Thursday, May 6, 2010
Jounalism appreciation
After taking this course I have a new found appreciation for professional journalists. I think that before I took this course I clumped journalists and the media together as the same entity. I have no respect for the media and so I felt that root cause of this was the journalists,who I thought at the time were just writers of propaganda. However, after taking this class I am able to determine the difference between not only good and bad journalists, but also their ethical and moral values as a journalist. Now when I read the paper or watch the news I critique the AP writing styles, and how well the author attributes their information. This has helped me appreciate the good journalists, and ignore the bad. Another thing I have learned from this class is how much work and stress is involved in producing breaking news stories. I can now appreciate how well features are written because I know that good features are only written because the reporter knows how to conduct good reviews. Basically, I see journalism in a much better light now, and I realize that these professionals are actually really smart and hardworking.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
News Summary
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/us/05flood.html?ref=us
The Cumberland River’s water level has receded a foot by Tuesday morning, expected to lower by an additional 11 feet by Wednesday. Nashville it’ four surrounding counties faced a flash flood over the weekend that killed 24 people, and left many houses and business damaged by the storm.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Story 9
Michael Seymour is the vice president of operations at the Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Coon Rapids Campus. He has worked as the VP of ARCC for the last eight years, but for the first five years of his ARCC career he worked as one of the first technology directors of the school. Seymour says that now, there isn’t a second that he is not thinking of the institution. He stated that after being involved with the college for as long as he has, his career became bigger then himself. He stated that ARCC helped him to mature as a person, openly stating that he has grown much more patient since he took on the role of VP, but admits that if he had been asked 12 years ago, he would never have imagined himself sitting in the vice president’s chair that he is sitting in now.
Seymour was born in Milwaukie Wis. 1964, he was raised in Sheboygan Wis. for the first half of his childhood with is little brother Mando, and his parents Eufemia, and Jerry Seymour. Seymour commented on how his brother and mother both had unique names. He explained that his mother was full blooded Mexican-American which sheds light to her distinct name. Mando however, was coincidently named Mando short for the American title Commando of the 1962 film Maria o Crepa, Seymour recalled however, that most people just called him John. When he was about six-years-old, Seymour’s mother became quite passionate with the civil rights movement for bettering rights of migrant workers. Sadly, it was her passion and involvement that his mother had for this cause which ultimately led to the divorce of Seymour’s parents.
When Seymour was about eight-years-old, he and Mando went to live in Escanaba Mich. to spend the rest of their childhood with their father’s mother, Elizabeth Seymour. Seymour calls his grandma, as a “real heck of a lady,” He stated “There were a lot of good times growing up in upper Michigan, it was outdoorsy, a lot of hunting, fishing, snow mobiliing, so all of that was good.” However, for Seymour growing up in what he classifies as a broken household he admitted it was hard to get involved in his school work, not to mention he could receive no help from his grandmother who had only a 6th grade reading level.
Seymour worked his first Job as a dock attendant in Escanaba and continued to work this position for all four years of his college career. Seymour attended Ferris State University for his Associates and Bachelors in television production, and also achieved earning his masters in teaching there as well. After attending Ferris State, Seymour initially worked making and editing training videos out for the corporate offices of General Motors, he admitted that it was a dull, unfulfilling job and decided to pursue a more technological career, because he had learned a lot in the way of computer functionality due to the ever changing technological advancements in the television production field.
Seymour moved to Minn. because of a job offer, he started working as a technology college professor at a small university located in Austin Minn. Seymour stated that the market was too small for his career in Austin, which is how he ended up at ARCC, where he started his path towards Vice Presidency; he worked as what he says was “one of the first technology directors of the school.” While it may seem odd to have jumped from technology director to Vice President, Seymour explained that the mindset between the two is not as different as they may seem. He described that as a technology instructor he usually thought in a mathematical business-like manner, which he says is the sort of thinking he is required to use as the Vice President as well.
Seymour is now living with his wife Karla, and their two children, Tori, 15 and Tyler, 11 along with their dog Murphy Macray in Andover Minn. Seymour stated that besides hunting with Murphy, he mostly enjoys spending time watching his children participate in their own distinct activities. However, he states that he is happy to take advantage of all the time he can get with his family, admitting that the hardest part of being the VP of ARCC is finding a balance between the college and his family.
Seymour said that he has been part of many changes he has been a part of at ARCC over the last 12 years. He admits however, that nothing is really done by one person, saying that “a lot of people contribute to the success of ARCC, I would never say, so and so works for me, but that they work with me.” He says that he feels the biggest impact he has had on ARCC is what he calls the coming together of the Coon Rapids and Cambridge campuses over the last decade, stating that when he came on as the VP, the campuses were like two separate entities, and now the relationship in regard to business alignment as well as student services is better than ever.
He accredits the faculty and students for helping to make the institution what it is today, acknowledging that every new day presents new obstacles that challenges the established perimeters, obstacles that he and the faculty have to find solutions to in order to keep the “highly regarded” reputation ARCC has earned over the years strong, but Seymour says that after time “It seems easy. People just look around and they see that thing are not that bad, we have facilities, nice technology, nice Do-able workloads, and all those other things that make for a nice place to work. Safe environment, civil people, doesn't just happen, it takes leadership from the president down, or the students up."
Seymour was born in Milwaukie Wis. 1964, he was raised in Sheboygan Wis. for the first half of his childhood with is little brother Mando, and his parents Eufemia, and Jerry Seymour. Seymour commented on how his brother and mother both had unique names. He explained that his mother was full blooded Mexican-American which sheds light to her distinct name. Mando however, was coincidently named Mando short for the American title Commando of the 1962 film Maria o Crepa, Seymour recalled however, that most people just called him John. When he was about six-years-old, Seymour’s mother became quite passionate with the civil rights movement for bettering rights of migrant workers. Sadly, it was her passion and involvement that his mother had for this cause which ultimately led to the divorce of Seymour’s parents.
When Seymour was about eight-years-old, he and Mando went to live in Escanaba Mich. to spend the rest of their childhood with their father’s mother, Elizabeth Seymour. Seymour calls his grandma, as a “real heck of a lady,” He stated “There were a lot of good times growing up in upper Michigan, it was outdoorsy, a lot of hunting, fishing, snow mobiliing, so all of that was good.” However, for Seymour growing up in what he classifies as a broken household he admitted it was hard to get involved in his school work, not to mention he could receive no help from his grandmother who had only a 6th grade reading level.
Seymour worked his first Job as a dock attendant in Escanaba and continued to work this position for all four years of his college career. Seymour attended Ferris State University for his Associates and Bachelors in television production, and also achieved earning his masters in teaching there as well. After attending Ferris State, Seymour initially worked making and editing training videos out for the corporate offices of General Motors, he admitted that it was a dull, unfulfilling job and decided to pursue a more technological career, because he had learned a lot in the way of computer functionality due to the ever changing technological advancements in the television production field.
Seymour moved to Minn. because of a job offer, he started working as a technology college professor at a small university located in Austin Minn. Seymour stated that the market was too small for his career in Austin, which is how he ended up at ARCC, where he started his path towards Vice Presidency; he worked as what he says was “one of the first technology directors of the school.” While it may seem odd to have jumped from technology director to Vice President, Seymour explained that the mindset between the two is not as different as they may seem. He described that as a technology instructor he usually thought in a mathematical business-like manner, which he says is the sort of thinking he is required to use as the Vice President as well.
Seymour is now living with his wife Karla, and their two children, Tori, 15 and Tyler, 11 along with their dog Murphy Macray in Andover Minn. Seymour stated that besides hunting with Murphy, he mostly enjoys spending time watching his children participate in their own distinct activities. However, he states that he is happy to take advantage of all the time he can get with his family, admitting that the hardest part of being the VP of ARCC is finding a balance between the college and his family.
Seymour said that he has been part of many changes he has been a part of at ARCC over the last 12 years. He admits however, that nothing is really done by one person, saying that “a lot of people contribute to the success of ARCC, I would never say, so and so works for me, but that they work with me.” He says that he feels the biggest impact he has had on ARCC is what he calls the coming together of the Coon Rapids and Cambridge campuses over the last decade, stating that when he came on as the VP, the campuses were like two separate entities, and now the relationship in regard to business alignment as well as student services is better than ever.
He accredits the faculty and students for helping to make the institution what it is today, acknowledging that every new day presents new obstacles that challenges the established perimeters, obstacles that he and the faculty have to find solutions to in order to keep the “highly regarded” reputation ARCC has earned over the years strong, but Seymour says that after time “It seems easy. People just look around and they see that thing are not that bad, we have facilities, nice technology, nice Do-able workloads, and all those other things that make for a nice place to work. Safe environment, civil people, doesn't just happen, it takes leadership from the president down, or the students up."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
News Summary
Two students were robbed and assaulted walking southeast on university Ave at 2:10 am on April 25 2010. The two students sustained minor injuries, these students are just two more robbed added to the list of people who have been assaulted near the University of Minnesota, downtown Minneapolis campus.
http://www.startribune.com/local/92271529.html?elr=KArks:DCiUnP::DE8c7PiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
http://www.startribune.com/local/92271529.html?elr=KArks:DCiUnP::DE8c7PiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Story 8
A random poll taken on April 20, 2010 consisting of twenty participants shows that the majority polled believe that college is a worthwhile investment in their future. Ninety percent of the poll participants are past or present college students. Of the 20 students polled 13 of them believed that college is worth their time and money.
The poll was made up of twenty American- Midwest, middle- class men and women, their ages ranging from 19-55 years old. Thirty percent of the group answered that they were going to school in order to receive a better job, another 30 percent of the students said they were or had been attending college because they were working at getting into a desired field. 20 percent of the students said they were only attended college because it was expected of them. Only five percent of the students polled stated that they were attending college to learn, with the other 10 percent not attending school, or going for other purposes.
Almost thirty percent of the polled group stated that they were able to pay for their college expenses out of their own pocket. However, more than half of the poll participants answered yes to receiving financial aid, with less than 10 percent of having benefited from grants and scholarships. Ninety-one percent of the students who answered yes to receiving financial aid said that they were only able to pay for school with the help of student loans that must be paid back. Almost thirty percent of the polled group stated that they were able to pay for their college expenses out of their own pocket.
President Obama announced the details of the Education Reconciliation Act at NOVA Community College of North Virginia, on March 30, 2010. In his speech the President announced that the Education Reconciliation Act is aimed to help middle-class Americans pay for college tuition, by means of increasing maximums on scholarships and grants, and by tripling the already largest existing educational tax credit known as the “bettering education credit.” The poll results showed that Sixty-five percent of students believed that college was a worthwhile investment; however the results were torn fifty – fifty when the students were asked if their additional schooling should be paid for by the government.
In his speech at NOVA, President Obama also stated that the Education Reconciliation Act will include steps to better prepare high school students for their college experience. These steps may help reduce the amount of money students lose every year because of taking unnecessary classes. Only Thirty five percent of the polled students said that high school prepared them enough for college, leaving the other sixty five unsure in a new atmosphere. This is shown in the results with almost half of the students stating that they had changed their majors at least once, 90 percent of those students answering that they lost money on classes and books that they did not need.
The poll was made up of twenty American- Midwest, middle- class men and women, their ages ranging from 19-55 years old. Thirty percent of the group answered that they were going to school in order to receive a better job, another 30 percent of the students said they were or had been attending college because they were working at getting into a desired field. 20 percent of the students said they were only attended college because it was expected of them. Only five percent of the students polled stated that they were attending college to learn, with the other 10 percent not attending school, or going for other purposes.
Almost thirty percent of the polled group stated that they were able to pay for their college expenses out of their own pocket. However, more than half of the poll participants answered yes to receiving financial aid, with less than 10 percent of having benefited from grants and scholarships. Ninety-one percent of the students who answered yes to receiving financial aid said that they were only able to pay for school with the help of student loans that must be paid back. Almost thirty percent of the polled group stated that they were able to pay for their college expenses out of their own pocket.
President Obama announced the details of the Education Reconciliation Act at NOVA Community College of North Virginia, on March 30, 2010. In his speech the President announced that the Education Reconciliation Act is aimed to help middle-class Americans pay for college tuition, by means of increasing maximums on scholarships and grants, and by tripling the already largest existing educational tax credit known as the “bettering education credit.” The poll results showed that Sixty-five percent of students believed that college was a worthwhile investment; however the results were torn fifty – fifty when the students were asked if their additional schooling should be paid for by the government.
In his speech at NOVA, President Obama also stated that the Education Reconciliation Act will include steps to better prepare high school students for their college experience. These steps may help reduce the amount of money students lose every year because of taking unnecessary classes. Only Thirty five percent of the polled students said that high school prepared them enough for college, leaving the other sixty five unsure in a new atmosphere. This is shown in the results with almost half of the students stating that they had changed their majors at least once, 90 percent of those students answering that they lost money on classes and books that they did not need.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
News Summary
Parking meter upgrade
The Minneapolis city council agreed to a 6.6 million dollar investment to upgrade the cities new parking meters. The new meters will not only be solar powered, but also payable by credit card. The parking meter overhaul is set to be completed by 2012.
http://www.startribune.com/local/91129109.html?page=2&c=y
The Minneapolis city council agreed to a 6.6 million dollar investment to upgrade the cities new parking meters. The new meters will not only be solar powered, but also payable by credit card. The parking meter overhaul is set to be completed by 2012.
http://www.startribune.com/local/91129109.html?page=2&c=y
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Story 7
In a recent Poll of 30 Anoka-Ramsey community college students, two thirds of the students currently receive financial aid to help pay for school, and 13 of these students said that they would benefit from an increase in the maximum of financial aid awarded to them. The majority of students asked said that tuition was the most challenging expense of ARCC, with the cost of books at a close second.
On March 29th 2010 President Obama unveiled the new reconciliation act. In the reconciliation act Obama focuses on how to make college more readily available and affordable to every prospective and current college student in the United States. Of the twenty students that currently receive financial aid from ARCC, 16 of the polled students receive aid by loan, four by scholarships and 3 were unsure which kind of aid they received. According to Whitehouse.gov the reconciliation act aims to solve college expense issues by completely eliminating banks as private school loan lenders, which only one fifth of the students asked, stated they receive. This would make all student loans directly from the government.
Obama also stated that there would be an increase in the number of students who receive the Pell grant as well as a raise in the maximum amount awarded to each student from the Pell grant. At ARCC however, only five of the 30 students currently utilize the already existing Pell grant. In addition to this the reconciliation act will help to expand the income-based loan repayment plans to graduated students, and make the FASFA forms easier to fill out.
On March 29th 2010 President Obama unveiled the new reconciliation act. In the reconciliation act Obama focuses on how to make college more readily available and affordable to every prospective and current college student in the United States. Of the twenty students that currently receive financial aid from ARCC, 16 of the polled students receive aid by loan, four by scholarships and 3 were unsure which kind of aid they received. According to Whitehouse.gov the reconciliation act aims to solve college expense issues by completely eliminating banks as private school loan lenders, which only one fifth of the students asked, stated they receive. This would make all student loans directly from the government.
Obama also stated that there would be an increase in the number of students who receive the Pell grant as well as a raise in the maximum amount awarded to each student from the Pell grant. At ARCC however, only five of the 30 students currently utilize the already existing Pell grant. In addition to this the reconciliation act will help to expand the income-based loan repayment plans to graduated students, and make the FASFA forms easier to fill out.
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