The College Perspective by Lindsey

In recent news, the Tibetan community of Larung Gar, China is being taken down by government officials. The community has been around since 1980 as a center of worship and home to many Tibetan Buddhist monks. Hundreds to thousands of people have already been forced out of the area and must promise never to return, as crews are demolishing the houses without allowing individuals to take their belongings out first.

The Chinese government currently does not want Buddhism to exist in their country and does not allow pictures of the Dalai Lama across the country. The government’s reasoning behind destruction of the property was that it was overcrowded and needed to be demolished to protect people from the dangers of open sewage and trash pits.

However, activist groups believe the government could help create newer, cleaner spaces rather than evict people and that the government only wants to demolish the area so that they maintain control over the people. Many believe that this action will be a major blow to the Buddhist community, their culture, and way of life.

I believe that this story is newsworthy, since as Americans we live in a place with a relatively large amount of religious freedom and don’t always think about other parts of the world. Americans should be paying attention, especially with the current political climate and how this peaceful religion’s rights are being taken away, similar to what could happen here with current fears.

The audience for this piece seems to be Americans, since it was written by an American source, and is especially geared towards adults who may remember when China took over Tibet and pushed many Buddhists out.

The lead seems to be focused in a narrative way, focusing on how jarring the chainsaw is against the low-key chants of the monks. It sets a scene about the direction the story will take, which is more pointed towards the side of the monks.

The article provides information from both sides but offers counter arguments to all of the government’s statements, focusing on how the Buddhists are being victimized. They did a good job with visualization of the scenes, but more information from the government or a government official, if possible, would have been nice to round out the article.

The link to the original article can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/world/asia/china-takes-a-chain-saw-to-a-center-of-tibetan-buddhism.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Homer, the oldest polar bear at the Midland Zoo in Sioux City, died this morning in his enclosure. As stated in previous years, polar bears have thrived at the zoo since 1985.

According to the zookeeper, Sara N. Getty, “Homer was a very curious and playful polar bear and we will miss him terribly.”

The polar bear exhibit is unique to the natural environment of the bears and allows them to lead very active lifestyles. For years, the bears have been a figurehead for their wild counterparts, educating the public about their threatened existence.

There have been two other animal deaths this month, however zoo director Chris P. Bacon is confident that the deaths are unrelated and will conduct an investigation to determine the exact cause of 16 year old Homer’s death.

“We will do everything in our power to determine how this bear died. Animal welfare and the preservation of species are our primary goals here at the zoo.”

Brock didn’t even hesitate when asked to choreograph a dance routine for a class he wasn’t in. It was his freshman year of college and he never had a hard time making friends. He is the kind of guy you would see approaching other random people on the street to ask them their name and if they wanted to join him wherever he happened to be going.

He’s dynamic, always talking with his hands, a smile on his face. There haven’t been many people who don’t instantly take a liking to Brock. And now he was going to choreograph a dance for me.

My final for the Intro to Dance class I was taking that semester required me to make up a two minute dance that would have to be performed in front of the whole class. Me being me, I was terrified and turned to the one person I knew who loved to be in the spotlight: Brock Bourek.

For a month we practiced for hours on end, it was a two person dance, Brock of course had to be involved in it beyond more than the choreography. He had been in dance classes since he was very young. I had taken six years of dance myself but nothing compared to the way Brock perfected every move, thinking of the bigger picture until it was how he wanted it.

And then came the first performance day. It was informal, in front of the class and Brock showed up late, as is typical since he loves to be involved in just about every activity one can physically do. I was nervous, he was perfectly calm. But the performance went off without a hitch. Everyone complimented us and I thought it was all over. But my professor had other ideas.

Soon after that day, she contacted Brock and I and asked if we would perform in the fall dance show they hold every year that showcases her other class’ work as well as some local young dance troupes. Since I knew Brock would be overjoyed to perform his masterpiece, I agreed.

For another two weeks we practiced, trying to get the performance even more perfect, this time there would be actual adults there: a true audience. We even performed in front of some friends to try and relieve some of the anxiety.

Fast forward to performance day. Brock shows up only two songs before our turn. We haven’t had any time to rehearse and I’m sitting by myself hyperventilating over having to get up in front of the crowd. Brock makes me find a chair for our performance, trying to distract me.

We get on the stage. There’s a pause that seems like seven years have gone by. Then the music starts and I feel it all coming down to this one second where I have to move or the whole piece is ruined.

Luckily, I moved and the performance went pretty well, only one mistake that the audience didn’t even catch. I survived and Brock thrived in all the attention given by the crowd afterwards.

The one thing I learned about Brock that day was that he’s the kind of friend that will always be there to support you, no matter how busy he is. Even though he can at times seem self-interested as a theater major and will almost never respond to texts anyone sends him on the same day, he will give you his all. That is the kind of person you want on your side.

When your town is slightly smaller than the entire population of students that are enrolled in Morningside College, the adjustment can be difficult. For Tabatha Storesund, the transition has been more exciting than terrifying.

For one, Storesund is a member of multiple groups on campus, including Shades, Mass Communications club, Photography club (where she is the secretary), and Anime Club, as well as a member of the band. She also has a job at the Roadman front desk and at Fareway. Besides all of these extra activities, she is going for a double major in Journalism and Photography, making every moment here at Morningside College worth her while.

Storesund grew up in Glidden, Iowa, a town of around 1100 people. Transitioning from this kind of environment to the community of Morningside College wasn’t much different, and since she had previously lived in Utah for some time with her mother, Storesund wasn’t fazed by the busier atmosphere of Sioux City. She also comes from a bigger family, with two stepsisters, three half-sisters, and one brother, which helped Storesund transition into dorm life, where people are everywhere almost 24/7.

After college, Storesund hopes to write for a newspaper, but isn’t settled on an exact place yet. Wherever she goes, she hopes she is successful and continues to be involved in activities that she finds entertaining.

Recently, Secretary of State John Kerry made a trip to Antarctica to talk with scientists about potential melting glaciers due to climate change. He spent two days there, hiking across the land and hoping to potentially drill through one of the glaciers down to the rock to see when the last big melting occurred as well as looking for wildlife in a helicopter. Scientists believe that if these glaciers melt completely, sea levels will rise 10 to 15 feet, causing problems for coastal communities. The article also mentioned how Kerry isn’t sure how the Trump administration will handle these areas of concern he has found and hope that by urging other countries to help, it will push change in case of Trump deciding climate change isn’t important.

This article starts out as a feature story in design, and while they are covering an important event, it ends up almost as a profile for John Kerry. The lead is solid as it draws in attention through imagery and tells a story that sets you up for what Kerry wants people to know. The story definitely seems to have a point of view in support of Democrats and funding research into climate change, explaining how Kerry’s administration on his plane were worried on election day when they saw how many states Hillary Clinton was losing. The audience seems to be everyone who cares about the environment, but especially Democrats, since they don’t like Donald Trump and are worried about many of his policies, climate change especially.

While I believe some of the middle parts about the recent election were semi unnecessary, considering the author was still speculating on what Donald Trump’s campaign will do about climate change, the article was meant to take a political turn. The last quote really sums it up when Kerry talked about how in the 1970s, the election really brought about change for the good in terms of the environment and how he wants to help people remember those times so we don’t go back. Overall, I believe this article is extremely newsworthy with all the fear and uncertainty surrounding this election and how far we have come in helping the environment. We need this kind of reminder so that people continue to push for change and save the earth. Having a president that doesn’t acknowledge the years of work from scientists and support from other countries could be dangerous and this article wants to show people what could happen if we don’t act.

The link to the original article can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/science/antarctica-john-kerry-global-warming.html?hpw&rref=science&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0

Good evening. My name is Lindsey Smith and I’m here with KTIV News to give you the latest on what’s happening in the world.

In recent science news, a popular diabetes drug could help lower the risk of getting Alzheimer’s.

Metformin is a drug taken by millions of Americans to control their blood glucose. According to Scientific American, the drug itself is very safe and very cheap; Walmart sells it for only four dollars.

And now in recent studies, it may be possible that metformin could help even nondiabetics from diseases like Alzheimer’s.

While diabetes is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, professors at Tulane University discovered that metformin can greatly reduce incidences of Alzheimer’s and other serious illnesses.

Essentially, any diabetes patient who uses metformin for more than four years has the same risk of getting Alzheimer’s as anyone else. This is significantly less risky than those who only take insulin or other drugs for their diabetes.

Neurologists hope to run larger trials for more evidence, but have run into troubles with funding. Some groups are also hoping to find biomarkers, measurable signals that could help identify Alzheimer’s patients earlier.

Researchers believe that if the Alzheimer’s disease is identified before serious damage has been done, metformin could save patient’s lives.

In other news, students in the Siouxland community are finding creative ways to pay their tuition after another rise in price this year.

Grady Klein, a Morningside college sophomore is trying to pay for tuition after already maxing out on possible scholarships and financial aid, a problem that many students face at private colleges.

However, Klein isn’t going down without a fight. He’s taken two jobs to combat the prices, one as an R-A and one as a member of campus security.

The biggest part of the rise in tuition every year comes down to one thing: a change in personnel costs. Each year salaries are raised and other costs, like health insurance also increase, putting more pressure on the college to get more money.

Ron Jorgensen, the Vice President for Business and Finance believes that without the professors, Morningside College wouldn’t be as strong of an educational institution as it is today. (Sound bite)

In the meantime, Klein hopes his efforts will put at least a small dent in his student loans, but says he can only hope for the best once he gets out of college.

Recent events have caused an outpouring of support across the entire state of Iowa after a shooting in Des Moines today resulted in the death of two police officers.

Early the morning of November second, gunshots rang out, calling police officers to the scene where two of their fellow officers had been shot in their squad cars.

The man suspected of killing these officers in this ambush style is Scott Greene, a man who was escorted out of a football stadium two days earlier for causing a disturbance. He had been waving a confederate flag that was stolen by other members in the crowd, causing him to become angry.

Soon after the dead officers were found, Greene was seen walking nearby and was taken in for questioning. He went without argument.

Communities across Iowa are shocked by this ambush attack of police officers, students on Morningside College campus included. Many are surprised by this sudden act of violence and have signed a pledge to support the local police force here in Sioux City.

Austin Norton, a sophomore at Morningside College, believes that the police deserve our support now more than ever, and that we as a community need to show how grateful we are for their sacrifice.

Meanwhile, at the Urbandale police station, people have been leaving small items to show their support for the families of the officers who died as well as the rest of the officers on the police force.

And that’s the news. Thanks for watching and from all of us here at KTIV, goodnight.

In recent news, numbers of tourists in the country of Iran have grown over the past few years, leading tourism companies to travel more often to the country. Besides the restrictions of life in Iran, including no alcohol and all women, even those who are just visiting, having to wear a head scarf to avoid scrutiny, many tourists from Spain, France, and even the United States has grown.

Even though the countries anti-Western feelings haven’t changed, tourists are finding the area more and more popular, causing the tourist industry in Iran to be overhauled. There aren’t many places for nightlife or even hotels, as the country has been secluded for many years, but the sheer amount of history, as well as food and culture that can be found in Iran is drawing in more visitors.

All of these tourists have led to an increase in a process called Couchsurfing, where people from Iran are allowing tourists to sleep in their homes, something many tourists welcome as an opportunity to see their culture up close. However, this is frowned upon by the government, and several individuals have been arrested for fraternizing too much with foreigners by having them in their homes.

Overall, the lead to this story was semi-confusing. It sounded like a pros and cons paper until the third paragraph, where they finally talked about the increase in tourism in Iran. However, I do think the article is newsworthy, as ever since this war with the Middle East has started, many Americans seem to forget how this affected the other side of the country that isn’t fighting Americans but instead just trying to live their lives.

The audience seems to be most of the world that isn’t Iran, but especially Americans who would be least likely to visit Iran for fun. The lead brings in interest with readers, but doesn’t quite get the point off right away, you have to keep reading to find an explanation for the title. The article doesn’t have a point of view except to maybe encourage some people to travel to Iran, but it is missing some points of why so many tourists have suddenly decided they want to visit this country, when as the article pointed out that the tourist industry there is lacking in many ways and could still be dangerous to many individuals.

The link to the original article can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/world/middleeast/iran-western-tourism.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

A shooting occurred yesterday that resulted in one injured woman. According to Sgt. Mann (audio).

Richard and Laurette Brunson were married on their front porch of their home at 317 Black Street early in the afternoon. The ceremony was attended by 30 close friends and relatives, including Laurette’s three children, but at around 5 p.m., things went south.

Neighbors are very shocked by the situation, as Marilyn Corse describes: (audio)

The couple had been living together for four or five months before their wedding, while Richard worked in construction and Laurette worked for a government housing program before she quit to hopefully start a daycare center. According to neighbors’ reports, the couple seemed to be having a normal, happy wedding day until the shooting.

Since the incident, there has been no sign of the groom, while Mrs. Brunson is in satisfactory condition from a gunshot wound to the abdomen at St. Luke’s Hospital.

Early this morning, Wednesday, November 2, two Des Moines police officers were shot in what is being called an “ambush” style. The man who is suspected of shooting them, Scott Greene, was escorted out of a football game seen in a video posted online two days earlier when he was allegedly causing a public disturbance. Greene claims he was peacefully protesting when the African Americans sitting behind him stole his confederate flag and he just wanted it back. Greene wanted to file charges against those that took his flag, but the video cuts out at this point, returning to focus on a police officer telling him if he didn’t like that conduct, he should take it up with the police department. He was found walking soon after the incident, and he went in for questioning without argument.

Officers responded to reports of gunfire when they found the first shot officer, and another dead officer was found soon after. They don’t suspect there was any interaction between the shooter and the officers. The police officers in Des Moines are worried as there have been an increase in the number of police officer shootings over the past year, and this is the first case of Des Moines officers shot and killed in the line of duty since 1977.

I believe this story is very newsworthy, as with the Black Lives Matter movement, and tensions in bigger cities between minorities and officers especially, police officers have been more concerned for their own safety. While the man who is a suspect isn’t a minority, he was disgruntled and brings to light just how dangerous of a job this is, and how police officers have to take more precautions than ever before. Also, for a story based in Iowa to reach the New York Times, it has to be a big deal.

The audience seems to be all Americans, but is especially relevant for Iowans who are dealing with this firsthand. The lead is very straightforward and includes all the necessary information even if it is a little longer than usual. As this story is still relatively new and details are still coming out, the story was factual and to the point, there didn’t seem to be a point of view. There are probably some facts missing but they will probably surface as the case has more time to develop.

The link to the original article can be found here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/us/police-iowa-ambush-killed.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0