Nick Acheson
April 29, 2010

An environmental issue that is becoming increasingly more important, especially in Maine, is the spread of invasive aquatic plant species. Invasive species can be plants, animals, or microbes that are introduced from other regions and aggressively out-compete the native species. When spread, these plant species takeover any body of water and multiply exponentially so in only a short time the lake, stream or pond becomes engulfed in invasive plants.

These plants are usually spread by recreational activities such as the transportation of boats and boating gear, illegal fish stocking, and even fishing lures and/or gear can be enough to “infect” a body of water. These invasive plants can ruin an ecosystem by reducing fish movement, stunting growth, crowding out native plants, and shading out the bottom which reduces the amount of other useful animals such as snails. In some cases it can even change the water chemistry in very dense plant beds.



Currently Maine is host to 45 or more invasive aquatic species which includes ocean species as well as freshwater species. These invasive species include Eurasian milfoil, variable milfoil, fanwort, water chestnut, curly-leaf pondweed, and hydrilla. There are 25 documented bodies of water in Maine that have invasive milfoil, the most common type of invasive species. Last September the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) confirmed that Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson had hydrilla which is the most aggressive invasive plant species in North America.

The Maine DEP along with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW) and other agencies are working to make sure they eradicate any new infestations by educating people how these plants are spread, and what to do if you find them. Since there are only about 25 infected lakes and ponds out of the total amount of 6,000, “prevention is the most practical option available for protecting Maine inland water bodies,” according to the Maine DEP website.

Additional information can found at the Maine DEP and Maine DIFW websites.

Sources:

http://maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/invsticker.htm

http://maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/rrp_part1final.pdf

http://maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/rrp_part2final.pdf

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MYSP2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrilla_verticillata

http://maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/eurapic2.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Plant_-_Hydrilla_verticillata_-_Batu_kawa.jpg

http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/doclake/boaters.jpg

http://maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/fanpic2.jpg

http://maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/chespic2.jpg

CMJ 236 Assignment 13-1: Town Meeting

Nick Acheson
April 23, 2010

ORONO- The 3rd Iteration of a Draft option agreement with Deep Cove, LLC regarding the Webster Mill site took place at the Community Development Committee Meeting at the Orono Town Office on Wednesday afternoon. The draft option describes proposed 20 unit condominium housing at the location of the old Webster mill located on the corner of North Main Street and Penobscot Street.

The purpose of the meeting was to go over the change in concept design and to hear community guidance for the option. Architect David Lloyd, of Archetype, based out of Portland, ME was in attendance to answer any questions the Committee had on the draft option. Lloyd showed proposed plans and design of a contemporary building.

One of the greatest concerns from the Committee dealt with the design of a contemporary building over a historic design. “I’ve seen a lot of contemporary buildings and in 10 years they look awful, I just want to make sure that doesn’t happen here,” said one committee member.

Kevin Bunker, a Principal of Developers Collaborative, a Portland based real estate development company, was also in attendance to answer questions. Developers Collaborative, which owns the rights to the site, believes the best use for the site is residential.

The proposed 20 unit building would offer one bedroom units of approximately 900 square feet priced just under $200,000 and two and three bedroom units of approximately 1500 square feet that will be priced around $300,000. The prices will vary some depending on what the final decision is regarding salvaging the historic old mill or just starting new construction, but it seemed like there was consensus leaning towards new construction.

These prices are higher than average condominium prices in the greater Bangor area due to the fact that it is waterfront property and they are being marketed towards a specific higher income group (niche) in the market. Each unit comes with two parking spaces, one covered and one uncovered, and a deck that overlooks either the Penobscot or Stillwater rivers.

More deliberation is still necessary, but the committee must make a decision on this draft option by June 30th at the latest.

To see more information visit:

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/135051.html

CMJ 236 Assignment 12-1: Sports Event

Nick Acheson
April 14, 2010

BANGOR- The Husson University Eagles softball team defeated the University of Maine Farmington (UMF) Beavers 8-5 on Wednesday afternoon at O’Keefe field. With the win the Eagles improve to 13-12 overall (5-0 in conference play) while the Beavers fall to 4-5 overall (2-3 in conference play).

UMF got out to an early lead in the top of the first inning when Kaitlyn Bartlett hit a two-run homerun to centerfield. Husson answered back in the bottom of the second inning with 3 runs when Megan Richard hit a leadoff double and Sarah Risser followed with an RBI single down the right field line. After the next two hitters got out, Brianna Webster doubled, scoring Risser, then Courtney Hill hit a single scoring Webster.

Husson added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning when Aimee Mortensen worked a leadoff walk and then Brianna Webster hit her second double of the game scoring Mortensen. After another Husson single moved Webster to third base, Cassie Berry hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Webster and giving the Eagles a 5-2 lead.

Husson University scored another run in the fifth inning when Megan Richard smashed a solo home run over the center field fence.

After being shut out from the second through the fifth inning, the UMF Beavers came alive in the top of the sixth scoring 3 runs beginning a with a single by pitcher Jessica Timmerick and then two consecutive errors by Husson allowed UMF to keep the inning alive. Right fielder, Kasey McPhail hit a bloop double down the left field line allowing two more runs to score. After 6 innings, UMF trailed 5-6.

UMF was unable to hold the Eagles to a one-run lead. Husson added a two run cushion in the bottom of the inning when Dorothy Cameron reached base with a single and then scored on an RBI double by Cassie Berry. Berry then scored when the next batter, Kodi Lyon, hit a single to left-center field.

In the top of the seventh inning the Beavers couldn’t get anything going. The first three batters flied out to left, struck out, and then flied out to third base to end the game.

Husson pitcher, Nicole Sargent, got the win going 5 innings, giving up 2 runs on 5 hits, and striking out 4. Jessica Timmerick received the loss for UMF.

Husson scored 8 runs, on 14 hits, with 2 errors while UMF scored 5 runs, on 7 hits, and had 0 errors.

CMJ 236 Assignment 11-1: Police Story

Nick Acheson
April 6, 2010

Orono, Maine- A minor traffic accident on Stillwater Ave. has led to a warrant arrest of one individual. Irving Stone, 59, of Bangor was arrested by Officer Watson of the Orono police on a warrant for unpaid fines after Stone had been a witness to a traffic accident that occurred at 10:10 a.m. on Thursday, April 1 just south of where Stillwater Ave. intersects with Forest Ave.

The accident occurred when a Pine Tree Waste trash truck was pulled to the side of the road on Stillwater Ave. picking up garbage from residents’ homes. Drivers in Two separate cars, whose names were not released, were stopped behind the trash truck, waiting to go around. The driver of the truck first made sure there was no oncoming traffic and then waved the cars on. The first car did not move right away, so the second car decided to go around the first car. When the second car was passing the first, the first car pulled out to go around the trash truck and the second car collided with the first and wedged the first car against the trash truck.

Officer Watson happened to be driving by when he saw the accident and pulled over to investigate. After he checked the car insurance, vehicle registrations, and took statements from both drivers, he decided to take a statement about the accident from Mr. Stone who was a Pine Tree Waste employee working on the back of the garbage truck.

When Officer Watson checked the Stone’s identification, dispatch notified the officer that there was a warrant out for Stone’s arrest from Bangor Superior Court for unpaid fines and a cash bail of $500.61. Officer Watson placed Stone under arrest in handcuffs and transported him to Penobscot County Jail where he was turned over to jail personnel.

Neither driver was seriously hurt in the accident.

CMJ 236 Assignment 10-1: Disaster Management

Nick Acheson
April 1, 2010

When an emergency occurs such as a flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, etc., emergency management (disaster management) is required to help allocate a variety of resources to the disaster area, and also to inform the public about what has occurred and what is being done to fix the problem.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is usually the agency that is called in to coordinate with emergency teams in the event of a disaster in the United States and U.S. territories when the governor of that state has declared a “state of emergency.” If a “state of emergency” is not declared then the usual responders (firefighters, police officers, and other agencies) are used at the state and local level.

In the past emergency management has used a variety of different computer programs such as geographic information systems, and population trackers in order to get resources to where they need to go and to retrieve information on how many people are injured, missing, etc. But, when it came to notifying the public about the disaster, emergency management teams would use the usual lines of communication such as television, radio, government websites, etc. but it was still difficult to get the word out to everyone.

Until recently where twitter and facebook have been used in disaster/emergency situations in order to reach a large number of individuals (all Americans) in a short time span. Firefighters can now inform the public on one of these social networking sites about any variety of emergencies such as fires, tremors/earthquakes, car accidents, as well as many others.

This is exactly what the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) has done through the use of twitter when in one case a “significant seismic event” had caused tremors in the Las Angeles area. And after more information was received, the LAFD posted more “tweets” about the size and exact location of the quake.

Los Angeles service officer, Brian Humphrey, described that the use of twitter is a way to keep people up to date on disaster information. When talking about the communication problems with hurricane Katrina, Humphrey said, “The people at the Superdome were darn hungry. They were darn thirsty, but they were not dying from hunger or thirst, what they were dying from a little bit at a time was a lack of information. We were dying from a lack of information as well. We didn't know what was going on. It was a two-way lack of conversing."

These social networking sites have greatly improved the communication process in a disaster situation. They can reach thousands of people very quickly which makes them a very important asset when disaster strikes.

Source:
http://www.govtech.com/gt/701799

Assignment 9-2: Broadcast Script

Nick Acheson
March 26, 2010

[NICK ACHESON]

IN A CONTINUATION OF LECTURES ON WESTERN CIVILIZATION AND AMERICAN LIBERTY, CHARLES T. RUBIN, A PROFESSOR AT DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY GAVE A LECTURE FRIDAY AFTERNOON TITLED, “TECHNOLOGICALLY ENHANCED HUMANITY: IS IT THE END OF LIBERTY, OR IS IT THE END OF LIBERTY?”


[TAKE VO]
[CG: CLIP OF PROFESSOR RUBIN DELIVERING HIS LECTURE]

THE LECTURE COVERED THE ETHICAL BARGAIN BETWEEN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY VS. AMERICAN LIBERTY.


[TAKE VO]
[CG: CLIP OF A UMAINE STUDENT ASKING RUBIN A QUESTION]

IT ALSO DESCRIBED A NEW MOVEMENT KNOWN AS THE TRANSHUMANIST MOVEMENT WHERE A SMALL BUT GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD BE USING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REDESIGNING THE HUMANKIND TO BE HEALTHIER, SAFER, AND BETTER.


[Nick Acheson]

THIS NEW MOVEMENT HAS SPARKED HEAVY DEBATE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND BEGS THE QUESTION: JUST BECAUSE WE CAN DO SOMETHING DOES THAT ME WE SHOULD?

Assignment 9-1: Lecture

Nick Acheson
March 26, 2010

ORONO- In a continuation of Lectures on Western Civilization and American Liberty Charles T. Rubin , a professor at Duquesne University gave a lecture Friday afternoon titled “Technologically Enhanced Humanity: Is the End Liberty, or is it the End of Liberty?”

The topic covered the ethical bargain between science and technology vs. American liberty. According to Rubin, a small but growing number of people known as “Transhumanists” have started a movement to use science and technology for the purpose of redesigning humanity in order to make mankind healthier, safer, and better than we presently are. Transhumanism describes human life presently as undesirable, disabled, suffering, aging, and unnecessary death.

Professor Rubin used an example of the Transhumanist argument to cover the topic of a prosthetic limb. If we can make a prosthetic limb for a disabled veteran or accident victims couldn’t be design one to be better than a regular, healthy working human hand? This prosthetic limb topic opens doors to more topics that seem closer to science fiction books than to actual science or technology. These include: uploading human minds into computers, and making humans so they never need to eat, as well as the very controversial topic of serious life extension.

Ethical dilemmas are faced in each of the arguments brought about by transhumanists. The major topic that each dilemmas faces is, “Just because we can do/create something, does that mean we should?”

Rubin, equates the transhumanist movement to a topic out of a George Orwell book called “Brain in the Bottle” where all that is needed to control vast amounts of machines and technology is a human brain but no other human parts. This is similar to the transhumanist view of “post humans” where everything would be performed by genetically enhanced parts and no actual human parts.

The argument that most transhumanists have come to side with is, “you can’t stop science and technology from growing and coming up with new ideas.” When asked about this argument, Professor Rubin agreed that it might not be possible to stop science and technology from coming up with new ideas but he also stated that, “Not everything (humans) do becomes popular and desirable, in order for these new technologies to take effect they must be desirable to humans.”

CMJ 236 Assignment 8-2

Nick Acheson
March 19, 2010

In the previous post, the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) Board Examination Proposal was discussed. This is a proposal that would allow high school 10th graders to “test out” of high school if tests are passed at the end of their sophomore year. Maine is one of eight states in the country that have joined with NCEE and at the moment these exams are currently intended to take effect in the 2011-2012 school year.

I interviewed a current teacher at Brunswick junior high school to see what her thoughts were about these newly proposed examinations. She first admitted that she had not received or read much information on the topic, due to the fact that it is a relatively new proposal, but admitted she had mixed feelings. On one hand she explain, “why hold the bright kids back if they know the material.” She was then quick to say that school is not only about just passing a test, “Education is more than just an accumulation of skills; it should also be about learning for the sake of learning.”

This teacher also brought up that it might be better than the current system if over time a test like this was used in every state. She explained that currently the “No student left behind act” allows each state to make separate standards and a separate test, so there are students from around the country being tested over different material which makes it hard to compare the results from state to state.

I was also able to talk to Rob Walker, Deputy Executive Director of the Maine Education Association (MEA) in Augusta, ME. Mr. Walker explained that although the MEA has no official position on the subject, they have raised some concerns. “I’m not convinced that this proposal answers all the concerns associated with education.” He also went on to say, “The high school experience is not just about getting enough credits, other opportunities should be explored.”

So while some feel like this would be a good idea, it is safe to say there are number of concerns with the NCEE Board examination proposal. Although more information is still needed it is safe to say we will be hearing about this proposal many times in the near future.

Assignment 7-1: News Story

Nick Acheson
February 26, 2010

A new education proposal by the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE) is starting to receive a lot of attention due to the fact that the proposal allows 10th graders to “test out’ of high school. Eight States have already joined with the NCEE including: Connecticut, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Maine. It is known as the “NCEE Board Examination Proposal” and is designed to significantly increase the number of students who leave high school ready for college.

According to the New York Times, “More than a million college freshmen across America must take remedial courses each year, and many drop out before getting a degree.”

All over the world Board Examination Systems are currently in place, and working. Countries using this system include Australia, France, Denmark, England, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland, as well as other countries. “We’ve looked at schools all over the world, and if you walk into a high school in the countries that use these board exams, you’ll see kids working hard, whether they want to be a carpenter or a brain surgeon,” said Mark Tucker, President of the NCEE.

School districts from the eight states can choose whether or not to participate in the voluntary program. Students who do choose to participate will take exams at the end of their sophomore year and if the pass, they will be able to graduate from high school. Students who pass have the option of attending college the next fall or may remain in high school and take courses designed to get them ready for a selective college of their choice.

The cost of the program is estimated at around $500 per student which will allow the school to buy tests and courses as well as training teachers. A generous $1.5 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation will allow the NCEE to get the program started. To help with the added costs, the 8 states also intend to apply for federal stimulus money.

More Specifically in Maine, the Maine Education Commissioner is meeting this week to discuss the program with school superintendents. And although programs like this have worked in other countries, there is still a whole lot of information about the program and how it will work that is relatively unknown. According to the Kennebec Journal (an Augusta, ME newspaper), the president of the Maine Education Association said last week he was concerned about the "top-down" nature of the plan, which he said was "made with no input from practitioners in the field."

There have also been questions about the readiness of 16 year olds to enter college. A comment made by a reader on the Kennebec Journal Website said, “What 16 year old is prepared for the challenges and stresses of college? And I'm not talking academics here. There are parties, drugs, and promiscuity rampant in the colleges and universities all over the country.”

Clearly there is more information needed until people can make an informed decision on the subject. But if this program looks to have a real chance of improving schools in Maine as well as the Country, I think we need to consider it.

Assignment 6-1: Campus Event

Nick Acheson
February 19, 2010

Although the Umaine Hockey is getting a lot of publicity for being near the top of the Hockey East, and rightfully so, there is another Umaine team that is performing way higher than expectations. The University of Maine Black Bears men’s basketball team has been having a great season, thus far.

After a 72 to 53 win last night over the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH the team has a 17-9 overall record along with a 9-4 record in the America East. Not what most fans have come to expect from the Umaine men’s basketball team. Over the previous two seasons, the team had an America East record of 7 wins and 25 losses. So it might be an understatement to say that this season is the best season the men’s basketball team has seen in years. About a month ago, the team was talked about on ESPN as one of four teams that have never made the NCAA tournament, that have the best chance to make it this year.

The Black Bears are currently in third place in America East standings trailing Stony Brook with an 11-2 record and Vermont at 11-3. Late in the season, every game becomes that much more important.

Starting on February 21, the team has 2 important home games against America East opponents. This Sunday the Black Bears will be playing the University of Hartford Hawks at 2 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono, ME. Youth tickets are only $2, and the game is being televised by WABI TV 5 news. Then on February 24 at 7:30 p.m. the team is hosting the University of Albany at Alfond Arena.

Fans should come out and support the men’s basketball team in Orono on either Sunday’s game, Wednesday night’s game, or both. All University of Maine students get in free and Adult tickets are just $8.

Assignment 5-1: Profile Story

Nick Acheson
February 12, 2010

As the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia draw near, it is important to know a little more about an athlete who has called Maine home his entire life. If you haven’t heard of him yet, you will soon. I’m talking about Seth Wescott, the 33 year old gold medalist snowboard cross athlete from Farmington, ME.

Although Wescott was born in North Carolina, he has lived in Maine nearly his entire life. “I consider myself a Mainer,” said Wescott in an interview with NBC. This Olympic athlete already knows what it feels like to compete in Olympics. In 2006, he represented the United States at the winter Olympics in Torino, Italy winning a gold medal in Snowboard Cross (also known as “Boardercross” or “Snowboarder X”). Because it was the first time Snowboarder X had been made an event at the Winter Olympics, Wescott is the only male Olympic gold medalist ever to win the event

For those of you who do not know or have never heard of Snowboarder X, here’s a crash course. It consists of a group of snowboarders (usually 4 to 6) starting simultaneously racing down an inclined course racing to the finish line. The course consists of multiple man made sections that include jumps, gaps, steep and narrow terrain, turns, and drop offs. The rider who stays in control and maneuvers all of these sections the fastest wins the race. In most races, riders receive gold, silver, and bronze medals for finishing in the first, second, and third place, respectively.

It isn’t often that we as Mainers can brag about athletes that grow up and train in our State. The cold weather and climate make it difficult for athletes from many other sports to become great. But, the Winter Olympics are the one exception to the rule. Seth Wescott is living proof of this.

So when the Olympics start in these next couple days, stay on the lookout for Seth Wescott. You probably won’t have to stay tuned in long to hear about him.

Snowboard Cross qualifying begins at 10:30 a.m. (Vancouver time) on January 15.

Assignment 4-1: Local Newscast Critique

Nick Acheson
February 4, 2010

For this assignment I watched WABI TV 5 on Wednesday night at 5 pm. I found this assignment difficult to critique the writing of this news program because the program is obviously well written and also because newscasters talk very quickly. These two factors made it very difficult for me to find parts of the newscast that I would have changed. However, I did find some pieces of the newscast that I would have done differently.

When talking about the new recall that the car company Toyota has enacted, WABI TV 5 newscaster said, “again we’re also told the owners who have a recalled notice model will actually receive notices by mail from Toyota that will tell them to take their vehicle to be fixed.” Although there is no major problem with this previous quote, it is somewhat confusing. I’m not sure if the newscaster misspoke or not but the words, “recalled notice model,” do not make much sense to me. I would have worded it differently such as “recalled model notice” or maybe just “recalled notice”. I think either makes more sense than what was said in the actual newscast.

Another part of the program I might have changed or excluded would be when the meteorologist had the map of the entire United States behind him and he said, “Look at all this moisture in the south.” He was talking about the large amount of precipitation that was hovering over Texas and the southern United States. This would have been fine if his statement actually led to something that affected all of us up in Maine. It actually had nothing to do with Maine and he quickly switched areas to Canada to show us where all the recent cold air was coming from. So the quick blurb about precipitation in the South was completely useless to everyone watching this in Bangor, ME.

Throughout the newscast, I realized a trend with the verb tenses. Almost all the verbs used on the show were past tense verbs. Some of these verbs included: “said” “seized” “filed” and “charged.” Using past tense verbs makes sense because they are reporting on information that has already happened in the past, excepting the upcoming weather for the week.

These are some of the areas of the newscast that caught my attention and might have changed if I had been in charge of editing the program.

Assignment 3-1: Journalism Consolidation

The recent trend when talking about journalism seems to be consolidation. I believe this is primarily due to the internet and how it offers people all over the world free news. It is hard for news companies to compete with internet journalism and some companies are forced into considering consolidation. Consolidation is such a scary word when talking about any subject. Most importantly it represents the possibility of people losing jobs and few companies/entities getting stronger and more powerful.

I would say, overall, journalism consolidation is a bad idea because over time it will degrade the quality of reporting and investigative journalism. For example, if in the next 20 years newspaper companies all across the company consolidate to where there are only 4 companies left, the remaining companies will have a basic monopoly in their area of coverage. There would be no other viewpoints to any story and whatever one of these monopolistic companies printed would be only thing people in this region would read about.

An article on the huffington post’s website (huffingtonpost.com) talks about journalism consolidation and why it is a bad idea. The article is title, “Consolidation is not Cure for Journalism Crisis,” and is written by Craig Aaron. Aaron points out how large media companies have been “swallowing” local media outlets for the past decade. 5,000 journalists lost their jobs last year and over the past decade 16 percent of the industry has been terminated.

The article also covers a financial topic that I was not aware of. When buying up many of the smaller news companies, the large companies go into extreme debt in order to consolidate. Even though the large companies still take in approximately 20 percent profit, they are drowning in debt. The only way to fix this debt trouble is to cut down on operating costs also known as journalists.

I feel the only people who win when consolidating news companies are the executive officers of the large media companies who can sometimes turn a quick profit. Everyone else gets hurt by the fact that thousands journalism jobs are being cut and that the quality of reporting is being decreased.

The article referenced above can be found at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-aaron/consolidation-is-no-cure_b_180356.html

Assignment 2-1: Aritcle Critique

For this assignment I decided to critique an article I found on the New York Times website (www.nytimes.com), titled, "Annual Poll of Freshman Shows Effect on Recession," written by Kate Zernike on January 21, 2010. The article (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/education/21college.html?em) reports on the results of a survey conducted on college freshman all around the country and how the recession is affecting many different decisions college freshman are now making.

The first criterion the book covers is attributing your sources correctly, which Zernike accomplished. In the fifth paragraph she cited the program that completed the survey (Cooperative Institutional Research Program at UCLA) as well as the director of the program (John H. Pryor). Another criteria Mencher describes in the book is accuracy or also referred to as verification. Verification means that the reporter made sure the information she received was credible and that the data was not fabricated. Obviously the reporter in this case has better ways and more sources than I do, so I am going to assume that she did. I did find the homepage for the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) as well as its many surveys conducted.

Objectivity is an important part of being a good reporter. Zernike does this well, she seems to take no side in the article and can be described as being fair and balanced. It would be hard however to take a side in this specific example, she is just reporting the statistics of a survey. Unless she was using misleading statistics it would be hard not to be objective in this instance.

For an article to have all components is should be complete (do all investigation) while having brevity (being brief/concise). These two components are very hard to get the right balance but I believe Zernike did a good job balancing the two. Survey results and statistics are a hard thing to write about because all they are is numbers, but the writer needs to make them more than just a number; each statistic should be described so an average person can understand their meaning. The writer does a really good job describing each statistic and how it relates to previous years. This is important because if you can’t relate a statistic to some other data then it’s just a number with no significant value. The article was complete with enough information but it also was concise enough not to lose my interest.

Lastly, the Focus of the article is important for the reader to be able to learn something from the article. This works together with the component, Human Interest. The writer should tell the story in human terms. I believe the writer did this be showing how there is a direct correlation between the economy and the decisions of first year college students. I enjoyed the article because it showed how people all over the country are being affected by the recession, which made it easier to read.

Overall I enjoyed the article, I thought it was informative but didn’t throw in an overwhelming amount of statistics and data that do not mean anything to the average person.

Assignment 1-4: Moral and Ethical Issues of Wartime Journalism

As with any profession, there are many moral and ethical issues associated with journalism and journalists. In fact, journalists might face the most scrutiny when faced with these issues because journalists are the people that decide what citizens see and read about and also what citizens do not see and read about.

While I was looking for different websites that could give me some information on the ethics of journalism I came across the website for the Society of Professional Journalists (http://www.spj.org/). In this website there is a section of articles that discusses journalism ethics and as I was reading over the topics, the one that stuck out in my mind was titled “Resolving Ethical Conflicts in Wartime.” If you think about it, war brings about even more issues involving journalists because the stakes are even higher. If a journalist was to obtain some secret information that deals with military strategies or deployment strategies should he/she publish the information? My quick answer would be, No, he/she should not publish the information because it is fairly obvious that publishing this information could put soldiers in danger. There is also really no need for citizens to know about different military strategies for a war that is presently taking place.

This webpage talking about wartime journalism ethics can be found at: http://www.spj.org/ethicswartime.asp. I think this webpage is a great source because it contains a series of topics and questions a journalist should ask him/her before making any type of decision. For example, an important question that I found on the website was,
“How critical is the information in helping the public understand crucial issues, make informed decisions, influence policy or evaluate the performance of government?” There are many different types of wartime information that is good for the public to hear about. One of the great things about journalists is they keep the government in check. Without journalists a large part of the checks and balances not contained in the constitution would be lost and would allow the government more control to do what whatever it wanted.

There are even more moral and ethical considerations in a wartime environment than any other journalistic setting. Huge numbers of journalists are sent from all over the world, some put themselves in harms way in the hopes of getting a major story. But, journalists need to remember that no matter how much a story means to him/her there could always be a person or persons that the story could affect in a more important or even deadlier way.

Goals for CMJ 236

My first and most important goal for this class is to pass because without this class I won't be graduating this spring. This class is required for my major which is Surveying Engineering Technology, so I'm not exactly taking this class because i'm interested in journalism, although a positive aspect of this class is it will improve my writing abilities. So another goal is to improve my writing skills because as with any major or profession, you always need to be able to write and communicate.