Dole Appears, but G.O.P. Rejects a Disabilities Treaty

6 12 2012

Click here for the story.

Yesterday, a UN treaty came in front of the Senate which would, if passed, would put in place international laws regarding the treatment of people with disabilities. The treaty was modeled entirely after the Americans with Disabilities Act and, in short, would extend persons with disabilities around the world the same rights as they enjoy here in America. Bob Dole, former Republican senator (KS) and candidate for president, spoke in support of the bill.

But it didn’t pass.

Seriously?!

Even the Republican majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, said “It is a sad day when we cannot pass a treaty that simply brings the world up to the American standard for protecting people with disabilities because the Republican Party is in thrall to extremists and ideologues,” he said in a statement.”

This story is definitely newsworthy and ought to have more media attention, in my opinion. It brings light to the extremism of the Tea Party and that fact that the Republican Party is a much different party than it was just ten years ago. I loved this quote and I’m really happy that the journalist included it. The article stays objective, while still highlighting the injustice of this vote.

But really, the American people (and the UN) ought to be in an uproar like comedian John Stewart.




Profile: Amy Baer- Final

4 12 2012

A baby sits quietly on the floor, her face screwed up in concentration. In one hand, she holds a green fabric tote and in the other a picture book. She tries and tries to put the book into the bag over and over again, but like a square block into a round hole, she just can’t get it to fit. Her face grows red and she vents her frustration in a long wail. Her mother comes forward calmly, picks the little girl up, and shakes her head.

“I’m sorry Katelynn, but sometimes books just don’t fit into bags.”

The mother cradles the baby in her arms and the baby’s crying subsides and is eventually replaced with a smile. The mother smiles back, love reflected in her gaze.

Amy, a senior math and chemistry major, has a lot more responsibility than most Morningside students. She balances the role of student with work and, most importantly, being a full-time mom.

“Here,” she says in the kitchen of her small Dimmit apartment,” Why don’t we take this into your room and read it?”

The nursery is littered with toys, a result of the baby’s habit of pulling everything off of shelves to examine it, only to get bored and pull off something else. A poster of Sesame Street characters hangs close to the ground, at eye-level for a child who has just began to walk.

“This book has too many words for her, so sometimes I just make them up,” Amy says. “There once was a boy and a bear.” she mock-reads.

The baby’s face lights up, engrossed in the book.

“Which one’s the bear, Katelynn?”

The little girl points her index finger to a picture in the book.

“No, that’s the boy. Which one is the bear?”

She moves her finger toward the bear in the illustration.

“Good job!”

Amy Baer is usually seen around the Morningside campus pulling her one-year-old daughter in a red wagon. On the back is a sign: “They see me rollin’, they hatin,’” a reference to the rap song “Ridin’ Dirty.”

“I’m probably ‘the baby girl’ to a lot of people and I know Katelynn is the Dimmitt baby.” she says.

It’s tough to be a mom, study as a full-time student, and work in residence life, but somehow Amy manages the balancing act.

“Once you get into a routine, it gets a little easier, but it’s still difficult.” she says, “And it’s really hard to do one thing really well, because I’m doing too many things at once. Like sometimes I feel like I’m putting Katelynn in daycare too much or like there are times that I could study more.”

Amy attends class in the mornings, takes her daughter along on errands or to work in the early afternoons, and sets aside her evenings to play with her.

“After she goes to bed, I start being a student again.”

“I’m usually in awe of how much she can do in a day,” says Amy’s friend Julie Pitel, “She is a person who does what she needs to and doesn’t complain. When things get a little overwhelming, she doesn’t always like to ask for help. However, she knows that she has people who care about her and Katelynn, and she’s getting better at asking for help when she needs it.”

Katelynn and Amy are their own little family in their 1st floor Dimmitt apartment, along with help from Katelynn’s father,  Amy’s boyfriend of two years Patrick Whitsell.

But, Amy hasn’t always been comfortable with her situation. When she first discovered that she was pregnant as a sophomore at the age of 19, it seemed like the end of the world.

“It was like the worst feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. I thought my life was over,” she says, “I thought I was too young to be making big decisions. Do I get an abortion and feel awful about it for the rest of my life or do I tell my family and ruin my relationship with them? There were just two incredibly bleak options.”

Luckily, things slowly worked themselves out and she decided to keep her baby. Amy gave birth to a beautiful girl on November 1, 2011.

“It [keeping her baby] wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, but there were still some really rough moments… and there still are.”

Her family’s reaction had a lasting effect on their relationship.

“There’s still a small elephant in the room.” she says. “I wouldn’t say it’s huge, but some of the things that were said can’t be taken back. However, Katelynn has a good relationship with her grandparents, probably more than I have a good relationship with my parents, and I suppose that’s the most important thing to me. She’s still young and she still needs all the love she can get.”

Amy says that there were good things to come out of her pregnancy. She thinks that it has brought her both personal and financial independence and that she is no longer scared to graduate and go out into the world.

Sheri Hineman, Amy’s boss at her job in Residence Life and occasional babysitter, says that the experience has helped Amy grow as a person.

“I have seen Amy grow in her ability to adapt.  She has had to adapt to Katelynn’s schedule.  She has had to adapt to sticking to a budget to buy what she and Katelynn need.  She has had to adapt to not having the traditional college experience that most other students her age will have.”

After graduation in the spring, Amy plans to find a job either here in Sioux City, close to Katelynn’s father, or in her hometown of Council Bluffs.

“I might do anything from working in a lab, to being an analyst for a company, to maybe even doing something in residence life, because I have a background with that here at Morningside.”

She wishes that she had the choice to keep her same daughter Katelynn, but instead have her a little later in life.

“Since I had Katelynn, I love her and I don’t regret having such a wonderful daughter, but I still wish that I would have waited,” Amy says, “In the future, I just want her to know that she can tell me anything and I really mean that. And I want her to know that I’m going to be supportive of her no matter what mistakes she makes. I know what it’s like to be in a position where you think that you can’t tell your parents because your life will be over. In the end, I just want her to be able to think for herself.”

 

Click here to hear excerpts from the interview: Amyforfinalcopy




Missy Franklin to Swim at Cal

29 11 2012

Click here for the article.

Click here to see Franklin’s world-record and gold medal performance in the 200m back in London. The race starts at 3:30.

This article is kind of old news, but in the swimming world it is really important. With the glamour and sweat of the 2012 London Olympics at an end, it’s time for swimming to fly back under the radar for another four years. Or is it? Personally, I think that swimming may have found a huge Star (swimming humor: she swims for the Colorado Stars) in Missy Franklin and it’s making a difference in the sport’s visibility. Before the 2012 Olympic Trials, everyone expected the big story of London to be the Phelps/Lochte rivalry. However, it was Missy Franklin who stole the hearts of millions with her bubbly personality, contagious smile, and lightning-fast closing speed. She has a level of likeability and advocacy for the sport that I don’t think Phelps or Lochte can match.

With all of this in mind choice, Missy Franklin’s choice of college, or even her choice to go to college instead of turning pro, is a really big deal. Who knows what she’ll be able to accomplish under head coach Teri McKeever, who coached the 2012 women’s Olympic team and has coached the likes of Olympic legends Natalie Coughlin, Dana Vollmer, and Jessica Hardy.

This article does a really good job of covering the basics, explaining both Franklin’s and McKeever’s careers, but I think it could go more in depth. I’d be interested to know what an ESPN analyst thinks that this will mean for the Cal team. For example, with Rachel Bootsma and Elizabeth Pelton already on the team, Cal will have, arguably, a monopoly on three of college’s swimming’s best backstrokers. Hopefully, Franklin’s entering of the college scene will open doors for college swimming to increase in popularity and media coverage.




Three Broadcast Stories- FINAL

20 11 2012

Here’s my broadcast assignment: FINAL PROJECT




“Vera Oliphant Survives Fall, 6 Rattlesnake Bites In Nest Near San Diego”

14 11 2012

Click here for the article.

With this year’s elections at an end, I’ve decided to take a break from political articles and venture over to the “Weird News” section of the Huffington Post. This article describes how a 16-year-old California girl was bitten by five rattlesnakes and survived. Now, I guess six rattlesnake bites is quite a few, but I’m not completely sure this article is worthy of the national news. Isn’t it the old saying that “dog bites man” is not news, but “man bites dog” is news? The same thing probably could go for snakes. I could see this as a story in a local newspaper, admonishing its residents to look out for rattlesnakes, but it’s not worthy of the national news.

If I were to write this article, I would probably change the headline as well. Right now, it reads “Vera Oliphant Survives Fall, 6 Rattlesnake Bites In Nest Near San Diego.” I would not include the name, as most readers of the Huffington Post don’t know who “Vera Oliphant” is. I would change it to “teenager” or “16-year-old” or something like that. Similarly, I probably wouldn’t say that she survived a “fall,” as that’s really not that big of a deal. The news here isn’t that she fell; it’s that she was bitten by rattlesnakes and survived. I’m also not sure how I feel about the “in nest” part. This is a misplaced modifier and makes it seem as if Vera was bitten in the “nest” part of her body. My headline would read: “San Diego Teen Survives 6 Rattlesnake Bites.”




Who won the popular vote in 2012?

8 11 2012

Click here for the story.

While the world overwhelmingly knows the electoral results of last night’s election, it’s interesting to note that this “near landslide” victory had a popular vote difference of only 2%. Back in October, many were predicting a split election like in 2000, with one candidate winning the popular vote and another taking the electoral, but, luckily, that was not the case. However, studies like this of the electoral versus the popular vote raise important questions. In this day and age, in the height of information exchange and mass media, do we really need the electoral college system? Would it be better for us just to go off the popular vote? If we were to eradicate the electoral college, what type of say would small states like Iowa have in the real election? As it is now, some densely populated areas like California receive next-to-no attention, while millions of dollars are spent on a small number of votes in Nevada. Is that fair?

This article raises some interesting questions and is definitely newsworthy. I think it is a good article because it’s long enough to get the point across, but you don’t have to search and search for the statistics you want to know.




Three Broadcast Stories-VERY Rough Draft

8 11 2012

Organizing for America

With the presidential election at a close, President Obama and his staff are breathing a sigh of relief. However, Washington Democrats weren’t the only people working hard to re-elect President Barack Obama. The majority of the campaign took place in American neighborhoods like your very own.

Here in Sioux City, volunteers spent not the last year, but the last four years hard at work in the reelection campaign. They analyzed data, made calls, knocked doors, and, most importantly, connected with people on a personal level. The campaign here in the state of Iowa was one of the most important in the country.

Many Morningside students looking to make a difference got involved with the campaign. Jack O’Brien, a Morningside freshman, has been volunteering with the campaign since 2008.

*Quote from Jack about his experience

Jack thinks that all college students ought to volunteer with a campaign.

* “Even if you’re on the fence, it’s an informative process. Getting involved will help you find out what you believe. At a time when most people here are casting their first vote, that’s pretty important.”

New Swim Coach

The Mustang swim team is just now getting into the swing of things, after beginning the season a month late. Former Morningside coach Steve Mohs left the program in August. The administration had a very short time to find a replacement.

Luckily, former Sioux City area high school coach and 1981 NCAA All-American Bryan Farris stepped up to the plate. He hopes to **do something… ask question, ‘what will you bring to the team’**

**supplement with quote

Farris began officially coaching the team on the first of October, over a month after the normal beginning of the season. The swimmers were a little nervous with the prospect of starting the season off late. But, now they feel themselves getting back in shape and they’re ready to swim fast. They also ****something that a swimmer says Bryan brings to the team

**Quote from team member about what it was like starting late and their current feelings

With the first meet under his belt, Bryan is excited with the prospect of coaching the Mustangs up until NAIA Nationals in March

**Quote from Bryan about his thoughts on the team and his outlook for the year

Writing Center

It’s getting to be that time again. Paper-writing time. Inevitably, as the end of the semester draws closer, students are becoming more and more overwhelmed with the prospect of writing that fifteen page philosophy essay or that huge grade-shattering lab report.

Luckily for you, sometimes the difference between a “C” and a “B” or even a “B” and an “A” is one quick painless visit to the Writing Center. The Writing Center is located on the second floor of Lewis Hall and consultants are eager to help you with your writing skills.

Director of the Morningside Writing Center David Elder says…..

**Quote from Elder

Writing Center consultants can help students come up with topics, build a thesis, improve their editing skills, and provide basic organization. The Writing Center employs both faculty and peer writing consultants. Peer consultant says….

**Another quote from a consultant

The Writing Center is open from 9 am to 4 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm on Monday through Thursday and Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm. Students can sign up for consultations online through the Library website, but walk-ins are always welcome.

 

 

 




Broadcast- Science Scavenger Hunt

1 11 2012

Here’s the audio file for the whole story: Science Broadcast

Script: With the release of Paranormal Activity 4 and Halloween just around the corner, many people begin to wonder just why do we enjoy horror movies? Here’s ­­­­____ with the story.

(Cut to a different reporter)

They make you cringe, jump, and scream. Sometimes you have to cover your eyes. And yet, you keep coming back. What is it that makes scary movies so fun?

Psychologist and writer for Psychology Today Norman Holland thinks he has the answer. For him, the key to enjoying horror movies is knowing that you are not part of the onscreen terror.

(Cut to quote from Holland)

“I think we turn to literature, to stories, poems, plays, or movies, in order to have our emotions stimulated, even in unpleasurable ways. We know before we enter the movie theater that we will feel unpleasurable fear during the movie or the story, but we also know that we will feel pleasure (even during that fear) because we know we won’t have to do anything about it.”

So when you’re watching scary movies this Halloween, remember it is just a movie.

Click here for the article.




“Let’s Get Real About Abortions”

31 10 2012

Click here for the article.

Murdock’s comments last week received quite a lot of attention from people on all sides of the political spectrum (myself included). However, this article looks at the problem from a much deeper perspective than the traditional “pro-choice,” versus “against abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life,” versus “against all abortion” perspectives. The author, David Frumm, opens up the article by questioning the implications of a system that people like Murdock support. The government can’t (and shouldn’t be able to) force women into involuntary childbearing and leave her to deal with the cost of birthing and possibly raising a child that results from rape. He goes on to examine abortion rates in other wealthy nations and discovers that abortion rates are much lower in countries with a lesser disparity of wealth. If people have the economic means and government support it takes to raise a child, they are much less likely to have an abortion. I think that all people ought to read this article before they make the decision of whether they are pro-life or pro-choice, because it brings in another whole dimension to the discussion. The author suggests that instead of worrying about abortion legislation, we ought to get to the root of the problem by discussing the implications of the vast economic disparity in our country.

I think that this article was incredibly well-written and it used sufficient facts to support its claims. It seems as if many of the different problems in the United States, from education reform to abortion may have their solutions in the reduction of poverty. This is a perspective that many people overlook and I think that the author was right in bringing up this different facet of the issue.

For me, opinion pieces like this are much more interesting than just “state the facts” journalism. While the article that I used last week talked about what Murdock said, this takes it a step further with true analysis that people can use in making decisions. Both types of journalism are important, but I find this type of piece much more interesting and informative.




Couple Shooting

30 10 2012

Police are still looking for the suspect in yesterday’s wedding-day shooting.

The suspect, Richard Brunson allegedly shot his wife, Laurette Kenny Brunson, just three hours after their wedding ceremony. The couple was married at 2 pm Saturday on the front porch of their home at 617 Jackson Street.

At 5 pm, the victim threw a bowl of macaroni salad at her groom. He then pulled out a handgun and shot her in the abdomen. The victim’s three kids were all present. A neighbor called the police.

Click here to hear from the neighbor: WCorse

By the time police arrived, the groom was gone.

The victim is in satisfactory condition. She is recovering at St. Luke’s Hospital.