Fairy Tale Lead

Jasmine, Princess of Arabia, was spotted flying through the sky on a magic carpet with Aladdin, a convicted street rat, after escaping the wrath of Jafar.

Prince Phillip’s kiss awoke Princess Aurora and broke the fatal spell that she was put under by the town's evil villain, Maleficent. 

Word of the Week #4

 Word: Annuities

Where I read it: Side Advertisement when on Dictionary.com

Original Sentence: “Indexed Annuities can help balance your plan.”

Dictionary Definition: (Noun) The right to receive such an income, or the duty to make such a payment or payments.

Use of Word in a New Sentence: My father’s fund for when he retires has been set up to be paid in annuities.

Students are Upset Over the Student Union Delay

San Jose, Calif. -The student union construction began towards the end of May in 2010 and its delayed status has caused a bustle of student opinions.

This $91.5 million dollar project expected completion date was within Fall of 2013 however there was been a number a delays the new completion date was changed to March 2014 according to Cathy Busalacchi, executive director of Student Union Inc.

The service elevator project was the root of the current delay when the construction workers were drilling for the elevator and the aquifer had come up and resulting in having to go in another direction for a different type of elevator.

“I was hoping that I’d be able to experience the new student union, especially since our fees have gone up to fund this project,” Lauren Metropolous, a second year nursing major, said. “ But by the looks of it I won’t ever get to see it and I will have only known this huge project as an inconvenience to me on my way to classes.”

The long-term main goals for the new Student Union are to provide more meeting space for the expanding student population and extra curricular and recreational use, as well as a place for students to go past 11 o’clock at night when the rest of the campus closes.

 “I have not been here for that long but I have made sure that I avoid the student union walk way during prime time traffic times throughout the day.” Sarah Gerhart, a sociology transfer student, said. “ I didn’t know that this was going to be going on when I picked San Jose State and my parents are definitely not pleased with having to pay the extra fees for this.”

There is still a lot of construction that is going to be going on for a couple years but it will bring something new to campus and improve the student life for this diverse student population.

Comparing Media

I chose to compare the news coverage of a story that was in the news recently about the Speed Freak Killer, a serial killer who has buried the remains of victims in a number of locations and revealed a third location to the investigators.

I compared the coverage of a newspaper article, a television news clip, and an online news article.

My favorite medium is the television news clip because it had all the details of the other mediums but there are also live visuals of the investigation scene.

Online News Article:

I found the story in online news on Daily Mail entitled, “Speed Freak Killer' reveals there are even MORE secret burial sites of murder victims in bizarre letter sent to TV station (which ends 'Have a nice day)”

The story is 1241 words and includes nine photos of either the convicted killer, the search, or the victims.

Two sources are quoted in the story.

The online coverage is very detailed and went farther into the background about the case and covers the reveal of another location, the investigation going on in Linden, CA, and what has been found already.

The online story is different because it is extremely long and gives an incredible amount of detail to about the letter written by the murderer, about the crew and the investigation, shows photos of a few of the victims, and details about the two convicts and their past.

Television News Clip:

           

I found the story on local television news station, KTVU, entitled, “ Linden: Convicted Serial Killer Guides Authority to Third Well.”

The story clip is 2 minutes and 22 seconds long.

There is one sourced quote by the bounty hunter that was on the case as a sound bite.

The news story on television is not as lengthy information wise as the online news article however it shows more about the location of the investigation and the third well than the other mediums do.

This coverage is different because it is mostly visual and gives a picture of where everything is happening.

Newspaper Article:

           

I found the story in an article in the Stockton Record titled, “ Small Town, Big Case”.

The front-page story is four columns wide and 11 inches long with three photos and starts on the front page and then continues on a second page.

There are fives sources quoted throughout the article.

The article began with a scene setting lead about a woman driving down a road and saw a frightened woman on the side of the road and how she would have stopped if this investigation had not began because it was unsettling.

This article is broader about the case and what is happening opposed to the extra detailed news article and video clip about the investigation.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2103296/Speed-Freak-Killer-reveals-MORE-secret-burial-sites-murder-victims-bizarre-letter-sent-TV-station-ends-Have-nice-day.html

Word of the Week #3

Word: Cumbersome 

Where I heard it: My cousin used it in a conversation

Original Sentence: “ The car was cumbersome because the car is so big and I’m not used to it.”

Dictionary Definition: (Adjective) Awkward because of size, weight, or shape. 

Use of Word in a New Sentence: It was hard to navigate through the airport because all of our baggage was so cumbersome.

My Favorite Writing

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, is a great book for people of all ages.

I read this book in a span of 24 hours, on a flight to and from Madrid.

The writing was captivating and it made me never want to stop reading it.

Garth Stein illustrated the life of an animal and it’s human in the most real way possible.

The reason that I feel as though this is a great example of writing is because it is in the dog’s perspective and gives it a new feel for a novel.

This book affected me with a high emotional appeal because I have had a number of pets, who have loved me unconditionally through the ups and downs.

I found myself laughing and crying throughout the book as I became more and more attached to Enzo.

I was touched by the truth, compassion, and appreciation Enzo had for his human throughout the book.

This book changed my appreciation for my pets and has me seeing the grander scheme of things.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a great example of when people say a dog is a man’s best friend.

Word of the Week #2

Word: Atwitter

Where I read it: 'Ferris Bueller' Commercial Starring Matthew Broderick Hits the Internet by Tony Hicks

Original Sentence: " The Internet is atwitter -- why does that sound familiar?"

Dictionary Definition: (Adjective). Excited; Nervous; Aflutter; Twittering

Use of Word in a New Sentence: My heart was atwitter when I was waiting for my prom date to arrive.

http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_19853879?source=most_viewed