographer for sports events, fashion shows, events around the world, concerts, and modeling (magazine/fashion). And, on the side, I would like to publish a novel.

Lone Star Dispatch Issue #6 Review

1- FRONT PAGE: Shelby Johnson and Marcus Gallardo win election and take StuCo office

Summary: 

Two future-seniors win Co Presidents of StuCo office for 2015-2016. The article goes over the other candidates campaign and how the election day played out. It also explains the importance of Student Council and what it means to every one of these candidates.

Graphic Elements:

There are two photos on the front- one being of Shelby surrounded by her campaigners and the other is of Brad Mayo, playing the drums during the election day. At the bottom of the page there is a schedule art piece showing the upcoming times and days of next years schedule.

2- NEWS: NHS induction brings new faces

Summary:

New members of NHS were announced on April 14th. The story goes through the process of the application, some of the thoughts from teachers and students who were involved, and what it means to be elected.

Graphic Elements:

On the left page there's a big photo for the color guard competition and ads at the bottom.

3- STUDENT LIFE: At last, three months of sweet, sweet freedom

Summary: 

The short article describes what students are planning on doing during the three months of summer vacation. Some are working, others are going on vacation and a few are doing things with family. It gives a short summary of some things students have in mind before coming back for school.

Graphic Elements:

On the left page there's a big photo for the color guard competition and ads at the bottom. The right shows a graphic illustration of the world outlined with lines pointing from Texas to the different places students are going. For the disney article there's a photo at the bottom of a show choir award, the seniors have a statistics graphic, and ads are at the bottom.

4- ENTERTAINMENT: Review of Avengers Age of Ultron

Summary:

Kamryn explains the summary of the movie and gives her opinions on how it was and all the elements that were a part of it. She describes how the action made the movie what it is and also what is to expect with the sequel for the movie.

Graphic Elements:

There is an ACL Graphic with art and information showing all the different artists appearing at ACL this October. In the Silver Stars story, two photos show dancers performing and at the bottom there's a small graphic of a movie ticket, displaying facts about the movie reviewed and what the writer thought of it. At the bottom there are ads.

5- SPORTS: Spring ball winds down to an end

Summary: 

This article goes over the wins, loses, and the overall season of baseball this 2015. They got to the state championship and the players were very happy with their overall performance, even if they did end up losing at the very end.

Graphic Elements:

There's a large photo of the pitcher about to throw a ball for the main story, a small photo of a goalie for lacrosse, and ads at the bottom.

6- COMMENTARY: Why can't teens have fun?

Summary:

Kamryn writes an opinions piece about how teens have become stressed under the work of school- and how it's not very fun for us as teenagers nowadays. There's more work and not enough time to just be a kid and have fun while we can. She explains how she was in Elementary school and the way she looked at the going to school- and now how she is in high school. (I really loved this article by the way!)

Graphic Elements:

At the top there is a drawing that goes with student sharing and another illustration is at the bottom of a boy carrying textbooks and looking stressed. There are ads below.

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Which graphic in this paper was the strongest, in your opinion? WHY?:

The one of Shelby is really strong because of the way it fits the main story as well as how she's looking off and thinking. I found it to be interesting and a good addition to the story.

Which graphic was the weakest, in your opinion? WHY?:

I believe the photo of Brad Mayo playing the drums was the least effective only because he wasn't in focus but the caption still focused on him.

Look at the political cartoon on page 7 next to the editorial. What is the artists message?:

I think it's about time management, especially with this new schedule that we may be dealing with next year. I'm not sure though because this cartoon is kind of confusing to me.

Free Write #2

The Asteroid was hurtling straight towards Earth…

…          And I could finally feel the end near.

              A long awaited end. An eternal slumber. I’d feared it my whole life until about a year ago. Strange how a year can change perspective.

             Vaughn sits beside me in silence. Nona is nowhere to be seen but I know she’s near. I can hear both of our heartbeats. Vaughn’s is like a drum in my ear while mine is dull behind my chest. I feel relief, pressure lifting off my chest and a sudden realization that this will all be history in an hour.

             I’ve got one hour.

             “I can’t believe it.” Vaughn’s eyes grew slightly wide, starring blankly down at his scuffed shoes.

             “What?”

             “What do you mean what?” His mop of hair flew around his face when he turned to face me. I could feel the fear pulsing off him.

             I shrug. “Not sure what’s so hard to believe, mate. They said it loud and clear on the radio-“

             “Shut up, Vance.” His long fingers ran through his waves. They trembled slightly. “I heard what they said, I just-“

             “Can’t believe it?”

             “Yeah… yeah, it can’t be true.”

             My head turned slightly to face him. This was a strange sight. Vaughn was in an anxiety-ridden state, trembling limbs and jaw shaking with fear. I sat before him in a cool state of mind, as if the perky lady on the radio station had informed us of a Sunday Brunch happening this weekend instead of death in less than hour. I guess fear does show who we really are.

             Vaughn shot up from his seat, hands still entangled within his hair. “How are you so calm about this, Vance? We are set to be extinct in sixty minutes.”

             My blue eyes looked at him for a long moment before speaking. I was hoping they would do the talking but it didn’t seem they were getting through to Vaughn. “Because this isn’t breaking news,” I said bluntly. “This was set in time since the beginning of everything. We’re only just learning of it now is all.” When Vaughn continued to stare at me white-faced and shocked, I sighed and continued. “This was set for you and I and Nona and everyone we know to experience. The Earth we stand on has been moving towards this end since it formed. Vaughn, why stress over something inevitable?”

             His mouth shut then and his eyes grew soft. Vaughn moved over to where I sat and plopped down next to me, starring at his hands once again. He only spoke when I cleared my throat.

             “I guess you’re right.”

             We sat in silence. Nona came and joined us from the other room where she’d been calming herself down after hearing the news. She sat on the other side of the Couch of Memories. I could feel them soak up within us, the flashes from the past blinding my vision. I watched stories and moments of myself with Nona and Vaughn. I saw my mother, my sister. I even saw Dad. I visited times of woe and happiness, passion and dull aches. I saw life.

             We stayed side by side for sixty minutes, movies playing in our heads. I don’t remember the crash or an End. I just saw life.

Illustrator Art

Political Cartoon

Art Show info

Art for a Basketball Article

Phobias in America Infograph

Phobias in america | Create infographics

CE Quiz

1. How many people were killed in Waco this weekend in a rival biker gang shootout? How many were injured? How many were detained for questioning? What location did this happen? Page A1 "Biker shootout..."

Nine were killed in the shootout, eighteen were injured, twenty-five to seventy were kept for questioning, and this occurred in Waco, Texas (Twin Peaks Restaurant).

2. What are the five topics the state legislature plans to take on in the final two weeks they are in session? Page A1 "Now or Never"

Tax Cut, Budget Debate, Abortion, Gun Bills, and Border Security.

3. Summarize the stats presented in the info graphic on page B1 "Rainy days by the numbers"

There were 7.5 inches of rain on Barton Creek (Loop 360), 2.91 in. portion of it came pom Sunday, there was a 12 hour delay for the UIL state tennis championships, three days since the Pace Bend boat ramp reopened, zero texas counties are in critical drought, 10 days of 100-degree weather prediction, and a $2 special "Rainyday" tacos at Slowrider.

4. What are some of the technological inventions that real estate agents are using to help sell homes in markets where homes do not stay on the market very long? Page B5 "New face of real estate"

Using Face-Time on iPhones and 3-D walkthrough program.

5. Why will funding to help pay for those who died and injured in the Amtrak train wreck be limited to $200 million? Page A6 "Amtrak could pay no more..."

It is limited so other funds can go towards making Amtrak independent which they are still working on.


Short Answer: Read the story on page A2 "Will death make Tsarnaev a martyr".

What do you think about this topic? If they put Tsarnaev to death, will he become a martyr and inspire more attacks, or does it matter at this point since he has already carried out his attack?

Write at least three to four paragraphs and make sure you use textual citations from the story to support your opinion.

I've always thought of death as an escape. To me, this is like he is getting away with his crime by not having to deal with life in prison, suffering in there. Instead, it would simply be over in a few seconds and I don't think that does justice. He won't be sentenced to death to until "years, possibly decades, of appeals before Tsarnaev — sentenced Friday by a federal jury in Boston to death by lethal injection — is executed," (LeBlanc, Salsberg). That doesn't sound like a good punishment for what he did and threatened to do afterwards.

You never know what these terrorists will do. There is no negotiating with them nor will they see 'America's side' on things. They don't work that way, they were taught to just act with terror and cruel crimes. So it is very possible they could spark more attacks. He requested to become a martyr, "notes Tsarnaev scrawled inside that boat condemned U.S. actions in Muslim countries and asked Allah to make him a “shaheed,” or martyr," (LeBlanc, Salsberg). If this gets back to their countries, it could inspire more attacks.

Terrorism expert, Matthew Levitt, voiced his opinion, saying “Are jihadists going to look to him as some kind of martyr figure? The answer is likely yes. To a certain extent they already do,” (Levitt). This is a concerning thing and I do agree. Even though Tsarnaev may not have been very well-known with those terrorist groups and is more independent, you never know what could spark the terrorists to move forth with more attacks.

Captured by "Captain Phillips" Film

After recently seeing Captain Phillips, I am still thinking about the movie and its characters. This true story of a man being captured at sea pulls in watchers with a hook and sink deal.

 In the exposition, Phillips prepares for a long journey to deliver cargo around south Africa. While on the sea, his team encounters several Somali pirates that threaten to board the ship. The first time they meet the pirates they do not succeed, but they track Phillips' boat once more- and they're not as unlucky as before. Once boarded, the four pirates take over the ship and threaten several crew members. With the rest hidden, the pirates take Phillips and search for all of the other members. With his wits, Phillips manages to gear them from his men until one decides to attack a pirate. From there, the action rises and the four pirates capture Phillips and escape through an emergency boat. But that's only the beginning of this horrifying journey.

With Tom Hanks playing Captain Richard Phillips and introducing Barkhad Abdi as the Somali pirate captain, Muse, the characters and plot build into a terrifying tale at sea. Other characters and their actors that really help shape the movie are Barkhad Abdirahman (Bilal), Faysal Ahmed (Najee), and Mahat M. Ali (Elmi). Each of them did a superb job at portraying their characters. Hanks, as usual, acts his part extremely well. The newer faces on screen like Abdi have impressed watchers all over with his incredible performance. It was the actors that really made this movie.

Each exciting scene leaves you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know what happens next. There wasn't a dull moment in Captain Phillips while I watched it. From the opening scene (which seems sort of dreamy and quiet) to the intense capture of the captain, this movie was extremely well done. My only problem with the film was there's not much development with the characters trying to save Phillip. We never heard the names of men and women who work for the military Navy Seals, the ones who saved him. None are very developed nor do we learn more about them. Besides that, there weren't many popular cliches within the characters or plot which made it all feel more real. At first glance, Richard seems like a quiet man who's all business. As the story develops, so does his character. Hanks plays him purely for character driven purposes and, by the end of it, you're caring a lot about Phillips. The actors were probably my favorite part of this whole adaption.

The film has teams and crews of people working together to save one another, help out, and accomplish a goal. I could see a definite theme involving teamwork and so will audiences when they watch it. Teamwork must be done to accomplish a goal.

The audience demographic leans toward thriller fans and people interested in Phillips's story. I'm not super fond of Thrillers but this movie I enjoyed immensely. If someone is squeamish to blood, violence, or highly sensitive I would not recommend seeing this film. The scenes are quite intense with the pirates and could cause triggers. Personally I think this movie lies within a PG-13 MPAA rating, probably fourteen year olds and up would do well with the themes, violence, and language.

RATING: 4.5 stars out of 5

Interviews for Story

Interview One: Kalia Aquino (Sophomore)

"We usually don't sit in the cafeteria, we usually walk around or sit outside. I just moved here here and we didn't have the privileges before to be outside. It's cool to be able to sit outside."

"We usually don't eat, we talk. It's like a catch-up time, when you don't have classes with friends so it's your time to socialize."

Interview Two: Samantha Robarts (Sophomore)

"We usually sit with a group of friends but today we have a test next period so we're gonna study for that and we don't want to be with a bunch of people at the same time."

"Some people sit in the same place everyday. We usually sit in the same place everyday but it also varies if it's an A day or a B day."

"On A Days I sit with different people because some of my friends don't have first lunch."

"I usually eat in the yearbook room or down in the fine arts hallway."

"We've been sitting in the fine arts hallway because that's where we've been sitting since we were freshmen."

"In the Yearbook room, we're all in yearbook so we're always working while we're eating."

"Kids usually hang out in the rooms where they are involved in. If you're in an organization you can go and eat there."

"It's really loud in the cafeteria, there's a lot of people. There's a lot more space out here." (Joey Brown, Sophomore)

Interview Three: Meiry Lopez (Senior)

"School is stressing. During A Days I usually relax during lunch."

"If it's cold I sit inside and if it's warm I go outside. I sit in the cafeteria when it's cold, not in the hallways because we have tables."

"[Lunch] gives me time to think. I'm so stressed, I need it."

"We need more time for lunch. The people who buy school lunches don't have enough time because they have to wait in line."

Movie Prep

The Story

1. Who are the main characters you would expect to see in the movie, based on the real life events?

Richard Phillips, Somali Pirates (Abduwali Muse), Andrea Phillips, and fellow ship members who were captured along with Phillips, Mike Perry

2. Briefly, in 2-3 paragraphs, tell me what you expect the plot to be in the movie, based on the real life events?

Phillips ship was loaded with cargo near Somalia. He had been on his way to Kenya when four pirates boarded. They tried to take over the ship itself but found that Mike Perry (the chief engineer) had gotten to the engine before them. Instead they captured a few people, specifically Captain Phillips. To try and make an exchange, he had captured the leader, Muse, but the exchange did not go very well. The pirates instead took Phillips and their leader off on a safety boat.

When the United States came to rescue Phillips, they discovered the pirates had actually been capturing citizens from several different countries. After three days of a stand-off, the US Navy Seals came and shot the three pirates- saving Phillips. Only one of the pirates survived, Abduwali Muse and was sentenced to 33 years in jail.

3. Why was this story important?

This was the first pirate seizure of a ship by the United States of America since the nineteenth century.

4. Why did the pirates try to take the ship?

It was an attempt at hijacking the ship for its cargo and materials.


The Movie

1. List the five most important actors in the film.

Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Barkhad Abdi, David Warshofsky, Barkhad Abdirahman

2. What is the movie rated?

PG-13

3. Who directed the movie?

Paul Greengrass

4. Who was the producer?

Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Scott Rudin

5. What awards did it win?

AFI Movie of the Year, Top Box Office Film, Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic, HPA Outstanding Editing - Feature Film, Best Sound Editing - Dialogue and ADR in a Feature Film, Best Editing, Best Adapted Screenplay,

6. How much did it cost to make?

$55,000,000

7. How was it received by audiences?

8/10 stars


8. What did other movie reviews think about the movie?

Most movie reviews were very happy and impressed with the filming, acting, and story adaption.

Movie Review Preview

#1- The Many Open-Ended Windows of Unfriended

- Clickbait
- Written by Wesley Morris
- My Rate: 8
- High Points: The Laptop Window perspective was interesting and new
- Low Points: Characters are underdeveloped, only scary theoretically
- Writer's Opinion:

"Only theoretically is Unfriended scary. Hollywood has a long history of attacking rival entertainment platforms: TV, the VCR, the Internet, social media. (Just in time for the post–Golden Age television comes a summer remake of 1982’s Poltergeist.) On the surface, Unfriended appears to be part of the club. But technology doesn’t suck. People do. Software hosts vengeance. It doesn’t inspire it. Assuming otherwise would be like leaving Carrie convinced the culprit is pig’s blood. In any case, you notice the movie espouses a pungent awareness of the power of public shaming. You feel some mild critique of lives lived through web applications. What you don’t feel is sustained visceral fright. You need more than technology for that. This is Carrie, only now when the hand pops up through the grave, the first thing it does is feel for a trackpad."

#2- The Age of Adaline

- The New Yorker
- Written by Richard Brody
- My Rate: 5
- High Points: Elaborate Exposition,
- Low Points: melodramatic plot, no identified perspective
- Writer's Opinion:

"…The plot kicks in, it unleashes a brief rush of melodramatic energy....The conceit endows Lively’s regal air of distracted superiority with an intermittent pathos, but the director, Lee Toland Krieger, brings no identifiable perspective, and the screenwriters, J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz, hardly tap a century’s worth of material."

Sports Current Event

ARTICLE:

http://keranews.org/post/ut-austin-just-won-quidditch-world-cup-again

UT-Austin just won the Quidditch World Cup- again

UT has won the American Quidditch World Cup (2015) for the third time in a row.

JARGON:

- broomsticks
- Quidditch
- quarter-finals
- semifinals

ADJECTIVES:

famous, good, champion, victorious, astounding, explosive, popular

TYPE: News Update

- The article describes UT's win for the Quidditch World Cup and gives updates on the UT Quidditch team.

GAME SCORES:

"Texas defeated Lone Star Quidditch club 120–90 to finish off a comeback and leave Quidditch World Cup 8 victorious."

Sports Exploration: Quidditch (YES, IT COUNTS)

- My favorite team is The University of Texas at Austin

-The top five rankings are 1) Lonestar Quidditch Club, 2) Maryland Quidditch, 3) The Lost Boys, 4) Ohio State Quidditch, and 5) The University of Texas at Austin

(https://www.usquidditch.org/standings/)

- This season, UT won 24 games and lost 3. UT has gotten very close to first place through several tournaments and may be playing the number one team in America at World Cup (kind of like playoffs) very soon. Last year, The Lone Star Club won first place in the World Cup. Three very important rules are 1) whoever catches the snitch wins the game, 2) There should be no interferences from the crowd, and 3) All players should stick to their specific role in the game (like seeker, keeper, etc.). What do these terms/roles mean? The most important player is the seeker- the one who is trying to catch the snitch. The snitch is a very small, golden ball but, apart from the story, it will sometimes be played as an actual person. Whoever catches the snitch wins the game for their team and it's a very difficult task. A third term involves the keeper- the teammate who guards the three rings so the opposing side can't score. They are similar to goalies in soccer.

- Of course, there are always clichés to speeds and this one is being a nerd. Yes, this sport was formed from a fantasy novel but it doesn't mean every players is a fan of Harry Potter or is geeky about the fandom.

- Because Quidditch teams are more like a club around the nation, there aren't any specific players that shine out the rest. I researched and could not find full names of any players on the teams or their information.

CE Quiz

1. What is happening in Baltimore right now? What event sparked the problems? Page A1 "Baltimore explodes..."

Currently there are riots and protests occurring in Baltimore- involving torching a pharmacy, setting police cars on fire and throwing objects like bricks. The man who suffered a severe spinal injury and passed away in police custody sparked these riots.

2. What are some Bastrop citizens worried about with operation Jade Hills 15? Page A1 "Meeting does little to...."

Citizens are worried about foreign fighters coming to Texas and possibly confiscating Texans' guns.

3. How many iPhone 6, 6+ and other models were sold in the first three months of the year? (read carefully.....) Page B5 "Big iPhone sales drive..."

Apple sold 61 million iPhones.

4. What is Girlstart? Page D1 "Girlstart keeps growing"

Girlstart is an organization that promotes STEM for young girls (fourth-eighth graders).

5. Kim Kardashian...whatever...blah blah blah...Why is this woman still in the news? Okay, seriously, what do you think about Bruce Jenner? Do you really care? Does it really matter? Page D2 "Kardashian..."

I don't think of these people at all actually. Let them be and do whatever, who cares! These sort of things like coming out are occurring more frequently so why is this suddenly SO abrupt and startling? It's because its a Jenner. I'm still unsure what the hype is about this family but I do know its a waste of time to obsess over. This does help the trans community in a way but… I'm not sure we should promote though the Kardashians/Jenners. Besides that, I'm just the type of person to let everyone be. I've always thought "You do what you want to do, I'll do what I want to do," and LET IT BE. There's no reason to create such a hype about this. There are more important things to be discussing and reporting- Nepal? Baltimore? I think these are more evident news reportings besides Bruce coming out- even though it is very much a brave thing! I just don't believe in raising these people on pedestals while there are people suffering...

Short Answer: Nepal....what a tragedy. Read the story on page A3 "Nepalese.."

Write at least 2 paragraphs in reaction to the event.

Oh my God. It's a devastating event that has been occupying my mind since the news broke out. These poor people are in utter fear, suffering trauma, grief, and hopelessness. We need to help these survivors and get them through such a disaster. And it's a terrible feeling, being all across the world and not knowing how to help. It hurts me to see people living in a nightmare.

I have no clue what they are going through because I can't imagine the things they've seen and experienced over the past few days. It's heartbreaking… but we should definitely do something to help.

Creative Writing

Prompt: "There are three children sitting on a log near a stream. One of them looks up to the sky and says…"

------------

"Do you believe there is an elsewhere?"

"An elsewhere?"

"Yeah," Nona nodded, still starring up.

Vance stayed quiet like usual. He shifted slightly on the log. Vaughn grumbled when it swayed underneath them. "I've thought about it before," He mumbled. "I-I mean… there can't be just death- right?"

"I think it will just be a form of escape and blackness," Vaughn said. His eyes drifted over to Nona for a moment before snapping back down to the grass. She was still facing the heavens but her eyes were shut.

Vance nudged Vaughn's shoulder slightly, his eyes wide and curious. He frowned. "What do you think's going on with her?"

Looking back once more he let his gaze linger on Nona. Her eyelids were twitching as if she was dreaming in sleep. Lips parted slightly, Vaughn could see her breath leave in a small cloud.  And her fingers fumbled with one another- lacing together elegantly. She was definitely pondering something.

Vaughn wanted so badly to keep watching. This was nothing like he'd seen before from Nona. It was a peaceful version rather than her usual closed-off, dark demeanor. Before he could slap him silent, Vance had spoken up.

"You alright, Winona?"

Non'a dark eyes opened slowly and turned to the two boys- one looker rather awestruck while the other seemed worried. "I will be," She nodded. "These feelings are fleeting." Her words hung in the air thickly as she stood up from the log. It was common nature for Nona to speak this way. Sometimes Vaughn wondered if she'd always been so deep and thoughtful- or if something might've caused her to.

Vance stood and followed Nona, brushing off the dirt on his backside. But the messy-haired boy stayed put. Vaughn, too, looked up to the sky and shut his eyes like Nona had. Red and orange color played behind his lids- the sun filtering through the skin. He sighed and began to feel himself plunder down into his own mind. Where did they go after life? Were the things he felt for Nona, the breakfast he had this morning, the last memory of his mother… was it all to be history some day? Would they all filter into the ground, crumble to dust, and be forgotten history?

His eyes flicked open. Vaughn's chest began to rise and fall faster. Running a hand through his hair anxiously, Vaughn could feel the thoughts cloud. No, he thought, there's more than just this. There has to be. There must be. 

There has to be.

Magazine Cover 2

Magazine Peer Reviews

1. What is the name of the magazine and who made it?: Teen Witch by Avila
2. List two things you liked about the magazine cover:

- The Fonts were very pretty
- The portrait fit well on the cover

3. Suggest something to the creator to improve the cover

Make sure the text doesn't overlap too much on your model's face

4. Why did you pick this cover? Specifically what attracted your eyes.: I loved the colors
5. Is there a bar code?: Yes
6. Did that make it more "magazine-like"?: Yes
7. Can you tell if it was a portrait or self-portrait?: I can tell it was a portrait

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1. What is the name of the magazine and who made it?

Speak by Genny

2. List two things you liked about the magazine cover

- It was very well composed
- The colors!

3. Suggest something to the creator to improve the cover

The font should be able to really stand out

4. Why did you pick this cover? Specifically what attracted your eyes.

It was definitely how well the portrait was composed and clear it was

5. Is there a bar code?: yes
6. Did that make it more "magazine-like"?: Yes
7. Can you tell if it was a portrait or self-portrait?: Not really, no. It looks like it could have been either

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1. What is the name of the magazine and who made it?

American Baseball by Avery

2. List two things you liked about the magazine cover

- How clear the portrait is
- The fonts!

3. Suggest something to the creator to improve the cover

Usually the barcode is on the right bottom corner, maybe try that next time.

4. Why did you pick this cover? Specifically what attracted your eyes.

The fonts and the way the words popped out.

5. Is there a bar code?: Yes
6. Did that make it more "magazine-like"?: Yes
7. Can you tell if it was a portrait or self-portrait?: It's difficult to tell whether it was a portrait or self portrait

Magazine Cover

IPC Convention

Things I'm Interested In and at their times…

1 PM: Writing Your Story- my journey from small town Texas, around the world, and back

2 PM: Your adventure. Your Book. OR Now What?

3 PM: 5 Steps of Revision

4 PM: TMI

SUNDAY

9 AM: Are we there yet?

10 AM: Hello, My name is...

CE Quiz

1. What % of the franchise tax could state business donate to a voucher bill program designed to help students attend private school if they are unhappy with their public school options? Page A1 "Texas Senate…"

Up to 50%

2. What are the "two biggest civic challenges" facing Austin, according to mayor Steve Adler? Page A1 "Adler: Austin's success..."

Traffic and housing cost

3. What is the political cartoon on Page A9 by Dan Wasserman from the Washington Globe trying to tell is, in your opinion?

I think, in a way, the message on the graves is trying to get through to the people who still don't see what is going on in our society. Some people still are blind and not believing this was a purpose shooting so the graves are sort of… speaking that message out. Or maybe it's a want for justice?

4. Who won the Master's Golf Tournament over the weekend? Where did he go to college? How old is he? How much money has he made this year? Page C1

Jordan Spieth, 21 years-old, UT, and has made $5 million

5. What is the number 1 movie in the country this week? Have you seen it? Do you want to go see it? Page D2

Furious 7 was the number one again this week and I have not seen it. I don't plan on seeing it either because I'm not a fan of these movies.

Short Answer:

Gosh, I honestly do not trust technology. Voting is a serious, private matter and the way hackers can track and get into different accounts… It just makes me nervous. I don't believe it should continue even though it is faster and, in my opinion, lazier. But I know there are some people who are incapable of making it to voting booths. Over email though? Nah, I think we can do without it.

Portrait and Self Portrait

In-Depth Story Start

Focuses/ Story Ideas:

- What does 'Lunch break' mean to the students?
- The people who choose different spots to eat… who are they? Why? What do they do?
-

People to Interview:

- The three/four students that sit in the garden, next to the dance studio.
-  Theatre kids that sit in the theatre hall (even though it's so tightly crowded in there)
- The many students that sit in the library
- Students that sit in front of the library, near the entrance to the academic building
- The group of students at the end of B Hall

Questions:

- Is there a specific reason why you sit in your specific spot each day?
- What motivates you to not eat in the cafeteria?
- How long have you been sitting in this spot?
- What do you usually do doing lunch? Is it purely for lunch or to socialize..?
- How did you discover this spot?
-

(To be added onto… most of the time when I go to interview someone I ask two or three of these questions but create more from their answers.)

Newspaper Design Revision

Magazine Preview

5 Things I Should Be Thinking About On Magazine Covers: The Cover needs to be...

1. Emotionally irresistible (that’s the image’s appeal)
2. Emotionally irresistible (that’s the image’s appeal)
3. Arousing curiosity (that’s to pull the casual glancer in)
4. If the cover pops out from its background, don’t weaken it by fussing with it
5. If it is invisible like wallpaper, decide what element is worthy of becoming dominant

Best Magazine Covers of 2013

1. New York, May 20, Michael Douglas Is Liberace (Formal)
2. Bloomberg Businessweek, December 2–8, J Crew: Teaching the World to Dress American (Informal)
3. The New York Times Magazine, May 19, The Secret Lives of Germs (Environmental)
4. ESPN The Magazine, September 16, Floyd Mayweather in The Fight Issue (Environmental)
5. The New York Times Magazine, November 24, The Flight Risk (Formal)
6. Sports Illustrated, April 22, BOSTON (Environmental)
7. Runner's World, December, Get Fit Have Fun (Informal)
8. O, The Oprah Magazine, September, Hair! (Informal)
9. Brides, October/November, Get Inspired! (Formal)
10. W, December/January, The Art Issue (Formal)
11. Harper's Bazaar, May, Summer Fashion Issue (Formal)
12. New York, February 18–25, Spring Fashion (Formal)
13. The Fader, February/March, Solange (Informal)
14. Wired, December, Bill Gates Wants You to Fix the World (Formal)
15. Vanity Fair, October, 100 Years (Informal)
16. ESPN The Magazine, July 22, Kenneth Faried in The Body Issue (Environmental)
17. GQ, February, Beyoncé (Informal)

Favorite

"For Vanity Fair's October Issue-to honor the magazine's birth 100 years ago, in 1913-sexy was the word as we resurrected a Monroe pose and introduced a new logo (smart, slim, serif!). Not to be outdone by the magazine's stately new font, model Kate Upton channeled screen icon Marilyn Monroe as she pouted and posed with a congratulatory birthday cake for photographer Annie Leibovitz. Happy Birthday, indeed."

This cover caught my eye NOT because of the sex appeal or Kate Upton herself. It was the Marilyn Monroe aspect that they added, the lighting, and the colors. The photograph looks very vintage, something straight from Hollywood back in the day. Her lipstick adds a shock of red against the cool forest green backdrop. The golden lettering and then the off-white aspect illuminates her skin and her face. I saw it as a beautiful profile with lots of interesting elements to make Upton look as if she was shining. A great choice for the 100 years in the Vanity Fair business!

Cover Types

1. Early Magazine Covers

Most early covers from 17-1800's did not have an official "cover". Most had a small title at the top and a list of contents with their page numbers. If there was some sort of cover for the magazines, it would look fairly like the cover of a novel from around that time: a small, drawn visual, a title, and a few important facts. Now, sometimes the covers isn't express their contents on the front cover. For example, there were such covers like the symbolic type. These used a symbol to express their company and the contents with very little words. This was a sort of way to make the reader interpret what the contents were going to be about. Most of the covers were very generic, some without photographs, began an article on the first page with no cover, etc. 

2. The Poster Cover

A certain type of magazine cover arose in the 1890's to the 1960's. There are no cover lines or themes and the imagine is not covered by the title. It looks exactly like a poster that you could find for a movie, a showing, or an advertisement on a wall. This sort of cover lets the cover loosen up, making not everything so tight or crowded. Usually there isn't much going on in the photo portion and it is quite balanced. For the covers, most of the images would be illustrated, using poster art elements and etchings made from photographs. These pieces of art appear usually very big and cover most of the space. The title is almost always smaller than the image itself.

3. Pictures Married to Type

These type of covers use art or photographs to express and arrange so that the cover lines could fit or pop. Usually this would include with a very large title with the model or the photo overlapping it. The model is usually in a full body pose, and the pose is expressive or usual to catch the reader's eye. The cover lines come to play then- being placed in specific places to frame the model and are positioned on all sides of the model.

4. In the Forest of Words

This is when  creative and bold cover lines came into play. Sometimes the cover art became equally important as the lines. The photography has also increased in intensity- now, instead of just a woman standing, she may be sitting in a creative or expressive way while wearing strange or irregular clothing. With these times, photographs are just not enough to pull in the reader's. Cover lines and words take up the extra spaces by improving upon the boldness and the interesting use of words that can somehow or another gain another reader. 

CE Quiz

1. What is one suggestion to easing overcrowding and both Bowie and Akins High School that doesn't require building a new school, according to Superintendent Paul Cruz? Page A1 "Decision on South Austin HS..."

Opening up a magnet or academic part of these schools.

2. What is the big deal about Hillary Clinton's email? Page A1 "Clinton says..."

She was supposed to use government email and had destroyed thousands of other emails.

3. Look at the political cartoon on Page A11 - what is the artists message, in your opinion?

With Clinton saying she preferred Apple instead of Android I feel like this cartoon shows how dumb that was for her to answer that in a conference about her emails. The artist is showing this through the use of Apple Watch.

4. What is a micro unit? "Page B9 "Micro Units..."

Smaller, more moderately priced apartment homes.

5.  Who are the top 5 Big 12 "locks" for the NCAA basketball tournament according to Kevin Lyttle? Page C1, "Stakes high in Big 12..."

Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor and West Virginia

Short Answer: Read the story on page A2 "School expels two students.

1. Do you think the school took appropriate action in this case? Why or Why not?

Very much, yes. Racism is an ugly, evil thing that shouldn't be tolerated by anyone. Threatening someone for their skin color or where they've come from is absolutely unacceptable.

2. Do you think the free speech principals outlined in the Constitution should extend to this type of behavior? Why or Why not?

No! Everyone is equal in my eyes and this is rude, awful behavior. If it is "accepted" then I'll use my freedom of speech to protest against such such tolerance of something so horrible.

3. If you saw this type of action happening, would you step in and try to stop it? Why or Why not?

Definitely. I have friends who have been victims of racism- even in the smallest of ways. It's ugly and not right. There is no reason anyone should ever be forced to put up with the slandering of their race.

4. Would you record it the behaviors and attempt to provide that information to authorities? Why or Why not?

I'd record what was going on only for use of proof.

5. Should the actions of a couple of students caused the entire fraternal organization to be closed? Why or Why not?

No, if not everyone was participating in this behavior then it should be open for the people who still are there.