The shark is caught!

The giant killer shark responsible for the two recent deaths of Amity locals was finally caught and killed on the eve of the Fourth of July by a group of fisherman. They will receive a $3,000 reward for their heroic and selfless efforts.

After the shark was brought ashore it was inspected by Matt Hooper, a marine biologist from the Woods Hole, Mass., Oceanographic Institute, and one of the world’s foremost experts on sharks, as a Tiger shark.

 Tiger sharks are among the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers’ deaths along the East Coast of the United States.

Beaches will reopen immediately just in time for the flood of visitors for the Fourth of July weekend. 

Amity Police Chief Martin Brody reassures all visitors to return to the waters and to enjoy the weekend.

“I urge all our residents to recreate at the beaches in order to encourage the participation of all our visitors in the wonderful water sports of which we all so happily partake throughout the summer,” Brody said. “Swim and have fun!”

Islanders and guests alike should not be alarmed by the presence of shark spotters from the Coast Guard, the Marine Patrol, the Massachusetts State Police, the U.S Navy, Homeland Security, the FBI, and numerous local municipal and county police agencies in the waters off our beaches.

“Again, while law enforcement officials urge vigilance on the part of all citizens, we believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed,” Brody said. “Amity’s darkest days are behind us. WE wish everyone a safe and happy 4^th of July.” 

Just when it was safe to go back in the water...

Just when it was safe to go back in the water off the beautiful Village Beach in Amity yesterday, Alex Kinter a 10 year-old local was tragically killed in what appeared to have been a vicious and unprovoked shark attack. It is now believed that the Kinter death has possible links to the recent death of Watson who died in Amity waters.

According to witnesses, including the chief of police, Kinter had been floating on a rubber raft off crowded Village Beach at 2 p.m. when the attack apparently occurred. His body has not been recovered. The damage raft floated ashore shortly after the incident with appeared to be a large bite out of it.

Alex’s mother, Marion Kinter, who was at the beach at the time her son disappeared, is being treated for shock at Amity General Hospital, where she is in fair condition. There were no other injuries.

“I join Amity Mayor Larry Vaughn in expressing the town’s deepest and most sincere condolences to the Kinter family,” Amity Police Chief Martin Brody said. “Now we know that these random acts of senseless violence, victimizing innocent, helpless citizens, do not just happen in the city.”

The mayor, Brody, and the Amity Board of Selectmen met last night at 6 p.m. in the Amity Town Hall to discuss further actions regarding the recent deaths of two locals off the beaches in Amity.

When asked if the beaches were going to be closed due to the recent incidents, Brody was all in for it.

“The beaches will be closed,” Brody said.

However, Mayor Vaughn stressed that the beaches will only be closed for 24 hours though Brody disagreed.

The Kinter family is offering a reward of $3,000 for the capture of perpetrators, which local fisherman Ben Quint believed to be a shark who in return would hunt down the vile perpetrator for a greater ante.

“This shark will swallow you whole,” Quint said. “3,000 dollars is not worth my neck, however I will kill this shark by myself, bringing its body back for the worth of 10,000 dollars.”

The offer is currently being taken under advisement by the mayor and selectmen.

As of now, investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, Brody is expected to gain extra summer deputies, shark spotters on beaches, and experts to the mainland of Amity in the help of bringing the two local deaths to justice. 

Being thankful

This morning I read an article by Megan Woolhouse and David Abel of the Boston Globe, and I was stunned to learn about just how many homeless families there are in the streets of Boston. An impressive 2,100 families are living in and out of motel rooms and assisted housing, which has been an increase from 2010. Despite Massachusetts being one of the first states to turn around from the recession four years ago, it is still getting affects economically and that starts with housing. Being a 19 year-old who grew up in the streets of Boston for the first 12 years of my life it really hits home with me by reading this article. You can find this article at the front page of today's Globe. 

"Record numbers of homeless families are overwhelming the state’s emergency shelter system, filling motel rooms at the cost to taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars a year.

An average of nearly 2,100 families a night — an all-time high — were temporarily housed in motel rooms in October, just about equaling the number of families in emergency shelters across the state, according to be the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development." ~ Megan Woolhouse and David Abel

I learned in the article that one of the strong reasons why there are so many homeless families is due to the uneven recovery, and the lack of cut housing and food subsidies. 

"This jump in homelessness is another example of an uneven recovery. Even as stocks soar to new heights and real estate values rebound, many of the state’s poorest residents remain without jobs and homes four years after the last recession. The problems have been compounded by the dramatic federal spending cuts, known as sequestration, which have cut housing and food subsidies." ~Megan Woolhouse and David Abel

Another thing that was hard to swallow by reading this article was hearing that a college student by the name of Felicita Diaz has a family struggling while she is at college. I can only imagine if it was my family, and how hard that would be for me to just pay attention in school. This article does a good job at explaining the "so what", and it digs deeper into its affects towards people of the Boston Community like this college student. 

"Diaz, 18, a freshman at UMass Boston, said she took the commuter rail to get to her first day of college and then stayed with friends so she could attend classes and keep her job in the admissions office. But her 11-year-old brother missed about three weeks of school because the family could not afford the daily $9 fare to and from Boston on the commuter rail. Her mother had to quit her English as a Second Language classes because of the distance." ~Megan Woolhouse and David Abel

After reading this article I am very thankful to have my family still in their homes, and I am thankful that I do not have to worry about that issue while being away at college, however I do have other things to worry about. Having a shelter, water, and food is something I will not take for granted, because you never know when that gets taken away from you just like these families who are having trouble with these three necessities for survival. 

Swimming in Amity is safe, despite recent attacks

Swimmers off the coast of New Hampshire should have no fear at becoming a victim to a shark attack, despite the recent deaths of two Amity locals.

New Hampshire beaches are safe and will remain safe this summer. Shark attacks are very rare. So rare that you have a more likelihood of being struck by lighting according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

The Florida Museum of Natural History compares these statistics with the much higher rate of deaths from other, less feared causes. For example, an average of more than 38 people die annually from lightning strikes in coastal states, while less than 1 person per year is killed by a shark, according to the museum.

Even considering only people who go to beaches, a person's chance of getting attacked by a shark in the United States is 1 in 11.5 million, and a person's chance of getting killed by a shark is less than 1 in 264.1 million. In the United States, the annual number of people who drown is 3,306, whereas the annual number of shark fatalities is 1. 

However, according to James Sulikowski, a shark expert from the University of New England, anecdotal evidence suggest that the number of great whites along the coast of Maine is growing.

With the heavenly growth of seals in the area, means a vast food supply for great whites to feed from. Like many experts alike, the common advice is to stay away from waters with a populated area of seals to avoid risk.

To reassure any beach goers that even with the spike of great white sightings on the coast of New Hampshire and Maine doesn't mean that there is a greater likelihood to be attacked.

‘‘You have a much greater chance of dying by getting hit by a toilet seat in a freak accident, struck by lightning, you name it, than being attacked and eaten by a shark,’’ Sulikowski said in a August 3, 2013 article to the Boston Globe.

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? 

Red Sox fans connecting on social media

"Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have created a kind of virtual sports bar — a place to debate, vent, strategize, and bond — as the game unfolds. It creates a sense of connection, of being part of a bigger group, many say, even when they are alone on the couch." ~ Peter Schworm 

So, I stumbled upon this interesting article this morning on The Boston Globe about social media and the Red Sox. The overall point of the article is to show the ever-evolving community of social media playing a role in our lives. For instance, there are plenty of avid sport fans (like myself), who love to share their own opinions online. Twitter and Facebook are key social media sites to find where this "venting" is going on, according to Globe writer Peter Schworm up above. Schworm gives great insight on how these media sites create a "connection" to people from all over the globe watching the same game. 

These statistics only further prove this growing community:

"This year, 64 percent of avid fans reported using Twitter during a game, up from 53 percent a year earlier, according to a fan survey by Catalyst, a consulting company.

After the game, 70 percent used Facebook, up from 55 percent." ~ Peter Schworm

The fact that in a year the use of twitter by avid fans grew as much as 53% from last year is staggering. Next year, it will grow even more, I guarantee it! 

"During Monday’s game, an estimated 500,000 Tweets were sent, and were read by well over 60 million people.

“Nothing is as much fun as watching a game with like-minded people,” he said.

A sense of connection is key for far-flung Red Sox fans, who say it helps them experience the passion around the team from afar.

Annie Clark, a Massachusetts native who now lives in New Jersey, said perusing Twitter during a game provides her with a digital community of kindred spirits." ~ Peter Schworm

Schworm goes into statistics, but then get's a perspective from Annie Clark, who feels this sense of connection over the digital community who shares the same passion as other people she interacts with. Not only does this form of social media seem positive, it really sets a bridge between people who need connecting. The article was well organized with statistics, commentary from people, and a well-rounded filter of the importance of this connection is to avid sport fans. It is also a great time for this article to come out, since the World Series is among us all. 

P.S The Red Sox are going to win the World Series tonight! Go SOX!!!! 

Why I am not worried about not getting a job with a Journalism degree.

Jobs are hard to come by right now, especially with college students. You work hard, you pay loads and loads of money to get an education and then when it comes to finding jobs it's tough. I see all these things, I hear all these things, but I won't let it get to me.

 If you graduate with an Engineer degree, yeah you will probably find a job faster than someone with a Journalism degree. All my roommates are engineers in the making, and well I am the oddball. The more I think about being an oddball to the world of no-jobs, I shake it off. I will be happy wherever life takes me. Journalists are needed in this world, and I am a true believer in that.

 News will never die, so journalists won't either. In order to get a job, you have to work for it and I feel like if I get involved more in writing, TNH, and the world around me I will be successful. Writing is a passion and it is something I will be dedicated to doing for the rest of my life. So when people tell me "Good luck finding a job", I am going to say "Thanks", because I won't have a job, or even work a day in my life. Why? Because I will love what I do, and that's not working.

How I can make sure I get a job with a Journalism degree:

1) Keep writing

2) Keep reading

3) Keep asking questions

4) Get involved

5) Establish yourself as a credible resource

6) Make your presence known (in a good way)

7) Complete an internship

8) And still keep writing

I'm sick and tired of just being average, and just getting by. It's about time I start putting my foot in the door and make a dream a reality. BRING IT ON.

P.S. The Kendrick Lamar concert was great, even though people just wouldn't stop pushing to get to the front of the stage. Red Sox lost recently bringing the series knotted at 1-1. They play tonight in St. Louis for game three. So, I will be sticking my head in the TV screen tonight. Go Sox! #BostonStrong

Max Brooks and other random stuff going on this week.

Well, I have a story for next week which is a plus from last week's struggle to get all my sources in. I am doing an article on NY Times Best-Selling author Max Brooks (World War Z), and it is also a speech article. The lecture took place this past Monday in the Granite State Room, and it was fantastic. He was not only an entertainer, he was funny, engaging and he was honest.

 He didn't B.S any questions that went his way such as a question asked by a UNH student in the crowd: so what inspired you to write about zombies? Brooks answered, "No one has ever wrote a novel about them before, so I wrote it." It was the short and sweet responses, that made Brooks believable. With constantly pointing out to the people in the crowd, he made the people who were there for him be equal. With that said, on to other exciting things.

 The Red Sox are playing amazing, including their recent 8-1 beat down against the NLCS champions St. Louis Cardinals last night in game one of The World Series. Game two is tonight and it would be superb if the beloved BoSox get the victory, along with the commanding 2-0 lead in the biggest stage of baseball. Also, tonight I will be attending the Kendrick Lamar concert and I am beyond pumped. A little over a month ago, I had to wait 8 hours in line to get student-floor tickets to go to this concert, which will be held at the Whittemore Center.

For those who don't know Kendrick Lamar, he is the hottest rapper right now, and deserves the title of the Best Rapper out right now. He is a great lyricist, story-teller, and an amazing free-styler. I am hoping those hours waiting in line for tickets will pay off after tonight's concert. I am also hoping no one gets hurt at this concert, especially after the recent events with Wildcat fellow students dying at concert scenes. The rest of the week will be watching the Red Sox, Bruins and Patriots. I can't help that I am a beloved Boston sports fan.

 I will also be working on homework, including the article. So with this all said and done, I will be getting ready for the concert. Oh, and I just read an interesting article on The Boston Globe about how today marks the official date to where The Boston Globe is bought by Red Sox owner John Henry.

An article I had to squid out

I am not a fan of being late. That includes everything, whether it is a meeting, a class, sporting event, television show, date, anything. It turns out that this week story that I have spent a couple days working on just hasn't been working in my favor. Not being able to get in touch with a UNH campus fire chief really was something that bothered me.

 I spent a couple of times calling and leaving messages, but I was unable to get a call back in order to get credible quotes to the story I was working on. I was able to receive quotes from students, UNH Dining Hall director, but I needed to speak with the fire chief to bring my article at full-circle. It is just unfortunate because it wasn't the lack of me not trying to get this article done, it was the lack of response from the source that I needed.

 All in all, it leaves me with using my pass to "squid" out an article that is due for the class. Stories are getting hard to come by for me as it seems, and I knew this story would have been a good thing to write about, but I knew if I didn't have the quote from the fire chief that this article would have lacked credibility, so I have to dismiss it. However, I do have an article in mind for this coming week and I am excited for that. I think I just need more practice on finding stories, and really getting the sources I need. Maybe if I took a trip up to the fire department I would have been in better luck than trying to get in touch via phone.

The more I think of it, the more I feel like I cheated myself out of an article, because that would have been a great thing to do. All in all, I am late with this article, and the pass will have to be used. Am I disappointed? A little bit, but at least this pass will be used and it will push myself more to go out and find a story then laying back on a pass to just get me by.

It's a win-win situation for me and I am one to look on the brighter things in life. I take this past "fail" attempt at an article as I lesson learned, and that is not to give up, and to always keep pushing for answers; whether it is going out your way to get in touch with someone or simply looking at other angles to take into consideration with finding a story within a story.

Covering UNH men's hockey

Last night I was at the Whittemore Center for the UNH vs Michigan men's hockey game. The best thing about being there was being able to cover the game from the press box. I had an opportunity to go to the game with one of my co-workers from TNH and cover the game, and I jumped right on it! The game was fast-paced, exciting, at the edge of your seat thriller type of game that went into overtime.

The game resulted in a tie 1-1, however it was just a great atmosphere to be in. I envy all the other journalist or media people who live showing up to these types of games on a regular basis. Someday I would like to be apart of that consistently. During the game my job was to write a side-bar story, which is a side story on a particular event, player that stands out in the game. These stories range from 500-600 words, and are directed to the reader for a more in-depth look on something they might have not seen at the game.

For instance, Michigan's starting goaltender went out, which allowed there back up (a freshman) a shot to play, and it was his first ever game in net. Right there is a story, and to some people out in the crowds, might have not realized that this goaltender was a freshman and was playing in his first game. The side-bar story that I decided to write about is how UNH is using two goaltenders in the season, at least for now. There is a little controversy with two goaltenders switching in and out of starts, however it brings up a good story to write about. Jeff Wyer took the start last night in net, and today Casey DeSmith will be in net for the Wildcats.

So, it is interesting to see what UNH Head Coach Dick Umile is trying to do with this swapping of goalies so early in the season. Is it because he is trying to decide which goaltender to ride during the crucial last part of the season? Or is it because he has two solid goaltenders who he can play back and forth, thus allowing the opposing team to be on their heels to whom they are preparing for in net? Either way it is really to early to make predictions, but it is an interesting topic to discuss as a side-bar story.

Getting the experience to cover the most popular sport here on campus is very exciting, and it is something I hope to get involved in more often. From being in the press box to asking interviews around a wide body of media in the media room is just so cool. With this type of experience, I can almost taste the work life I will be pursuing, and doing after college.

Working for TNH this semester and future goals.

I just came back from a staff writers meeting tonight, and I felt like writing about TNH. This is now my second year working for the student-run newspaper and it has just been a great experience. I first started out as a contributor last September, until I got hired in October for the staff writing position. I have been in sports the whole time, and I love it.

Sports and writing is a passion of mine, so it is obviously the perfect match! However, I would like to experiment with other articles other than sports to write about. That's a goal of mine. Another goal of mine is being given the title of sports editor, and I think I have a great shot for next year.

Things have been going well, and my articles are really improving. Including my last article, where my editors praised about how well it was written. It has given me huge confidence in the next articles I will be writing. I really think News Writing 621 has helped with my article's being better. My next sport I will be covering for TNH is men's basketball, and I am excited for that starting in November. I have never written about basketball, so I think it will be a great experience to get my hands in another sport.

Overall, TNH has given me a great opportunity to tune in my writing skills, and also shape me into a better news writer. Another goal of mine is to participate in production nights this semester, which is helping the paper be put out for the following morning. I think it will also be a great opportunity for me to learn the tools and trade of how a newsroom works as far as playing with the technology, setting up articles in the paper, formatting, and all that good stuff that makes a newspaper. It is going to be exciting, and I can't wait to start doing more. The more I do, the better I will get.

Boston Globe article reaction: Together despite all, glimpsing the distant finish.

This article was simply amazing. Sarah Schweitzer beautifully crafted a profile of Marc Fucarile, an injured victim of the Boston bombings that took place last April. Schweitzer opens the article with an image, that draws the reader in.

"Three days had passed since the bombs went off.

Doctors had done what they could and left him to recover in a coma. She was sitting by his side when he opened his eyes. There was panic in them.

She asked him: Who’s the most beautiful girl in the world? It was a question he had posed rhetorically and answered a thousand times.

Jenny May, he whispered. He remembered." ~ Sarah Schweitzer

In the opening lines we get a beautiful, yet touching image of Fucarile's fiancee waiting at his hospital bed. Not only does Schweitzer paint an image, she brings in the relationship of these two people without mentioning it.  

As the long piece goes on, Schweitzer continues to craft the story well. She breaks down the piece into several subheadings, that represent the main idea, and also the long journey of being at a hospital bed to where the two stand today.

One of my favorite moments of this piece is when Schweitzer focuses in on the struggle, and busy schedule of her catering to her injured fiancee months after the bombing.

"THREE WEEKS into being home, they are rarely there.

The refrigerator-mounted white board on Aug. 6 is typical: Monday: 11:30 a.m. Dr. Kwon @ MGH; Tuesday: 10 a.m. PT @ Peabody Spaulding, 2:15 p.m. Dr. Goverman @ MGH; Wednesday 10:15 a.m. Dr. Crandell, 11:15 a.m. Speech therapy, 3 p.m. Dr. Schneider @ Spaulding; Thursday: 9:30 a.m. visiting nurse; Friday: PT 10:30 a.m., OT 11:30 a.m.

Jen pads out of the bedroom shortly before 9 a.m. Her hair is combed into wet pleats and her skin is scrubbed to a taut sheen. Eyeliner seems to hold her eyes open." ~ Sarah Schweitzer

Not only does Schweitzer describe "they are really there" with the overwhelming number of appointments in the week, but closes it out with Jen being drained out from the words "eyeliner seems to hold her eyes open." Schweitzer displays of in the moment scenes, and that takes the reader back a bit on the journey as a whole. What makes this profile so great, is her descriptions, her ways of picking the right scenes to fit the article, and the lasting appeal this article carries. It is heavenly thriving on emotion, and it really makes the piece, because it is such a serious profile on a serious event that took place a few months ago. 

Going into my profile, I wanted to strive to paint an image, and most importantly get the lasting appeal and I believe this article is something to strive for, because it is just so great. 

Check out the article here:

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/10/12/together-despite-all-glimpsing-distant-nish/oXFtpHuZqmOn430ddmtNbM/story.html  

Speech story continued.....or not?

Turns out the speech story is not happening anymore. Being a writer series, Collier was there to read a few of his poems and well that was it. Getting a speech out of poems and a few words regarding how he created them is not bulletin material, therefore I went after a profile with the UNH soccer team, whom I write for on a weekly basis for the school newspaper: TNH. The profile will be covering UNH goalkeeper Travis Worra, who is having a breakout year in net, so I though it was newsworthy since he is No.2 in the country with goals against average, and save percentage. It was kind of depressing not to be able to do a speech story, since I thought it would be interesting to see how a poet creates his/her poems, and how long the writing process takes. The speech story will live another day in due time. The profile piece is interesting, because I look into the background of Worra, the road to get to UNH, and well to where he is now. It's always interesting to see how student athletes do what they do, and well getting to talk to a few of them, they are just as human as everyone. Obviously they are playing on a scholarship, so they have to live up to high standards, and on top of that show up to class, and do well in school. If the profile didn't work, then I could have a potential wide range of stories since it is homecoming weekend, and well there was a heck of a lot of tailgating going on today. Overhearing a police officer, and some other people who were in the area of the tailgate witnessed over 6,000 people tailgating, which is one of the bigger numbers the campus has seen in over 20 years. It would have been interesting to look into homecoming weekend as a whole, and how it is a getaway for students/alumni to get together and celebrate. Overall, I was satisfied with my work, even though I had to switch up a last minute story, but that's what journalists have to do. They have to adjust, think on their feet, and well I think I'm learning how to do just that early on. It's a good sign!

Speech Day

Today I will take a crack at reporting a speech. Oh. Boy. I am a tad bit nervous about it, because it's out of my comfort zone on writing. However, it will be quite interesting how I will come up with a good story behind it. The speech will be taking place in a few hours on campus as part as a writing series taken place at the MUB.

 I did some research on the speaker (Michael Collier) before hand, so I at least have an idea of what he is about. He is a poet, a very acclaimed one as a matter of fact. So, it should be interesting on what he has to say. I NEED GOOD QUOTES. Good quotes are going to fuel the story, and well since it is a speech.....it kinda has too don't you think? Writing has been on my side so far, and I feel good about whatever I write, but it will not matter how good my writing is unless I have some good quotes. They can't be cliches, and they can't be irrelevant.

Coming into this speech, I am going to try to depict a quote that will resemble the whole lecture as a whole, basically pertaining to why Collier is here at UNH doing a lecture. News Writing 621's book of "Inside Reporting" has been a great tool for me, and has given me some ideas of how to go about writing this speech story effectively.

 So there you have it. I have a plan, and I have a speech story to cover today, and I am looking forward to getting this checked off from the series of different articles I have to write. I will inform you all on the aftermath of this lecture later on, and hopefully it will be all good news shared!