Final Paper

What Lies Beneath

By Erica Stern

The University at Albany campus, made up of all Stone's signature features.

Persuasive Argument: Grade for the Semester

Life is a Song

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,"

Education vs. Privacy

After reading the Tatge case featured on Jim Romensko's blog, I was not completely sure on whose side I agreed with. However, as a professor myself, it is clear that Mark Tatge did nothing wrong, or unethical in his teachings. For a class titled Investigative Reporting Techniques, it is obvious that some research is necessary. Since all criminal records are public knowledge, why not use a public criminal record of student attending the university?

WikiWhat?

Wikipedia is a free, collaborative Internet encyclopedia containing over 21 millon articles written by volunteers around the world. Most of Wikipedia's articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site, with about 100,000 regularly active contributors, one of which used to be Rafael Chaiken.

Rebbecah Bakich: Bookstore Style

Quite a Snow Day

Stepping out into the night, I am greeted by a swift gust of air and heavy snowflakes blurring my vision. It is 5:09 in the evening, if I work quickly I can make it to my 5:45 class. Every car in the driveway is hidden beneath a soft white blanket, and the fresh powder crunches under each step I make toward my car. I put on my gloves and take out the long handled brush to begin wiping my car down. My roommate, Alana begins to kick some of the snow away from the back tires due to our lack of shovel. The snow easily glides off of the front and back windshields, but the four inches of snow that had piled up on top give me a harder time, I use the hard side of the brush to break up the icy pile. It is now 5:17 as we slide into the car. I turn the keys into the ignition, and hear a small grumble from my car's engine, and then nothing. 5:19, Alana and I look to each other, quickly get out of the car and run to the bus stop only two blocks away.

Starbucks

“Skinny vanilla latte for Melissa!” the barista shouts above the constant hum of the café. It is their afternoon rush; students are coming in after a long day of classes for their dose of caffeine to keep them going through the day. Through the tall windows it is clear that the snow is not letting up, as they sky gets threateningly darker by the hour.

Interesting Name, Interesting Guy

Ivan Lajara is a young journalist who knows all about what it takes to make in today's dwindling field of journalism.

Red Envelope

A red envelope labeled “Do Not Open.” What could possibly be more suspicious then that? George Pawlaczyk fooled us all today in class when he handed out that envelope. How is it that not one of us raised our hand to ask what was inside the envelope until the last five minutes of class?

Valentine's Day Feature

Is Black the New Pink?

Most people view today as the opportunity to romantically express their true feelings for a loved one, the rest of the population (the cynics) view Valentine’s Day as nothing more than a “Hallmark Holiday” created solely to sell greeting cards, flowers, and chocolate.  According to the Greeting Card Association, there are more than 3,000 greeting card publishers in the United States, ranging from individual studios to major corporations, all of which depend heavily on Valentine’s Day for a large amount of their profit. However, these companies may be disappointed this year since there are many individuals who appear to be boycotting the holiday altogether.

Final Paper Ideas

For our final paper, I tried to think of some underlying issues I've heard students talk or express their concern about. I'm still brainstorming, these are just a few ideas I've come up with so far....

1. Tunnels on campus- what were they originally built for, and when? Why were they closed down / re-opened? 

2. Kegs and Eggs - Recap of last years events, and how much trouble those involved faced. What precautions are police going to be taking this year?

3. Construction on campus - business building, fountain, etc. How do these things fit in with the budget?

The Elements of Journalism Critique

The Elements of Journalism, written by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel took me by surprise. I expected to pick up this book, and read a much more informative, straightforward type of writing made up of interviews, statistics, and guidelines for writing in journalism that would normally put me to sleep. I was pleasantly surprised however, that it only took me until page two to realize I was genuinely interested in what these authors had to say. Acknowledging the fact that journalists do tend to be hated and distrusted by the public made me curious as to how the authors were going to proceed; were they going to defend themselves? Or just accept the way journalists such as themselves are viewed today? Either way, they had my attention.

Article Critique

Jesus Navarro, An Undocumented Immigrant, Denied Kidney Transplant Despite Willing Donor And Insurance Coverage

It seems as though immigration is is a topic in journalism that is never exhausted.  There are so many policies, issues,  and different opinions on this one thing in particular that it shouldn't be surprising to read an article title describing a denied kidney transplant to an immigrant living in the United States. I stumbled upon this article on aol.com, and was written for a newspaper in San Francisco, the Huffington Post.