CE 2.3

1. Who is the new Speaker of the house and what political party are they aligned with? Page A1 "GOP taps new speaker..." Paul Ryan, Republican

2. What does the law in Texas specifically say regarding a persons failure to identify themselves? QUOTE directly from the story on Page B1 "Video taker sues in arrest"
"You either show me an ID, or I put you in handcuffs."

3. What two teams are playing in the world series? Page C1
The New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals are playing in the World Series.

4. What are 2 Do's and 2 Don'ts when trying to bring autumn into your home decor? Page SA2 "Bring autumn indoors" Do buy good quality decor, and do consider putting the colors in through pillows. Don't buy season items in colors that aren't apart of your current decor, and Don't go overboard. Your home shouldn't look like a retail shop.

5. Of the 5 weekend suggestions, which would you like to do most? Page D2 "The Long Weekend"
I would go to the Zilker Hillside Theater and see "Living Springs."

Read the story on page A2 "Deputy fired after teen gets tossed..."

1. Have you seen the video of this incident? If you have not, I am sure you can find it on your phone. If you really want to see it, I will be happy to share it on my iPad for you to watch. 
Yes, Katie showed me the video about 5 minutes ago. The policeman completely flipped the student out of her seat and dragged her out of the room.
2. After reading the story, what is your opinion of what you read?
The Sheriff did a good job of making sure the public understood where he stood on the subject. He directly stated that what deputy Ben Fields did was wrong and he didn't handle it correctly.
3. Do you think that police brutality is a problem in this country?
Definitely! And I never thought about the problem would stretch out to kids, it's horrible.
4. Do you think that there is racism behind these issues?
I think there is some stereotyping that comes with suspicious behavior and acting up, and it's shown more than ever in the past year.
5. What role does social media and cell phones play in this issue?
More people become aware when all these situations are getting posted. Situations like this are public on Twitter and Instagram all the time.
6. Is it good that these kinds of stories are exposed on social media?
Yes, it's good that more people see and read the unfair experiences that people go through with the police.

Opinions Writing Preview- Commentary Article

Topic: Justified Use of the Military

Justified use of the military isn’t something specific that we should have in writing; I believe it should be a circumstantial decision left up to our President and U.S. government leaders.

If you put restrictions on when the U.S. military can be used, then you’re leaving a lot up to chance. There are situations that can come up in the world where people will want aid and support.

Half of U.S. citizen might feel like our nation needs to provide relief, the other half will reference a law or agreement that will keep us from getting involved.

The United States are often looked up to for military help because we are one of the biggest powers out there. So one of the main questions is, does that make it our responsibility?

A lot of people feel that just because we carry a lot of influence, doesn’t mean we should use it. The idea of not getting involved with other country’s issues to keep our military safe can be jumbled with the term “justified use.” They don’t always translate.

Situations like the one in Syria right now, that involve defenseless families, are the kind of situations that we, as a stronger country, should want to help with. The U.S. is actually doing all we can right now in Syria, without having to issue a Declaration of War.

We are issuing air strikes now and have been providing humanitarian aid and social programs there since 2011. People from the U.S. (troops and volunteers) are also in refugee camps helping with skills and training for any violence that could be put upon them.

Some of our troops are still in Iraq and Afghanistan trying to help maintain peace. Although that involvement is a controversial move, since we’ve been there for quite a while.

The pulling of troops Afghanistan has been gradual, but the plan is to have them all out by the end of 2016. This is good news for the United States, but some think it’s long overdue.

The United States efforts in Afghanistan didn’t stick, once most of our influence left, the country abandon most of the organization we put in place. President Obama spoke out and said, “We have to recognize Afghanistan will not be a perfect place, and it is not America’s responsibility to make it one,” he said. “The future of Afghanistan must be decided by Afghans.”

“Justified use of the military” was bounced around a lot during that time. President Obama and Secretary Clinton (at the time) both said that our interference in the Middle East was necessary after the 9/11 attacks.

A lot of citizens feel the U.S. overextends our time in other countries, and that it’s good to help, but restrictions should limit our time there. That’s a compromise that has yet to be made in our government.

Justified use of the military is definitely an opinion. There will always be people who won’t want to risk anything for a country that’s not ours. I like to think genuinely good people who will be willing to use our resources to help others are running our government. As a stable, strong country we should want to help other countries and groups in crisis. Judging what times are appropriate for our assistance is “justified use of the military.”

SNO Online Papers

Westlake High School-The Featherduster

Story 1: "The phenomenon of Donald Trump"

1. Who wrote the story? Conor O'Bryon

2. What is their story about? The story is about how Trump may be the most popular political figure right now, but there will be inevitable backlash if he is elected.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing. "Trump has surprised everyone with his sudden popularity in the polls. Even though he has been extremely successful in his real-estate endeavors, politics might not be his forte."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

Yes, most of the story was about Trumps supporters and the campaign they're buying into.

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion. No, they were not wishy washy. It was a very well written article that saw all aspects of Donald Trumps candidacy.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No outside quotes were included in the story.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 3rd person

Austin High- The Maroon

Story 2: "I don't want to go to college"

1. Who wrote the story?

Lauren Mangold

2. What is their story about?

The story is about the well known "Senioritis" that had contributed to the "learned helplessness" that the Senior Students are experiencing.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing. "Senioritis is kicking in. And let me tell you, it isn’t like a slow growing virus that starts with symptoms and continues to worsen, but more like a fast spreading disease with all the possible symptoms at once."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

No, the main focus was on those students who are experiencing this.

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion. The article was not wishy washy, it stuck to it's message.

6. Are there any quotes in the story? There were no quotes in this story.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 1st person

Akins High School- The Eagle's Eye

Story 3: "Is a 4 year school the best place for everyone?"

1. Who wrote the story?

Mark Vallejo and Hannah Kerns

2. What is their story about?

The story is about the prospect of community college better suiting some students that can do better, but want the more affordable option.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing. "College is college no matter where you go. If they offer college credit and the ability to transfer to a university to finish getting your degree, I don’t think it should be looked down upon at all because in the end, it’s still college."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

Yes, the story addressed students attending a state school.

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion. They were not wishy washy, they story was very direct.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

Yes, there was one other student that spoke about ACC.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 1st person

Personal Essays

1. What was one idea that the writer gave in the Wide Range of Topics section that you can use as you start deciding on a topic? The article said, "Be sure your essay is about something you care strongly enough about to wax eloquent and passionate about it. Readers wants to know what you know, feel what you felt, and understand where you’re coming from." That helps me think of a topic that I have interesting thoughts on.

2. What was one idea the writer gave in the Opinions Pieces section that you should remember as you are writing your piece? One idea to keep in mind as I'm writing my piece is to use details to draw the reader in, and be specific. 

3. List three suggestions the writer makes in the Personal Essays and Crafts section that you will use as you write. Three suggestions I will take include...

• Using a hook to get the readers attention
• Writing evocatively to employ all the senses. Push hard to convey all the ideas and images using the 5 senses
• Still keeping the essence of my opinion, so that the reader walks away with a good idea of what I feel about the topic

CE 2.2

1. What are the two potential causes of the Hidden Pines fire in Bastrop? Page A1 "New Hidden Pines..."? Two potential causes of the Hidden Pines fire include a burn pile violation and the original suspicion of am overheated shredder.

2. Why was Alan Guckian nominated for a music educators award from the Grammy Foundation, according to the man who nominated him? Page B1 "Eastside band director...." SaulPaul, the performer who nominated him, said,"The bottom line is he's awesome. He has a natural passion for it."

3. Who is the favorite to win the F1 race to be held in Austin at the Circuit of America this weekend? Page C1 "Hamilton nearing  F1 season crown" The favorite to win the F1 race this weekend is Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain.

4. Name 3 types of apples mentioned in the story on page SA1 "Fall in love with apples"
Three types of apples mentioned in the story are Honeycrisp, Jonagold, and McIntosh

5. Which of the 8 items in the "worthy of splurging" sounds like something you would like to try? Page D3 "Healthful foods are worth price tag" I think I would try the dark chocolate with ginger, real vanilla, and the wild rice.

Read the article on Page A1 "Wave of digital textbooks..."

1. Have you or your parents considered or actually purchased a textbook to compensate for the digital version you have access to? Yes, when crappy online textbooks fail I like to think my parents are the first in line for a hard copy. They support me enough to not care to much about the price, as long as it is necessary for school.

2. Has not having a textbook hurt your grades? Make sure to tell me HOW!!
I have definitely suffered bad grades due to the class resources not working online. I don't take risks like that with big grades or projects, but small homework grades that I didn't have a back up plan for, like pictures of the book on my phone, have been affected. 

3. Do you think that going all digital has been a good decisions or not? Make sure to tell me WHY!! All digital this fast is not a good idea. It's the students that suffer when school/teacher-run websites fail. It's not fair to lay that many grades on the line. I'm all for the digitalization of books, I mean less back problems for us! But until the school can be sure about the quality of their online resources, then they shouldn't be limiting the hardcopy book access.

4. Do you think this trend is going to continue in the United States? WHY??
I think the trend of online books will continue and hopefully improve to the point where we can be sure that as long as the internet is up, our book is to.

5. Why do you think the school and district decided to do away with textbooks?
I think the school district was thinking off storage. For teachers and students! Less to carry means less to worry about. It's also easier to get your books on the go.

Opinion Writing Preview Activity

Story 1: "Student sharing, too much change or great opportunity?"

1. Who wrote the story?

It was an Editorial piece.

2. What is their story about?

This story was about the student's opinion of FIT and how their input wasn't 

considered when changes were being made.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story 

or do a really good job of paraphrasing. The direct opinion was the FIT is helpful, but the way

 it was set up and enforced was not in student interest.

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic? Yes, the article

talked about the valid reasons teachers might've voted to keep it a 2 day system.

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back 

and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support 

your opinion. No, they stated the hypothetical if things were spun a different way.

6. Are there any quotes in the story? No quotes.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 3rd person

Story 2: "The office welcomes the dawn of the technological age"

1. Who wrote the story?

Kelsie Stella

2. What is their story about?

The office has made it possible to get your V.O.E and  apply for a parking permit online.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story

or do a really good job of paraphrasing. "The goal is to provide easy access to people who are in need of their V.O.E. for driving purposes."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

Yes, the talked about people without internet access.

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back 

and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. 

Support your opinion. No, it was pretty straight forward.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

Yes, there are quote(s).

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 3rd

Story 3: "I scream, you scream.."

1. Who wrote the story?

Nya Martin

2. What is their story about?

It was about Blue Bell's listeria scandal.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story

or do a really good job of paraphrasing. Their direct opinion of this topic is, "They 

(Blue Bell) made to quick of a return, I think people are still at risk."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

Kind of, they stated that for Blue Bell lovers this was a "catastrophe."

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back 

and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. 

Support your opinion. No, the incident was Blue Bell has no other way to spin it. There were

 deaths, there are risks.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No quotes.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 1st person

Story 4: "The problem with pep rallies"

1. Who wrote the story?

Annika Holm

2. What is their story about?

Her story is about hoe to improve the school's pep rallies.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story

or do a really good job of paraphrasing. Annika Holm's direct opinion is that pep rallies have 

evolved into some form of forced chanting in an over crowded gym filled with people who have no 

desire to be there.

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

No

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back 

and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. 

Support your opinion. No, in a way the whole article was about improvements and how if new 

steps and ideas were put in place it would change things (including her opinion).

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No quotes.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 3rd person

Story 5: "A call for athletic equality"

1. Who wrote the story?

Amaya Marquez

2. What is their story about?

The sports that aren't given proper treatment and representation.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story

or do a really good job of paraphrasing. "I definitely feel like we should get just as 

much attention just like the other sports." -Amaya Marquez

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

No

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back 

and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. 

Support your opinion.

They were kind of wishy washy.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

The author quotes herself.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 1st person

Story 6: "Emotional learning effective?"

1. Who wrote the story?

Melissa Weprin

2. What is their story about?

The SEL method being integrated into freshman Pre-AP Geography.

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story

or do a really good job of paraphrasing.

"SEL is important for students to learn, but a few tweaks to the ways it's taught could

 really make a difference in every wold history student's high school career.

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

Yes, they stated what the other side probably feels as a group.

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back 

and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. 

Support your opinion.

It was pretty wishy washy, the author droned a bit.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No quotes.

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)? 3rd person

A. What do you think the major differences between a hard news story and an opinions 

piece? Come up with at least three. Opinion stories are more relatable and easier to identify 

with as a reader. Although that might only be applicable if you agree with it. They are also easier to 

read, they have a more casual writing style. Opinion pieces are more "school lifestyle" and less

 "school."

B. Why do you think there aren't very many photos on this page? There aren't many 

photos on pages 6 and 7 because it's easier to match pictures with facts than it is to match thoughts 

with pictures.

C. What are three topics you think would be good to write an opinions piece on?

Three solid topics to write opinion pieces on is the balance of homework between academic and 
pre-AP classes, the personalities and struggles of certain siblings depending on birth order and
only children, and what circumstances meet justified use of the military.

Huntington Story

Janice Jones of Barstow, California was shot in the leg around 10 PM on Wednesday when her dog knocked down her handgun off a seat.
Jones was ended up at Irvine Medical Center and her dog, Tombo, looking abused and malnourished, was placed in the care of the Huntington Beach Animal Control officers.

"“It could have been worse, the bullet hit two inches from the gas tank," said California Highway Patrol press liaison Tammy Rye.

The dog seemed to be malnourished, according to Janet Ngo, one of the animal control officers, and had fresh cigarette burns on its forehead. 

“It could have done with a little less abuse and a few more of those pork chops,” Ngo said.

Rye said officers cited Jones for expired plates and the county’s district attorney’s office was considering whether to charge her in relation to the gun accident.

"Jones doesn’t have a permit for the gun," Rye said.

Earthquake Story

Monday morning a major earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area killing 2 and 
injuring 6. Most of the damage came from a building housing McHenry’s Auto Supply at 2342 
Plum St. that partially collapsed. The earthquake was said to be felt as far as Los Angeles.

The earthquake occurred at 8:12AM Monday morning.

"I was eating my breakfast when the room started rolling," said Hayward resident Mike Beamer.

Hayward resident, Mike Beamer's apartment is across the street from McHenry’s.

"I dove under the table just as I heard an explosion outside and a chunk of cement flew through my 

kitchen window. That’s when the screaming start across the street," said Mike Beamer.

The building's partial collapse killed two people and injured six others.

Names of the dead are being withheld pending notifications of families, said Jennifer Vu, a public 

information officer from the Hayward Fire Department.

Twenty-one fire personnel, 12 police and five American Red Cross workers responded to the building

collapse. 

"Some arrived within four minutes of the quake," said Jennifer Vu.

Hayward firefighters used ropes to stabilize the auto supply shop, conducting a search of the 

building and capped a gas line after detecting a gas leak at the site.

"There was a distinct smell, you could tell something had been busted open," said Mike Beamer.

Three of the six people injured were hurt seriously enough to require hospitalization and were 

transported to Hayward General Hospital.

"No other serious injuries have been reported in Hayward," added Vu.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which had a magnitude of 6.4 on the Richter scale, was under

 the Hayward Hills, according to Penny Gertz, a scientist from the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo 

Park. 

"The earthquake was a “strong one," Gertz said.

It occurred on the Hayward Fault, which runs under the hills.

"People as far south as Los Angeles and as far north as Redding felt the quake," said Penny Gertz.

Mike Beamer said he felt a rolling motion that lasted for about 30 seconds, with a big jolt 

coming in the middle.

"The feeling of constant movement with nothing to hold onto will scare you almost as much 

as the noise," said Mike Beamer.

Lone Star Dispatch- News Evalution

Page 1: Story 1- Age old battles still on going
1. Who- Parker Smith
What- The dress code violations
Where- Bowie High School
When- September 4, 2015
Why-  It was enforced with a double standard and with no regard to how it makes girls feel
How- Smith posted her story on Twitter

2. Summary: "Age old battles still on going," was about the dress code and how it's enforced. It  talks about student's individual experiences and the demeaning ways they were dealt with.

3. Parker Smith (direct quotes), Marley Neth (direct quotes), Principle Kane (direct quotes) Jennifer Smith (direct quotes), and Brandon Smith (direct quotes).

4. The whole story is kind of an opinion because there are different points of view on the topic, but I saw no straight up opinion sentences.

5. The title of the article, "Age old battles still on going," indicates that the story will feature some degree of injustice, so it does read into the plot.

6. Yes

Page 1: Story 2- Building a better education thanks to AISD bond
1. Who- AISD, our school
What- New training room and a new modified kitchen
Where- Bowie
When- 2015-2016 Spring Semester
Why- The bond package passed by voters two years ago
How- The renovations and construction being done at our school

2. Summary: There are big changes on campus this year. Due to the bond package passed two years ago, AISD has helped put in a new kitchen, as well as a new trainer room!

3. Pablo Riera, Brittani Thibodeaux, Richard Winemiller, and Janelle Seay. (All directly quoted.)

4. No opinions

5. The title is a pun, "Building a better education thanks to AISD bond," literally means building. It does reflect the focus of the story.

6. Yes

Page 4: Story 1- SAT and ACT will change in March
1. Who- Students taking the SATs and ACTs
What- New test prep methods, and new test versions coming in March
Where- Bowie High School
When- March 2016
Why- To get students prepared 
How- English and SAT prep teachers will be handing the SATs a little differently

2. Summary: SATs and ACTs can be really stressful for students, so the school and faculty have some new ideas and materials to help. New test prep books and methods will be used, as well as a new version of the tests.

3. Judd Pfiefer, Isabela Doberenz, and Ricky Ramirez. (All directly quoted)

4. There are opinion statements on how to handle the tests.

5. The title isn't the focus of the story. It's more about the students and their feelings about the SATs and ACTs.

6. Yes

Page 4: Story 2- FIT bell schedule remains the same after proposal last year
1. Who- The Bowie students and their schedules
What- The changes the were (and weren't) made to the school schedule 
Where- Bowie High School
When- 2015-2016 school year
Why- To match up with other school campuses
How- The school decided against certain changes

2. Summary: Bowie used to have confusing designated A and B days with crazy alternate Fridays. Now the schedule is made to have the same A/B day every other day, but school ends 10 minutes later at 4:20.

3. Emily Heim, Nicole Moore, Kaila Aquino, Patricia Conroy, Matt Saucier, and Lili Benitez. 
(All directly quoted)

4. No opinions

5. The title does correspond with the story.

6. Yes

Page 4: Story 3- AISD gives school bind for campus renovation
1. Who- AISD, Bowie High School
What- Bond given to pay for improvements around school
Where- Bowie High School
When- 2013- present
Why- to help make our campus nicer and cleaner
How- AISD

2. Summary: In 2013 AISD gave Bowie a 16.5 million dollar bond to make renovations to our school. Slowly but surely students and faculty and seeing great results.

3. Vicki Hebert, Tanner Howell, and Robert Rasmus. (All directly quoted)

4. No opinion statements

5. The title states the topic.

6. No