For my second critique, I used issue 1, page 5. The biggest issue I found with this page was the lack of cropping on the photos. If the editor was going to use the mug shots of the new teachers, they should have used Harrower’s idea of cropping the pictures “ear to ear” on mugshots(pg 50).  This gets in close and focuses in on the important part of the picture. A good part of the design would be the proper use of the photo wrap around with text. This could be seen on page 52 of Harrower. http://www.fremont.k12.ca.us/2199203151847453/lib/2199203151847453/_files/October_13,_2010.pdf

The ritual of casual carpooling, in which thousands of East Bay commuters join up with strangers each weekday for swifter trips across the Bay Bridge, thrives thanks to its essential quid pro quo.

This lead answers the following questions:

WHO? Casual commuters on the Bay Bridge

WHAT? It describes what causal commuters are.

WHEN? During commute hours on weekdays.

WHERE? Going across the Bay Bridge on the commuter lanes.

WHY? It’s free.

HOW? Commuters meet up in the morning.

For the second part, I used the feature article, “Putting lives on line for porn.”

A 50-year-old married physician views Internet pornography for hours at home, masturbating five to seven times a day, then begins surfing porn sites at the office and risks destroying his career.

The writer uses an anecdotal situation to hook the reader in.

So this last semester of Journalism I learned some stuff. Most importantly, I figured out how to write a news article. This is obviously important because the Hatchet is yes, a NEWSPAPER. I remember being nervous after I got my first article but the form came pretty natural to me.

Also, I figured out I really don’t like being in the Opinions section. News is my niche I guess.

I have also gained experience in copy-editing, which seems to come in handy a lot. It helped my ACT score earlier in the year. Woohoo!

I learned that sometimes its difficult to stay motivated when no one is forcing you to do the work. You have to push yourself to succeed in this class to get a good grade.

I hope that the rest of the year goes well in the Hatchet. I am hoping that I will stay motivated and my writing will continue to improve.

Hasta La Vista!

Currently, there is the district-wide Young Author’s contest going on. Students of all grades are welcome to submit pieces. District finalists will be invited to a tea party.

First of all, the appearance was quite eye-catching and interesting. There was bold words, bright colors and effective pictures. When you actually get into the information it is concise and relevant.

This type of infographic can be used to break down a school event “by the numbers” in a feature article. I think this style would actually work pretty well with the ASB topic.

Ok! so the pictures…(going across the rows starting at the left)

CAPTIONS/PHOTO COMPOSITION CONCEPTS:

1. Seniors Tim Rodriggs, Ryan Anderson, and Craig Perry protest Army Day in the 60′s wing in the morning.  Students made sure to show up early to rally for their classes.  [This picture used the concept of peak of emotion and creative viewpoint. Right after the picture was taken, the army seniors charged up.]

2. CSF member Sarah Kowalski checks out the Slug Gear at the UC Santa Cruz gift shop. CSF visited the campus in October on their annual college day trip. [Rule of thirds]

3. CSF members depart from the school bus at UC Santa Cruz. The events of the day included a an admissions presentation, campus tour, and lunch in the dining hall. [repetition of shapes...all the people are lined up as well as their shadows.]

4. CSF members, along with counselor Britny Stewart listen to their tour guide outside of the UC Santa Cruz Bookstore and Student Union. The location is considered the most central part of campus. [interesting angle- i was on a staircase two flights above them to get the picture]

5.CSF President Emily Khuc admires a crystal exhibit outside of the science lecture halls. Unfortunately, the group was unable to tour inside the hall because a class was in session.[close-up, framing, interesting angles]

6.Juniors Sarah Kowalski and Ryan Whitcomb admire the archetecture  of the science buildings at UC Santa Cruz. The students were able to see many different parts of campus on the tour. [leading lines]

7. CSF members eagerly listen to their tour guide outside the Library of Engineering. UC Santa Cruz students are able to check out X-Boxes and video games from the library. [interesting angle]

8. War Protester Tim Rodriggs gives out free hugs to fellow seniors on Army Day. Fellow hippies Craig Perry and Ryan Anderson continue to protest which Jordan Brahaney waits for a hug. [use of color]

9. Seniors spread peace during the lunchtime rally on Tuesday. Their dress-up theme was Seventies. [expression of detail]

If that link doesn’t work try : http://hsbj.org/

The video broadcast I chose was Blue Valley High Tiger TV. The program covered some very interesting topics and was very entertaining. It had the feel of a real newscast with the essence of high school mixed in. Although some portions were a little bit on the messy side, overall they did a very good job. The newsroom-like area and the “hall pass” features were my favorite. Hall pass is comparable to “Huskies in the Halls.” Also, they did a good job picking their stories. They did a good mix of human interest and real news. I really enjoyed their covering of their rally. This was a really neat idea that I think we can use in the future. Washington’s rallies really capture the essence of our school in many ways which could fit well into a broadcast piece. Food for thought. =]

In this article from The Oakland Tribune, the reporter interviews Anson Liu, a student from Mission San Jose High School about the iPhone app he created as a Geometry aide. I think that the reporter asked him questions such as what inspired him to create it, how did he learn how to create the program, how well did he do in geometry and what impact has it had on his life. The reporter also asked several students from MSJHS(Felix Chow and Hao Sang) for a review to add as quotes in the article. I think the reporter co