The Meeting

Killer shark caught and killed

On July 3, the shark that fatally attacked two young islanders earlier this week was caught and killed by fishermen in waters one mile south-west of Amity.

 “We believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed,” Police Chief Martin S. Brody said in a press release. “Amity’s darkest days are behind us.”

The shark hunt began yesterday after news of a $3,000 reward for the person who caught and killed the shark responsible for the death of Alex Kintner, 10. Kintner went missing while swimming off the coast of Amity earlier this week. His cause of death was ruled as a shark attack.

Chrissie Watson, 17, also went missing in Amity waters earlier this week. Her remains were found washed ashore. While her cause of death was initially reported as a shark attack, it has since been changed to a boating accident.

The shark was brought ashore and inspected by Matt Hooper, a marine biologist from the Woods Hole, Mass. Oceanographic Institute, and one of the world’s foremost experts on sharks. Hooper identified the deadly animal as a tiger shark, one of the most brutal and dangerous breeds.

Brody also stated in the press release that all of Amity’s beaches will reopen immediately, after a decision made at an emergency town hall meeting closed the beaches for 24 hours. “I urge all our residents to recreate at the beaches,” said Brody. “Swim and have fun!”

Since the initial attack on Watson, rumors of this shark have scared away visitors to the island, which has hurt local businesses that thrive on summer tourism. Many concerned business owners attended the emergency town hall meeting to …

Brody has stated that, “islanders and guests should not be alarmed by the presence of shark spotters,” on the beaches. The spotters, sent in from local, state, and federal agencies are a precaution to calm the nerves of beachgoers.

Any shark sighting should be reported to authorities at the toll-free hotline, 1-800-SHARKSEE.

Jaws tweet 2

James Oaks, 30, of Oaks Bluff, ruled as 3rd victim of Amity Beach shark attacks at 1:30pm today; beaches closed until further notice

Jaws tweet

Injuries reported after panic caused by children's shark fin hoax on Amity beach.

"Look, Ma! I'm finally making a name for myself."

That's what I posted on my mom's Facebook wall with the link to my story that was published on http://www.tnhonline.com/ earlier today.

I think this is the first time I've ever really had anything published for the public to see. It's definitely the first news article I've had published on a legit news source, and honestly it's kind of exciting. I know everyone in the journalism program has to have had something published by now, so I'm no special snowflake, but it's still a pretty awesome feeling knowing that my work is of a high enough quality to be published.

I definitely feel like my work has improved a lot since the beginning of the semester. After all, one of the comments on my first piece was, "I'm not quite sure what your story is about." Thankfully, I've made some improvements since then. I think I've made big strides in narrowing in on what the story is really about, and making it something people want to read. I've gotten better at providing interesting angles, and engaging quotes in the best ways possible.

I've also discovered what it is that I actually enjoy writing about. I like writing community stories, stories that involve the people we know. My favorite articles to write were the ones about students getting involved, doing something new, and engaging others. My articles on HvZ, election day on campus, and students making a difference were the ones that I personally enjoyed writing the most, and also were my most successful stories.

While journalism isn't exactly the path I want to follow in the future, I did really enjoy this experience and I think I gained a lot of skills as a writer. And who knows, maybe I'll continue being a contributing writer for TNH. Because, as my mom commented on the Facebook link, I've done some "stellar reporting," so maybe I shouldn't just stop now.

I decided my blog was in desperate need of a picture of my cat.

This is Colonel. He's 15 years old, and the love of my life. When he's not eating, he likes to sleep. He can't move very fast because he's tremendously obese at 20 pounds, and he has arthritis in his legs. He fractured his two front paws and dislocated his hip a few months ago just by jumping off the counter. That's how fat he is. He's literally too fat for his own good.
When he gets excited or scared or surprised, sometimes his eyes start to go in opposite directions.
He's also transgendered.

Revised MCAT to launch in 2015 will increase work load for pre-med students

In a press release, Kaplan Test Prep announced that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has approved changes to the MCAT test that would make the road to medical school significantly harder for pre-med students.

Changes to the test include the addition of behavioral and social sciences, advanced science concepts in biochemistry, and expanded critical thinking. While the writing portion of the test is being eliminated in 2013, the revised 2015 test will still take seven hours—an hour and a half longer than the current test.

Katie Whittemore, Pre-Professional Health Programs Advisor at UNH, supports these changes. “The 2015 MCAT is not designed to be harder,” Whittemore said, “but rather to reflect changes in medical education, and to add emphasis to the importance of the socio-cultural determinants of health.”

A Kaplan Test Prep survey reported that 40 percent of medical school admissions officers say that pre-med students’ course loads will increase as a result of the new MCAT. “Doubtless, the additional course requirements may upset or cause some stress for some pre-meds,” said Whittemore, “but I believe that the majority of serious pre-meds are up to the challenge.”

Gabriela Alvarez, a junior Biology major, is trying to remain unfazed by the revamped MCAT. “If this path is really truly your passion, there is always a way to make it work,” she said. “Besides, one test is not a reflection of your ability as a student nor does it determine your worth as a human being.”

The AAMC has said that many pre-med programs will have to revise their curricula to accommodate the changes to the MCAT. In Kaplan’s press release, Amjed Saffarini, Vice President of graduate programs, said that “the road to medical school will be more challenging, since pre-med students will need to learn significantly more material within the same amount of time.” The majority of admissions officers say this will better prepare pre-med students for medical school.

Whittemore said that this new, more intense course load will have its advantages. “I think the benefits could be new classes of pre-med students with a stronger understanding of the human aspects of health and healthcare,” she said, “and how those elements influence the patient-physician relationship, the course of treatment, and potential outcomes.”

The AAMC has released a preview guide for the 2015 MCAT on its website. The guide explains the reason behind the changes, as well as what information will be covered on the exam. In this guide, students can find example problems for each new section of the test.

Alvarez suggested that the practice exams offered by the AAMC are a great way to prepare for the test. “In my opinion,” said Alvarez, “practice problems are the most useful thing available to you.” The AAMC has said that a practice test for the 2015 MCAT will be released in 2014.

Whittemore suggested taking advantage of this preparation method, saying that the best thing a student can do is take a full-length, timed practice exam. “The preparation can be intense,” she said, “and dedication and time management is a must.” Whittemore also strongly advised that students creating a strict study schedule for the exam.

The new MCAT will first be administered in the spring of 2015. While the MCAT score is only one part of a medical school applicant’s profile, it does play an important role in admissions, according to Whittemore. “The new test,” said Whittemore, “essentially forces pre-meds to think beyond the scientific material and explore other important aspects of health and healthcare. I think that time will show that this is a good thing.”

An opportunity of a lifetime

Many college students spend their summer break working a part-time job, relaxing at the beach, or just taking advantage of the time off from class. This summer, UNH junior Andrea Blodgett decided to do something a little different with her time.

“How did I end up in Uganda this summer?” laughs Blodgett. “That’s a really good question.”
At 20 years old, Andrea Blodgett hadn’t done much travelling, and never strayed far from her small hometown of Scarborough, Maine. “When I found out I was going to go,” Blodgett said, “I immediately started crying. It was terrifying.”

At UNH, Blodgett is an occupational therapy major, and an active member of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), Christian Impact, and YoungLife Leadership. After class, she drives to Dover for her job as a teacher’s aide in a kindergarten classroom. For Blodgett, devoting herself to others comes second-nature.

Blodgett had heard about the chance to make a five-week mission trip to Uganda during her freshman year. The more she looked into it, the more she realized she wanted to be a part of it.

“I was shocked to read about some the issues facing Uganda right now,” Blodgett said. “I decided I wanted to do something to help if I could, so I just signed up and a couple months later, I was there. I never expected that I would ever do something like that.”

Blodgett admittedly also didn’t expect what she was getting herself into. In the middle of the spring semester of her sophomore year, she began reading books and attending seminars about Ugandan child soldiers and prisoners of war. “They really opened my eyes to a lot of social justice issues that were happening,” said Blodgett, “which was never something I expected to get so worked up about, but it’s just so unfair what’s happening over there.”

On June 2, Blodgett arrived in Kampala with a group of 20 other students from colleges around New England, who were all a part of their schools’ IVCF chapter. From there, the IVCF team paired up with a group of 12 student representatives from Fellowship of Christian Unions (FOCUS) Uganda to begin work.
“Working with the Ugandan students was a great opportunity,” said Blodgett. “They were all college students or they had just graduated, and they were so welcoming and friendly. They really cared about us.”

FOCUS Uganda is an evangelical ministry movement spearheaded by college students. The organization not only leads Christianity talks in high schools and college, but also in the surrounding slums of Mulago, Kalerwe, Katanga and Kavule. Their goal is to bring education, support, and empowerment to the community.

Blodgett’s work with FOCUS Uganda began in the slums of Kampala, doing community outreach through door-to-door evangelism. “The first day was the hardest,” Blodgett said. “I was walking around wondering why I was there, thinking I had no right to be there telling these people they need Jesus in their lives because I don’t know what it’s like for them. Why would they want some rich white girl telling them how to live?”

Fortunately for Blodgett, her fears were calmed by the receptive community she found in Kampala. “The people there were surprisingly welcoming,” she said. “They understood that we were also learning, and trying to understand what they were going through by experiencing it first-hand.”

After three weeks in Kampala, the IVCF team moved north to Gulu to work with former prisoners of war in a sports outreach ministry. The team helped with medical clinics, and with teaching life skills, such as farming, agriculture, and sports. “We did a lot of therapy through soccer,” said Blodgett light-heartedly, “which I was absolutely terrible at.”

In Gulu, Blodgett was introduced to an environment unlike any she had ever experienced. “We met a lot of people who were in some hard situations,” she said. “Severe poverty, no clean water, healthcare or healthy food. There’s still a lot of joy there, even with all the suffering. We met former child soldiers who were so affected by the war, it was hard to hear their stories and fully realize they lived through that.”

Blodgett’s mission didn’t end in Uganda. Upon returning to UNH, she created a university chapter for ChildVoice, a Christian organization aimed at helping children affected by war. As president of the chapter, Blodgett is in charge of recruiting members, fundraising, and educating others about the ongoing suffering in Uganda. “When you’re a child abducted into a war environment,” said Blodgett, “your development is interrupted. When you spend ages eight to 15 fighting for your life, you grow up in a different way. ChildVoice gives them spiritual, emotional, and vocational counseling basically to rehabilitate them after that.”

Looking back on her experience this summer, Blodgett is thankful she didn’t let her small-town cold-feet get to her. “I realized I had an opportunity to go and love these people,” she said, “and I wasn’t about to turn that down. I felt like God was calling me towards it, and doors were opening for me.”

Doors keep opening, and opportunities keep coming for Blodgett, who has recently been offered the chance to return to Uganda this upcoming summer for an occupational therapy internship. “I never imagined I’d be going there once,” she said, “and now, to be able to go back again, it’s more than I could ask for.”

Alex

Another dead after attack on beach

Amity Island suffers another tragic loss, as a young boy has been killed in what appears to be a shark attack this afternoon.

Alex Kintner, 10, of Mayfair Court, was floating on a rubber raft when the attack occurred around 2 p.m. Shortly after, the destroyed raft floated ashore with what appeared to a large bite taken out of it. The boy’s body has not been recovered.

Police Chief Martin Brody released a statement saying that this incident may be related to the death of Chrissie Watson, 17, whose body washed ashore this morning after she disappeared into the water Sunday night.

Before the attack this afternoon, the beach was relatively calm, though packed with an excited crowd. Kintner was one of many children who had flocked to the water with toys and rafts.

Kintner was seen pulled under, followed by splashing water and a surge of blood. Chief Brody, who was visiting the beach with his family at the time, ran to the edge of the water, shouting for swimmers to get out.

Those who had been peacefully swimming created a stampede as they quickly exited the water. As the chaos settled, Kintner’s mother Marion remained at the edge of the beach, calling her son’s name. When her son’s mangled and bloody raft washed ashore, Kintner’s panic only worsened.

Marion Kintner is now being treated for shock at Amity General Hospital. No other injuries have been reported from this afternoon.

Chief Brody has urged citizens and the press not to jump to conclusions regarding the source of the attack. With Amity Mayor Larry Vaughn, Brody expressed his condolences to the Kintner family regarding the loss of their son.

A special meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall to discuss Chief Brody’s plan to close the beaches on July 4. Also to be discussed is the Kintner family’s reward for the perpetrators of the attack, and fisherman Quint’s offer to hunt down the shark he believes is responsible for this incident.

The police department remains skeptical as to the source of these attacks. In a press release, Brody said that these incidents “could maybe have possibly been linked to possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity.” The investigation is ongoing. 

Chrissie

Body of teenage girl found washed up on beach

Amity Village Police Department is investigating the death of Amity High School senior Chrissie Watson, after her mangled body was found washed up on the beach this morning.

Watson, 17, of 23 Sharkstooth St., was last seen leaving a party Sunday night when she decided to go swimming. She entered the water at a remote section of South Beach, near the South Beach buoy.

Christopher P. Hoggenbottom III, a sophomore at Trinity College and formerly of Amity Island, notified police at 6 a.m. this morning that Watson never returned from the water. He was the last one to see Watson alive as they left the party together Sunday night around 11 p.m.

Partygoer Erika Duperville said she had seen Watson talking to Hoggenbottom Sunday night, and that he followed her as she left the party. “She didn’t seem intoxicated at all,” said Duperville, “but Hoggenbottom had a couple beers.”

In a press conference, Police Chief Martin Brody said that they are not looking at any suspects at this time.  Police reported that a shark attack has not been ruled out as the cause of the attack, but alcohol and drugs may have also been involved.  

“There hasn’t been a shark attack in years,” said Brody, “if there’s ever been one at all. It can’t be ruled out, but neither can any other possibility.” Brody said that there is no present danger to the islanders, and that the beaches will remain open as the investigation continues.

Police Deputy Jay Hendricks found Watson’s body washed ashore this morning. It appeared as though she had been severely mauled, though the attacker is unknown at this time. Her body was transported to the coroner’s office for autopsy. No charges have yet been filed.

Watson was an active member of the Amity Island community. She worked as a lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA pool in Oak Bluffs, and competed as a member of the varsity swim team at her high school.

Sunday, bloody Sunday

A violent shootout and car chase left five dead Sunday afternoon, including a veteran New York City policeman.

At 4:08 p.m. Sunday, New York City Police Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle fatally shot suspected assassin Pierre Jeantot, 36, of Nice, France. The shooting took place at the 15^th St. elevated railway station after Jeantot crashed the hijacked train and attempted to escape.

Doyle was leading an investigation on Jeantot, who had allegedly been working for a French drug kingpin. Jeantot is suspected to have been involved with a crime syndicate planning a major heroin shipment from France to New York.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the deadly shootout began in a local park, where Jeantot fired several shots at Doyle from the roof of apartment 1767 W. 57^th Ave. One of these bullets struck and killed Betty B. Badluck, 63, of the Bronx, who had been walking her daughter outside the building.

Witness Kelly Gavin, 21, says the incident happened so fast, she barely had time to react. “I heard three or four shots fired, and then someone yelled ‘Get down, get out of the area!’ I looked over and a woman was lying on the ground.”

Pursued by Doyle, the suspect fled the apartment building and jumped onto the train at the 35^th St. Station. On the ground below, Doyle commandeered a car from a bystander in order to follow the train’s route.

Courtney Kaslow, 21, was on the train when the suspect entered the car. “I heard someone outside,” said Kaslow, “yelling, ‘that man is wanted by the police,’ which was when he began running through the train cars.” According to Kaslow, Jeantot was chased by police officer Roland Evans, 34, of Brooklyn, through two train cars before he fatally shot the NYPD veteran.

Witnesses say that Jeantot then hijacked the train, approaching trainman Peter Howe, 27, of Queens, saying that if he stopped the train, he would kill him. Instead of making its usual stop, the train surged through the 25^th St. Station.

Panic ensued as Howe suffered a heart attack at the controls of the train. Witnesses say conductor Horatio C. Hornblower, 30, of White Plains, attempted to reason with the frantic Jeantot, telling him to put the gun down. Jeantot instead shot Hornblower in the chest, killing him.

Meanwhile, on the ground below, Doyle continued his chase of the train by following its route from underneath the rails. Liz Williams, 20, was walking on the sidewalk as Doyle’s car flew past her. “He was driving like a madman,” she said. “He was completely blindsided by another car, but he just kept going. He was swerving to avoid hitting pedestrians, but he never stopped.”

The dangerous chase came to an end when Jeantot rear-ended the speeding train into another train stopped on the tracks at the 15^th St. Station. Doyle pulled his car up to the bottom of the platform, where he waited for Jeantot.

Bystander Sandy Marsters said he saw the final shootout from the ground. According to Marsters, Jeantot climbed out from between the train cars and began coming down the platform stairs. “He had this bewildered look on his face,” said Marsters about Jeantot.

Marsters said that Doyle limped over to the platform stairs, where he leaned on the railing. “He looked hurt,” Marsters said, “and when he yelled ‘stop,’ or ‘I’ll shoot,’ he sounded tired.” Jeantot began to slowly descend the stairs, but as Doyle drew his revolver, he quickly turned around. Doyle delivered one deadly shot into Jeantot’s back, killing him.

In a statement released by New York City Police commissioner Ruth L. Ess, Doyle was commended for his bravery, though the loss of life was unfortunate. The statement also said that the NYPD will “continue a vigorous and thorough investigation into what appears to be a major smuggling operation.”

"Is there, like, a Zumba Transit in South Portland?"

The Johns lists just keep coming.

The Maine Zumba prostitution scandal is a story that hits home for me. Literally. Since the debacle that occurred when the client list was released, in which only names were stated, now lists are being released with the clients' full names, ages, and addresses. 

It's hard not to become engrossed in this developing story since I recognize so many of the names on the lists. Many of the men are prominent public figures who I've seen on television, whose businesses I've been to, who are related to kids I went to high school with, and most recently, who live down the street from me. Yep. That creepy house down the road just got a little bit creepier.

While this story may not still be making national headlines, it's still causing a lot of talk in Maine. More and more names are being released each week. One woman at my mom's office was ready to celebrate the release of last week's list, bringing in donuts and coffee for those who would read it with her. She wasn't in much of a celebratory mood once she saw her best friend's dad on there. 

Avoiding showing up on the list is, of course, completely possible. All the men have to do is plead guilty to the charges and pay a fine. I honestly don't know why more men haven't done this, but the names keep coming.

So far, Alexis Wright has plead not guilty to over 100 charges of prostitution. Wright and her "pimp," Mark Strong, are asking for separate trials.

Vote your heart out, America.

Today's the day, guys.

After tonight, all those political ads will be replaced with Christmas commercials, political volunteers will stop calling us at the absolute worst hours to ask if we've registered to vote, and hopefully Obama will be re-elected. Come on, he's a pretty cool guy.

I've definitely paid more attention to this campaign season than any other, which is probably a good thing since this year, I became a first-time voter. Filling out my absentee ballot was pretty exciting. My mom even took pictures.

All I can say is that it's so incredibly important for you to get out there and vote, whether it's on a absentee ballot, or in person at the polls. Personally, I wish I had gone in person. I wanted the sticker. It's actually a pretty big deal, so I'm having my friend see if she can snag me an extra. But seriously, you gotta do it.
In a world where many people aren't given the right to vote for who they want, why wouldn't you want to simply celebrate the fact that you have that right? You can vote for whichever candidate you want, without fear of oppression or persecution. Hell, you can fill in the bubbles so that they spell out a secret message. But, actually don't do that. Make your vote count. Help choose your future. I know, I know, "What does one stupid vote matter?" It matters because if that sentiment catches on, we end up with an apathetic nation. Also, you have no right to complain about the results if you had no input. Who doesn't love a good tirade about the government sucking, am I right?

I'm not eloquent, and I'm hardly persuasive, but if anyone ever pays attention to anything I say, I want it to be this: hit the polls, make an impact, decide your future.

Hurricane Sandy blows through Durham

Those who weren’t evacuating the UNH campus this weekend could be found battening down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, which was set to hit New Hampshire on Monday.

UNH sent out a curtailed operations notice at 5 p.m. on the Friday before the storm hit. This notification stated that the university would curtail operations and cancel all classes from 4 a.m. Monday to 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Emails from Chief of Police Paul H. Dean were continually sent out to campus residents over the weekend and into the beginning of the week. On Sunday, students living “within a reasonable driving distance” were urged to leave the UNH campus before the storm hit.

Brian Carpenter, a UNH sophomore, took heed of these warnings. “There were a bunch of emails saying if we lost power there was no backup,” he said, “so we would all have to evacuate to the Whitt or something. My friend Joe is an RA, and he told me to just go home because it was really going to suck if we lost power.”

In an email sent out on Friday, Chief Dean wrote that widespread power outages could be expected as a result of the storm. UNH draws its power from both a co-generation plant, and Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH). Currently, the co-generation plant is offline for maintenance, leaving PSNH as UNH’s only power source. If the storm caused an outage at PSNH, UNH would have no back-up power supply.

The UNH emergency planning group met Monday morning to discuss storm preparations. Holloway and Philbrook dining halls were open only until 1 p.m. but students could pick up a box dinner to bring back to their dorms. Memorial Union Building closed at 2 p.m. and the Dimond Library remained closed all of Monday.

These modified hours gave some students reason to leave campus. Kally Riddinger, a junior at UNH, said she left mainly because she had no food in her dorm, and didn’t want to deal with going to the dining halls during the storm. “If I didn’t have food,” she said, “I probably would have been really upset.” Riddinger left UNH for her home in Pelham, NH, Sunday night and returned to campus Tuesday.

By Monday afternoon, Governor John Lynch issued a State of Emergency for New Hampshire. Motorists were advised to be off the roads by 3 p.m. and 100  National Guard members were put on active duty to help prepare for the storm.

Hurricane Sandy officially hit New Hampshire Monday evening, with strong rain and gusts up to 70 mph. The storm was categorized as a Category 1 hurricane by Monday night.

Parts of the UNH campus lost power around 9 p.m. Monday night. Ryan Thiebauth, a junior at UNH, noted the brief loss of power at his dorm in the Sercs. “I don’t care if we lose power,” he said, “I’m still not evacuating. My bed is here, and it’s comfy and warm. I’ll just go to sleep; I don’t need power for that.” He said the power came back on about an hour and a half later.

In the aftermath of the storm, Hurricane Sandy left around 137,000 PSNH customers without power, affecting over 100 New Hampshire towns. According to PSNH, 21 percent of Durham experienced a power outage during the storm. Nationwide, Hurricane Sandy has left over 2 million people without power.

At his home in Lunenburg, Mass., Carpenter experienced a loss of power than the UNH campus. “I kind of wish I didn’t go home,” he said. “We lost power for 10 hours, and UNH barely lost power. I was so pissed.”

Hurricane Sandy began brewing in the Caribbean in mid-October, but only hit the East Coast of the United States on October 27. Since then, it has caused mass power outages an flooding across many states. Several sources put the death toll near 50.

Despite the gravity of the storm, Hurricane Sandy has garnered attention through various Internet “memes” and through various Twitter accounts that tweet comments like “IT’S RAAAAAAAAAININ MEN. LITERALLY. I JUST PICKED UP A BUNCH OF DUDES AND THREW THEM.”

However, not even these jokes and puns could distract everyone from the destruction already caused. Chayanna Acevedo, a UNH senior said, “Sandy wasn't that intense here, but that doesn't mean others were not tragically affected elsewhere. People need to stop making stupid jokes and saying it was ‘weak’.” By comparison, Sandy is both wider and stronger than last August’s Hurricane Irene.

“My family, friends and home are safe,” said Acevedo. “Not everyone can say that after these past two days. People need to stop to think how blessed we are.”

Hurricane Sandy steals the show.

It's probably no surprise that Hurricane Sandy has garnered an insane amount of news coverage in the past few days. It's a huge storm affecting a huge region. But, as my roommate and I are yelling blessings and well-wishes to the people right outside our window, who are boldly braving the storm, I'm wondering: what makes Hurricane Sandy so damn special.

Then, I found this picture comparing Sandy to last year's Hurricane Irene that caused our first day of classes to be cancelled:

Oh.

So, this is why the coverage is insane. Sandy is dominating every news source out there because she's dominating the entire eastern coast. Seriously, you'd be hard-pressed to find a source that isn't covering Sandy. Because, well, you'd be a douchebag not to. On accuweather.com, the weather for Durham on Tuesday simply says, "Tropical Rainstorm Sandy." Sandy even has her own Twitter, where she tweets things like, "I BET Y'ALL WISHIN KANYE WAS HERE TO INTERRUPT MY ASS!" and "SHIT ABOUT TO GET REAL."
As funny as those tweets are, there is also a fair extent of very sobering news. CNN.com reports that the storm could affect up to 60 million people. In Atlantic City, cars are already submerged under water, and many states including our own, have declared states of emergency. By 5 p.m. today, Hurricane Sandy was classified as a Category 2 storm, with winds up to 90mph.
I'll keep all this information in mind as I consider my friend's offer to hole up in the Sercs, a solid 15-minute walk from my apartment.

The Breakfast Club at Portsmouth High School

Portsmouth high school students would be subject to Saturday morning detention, if a new policy created by School Board member Tim Steele is approved.

Steele proposed this policy at Monday evening’s School Board meeting. His policy would force students with disciplinary problems during the week to carry out detention on Saturday mornings from 8 A.M. until noon. This rule is proposed in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions.

“I hope,” said Steele, “that the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules.” The Saturday classes would take place over several weekends throughout the year, and require an annual $3,000 for staffing.

However, not everyone is on board with this proposal. Peggy Bacon, a parent of a PHS student, believes that parents and students alike will suffer from this new policy. “I just don’t think it’s going to make any difference,” Bacon said, “and the parents are going to pay for it—in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays.”

Lisa Gallagher, a PHS senior, and one of five students who attended the meeting, spoke against the policy. “I think,” Gallagher said, “it’ just being done to make life easier for the faculty, so they don’t have to deal with detentions during the week.”

In-house suspensions at PHS require the student to spend the school day in an empty classroom under the supervision of a faculty member. The students cannot make up the classwork missed for that school day. In 1995, 154 students received in-house suspensions.

For some, this policy is seen as a good change to the rules. “Parents aren’t teaching their kids any discipline,” said Resident Bob Farley, who supports the new disciplinary measure, “so the kids have no respect for rules. Maybe if they have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up.”

Steele stated that this measure was taken to reduce the number of in-school suspensions, which are automatically given to any student caught smoking on PHS property. He believes smoking is not the only discipline problem at the school, but it is by far the biggest.

After 30 minutes of discussion, the School Board voted to table the new proposal until the March 7 meeting. At that time, Steele must return with specific figures on in-school detentions so far this year. 

Killing zombies and building community on the UNH campus

A zombie invasion occurred in Durham, NH, this past week, with over 100 UNH students turning into the brain-hungry creatures as the first UNH “Humans v. Zombies” game of the year came to a close.
Humans v. Zombies, or “HvZ,” is essentially a moderated, glorified version of tag. All players begin as humans, except for one who is dubbed the “Original Zombie.” The Original Zombie must tag the human players, which then turns them into zombies. All zombies must tag a human every 48 hours—an act called “feeding”—or they “starve” and are kicked out of the game.
To add more excitement, humans are able to momentarily “stun” zombies, by hitting them with socks or marshmallows, or shooting them with dart blasters. “The simple task,” says Chris Weed, co-inventor of HvZ, “of walking to class or getting dinner becomes an adventure, and many players are left with a new appreciation for their everyday lives.”
Chris Weed first brought Humans v. Zombies to Goucher College in 2005. Since then, the game has gone viral, and is now played at over 650 universities nationwide.
Andrew Wood, a junior and head moderator of UNH HvZ, has been working to get the on-campus use of Nerf Blasters approved since he began playing freshman year. “Initially, we didn’t think there would be a problem,” he says, “but the previous chief of police was concerned that uninvolved people would see the blasters, grow confused, and report a gunman on campus.” Wood has been collaborating with new police Chief Paul Dean, who has approved the use of Nerf dart blaster for the next HvZ game.
In the Official HvZ Guidelines, there are explicit rules concerning dart blaster safety. These rules state that the blasters may not look like realistic weapons, and must be concealed indoors. Additionally, the blasters cannot be fired near cars or traffic, and the darts should not inflict pain when fired at someone.
Kurtis Sawyer, 21 and a moderator of the UNH game, is especially excited about the approval of dart blasters, asking, “What college kid doesn’t want an excuse to play with Nerf guns?” Sawyer notes that since its first attempts at getting dart blasters approved, the campus-wide game has gained more recognition. “We’ve shown that we are responsible adults who just want to play with children’s toys.”
HvZ began on the UNH campus two years ago, and has had one game every semester since. This year, however, moderators are trying to set up a second game for this semester. The positive turnout of their September game and new approval of dart blasters has encouraged the addition of a November game.
Sawyer states that the game had 140 players this year, a considerable increase from 80 players last semester. The September game served as an advertisement for the November game, he notes, and suspects more people will join the upcoming game.
“I’m kind of terrified, and very excited,” Sawyer says. Though he worries that many students will join for the sole purpose of using Nerf guns, he is excited for the growing membership. Sawyer has been playing for two years, and helps moderate and advertise for the game.
Sawyer has increased publicity for the game this year by putting up fliers and chalking around campus. “I have friends who are RAs this year,” he says, “so I’ve had them threaten to write up their residents if they didn’t sign up for the game.”
However, according to Sawyer, news of the game is often spread by word-of-mouth across campus. Mairi Ellum, a freshman, heard of the upcoming game via the blogging site Tumblr. “It was a great way to meet new people,” she says, “and you have this instant connection with people when you see that they have a bandana and are playing.”
For the player of HvZ, the game is more than just zombie-themed tag. To Samantha Gorski, a freshman and first-time player, HvZ provided her with an entirely new network of friends. “I definitely got a lot more out of it,” she comments, “than I could have ever expected. As one of the mods said one night: Contrary to popular belief, this game is about making friends more than getting brains.”
This is a belief Weed had in mind when developing the game. “It’s inclusive,” he says. “The more people you have playing with you the more enjoyable it is. And if your fellow players aren’t your friends when the game begins there’s a good chance they will be by the time it’s over.”
For Wood, HvZ is one of the best campus-wide social events of the year. Through the game, he has met over a hundred people, and made dozens of friends. “I want to see this game get to the point where it’s running thousands of players,” he adds.  “I want people forming teams, relying on each other, making friends for life.”
Sawyer agrees with Wood, saying that HvZ is all about teamwork and community. He describes the tradition of Zombie Takeover at Philbrook Dining Hall, where all the zombies get food around 10 p.m. According to Sawyer, all the players makes friends in this game, whether human or zombie.
Moderators Wood and Sawyer stay true to the HvZ vision developed by Weed, who believes that the game creates bonds between players.  “Humans vs. Zombies,” says Weed, “represents a way of holding on to our need to have fun for no other reason than to have fun, and a way to give oneself over completely to a social experience.”  

Heartbreaking news.

There were two stories this week that I can't stop thinking about.

The first is this one, which I heard about from my friend:
On live air, Fox News shows suicide of a driver chased by police
Fox News was airing live video coverage of police chasing down a car-jacker, when the man unexpectedly got out of the car and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Even though there was a delay in the video feed, the network didn't cut away fast enough, and accidentally aired the image of the man committing suicide on live television. I watched the video of the newscast, and it is absolutely harrowing. You could hear the fear and anxiety in anchor Shepard Smith's voice as he realized that the whole video was being shown. I couldn't believe that the network made such an incredibly bad judgment call. However, I thought Smith's apology was very sincere, I have the utmost respect for the recovery he made.

The second story, my mom sent me in an email:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/sahara-davenport-dead-dies-rupaul-drag-race-contestant-manila-luzon_n_1932080.html
I'll admit, I'm still incredibly sad about this. I'm a huge fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, and so I watched the season that Sahara was on, and she was a very strong competitor. She was so amazingly talented at creating her look, dancing, and being an overall performer. Stories like this one absolutely kill me because I want to know all the answers, but not all the details have been released yet. The cause of her death is still a mystery, and I know I can't be the only one wondering what could have possibly claimed the life of such a young and promising performer.

What's grabbing my attention.

So, I try to check out the news a couple times a week. I usually head to CNN.com, or Google News, or the BBC website. To be honest, I really want to get invested into the stories about the crisis in Syria, or the presidential debates, or the turmoil in Libya. But--and I can't explain why--these just aren't the stories that are keeping my attention. It's these ones:

Man Eaten Alive By Pigs At His Oregon Farm! (Ate Majority Of His Body)

NJ Triple Murder Victims' Kin Gird for Final Trial

Ex-Ala. prof wants to be tried in brother's death

Yeah.

The gruesome deaths and murder trials. 

I don't know why these always fascinate me so much, but it's something I've noticed about myself. Maybe it's the how extreme or peculiar the stories are. These really are things that don't happen every day. Isn't that what news is--change? Or maybe it's the level of disbelief that comes with each story that catches my focus.

I'm obviously going to try to get more involved with the hard-hitting, long-term stories, but these ones will always be the ones I read first.

While other kids were watching cartoons, I fell in love with Matt Lauer.

When I was younger, I would watch the Today Show every morning before school started—elementary school, that is. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a huge fan of the show. Matt Lauer was probably one of first crushes besides Brian, the boy who sat next to me in my kindergarten class. But Matt Lauer's dashing looks and Al Roker’s witty banter weren’t the only reasons I enjoyed watching the show. Even though I was a kid and couldn’t exactly understand the stories I was hearing, I genuinely enjoyed watching the news. If I can remember correctly, it just felt really awesome following the news like a grown-up. I had no grasp on politics, or the economy, or even why there were so many bad people out there, but knowing what was going on in the world made my little 3^rd-grade self feel pretty spectacular. The first big stories I remember ever “following” were the Elian Gonzalez case, 9/11, and the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping. So, I guess that’s where it all started.

Up through high school, I religiously watched the news before school every morning. As school began starting earlier and earlier, I would see less of the Today Show, and more of my town’s local news program (Lee Nelson and Sharon Rose, my favorite local news anchors, FTW). When I came to UNH, I stopped watching the news every morning; it was probably because I had no reason to be getting up that early being the sleep-deprived college student that I am. I did develop a habit of checking CNN.com every day, though. It caught a lot of my friends off-guard. They would look over at me on my laptop and ask, “Kate… are you reading the news?” Hell yes, I am. I guess what it comes down to is that I really like being informed, or at least trying to be. Let’s face it: in my everyday life, I’m discombobulated, I’m unaware of my general surroundings, I can’t manage to wake up on time, I easily lose my belongings, and I’m basically a mess. If I can manage to know what’s going on in the world, then at least there is some sort of stability and organization in my life.

I don’t really know why my friends were so surprised that I surfed CNN for fun, but I feel like it might be because people my age or younger don’t really pay attention to the news anymore. I think that there are a couple reasons for that. For one, I think we’ve become desensitized in a way to the things that are happening around us. A lot of the time, the news is depressing: murders, recessions, career-ruining scandals, riots, injustices, etc. I honestly believe that once you start hearing stories like these over and over again, you stop listening because you realize that these stories are going to keep happening. To get people to start listening, we have to hear these stories in a way we’ve never heard them before, from a new perspective or angle. I think if news stories catered more towards the audience of young adults, they’d be more likely to pay attention. I think this also relates to the idea that people my age don’t pay as much attention is because we’re under the impression that we don’t relate to these stories. It’s possible that a lot of people think that if a story doesn’t affect us directly, or it doesn’t involve our interests, then there’s little point in reading it. I’m not saying this is true for everyone, but it definitely could account for my generation’s decline in interest.

What does this mean for the future of journalism? I think it could mean a couple things. I feel like my generation of journalists is less likely to go down the road of writing for a general paper, and is more likely to write stories for specialized blogs or magazine. There’s a wide range of online publications that cover any specific topic, and it’s become so easy to find a place where you can write about exactly what matters to you. I absolutely believe that there are those who will stick with reporting the news in general, but I think a lot of us are going to end up finding our niches and writing on those.

Personally, my relationship with the news is going pretty strong; it’s been a long time since we first met, but it always finds ways to excite me. I guess you could call it love.

Police captain and teen save tourist from train

A local teen and police captain have become heroes after saving the life of a Canadian tourist whose car stalled on the train tracks this morning at Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The car was pushed from the crossing only thirty seconds before the train speeded through.
80 year-old Francois Truffaut of Quebec City was found unconscious at the wheel of his car around 6 A.M. James Laboke, 17, saw the car stalled on the Downeaster train tracks, with Truffaut slumped over the steering wheel. Laboke pounded on the car window, but Truffaut did not respond though the engine was running.
“I never thought about it,” Laboke said. “I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.” Laboke ran four miles to the Pier St. police station, where he alerted the authorities.
Janet Paradiso, Old Orchard Beach police captain, responded to the call just in time. Upon arriving at the scene, she heard the whistle of the oncoming train. “I knew there was no time,” she said. “I had to do something.”
Old Orchard police Chief Brian Paul reported that Paradiso’s quick response saved Truffaut. She reportedly rammed her police cruiser into the back of the man’s vehicle, pushing it from the tracks. The train passed through the crossing just 30 seconds later. “It was that close,” Paul said.
Truffaut was rushed to Southern Maine Medical Center, where he is in stable condition. Police reports state that Truffaut, a diabetic, may have gone into insulin shock upon reaching the crossing.
Laboke was on his way to work at the Eezy Breezy Restaurant when the incident happened. Charles Champaigne, Laboke’s boss, said that Laboke arrived to work right on time, with no mention of the incident. Champaigne only later found out about Laboke’s heroic actions when a reporter called him.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Champaigne commented. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.” Laboke has been working for Champaigne for eight months.

L’actualité française

So, this week for my french class, I had to find a news article to present. So, I scoured the french news websites, trying to find the perfect one (aka, one I could easily understand). What I found was that between all the sources I looked at, there wasn't a lot of variety. I kept finding the same stories written the same way over and over again, and there wasn't a whole lot to choose from. I can't really think of a reason for this. Maybe the French don't have the same journalistic spirit as Americans?

C’était très énervant.

And, in case you were wondering, I decided to present the story about that new creepy species of monkey they found. Some say it looks like Nicolas Cage. I don't think he looks nearly that disturbing. Nicolas Cage, not the monkey.

Wednesday's wisdom.

The search for stories last Wednesday was actually really helpful. It showed me just how easy it is to find a spark for a story idea. The "beat" for my search team was Campus Life, so we decided to hunt down the most central bulletin boards, and see what we could find for story ideas.

Turns out, you can find a lot of story ideas in those chaotic pits of flier madness.

What I really learned was that the story isn't simply the event we read about on the flier, but the story behind that event. What I mean, for example, is that fall Scope recruitment in itself might not be a story, but a look into hazing in UNH clubs might be. We also found fliers for a bartending class held on campus, and a sign up for a Budweiser Booze Cruise; both of these I think can be turned into stories about promoting alcohol on campus. You can check out the bartending class here: http://www.ontherocksbartending.com

More on leads...

In my search for various types of leads, I found these three:

• http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/24/ravens-torrey-smith-has-inspiring-game-hours-after-brothers-death/?hpt=hp_c3 
• http://www.pressherald.com/news/Maine-lawyer-takes-responsibility-for-school-bomb-threats-.html 
• http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opinion/sunday/the-optimal-diet.html?_r=0 

The first story, "Ravens' Torrey Smith has inspiring game hours after brother's death," begins with a narrative lead. This piece begins with very little information as to the rest of the story, but is effective in that it grabs your attention. As a reader, you find yourself asking, "Why?" which encourages you to read the rest of the story.
The second story, "Maine lawyer takes responsibility for school bomb threats," uses a different type of lead- the "delayed identification" lead. In the lead to this piece, the author writes that the story involves a "prominent Maine defense attourney," but doesn't say who this attorney is until the second paragraph. Additionally, in the lead it is written that the attorney will not spend time behind bars, but it isn't explained why until later. This lead confronts the reader with a few details about the story, and then later goes on to clarify them.
The third and final story, "Eating for Health, Not Weight," begins with a "startling statement" lead. It hits the reader with a fact- that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese- which acts as a segue into the story's main focus of what people need to understand to effectively lose weight.
These different leads all hit the reader in a different way, and serve different purposes. I'd say the narrative lead is most effective for an emotional story, like the one above. The dramatic narrative that starts the story sets the reader up for what's to come. The delayed identification lead leaves the reader wanting more, and the startling statement surprises the reader, making them want an explanation. What these three types of leads have in common is that they immediately engage the reader, and allow them to question what's to come in the rest of the story.

Apple calls new iPhone 5 “a huge leap” from previous model

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., unveiled the new iPhone 5 in his keynote presentation on Wednesday. The new model will be available for purchase starting at 8 a.m. on September 21, 2012.

The presentation highlighted the advances in technology made in developing this new iPhone model.  It will be the thinnest and lightest smartphone yet, with a larger screen display.

“Today,” announced Cook, “we’re taking it to the next level, making a huge leap.” He then introduced Phil Shiller, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Apple, to talk about the new design.

Shiller began with the new shape of the iPhone, saying, “What is the design center for a phone? It’s this, it’s your hand. A phone should feel great in your hand.” This idea is what served as the inspiration for the new model.

The new iPhone is 18% thinner, and 20% wider than the previous model. The new “retina display” is 4 inches long, making it half an inch longer than the iPhone 4, and has a 16:9 screen ratio. This allows the user to see more content, with the phone still being easy to handle and use.

“You’ll see more of the web when you’re surfing Safari,” noted Shiller. “You’ll see more of your email; your calendar shows more events… there’s much more room to work and play.”

The new screen ratio is also the “most accurate display in the industry,” according to Shiller. It has “44% more color saturation,” and “full sRGB color specification,” meaning the colors are more true-to-life than ever before.

The iPhone 5 also gives its users access to LTE technology, which yields faster downloads. LTE will also allow the “FaceTime” feature to operate on the network, rather than exclusively over wireless connections.

These new features give Apple fans something to be excited about. Brandon McCarthy, 19, will be getting in line for his new phone the day it is released, an hour and a half before the store opens. “Just like last year,” he reports excitedly.

Concerning the new model’s $650 price tag, McCarthy said, “To me, it’s worth it. In reality, it might not be because I have a perfectly good phone. I know in the back of my head it’s not worth it, but I’m an impulse person.”

McCarthy’s current iPhone is the 4S model, and only 11 months old. “I just like having the newest technology,” he added.

To others, however, the steep price is a turn off. Danielle Baker, 21, will not be purchasing the new iPhone, her simple reason being, “I’m broke.”

For Benjamin Kidder, 21, the new model release came at just the right time. “It’ll only be $200 for me,” he said, “because it’s the next upgrade from my phone now.” Kidder will be getting in line at 6:30 a.m. to buy the iPhone 5.

“I’m excited because it’ll be my first smartphone. I’ll have the newest thing, so in two years, I’ll still have a relatively new phone. I’m just going to be pulling it out at my parties and showing people.” Kidder noted that the new iPhone is a large step above his previous phone, an NV Touch. He commented that his current phone has a small memory, can’t play music, and “doesn’t attract the ladies,” all of which he says the iPhone 5 will remedy.

Jonathan “Jony” Ive, Senior Vice President of Design, commented on the new model, saying he believes that the changes are not taken lightly. “When you think about your iPhone, it’s probably the object that you use most in your life… We don’t want to make a new phone; we want to make a better phone.”

Getting on Anderson Cooper's level.

Do I feel like a journalist yet? Maybe.

I think when I suddenly became better at writing sentences comprised of 15 words or less, and composing paragraphs on only two sentences, I felt more like a journalist.

When I interviewed people, and pursued questions further than I first intended, I felt more like a journalist.

When I consulted the AP Stylebook, I definitely felt more like a journalist.

I still haven't mastered finding a story, or composing perfect leads. My quotes could always be integrated better, and I still need to work on sticking to the actual point of my story. Truth be told, I was never in this class to feel like a journalist; I just wanted to be able to take an editing class next semester. But, all the work I've done so far, and the tricks I've learned have given me more of a true sense of what it is to be a journalist. I did some radio work back in high school, and this class feel a lot like that. I've been using the same skills: developing a compelling topic, gathering information, finding first-hand sources, and conducting interviews. In the end, this class pushes those skills I developed in high school even further, and it gives me the same excitement.

I'm ready to get on Anderson Cooper's level.

Lead the way.

"State police are calling him the backpack burglar." --Kennebec Journal
"Authorities in northern Mexico detained a prison director and two other officials after 129 inmates escaped from the facility through a tunnel, officials said." --CNN.com
"Complaints to Binghamton University included having to hold hot coals, being kept outdoors in underwear and even a version of waterboarding." --The New York Times

Overall, these leads have something important in common: they all make me interested in the rest of the story. This, I think, is probably the most important aspect in writing a lead-- creating something that will engage the reader. I'll be honest, a lot of the time I see an interesting title to a news story, and end up only reading the lead. Most of the time, it's because the lead didn't grab my attention well enough, and I decided to pass on the rest of the story.

I realize this isn't the best practice for someone in a journalism class.

But, in looking at different leads, I realized that as simple as this is, it really is the most important thing. You have to keep your audience engaged. This first lead, for example, absolutely has my attention. I want to know why they call him the backpack burglar. Is it for the obvious reasons? I went on to read the story, and to clarify, he's not stealing backpacks, he's stealing items by concealing them in a backpack. The more you know. The second lead also managed to convince me to read the whole story. I want to know more about this tunnel and how it went unnoticed until it was too late. The final lead had the same idea, grabbing my attention, but leaving me asking questions. This is where I make my point.

The best leads are the ones that leave you wanting more, the ones that leave you with questions that you just need to be answered. They are long enough to deliver basic information, but short enough so that you don't give up on it. Crafting a good lead is definitely a skill, and it's one I'm hoping to master.

Finding My Story.

I think I assumed this would be easier than it is.
I figured that new stories would jump out at me and grab my attention like that crazy man who lives in an alley back home. It's not quite that simple.
The way I get news around here is usually just by hearing it in conversation with my friends-- granted, I'm usually the last to know. At least, that's how I heard about the Cottages bus-debacle and the assault that occurred outside my own dorm, which seem to be the two biggest news stories of the past week or so.
I think I'm having one of two problems: maybe my problem isn't that I can't seem to find a story, but that I can't seem to find a story that grabs my attention to the point where I feel obligated to seek it out further and delve into the details of it. Or, maybe my problem is that I haven't found a story that I think will be interesting to others. News is supposed to be interesting, right? I know I won't read something that doesn't interest me.
So. Where do I find all these interesting stories?

Three teenagers involved in car crash on Mile Hill Road.

Two teenagers were hospitalized after the car they were riding in flipped over on Mile Hill Rd. in Belmont, Mass. Tuesday night. The driver was reportedly unharmed.

Jamie Peterson, 17, was driving with two passengers when his Mustang swerved off the road at 9p.m. The car hit an embankment, and then flipped over onto its roof.

“I thought the worst,” said Tom Carroll, Jr., who was first on the scene. “They were flying. It’s hard to see kids your age in something like this.” Carroll was driving behind Petersen when he saw the car speed around a curve. He did not see the car again until after it had crashed.

Rescuers responded to the scene, where it took 45 minutes to free the two passengers from the car. Peterson managed to free himself from the vehicle.

One of the female passengers was taken to Memorial Hospital in Belmont, where she was declared in stable condition. The other female passenger was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

The two passengers involved are young females, according to Lt. Judith Barkus of the Belmont Police Dept. No names have been released.

 “I’ve never seen a car going so fast on this road,” reported Josie Crandall, who called the police after she saw the accident occur outside her window. “It’s a dirt road, and it’s really easy to lose control.”

Mile Hill Rd. was the scene of a fatal accident that killed two local teenagers in 2005.

Girl and grandma eaten alive, saved by hunter

A local hunter saved a young girl and her grandma who had been eaten by a wolf Tuesday morning. The wolf, who the hunter had been pursuing for years, had broken into the grandmother's cottage about 1.5 miles into The Woods.
"I finally killed the sucker," the hunter rejoiced, after his heroic save at the cottage. He had found the elusive wolf sleeping in the grandmother's bed, and wasted no time in killing the beast.
The hunter used his knife to quickly cut open the wolf's stomach. The girl and her grandmother were alive inside, startled but unharmed.
 "I will never wander off the forest path as long as I shall live," exclaimed Elisabeth, locally known as Little Red Riding Hood, after the incident. The young girl had been on her way to deliver food to her sick grandma when she was confronted by the wolf.
The young girl reports being charmed by the wolf, who had suggested that she pick flowers for her grandmother. Disobeying her mother's orders, Red Riding Hood strayed from the path and wandered deeper into the woods.
Unbeknownst to the girl, the wolf made his way to the grandma's cottage, where he tricked her into being let inside. It was then that he swallowed the woman whole, and waited for the young girl's return.
Red Riding Hood notes that she felt inexplicably afraid to enter her grandmother's cottage, because something felt wrong. The wolf, disguised in the grandmother's nightclothes, made quick work of devouring the girl.
"I'm no hero," said the hunter. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

UNH Students Party Hard, Live Up to Reputation

DURHAM— The three-day weekend following syllabus week gave UNH students an extended opportunity to celebrate the back-to-school season. In the calm following the storm of the first weekend back at school, how is UNH living up to its ranking as one of the biggest party schools in the United States?

In its list of Top Party Schools of 2012, The Daily Beast ranks UNH in sixth place out of twenty-five. This list is compiled by taking into account the number of arrests made on campus and “per-student disciplinary actions for drugs and alcohol” from 2010, and also considers the Princeton Review’s ratings of top party schools and top beer-drinking campuses. While UNH did not make the Princeton Review’s list of Top 20 Party Schools, it did rank at number two on its list of Most Beer-Drinkers. Given this reputation, and the four-day weekend immediately following “syllabus week,” big happenings were expected on the UNH campus. “I feel like there were definitely a lot more parties since it was a long weekend,” reports Courtney Kaslow, a junior at UNH, “I got invited to some, but I didn’t go because I was having my own.” Kurtis Sawyer, a UNH senior, says that he went out 3 nights in a row, but that was “hardly normal” for him.

Blake Kendrick, another UNH senior, found himself taking part in the first-weekend festivities, going out and drinking three nights in a row. “I didn’t go to any frats or bars,” he notes, “but I went to several parties and get-togethers.” He likes the party scene here at UNH, and when asked if its party-school ranking accurately reflected the nightlife of UNH, he replies, “Well, I did drink a fucking ton of beer, and it is definitely a party school.” Kaslow agrees, “The beer one definitely. New Hampshire kids like their beer.”

In mornings following the nights of partying over the long weekend, Twitter was littered with mentions of the shenanigans happening on campus. One student announced his first party of the weekend, tweeting “Throwin down tonight like its our job #rager #party1” while another student simply tweeted the hashtag “#PARTYON.” Sunday night, Twitter user “UNH Swag” tweeted, “Well the past 3 days have been unreal.. And there’s STILL one more night left” with the hashtags, “#thereisbloodinmyalcohol” and “welcomeback.” Welcome back, indeed.

Sources: 

http://www.collegeatlas.org/top-party-schools.html

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/galleries/2012/08/05/college-rankings-2012-top-party-schools-photos.html

What is news?

News is different for everyone. 
To me, news could be the latest information about Nicolas Cage's new movie, but to an older generation, news could be the changes in Medicare coverage. News is relative, but ultimately it is the stories that matter, and the ones that influence our lives. Anything from weather to politics, crime reports to heroic stories, news is what engages us and changes our perception of the world. 
It's what's happening around us that affects our daily lives.