Dancing Through Life

Nancy Seeman

Fund. Of Journalism

October 9, 2012

Story/Article #2 First Draft

The Hill

The hill. A place many know about and few have been. To Morningside students, Cheapskates hill is a tradition most enjoys being a part of.  For those whom aren’t familiar of the hill, picture 150 to 300 students on a hill overlooking the stadium cheering on Morningside’s successful football team. However cheering isn’t the only thing that goes on up on the hill.

Use of alcoholic beverages is a common factor as to why students spend their time on the hill as opposed to being in the stands to support our undefeated Mustang football team.  Senior at Morningside College Nick Hessa states, “College is a place for us to have fun for 4 years, and for a lot of students having fun involves alcohol. Let us bring alcohol into the stadium and then we will support from the inside.” Hessa claims that the fans support just as much on the hill as they would in the stands, its just further away therefore isn’t as noticed.

However, what people have noticed is the attendance on the hill being greater than in the stands.  Morningside faculty, Cheryl Gamble, is trying to do something about this. She has brought together a group of students, Jeremiah Curry, myself and several of the cheerleaders, to brainstorm ways to get more students to the actual game. This group discussed many options such as having themed games so students can dress up in costumes, to bringing in a mechanical bull to gain attendance. The themes idea is the one that stuck.

Cheerleader Lexi Busch comments,  “It’s nice to have a big crowd out there for us cheerleaders to feed off of. There’s nothing like the feeling of having a full stands in front of you cheering along.” This feeling is perhaps why the cheerleaders have been a main force in working on gaining attendance to games.  The played a huge roll in the first western themed game by leading line dances during quarter breaks, and sporting bandanas in their hair.

Rumor has it, the football team is also not supportive of the hill when it comes to our fans. Junior football player Jordan Sitzmann tweeted on September 8^th, “Hope we get a good student section inside the stadium tonight and not just on the hill #Need the noise.” Other similar comments have been rumored to be floating around the football team, as well as the coaching staff.

With the season only midway and homecoming coming up this weekend, there is still a chance for the students of Morningside to fill the student section in the stands. The homecoming game has a them of Hollywood, which hopefully will attract students to attend the game dressed as their favorite celebrity. Hessa states again “I can’t say much will change for the football season. Basketball season we will be right their in the stands, but college is college and students are going to do what they want to have fun, and theirs not much people can do about that unfortunately.”

The article I chose for this week is from the huffington post. I am a bit disappointed in the content of the article.

The article develops on the idea that Lil’ Wayne now has more hits on the Billboard’s hot 100 charts at 109 then Elvis Presley who has 108. But randomly in the middle of the article, it says, “Thursday is the rapper’s 30th birthday.” Now, if the article had also described how long it took Presley to get his hits or how old he was, then it would have been relevant. But the article didn’t, so the content didn’t really make sense.

The article also ends on a very strange not. The article is about Lil’ Wayne and Elvis Presley, however the article ends with “The “Glee” cast has the most Hot 100 entries with 204.” The article doesn’t mention anything about anyone else on the charts and makes you think it is just about how Lil’ Wayne is growing bigger then Elvis. I just feel like the content could have been better written. I feel as though someone just tried to write up something random and very quick.

Everyone has that one piece of advice that has stuck with them their whole life. Whether it came from a parent, friend, or someone else, a good piece of advice sticks to us for years. When thinking about where I should find advice at Morningside College, walking through Lewis Hall, only one person came to mind. I met President Reynders my freshman year when I joined the President Scholars book club. I have also become very good friends with his step-son Chuck over the past two years and that has given me the opportunity to get to know the President a little more. He is a very respected man on campus and I wondered what the best piece of advice he has ever been given was.

The president lounged in a chair in the lobby of his office as he and his secretary Lisa joked about who between them could give the best advice. After a little coaxing the president what hs best advice was we got, “Work towards your goals everyday.” This piece of advice was given to President Reynders by Andy Ford, his old boss from the college in Pennsylvania he worked at before Morningside. He went on to ask me what my biggest goal in life was. I then expressed my passion for opening my own dance studio. From there he continued with his wise words. He told me, every morning one must wake up, look in the mirror, and ask oneself, “What can I do today to work toward achieving my goals?” Then at night the same must be done but you must ask oneself “What did I do today that helped work toward my goal.” This process of tasks is meant to keep your focus on the important stuff in life and how to achieve our goals.

Reynders went on to ask my classmate Lindsay Martin, who was also in the room, what her goals were. She replied that she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. As accepting and proper as ever, the President responded with the idea that it was totally ok to not know what one wanted to do right now. He was in that same position when he was in college. He then gave us an adjustment to the previous process. In this case, in the morning, one must ask themselves in the mirror “What can I do today to figure out what I want to do with my life?”

The President seemed very pleased that we felt comfortable enough to come in and ask him this question. I was very interested in what he had to say because of how successful and generous a man he was, he must have done something right in his life. What started off as a pretty awkward and confusing assignment about nickels and doodles and conversations, ended up providing me with one of those pieces of advice that sticks with you in the long run.

It’s coming closer than you think. An article posted on Yahoo.com explains why this is soon to happen. It first describes an experiment and study that was done on people in a certain party of Kentucky that has been inbreeding since the 1800s. Because of the mixing of genes that were so similar it caused their blood to turn to the color brown instead of red which gave them a blue tint. Scientists believe that because of the melting pot the world is becoming, one day we are all going to look very similar. Recessive genes such as blue eyes and blonde and red hair are disappearing and that some day we will all end up looking like Brazillians.

This is kind of an unconventional “news” article. It is very informational and such an interesting topic, but it is not event news. Nothing happened to report on, just research that is very interesting and very entertaining. It sure got my attention. I mean the fact that we might all look the same someday is pretty strange. Plus I have blonde hair and blue eyes, so I wanted to know if there was anyway I could keep those traits around. As far as proximity and timeliness, I believe that there really was none, unless people already started looking the same, then the warning would be too late. Overall it was a super interesting article!

Click here for the article!

To the unknown, it’s a plain, warehouse-like, building with a forest green awning, but once inside, 5678 Dance studio comes alive. The dance studio can be a place you love or a place you hate. It is a place of hard work and dedication, but also a place of passion and fun. Growing up in my hometown dance studio and now teaching in North Sioux City and creating the same experience for others in the Siouxland area is a job I take pride in.

From the outside, the bland off white building with a forest green awning doesn’t create the most welcoming ora. The studio is located in North Sioux City on Derby Lane, back by Old Military Road. This road is full of warehouses and industrial businesses and when leaving the studio late at night after closing, when the sun is down and the moon is out, it doesn’t feel to be the safest neighborhood. However, once or twice, I have went in the morning for choreography and the reflection of the orange glow of sunrise bouncing off the green awning creates a calm and welcoming presence, especially with my own excitement of what is to come with choreography. When normal classes are in session, the parking lot is overfilled with a variety of cars of parents waiting for their children to get finished with classes.

Once entering the front glass door, during the early evening, the enthusiastic sounds of excited children putting on dance shoes and preparing for class fills the air. “Is class starting yet?” “Can we go in yet?” and such questions from the youngsters float through out the room. The faint musical sound of a past recital chimes on the dvd player on the wall to your right. Worn-out colorful shoes and full dance bags are scattered across the floor and draped on steel grey aluminum folding chairs the line the walls of the lobby. To the left is a old white wooden shelf full of jet black and deep purple dance shorts along with the empty sign-up sheets waiting to be picked up by nervous perspective dancers. Directly ahead is where I start my visits to the studio: the office.

Who ever is working the front desk, Melissa or Mary or one of the teachers, is usually overwhelmed with questions of new shoes and apparel to monthly payments of tuition. At first sight the office may look like a cluttered minuet space within the studio, however at second look the office is a small space but is highly organized and efficient. From the towers of dance shoes lining the back wall, abundance of costume books in a wicker basket, to a shelf full of random necessities such as cleaning supplies and teacher’s area to place belongs, the office has a perfectly useful organization. This room is also home to a comfy, sophisticated black and white zebra comfy chair. Usually coming from the office, the voice of concerned parents commands the office, along with Melissa’s calming answers and solutions. This is where teacher’s rest and wait for the next class of rugrats to begin.

The dance studio room can be looked upon through crystal clear windows. The windows are mainly for the younger classes therefore parents can gaze upon their sons and daughters learning how to shuffle or pirouette; some even learn a hip-hop stall or two. The floor is a rich wooden grainy linoleum and stretches across the entire room of studio one. Upon walls of sea green, mirrors are used almost from floor to ceiling for dancers to utilize when in a group dance or developing the details of their own technique. Above the shining mirrors are trophies from years past. This colorful, glistening evidence of hard work and dedication line the ceiling encircling the entire room.

Royal blue and golden yellow tumbling mats wait patiently in the corner to be utilized for tumbling classes every other day. A grey and black stereo sits upon a plastic stackable shelving unit along with colorful rubber dots used to mark spots on the wooden floor and a basket full of CD’s that are way past their prime from, Hannah Montana to Now That’s What We Call Music 28. The voice of an authoritative teacher fills the air in the studio room along with blaring music of a variety of genres.

Growing up the dance studio was my place to let go and forget all that happened to me that day. It ultimately became my home away from home. My goal in life is to create and environment for young girls and boys to grow up in and have that same feeling that I did and develop a passion for performing. Starting to teach in this studio is definitely putting me on the right path for my goals and is a prime example of a beautiful place to dance and grow up through music.

The most trouble I have with writing is getting started. I believe that once I finally get that idea I can handle it and actually develop the story. I am also having trouble with the difference between “news writing” and creative writing. I’m always worried I’m using too many descriptive words or not enough details, or whether I’m using too many details or not.

Morningside student Casey Muesiggmann may have “The Voice”. This is an article from the Sioux City Journal that outlines Casey’s journey through Morningside College and over the past few years to competing on the popular NBC show The Voice. The news post describes the story of how Casey began at Morningside in 2009 for wrestling but had to leave for academic purposes. He took a year off and when he ended up coming back he started wrestling strong. But then tragedy struck as Casey tore something in his knew which changed his wrestling career for ever. The article also describes how he decided to turn to music and audition for the voice. So far, Casey has made it through the blind auditions and is now on country singer Blake Shelton’s team.

I believe that this article is very newsworthy. He is from the Siouxland area and it is just occurring this week. Casey also attended Morningside College, therefore getting a lot of students interested in this topic. The lede of the article I believe to be very good. It could maybe use a few more details but over all it is good.

Click Here to read about it!

To the unknown, it’s a plain, warehouse-like, building with a forest green awning, but once inside, 5678 Dance studio comes alive. The dance studio can be a place you love or a place you hate. It is a place of hard work and dedication, but also a place of passion and fun. Growing up in my hometown dance studio and now teaching in North Sioux City and creating the same experience for others in the Siouxland area is a job I take pride in.

From the outside, the bland off white building with a forest green awning doesn’t create the most welcoming ora, however inside the studio is a whole different story. The studio is located in North Sioux City on Derby Lane, back by Old Military Road. This road is full of warehouses and industrial businesses and when leaving the studio late at night after closing, when the sun is down and the moon is out, it doesn’t feel to be the safest neighborhood. However, once or twice, I have went in the morning for choreography and the reflection of the orange glow of sunrise bouncing off the green awning creates a calm and welcoming presence, especially with my own excitement of what is to come with choreography. When normal classes are in session, the parking lot is overfilled with a variety of cars of parents waiting for their children to get finished with classes.

Once entering the front glass door, during the early evening, the enthusiastic sounds of excited children putting on dance shoes and preparing for class fills the air. “Is class starting yet?” “Can we go in yet?” and such questions from the youngsters float through out the room. The faint musical sound of a past recital chimes on the dvd player on the wall to your right. Worn-out colorful shoes and full dance bags are scattered across the floor and draped on steel grey aluminum folding chairs the line the walls of the lobby. To the left is a old white wooden shelf full of jet black and deep purple dance shorts along with the empty sign-up sheets waiting to be picked up by nervous perspective dancers. Directly ahead is where I start my visits to the studio: the office.

Who ever is working the front desk, Melissa or Mary or one of the teachers, is usually overwhelmed with questions of new shoes and apparel to monthly payments of tuition. At first sight the office may look like a cluttered minuet space within the studio, however at second look the office is a small space but is highly organized and efficient. From the towers of dance shoes lining the back wall, abundance of costume books in a wicker basket, to a shelf full of random necessities such as cleaning supplies and teacher’s area to place belongs, the office has a perfectly useful organization. This room is also home to a comfy, sophisticated black and white zebra comfy chair. This is where teacher’s rest and wait for the next class of rugrats to begin.

The dance studio room can be looked upon through crystal clear windows. This room is mainly for the younger classes therefore parents can gaze upon their sons and daughters learning how to shuffle or pirouette; some even learn a hip-hop stall or two. The floor is a rich wooden grainy linoleum and stretches across the entire room of studio one. Upon walls of sea green, mirrors are used almost from floor to ceiling for dancers to utilize when in a group dance or developing the details of their own technique. Above the shining mirrors are trophies from years past. This colorful, glistening evidence of hard work and dedication line the ceiling encircling the entire room.

Royal blue and golden yellow tumbling mats wait patiently in the corner to be utilized for tumbling classes every other day. A grey and black stereo sits upon a plastic stackable shelving unit along with colorful rubber dots used to mark spots on the wooden floor and a basket full of CD’s that are way past their prime from, Hannah Montana to Now That’s What We Call Music 28.

Growing up the dance studio was my place to let go and forget all that happened to me that day. It ultimately became my home away from home. My goal in life is to create and environment for young girls and boys to grow up in and have that same feeling that I did and develop a passion for performing. Starting to teach in this studio is definitely putting me on the right path for my goals and is a prime example of a beautiful place to dance and grow up through music.

As a long time advocate for Latino rights in the United States, Eva Longoria represents at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday.

As a strong democrat myself, I was very interested in this article. The head line “NOT LIKE CLINT” caught my eye, not only because my ex-bf’s name is Clint, but also because I’m a very big fan of Clint Eastwood. The article was well written I believe, by using all of the history of Eva Longoria and how she worked with Obama’s reelection campaign and hearing her view on Romney. I am very interested in celebrities that get involved with politics. I believe celebrities have a duty to represent their party and as taking the responsibility of being a public figure should act like it.

I look up to strong women like Eva Longoria and reading this argument was very interesting to me. However, something that confused me was the last sentence: “The “Desperate Housewives” star recently announced that she’s opening a restaurant in Las Vegas.” This has nothing to do with what the article was about. Nothing what so ever. It was interesting, but I believe it was irrelevant and probably didn’t need to be included in the article.

NEW LEDE: A Nebraska born junior at Morningside College, reminisces on  her experiences leading to accepting a track scholarship in Sioux City Iowa.

Caitlin Casey is currently a junior at Morningside College. She is majoring in Corporate Communication with a minor in Graphic Design. Caitlin is a member of the track team here at Morningside, where she throws javelin and high jumps. Even though Caitlin is a strong Morningside Mustang, she is really a Nebraska Cornhusker at heart. She grew up in Emerson, Nebraska.

Caitlin, when asked why she chose Morningside for her college, replied, “I have worked with the Track Coach since my junior year of high school, so when graduation came, I knew where to go.” Caitlin also expressed how kind the people were and how the distance from home was just right for her. Currently, in Sioux City, Caitlin works at Gordman’s and in the Business Office on campus.

Her favorite part of Morningside is the track team. They have really become her family over the past view years and she doesn’t know what she would do with out them. The have helped make Morningside her home away from home.