Final Review

1. Timeliness: having to do with something that happened recently, if it is old, then its not "news"

2. Proximity: happened near where the story is being printed, if you are printing in Austin, you wouldn't want to print about a new school in Dallas

3. Human Interest: stories that catch the interest of many people, usually "heart-warming"

4. Prominence: if something is important and happened recently

5. Conflict: something that other people disagree on

6. Interviews: asking someone a series of questions to get a better understanding of what happened for your story

7. Research: doing background on whatever topic you are writing about so that you can have a better interview and a better story

8. Quotations: something that someone else said that you include in your story to make it more in-depth

9. Yes-no question: a question that can be answered with a yes or no, these are not questions you should ask, because you couldn't use them as quotes.

10. follow-up question: a question that you ask after an initial question in hopes of getting a more descriptive answer

11. Objective writing: writing neutrally, and you do not show your opinion at all, it is purely facts

12. Transition paragraph: a paragraph that goes after a quote to describe the quote that comes afterwards; it also usually introduces a new topic

13. Hard news story: stories composed entirely of facts

14. Soft news story

15. Inverted Pyramid: the order in which your story should go, it goes from most important to least important

16. Third-person point of view: not using I, me, we, us.

17. 5 Ws and H lead: a lede where you describe everything that your story is about, it includes who, what, when, where, why, and how.

18. editing: you go through and make changes to incorrect parts of your story.

19. attribution:expelling the cause and behavior and their effects

20. paraphrase: you take what someone said and put it in your own words without copying anything that they said

21. fragmentary quotation: a quote that is not a complete sentence

22. direct quotation: you quote exactly what a person said, you don't paraphrase it

23. partial quotation: a quote that is not introduced into the story with a transitional paragraph

24. Uses of quotations: to go into more depth and have a first hand experience of what occurred to include in your story, also if you have an expert it can be a reliable way to show more information

25. When to use quotations: when there is a lack of information, or if the text is about a person, you would need to interview that person

26. When quotations are unnecessary or not desired: embedded into text

27. Editorial: an opinion piece about a well known issue

28. editorial page: a page of editorials instead of hard news stories

29. columns: an editorial that reoccurs in a newspaper

30. editorial that criticizes: an editorial that constructively criticizes a controversial issue

31. editorial that explains: an editorial that explains why a newspaper covered a controversial issue

32. editorial that persuades: an editorial that tries to sway a persons opinion  over a controversial issue
33. letter to the editor: a letter that a reader sends to address issues they have with the newspaper

Rough Draft #2

The first sign of trouble was the abnormally loud rushing water outside the balcony door. In the dark the homeowner couldn't see much, but at second glance, he could see it. The water in the creek below his home was up thirty feet, it was about to flood into his house and destroy everything he knew. He took what he could and he and his wife fled to safety in the middle of the night.

On Memorial weekend in the small Texas town of Wimberley, a flood created damage unlike anything seen in twenty years. It washed away hundreds of homes, and damaged many more. The fifty foot flood waters killed twelve people and left many desperate for support.

Many like one homeowner Jimmy Ash, a Wimberley native and business owner. Ash's house is directly above Cypress creek, and just a short walk from the Blanco River, where chaos struck. At one in the morning Ash's wife Linda heard an unsettling sound, little did Ash know the sound his wife heard would send them both fleeing.

"We were sound asleep, Linda woke me up and said "Is there someone in the house?" I didn't hear anyone in the house but I heard something on the balcony, It was the swing beneath the balcony, the water was knocking it into the post against the house. I said it was nothing bad. Then Linda went out onto the deck and she saw how high the water was." Ash retold. 

Upon the realization of the accending water which showed no sign of stopping, the couple had to make a split second decision. They fled into the night, worrying about what this would do to their home and the homes of their many friends.

"We ran out the door and jumped in the car." Jimmy said, "we needed to get out."

After the uproar the flood had caused, Jimmy and his wife Linda went to stay with some cousins, who also had a home on the creek. It was a night filled with worry. With all the uncertainty Jimmy, like any other would have if put in that situation, had trouble falling asleep.

"We went to go spend the night at Lind's cousins house, which was on the creek and I could hear the creek raring because I couldn't sleep." Jimmy discussed.

When  the night was over and it was safe to leave the house again, Ash and his wife ventured to their river house. The anxiety they felt while waiting to see what had become of their home was met with a   disheveled house that was still standing. The couple was overcome with joy that their beloved home still stood, when many home didn't withstand the flooding. Although the home was still intact, it had severe water damage and many of the possessions inside had been ruined.

"The water was all over the bottom floor." Said Ash, "It ruined all of our memories, photographs and such."

After taking in the disorderly sights of the home, they began salvaging their home. They came to the conclusion that they couldn't do it alone. Help came in from all over town to help the couple. Everyone came to lend a hand to those who had always helped them.

"Four or five groups of our friends came to our house to help clean up, we were pretty much in shock." Explained Ash, "We had to tear up half of our house, our friends carried loads and loads of stuff. All of the wonderful people were climbing up our stairs with bags and boxes and carts"

Even though there was a large mass of people coming to help clean up, it would take months to clean up the remnants of the flood. 

"Even months after that [the flood], disaster groups from all over the country came to help the clean up. They were wonderful." said Ash.

Although the house had been cleared of debris the flood had left, Ash was still displaced from his home. He was displaced for months, and only had somewhere to stay out of the kindness of others hearts.

"We had some really great people, they gave us their house to live in at a week at a time while they were out of town. Some people gave us their house for the whole summer." Ash said.

While things settled down, Ash made plans to make the house livable again. He did what he could even when things seemed hopeless, as did the rest of Wimberley.

"Over all everyone kept hopeful. The catchphrase that came out of it was 'Wimberley Strong'. It was really quite amazing." said Ash.

With all of the trauma the flooding put Ash through, his family continues to encourage him to move out.

"Ive already encouraged him to move out," said Ash's son James Ash, "Its nice living on the river, but I don't know if it is worth it anymore."

Ash considered moving away from Wimberley, but could never go through with leaving the place he has called home for so many years. It has become a part of him, through thick and thin, no matter how difficult it may be to live there, Wimberley is Ash's home.

"Its a beautiful place," Ash argued "why would you want to move anywhere else?"

Feature Story- First Draft

The first sign of trouble was the abnormally loud rushing water outside the balcony door. In the dark the homeowner couldn't see much, but at second glance, he could see it. The water in the creek below his home was up thirty feet, it was about to flood into his house and destroy everything he knew. He took what he could and he and his wife fled to safety in the middle of the night.

On Memorial weekend in the small Texas town of Wimberley, a flood created damage unlike anything seen in twenty years. It washed away hundreds of homes, and damaged many more. The fifty foot flood waters killed twelve people and left many desperate for support.

Many like one homeowner Jimmy Ash, a Wimberley native and business owner. Ash's house is directly above Cypress creek, and just a short walk from the Blanco River, where chaos struck. At one in the morning Ash's wife Linda heard an unsettling sound, little did Ash know the sound his wife heard would send them both fleeing.

"We were sound asleep, Linda woke me up and said "Is there someone in the house?" I didn't hear anyone in the house but I heard something on the balcony, It was the swing beneath the balcony, the water was knocking it into the post against the house. I said it was nothing bad. Then Linda went out onto the deck and she saw how high the water was." Ash retold. 

Upon the realization of the accending water which showed no sign of stopping, the couple had to make a split second decision. They fled into the night, worrying about what this would do to their home and the homes of their many friends.

"We ran out the door and jumped in the car." Jimmy said, "we needed to get out."

After the uproar the flood had caused, Jimmy and his wife Linda went to stay with some cousins, who also had a home on the creek. It was a night filled with worry. With all the uncertainty Jimmy, like any other would have if put in that situation, had trouble falling asleep.

"We went to go spend the night at Lind's cousins house, which was on the creek and I could hear the creek raring because I couldn't sleep." Jimmy discussed.

When  the night was over and it was safe to leave the house again, Ash and his wife ventured to their river house. The anxiety they felt while waiting to see what had become of their home was met with a   disheveled house that was still standing. The couple was overcome with joy that their beloved home still stood, when many home didn't withstand the flooding. Although the home was still intact, it had severe water damage and many of the possessions inside had been ruined.

"The water was all over the bottom floor." Said Ash, "It ruined all of our memories, photographs and such."

After taking in the disorderly sights of the home, they began salvaging their home. They came to the conclusion that they couldn't do it alone. Help came in from all over town to help the couple. Everyone came to lend a hand to those who had always helped them.

"Four or five groups of our friends came to our house to help clean up, we were pretty much in shock." Explained Ash, "We had to tear up half of our house, our friends carried loads and loads of stuff. All of the wonderful people were climbing up our stairs with bags and boxes and carts"

Even though there was a large mass of people coming to help clean up, it would take months to clean up the remnants of the flood. 

"Even months after that [the flood], disaster groups from all over the country came to help the clean up. They were wonderful." said Ash.

Although the house had been cleared of debris the flood had left, Ash was still displaced from his home. He was displaced for months, and only had somewhere to stay out of the kindness of others hearts.

"We had some really great people, they gave us their house to live in at a week at a time while they were out of town. Some people gave us their house for the whole summer." Ash said.

While things settled down, Ash made plans to make the house livable again. He did what he could even when things seemed hopeless, as did the rest of Wimberley.

"Over all everyone kept hopeful. The catchphrase that came out of it was 'Wimberley Strong'. It was really quite amazing." said Ash.

With all of the trauma the flooding put Ash through, his family continues to encourage him to move out.

"Ive already encouraged him to move out," said Ash's son James Ash, "Its nice living on the river, but I don't know if it is worth it anymore."

Ash considered moving away from Wimberley, but could never go through with leaving the place he has called home for so many years. It has become a part of him, through thick and thin, no matter how difficult it may be to live there, Wimberley is Ash's home.

"Its a beautiful place," Ash argued "why would you want to move anywhere else?"

CE 3.3

1. Their goal is to donate the large sum of money to various charities.

2. They are using the spending money to go towards small class sizes, teacher training, and full-day schooling.

3. 58 stories high, it is significant because it will be the highest tower in Austin.

4. David Price will make $217 million dollars.

5.  I would eat Texas trash, it sounds really good.


Homebody industries is an organization that gives second chances to released felons and gang members. This was a compelling read because it is interesting to see how this man was effected so much by the kindness of others. They changed his life by providing him with an opportunity to change, and this potentially changes the way he will live from here on out. I thought the story was very good, because it shows that some people are really working towards something better for those who are less fortunate. The story is unique and it focuses on one individuals story while discussing the bigger picture as well. I enjoy reading stories like this, because it makes me think about what I can do.

Feature Story Notes

1. What drew you to Wimberley and when?
"I married a woman who lived in Wimberley, and came up here in 1989, and we got divorced, and after that another woman showed up, and I ended up living in Wimberley over and over again. Its beautiful, I love living here."


2. What did you hear about flooding when you first moved to Wimberley?
"No I never thought of that, in 1997 there was the first flood I learned about and it killed tons people and cariied away a lot of propety, my wife Linda and I decided to do a benefit for it, we got a lot of musicians to come and play we made $25,000 and then the next year there was another flood and then we had another benefit. I live right on the creek, so I get to see a lot of floods but they never got into my house until the recent ones."

3. What were you doing when the house first began flooding?
"We were sound asleep, Linda woke me up and said "Is there someone in the house?" I didnt hear anyone in the house but I heard something on the porch, It was the swing beneath the porch, the water was knocking it into the post againt the house. I said it was nothing bad. Linda went out onto the deck and she saw how high the water was. I looked again and the water was just about to go over the deck where we were standing. We ran out the door and jumped in the car. We went to our Resturaunt. The water was up half a foot or so. The water was all over the bottum floor. It ruined all of our memories, photographs and such. At one oclock in the morning we were running. We went to go spend the night at Lindas cousins house, which was on the creek and I could hear the creek roaring because I couldnt sleep. We decided to go and then went back to the house and grabbed some important stuff. The water was half way up my calf. The next day so many of my friends homes had been washed away. My home was severely damaged."

4. If you had time, what did you grab from your home?
"Just what I had on me, we didnt have much time to get out. "

5. What was going through your head when the flooding first began?
"I just thought that we needed to get out. "

6. How much time did you have to get out?

"We barely had any time to get out, we just had to run out to our car and start driving. "

7. How high would you say the water was?
"Some parts were worse than others, at the creek it was all the way up to the porch which is around thirty feet. It was about a foot and a half on the road."

8. Did you know any of the people who went missing after the floods?
"No, but there were a lot of sad stories."


9. What did your house look like after the flood?
"It was destroyed, there was trash everywhere, and photos and our memories."

10. What help did you get to clean up afterwards?
"It was amazing right away, when we got up in the morning, Lindas dads house was worse it was full on antiques and the water was five six feet, so we were there cleaning up, but we went back and forth. Four or five groups of our friends came to our house to help clean up, we were pretty much in shock. We had to tear up half of our house, our friends carried loads and loads of stuff. All of the wonderful people were climbing up our stairs with bags and boxes and carts. My son was carrying trunks over his head. Even months after that disaster groups from all over the country came to help the clean up. They were wonderful. We just wanted support. There were these places to give away food and cleaning services. You could stop at places and get food. Our resturaunt gave away free food for flood victims. The government was helpful as well. People would come up to me and press a hundred dollars in my hand, five hundred dollars, even thousands. We are using it right now, rebuilding as we go. We had some really great people, they gave us their house to live in at a week at a time while they were out of town. Some people gave us their house for the whole summer. Thats the kind we had, lots and lots of help. "

11. How do you think the community will come back after the recent natural disasters?
"There were a lot of people who lost their homes, but after it all got quieter, all the groups started leaving and we settled in. Builders were booked up for a year in advance. The local businesses did well, like carpenters. It was good for the economy that way. Our resturaunt did very well, because people kept coming for food. Many bed and breakfast's lost some business. Over all everyone kept hopeful. The catchphrase that came out of it was 'Wimberley Strong'. It was really quite amazing."

12. Would you ever consider moving? Why or why not?
"Yes we did, consider moving away. But economically its hard to move away. We couldnt rent a place for as cheap as we pay now. And besides its a beautiful place, with a waterfall outside the window why would you want to move anywhere else. I have a river in my front yard and a creek in my backyard. It's gorgeous."

13. Was this the first time flooding this severe has occurred?
"No there had been floods before, but never as bad as this one. It was pretty awful, but everyone kept hopeful and it was just amazing."


14. How long were you displaced from your home?
15. How did the community react to the flood?
 Answered in question 11.
16. Did you ever think something like this would happen again?17. What is your plan if it were ever to flood again?
18. How was the town affected by the flooding?
Answered in question 11.
19. How long has it been since you've seen flooding similar to the two recent floods?

I didn't get to some of the questions, because we were short on time so I asked some of the more important questions.


Supporting Story Notes

Supporting interview #1: James Ash (Jimmy's son)

How did you help out after the flooding happened?
"I helped him move his furniture out of the flooded rooms, repair the damge, and move out of the flooded house."

If you were in the same situation, how would you react?
"I wouldve been really scared and been in a big hurry to get my family out of there."

What do you think the community is going to do about the reoccurring floods?
"Work together and be more prepared when it happens again, theyve come together in a big way to help the people effected in the last flood."

Can you describe what the flooding looked like?
"There was just trees everywhere and studff from peoples houses scattered to and fro; just generally chaos."

If this happens again, will you encourage Jimmy to move out? Why or why not?
"I've already encouredged him to move out. Its nice living on the river, but I dont know if it is worth it anymore."

How do you think that people have been reacting to flooding?
"People who were flooded were shocked and in recovery mode, the rest of the community was right there to help in any way posible.."

Have you been in a similar situation to this? If so explain it.
"Ive been in floods before and had to evacuate, but ive never seen destruction like what happened in this last flood."

How would you describe Jimmy?"He is a very happy person, he likes helping other people."

Feature Story Brainstorm

1. Who is your main subject? My Grandpa, Jimmy Ash.

2. Supporting interviews (who else do you need to talk to)? My grandma, and probably one or two of my Aunts and Uncles.

3. What is the topic or potential topic? The floods in Wimberly, and how it effected him.

4. Which angle from above will you write the story? Human interest

5. Then to help you get going faster, come up with 20 questions that you can ask your main subject. Type these in your blog.

What drew you to Wimberly and when?
What did you hear about flooding when you first moved to Wimberly?
What were you doing when the house first began flooding?
If you had time, what did you grab from your home?
What was going through your head when the flooding first began?
How much time did you have to get out?
How high would you say the water was?
Did you know any of the people who went missing after the floods?
How long were you displaced from your home?
Was this the first time flooding this severe has occurred?
What did your house look like after the flood?
What help did you get to clean up afterwards?
How did the community react to the flood?
Did you ever think something like this would happen again?
When it flooded the second time how did you react?
Was the flooding more or less severe the second time around?
How do you think the community will come back after the recent natural disasters?
Would you ever consider moving? Why or why not?
What is your plan if it were ever to flood again?
How was your business affected by the flooding?
How was the town affected by the flooding?
How long has it been since you've seen flooding similar to the two recent floods?




6. Once you complete that portion, you need to come up with 5-10 questions you need to ask your supporting interviews. Type these into your blog. You may need different questions for each supporting subject.
How did you help out after the flooding happened?
If you were in the same situation, how would you react?
What do you think the community is going to do about the reoccurring floods?
Can you describe what the flooding looked like?
If this happens again, will you encourage Jimmy to move out? Why or why not?
How do you think that people have been reacting to flooding?
Have you been in a similar situation to this? If so explain it.
How would you describe Jimmy?


7. You will need to do a little research on the topic you expect to interview your main subject about. Take a little time and do some google searching - find at least 5 new things about the intended topic you should know before you interview your main subject. List those on your blog.
-Three vehicles were washed away in the second round of flooding.
-Many people had to be rescued the second time it flooded.
-About twelve people died in the first flood.
-A wall of water 40ft high washed down the Blanco River 
-The first flood was the highest flood water since 1929

8. Write when you plan to conduct the interview(s)?
On Thanksgiving at my Grandparents house

9. Where you will interview them (some interviews are better to do in the persons environment, while others should be done in public places, ALL interviews should be done in person)? I will interview the people at my grandparents house.

10. How will you record the information? (taking notes is ideal, and if you want to record the conversation you MUST get permission. You can do both if they will allow you to record, this is a really strong technique that you could use.)
I will do both.

CE 3.2

1. He filed a plea for attorneys and witnesses not to speak publicly about the case.

2. The students are there, because they want to make the experience of other races to be better at the school, because the school is accused of being racist for not yet renaming certain buildings.

3.  Clemson, Alabama, Ohio University, and Oklahoma State.

4.  Madison, Boulder, Fort Collins, Davis, Portland.

5.  Star Wars Episode VI, Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part II, Twilight:Breaking Dawn Part II



To choose not to review the textbook is a bad idea. The textbooks are outdated and often incorrect. If they have the opportunity to fix the issues they should take it. Making changes to textbooks is important, who wants to feed children incorrect information. I find the example of the world geography textbook to be horrible and wrong. It should be amended. To overlook something like this is wrong. They have the possibility to do something about things like this and yet they choose to do nothing. Textbooks should be re-checked by experts who know exactly what they are talking about, because then if they do not catch something they can be held accountable, instead of a group of volunteers whom are much more likely to miss something. If textbooks are looked over more thoroughly, maybe there will be less mistakes. Although there are not many mistakes in textbooks, some of the information is outdated. Especially in older versions of books, where the information is old and no one has bothered to look over them and correct what is wrong about it.

Feature Writing Preview

1. What is the difference between a hard news lead (lede) and the one you read above?
The lead, was more of a hook, but the first paragraph was very similar to a hard news lead, they both had who what when where, but it was hard to see the why.

2. What paragraph(s) did you learn the following information?
a. Who:paragraph 2
b. What:paragraph 5
c. Where: Paragraph 2
d. When:Paragraph 2
e. Why: Paragraph 2
f. How: Paragraph 5

3. Are there quotes in this story?
There are a lot of quotes in this story.

4. Are those quotes arranged in the "quote-transiton" style we used in news writing?
No, not all of them are.

5. Who is quoted in the story?
In the story, Kevin MccLoughlin, Chenoweth, Ken Andrews, Tony Florentino, Frank Willson, and Ted Williams.

6. What quote is the most powerful in the story, in your opinion?
"We're on pins and needles," Florentino said. "I think he really has no idea how big this is going to be."

7. How many paragraphs is the story?
There were 32 paragraphs.

8. How many words is the story (hint: you can copy and paste into Word and get a word count)?
762 words.

9. What is significant about the lead (lede) and the final paragraph of the story?
The lead and final line were both very strong and short hooks, that make the reader think;they are also very optimistic.

10. Why do you think the writer did that with the lead (lede) and final paragraph?
He did that so that the reader is interested and is wanting to read more.

11. Was the story interesting to read?
Yes.

12. When you finished the story, but BEFORE you watched the video, did you want to hear the voice?
Yes.

13. Multimedia approaches are powerful tools, what impact did the video have when watched directly after reading the story?
The video makes the reader see that this person is real and you get a better understanding of who he is.

14. Would the story have lost its impact without the video?
Yes, the voice is what the story is about, so without it the meaning of the story is lost.

15. Did the writer try to come up with a way for you to hear the voice, i.e. did he try to describe the voice or give you a way to "hear" the voice without really hearing it?
Yes, he was very descriptive.

16. How did the writer do that?
The writer did that by using a lot of adjectives and compares his voice to other things so that you get a better understanding of him.

Peer Review

Luke's Article

Written by Luke W.
This article is about the importance of allowance.
His direct opinion on the topic is "I firmly believe that [allowances] are a necess[ity]"
He did not state what the other side may think.
He was not wishy-washy, he was confident in his opinion.
There are no quotes.

In this article, it is difficult to determine wether or not the article is an editorial or if its a commentary piece.

Sam's Article

Written by Sam M.

This article discusses cell phone addiction amongst college students.

Her direct opinion on the topic is that we need to be wary of the amount of time we spend occupied on our phones, because it is distracting.

She briefly states what the other side may think.

She is not wishy-washy, and is direct in stating her opinion.

This article includes factual quotes.

In this article you can clearly see that it is an editorial piece.

CE 3.1

1. They want to get rid of the confederate flag, because it is a symbol of hate and racism.
2. He found out that he had been kidnapped, because when applying to colleges they found out there was something wrong with his social security number.
3. They cross over the fence because it is the fastest way to get to school, because there are no buses to take them to school.
4. Whole foods is an organic food store. Amplify snacks is an Austin-based tortilla and popcorn producer, and their target audience is health conscious people. HomeAway is an online vacation rental website.
5. She is trying to make tech more appealing to girls. She recruits girls to go and do tech jobs or pursue a tech career in general.



This is an opinion article. In this article, the man is trying to prove his point that we as Americans, and as humans in general, have a tendency to be very materialistic. He recommends that individuals lead more simplistic lives and get rid of all of the material things that we value. He showed how some of the top selling books are ones on organizing, and also that we use things to simplify our lives for us so that we have much less to worry about. The article is called the right side, because like the right side of your brain, it is spiritual and vibrant, whereas the article on the left is very factual similar to the left side of your brain. Even though this is not how the brain actually works, I find it amusing. I would agree with his point that living a much simpler minimalistic life makes things easier for you. Also, I liked what he said about how it could make you happier long term. Even though many people don't live very simple lives and are very attached to the things that they think they need, they may not be as happy as they subconsciously trick themselves into being. The happiness that many people get from their possessions is not really happiness, and if they were to let go of some of the unnecessary personal effects, as the writer suggested, they could enjoy things that are much simpler and could possibly make them even more happy. To me the thought of living a minimalistic life is exciting. Getting rid of things so that I can focus on simple things that make me happy is an interesting concept  that could work out well longterm for many people.

Editorial- Cellphone Addiction

Cell Phone Addiction

In todays day and age, many people struggle to put down their phones and engage in the world around them. Many people call this a cell phone addiction that this generation faces.

When people struggle to put their phones away and communicate with others, they face an interesting issue that the majority of the population faces. Cell phone addiction occurs when an individual has issues with going without or even putting down their cell phones. These "addicts" have become so attached to their cellular devices, that the thought of going without them is ludicrous. This can cause people to drive while on their phones which is becoming an increasingly predominant issue across America. It is extremely dangerous, and this is something that is necessary to address.

As a country, the United States must come to a solution to put a halt to the ever climbing car accidents due to texting and driving. The laws currently in place in states has proved not to be sufficient in dealing with this matter. Even though the states have banned texting and driving, there is still a substantial problem. America still has "the highest percentage of distracted drivers".

Statistics prove that even though texting while driving is illegal, people still do it. These people are not only putting themselves in danger, but others on the road surrounding them. "Nine Americans are killed every day from motor vehicle accidents that involved distracted driving, such as using a cellphone". This is one of the many facts that make countless people see the bigger picture of driving distracted.

On the other hand, many people believe that just "checking their phone" won't really affect them, or that "looking at it really quickly" couldn't cause any serious damage, but much to the contrary, many of those who have done just that have ended up in horrible car accidents.

The act of texting while driving is dangerous, and has caused immense damage to many individuals and those they have endangered.

Some have suggested dealing with the larger issue at hand, cellphone addiction. Theoretically, if people were not  "addicted" to their cellphones, they would have the self control to put the phone away and focus on driving smart and safely.

One way to get over cellphone addiction is "to be conscious of your usage time". This would help people take notice of the distraction that their phone is providing. And in the long term it would allow people to have more time to do other things, like focusing on their driving.

Although limiting phone usage may not seem like a big deal to many people, when you realize the amount of time you should spend, versus the amount of time the majority typically spends, you may rethink that. Typically, Americans spend "a staggering 4.7 hours a day" on their phones. It is recommended that you spend "Less than two hours a day" on your phone. This is less than half of what many people currently spend. Many consider this to be asking too much, but is it really?

Overall, cell phone addictions have become dangerous, and have caused many problems in the function of how people work. It's time that we deal with the pressing issue of addiction and prevent the accidents caused by it.

Editorials and Personal Columns

1. Shorter passing periods, and less FIT.

2. Keeping school open during flooding.

3. Dealing with people late to FIT.


One opinions article I read every day is Christiescloset on tumblr. It's run by a "fashion guru", and I check her blog everyday, because I like to hear about what she does and what she wears. Also, I really like the appearance of her blog. Lastly, its a cool way to hear about new things. I go back to read it every day, because its always something new and different from the previous days.

Opinions Piece-Peer Reflection

Cianna's Opinion Article
Written by Cianna Chairez
This story is about police officers not being punished to the full extent for their acts of battery.
Her opinion is that "police are not getting the proper punishments that they deserve when they break protocol or the law".

She addressed what the other side may think, by putting herself "in the officers shoes".

She was not wishy-washy, and used facts and statistics to support her opinion.

There are no quotes in this article.

This was written in first person point of view.

Joseph's Opinion Article
Written by Joseph K
This story is about over protective parenting.
His opinion on the topic, is that over-protective parenting impairs the child's understanding of trust.
Yes, he addresses what the other side may think about the story. He described how parents believe that they are helping their child out, and preventing them from making mistakes.
He was not wishy-washy, he described exactly what was wrong, and then explained what could be done to fix it.
There are no quotes.
This was written in first person point of view.

CE 2.3

1. Paul Ryan, Republican.
2.  The law says that police officers have ""the right to demand identification".
3. The Mets and the Royals.
4. Do look for interesting conversation pieces, Do purchase high quality decor items. Don't buy seasonal items you don't expect to use. Don't go overboard with seasonal decor.
5. Of the five options, I would most like to go to the UMLAF Sculpture Garden and Museum's Haunted Garden.

I have seen the video of the girl getting flipped out of her desk. It was all over social media, due to the horrifying way the officer lashed out. The opinion of the article is that what occurred was wrong, and that the author supports the actions that have taken in place in order to reprimand the officer. The actions that he took were wrong and its only fair that he was fired. This shows just how much of an issue this country has with police brutality. The people of this country have been abused and battered by those on the force. This isn't saying that all police all abuse citizens, most of them do not, but the ones that do are not fit to serve this country. There are multiple underlying issues of police brutality, and it can stem from racial issues and other things. Police brutality seemingly due to race has been in the media more than other forms of police brutality because the majority of people still believe that there is still a lot of racial injustice. Sometimes though, police brutality isn't just about race. It could just be that the police officer is not in the right mental space to perform correctly in this line of work. In either case, the police officers involved should be fired after an investigation into the extent of his or her actions. It is important that phones and electronics are used in problems such as these, because then the brutality can be recorded, making it easier for the officer to be punished. Stories like this are important in social media and online, because it gets the word out about police brutality, and that way more people are aware of it. Being aware about issues such as this are important, because if you know about them you could possibly do something to change it and make the situation better.

Opinions Writing Preview

Accepting Refugees

    The EU has come to terms with the large masses of refugees coming into the European countries, but they are still struggling to have countries let in the refugees with open arms. This is a cruel way to treat those who have already suffered so much. The world needs to come together and accept as many refugees as needed.

    Assisting the refugees isn't as bad as everyone believes. Refugees are proven to be hard workers, and entrepreneurs. They come to these new countries for new beginnings, and they work as hard as they can so that they can have a great new life. Also, with all of the new refugees the countries will bring in more taxes which can be very beneficial to the countries economy. 

    Even though many people believe that refugees are bad for the countries economy, and that they steal jobs, this isn't true. It is claimed that they take away jobs from the natives of the country that they are in.  If anything, with all of the new businesses that these people start up, they are creating jobs.

    Many European countries assume that refugees are more likely to commit crimes, and that they generate more violence than was already prevalent in the country before they arrived. However, there is proof that this is a false accusation. 

    Refugees are far less likely to commit crime than many people think. First generation immigrants are 45% less likely to commit a violent crime than a third generation American, proving that the idea that refugees are more prone to committing crimes, false.

    For many immigrants, coming to a new country can be a culture shock, and I believe that these countries should do more to help the refugees with this. Many countries are providing the refugees classes to help them adjust, but the refugees have to wait on a list, sometimes months at a time, so that they can get into these classes. I understand that there is an extremely large amount of refugees, and that it is hard for a country to provide for them, but there are other ways around this issue. 

    If more people volunteered to help the refugees, there would be a great improvement in the way that the refugees establish themselves in the new countries. There are already many support groups in Europe assisting the refugees, but going the extra step and having even more volunteers could make their adjusting to their new lives that much easier.

   One other issue that many of the countries face is that there is a limited amount of room in their countries, and letting in the refugees would nearly double the countries total population. Some countries are so overwhelmed by the sudden influx of refugees that they had to reduce the total number that they were join to give asylum to. These are the countries who need relief, and one way to help out the refugees and the overwhelmed countries, is to have other countries take in the overflow of refugees.

   If countries such as the United States, Great Britain, and Australia took in more refugees than they are already said they would, this could relieve the strain on European countries. 

   Other countries are afraid of taking in the refugees for most of the same reasons as those in Europe. Although, refugees have many possible benefits for the countries taking them in. 

   The refugees could improve the economy, and the overall diversity of the country. Being exposed to that much diversity could be frightening at first, but it pays off in the long run.

  If all of the countries around the world pulled their weight and assisted in the immigrant crisis there would be a real improvement in the situation overall, and the refugees would be better off as well.

   

CE 2.1

1. A conflict of interest would be that council members are receiving free passes to ACL.

2. Tom Steglich's political cartoon gives the readers the idea that lawmakers care more about money than they do about people.

3. A UT professor plans to resign, because they are now allowing guns on campus, and he fears for his safety.

4. Amazon is going to work with Austin artists and Amazon will sell homemade art.

5. Metal Gear's new release is rated so highly because it has good graphics, isn't intimidating, and is also easily playable.


Read the article on page SA1 Tech Extra "Mobile Tech spur on-demand delivery"

I think this industry has seen such enormous growth because it is convenient for many people. Instead of having to wait for things you can have it right away, and that is a big pull factor for many consumers. My family uses mobile delivery mainly because we do a lot of online shopping.
I think millennials are being targeted because they are apart of the new digital age, and they are more likely to use their phones to order things. However, older people may not be as familiar with using technology and would be more likely to go and get something from the store. I would use the delivery service if I needed something right away and I couldn't go to the store, but for the most part I would just go and get it myself.

Commentary Articles

1. One idea that the writer gave in the Wide Range of Topics section that you can use as you start deciding on a topic is write your essay about something you care about.

2. One idea the writer gave in the Opinions Pieces section that you should remember as you are writing your piece is to use details and not generalizations. 

3. Three suggestions the writer makes in the Personal Essays and Crafts section that you use as you are writing your piece is to make connections, use a good hook, and use imagery to employ the senses.
  

"Slamming Islamophobia" retrieved from The Eagle Angle

Written by Laylal Zalkout

This story is about the discrimination and hatred that many Islamic people face, and why it is wrong.

The authors opinion is that the opinions people have about islamic people are just misconceptions.

They addressed what the other side may think about their opinion.

They were not wishy-washy.

There are no quotes in the story.

The story is written in first person point of view.

"ACL Effects On Attendance" retrieved from Vandegrift Voice

The story was written by Max Bowman.

This story is about how because of ACL many students skip school, and this costs the school money.

The authors opinion on the topic is that there should be no school on ACL Fridays.

Yes the other sides opinion is addressed.

They were no wishy-washy about their opinion.

The story doesn't have any quotes.

Written in third person point of view.

"Waste not, want not" retrieved from Trail Blazer

Written by Larissa Herold.

This story is about the enormous amount of waste that schools produce and what we could do something to stop this.

The authors opinion is that we need to encourage students to utilize the systems in place to help with being a "green community".

No, they did not address the other sides opinion.

They were not wishy-washy.

There are no quotes.

The story is in third person point of view.

CE 2.2

1. Two potential causes of the Bastrop fire are someone violated the burn ban, or there was a farming accident.

2. Alan Guckian was nominated for a "Grammy" because he is passionate and also because he always shows up for his band students.

3. The favorite to win at the Circuit of the Americas is Lewis Hamillton.

4. Honey Crips, Ginger golds, and Jonagold.

5. Of the 8 items in the "Healthful foods are worth price tag", I would like to try: good dark chocolate, pure maple syrup, and real vanilla.


I have considered buying a textbook to compensate for the new online textbooks, because I find the online textbooks unreliable. No having a textbook has significantly lowered my grade in some areas, because I am unable to access the online textbook because it is faulty. I can not access the information necessary to do my homework and do well in my class. Now I have to take pictures with my phone of the textbook that my teacher has in her classroom, and that is a hassle for me. In my opinion having a hard copy of a text book would be much easier to use versus the online textbook. This just goes to show that going all digital is not a good idea. Especially when some students don't have access to computers. Even those who do have many complications with using the online textbooks. For instance, when the student cloud went down, students couldn't access the textbooks that they needed for their classes. This could happen again long term and would be very bad for the school. I do think that this is going to continue though as we transition into a digital age. I can see how using the online textbook is less expensive and seemingly more convenient, but technology is not always reliable, and we need to have a backup plan for when things go wrong and we cannot access the digital versions of books. One solution to this would be giving the student the option for both. This was the case for the english textbook, and I know that many students chose the hard copy, but this was not an option for the geometry textbooks. Students are forced to use the online textbook, and personally I have had many issues with it.