casey's (not the gas station)

This article was about “The Exorcist”, a 1973 film. The article highlights the dispute between the director, William Friedkin, and the screenwriter, William Peter Blatty, over its meaning. Blatty, a devout Catholic, wanted to emphasize the religious aspect, while Friedkin preferred ambiguity and cut out some scenes. Blatty was upset, but the changes were implemented anyway. Later, the director restored the cuts as a gift. The original version is scarier and more thought-provoking, as it keeps things mysterious. The article then describes the film, saying that it deals with various fears, including the supernatural, medical issues, and faith. The clash between Blatty and Friedkin’s visions added to the film’s power, it says. It shows that sometimes, great art comes from compromising one’s original vision. I would say the article is pretty unbiased considering it shows both sides of the story. I also didn’t know all the interesting reactions to the movie when it first came out.

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/10/17/movies/the-exorcist-50th-anniversary.html

At 5 p.m. yesterday, Richard Brunson, 50, allegedly fired a .22-caliber handgun, striking his wife, Laurette Kenny Brunson, 38, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The incident unfolded from a confrontation ignited by a plate of wedding macaroni salad thrown by Mrs. Brunson. By the time the police arrived on the scene, Mr. Brunson had fled, and his whereabouts remain unknown at this time. Mrs. Brunson was swiftly transported to St. Luke’s Hospital, where she is currently in satisfactory condition as per hospital officials. Listen to neighbor Walter Corse’s recollection: (sound byte). Walter’s mother, Marilyn, offers her thoughts on the incident: (sound byte).

Morningside’s Spanish Club saw an increase in participation at their 2^nd annual “Morningside Se Mueve” dance, the last of its kind held on campus. The event was held last week, November 28th at Buhler Rohlfs Outdoor Performance Center.

While last year’s dance was successful, there were many positive tweaks and changes this year. One change was the timing of the event. Stephanie Meza, Spanish Clubs’s president, said, “Last year’s dance was at the end of February, and it was on a Friday, meaning it was very cold and lots of people either already had plans or were going home.”

Another change from last year’s dance was the location of the dance, moving from Yockey to the outdoor performance center. Both Meza and Jennifer Morales, the Vice President of Spanish Club, said they believed this was a positive change, reflecting that it promoted better visibility for the event and that the club was also able to sell concessions.

Senior Emily Chicoine validated this point, noting that the first thing she noticed was the liveliness of the event and the music. She said that the people and the overall vibe looked encouraging and inclusive. She noticed the music when she came out of the library after studying for a bit.

The result of these changes led to an increase in participation, with both Meza and Morales saying that there were definitely more people in attendance than last year, with Morales adding that, “…this time there were more students than staff.”

Even with the increase in attendance, the dance didn’t come without some setbacks along the way, in this case, rainy weather. Rain earlier that morning put puddles all over the outdoor area.

The rain setback was difficult because it forced the club to decide whether to risk low attendance due to poor weather circumstances or risk low attendance due to last-minute changes in plans. Meza mentioned, “We deliberated as a team with our advisor, and all came to a final decision of postponing.” Morales added that with the extra week of time, the team was able to have “a little breather” and “gave them a bit more time to organize it [the dance].”

Meza and Morales also mentioned future changes to next year’s planning, including the ins and outs of the photo booth and concessions as well as planning better for attendance and weather. Timing has also improved from last year but still has a lot of room for improvement.

Another thing I wanted to ask passersby is if they knew that the dance is currently the last remaining dance event held on campus. This was a fact that I was not aware of either, but something that the Spanish Club mentioned during their allocation meeting for Student Government. Chicoine, as well as many other attendees, mentioned that they were not aware of this fact. After thinking for a bit, Chicoine said that she couldn’t think of another event like that that’s held annually.

In this way, the annual dance seemed to function as something greater than just a get-together for the Spanish Club. Morales mentioned that her main inspiration for the dance was to create an event that is “able to have people from different backgrounds to enjoy music.”

Meza added to this, saying,

“The inspiration for the dance was the dances I would go to with my family because I was homesick then and wanted to have a prom-like dance in college.”

On November 28^th, Morningside’s Spanish Club held its 2^nd annual “Morningside Se Mueve” Dance at Buhler Rohlfs Outdoor Performance Center. I interviewed both the Spanish club president, Stephanie Meza, and the club’s vice president, Jennifer Morales, to ask them about the origins of the dance, how this year’s went, and their plans for the future. I also interviewed a third source, senior Emily Chicoine, whom I hoped to gauge the vibe and effect that the dance had on random passersby.

While last year’s event was successful, there were many positive changes this year. One such change was the timing of the event. Meza said, “Last year’s dance was at the end of February and it was on a Friday, meaning it was very cold and lots of people either already had plans or were going home.”

Another change from last year’s dance was the location of the dance, moving from Yockey to the outdoor performance center. Both Meza and Morales voiced that they believed this was a positive change, saying that it promoted better visibility for the event and the club was also able to sell concessions.

Emily Chicoine validated this point, telling me that the first thing she noticed was the liveliness of the event and music and that the people looked encouraging and inclusive. She said she noticed the music when she came out of the library after studying for a bit.

All these changes seemed to have affected participation, with both Meza and Morales saying that there were definitely more people in attendance than last year, with Morales adding that, “…this time there were more students than staff.”

Even with the increase in attendance, the dance didn’t come without some setbacks along the way, in this case, rainy weather. Rain early that morning put puddles all over the outdoor performance area.

The rain setback was difficult because it forced the club to decide whether to risk low attendance due to poor weather circumstances or risk low attendance due to last-minute changes in plans. Meza mentioned, “We deliberated as a team with our advisor, and all came to a final decision of postponing.” Morales added that with the extra week of time, the team was able to have “a little breather” and “gave them a bit more time to organize it [the dance].”

Meza and Morales also mentioned future changes to next year’s planning, including the ins and outs of the photo booth and concessions as well as planning better for attendance and weather. Timing has improved from last year but still has a lot of room for improvement.

Another thing I wanted to ask passersby is if they knew that the dance is the last remaining dance event held on campus. This was a fact that I was not aware of either, but something that the Spanish Club mentioned during their allocation meeting for Student Government. Chicoine and other attendees mentioned that she was not aware of this fact, but after thinking for a bit she said that she couldn’t think of another event like that that’s held annually.

In this way, the annual dance seemed to function as something greater than just a get-together for the Spanish Club. Morales mentioned that her main inspiration for the dance was to create an event that is “able to have people from different backgrounds to enjoy music.”

Stephanie Meza added to this, saying that:

“The inspiration for the dance was the dances I would go to with my family because I was homesick then and wanted to have a prom-like dance in college.”

With Homecoming weekend ending last week, Meza is certainly not alone in feeling this longing for a dance on campus.

I liked this story because it covered something that happens all too frequently. Perhaps not on this scale, but many religious institutions pursue charity and medical work in underdeveloped countries as a means to end evangelization. I’ve seen it myself and this story presents both sides of the coin. The woman in the story, Renee Bach, was only 19 when she decided to set up this facility in Uganda. Is she responsible for the deaths of all these malnourished children when she had no permission to run the kind of care she was doing? It’s a fascinating prospect and I think the director makes it clear that she wants to tell both sides of the story, It’s how she got Bach herself to come and provide an interview along with footage from her first setting up the facility.

I thought the article was written well, it hooked me in, which was the main goal. I kind of want to watch it on HBO now. It portrayed the image it needed to and then got to the questions and responses in a timely matter. I think it covered the upside-down pyramid perfectly.

Link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/04/arts/television/savior-complex-jackie-jesko-renee-bach-hbo.html

The evolution of the journalism industry has been shaped by the rise of social media. Thomas Ritchie, a professional with over 25 years of experience in journalism and corporate marketing, delved into the critical influence of social media on the industry.

Ritchie graduated from Mount Marty University and majored in Business Marketing and Journalism. He has had a diverse career spanning various industries, from healthcare to trucking, and even entrepreneurship. Currently serving as a Corporate Marketer at the Great West Casualty Company, he has been at the forefront of the industry’s transformation.

Part of illustrating the shifting dynamics of news offices is Ritchie’s involvement with a hybrid company. This model allows him to work both in-office and from the comfort of his home. When asked about his favorite aspect of this arrangement, Ritchie responded, “It’s never the same two days and always new, always learning.” He notes that the adoption of hybrid work arrangements was expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated layoffs, which compelled the company to adapt swiftly.

Ritchie’s transition from journalism to marketing was primarily triggered by the decline in newspaper circulation around 2012. Building websites and digital marketing proved to be more lucrative and offered better career prospects. However, he admits that he misses the journalism of the past, reminiscing about what it once represented. “Trucks still hold a lot of stories,” Ritchie mentioned.

Regarding the effects of social media, Ritchie reflects on the profound changes in the industry. He talked about the transition from Twitter being primarily used for “live” reporting to the rise of livestreaming, which had a transformative impact on events like the Arab Spring and the Boston Marathon. He also acknowledged the growing influence of platforms like TikTok and their potential for fostering short-form content.

When asked about the echo-chamber effect and the algorithms employed by social media platforms, Ritchie noted the shift from chronological content presentation to algorithm-driven suggestions. This has altered the way information is consumed and raises concerns about the ethical aspects of tracking consumer behavior, particularly in regulated industries like his job in trucking and insurance.

Target’s 2022 Annual Report begins with a message to shareholders, reminding them of Target’s past successes, current challenges, and future goals. CEO Brian Cornell also mentions the key metrics that Target has been doing well in, like consumer traffic and overall company evaluation.

In the next paragraph, Brian Cornell mentioned that while inflation rises and consumers turn to the basics, they are still choosing Target for their essential AND discretionary needs. Cornell also touches on the need to keep up with trends and changing needs:

“Regardless of era or environment, our team takes a lot of pride in being able to flex into the merchandise categories and channels that are most relevant to guests—and then being able to flex again when things change.”

Moving on from trust, Target now looks ahead to various projects. One of which is the increase in efficiency that is supposed to “result in $2 to $3 billion in savings.”

Cornell says, “…with the new scale of our business and the continuing maturation of capabilities that barely existed three years ago, we see tremendous opportunities to streamline and simplify how we run Target.”

The next section is similar to the last, highlighting things they have done well and will continue to do. Some examples listed are supporting workplace culture, investing in remodeling, and adding new national brands.

Finally, their closing statement voices Target’s commitment to resilience in 2023 and their appreciation to shareholders, consumers, and employees alike.

The article I wrote about was about a game, Cocoon, being released this Friday by Jeppe Carlsen, lead programmer of other hit games like Limbo and Inside. He began creating a puzzle-solving game that had to do with the idea that each level is interconnected with the next and that it was sort of a maze that had to be escaped from. The author did a good job of explaining the background because I have never heard of any of these games before. He had one example where he compared the logic of it to Christopher Nolan’s Inception, which I thought was a good example to use as a comparison.

The article was objective, but it also was primarily written to draw attention to the game, so the purpose was not as objective. They used good quotes from the team to support their analysis of the game as a whole, not only evaluating the overall concept for the game but highlighting sound design and scrapped concepts as well. Knowing that the game is a product of many different versions and tests helps consumers identify value when deciding whether the game is good enough to look into.

Link:

The prompt I received for the interview was a positive work experience. I interviewed Else Dirkx, who chose to talk about a Bible Camp that she worked at over the summer.

Elsie said her main job at the camp was teaching children how to ride and interact with horses. She helped give ground and arena lessons to these children. Elsie said,

“We normally had around 30-32 students each week.”

She mentioned that at the end of the camp each week, they gave a presentation to the parents and other staff members to show off the skills that the children had learned. She said she looked forward to watching the presentations each week and that it built resilience within herself as well as the learning children.

“It’s just the value of doing a hard thing each week,” said Dirkx.

This article was written in the wake of Biden’s student debt reform plan being struck down. The story highlights multiple people and their experiences with paying off their student debt, and why the workers are unforgiving of the steep loans being lifted. The article is clearly an opinion piece, but it still does well to highlight the issue from many perspectives. One example cites someone picking a different job path due to less debt. Many others share the same feelings and say that they don’t want their specific budgeting plans to go to waste because of the forgiveness plan. The author even includes a person who changed their beliefs a bit, due to his wife incurring some debt and he was able to empathize with the other side a bit better.

That being said, this article was still far from being great. The quotes chosen are good, but I’m left asking what the connection is behind them or why the specific people were chosen in the first place. While the last person did represent an opposing viewpoint, I don’t think it did it well enough to be considered a rebuttal or anything. Besides that, this article was well-supported, well-written, and it kept my interest and attention overall

Link:

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/nobody-at-work-wants-to-hear-about-your-student-loan-payments-46dbc532?mod=lifestyle_lead_pos4