Can the Old Masters Be Relevant Again?
Article: http://nyti.ms/2bvb1rG

An article under the ‘Art & Design’ section talks about if ‘old paintings’ done by 18th and 19th century artists will still be relevant for sale or show. It’s a competition between contemporary/modern art versus the art of the old masters.

5 Feature Stories that I think may come from this would be:

1. One who buys the art; modern or old.
2. Sells the art; auctioneer.
3. Views the art; galleries or museum.
4. Does art; student or artist.
5. Teaches art; art professor.

I would be most interested in interviewing the artist who creates paintings for a living. I’m curious what they think about the money they may be making or how they feel that modern art may be more valuable than old art. Not just artists, but student artists that may want to sell their art for profit, someday. What their thoughts and feelings are on old vs. modern/contemporary art.

We, as people, all need a getaway. That is why we, as people, need stories.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word story means:

“An oral or written narrative account of events that occurred or are believed to have occurred in the past; a narrative account accepted as true by virtue of great age or long tradition. “

I believe that stories are important because they are a form of communication between generations. When I was a kid, my parents always talked about a rat and how a rat stole my favorite VHS (that is why I couldn’t find it) or that if I didn’t behave that the rats will come at night and kidnap me.

As a child I never questioned it, but as I grew older I began to ask and wonder what ‘the rat’ meant. Everyone I talked to, my friends,  didn’t understand the rat metaphor either. Everyone’s parents made something up whenever something happens to keep their child in order, but no one ever heard of the rat.

it wasn’t until recently, a couple of years ago, when I learned that the rat comes from an old Vietnamese tale. This was a tale that parents used to tell their kids to get them to behave. My parent’s parents told them the tale and then my parents threatened my siblings and I with the tale. They had never told us the actual tale before, until now. My parents only know it in Vietnamese.

I believe that stories are important to people because it connects people from different generations. Stories also allow people to connect with people who aren’t close or aren’t even here anymore. Stories, I know, will always be meaningful it allows someone to show you a snapshot of their life and what they remember from childhood, found meaningful, or even funny.

Cited:

Story: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/190981?rskey=cw7aRz&result=2#eid

Last, First Day of School EVER!!! (Unless I decide to go and get a Masters…but that isn’t in the gameplan as of now.)

In ‘News and Feature Writing’ we are talking about themes for our first paper and on the sheet passed to the class was an example theme: “Relationships”.

Instantly, my mind went to romantic relationships because I am in a long-distance relationship and I began to brainstorm how other people would deal with said relationship. I came up with people to interview and I tried to see where the post will go.

Then! I thought, ‘what about sibling relationships?’ My sister goes to UNO. We are very close, we facetime and text each other daily. Then I remembered, my friend, Brayton’s sister also started college this year and they are apart. So, I had the idea of writing a post on sibling relationships when everyone is so far apart from each other. How do they deal? Advice, they have for other siblings going apart for college. Just an idea.

I think that students would be interested in a real like this because  while students are away family is missed and it is nice to read that you aren’t the only one missing your family.

Besides that theme, I have:

• Summer –> Ways spent
  • Working
  • Home
  • Travel
• Learned –> Talk to different Morningside Students on what they have learned over the years here at Morningside!

Science Article!

You could be the little mermaid or at least visit her, even have Aquaman consider you to be his sidekick, or party with spongebob.

A group of scientists have created crystals that make breathing underwater a reality. These “Aquaman Crystals” not only help you live out underwater dreams these could be a major help to lung cancer patients to help sustain regular breathing levels.

Scientists have figured out how to pack a room’s worth of oxygen into a bucket full of crystals. Unlike other substances that also react to oxygen, they’re likening it to a sponge that can absorb and hold oxygen.

A few grains of the crystal can almost be compared to an oxygen tank and will contain enough oxygen for one breath. The material will absorb oxygen from the water around the diver and supply the diver with it.

Like having very few crystals to breathe underwater, the lung cancer patients would be able to breathe on land and the crystals will take oxygen from the surrounding air. With that they will be able to go free without their oxygen tank and instead have it switched out with a handful of crystals.

It’s the dreams and fantasies of swimming with ariel, fighting with aquaman, or meeting spongebob that make scientific advancement cool and oftentimes useful for medicine and human development.

Malala Yousafzai, the 2014 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, spoke for the children. Considerably a child herself at just seventeen, she stays true to what she knows. Using ‘totally’ made her real, what Nobel Peace Prize winner can get away with that? She doesn’t use larger words to impress the older audience, but sticks to the words of children because:

The youngest-ever Nobel Prize recipient is a Pakistani activist for female education and is known mainly for human rights advocacy for education and for women in her native province of northwest Pakistan. Through her story she wants other children all around the world to know that they should stand up for their rights.

The local Taliban tried to stop girls from attending school and only having two options: “One was not to speak and wait to be killed. And the second was – and the second was to speak up and then be killed.” Choosing the second option, they shot her and left her for dead. Malala’s advocacy has since grown into an international movement.

Everyone’s life has live and tribulations, but it’s a choice on whether it makes you better or worse. Becoming better than the world she was brought into, her message to children all around the world that they should stand up for their rights.

“I have received this award, but this is not the end. This is not the end. This is not the end of this campaign which I have started. I think this is really the beginning and I want to see every child going to school.” –Malala Yousafzai

The story with the release to Persona 5 is a good lead because it tells you everything you need to know about the game’s release. The first sentence says what game system it will be for. Right after that it is followed by the estimated time the game will be released, in this case late 2014. This article has a good lead because everything you need to know about a new and upcoming game is right at the beginning. It then goes into a little background history about the series and then it states that they are unsure if the game will be available on other systems besides the PlayStation. This article is good because everything you are wondering about the game is answered right away once you open the article.

Article: http://www.gamespot.com/articles/persona-5-confirmed-for-ps4/1100-6422036/

News Article #3

Jack Barakat, guitarist of All Time Low(ATL), is now in the bar business? He hasn’t left the band and All Time Low is still going strong, but Jack just picked up a part-time job. It doesn’t make much sense for a guitarist of a pop-punk band to join the bar business. Their fans know that ATL are no strangers to a good party. So for Jack to join the bar-scene is no surprise.

According to Brittany Moseley, “Barakat recently became the co-owner of the Rockwell, located in Baltimore’s historic Fell’s Point neighborhood. Along with co-owner Bryan Burkert, the two are offering something new to the area: a purely rock ’n’ roll bar.”

Most clubs play a lot of hip-hop, pop, and mainstream music that you’ll normally hear on the radio. Some people don’t leave their genre of music, so to have a purely rock bar would be the ideal place to go for other rock bands coming to play at Baltimore. Having pure rock clubs all around the states would be a great place for those who want to find people in their own music group. As Barakat states: “It could be one of those things that sounds like a good idea on paper and ends up being a shit show, but I think it’s gonna be pretty fun.”

It’s just one of those things that’s worth a shot and if it works, it works. If it doesn’t, well no one can say that he didn’t try.

Article: http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/jack_barakat_the_rockwell_baltimore_2014

This chapter actually threw me off for a little bit. It was actually a little different from what I am used to. Chapter three was strictly about journalism writing. The chapter’s main point was to make a clear statement of the news point and when possible add a detail that makes the story stand out.

There’s a part in the reading where it told me to ask myself what is different about each story. Although this isn’t about creative writing it made me think to my own writing. What makes my writing different? What makes the stories different? How are the stories different from each other? I feel like I’m writing a lot of the same things, but a lot of it isn’t the same.

The one thing I have learned from these readings is to be clear and concise. Simple and straight to the point and hold the pretty things for later.

Keep it easy. No one likes to be confused.

Keep everything short, sweet, and to the point. Don’t make it pretty. Everything doesn’t always need an explanation. On the first page it says: “News writing should be clear, concise, accurate, and interesting.” I learned a lot from this reading and was reminded of a lot of things I had forgotten as well. “Writing is the art of second thought.” You put everything down, but it isn’t perfect. So then you go through it again to make it perfect. Editing the piece by finding the perfect balance of words, going big and fancy isn’t always necessary. Everything doesn’t need to be decorated; things can stay as they are.

“Simplify. Avoid clutter. Prune. Think twice.”

Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/david_puttnam_what_happens_when_the_media_s_priority_is_profit

That accent is distracting me. It reminds me from when I was in Ireland, although it isn’t an Irish accent. I could honestly just listen to it and not do anything else with my life. Anyone with a British, Irish, or Australian accent can just come up to me and rant to me about their life and I don’t think I will remember a thing they said. Just keep speaking. Please. I am a great listener, I swear.

What I learned form this Ted talk was that, yes the media has a duty of care becuase people will and can believe anything you tell them. What people read, people will take that side. If they read negative, they feel negative about the situation. Read positive, take positive. If they don’t reading or care, they are considered neutral but very uninformed. Basically no matter what you are, vlogger, reporter, etc. You are always held to a high standard and are given a rep. Once that rep is lost, you will never get it back. People remember the negative better then the positive, because its easier.  Just as it is easier to do bad, then to do good.

The news does have a duty to care and to stay that way you must be: reasonable, productive workable compromise, and honest with facts. People must also have trust and leadership, to be true to that and with who they are. People will believe whatever they read and whatever they are told if they have no information about the subject.  If you don’t want people to lie to you, why lie to the people?

Some questions about facts: What are facts? What are opinions? Could opinions become facts?