Looking back on News Writing I

The semester is coming to a close. Boy does time sure fly by! When I look back on this class and everything that I have done, I must say I feel a little more comfortable with writing news stories. I have learned a good deal, and most of it on my own, because we are reporters you know? We have to go out and accomplish things, not the teacher.

Whether it was writing for TNH or this class, I feel a lot more confident in my writing and that is going to be crucial coming into my next semester. I enjoyed writing in-class news stories quickly and thoroughly, it really gave me a feel what a real newsroom would feel like. Watching the movies in class and trying my best to gather as much information regarding the "in-scene" moments to use for when I write the news stories pertaining to the movie.

There is just so much I learned, and I really am glad I took this class, because I really do feel like this is what I want to do in my future believe it or not. I know I wasn't a standout in class, but I truly believe I have the tools to be successful. It is all about giving it your all, and really working at it. Writing A+ stories will take me awhile, but I know when I get there it will be worth it.

There is just so much I have yet to learn and there are so many ways to gather news and write it. I will be looking forward to working with other professors to improve my skills as a journalist, but I will not forget what Sandy taught me this semester. Overall, it is bittersweet to be leaving this class, but I do know that I will be taking a piece of it with me into my future!

Body washed ashore on remote section of South Beach in Amity

A high school teenager was killed Sunday night on a remote section of South Beach in Amity. The mangled body was washed ashore early this morning, and police have been continuing investigating ever since.

The body was identified as Chrissie Watson, 17, of 23 Sharkstooth St., Amity, and a senior at Amity High School. She was last seen alive leaving a beach party with another teen, a male identified as Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III, a sophomore at Trinity College and former resident of the island, at about 11 p.m.

Police Chief Martin Brody described the body as disturbing to the eye.

“With all due respect to Watson’s family I will not describe any further to what it looked like,” Brody said.

According to police, Hoggenbottam recognized Watson as a member of the varsity swim team at Amity High School and a lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA pool in Oak Bluffs. The two reportedly decided to go swimming and entered the water at a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy.

Police also learned from Hoggenbottam that both teenagers had been drinking heavily and possibly smoking marijuana during the evening.

“Hoggenbottam was passed out on the beach,” Brody said. “He was not in the right mind state to identify where Watson might have ended up after her time in the water. It was only after he woke up did he realize that she was nowhere in sight.”

When Watson did not return from the water, Hoggenbottam notified police at about 6 a.m. After a brief search, Watson’s mauled body was found by Police Deputy Jay Hendricks early in the morning washed up on the beach.

The body was described by police as being severely wounded by an attacker of unknown origin.

Though a shark attack has not been completely ruled out, Brody wants to assure all residents and visitors on the island that they are in no danger.

“There is no reason to believe that this was indeed a shark attack,” Brody said. “Our beaches will remain open for swimming until otherwise.”

Since then, Watson’s body has been transported to the coroner’s office for autopsy. No charges have been filed in the case, and police are continuing their investigation into the incident.

In-class assignment

At 4:08 p.m. Sunday, New York City Police Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, assigned to the Narcotics Division, shot and killed a suspected assassin, Pierre Jeantot, 36, of Nice, France. Four others were killed during the incident.

Jeantot was allegedly working on behalf of a French drug kingpin whom Doyle and his partner, Buddy “Cloudy” Russo, had been investigating. He was killed by one shot from Doyle’s .38 caliber service revolver at the bottom of the steps to the platform of the 15^th St. elevated railway station. A .44 Magnum revolver was recovered from the train.

According to the police investigation, the events unfolded from the roof of an apartment building at 1767 W. 57th Ave.

Four shots were fired. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Doyle hit the ground with his brown leather briefcase in hand, scurrying across the ground dodging the bullets shelled from above. Some people shriek hitting the ground in defense, babies cry, and others run away from the scene.

Robert Wilson, 29, sitting at a park bench close by reading the daily paper witnessed the entire scene from an angle of the ground.

 Quickly, Doyle found his .38 caliber service revolver from the pocket of his trench coat. Proceeding away from the sight of the assassin, Doyle covered ground against the apartment building.

Pursuing the suspect from the 35^th St. Station, Doyle ended the chase at the 15^th St. Station. Jeantot had hijacked the train, killing three people, while Doyle chased the train in a commanded car.

The three victims that were fatally killed on the train were Roland Evans, 34, of Brooklyn, a 15-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, Horatio C. Hornblower, 30,  a conductor of the hijacked train, of White Plains, Peter Howe, 27, a trainman, of Queens, who died of a heart attack at the controls.

“Let me just say it is always unfortunate when these incidents end in a loss of life,” Ruth L. Ess, the New York City Police commissioner said. “We would have preferred to see Jeantot prosecuted in the courts, and we believe Doyle was close to a breakthrough in the case.”

The fourth victim of the chase came at the beginning, when Jeantot had fired several shots at Doyle from the roof of an apartment building at 1767 W. 57^th Ave. One of the shots directly hit Betty B. Badluck, 63, of the Bronx who was a pedestrian walking her granddaughter near Doyle’s apartment.

Ess, suggests that Jeantot had been assigned to assassinate Doyle. Police officers recovered an automatic rifle and several shell castings from the roof of the apartment building.

“We commend Dective Doyle for his bravery and quick thinking under very trying circumstances,” Ess said. “We will continue a vigorous and thorough investigation into what appears to be a major smuggling operation. We will not sit while drug dealers walk our streets.”

Using Twitter as a journalism tool

Recently, I have been using Twitter a lot. I mean a ton actually. The reason being: to enhance my journalism skills, and to be in the "in crowd" of journalism writers all over the globe.

 Being a part of TNH, I have been asked by our media guy Joel Kost to use Twitter during sports events. Just like any sports writer nowadays, they all are using Twitter constantly to update people on what is going on in the game, whether it is scores, key plays, injuries, or anything worth noting.

 So, I have been using Twitter as a tool to guide the people following me ( not a lot right now on my second account), but it is good practice, since if I do get a job at a newspaper, Twitter will be something I would have to knowledgeable in. I have been using twitter for a long time. I'd say at least four years now, so I am pretty good at it.

Recently, I have used Twitter to update the UNH men's soccer game this past Wednesday night, and my editors back at TNH said I was doing a good job with it. Giving me a few tips they did, and I was able to do even better last night covering the UNH men's basketball team. All in all, Twitter has been a tool to help me write game stories, as well as updating games on a timely basis.

 In a few years, I see Twitter really taking off in media as a tool and being a center of news sources. Who knows, maybe I can get a job being a Twitter reporter? As funny as it may seem, it could be very much be a reality, especially with social media having such a big influence on the human culture.

I have been also taking notes of one of my favorite Boston Globe journalists Pete Abraham (beat writer for the Red Sox), who uses Twitter constantly to get the most up to date news about the Red Sox. If anyone is interested on seeing how I use Twitter to update games, check out my second twitter account @RobWilson_TNH

Tonight I covered a meeting

Tonight I covered a Student Senate Council meeting, and it was a pretty interesting time. The issue that was brought up and is on the verge of being presented in a resolution is the fight to allow meal exchanges to be used in all three major dining halls.

These places include Union Court, Philbrook Cafe, and "Wild Kitty". The meal exchange as of now can only be used as a substitute as a regular meal during the lunch hours from Monday through Thursday from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m. in Union Court. However, the Student Senate Council is trying to push for the meal exchange hours to be from 11-2 Monday through Friday as well as during the dinner hours of 5-7, and to be used at Philbrook Cafe and "Wild Kitty".

The reason behind pushing this resolution is because many people of the student body feel cheated out of this opportunity. Students pay good money for dining services, and it would create more food opportunities to choose from, especially for those who do not have time to sit down and eat a meal. These meal exchanges are quick "on the go" meals for students who are in busy parts of their days.

Other questions came into play, as far as collecting reasons to why this change should be reconsidered. The meeting lasted about an hour, and it was a very engaging, and informative talk. I was expecting the meeting to be rather boring and remote. I was wrong. Even though the issue is not on a huge scale of importance in the university community, but it does draw a strong point to be taken in consideration, since the school praises it's award-winning dining services.

Either way it will be a fun article to write about, and getting to play with some good quotes I recorded. Maybe this resolution will be approved into the next semester, and we will in fact see these changes? Only time will tell.

Breaking news story

Police and zoo workers dash frantically about. Some carrying high-powered guns, others tranquilizers. They are looking everywhere- searching through trash cans, around buildings, in trees, inside concession stands and everywhere alike for a spotted 10-year-old Romanian leopard that has escaped from its cage in the Durham Zoo between 9 p.m. last night and 9:30 a.m. this morning.

The zoo has just been closed as visitors stream out of the front gate. Kids are crying, grown-ups are scowling. Paranoia is in the air. The Durham Zoo, being located in a residential neighborhood with an elementary school and many daycare centers, has many people on alert for a possible encounter with an “extremely dangerous” leopard.

Gerry Durrel, the director of the zoo reports that Fluffy, the leopard that has escaped from her cage was last seen in her cage when the zoo was closed at 9 p.m. last night. It was not until 9:30 this morning that the zookeepers noticed Fluffy was missing from her cage while making rounds of feeding animals.

“Everything about her cage seemed normal,” Durrel said. “The door was shut and did not appear to have been tampered with. The fencing was unbroken. Fluffy was last seen last night in her cage, and at that time everything seemed normal.”

At this point, Durell and other officials are doing everything they can to find and bring her back.

“We have no iudea what time Fluffy escaped or where she went,” Durrel said. “We love that cat, and we don’t want to lose her.”

Kitty Smith, the zoo’s chief zoologist informs reporters that the cage is alarmed, but no alarms sounded during the night, she says.

Smith describes Fluufy has a black with white spots Romanian leopard, weighing 146 pounds, can run 60 miles an hour, and is a carnivore. If one might encounter this leopard, Smith informs that person to remain calm and still.

“We urge anyone who encounters Fluffy to get slowly to the ground, go limp, and lay still,” Smith said. “Avoid eye contact at all costs. Fluffy may then do a lot of sniffing and licking, but unless she senses fear she’s not likely to react violently.”

Durham Police Chief William Blair has reportedly announced a lock down for all schools in the area. The outline of the search for Fluffy will be begin in the zoo, and work its way in various neighborhoods farther from the original scene. Police forces will react promptly if the leopard shows any sign of danger to anyone.

“If possible, Fluffy will be shot with a tranquilizer gun,” Blair said. “But, if necessary, we will shoot to kill.”

Google goes to sea, and the world wonders why

"Google Inc. and its wealthy founders are known in business circles for their fixation on fanciful vessels — from the self-driving car to hot air balloons that provide high altitude Internet connections. The founders even have their own private air force.

And now it looks like the company is launching its own navy.

Bobbing in the harbor of Portland, Maine, is a barge stacked four stories high with shipping containers that are being converted into a single floating building of some kind, the work done under an extraordinary cloak of secrecy that itself is a hallmark of Google’s many research projects." ~ Hiawatha Bray

This morning I stumbled upon an article in The Boston Globe about how Google is working on something in secrecy in the harbor of Portland, Maine. The project is drawing a lot of attention through the media, and I am very curious to what Google has to offer. The company has grown tremendously over the years, and is the clear arch-rival of Apple Inc. This could be a message to the world and especially Apple stating,"Hey, look at me, we are doing something extraordinary." 

"In his new book titled “Dogfight,” about the ferocious competition between Google and Apple, author Fred Vogelstein writes that Google developed its Android mobile phone software under security so tight that the restrictions angered other Google employees. For example, Google built a cafeteria that for a time was open only to employees working on Android.

Some of Google’s tightlipped ways rival those of Apple, which is infamous for developing its new products under the tightest of secrecy." ~Hiawatha Bray

This quote I  find the most intriguing in this piece, because it further establishes the sense of rivalry between these two company giants. Google is partaking in Apple's tight security motto, even going as far as building a cafeteria for a time only to employees working on Android, which I think is just crazy. 

Also, reading through this article I was amazed to find out just what Google has been and plans to be working on in the near future:

1) Glass, which is in use by several thousand testers and software developers. The device sports a small glass cube above the right eye that is the computer’s screen, or monitor, with a tiny video camera adjacent. The eyeglass arm along the right temple acts as a slender trackpad, and Glass also responds to voice commands.

2) Project Loon, the proposal calls for a floating communications network made up of hot air balloons about 15 miles above portions of the Earth without reliable Internet connections, such as Africa.

3) Google Lunar XPrize, a competition with awards in the millions of dollars to teams that develop robots and vehicles that can travel on the moon, as well as pursuits in ocean- and land-based exploration and transportation.

4) “Space elevator.” Just as it sounds, this involves a tethered vehicle that can ferry people and freight to and from outer space, and it has long captured the imagination of fantasists and futurists.

This article was really insightful, and it brought my attention to just how technology is evolving. Big companies like Google, are continuing to strive to make the "next big thing", and with ideas like vehicles that can travel on the moon, in the ocean and a "space elevator" is just unbelievable. The questions is, what is Apple going to do?