Dangerous Weather in New England

Severe weather conditions give travelers coming from all directions a scare on their way to New Hampshire.

The state of New Hampshire has not seen a flood since May 2007. At 4 AM, the National Weather Service posted a flood watch for Southern Maine and New Hampshire.

Power outages have already been reported in Bethlehem, Conway, Durham, Eaton, Madison, New London and Tamworth as of 8:25 this morning.

It took commuters longer to get to their destination this morning with the dangerous driving conditions. Traffic lights were not functioning near UNH this morning, creating an even more hazardous commute for drivers.

According to the National Weather Service Forecast, today’s weather prediction included one to three inches of rain and a temperature of about 44 degrees. Wind speeds will consist of an east wind 17 to 20 mph increasing to between 38 and 41 mph. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.

Residence halls at the University of New Hampshire have power, but there have reportedly been brief power outages intermittently. Classes were not cancelled and power the remained functional in all of the academic buildings.

FareCard Alibi

The headline on the front page of today's New York Times “Murder Suspect Has Witness: A FareCard” immediately caught my attention. Articles like this one always seem to catch my attention, hence why I am taking a homicide class this semester. The basic lead used also dragged my intention into the rest of the story. I thought it was a good technique to summarize the main point of what the article was about. However, we don’t learn the importance of the suspects FareCard until later on in the article which was also clever because it forced the reader to keep going.

The story lived up and was described perfectly in the headline. We slowly learned that the murder suspect had his lawyers ask New York City Transit to use his FareCard to trace his movements the night of the shooting. The results supported his account, showing that the card had been used on a bus, and later on a subway roughly five miles from the shooting, just as he had described. This description summarizes the main point of the story.

The story was organized in a way where I didn’t learn about the main focus of the story until halfway through. It began by giving background information which then led to the central idea. The story then goes on to less important information such as what a FareCard is used for and other criminal cases that have needed to use this card as evidence to support or convict someone of a crime.

The story linked its main points from the beginning to the middle. It began by talking about the murder itself and where the suspect claimed he was the night of the murder. It then goes on to talk about the extraordinary turn the case was taking due to the use of the suspects FareCard the same time as the murder. I thought this order was a great way to tell the story because it kept me interested throughout.

By the end of the article I had not learned anything new. This article was not meant to be educational. I was, however, fascinated by the use of electronics and how they are going to help keep an innocent man from receiving the death penalty.

Assassin Attempts to Murder NYC Police Detective

Late Sunday afternoon, a French assassin suspected to be working on behalf of a French drug kingpin, attempted to murder a New York City Police Detective who was investigating the case.

Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, assigned to the Narcotics Division, was gunned down by Pierre Jeantot, of Nice, France. Jeantot was one of the men Doyle and his partner Buddy “Cloudy” Russo were investigating. Doyle used his .38 caliber service revolver and shot Jeantot in the back at the bottom of the steps to the platform of the 15th St. elevated railway station.

“We suspect Jeantot had been assigned to assassinate Doyle,” said Ruth L. Ess, New York City Police commissioner, in a press release.

The hijacked train crashed into the back of another train after being forced to skip a scheduled stop. An injured Jeantot attempted to escape not knowing Doyle was waiting for him at his exit.

Prior to the chase, Jeantot had fired several shots from an automatic rifle at Doyle from the roof of an apartment building at 1767 W. 57th Ave. During these shootings, Jeantot killed 63 year old Betty Badluck who was walking her granddaughter near the apartment building.

The shooting came at the end of a long chase in which Doyle pursued the suspect from 35th St. Station in a commandeered car. Jeantot hijacked the train, killing Roland Evans, a 15- year veteran of the New York City Police Department and conductor Horatio Hornblower with a .44 Magnum revolver. He also is responsible for the heart attack, which resulted in death, of the trainman at the controls, Peter Howe.

“Let me just say is always unfortunate when these incidents end in a loss of a life. We should have preferred to see Jeantot prosecuted in the courts, and we believe Doyle was close to a breakthrough on the case,” said Ess. “We commend Detective Doyle for his bravery and quick thinking under very trying circumstances,” she said.

According to Homeland Security records, Jeantot entered the United States on November 4 on a flight from Paris. He was suspected to be part of a crime syndicate that had been laying the groundwork for a major heroin shipment from France to New York City. Two other men suspected to be involved in the operation are now in questioning.

“We will continue a vigorous and thorough investigation into what appears to be a major smuggling operation. We will not sit while drug dealers walk our streets,” said Ess.

University Presidents' Salary Increase During Hard Economic Times

The headline “Presidents’ Pay Rises Faster at Public Universities than Private Ones, Survey Finds” on page A19 caught my attention. The lead, however, did not keep my attention as well as it could have. They used a basic lead where they talk about the President at Suffolk University and his $2.8 million pay package. I didn’t think it was affective to start off with an example of a college president whose pay has drastically risen. They should have supported the headline more instead of jumping right into things.

I thought the story would be more educational rather than full of opinions and quotes. There was not a lot of information provided other than what people had to say about the topic. The story did not live up to the headline and was not what I thought it would be. I thought there would be a significant amount of quotes but would also be supported by facts. The main point of the story was to propose a question as to why public university presidents are receiving a larger pay increase than private university presidents. Between the failing economy and the tuition difference in private and public universities, it has baffled a lot of people.

The story had no real organizational technique. It had a lot of quotes and support of those quotes but only towards the end. I thought that some of the information and facts that they used should have been used more towards the beginning to keep the reader interested. The story did a pretty good job linking together its main ideas and the quotes. Between most of the quotes, there was information provided that led to the next quote.

I learned that public university presidents are making more money than private university presidents. I also had no idea that university presidents of any type of school make as much money as they do. I was surprised to learn that the president of Suffolk University had a $2.8 million pay package. I was left questioning why university presidents would have a pay increase during these hard economic times. Finally, I learned that despite their rapid salary increase, their salaries are still $100,000 behind private university presidents.

Lower Gas Prices Don't Make Americans Feel Rich

“Lower Gas Prices Don’t Make Americans Feel Rich” was the headline that caught my attention this morning in the New York Times. The basic lead used also held my attention by providing enough information to keep me interested in what the rest of the article was about. I find articles about gas prices intriguing because it affects me personally. I believe it is important to keep up with everything going on with the economy, especially the rise and fall of gas prices.

The article lived up to the headline that drew me in, and kept me interested until the end. It talked about the fluctuation of the prices over the past several months. Gas below $1.50 a gallon has recently appeared in a few places, and the national average has dropped almost in half since July, to $2.18 a gallon. The article also focused on a number of consumers and their fear about the broader economy. Each 10-cent drop in prices saves consumers about $12 billion a year. Instead of spending that cash, people are trying to save it or cut their debt. Despite this current drop in gas prices, people are concerned prices will once again rise.

Lower gasoline prices have followed a rapid drop to less than $59 a barrel, from more than $145 a barrel in July. It is believed that gas prices are close to bottoming out and that the national average will linger around $2 a gallon through the holidays before creeping up in 2009.

The article was well organized and did not jump around from one thing to another. It talked about the facts and then gave quotes from several different consumers. It provided readers with all the information they needed followed by a lot of support to back up what was being reported. The story communicated its central idea by linking its main points together. All of the information and statistics were givenwere linked together by quotes.

When I finished the article I was surprised to have learned that people are saving an average of $12 billion dollars a year from the drop in gas prices. I had no idea that the slight drop in prices is saving consumers that much money. I also did not know that gas was as low as $1.50 a gallon in some places in the U.S. What I was left questioning about the article was the credibility of the people that were quoted. How and why were they chosen to represent consumers?

Washington School Chief Starts a Commotion By Taking on Tenure

The headline “A School Chief Takes on Tenure, Stirring a Fight” caught my attention in today’s issue of the New York Times. The article talks about the chancellor of Washington Public Schools, Michelle Rhee, and her proposal to give teachers an option of two compensation plans. The story was balanced and showed the opposing side of this proposal as well. The lead, which was just your basic news lead, also held my interest and made me want to continue reading.

The two options Michelle Rhee proposed are called the green plan and the red plan. Pay for teachers in the green plan would rise drastically, nearly doubling by 2010. They would, however, need to give up tenure for a year, after which they would need a principal’s recommendation or face dismissal.

Those who choose the red plan would also get big pay increases, but would lose seniority rights over new teachers. If they are not hired by another school, their only options would be early retirement or eventual dismissal. However, a poll commissioned by the union found that teachers opposed Ms. Rhee’s proposal by three to one.

The story was organized in a linear structure, beginning with Michelle Rhee’s proposal and all the support it was receiving. From there, it talked about those who opposed it and why. The story lived up to its captivating headline and kept me intrigued throughout the entire article.

The article linked its main points in order from the supporters of the proposal and various quotes from people who agreed with Michelle Rhee. From there, those who opposed were represented through quotes and an explanation as to why they did not agree with her. It was a very neutral article and did not favor one side over the other. The quotes from both sides came from people who knew what they were talking about which left me feeling as though I could trust what they were saying.

I thought towards the end of the article there were too many quotes. It wasn’t an effective way to conclude the story. I was left wondering why Michelle Rhee was so determined to get her proposal passed and how it would affect the rest of the country. Would other states follow suit if the proposal is passed in Washington? Also, I was left unsure as to which side I would favor if I had to choose.

Sarah Palin in the Spotlight

The headline “Rehashing ’08 and Rehearsing, Perhaps, for ‘12” on page A18 caught my attention as I flipped through the pages of the New York Times. When I read the article, however, the headline that drew me in had very little to do with the contents of the story.

The main point of the story talked about Sarah Palin’s television appearances since her and John McCain’s defeat. Ever since then, Palin has been “unleashed, and not humbled.”
This article also gave Palin a chance to deny the accusations and rumors being spread about her. She denied any role in obtaining the $150,000 wardrobe she and her family acquired on the campaign trail. She also denied the rumors that she faked her pregnancy and that one of her daughters gave birth to her youngest son, Trig.

I found the organizational technique of the article to be disorderly. The headline made me believe that this article would talk a lot about the potential presidential campaign of Sarah Palin in the 2012 Presidential Election. However, the article began by talking about all the publicity Palin had been receiving since the defeat. The article then gives Palin a chance to deny all the recent accusations surrounding her and her family. The story then ended with what I thought would take up the majority of the article. It was briefly mentioned in the last two paragraphs that Palin is thinking about running for president in 2012.

“And if there is an open door in ’12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then ill plow through that door.”

I would suggest that this story should have talked more about Palin’s possible presidential campaign in 2012. The story did not communicate what I thought was going to be its central idea. The headline was very deceiving and does not accurately represent the content of the article.

When I finished the article, I was not left with any new information that I had not already heard several times since the defeat. I thought this article was very unsuccessful in bringing new information to the reader.

I believe that the lead was a weak blind lead. We were told that the disconcerting leaks about Sarah Palin turned out to be true, but were not informed what those leaks were in the lead. The lead of the article was very ineffective and should have aimed to pull the reader into the story.

Election 2008!

DURHAM, NH- The polls at Oyster River High School in Durham, NH saw hundreds of student voters bright and early on Election Day partaking in the historical presidential election.

At 9 A.M. there was a fair amount of students casting their vote and a small number who were registering for the first time. Busses provided by the University were shuttling students to and from the polls in an attempt to increase the number of student voters.

"When we opened the polls this morning the lines were longer than I expected, but right now I thought they would be a little longer than they are,” said Ann M. Shump of Durham and a coordinating supervisor. “Everything has been running smoothly, we’ve had no problems and are very excited to see so many students here to vote,” she said.

Excited students stood outside after casting their vote, taking pictures of themselves and their friends to remember this important day in their lives. Not only were these students part of a historical election, but it was their first time legally voicing their opinions in an election.

“I feel pretty lucky to be able to voice my opinion and have a small say in who will run the country,” said Kristin Kashgegian of Belmont, MA and a junior at UNH. “I thought about not voting because I have such a busy day, but then I realized I am lucky to have this right and that is what got me to the polls this morning,” she said.

Dozens of Obama and McCain supporters surrounded the outside of the school, trying to make a final impact on voter’s decisions. However, most students had their minds made up and their reasons behind their choices.

“I voted Obama all the way. I’m proud someone of the black race is finally running for president,” said Kyle Flemings of Scranton, PA and a UNH freshman. “Everything Obama stands for, believes in and everything he will do for our country blows McCain out of the water,” he said.

The scene inside of Oyster River High School was tense. Anxious students and overwhelmed organizers of the voting drive created an apprehensive atmosphere. After people casted their votes, the uneasiness subsided and the enthusiasm of what they just took part in was evident.

“I was so anxious to get this over with. I can’t believe I’m old enough to vote!” said Leah Rubin of Holliston, MA and a UNH sophomore. “I got up early to come here because I was so nervous and couldn’t sleep very well but now I’m just so happy that I was able to take part in it,” she said.

Some students, however, showed no emotion and despite this being their first time voting, were very calm. Their consensus on partaking in this historical election was that their opinion does not have much of an impact on the final outcome of the election.

“I’m not nervous or excited that I get to vote today. Honestly the only reason I’m here is because I was already registered and figured I mind as well come,” said Aaron Wetherbee of Littleton, NH and a UNH freshman. “It’s cool that I get to vote, but in the long run my opinion doesn’t really matter in the decision making process,” he said.

Many students stood outside of the gymnasium waiting to cast their vote, nervous that they were going to mess up. For the most part, it was a universal feeling throughout students because it was their first time voting. None of them knew exactly what to expect, and were afraid to mess up on such an official process.

“I’m so nervous that I’m going to mess up on the ballot, or not know some big political term that’s on it,” said Hannah M. Clarke of Sutton, NH and a UNH junior. “I mean it’s probably not going to be as big of a deal as I’m making it out to be, but it’s my first time doing something so mature that I’m so nervous I’m going to do something wrong,” she said.