What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

By: Nathan

Recently, I had the opportunity to go around Taylor Middle School and ask a few students what they wanted to be when they grow up. I had a variety of answers and some didn't even know what they wanted to be.

Starting with the 8th graders, an anonymous student told me that he wanted to be a historian. Patrick says that he wants to be a computer engineer. Devon told me that he decided he would become a dancer. Edric said that he wanted to be a neurosurgeon. Darren along with three other students didn't know what they wanted to be. One student wanted to be either a lawyer, doctor, or architect. Kashille said that she wanted to be a professional badminton player, a dancer, or a lawyer. Another student stated that he wanted to be an engineer or anything in the computer world. Finally, Ernest told me that he wanted to become a teacher.

Next, I asked the 7th and 6th graders. One student said that she wanted to be a baker. Kellie wanted to be an architect or anything in the medical field. Megan says that she wants to be a doctor, but is not completely sure. One student in the 6th grade told me that he doesn't know what he wants to be.

MEF Second Chance Donations

          Have you heard about the MEF second chance donation days? MEF stands for Millbrae Education Foundation and they are trying to raise funds to hire more staff and fund programs for the school district. If you don't know what MEF is, MEF is an organization founded five to six years ago by several parents who were concerned about budget cuts and how it began to affect the schools. Their goal ever since was to raise money that would fund staff.

          As of now, MEF is funding roughly four hours of instructional time at the four elementary schools in our district and two technology teachers. Last year, MEF raised $260,000 which allows the schools to fund instructional aids and technology teachers. This year, MEF is trying to raise $400,000. The money raised is going to fund five teachers in our district. If they don't get their goal of $400,000, $320,000 will be able to fund four teachers, and $260,000 will raise enough to fund the existing technology teachers. On the 29th and 30th of January, MEF volunteers will be on the campuses of every school in the mornings and after school. The reason for the second chance donations is for the families who haven't had a chance to make their annual donations. MEF asks for $450 per student, but if you are not as fortunate as others, any amount will help. You can donate directly to a volunteer or visit the MEF website. Their website is http://www.millbraeeducationfoundation.org/

Good Journalism

          I learned that people are more informed with events going around the world because news is more acessable. I wonder how the news has been evolved. I still want to know why news has been so popular lately.

Recap of 2012

          Most people began the year of 2012 thinking that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Surprisingly the world didn't end. Looking back at 2012 brings up a lot of great events, and also some devastating tragedies.

          On January 14th, a 984-foot cruise ship, The Costa Concordia, crashes on the island of Giglio, Italy. More than 4,000 people were evacuated. Unfortunately, 30 people were said to be dead, 2 were said to be missing missing and presumed dead, and 64 were injured. Facebook, a social network used by millions, debuts on the stock market on the 18th of May. Shortly after, on July 15th, PSY, a Korean rapper, releases a song titled 'Gangnam Style' which catches the attention of millions of people around the world. The song later broke records earning its title, the most liked video on YouTube. 'Gangnam Style' also passed a billion views as of the 21st of December. The 2012 Summer Olympics opened in London on July 27th. A few weeks into the Olympics, Usain Bolt, a Jamaican runner, makes his way into history books by earning a "double triple." That means that he won 100 meters, 200 meters and the 4 100m relays at consecutive Olympic games. On August 6th, NASA launches a rover aimed at exploring Mars. The rover, Curiosity, finally landed on Mars after 7 minutes of terror. Felix Baumgartner  jumps from 127,000 feet off the Earth's surface on October 14th. He broke sound barriers and also some records. During his free fall, he gathered important information for NASA. The next day, October 15th, The Endeavour, a space shuttle, made its way through the streets of Los Angeles, making its way to its final destination. Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy struck on the 29th of October. Sandy tore through the North East part of the United States. The storm caused billions of dollars in damage and took the lives of hundreds. On November 6th, President Obama wins the 2012 US Presidential election and begins his second term as president. We wrao up the year with something the United States will never forget. On December 14th, an armed gunman kills 20 innocent children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. After this terrible incident, President Obama promises to pass laws on gun control.

Interview

Interview

     An interview is a conversation between two or more people where questions are asked by the interviewer to elicit facts or statements from the interviewee. The difference between journalistic interview and just an ordinary interview is that a journalistic interview requires skills that come from experience and also from getting to know people. Where as just an ordinary interview requires only some questions. To prepare for an interview, you should decide where to meet up with the person you are interviewing, what time you are meeting up, and what questions you are asking. An important thing to remember when you are interviewing someone is to not ask questions that may become too personal or offensive. After the interview is over, you should thank the person for their time. To use the information that you gathered in the interview to use in your writing, be sure that you have taken accurate notes. Also be sure that you quote accurately. One thing about interviews that everyone shoukd know is that there is more than one kind of interview.

Hering, Beth Braccio, © CareerBuilder.com 2011. All Rights Reserved. The Information Contained in This Article May Not Be Published, and Broadcast Or Otherwise Distributed without the Prior Written Authority. "10 Things to Do after a Job Interview." CNN. Cable News Network, 08 Aug. 2011. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

"Interview." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Dec. 2012. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

"Using the Interview as a Source." Using the Interview as a Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Inverted Pyramid Structure

Inverted Pryamid Structure

          Some key elements of the inverted pyramid structure in writing is that it refers to the 5 "Ws" of journalism, who, what, when, where, and why. The inverted pyramid structure derrived from the telagraph. Using the pyramid was reasonable because the most critical information was dispatched first.

          The inverted pyramid structure is typically used in writing newspapers. Here is an example of the inverted pyramid structure by Richard Nordquist: "Two children were injured when fire swept through the First Community Church, Detroit, Michigan, on May 10. The fire is believed to have started from unattended candles." The writer used clear and meaningful headings at the beginning of the topic.

          This concept is important to the class because it is a method that can really make us better journalists. In the future, I will use the inverted pyramid structure to write better articles of blogs.

"Inverted Pyramid." About.com Grammar & Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Passante, Christopher K. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Journalism. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha, 2007. Print.

"Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Journalism and Journalistic Writing. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Bias in Journalism

Bias in Journalism

          Bias is just another fancy word for opinion. Understanding bias is relevant to journalism because it helps you become a better writer. It may also help you become sucessful if you choose to be a journalist.

     For years, the media has been claimed as more liberal. Reporters generally try to include as many points of view about a controversial topic as they can. Here is an example of biased journalism: "The media has for years claimed that convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was a “Christian terrorist.” This is an absurd claim, though, because McVeigh did not perpetrate his crimes in the name of religion nor was he a proselytizing Christian. He was an anti-government activist and did not use religion to justify any of his actions." The problem is that the media jumped to a conclusion that Timothy McVeigh was a Christian terrorist. They had no proof that he was Christian. To make this article unbiased, the writer should have stated facts about what happened, rather than jumping to conclusions.

     This concept is important to the class because you can't be biased in journalism. Using this knowledge, I can become a better journalist, especially if I want to become a journalist in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"5 Easy Ways to Avoid Bias in Journalism." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2012. <http://ztherefore.hubpages.com/hub/5-Easy-Ways-to-Avoid-Bias-in-Journalism>.

Stovall, James Glen. Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2005. Print.

"The Top 50 Liberal Media Bias Examples." Web log post. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. http://www.westernjournalism.com/top-50-examples-liberal-media-bias/.