Riley's blog

Following my reading of “History of American Protest Music,” on Longreads, I’ve found the dissecting details of the story. Those details focus on character, narrative structure, and themes.

The main theme of this story morality, or humanity. We are too look at the world, or the issues within, and we are to decide what the moral side is and which side we are on. The theme is accomplished through a story about protest music. In the 1930’s a mining company got into a brutal war with union workers of a small Kentucky town. This inspired a union leader’s wife to write the song “Which Side Are You On?”. It holds on to this idea throughout the story of protest music, with “Which Side Are You On?” being used as the basis.

A major character throughout the piece, is Florence Reece, who is the union leader wife that wrote the song. She is portrayed as the first person to use music to protest what is happening in the world, to turn it into a more understandable issue. A man named Jim Garland understood her issue, and her song, and took it with him to New York. Pete Seeger is the man that heard the song, and recorded it, which made Florence’s issue a national anthem.

The characters begin to disappear into the structure after Seeger’s recording. The structure is connected with the history of “Which Side are You On?”. It has a chronological structure that moves along with time, from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. It begin’s with Florence Reece’s first lyrics, and ends with in the 1960’s when others add their own lyrics to fit the situations they are protesting.

The most major character is the song itself. It is a representation of a person. It is what weaves us through the timeline, and represents the theme. It changes over the course of time as other lyrics are added. It remains timely because it is changed by people over thirty years who are all going through similar issues.

The structure and characters all connect back to he theme of morality. It clearly points you towards protest, but it wants you to make this an issue that is important enough for the whole nation to get behind. The article wants us to pick our side of the fence, and ends with a persuasion to write the next lyric, like the generations before us did.

A History of American Protest Music: Which Side Are You On?

White House Counsel Don McGahn is leaving the West Wing. The report comes as McGahn was been giving testimony to Special Counsel Robert Mueller in reference to the Russian Investigation. However, with little information beforehand, my number of questions, and possibilities for other stories only expanded.

1. Who is Don McGahn? What is his history with President Trump and the Trump Administration?
2. Who are among the other White House officials Mueller is speaking to?
3. Is their someone in line that can replace McGahn?
4. Will this cause other Administration officials to resign?
5. As referenced in the article, how large is the effect of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner on the President?

I would imagine that the most interesting story, and the ones I would pursue the most, would be the first idea about exploring the relationship with Don McGahn and President Trump, as that could give people a better idea about whether or not McGahn’s testimony is detrimental to the Administration. However, the second idea is also intriguing because it could lead to more focus on the turmoil that is going on within the White House.

A story tells a tale. In a lot of ways I think that there should be a difference when we have a discussion about newspapers and magazines. An article will discuss who, what, where, when, why, and how. A story, on the other hand should be something that really makes you think about the world with a deeper meaning. A mass shooting, can be covered in a newspaper or magazine with an article about everything that happened that day, and if done successfully, will make us question gun control laws.

A story will look at an individual person; the shooter, the victims, the police officers, or the terrified students and parents sitting idly by and wondering what will happen next. A story delves deeply into those lives. It doesn’t make us question laws, but take a deeper look at the world. It focuses on “why,” and that focus will hopefully give us a deeper understanding of people and the intricacies that make up the world. The article has a point that is blatantly in the first Graf. The story is the point. It is up to the reader to realize why it’s important.

In the world today, I believe there are several questions that need to be answered. Many people have personal questions, but I feel if we attack societal questions, it should make our personal dilemmas go away.

1. What makes a subject worth learning about?
2. Is it moral to do the right thing, or the nice thing?
3. Why have people become so divisive?
4. Is the media to blame for partisan reporting?
5. Can the media bring us back to where we were?

Solsma is stuck in the pocket. It’s a cool Spring evening. However, he sweats underneath his gear as he look for an open receiver. Looking to score, Trent Solsma realizes he’s been in this situation before.

 

His team has made it to the State Championship. He was here the year before. That day ended in defeat. Today he feels the pressure. He feels pressure to bring a win to his high school. He feels pressure of four years work. He feels the pressure of the defenders rushing at him.

At this moment he glides along the turf, picks his spot, and unloads. He has let the ball leave his hands, hoping he has chosen the right fate for it’s landing. The ball hits the receiver in the end zone! Solsma has ended the drive with a touchdown. Nearly a year after his defeat in the State Championship, Solsma has lead his team to victory.

 

That moment is now eighteen months past. As a sophomore at Morningside College, Trent Solsma and the Mustangs have recently been defeated in the NAIA Championship Quarterfinals. Solsma does not feel down on his luck however. Years after he first started playing football, he can see the NAIA Championship on the horizon.

 

“I probably started playing flag football as early as the 2^nd grade,” remembers Solsma. Growing up in “Siouxland,” Trent Solsma started playing football at a young age “and just having fun.” He would play mostly with friends, but the champion quarterback did not always think about playing football.

 

“I was originally doing well at baseball, and thinking of that for scholarships,” he reveals. For his first two years in high school, Solsma was a successful baseball player, and he was beginning to put football as an afterthought.

 

In his junior year, things began to change for him. He became the starting quarterback for his school. That was the first year his team would go to the State Championship, with Solsma as their leader. “Things began to get serious. This was my first time being the leader; it was when I decided that football was something I was really good at. “

 

Solsma says that it is a bit of a struggle to balance football and education. It gets especially hard when you have three hours of meetings and workouts, followed by a day’s homework. However, Solsma proclaims, “Doing both is definitely worth it.”

 

His life does not completely revolve around playing football and going to class. He enjoys spending time with friends and “Laying back to watch TV and play games.” If he weren’t playing football, he does have other interests, such as Mass Communications. “I did some things last year on the radio and it was fun. I would love to do some play-by-play. I could definitely do that!”

 

As impressive as his year was, the array of talent in the NAIA is not lost on Solsma. It is rare that players reach the professional status in sports from the NAIA. Most professional athletes that have been drafted out of college are taken from the NCAA. This is something that has caught Solsma’s attention.

 

“I think that it is very rare that you see anybody in the pro sports that is from the NAIA, they’re mostly from the NCAA. But I’ve seen that there is great talent in the NAIA that get’s overlooked,” he explains. But this does not mean he is getting overlooked himself. He does not have the professional life in his mind for sports. “I mean, obviously, if I were to get called up, I would try my hardest,” says Solsma. “But, I don’t think the pro life is for me.”

 

Trent Solsma is a Secondary Education major with a focus on History. A great history teacher that he had in high school convinced him that this was the subject for him. It also gives him the opportunity to coach.

 

“My dream is to be an athletic director!” exclaims Solsma. He would love the opportunity to Coach a football team at the collegiate level. However, he doesn’t think he will be Coaching in Sioux City. “I would like to move somewhere else. I wouldn’t move too far away because I want to stay near family, but I might try living somewhere else.”

 

For now he looks forward to next year and another shot at redemption to win another championship. He knows that it will be long and hard work but he is prepared. “We do long workouts and train hard during the offseason and I think this will lead us farther than this year. We definitely have a possibility.”

 

So many athletes seem to have egos that spill into their personality. Mostly this is seen negatively by the public; however, Solsma believes ego is an important part to the game. “I think it’s important to keep an ego. We need to go out there and believe that we are the best players in the league and that we will win whenever we take the field.”

 

As we sit in the warmth of the café on the Morningside Campus and discuss the effects an ego has on the team, several people approach the table to say “Hi” to Trent. Each one is very friendly in their approach and he is friendly is response. Ego has no obvious effect on who Trent Solsma is or any seeable effect on his personal life. “I’ve never tried to be the popular kid, I just go out there and be myself, and sometimes people like me.”

Solsma matches his personality by those he admires. He also tries to be the great person and athlete that has made him so likable. “My football hero is Drew Brees. He’s a great quarterback and a great person off the field. That’s how I try to live my life.”

 

This high school champion is now in training for his second year as Morningside’s starting quarterback. He is preparing for a chance to be a collegiate champion, and, if the stars align, a two-time NAIA Champion. Solsma plans on becoming a high school coach and athletic director. Right now he is Morningside’s star quarterback But, whatever cards he is dealt, he has a simple and single creed to live by, “I’m just going to get up and give everything I’ve got. It’s not worth doing if your not going to give your everything.”

 

Liberals are angry and afraid. Conservatives are angry and afraid. Both sides are angry and afraid at the other party. Liberals are angry that Donald Trump won despite losing the popular vote but afraid because they are unsure about what a Trump presidency means. The Conservatives are angry and afraid at liberals, who are upset about the election.

This was covered in the New York Times article Political Divide on Campuses Hardens After Trump’s Victory. It takes place in Michigan, where students feel angry because of the despair that students and the University of Michigan administration participated in after the election. It then pivoted to professors who were alive in the 60s, and how now compares to then.

I like this article because it focuses on something that no one has really focused on. There are people that feel uncomfortable to talk about their support for Donald Trump. I think it is unfortunate that we ridicule these people for voting for Trump. This is the exact thing that Liberals criticized Trump supporters on during the election.

Shining light on this subject may lead to easing the tension. And I like the comparisons that they find to the situations in the 1960s. This was an good all around article because it focused on an idea that is rarely seen, but it also refuses to take a side. Which is my favorite thing to see in news articles.

Terror in Mega City Mall. There was an explosion in the food court of Mega City Mall that extended into the nearby shops. The explosion killed two and injured nearly 100 people. Injuries during the explosion are mostly related to smoke and fire inhalation. The injured have been transported to Jean-Luc and St. Mercy hospitals.

“There is video of the incident that is still intact, but we have not watched it yet,” states Captain Ross Fuglsang of the Mega City Police Department.  The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time. However, both present and former employees will be questioned about there whereabout during the explosion. There is evidence of terrorism, but all possible situations are being examined.

“I was eating a burger, heard a loud explosion, and I took off running,” says former firefighter Hunter Davis. Davis claims to have also pulled several citizens from core of the explosion. Off duty nurse Jared Martin was among those at the scene tending to the wounded before paramedics arrived.

There are no serious injuries reported. Mega City Mall has no timetable for reopening. Mall spokesman Bob Dillon reports that the mall is to be closed “at least through the weekend.”

 

 

 

 

 

Terror in Mega City. An explosion occurred earlier today in Mega City Mall. The Mega City Police Department reported that the explosion occurred at 9:50 this morning. There were two fatalities in the central area of the explosion. Nearly 100 people were injured in the explosion, most injuries pertained to smoke and fire inhalation.

“We have no suspects and do not suspect terrorism, but we are looking at all possibilities,” reports Police Captain Ross Fuglsang. Mall spokesman Bob Dillon offered security video from the incident which “remains in one piece.”

“I was eating a burger, heard an explosion, and I grabbed a couple of people and took off.” reports ex-firefighter Hunter Davis. Davis was not the only serviceman on the scene. Off duty nurse Jared Martin was on scene tending to the wounded before paramedics arrived.

“I grabbed my baby from the stroller left the building,” recalls Devin Phaly, who was shopping with his infant during the explosion. Phaly reports that mall security was evacuating people in an orderly fashion through the back of the mall. Security also reunited 12-year-old Jaclyn Arens with her father. The two had been separated by the initial explosion and were frantically searching for each other through the smoke when Arens came across mall security.

The explosion pertained to the food court and nearby shops. Although busy during the holiday season, there is no timetable for the mall to reopen. However, Spokesman Dillon expects the mall to be closed “at least through the weekend.

The unemployment rate in the United States is continuing it’s decline. The jobless is now 4.6%. This is down from the unemployment rate last quarter and it shows that the economy is strong. The strong economy that is in place for Donald Trump to take over is the exact opposite of the one President Obama inherited, but not everything is as it seems.

The New York Times article, President Obama Is Handing a Strong Economy to His Successor, jumps right into the heat of this subject. It is a well written article. First and foremost, it covers what the headline says. It is then followed by explaining how the economy is different from when Obama took office. Unemployment is going down and the economy is stronger.

My favorite thing about this article is the balance that it shows. The third portion of the article says that there are still holes in the economy that can weaken it, such as the fact that less people are in the labor force then before. But adding this makes the article effective.

Showing a strong economy is proof that President Obama has done a fine job turning the tide away from a depression. It gives him credit that people often forget to give. However, we also see that it is not as strong as it could be. They give Donald Trump’s deal with Carrier as an example that he can bring jobs back to American, and keep the ones we are losing, which can boost the economy.

I feel less scared about where we are going because of the job President Obama has done to strengthen the economy. I feel a little more at ease knowing that Donald Trump has already kept some jobs in America. This article gives me a belief that anything bad that happens over the next four years is reversible. And, this article was informative, giving the most important information immediately.

After several deaths to the animal family, Midland Zoo is sorry to announce that Homer the Panda has died. The bear was discovered early this morning. The two younger polar bears Yukon and McKenzie were removed to be monitored by veterinary staff.

“Homer was a very curious and playful bear and we will miss him terribly,” remarked Zookeeper Sara N. Getty. The bear was found dead in his exhibit at 7 a.m. Homer is one of several that have thrived at Midland since 1985. The zoo will perform a necropsy to find the cause of death.

Director Chris P. Bacon is overseeing the results of necropsy. He stated that the “Animal welfare and the preservation of species are our primary goals here at the zoo.” The results will not be available for several weeks. This month Regina the bobcat and Kenya the giraffe also passed away. The three deaths are unrelated.

Donald Trump met with the leader of Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on Thursday. The Prime Minister met with President-elect Trump after Trump received a barrage congratulations from foreign leaders around the globe. Prime Minister Abe said Trump was “a leader in whom I have great confidence.”

Trump also met with former foreign advisors to discuss foreign affairs. Trump has reportedly been very personable and intellectually curious during all his meetings. This is much different from the Trump that we saw during the campaign, who built his reputation on insults. Hopefully this shows that Trump will hold to his campaign promise of being “very different as President.”

This information can be found in the New York Times article Donald Trump, After Fits and Starts, Focuses on Foreign Policy. This is an enjoyable article. It is mostly enjoyable because there is no longer a candidate to be attacking or reports of the candidates’ attacks. This is informative and should be read because it represents a different Donald Trump than what we saw during the campaign, which makes me optimistic.

I did find that there are elements in this article that I could use in a feature story. I like that we are given information about Donald Trump that is common knowledge, so it needs no attribution. But the main point of the article is, arguably, found in the interviews with those surround the President-elect. This gives a nice balance of what we’ve know compared to what may be coming.