Friday, May 27, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Editorial Pre-Write
1. What is a problem/issue that our entire student body (our school, community, country, etc.) faces today?
Less than 40% of people have more than $20,000 saved for retirement. Generally, atleast a couple hundred thousand dollars is required to retire comfortably.
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
People need help saving money towards retirement. Rather it be from pension plans or social security, many need more help if they hope to retire and not live in poverty.
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
Realize how sad the reality of an 80 or 90 year old working is because they can't afford to retire.
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
The old woman hoping to retire is a cute old lady that people can pitty. She's injured from years of working. She's working a low level job because she can't handle responsibility or stress of higher level jobs. Also, she still is not close to retirement.
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
Hopefully they will think about their parents who might be facing this problem and try to create a better situation for them. Either by supporting taz increases to pay for social security or by taking iniative and saving up for them.
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
This problem is on the back burner in most political discussions, but it is too important to stay there.
Less than 40% of people have more than $20,000 saved for retirement. Generally, atleast a couple hundred thousand dollars is required to retire comfortably.
2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?
People need help saving money towards retirement. Rather it be from pension plans or social security, many need more help if they hope to retire and not live in poverty.
3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)
Realize how sad the reality of an 80 or 90 year old working is because they can't afford to retire.
4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.
The old woman hoping to retire is a cute old lady that people can pitty. She's injured from years of working. She's working a low level job because she can't handle responsibility or stress of higher level jobs. Also, she still is not close to retirement.
5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?
Hopefully they will think about their parents who might be facing this problem and try to create a better situation for them. Either by supporting taz increases to pay for social security or by taking iniative and saving up for them.
6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?
This problem is on the back burner in most political discussions, but it is too important to stay there.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Feature Story
Five hundred and some odd students drive into the north and south lots of Eastview High school. Parking, a critical need for upperclassmen and even some underclassmen is pricey. Many students complain about the prices. This year prices went up thirty dollars per semester. Parking for a year at Eastview now costs two-hundred and forty dollars. My question has been why such a steep increase, especially at a time when parents seems to be struggling more than ever.
After interviewing five seniors who park in the lot I discovered some interesting thoughts on the subject. All of them agreed that the extra money went right into the schools pocket. After doing some math I found out that the school receives about forty thousand dollars more than they did the year before from parking passes. To get to the bottom of where this money goes, specifically, I interviewed some faculty members.
Chad, the security guard of the school, spends a portion of his day out in the lots. Each day after the last bell rings Chad is outside directing the post-school rush of adolescents. He shared that some of the funds go to re-pavement of all the parking lots each summer. With costs of raw material and any annual increase, this would be a significant portion of the $157,ooo Eastview gains. Of course, I am skeptical of how much the cost of raw material could rise in just one year.
Alexander Currie, a young, beloved English teacher gave me additional information. The school budget was reduced, yet again, last year. The budget was cut by 15%. The revenue students haul in was also used to pay for approximately one and a half more teachers. Currie was a good person to talk to about this because he is one of two un-tenured educators in the building. Some of that extra thirty B-lined it straight to his salary. Ask any student who has had him in class or as a mentor, and they will undoubtedly say it was money well spent.
Mikayla Pullin, senior, has parked in the lot for three years and she believes that the school profits one hundred percent of the money made from parking passes. She is not alone. Isaiah Neal, Brooke Hill, Bailee Bork, and Marit Plowman all agreed that the price was unfair, and that the school is basically being greedy. This story should be enlightening to a majority of the people parking.
So, to recap, I discovered where the money is going. Part is for re-paving, and another is to pay for one and a half teachers’ salaries. As it turns out, students do not hear this. They complain about the unfair prices, but maybe if the students know what they were funding they would be less bitter. Although, buying the pass is only the beginning of the parking frustration.
As they flood out of the building many students (mostly seniors) come to their cars and see a white sheet flapping around underneath their windshield wiper. Eastview gives out twenty five dollar tickets for parking on white-lines (designated for motorcycles), yellow-lines, handicapped spaces, failure to display pass, and for double parking. I am sure there is an extended list but from what was said, those are by far most common.
Personally I have received four, I wish there was a court I could go to fight each and every one of them. Ticketing in extremely inconsistent. For example, I park in the very last slot in the first row, granted there is a handicapped picture on the cement, but unlike all the other handicapped spots, there is no post. I had parked there so many times it almost became my reserved space. No one ever dared take it. Until one day, I came out to a white ticket flapping in the wind. To my amazement, they decided to enforce the worn-off cement drawing.
As I brought up the topic of tickets, the mood in the interviews immediately became a bit more hostile. Everyone has the story on their behalf of why they broke the rules. Not unlike someone I know. The consensus of students’ biggest peeve is the white lines. A total of one motorcycle is driven to school, so why such tough rules on parking over white lines? The discussions with Chad and Currie were unconvincing on this topic. Moral of the story is, “if you don’t want to pay, then how about you follow the rules!” Wise words from Chad.
The other main problem students seem to be bothered by would be ticket prices increasing by five dollars each year. An estimated fifty thousand is the revenue from tickets each year. Now it is difficult to track exactly where this money goes, and I trust it’s being used for a purpose that will in the end benefit the students, but the ticket price is a bit steep for students to pay.
It was surprising to find out that only one of the numerous students I talked to got their parking pass paid for completely by their parental unit. I thought I was the unlikely one, having to pay only half. This is most likely the reason behind upperclassmen getting hot and fussy when talking about parking. For once, it is the student’s money, not their parents.
With prices of parking being so high, and fines increasingly annually it would seem as if the school is discouraging us younglings from driving to school. For some it is not an option, such as me. I leave early, after fifth. Funny thing is, if I left one period earlier I would pay eighteen dollars rather than one hundred and twenty; that is fifteen percent of what I pay!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Hard News Story
WEDNESDAY- May 27, the Eastview boy’s lacrosse team beat Bloomington Kennedy, their first win away. To make this the second game in a two game winning streak. The final score was 10-3. The boys walked off the field feeling confident in their performance.
After speaking with some of the players it's apparent they love this season. The team is first and foremost, friends. They support each other, making the game that much more fun to come out and watch. The fan section was packed of gleeful fans.
As the fan section erupts after every goal, the team stays focused. Not until the very end did they begin to loosen up. The traditional "big headedness" was not obvious. The mental game was played out all the way through.
The team moves the ball fluidly down the field. They move as a unit, rather than individual players. The boys agreed they learned this technique from their coach, Achenbach. The team connects so well, like a refined assembly of moves that come together creating goal opportunities.
The have faced two of the top teams in the state already this season, and they came up short. Asking multiple players for mistakes that led to the losses; most replied the inexperience of the varsity players is the largest obstacle they must overcome. After losing valuable graduates the team is in a state of "rebuilding" says Schovanac. They seem to be measuring up.
Admittedly guys are not perfect, some of the downfalls were acknowledged in the interviews. Senior captain, Sam Schovanac, said that even though the team is inexperienced they move the ball well. Schovanac has been on varsity since his freshman year.
Isaiah Neal, senior, also said, "the team has to learn to keep the mental game all the way through, we can't just go into it with a good attitude. [We] need to keep it up all the way through,"
The boys all have high hopes for the season. Rebounding from last years power team, the seniors hope to once again claim the section championship, at least that.
They play assertively, not aggressively; Schovanac and Neal both agree they could use more muscle. The team is generally speaking, smaller, comparatively.
The team has excellent morale; they start the evening off right after school. They meet in a locker bay following seventh period and go over match-ups. The players then come into the game knowing whom they are up against.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Feature Story
parking at Eastview
-Hanson/Franchino-
Where does the money go? Specifically..
Did the number of students parking in the lots change when the price went up?
Why have ticket prices increased?
Is the price to discourage driving to school?
Do you think it's fair to charge highschool students this amount per semester?
-Maureen Coyle-
Do you park at school?
Why do you park in the lots rather than the free lot?
Have you ever been ticketed? for what? how frequently?
Where do you think the money for parking passes goes?
Do you think the price is fair? do you pay any portion of the $120?
-Mikayla Pullin-
Do yu park at school?
Why do you park in the lots rather than the free lot?
Have you ever been ticketed? for what? how frequently?
Where do you think the money for parking passes goes?
Do you think the price is fair? do you pay any portion of the $120?
-Hanson/Franchino-
Where does the money go? Specifically..
Did the number of students parking in the lots change when the price went up?
Why have ticket prices increased?
Is the price to discourage driving to school?
Do you think it's fair to charge highschool students this amount per semester?
-Maureen Coyle-
Do you park at school?
Why do you park in the lots rather than the free lot?
Have you ever been ticketed? for what? how frequently?
Where do you think the money for parking passes goes?
Do you think the price is fair? do you pay any portion of the $120?
-Mikayla Pullin-
Do yu park at school?
Why do you park in the lots rather than the free lot?
Have you ever been ticketed? for what? how frequently?
Where do you think the money for parking passes goes?
Do you think the price is fair? do you pay any portion of the $120?
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