After allegations of animal abuse and neglect the owner of Serenity Ridge Farm defended her business against complaints made by some of her former clients.
Serenity Ridge is a horse boarding facility in Pullman, WA and owner and manager of the stable Katie Peet-Walker said the allegations were “malicious,” “frustrating” and “disappointing.”
Whitman County Sheriff Brett Meyers said he received a concerned phone call regarding animal neglect at the stable earlier this year. When he went out to the farm to investigate it he said he found the claim to be unfounded.
“I didn’t see anything that rose to the level of concern where we would get involved,” he said.
Meyers said often times people have different definitions of neglect however he found nothing criminal.
The Whitman County Sheriff’s Office received a similar complaint in September of last year, he said. A different officer investigated the claim, but concluded it was also unfounded.
Since January, about 10 clients have taken their horses from Serenity Ridge, former boarders Erika Matson and Alexa Rolin said.
Walker said that number is not true and only five clients have left since then. She also said many clients at the stable are happy with it and love being there.
In her first phone conversation with the Daily Evergreen, Walker said she was “in the middle of a lawsuit” against some of her former clients. Later when she met with the Daily Evergreen she said she had not filed charges yet but is working with a lawyer to see if they have a case.
“We are exploring a libel case just because we don’t want it to impact future relations,” she said. “It’s a small town. There is no basis for the very malicious attack.”
Regional investigator for the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Zan Deery said they are also investigating a pattern of complaints with the farm.
“We’ve gotten enough complaints to raise a red flag,” Deery said.
Serenity Ridge is doing their best to work with the BBB, Walker said, however she has doubts they will reach an agreement.
“We don’t see that we will ever get to the same page because the complaints are so malicious,” she said.
Walker alleged most of the complaints were written late at night, after “dinner parties” and after the complainants had “gotten drunk.” She also said former clients came drunk to barn meetings.
“There is only so much you can do when the requests are just so absolutely ridiculous,” Walker said.
A main concern of many former clients was the weight loss of the horses due to the feed, former boarder and WSU veterinary graduate student Melissa Best said.
“The hay she was feeding (the horses) was really sub-standard,” she said. “(Walker) had tried to grow and harvest it herself.”
Walker insisted the quality of the hay was not sub-standard and there is no way to know its nutritional value by looking at it, she said.
Another former client Alexa Rolin said she was also concerned about her horses’ weight loss.
She began boarding at the farm in August 2009 and had no complaints for the majority of her time there, she said. However she said she kept a close eye on her horses because she began to suspect they were not fed or given water on a regular basis.
“After winter break I came back (this year) and both of my horses had lost quite a bit of weight,” she said.
Walker said it was not uncommon for horses to lose weight during the winter because of the weather. She also said she does not think any horse on the farm was emaciated.
Last summer another former boarder at Serenity Ridge said her horse also lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time.
Senior communication major Amy Dean said she and two friends boarded their horses at the stable for a few months but left earlier than planned due to dissatisfaction.
“We found our horses without water a lot of the time and it was 90 degrees last summer,” Dean said.
Walker said the problems were due to miscommunications because the agreement with Dean and her friends for pasture board, and the stable’s only responsibility was to provide water, not food.
“This is a boarding facility but your horse is your responsibility,” she said. “If you are not communicating to the management what you need than it is not going to get changed.”
Another former client Erika Matson said she kept her horse at the stable for about three months before she left in early March.
When she arrived, she said there were a lot of things promised to her by Walker that were not provided.
“Pretty soon stalls weren’t being cleaned and horses weren’t being fed,” Matson said. “So after that we had to take care of our own horses but still pay for a full-care facility. Things really just went downhill.”
Walker said she thought it was unfair the focus was on her farm because many other stables in the Pullman area have issues as well.
“The sad truth is that there isn’t anywhere to go in Pullman,” Walker said.
Many people have to do their own horse care but pay full board, she said. A lot of students at first have unrealistic expectations because they come from places where they pay a lot more money, and then come to Pullman and are shocked by how much work is required of them.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Secret
I think most of the people I interview are full of shit. And I think people who ask me if they can be "anonymous sources" are cowards.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
No.
The copy editor and editor did not know about the letter to the judge.
Also, she was in the public eye for five years, making her a public figure. Even though she is a limited public figure, she put herself into fame and wanted to be famous by going onto American Idol.
Her husband was also on a reality TV show, which adds more fame to their job.
Her drug abuse and alcoholism was a very public issue when she was in the public eye.
Also, she was in the public eye for five years, making her a public figure. Even though she is a limited public figure, she put herself into fame and wanted to be famous by going onto American Idol.
Her husband was also on a reality TV show, which adds more fame to their job.
Her drug abuse and alcoholism was a very public issue when she was in the public eye.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Feature story
Frozen pipes, mold, mice, and floods were all problems junior communication major Jacob Kenna and his six roommates faced this year while living in their rental house.
When they moved in, the house was dirty, and there was trash left behind by the previous tenants.
They also had mice in their kitchen.
These types of problems are common complaints of students who rent and live in the older buildings and houses on College Hill.
Many students when considering where to live make their priority the location of the house instead of the quality and condition of it, WSU’s Director of Student Assistance Programs, Karen Fischer said.
A lot of the houses closer to campus are older and create many problems for students, she said.
During the sudden cold snap in February, the pipes in Kenna’s house froze and then later burst, flooding the basement of the house.
It took two weeks until the all of the water was cleaned up by their rental agency.
Kenna said he and his roommates called their agency, DRA Real Estate, regarding the stagnant water numerous times.
The owner and manager of the DRA, Kathy Wilson said there was flooding and frozen pipes at Kenna’s residence, however she feels the agency responded appropriately.
She said when she sent people to clean up the water, the basement was so full of the tenant’s stuff it was impossible to clean up all of it.
“When I sent people to clean it up no (tenants) would get out of bed to move the stuff in the basement,” Wilson said. “They have so much stuff down there that they couldn’t clean up the water. You can’t clean up water if you can’t get to it.”
Wilson said she never allows her tenants to live in these types of conditions; unless they chose to do so.
“They weren’t ignored when there was water all over their floor,” Wilson said. “But they declined to get up and help us move anything. I simply can’t hire people to go move their stuff.”
When the weather gets cold and pipes begin to freeze, Wilson said she keeps plumbers on-call because frozen pipes are sometimes unavoidable.
She doesn’t consider frozen pipes to be the tenant’s fault as long as they have taken all the precautionary measures to avoid it, such as leaving the heat on to at least 60 degrees.
This year, she did not charge any of her tenants including Kenna, for the cost and damage of frozen pipes.
These types of problems, as well as other issues students have when living off-campus is a serious concern for the dean of students’ office, Fischer said.
Some of these issues she hoped could be avoided by informing students and new tenants about their legal rights and giving them advice during WSU’s housing fair.
Another tenant of the DRA and a junior mechanical engineering major Aaron Martz, said in the past he has been involved in legal disputes with rental agencies and he believes the university should do something to help protect students from bad rental situations.
“I don’t know why someone with more power doesn’t do something,” Martz said. “It’s hard for college students to go to court and spend the time and the money.”
Fischer said a few years ago there was an idea for the creation of a program affiliated with WSU that would keep rental properties and agencies who rented to students accountable for the quality of housing they provide.
However the idea never moved forward because the university does not have the legal right to inspect private residences or properties.
“There are codes for the city to regulate,” she said. “If you don’t have a safe premise, and it doesn’t meet code, then you can contact the city and request an inspection.”
Dan Harlander, a Pullman building inspector said college students seldom file a complaint or a request for an inspection.
“Their mothers come in after the students have already rented the place,” he said. “That’s when problems happen.”
The health and safety of DRA’s tenants are Wilson’s main priority in her business. She said she believes every property managed by the DRA meets Pullman’s building and fire codes.
“Every one of my tenants deserves to have a house that is safe and healthy,” Wilson said. “And I believe we provide that.”
Sources
Kathy Wilson
DRA Real Estate
Phone:(509) 334-7700
Karen Fischer
Dean of Students’ Office
509-335-6665
Jacob Kenna
Communication Major
503-984-1576
Dan Harlander
Pullman building inspector
509-338-3230
Aaron Martz
Mechanical engineering major
509-387-1538
When they moved in, the house was dirty, and there was trash left behind by the previous tenants.
They also had mice in their kitchen.
These types of problems are common complaints of students who rent and live in the older buildings and houses on College Hill.
Many students when considering where to live make their priority the location of the house instead of the quality and condition of it, WSU’s Director of Student Assistance Programs, Karen Fischer said.
A lot of the houses closer to campus are older and create many problems for students, she said.
During the sudden cold snap in February, the pipes in Kenna’s house froze and then later burst, flooding the basement of the house.
It took two weeks until the all of the water was cleaned up by their rental agency.
Kenna said he and his roommates called their agency, DRA Real Estate, regarding the stagnant water numerous times.
The owner and manager of the DRA, Kathy Wilson said there was flooding and frozen pipes at Kenna’s residence, however she feels the agency responded appropriately.
She said when she sent people to clean up the water, the basement was so full of the tenant’s stuff it was impossible to clean up all of it.
“When I sent people to clean it up no (tenants) would get out of bed to move the stuff in the basement,” Wilson said. “They have so much stuff down there that they couldn’t clean up the water. You can’t clean up water if you can’t get to it.”
Wilson said she never allows her tenants to live in these types of conditions; unless they chose to do so.
“They weren’t ignored when there was water all over their floor,” Wilson said. “But they declined to get up and help us move anything. I simply can’t hire people to go move their stuff.”
When the weather gets cold and pipes begin to freeze, Wilson said she keeps plumbers on-call because frozen pipes are sometimes unavoidable.
She doesn’t consider frozen pipes to be the tenant’s fault as long as they have taken all the precautionary measures to avoid it, such as leaving the heat on to at least 60 degrees.
This year, she did not charge any of her tenants including Kenna, for the cost and damage of frozen pipes.
These types of problems, as well as other issues students have when living off-campus is a serious concern for the dean of students’ office, Fischer said.
Some of these issues she hoped could be avoided by informing students and new tenants about their legal rights and giving them advice during WSU’s housing fair.
Another tenant of the DRA and a junior mechanical engineering major Aaron Martz, said in the past he has been involved in legal disputes with rental agencies and he believes the university should do something to help protect students from bad rental situations.
“I don’t know why someone with more power doesn’t do something,” Martz said. “It’s hard for college students to go to court and spend the time and the money.”
Fischer said a few years ago there was an idea for the creation of a program affiliated with WSU that would keep rental properties and agencies who rented to students accountable for the quality of housing they provide.
However the idea never moved forward because the university does not have the legal right to inspect private residences or properties.
“There are codes for the city to regulate,” she said. “If you don’t have a safe premise, and it doesn’t meet code, then you can contact the city and request an inspection.”
Dan Harlander, a Pullman building inspector said college students seldom file a complaint or a request for an inspection.
“Their mothers come in after the students have already rented the place,” he said. “That’s when problems happen.”
The health and safety of DRA’s tenants are Wilson’s main priority in her business. She said she believes every property managed by the DRA meets Pullman’s building and fire codes.
“Every one of my tenants deserves to have a house that is safe and healthy,” Wilson said. “And I believe we provide that.”
Sources
Kathy Wilson
DRA Real Estate
Phone:(509) 334-7700
Karen Fischer
Dean of Students’ Office
509-335-6665
Jacob Kenna
Communication Major
503-984-1576
Dan Harlander
Pullman building inspector
509-338-3230
Aaron Martz
Mechanical engineering major
509-387-1538
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
1. “Megan Fox is a man!” Headline on Weekly World News Web site
- Not if it is parody.
2. “Up until the day he died, he was a brilliant writer. But the drugs made him a thief, a pimp and a liar,” said friend Karen Smith, who was with Johnson at the time of his death.
- No because he is dead.
3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist,” the prosecutor told the jury.
- no because it is in court (?)
4. "In my opinion, he's a murdering rapist," the man said at the rally.
- yes.. if he is found not guilty. (even though it's opinion it can still be found to be true or false, therefore it can still be libelous and sometimes opinion can be as damaging as presenting it as 'fact')
- Not if it is parody.
2. “Up until the day he died, he was a brilliant writer. But the drugs made him a thief, a pimp and a liar,” said friend Karen Smith, who was with Johnson at the time of his death.
- No because he is dead.
3. “In my opinion, Kevin is a murdering rapist,” the prosecutor told the jury.
- no because it is in court (?)
4. "In my opinion, he's a murdering rapist," the man said at the rally.
- yes.. if he is found not guilty. (even though it's opinion it can still be found to be true or false, therefore it can still be libelous and sometimes opinion can be as damaging as presenting it as 'fact')
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Murrow Symposium Ledes
The key to a successful media career is forming an identity that cuts through the clutter, Eric Johnson from KOMO TV.
One constant of journalism is change, the assistant managing editor of the Seattle Times Eric Ulken said during the Murrow Symposium Tuesday.
One constant of journalism is change, the assistant managing editor of the Seattle Times Eric Ulken said during the Murrow Symposium Tuesday.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Trend Story: Increase in popularity and enrollment in online-based courses
Online-based classes continue to increase in enrollment and popularity at WSU due to the flexibility and convenience it offers students in fulfilling their General Education Requirements (GERs.)
Enrollment in online courses and in WSU’s distance degree program rises an average 10 percent each year, Debbie O’Donnell, director of marketing and student experience for the Center for Distance and Professional Education said.
“It’s a national trend that WSU will also be participating in,” said O’Donnell. “I think that the institution can expect growth in the online programs.”
In addition to online GER courses for on-campus students, WSU also has numerous online degree and certificate programs for students who are unable to attend an actual university campus.
“Overall, the appeal is the flexibility online courses offer,” O’Donnell said.
Another attraction is the quality of the online classes, she said. The same WSU professors and instructors who teach the on-campus sections of the class also teach the online ones as well.
“The reality is that an online course is as really as good as the instructor makes it,” O’Donnell said. “We have ways of making online courses very interactive and very engaging. It’s not like you sit in front of a computer and have no interaction with your classmates or instructor.”
Danica Goodman, a junior art history major, is currently enrolled in the online Spanish 101 course in order to fulfill the foreign language requirement for her major. However, she said she would not recommend a taking a language class online.
“It’s not what I expected,” Goodman said. “I realized that taking a foreign language should be done in a classroom.”
She said she chose to take Spanish to fill her language requirement because she already took two years of it during high school.
Even though she was already familiar with basic-level Spanish, she said taking the course online was much more difficult than it would be than if she were in an actual classroom.
“There is no way to figure out pronunciation unless you find someone to help you or have taken classes before,” Goodman said.
It’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time without a lot of help, she said.
Spanish 102 is also offered online, however Goodman said she plans to take it next year in an actual classroom instead.
“It’s just easier to learn a foreign language from a person than from a computer,” she said.
Spanish 101 was not Goodman’s first online course she had taken at WSU.
“I have taken online history and online math and those were alright,” she said.
Goodman is one of 70 students enrolled in either the online sections of Spanish 101 or Spanish 102. Each individual class can have up to as many as 100 students.
Laurie Heustis, the Academic Coordinator for the Department of Foreign Languages & Cultures said Spanish 101 and Spanish 102 are the only two language classes at WSU offered online.
The Spanish classes, she said, were created for students who needed to fulfill the university’s language requirement but attended WSU campuses that did not have language classes, like the Tri-Cities campus.
Overall, Heustis said had heard mixed reviews from students regarding online classes.
It’s a good way for students to get their foreign language university requirement done, especially if they have conflicts in their class schedule, she said.
She said often times however students are hesitant about taking online classes.
“I really think it depends on learning style,” Heustis said. “Some like that learning style and some would rather be in the classroom.”
In the future, Heustis said, the foreign language department may look to offer more online classes, however not for the more advanced language courses because of the importance of one-on-one interaction.
Sources
Debbie O’Donnell
Director of marketing and student experience for the Center for Distance and Professional Education
509 335-3557
Danica Goodman
509-953-3235
danica.goodman@email.wsu.edu
Laurie Heustis
Academic Coordinator for the department of Foreign Languages & Cultures
509-335-4136
Enrollment in online courses and in WSU’s distance degree program rises an average 10 percent each year, Debbie O’Donnell, director of marketing and student experience for the Center for Distance and Professional Education said.
“It’s a national trend that WSU will also be participating in,” said O’Donnell. “I think that the institution can expect growth in the online programs.”
In addition to online GER courses for on-campus students, WSU also has numerous online degree and certificate programs for students who are unable to attend an actual university campus.
“Overall, the appeal is the flexibility online courses offer,” O’Donnell said.
Another attraction is the quality of the online classes, she said. The same WSU professors and instructors who teach the on-campus sections of the class also teach the online ones as well.
“The reality is that an online course is as really as good as the instructor makes it,” O’Donnell said. “We have ways of making online courses very interactive and very engaging. It’s not like you sit in front of a computer and have no interaction with your classmates or instructor.”
Danica Goodman, a junior art history major, is currently enrolled in the online Spanish 101 course in order to fulfill the foreign language requirement for her major. However, she said she would not recommend a taking a language class online.
“It’s not what I expected,” Goodman said. “I realized that taking a foreign language should be done in a classroom.”
She said she chose to take Spanish to fill her language requirement because she already took two years of it during high school.
Even though she was already familiar with basic-level Spanish, she said taking the course online was much more difficult than it would be than if she were in an actual classroom.
“There is no way to figure out pronunciation unless you find someone to help you or have taken classes before,” Goodman said.
It’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time without a lot of help, she said.
Spanish 102 is also offered online, however Goodman said she plans to take it next year in an actual classroom instead.
“It’s just easier to learn a foreign language from a person than from a computer,” she said.
Spanish 101 was not Goodman’s first online course she had taken at WSU.
“I have taken online history and online math and those were alright,” she said.
Goodman is one of 70 students enrolled in either the online sections of Spanish 101 or Spanish 102. Each individual class can have up to as many as 100 students.
Laurie Heustis, the Academic Coordinator for the Department of Foreign Languages & Cultures said Spanish 101 and Spanish 102 are the only two language classes at WSU offered online.
The Spanish classes, she said, were created for students who needed to fulfill the university’s language requirement but attended WSU campuses that did not have language classes, like the Tri-Cities campus.
Overall, Heustis said had heard mixed reviews from students regarding online classes.
It’s a good way for students to get their foreign language university requirement done, especially if they have conflicts in their class schedule, she said.
She said often times however students are hesitant about taking online classes.
“I really think it depends on learning style,” Heustis said. “Some like that learning style and some would rather be in the classroom.”
In the future, Heustis said, the foreign language department may look to offer more online classes, however not for the more advanced language courses because of the importance of one-on-one interaction.
Sources
Debbie O’Donnell
Director of marketing and student experience for the Center for Distance and Professional Education
509 335-3557
Danica Goodman
509-953-3235
danica.goodman@email.wsu.edu
Laurie Heustis
Academic Coordinator for the department of Foreign Languages & Cultures
509-335-4136
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Most Telling Details
An elderly couple knee-deep in water push across a flooded street with their walkers, a military tank driving past them on the street behind.
A young woman sits on the side of a deserted highway, a shopping cart filled with her last remaining belongings - shoes and clothes - beside her.
A young woman sits on the side of a deserted highway, a shopping cart filled with her last remaining belongings - shoes and clothes - beside her.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
anecdotes and evidence - social media and athletes
1. How does the writer use personal accounts and anecdotes to enrich the story?
Burnett used the example of Isaiah Thomas tweeting, and how WSU students reacted to it.
2. What evidence does the writer provide to demonstrate the subject's story is part of a larger trend or problem?
He included information about universities hiring private companies to monitor athletes facebook and twitter.
Burnett used the example of Isaiah Thomas tweeting, and how WSU students reacted to it.
2. What evidence does the writer provide to demonstrate the subject's story is part of a larger trend or problem?
He included information about universities hiring private companies to monitor athletes facebook and twitter.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Uncertainty about the future price of tuition impacts Washington’s prepaid college tuition program
Stephanie Iris Schendel
Cost of tuition at Washington’s public universities and colleges will continue to rise and due to the unpredictability of these increases, legislators are proposing changes to the future pay-out method of the state’s prepaid college-savings program.
The Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program was created to make saving for college more affordable and accessible to Washington’s families, said Betty Lochner, the director of the GET Program. The sustainability of program however depends on predictable increases of tuition prices.
“The concern about GET is really a reflection of what is going to happen to tuition predictability over the long-term,” Don Bennett, the executive director of the Higher Education Coordinating Board said.
Because the price of tuition remains unpredictable, there is legislative concern of creating a liability for future purchasers, Bennett said.
When a person buys a year of tuition with the current GET Program, they are guaranteed to receive a future pay-out that covers tuition and mandatory student fees at whichever Washington’s most-expensive public university will be at that time.
“In the way the state is moving currently they want to have much higher tuition for University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) than the other schools,” Lochner said. “They want to de-link that (price) from the GET Program so it is not paying out at the highest tuition.”
Chio Flores, the director of financial aid and scholarships at WSU said she can understand why the state of Washington is taking the precautionary method of trying to change the pay-out of the program.
“The reality is that tuition always increases and it has always increased,” Flores said. “The types of increases that we have been seeing in the past ten years however, have been much more significant and remarkable (than before).”
The recent financial crisis caused even higher spikes in tuition than usual, she said, including the 14 percent rise to WSU’s tuition two years ago.
Another significant increase in WSU’s tuition is likely to happen again, she said.
“The amount in the past has been dictated by the state,” Flores said. “It has been capped at no more than a 7 percent increase and it takes legislative action to remove that cap.”
Currently, there is proposed legislation to remove that cap for the next two years, which would allow up to an additional 11 percent hike to tuition, she said.
Increase in the cost of higher education is not unique to Washington, Lochner said. Prepaid college programs similar to Washington’s GET Program in other states have faced the same problem.
“Texas probably is the most recent one that has restructured their program to a different pay-out,” Lochner said. “They are getting about 25 percent of the new enrollment than they got from the old program. For example, we get about 10,000 new enrollments a year that would take it down to 2,500.”
If legislation regarding the GET Program passes, it would change the pay-out method to be a “weighted average” of tuition growth of all public institutions of higher education, including community colleges, Lochner said.
“Because the community college system has so many students, about 125,000, it would weigh that top (tuition increase) way down,” she said.
The changes to the program will make it more difficult and complicated for families to plan for college, she said, especially for more expensive universities like WSU and UW.
“Our job is to run the program the best way we can and implement any changes,” Lochner said. “We don’t necessarily agree with those changes.”
She also said people who are already in the program and enrolled through March 31 of this year will not be affected by the change.
Sources
Don Bennett
360.753.7831
donb@hecb.wa.gov
Chio Flores
509.335.9720
cflores@wsu.edu
Betty Everitt Lochner
BettyL@HECB.WA.GOV
360-753-7871 (office)
Outline
Lede: Uncertainty about the future price of tuition impacts Washington’s prepaid college tuition program
First Section:
Why Washington needs to change the pay-out method
Introduce all three sources
Second section:
History and future of rising tuition prices
Third section:
How rising tuition makes it nearly-impossible for a tuition based program to exist
What that means for families planning for college
How the program would be specifically change
Other state-based university saving programs
Cost of tuition at Washington’s public universities and colleges will continue to rise and due to the unpredictability of these increases, legislators are proposing changes to the future pay-out method of the state’s prepaid college-savings program.
The Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program was created to make saving for college more affordable and accessible to Washington’s families, said Betty Lochner, the director of the GET Program. The sustainability of program however depends on predictable increases of tuition prices.
“The concern about GET is really a reflection of what is going to happen to tuition predictability over the long-term,” Don Bennett, the executive director of the Higher Education Coordinating Board said.
Because the price of tuition remains unpredictable, there is legislative concern of creating a liability for future purchasers, Bennett said.
When a person buys a year of tuition with the current GET Program, they are guaranteed to receive a future pay-out that covers tuition and mandatory student fees at whichever Washington’s most-expensive public university will be at that time.
“In the way the state is moving currently they want to have much higher tuition for University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) than the other schools,” Lochner said. “They want to de-link that (price) from the GET Program so it is not paying out at the highest tuition.”
Chio Flores, the director of financial aid and scholarships at WSU said she can understand why the state of Washington is taking the precautionary method of trying to change the pay-out of the program.
“The reality is that tuition always increases and it has always increased,” Flores said. “The types of increases that we have been seeing in the past ten years however, have been much more significant and remarkable (than before).”
The recent financial crisis caused even higher spikes in tuition than usual, she said, including the 14 percent rise to WSU’s tuition two years ago.
Another significant increase in WSU’s tuition is likely to happen again, she said.
“The amount in the past has been dictated by the state,” Flores said. “It has been capped at no more than a 7 percent increase and it takes legislative action to remove that cap.”
Currently, there is proposed legislation to remove that cap for the next two years, which would allow up to an additional 11 percent hike to tuition, she said.
Increase in the cost of higher education is not unique to Washington, Lochner said. Prepaid college programs similar to Washington’s GET Program in other states have faced the same problem.
“Texas probably is the most recent one that has restructured their program to a different pay-out,” Lochner said. “They are getting about 25 percent of the new enrollment than they got from the old program. For example, we get about 10,000 new enrollments a year that would take it down to 2,500.”
If legislation regarding the GET Program passes, it would change the pay-out method to be a “weighted average” of tuition growth of all public institutions of higher education, including community colleges, Lochner said.
“Because the community college system has so many students, about 125,000, it would weigh that top (tuition increase) way down,” she said.
The changes to the program will make it more difficult and complicated for families to plan for college, she said, especially for more expensive universities like WSU and UW.
“Our job is to run the program the best way we can and implement any changes,” Lochner said. “We don’t necessarily agree with those changes.”
She also said people who are already in the program and enrolled through March 31 of this year will not be affected by the change.
Sources
Don Bennett
360.753.7831
donb@hecb.wa.gov
Chio Flores
509.335.9720
cflores@wsu.edu
Betty Everitt Lochner
BettyL@HECB.WA.GOV
360-753-7871 (office)
Outline
Lede: Uncertainty about the future price of tuition impacts Washington’s prepaid college tuition program
First Section:
Why Washington needs to change the pay-out method
Introduce all three sources
Second section:
History and future of rising tuition prices
Third section:
How rising tuition makes it nearly-impossible for a tuition based program to exist
What that means for families planning for college
How the program would be specifically change
Other state-based university saving programs
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Apparently I stink at basic math.
1. Last year, the school spent $8,300 for office equipment. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year?
$7,885
2. The spelling and grammar test was taken by 217 students. Thirty-seven failed. What percent passed?
83 percent passed.
3. We have a company. We make crap. Some people get paid more than others.
* The CEO earns $150,000 a year. She has a nice office and thinks big ideas.
* Two top managers earn $100,000 a year for attending meetings, writing memos, etc.
* The company has three security guards. They bust heads and carry Tasers. They earn $40,000 a year.
* Finally, we have designers/engineers. They do the actual work. We pay them $35,000 and put them in cubicles like zoo animals.
Mean salary? - $67,500
Median salary? - $40,000
Which is more accurate? - $40,000
4. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax on food is 5 percent. But if you buy beer, you pay an extra percent, or a total of 6 percent. Supporters of the tax say this is only a 1 percentage increase; critics say this is a 20 percent increase. Who is right?
1 percent increase in relation to the price of beer.
20 percent increase in relation to the tax on food.
5. a. The city’s budget was cut from $2 million to $1.5 million. What was the percent decrease?
25 percent decrease
b. The city’s budget increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. What was the percent increase?
33.3333 percent increase
6. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
10.6 percent
7. We want to look at home sales in October.
* House 1 costs $225,000.
* House 2 costs $207,000.
* House 3 costs $129,000.
* House 4 costs $192,000.
* House 5 costs $3.2 million.
What’s the mean price? What’s the median?
Median: $207,000
Mean: $790,600
8. You and your four roommates have ordered a 16-slice pizza. Because you skipped lunch, it is agreed that you should have a 1/4 share of the total. The roommates divide the remainder equally. How much does each one get?
3 slices each
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. Assume the following:
* Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502.
* Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000.
Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? What's the per capita assault rate in each city?
10. House prices increased 40 percent this year to a median price of $210,000. What was the median house price last year?
(Credit: Poynter Institute)
$7,885
2. The spelling and grammar test was taken by 217 students. Thirty-seven failed. What percent passed?
83 percent passed.
3. We have a company. We make crap. Some people get paid more than others.
* The CEO earns $150,000 a year. She has a nice office and thinks big ideas.
* Two top managers earn $100,000 a year for attending meetings, writing memos, etc.
* The company has three security guards. They bust heads and carry Tasers. They earn $40,000 a year.
* Finally, we have designers/engineers. They do the actual work. We pay them $35,000 and put them in cubicles like zoo animals.
Mean salary? - $67,500
Median salary? - $40,000
Which is more accurate? - $40,000
4. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax on food is 5 percent. But if you buy beer, you pay an extra percent, or a total of 6 percent. Supporters of the tax say this is only a 1 percentage increase; critics say this is a 20 percent increase. Who is right?
1 percent increase in relation to the price of beer.
20 percent increase in relation to the tax on food.
5. a. The city’s budget was cut from $2 million to $1.5 million. What was the percent decrease?
25 percent decrease
b. The city’s budget increased from $1.5 million to $2 million. What was the percent increase?
33.3333 percent increase
6. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
10.6 percent
7. We want to look at home sales in October.
* House 1 costs $225,000.
* House 2 costs $207,000.
* House 3 costs $129,000.
* House 4 costs $192,000.
* House 5 costs $3.2 million.
What’s the mean price? What’s the median?
Median: $207,000
Mean: $790,600
8. You and your four roommates have ordered a 16-slice pizza. Because you skipped lunch, it is agreed that you should have a 1/4 share of the total. The roommates divide the remainder equally. How much does each one get?
3 slices each
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. Assume the following:
* Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502.
* Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000.
Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? What's the per capita assault rate in each city?
10. House prices increased 40 percent this year to a median price of $210,000. What was the median house price last year?
(Credit: Poynter Institute)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Edit Your Peers
1. In the past the government was able to control public messages to Arab countries now, however, social media cannot be regulated.
2. Tunisia was the first nation to revolt against its government on Jan. 14.
3. Founding Dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and speaker Dr. Lawrence Pintak said the recorded beating of a man had taped illegal police activity.
4. Cell phone pictures of a Tunisian fruit vendor who lit himself on fire in protest of police seizing his fruit cart were broadcast online, which ignited conflict throughout Arab nations.
5. Rev. Jesse Jackson talked about lessons learned from the civil rights movement. If people became politically active, then they can change government policy.
6. The 18-day revolution in Egypt was not an expected event, the oppressed lower-class Arabs had been preparing for years, Pintak said.
7. The Arab government pulled the plug on the Internet in January.
8. “I loved the 90s,” Smith said. The 1990s resulted in more technological innovations that any decade in the 20th Century, she said.
1. In the past the government was able to control public messages to Arab countries now, however, social media cannot be regulated.
2. Tunisia was the first nation to revolt against its government on Jan. 14.
3. Founding Dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and speaker Dr. Lawrence Pintak said the recorded beating of a man had taped illegal police activity.
4. Cell phone pictures of a Tunisian fruit vendor who lit himself on fire in protest of police seizing his fruit cart were broadcast online, which ignited conflict throughout Arab nations.
5. Rev. Jesse Jackson talked about lessons learned from the civil rights movement. If people became politically active, then they can change government policy.
6. The 18-day revolution in Egypt was not an expected event, the oppressed lower-class Arabs had been preparing for years, Pintak said.
7. The Arab government pulled the plug on the Internet in January.
8. “I loved the 90s,” Smith said. The 1990s resulted in more technological innovations that any decade in the 20th Century, she said.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
5621
SB 5621 - DIGEST
Allows students, having attained the age of fourteen as
of the date of the election, to vote in school board elections
for the district in which they are enrolled and in good
standing.
Senator White
No fiscal note
Allows students, having attained the age of fourteen as
of the date of the election, to vote in school board elections
for the district in which they are enrolled and in good
standing.
Senator White
No fiscal note
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
HB 5749
1. guarantees tuition prices for future college students
2. 119,000
3. Students will pay S&A fees at the time of enrollment
HB 1325
1. Representatives Hunt, Dammeier, Darneille, Liias, Carlyle, Roberts, Jinkins, Orwall, Kenney, Hasegawa, McCoy, Fitzgibbon, Tharinger
2. Reorganizes school districts
3. about 150 school districts
4. Save money
5. $1,079,210
HB 1116
1. Contracting state liquor stores
2. Representatives Alexander, Dammeier.
3. Public Hearing on Feb. 7
4. NONE
2. 119,000
3. Students will pay S&A fees at the time of enrollment
HB 1325
1. Representatives Hunt, Dammeier, Darneille, Liias, Carlyle, Roberts, Jinkins, Orwall, Kenney, Hasegawa, McCoy, Fitzgibbon, Tharinger
2. Reorganizes school districts
3. about 150 school districts
4. Save money
5. $1,079,210
HB 1116
1. Contracting state liquor stores
2. Representatives Alexander, Dammeier.
3. Public Hearing on Feb. 7
4. NONE
Politics: You are the editor response
If I were to publish a story about this issue I would have the focus of the article be on the senator's response to the accusations, not necessarily the accusations of the blogger. I would primarily focus on how the senator responded, whether the senator plans on suing, and then explain what the blogger said and the blogger's credibility.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Speech Story
Stephanie Schendel
Journalism 305
Speech story
Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter fueled the recent revolution in Egypt and uprisings throughout the Middle East, Lawrence Pintak, former CBS Middle East correspondent and founding dean of the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication said in a lecture Tuesday.
“The dominoes aren’t falling, but the wave of change is coming to the Middle East,” he said. “And that wave of change is a perfect storm that brings together media, a new resurgent form of journalism, the new uses of social media and the years and decades of anger and frustration in the Arab world.”
It began in Tunisia, he said, when a fruit stand vendor lit himself on fire after the police had harassed him on several occasions, and finally took away his cart.
“This revolt was literally sparked by flames,” he said.
Cell phone video footage and pictures of the man engulfed in flames were spread onto the internet, which caused protests throughout Tunisia, he said.
That is when social media kicked in, Pintak said. The media in Tunisia, like many Arab countries, is primarily dominated by the government, he said. The government however, was unable to control social media sites such as Youtube and Facebook, which spread the video.
Though the revolution in Tunisia lasted only a few weeks, Pintak said, it sent shockwaves throughout the region, and in the last two weeks there has been protests in a number of different Middle Eastern countries.
Social and political activists in Egypt were particularly inspired by the success in Tunisia, he said.
“The Egyptian bloggers are the most active in the Arab world,” he said.
He said sites like Twitter allowed activists in Egypt to be in “constant conversation” with one another and to coordinate meeting places and times.
While protesting, activists were simultaneously “tweeting the revolution,” Pintak said.
He said the activists in Egypt had previously worked with other governments and organizations overseas to learn how to surpass their government’s firewalls and blocks on the internet.
“It was an 18 day revolution, but it was years in the making,” he said.
He also said the Egyptian activists learned from the mistakes of the Iranian “revolution that wasn’t” two years ago.
For example, in order to avoid getting their videos and pictures confiscated, they switched memory cards out of their cameras mid-protest and gave it to someone else to upload onto the internet almost immediately, Pintak said.
By the time the government “pulled the plug” on the internet, it was too late to stop the effects of the protests and they were being broadcasted on the satellite TV channels, he said.
Even without social media, Pintak said, revolution and change would have eventually come to Egypt and the Middle East.
“You can’t have a revolution without people,” he said. “(But) you can have a revolution without technology.”
All technology did was speed up the process, he said.
At this point in time, the future of Egypt still remains uncertain, he said, and it now depends on how the citizens decide to restructure their government.
“It is easy to all be united when there is somebody to hate,” he said.
The real challenge comes in deciding what needs to happen next, Pintak said.
Pintak has recently been featured on news networks such as NPR, CNN, PBS, BBC and the New York Times due to his expertise on the Middle East, Karen Weathermon the co-director of the common reading program said.
He also served as the director for journalism training at the American University in Ciaro, Egypt, she said.
“This news story is very relevant for college students because they are so immersed in social media,” Weathermon said. “We think of it generally as entertainment but to see social media and its potential political power, it provides most students with a different take on the methods of communication and connection.”
The lecture was a part of the year long event series hosted by WSU’s Common Reading Program. It was open to the public and he addressed a group of students, faculty and community members.
Weathermon said there were 123 people in the audience.
“He is a very good speaker (and) he is very knowledgeable about this topic,” she said.
Sarah Robinson, a senior journalism major said she enjoyed Pintak’s lecture and how he understood the situation from an Arab perspective.
“He had a lot of insight I had not heard,” she said.
She also said it was interesting how he talked about how social media, such as Facebook, facilitated the revolution.
Outline
1.How the revolution in the Middle East started
a.Tunisia, how he lit himself on fire
b.Relationship between the media and the government
c.Role of social networking/cell phones
2.Tunisia’s effect on Egypt
a.Youtube, cell phone videos
b.Activists in Egypt
cBlogging and Twitter
3.What’s next in Egypt?
4.About the lecture
5.Student reaction.
Sources
Speaker: Lawrence Pintak
Karen Weathermon
kweathermon@wsu.edu
509 335-5488
Sarah Robinson
Sarah.robinson@email.wsu.edu
Journalism 305
Speech story
Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter fueled the recent revolution in Egypt and uprisings throughout the Middle East, Lawrence Pintak, former CBS Middle East correspondent and founding dean of the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication said in a lecture Tuesday.
“The dominoes aren’t falling, but the wave of change is coming to the Middle East,” he said. “And that wave of change is a perfect storm that brings together media, a new resurgent form of journalism, the new uses of social media and the years and decades of anger and frustration in the Arab world.”
It began in Tunisia, he said, when a fruit stand vendor lit himself on fire after the police had harassed him on several occasions, and finally took away his cart.
“This revolt was literally sparked by flames,” he said.
Cell phone video footage and pictures of the man engulfed in flames were spread onto the internet, which caused protests throughout Tunisia, he said.
That is when social media kicked in, Pintak said. The media in Tunisia, like many Arab countries, is primarily dominated by the government, he said. The government however, was unable to control social media sites such as Youtube and Facebook, which spread the video.
Though the revolution in Tunisia lasted only a few weeks, Pintak said, it sent shockwaves throughout the region, and in the last two weeks there has been protests in a number of different Middle Eastern countries.
Social and political activists in Egypt were particularly inspired by the success in Tunisia, he said.
“The Egyptian bloggers are the most active in the Arab world,” he said.
He said sites like Twitter allowed activists in Egypt to be in “constant conversation” with one another and to coordinate meeting places and times.
While protesting, activists were simultaneously “tweeting the revolution,” Pintak said.
He said the activists in Egypt had previously worked with other governments and organizations overseas to learn how to surpass their government’s firewalls and blocks on the internet.
“It was an 18 day revolution, but it was years in the making,” he said.
He also said the Egyptian activists learned from the mistakes of the Iranian “revolution that wasn’t” two years ago.
For example, in order to avoid getting their videos and pictures confiscated, they switched memory cards out of their cameras mid-protest and gave it to someone else to upload onto the internet almost immediately, Pintak said.
By the time the government “pulled the plug” on the internet, it was too late to stop the effects of the protests and they were being broadcasted on the satellite TV channels, he said.
Even without social media, Pintak said, revolution and change would have eventually come to Egypt and the Middle East.
“You can’t have a revolution without people,” he said. “(But) you can have a revolution without technology.”
All technology did was speed up the process, he said.
At this point in time, the future of Egypt still remains uncertain, he said, and it now depends on how the citizens decide to restructure their government.
“It is easy to all be united when there is somebody to hate,” he said.
The real challenge comes in deciding what needs to happen next, Pintak said.
Pintak has recently been featured on news networks such as NPR, CNN, PBS, BBC and the New York Times due to his expertise on the Middle East, Karen Weathermon the co-director of the common reading program said.
He also served as the director for journalism training at the American University in Ciaro, Egypt, she said.
“This news story is very relevant for college students because they are so immersed in social media,” Weathermon said. “We think of it generally as entertainment but to see social media and its potential political power, it provides most students with a different take on the methods of communication and connection.”
The lecture was a part of the year long event series hosted by WSU’s Common Reading Program. It was open to the public and he addressed a group of students, faculty and community members.
Weathermon said there were 123 people in the audience.
“He is a very good speaker (and) he is very knowledgeable about this topic,” she said.
Sarah Robinson, a senior journalism major said she enjoyed Pintak’s lecture and how he understood the situation from an Arab perspective.
“He had a lot of insight I had not heard,” she said.
She also said it was interesting how he talked about how social media, such as Facebook, facilitated the revolution.
Outline
1.How the revolution in the Middle East started
a.Tunisia, how he lit himself on fire
b.Relationship between the media and the government
c.Role of social networking/cell phones
2.Tunisia’s effect on Egypt
a.Youtube, cell phone videos
b.Activists in Egypt
cBlogging and Twitter
3.What’s next in Egypt?
4.About the lecture
5.Student reaction.
Sources
Speaker: Lawrence Pintak
Karen Weathermon
kweathermon@wsu.edu
509 335-5488
Sarah Robinson
Sarah.robinson@email.wsu.edu
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
“Sure, I made up parts of my book. I've never admitted that before, but I am willing to say it now. The truth should not stand in the way of a good story. In fact, the most accurate stories are fragments of a person’s imagination. Writers who place emphasis on the truth do so at the expense of great stories. My best stories are completely false.”
1. Rewrite this quotation as the lede to your story. (Paraphrase the quotation.)
The truth should not stand in the way of a good story,award-winning journalist Jonathan Fabulist said in his admittance of fabricating parts of his auto-biography.
"Writers who place emphasis on the truth do so at the expense of great stories," he said. "My best stories are completely false.”
1. Rewrite this quotation as the lede to your story. (Paraphrase the quotation.)
The truth should not stand in the way of a good story,award-winning journalist Jonathan Fabulist said in his admittance of fabricating parts of his auto-biography.
"Writers who place emphasis on the truth do so at the expense of great stories," he said. "My best stories are completely false.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Peer Edit Redux
1. Washington state provided a subsidy of more than $2,000 for in-state students.
2. “The $13.5 million is the tip of a larger iceberg,” Jerry McCollum, the coordinator of arts and culture, said.
3. “The system is broken right now, we can’t live in a world with 14 percent tuition increases,” Floyd said.
4. The co-presidents announced a club for people who are interested in hiking.
5. “There are still new things to say with art music," Williams said. "It’s hard to stop and listen, but when you do it can be an extremely pleasant surprise.”
6. In September 2010, the wine-tasting endorsement will be available to stores, said Jane Westman, the culinary coordinator for Metropolitan Market.
7. He died from a heart attack in September 1996.
8. The club has its own audio engineer.
9. When the cannon exploded, the noise added to the excitement of the game.
Shorten the following sentences.
1. Sleep becomes less of a priority for many students.
2. A new workout routine is sweeping the country.
2. “The $13.5 million is the tip of a larger iceberg,” Jerry McCollum, the coordinator of arts and culture, said.
3. “The system is broken right now, we can’t live in a world with 14 percent tuition increases,” Floyd said.
4. The co-presidents announced a club for people who are interested in hiking.
5. “There are still new things to say with art music," Williams said. "It’s hard to stop and listen, but when you do it can be an extremely pleasant surprise.”
6. In September 2010, the wine-tasting endorsement will be available to stores, said Jane Westman, the culinary coordinator for Metropolitan Market.
7. He died from a heart attack in September 1996.
8. The club has its own audio engineer.
9. When the cannon exploded, the noise added to the excitement of the game.
Shorten the following sentences.
1. Sleep becomes less of a priority for many students.
2. A new workout routine is sweeping the country.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Five tips on interviewing. (Clemens on 60 minutes)
1. The interviewer met with him in his home
2. He read quotes of other people from the Mitchell Report.. not himself. Repeatedly said "from the Mitchell report, QUOTE"
3. Gave the opportunity for Mitchell to respond.
4. Questions the creditability of the source.. (fishing)
5. Does not pass his own judgements
2. He read quotes of other people from the Mitchell Report.. not himself. Repeatedly said "from the Mitchell report, QUOTE"
3. Gave the opportunity for Mitchell to respond.
4. Questions the creditability of the source.. (fishing)
5. Does not pass his own judgements
Peer Edit
Help a classmate. Correct the following sentences and publish to your blog.
1. California will be the first state to legalize cannabis use, Treasurer Alex J. Fortune said.
2. Public Works Director Mark Workman said the ordinance went into effect on Jan. 19.
3. The last three years have resulted in drastic cuts to WSU's budget.
4. Sen. Will Jones criticized the timing of the 5 percent increase in parking rates.
5. Twenty-one businesses replied.
6. The all-day event will allow the group to plan its agenda for the year.
7. “I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman," Parsons said. "I know my parents would have loved it.”
8. More than 10,000 fans packed into Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. to watch the Cougars take on the Huskies.
9. Entertainment, drink specials, and give-a-ways welcomed back the 21-and-older crowd.
10. “Turn your passion for social justice into action,” said Marguerite Medina, the UI GSA co-chair.
11. The legislation initiative was filed Wednesday, Jan. 26. The proposed initiative would legalize marijuana for Washington residents 18 years-and-older.
12. Mark Workman, the public works director, said police distributed 29 parking tickets last Veterans day.
Define the following acronyms. If you are unsure, guess.
EIS E... International Students?
SAAC - SA... Student Athletics committee?
WSURF - The Washington surf group? (Because there are so many places to surf in this state... especially in the middle of wheat fields.)
UI GSA - University of Idaho Gay Straight Alliance
IEW - Ewwwwwwwwww.
NORML - Marijuana group.
BSU - black student union
GIESORC - this is the ugliest looking acronym ever.
VIBES - The is the best-looking acronym ever.
DOLA - looks like the Spanish word for pain.
1. California will be the first state to legalize cannabis use, Treasurer Alex J. Fortune said.
2. Public Works Director Mark Workman said the ordinance went into effect on Jan. 19.
3. The last three years have resulted in drastic cuts to WSU's budget.
4. Sen. Will Jones criticized the timing of the 5 percent increase in parking rates.
5. Twenty-one businesses replied.
6. The all-day event will allow the group to plan its agenda for the year.
7. “I think it would have been cool to do something like that as a freshman," Parsons said. "I know my parents would have loved it.”
8. More than 10,000 fans packed into Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. to watch the Cougars take on the Huskies.
9. Entertainment, drink specials, and give-a-ways welcomed back the 21-and-older crowd.
10. “Turn your passion for social justice into action,” said Marguerite Medina, the UI GSA co-chair.
11. The legislation initiative was filed Wednesday, Jan. 26. The proposed initiative would legalize marijuana for Washington residents 18 years-and-older.
12. Mark Workman, the public works director, said police distributed 29 parking tickets last Veterans day.
Define the following acronyms. If you are unsure, guess.
EIS E... International Students?
SAAC - SA... Student Athletics committee?
WSURF - The Washington surf group? (Because there are so many places to surf in this state... especially in the middle of wheat fields.)
UI GSA - University of Idaho Gay Straight Alliance
IEW - Ewwwwwwwwww.
NORML - Marijuana group.
BSU - black student union
GIESORC - this is the ugliest looking acronym ever.
VIBES - The is the best-looking acronym ever.
DOLA - looks like the Spanish word for pain.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Speech ledes
Even though WSU's budget was cut by $54 million and tuition increased by 14 percent last year, until the economy is turned around, higher education will remain at risk District 9 Sen. Mark Schoesler said.
Few populations of amphibians have increased and about 180 species are already extinct, as global warming continues to grow worse, so does the impact on amphibians populations, Andrew Storfer, an associate professor at the WSU School of Biological Scienes said to the zoology club on Wednesday.
Few populations of amphibians have increased and about 180 species are already extinct, as global warming continues to grow worse, so does the impact on amphibians populations, Andrew Storfer, an associate professor at the WSU School of Biological Scienes said to the zoology club on Wednesday.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
best ledes
9. Despite a number of issues and concerns regarding his eligibility, the Washington State University Residence Hall Association elected sophomore business student Jordan Vandermeulen as their new Vice-President.
9 and 2 are the best ledes.
9 and 2 are the best ledes.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Meeting Story - Progressive Student Union
The Progressive Student Union (PSU) is facing difficulties in planning a concert and lecture featuring Immortal Technique, a social activist and rapper, due to university budget cuts and a general lack of funding.
Breanna Van Engelen, a political science major and PSU member in charge of planning the Immortal Technique events is currently re-negotiating with Immortal Technique the cost of the possible concert and lecture, she said in a PSU meeting Wednesday.
Due to a number of budget cuts affecting the Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), Aric Kleppin, one of the leaders of PSU and a 22-year-old History and Spanish major, said he doubted that the concert would take place this semester.
“The program that (the university) canceled was the Student Programming Grant, which is where RSOs get a lot of their money from,” Kleppin said. “In the budget cuts they got rid of that (grant) completely, so that kind of hurt our chances for having the concert.”
Tim Krautkraemer, a 21-year-old, comparative ethnic studies major and one of the leaders in PSU explained that in previous years RSOs could apply for the grant, which offered about $30,000 to $35,000 to fund the events of various student groups. Last semester, however the program was cut completely and replaced with a “Cougar Parent Grant,” which was a much smaller grant and more difficult for RSOs to apply for.
“We didn’t get any money out from the Cougar Parent Grant to fund the concert,” he said. “So that made it a lot harder. There is just less money going around for student groups on-campus.”
In addition to the university budget cuts, Engelen said the fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon, who had originally offered to help pay for the concert had recently dropped their offer.
Despite the budget setback, Engelen said she is still trying to negotiate a smaller fee with Immortal Technique to get him to come.
“I am trying to get him to come for the price of all his concert tickets,” she said. “Tickets would be $10 and we can fit 1,300 people in the CUB senior ballroom, so he would get paid (up to) $13,000.”
If Immortal Technique was willing to come for just the profit of the ticket sales, she said, then PSU would be responsible for only the costs of hosting the events.
“We would pay to put on the concert (and) lecture; all of the audio equipment, security, hotel, which would be like $4,000,” she said.
Kleppin said he thought $4,000 was a reasonable amount of money for the group to come up with, however he was not convinced it would be possible.
PSU may be able to get other student groups on-campus involved in the organization and funding of the events, such as the Black Student Union and Middle Eastern Student Association, he said.
“It is really important to get different perspectives and alternative opinions to a university the size of Washington State,” Krautkraemer said. “(Immortal Technique) is a really talented musician and really well-spoken and I think our university would benefit from hearing someone with experience with the criminal justice system and a really good perspective on global issues.”
Krautkraemer said it was the goal of PSU to promote diversity of perspectives and an awareness of global and social justice issues.
The idea of bringing Immortal Technique to campus was brought up last semester and PSU have been working on it ever since, he said.
“It is a really ambitious goal for a group our size and our budget,” Krautkraemer said. “I think it is going to be something really hard to organize given the financial situation with the student groups on campus.”
He said the tentative dates for the lecture and concert are April 22 and 23.
Engelen said she was currently waiting to hear back from Immortal Technique and by PSU meeting next Wednesday she would know whether he would be willing to come to WSU without a fixed rate.
OUTLINE
1. What happened?
a. Immortal Technique may or may not come to WSU because of budget cuts and price negotiations
b. There is still a possibility of him coming, it all depends on the outcome of current negotiations
2. How did the budget cuts affect the planning of the concert?
a. They affected all RSOs, making the possibility of a concert almost non-existent
b. Also the fraternity bailed on them.
c. How are they trying to get around this obstacle?
i. Trying to come up with a reasonable sum they will be able to fundraise for.
3. Why Immortal Technique? How does he fit into the Progressive Student Union’s views? What would he bring to WSU?
a. Diverse perspectives
b. He is a successful ex-con, who has a “different” and alternative perspective on global issues
Sources
Aric Kleppin, a student leader in PSU and a WSU student majoring in Spanish and History.
Aric.Kleppin@gmail.com
(907)748-7215
Tim Krautkraemer, one of the student leaders in PSU and a WSU student majoring in comparative ethnic studies.
509-339-3335
tkrautkraemer@wsu.edu
Breanna Van Engelen, event planner for Immortal Technique concert, PSU member and a WSU student majoring in political science
208-866-5919
breannav@wsu.edu
Breanna Van Engelen, a political science major and PSU member in charge of planning the Immortal Technique events is currently re-negotiating with Immortal Technique the cost of the possible concert and lecture, she said in a PSU meeting Wednesday.
Due to a number of budget cuts affecting the Registered Student Organizations (RSOs), Aric Kleppin, one of the leaders of PSU and a 22-year-old History and Spanish major, said he doubted that the concert would take place this semester.
“The program that (the university) canceled was the Student Programming Grant, which is where RSOs get a lot of their money from,” Kleppin said. “In the budget cuts they got rid of that (grant) completely, so that kind of hurt our chances for having the concert.”
Tim Krautkraemer, a 21-year-old, comparative ethnic studies major and one of the leaders in PSU explained that in previous years RSOs could apply for the grant, which offered about $30,000 to $35,000 to fund the events of various student groups. Last semester, however the program was cut completely and replaced with a “Cougar Parent Grant,” which was a much smaller grant and more difficult for RSOs to apply for.
“We didn’t get any money out from the Cougar Parent Grant to fund the concert,” he said. “So that made it a lot harder. There is just less money going around for student groups on-campus.”
In addition to the university budget cuts, Engelen said the fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon, who had originally offered to help pay for the concert had recently dropped their offer.
Despite the budget setback, Engelen said she is still trying to negotiate a smaller fee with Immortal Technique to get him to come.
“I am trying to get him to come for the price of all his concert tickets,” she said. “Tickets would be $10 and we can fit 1,300 people in the CUB senior ballroom, so he would get paid (up to) $13,000.”
If Immortal Technique was willing to come for just the profit of the ticket sales, she said, then PSU would be responsible for only the costs of hosting the events.
“We would pay to put on the concert (and) lecture; all of the audio equipment, security, hotel, which would be like $4,000,” she said.
Kleppin said he thought $4,000 was a reasonable amount of money for the group to come up with, however he was not convinced it would be possible.
PSU may be able to get other student groups on-campus involved in the organization and funding of the events, such as the Black Student Union and Middle Eastern Student Association, he said.
“It is really important to get different perspectives and alternative opinions to a university the size of Washington State,” Krautkraemer said. “(Immortal Technique) is a really talented musician and really well-spoken and I think our university would benefit from hearing someone with experience with the criminal justice system and a really good perspective on global issues.”
Krautkraemer said it was the goal of PSU to promote diversity of perspectives and an awareness of global and social justice issues.
The idea of bringing Immortal Technique to campus was brought up last semester and PSU have been working on it ever since, he said.
“It is a really ambitious goal for a group our size and our budget,” Krautkraemer said. “I think it is going to be something really hard to organize given the financial situation with the student groups on campus.”
He said the tentative dates for the lecture and concert are April 22 and 23.
Engelen said she was currently waiting to hear back from Immortal Technique and by PSU meeting next Wednesday she would know whether he would be willing to come to WSU without a fixed rate.
OUTLINE
1. What happened?
a. Immortal Technique may or may not come to WSU because of budget cuts and price negotiations
b. There is still a possibility of him coming, it all depends on the outcome of current negotiations
2. How did the budget cuts affect the planning of the concert?
a. They affected all RSOs, making the possibility of a concert almost non-existent
b. Also the fraternity bailed on them.
c. How are they trying to get around this obstacle?
i. Trying to come up with a reasonable sum they will be able to fundraise for.
3. Why Immortal Technique? How does he fit into the Progressive Student Union’s views? What would he bring to WSU?
a. Diverse perspectives
b. He is a successful ex-con, who has a “different” and alternative perspective on global issues
Sources
Aric Kleppin, a student leader in PSU and a WSU student majoring in Spanish and History.
Aric.Kleppin@gmail.com
(907)748-7215
Tim Krautkraemer, one of the student leaders in PSU and a WSU student majoring in comparative ethnic studies.
509-339-3335
tkrautkraemer@wsu.edu
Breanna Van Engelen, event planner for Immortal Technique concert, PSU member and a WSU student majoring in political science
208-866-5919
breannav@wsu.edu
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Outline to Seattle budget cuts.
I. What: Due to budget shortfall, the city of Seattle will be laying off 30 workers and shutting down libraries for a week.
II. Why it is happening/how will it be fixed: What exactly Mayor Nickels doing to make up for the shortfall. What specific programs will be fixed/cut.
A. Lower than expected tax revenue.
B. How he is making up for the shortfall.
III. How city is responding/what more is to come
A. Protesters
B. More budget cuts in future.
c. How much remains in
II. Why it is happening/how will it be fixed: What exactly Mayor Nickels doing to make up for the shortfall. What specific programs will be fixed/cut.
A. Lower than expected tax revenue.
B. How he is making up for the shortfall.
III. How city is responding/what more is to come
A. Protesters
B. More budget cuts in future.
c. How much remains in
Comma Drama
1. He looked through the door, but he did not see anyone inside the church.
2. "We could wait to see if anyone else came, or we could go back home," she said.
3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.
4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but its officers were unable to attend the event.
5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on Feb. 15.
6. He saw Karen and they had coffee.
7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, Wash., which ships them to Moscow, Idaho.
8. It was raining, we stayed home.
correct
9. Later he phoned again.
10. This will end up having an effect on consumers, she said.
11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos and Wulff.
2. "We could wait to see if anyone else came, or we could go back home," she said.
3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.
4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but its officers were unable to attend the event.
5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on Feb. 15.
6. He saw Karen and they had coffee.
7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, Wash., which ships them to Moscow, Idaho.
8. It was raining, we stayed home.
correct
9. Later he phoned again.
10. This will end up having an effect on consumers, she said.
11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos and Wulff.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Reordering the sentances...pt. 2
Danielle, Stephanie, Heidi
Four boys age 7 to 11 drowned when a group of seven boys plunged through thin ice.
It was the worst local Merrimack River tragedy in nearly a century.
The catastrophe left four boys dead, their families crushed and rescue workers shaken following an afternoon of fighting a river of broken ice, the steep mud-covered bank and driving rain.
As seven boys finished their snack run from the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club to Hanson's Market yesterday afternoon, a sudden urge to slide around prompted 11-year-old William Rodriguez to dash for the serene expanse of river ice.
It was a playful impulse that ended with his plunge through the ice, setting off an ill-fated rescue attempt that deteriorated into a mass of desperate children clinging to each other in 35-degree water.
Dead are William Rodriguez, 11, of 292 Howard St.; Christopher Casado, 7, of 18 Jasper Court; Mackendy Constant, 8, of 7 Clinton St.; and Victor Baez, 9, 46 Bernard Ave.
Surviving the incident were Francis Spraus, 9, 14 School St.; Christopher's brother Ivan Casado, 9, 18 Jasper Court; Jaycob Morales, 10, 4 Winslow Place.
Ivan and Francis were released from the hospital last night, and recalled the story from its quiet start.
"Willie said he wanted to go down to the river, to slide on the Ice," Ivan said. “We tried to stop him.”
"He was in the middle of the river," Francis said, Ivan finishing the sentence: "Then the ice broke and he fell down in the water."
"Then we all fell in," Francis said. "I thought I was going to drown."
The ice was one to two inches thick where they ventured off the river bank. Four inches is considered the minimum to support more than one person, and river ice may not be safe even at that thickness because of currents and other factors.
"My legs started to get stiff, and I had a freezing headache," Francis said. "I was hanging on to Christopher, but he started to slip under. I tried holding on to his hand, but it was like he let go."
Lawrence and Andover firefighters equipped with ice rescue suits arrived and after a search of the area where the boys went in, found the four remaining boys under the ice, 25 feet from shore in 15-20 feet of water.
Police said the four dead boys were trapped under the ice at least 10 minutes.
"I threw the rope out once and it landed too far away, so I threw it out again, and again it was too far for them to reach," said Jacques Fournier, a retired maintenance worker.
Because of the steep embankment, rescuers were forced to use ladders to bring the children up off the river to the waiting ambulances.
Members of the state police, Lawrence Police and Merrimack Valley dive teams entered the 38-degree water and conducted an area search to be sure no one was left behind.
Four boys age 7 to 11 drowned when a group of seven boys plunged through thin ice.
It was the worst local Merrimack River tragedy in nearly a century.
The catastrophe left four boys dead, their families crushed and rescue workers shaken following an afternoon of fighting a river of broken ice, the steep mud-covered bank and driving rain.
As seven boys finished their snack run from the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club to Hanson's Market yesterday afternoon, a sudden urge to slide around prompted 11-year-old William Rodriguez to dash for the serene expanse of river ice.
It was a playful impulse that ended with his plunge through the ice, setting off an ill-fated rescue attempt that deteriorated into a mass of desperate children clinging to each other in 35-degree water.
Dead are William Rodriguez, 11, of 292 Howard St.; Christopher Casado, 7, of 18 Jasper Court; Mackendy Constant, 8, of 7 Clinton St.; and Victor Baez, 9, 46 Bernard Ave.
Surviving the incident were Francis Spraus, 9, 14 School St.; Christopher's brother Ivan Casado, 9, 18 Jasper Court; Jaycob Morales, 10, 4 Winslow Place.
Ivan and Francis were released from the hospital last night, and recalled the story from its quiet start.
"Willie said he wanted to go down to the river, to slide on the Ice," Ivan said. “We tried to stop him.”
"He was in the middle of the river," Francis said, Ivan finishing the sentence: "Then the ice broke and he fell down in the water."
"Then we all fell in," Francis said. "I thought I was going to drown."
The ice was one to two inches thick where they ventured off the river bank. Four inches is considered the minimum to support more than one person, and river ice may not be safe even at that thickness because of currents and other factors.
"My legs started to get stiff, and I had a freezing headache," Francis said. "I was hanging on to Christopher, but he started to slip under. I tried holding on to his hand, but it was like he let go."
Lawrence and Andover firefighters equipped with ice rescue suits arrived and after a search of the area where the boys went in, found the four remaining boys under the ice, 25 feet from shore in 15-20 feet of water.
Police said the four dead boys were trapped under the ice at least 10 minutes.
"I threw the rope out once and it landed too far away, so I threw it out again, and again it was too far for them to reach," said Jacques Fournier, a retired maintenance worker.
Because of the steep embankment, rescuers were forced to use ladders to bring the children up off the river to the waiting ambulances.
Members of the state police, Lawrence Police and Merrimack Valley dive teams entered the 38-degree water and conducted an area search to be sure no one was left behind.
Reordering the sentances...
The city council voted unanimously to ban alcoholic energy drinks within Pullman city limits on Wednesday.
First, the city council discussed its consent agenda. Then it discussed whether local residents should be able to buy energy drinks that contain alcohol.
The council then discussed public intoxication, the threat to student health, and whether any laws prevented the council from banning the drinks.
“These college kids are out of control and caffeinated booze is the only cause,” said Councilman Arlen Judge. “A ban will solve all our problems at once.”
Students planned to protest the meeting, but only two students attended the meeting.
“We’re being hit with tuition increases and more debt. Please don’t take away our cheap buzz,” said Will Wilson, a 24-year-old undeclared sophomore.
Finally, after 45 minutes of debate, the City Council voted unanimously to ban alcoholic energy drinks within city limits.
'This ban will finally restore order to College Hill,” said Judith Peterson, a 44-year-old podiatrist who lives near campus.
The meeting was held at City Hall, 1492 Constitution Ave. It was a public meeting, and the public was invited to attend. The meeting began at 7 p.m.
First, the city council discussed its consent agenda. Then it discussed whether local residents should be able to buy energy drinks that contain alcohol.
The council then discussed public intoxication, the threat to student health, and whether any laws prevented the council from banning the drinks.
“These college kids are out of control and caffeinated booze is the only cause,” said Councilman Arlen Judge. “A ban will solve all our problems at once.”
Students planned to protest the meeting, but only two students attended the meeting.
“We’re being hit with tuition increases and more debt. Please don’t take away our cheap buzz,” said Will Wilson, a 24-year-old undeclared sophomore.
Finally, after 45 minutes of debate, the City Council voted unanimously to ban alcoholic energy drinks within city limits.
'This ban will finally restore order to College Hill,” said Judith Peterson, a 44-year-old podiatrist who lives near campus.
The meeting was held at City Hall, 1492 Constitution Ave. It was a public meeting, and the public was invited to attend. The meeting began at 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Active vs. passive
Active vs. passive
Would you change the following sentences? If not, why not? Rewrite those that need clarification.
1. Rubber-coated bullets were fired into the crowd by police in riot gear.
The police in riot gear fired rubber bullets into the crowd.
2. Later in the day, the employees were informed of the layoffs by the boss himself.
The boss informed the employees of the layoffs later that day.
3. With five seconds left, a three-point shot was missed by LeBron James.
With five seconds left, Lebron James missed the three-point shot.
4. Participants in the survey were asked about their changes in political affiliation.
The survey asked participants about their changes in political affiliation.
5. Tall buildings and mountain roads were avoided by Raoul because he had such a fear of heights.
Raoul avoided tall buildings and mountain roads because he had such a fear of heights
6. The bill is being considered by the Legislature.
The Legislature is considering the bill.
7. The tiny island has been destroyed by the earthquake.
The earthquake has destroyed the tiny island.
8. The class is reading the book.
Leave it as it is. "The class reads the book" makes it sound like they are doing it this second.
9. An experimental operation was performed at the hospital yesterday.
Leave it as it is... The hospital itself cannot perform an operation.
10. The wheat field was covered by debris from the downed airliner.
The downed airliner covered the wheat field with debris.
Red flag: “To be” + past participle
Would you change the following sentences? If not, why not? Rewrite those that need clarification.
1. Rubber-coated bullets were fired into the crowd by police in riot gear.
The police in riot gear fired rubber bullets into the crowd.
2. Later in the day, the employees were informed of the layoffs by the boss himself.
The boss informed the employees of the layoffs later that day.
3. With five seconds left, a three-point shot was missed by LeBron James.
With five seconds left, Lebron James missed the three-point shot.
4. Participants in the survey were asked about their changes in political affiliation.
The survey asked participants about their changes in political affiliation.
5. Tall buildings and mountain roads were avoided by Raoul because he had such a fear of heights.
Raoul avoided tall buildings and mountain roads because he had such a fear of heights
6. The bill is being considered by the Legislature.
The Legislature is considering the bill.
7. The tiny island has been destroyed by the earthquake.
The earthquake has destroyed the tiny island.
8. The class is reading the book.
Leave it as it is. "The class reads the book" makes it sound like they are doing it this second.
9. An experimental operation was performed at the hospital yesterday.
Leave it as it is... The hospital itself cannot perform an operation.
10. The wheat field was covered by debris from the downed airliner.
The downed airliner covered the wheat field with debris.
Red flag: “To be” + past participle
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Four dead after an apartment building fire in Pullman - writing exercise
Four people died in an Pullman apartment building fire this morning.
The fire was at 1172 S. Columbia Ave. and the Pullman and Moscow fire departments arrived at 7:30 a.m. They said they were immediately able to contain the fire.
Two victims were pronounced dead on the scene, while the other two were pronounced dead by doctors at Pullman Medical Center.
All of the victims were found in the first floor of the apartment building, while the people in the neighboring apartments were able to escape.
"We are investigating whether the fire was intentional or accidental," the Whitman County Prosecurtor, Paula T. Doe said.
She said the presence of a gasoline canister has raised concerns.
Detective William Mile of the Pullman Police Department said they have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.
At this point the police have no further information about the cause of the fire and the Whitman County Sheriff’s office is offering a $10,000 reward for details about the fire.
"This was a horrific fire, and we will do everything we can to fully investigate it's cause," Doe said.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact law enforcement.
The fire was at 1172 S. Columbia Ave. and the Pullman and Moscow fire departments arrived at 7:30 a.m. They said they were immediately able to contain the fire.
Two victims were pronounced dead on the scene, while the other two were pronounced dead by doctors at Pullman Medical Center.
All of the victims were found in the first floor of the apartment building, while the people in the neighboring apartments were able to escape.
"We are investigating whether the fire was intentional or accidental," the Whitman County Prosecurtor, Paula T. Doe said.
She said the presence of a gasoline canister has raised concerns.
Detective William Mile of the Pullman Police Department said they have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.
At this point the police have no further information about the cause of the fire and the Whitman County Sheriff’s office is offering a $10,000 reward for details about the fire.
"This was a horrific fire, and we will do everything we can to fully investigate it's cause," Doe said.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact law enforcement.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Intro to Ethics
1. Yes the information needs to be attributed to the actual source. Especially if later the information is found to be incorrect.
2. You can not publish illegally obtained info, especially if it can cause harm... aka Wikileaks. You have to find other ways to get information.
3. You cannot invent characters or people. There is other ways to present the needed information.
4. Not as a journalist because it is showing only one side to it.
2. You can not publish illegally obtained info, especially if it can cause harm... aka Wikileaks. You have to find other ways to get information.
3. You cannot invent characters or people. There is other ways to present the needed information.
4. Not as a journalist because it is showing only one side to it.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The 10 Commandments of Journalism (ranked from the SPJ code of ethics)
Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
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