This will be mostly (if not completely) my blog posts for newspaper class! I'll be mostly reporting on news!
May 19th, 2020
APUSH final project Modern day racism and Lynching On February 23rd, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, Georgia when locals Gregory McMichael (age 64) and his son, Travis McMichael (age 34) confronted Arbery with two firearms, resulting in the death of the young man. This brought a lot of anger within the community and on social media, partially due to the the fact that the McMichaels had not been arrested for the murder of Arbery for two months after the shooting. According to police reports, the McMichaels allegedly chased Arbery down in a pickup truck while he was jogging, believing he was a suspect for some local burglaries. The case caught the medias attention after a 36 second video of the attack was released. Unfortunately, modern day racism and lynching attacks such as these are not uncommon in the United States. The history of our country is a dark one, and often times may feel inescapable. It’s the sad truth, but our ancestors lived differently, where they saw people of color as threats, and owned slaves, and took the lives of those who were too young and innocent. According to the Guardian, the most comprehensive total [pf lynchings] belonged to the archives at the Tuskegee Institute, which tabulated 4,743 people who died at the hands of US lynch mobs between 1881 and 1968. According to the Tuskegee numbers, 3,446 (nearly three-quarters) of those lynched were black Americans. The cause of lynchings back then is a very vague topic, but the Guardian also states “The mob ‘turned the act into a symbolic rite in which the black victim became the representative of his race and, as such, was being disciplined for more than a single crime … The deadly act was [a] warning [to] the black population not to challenge the supremacy of the white race.’” Similar to lynchings of the past, modern day racists claim that white supremacists were afraid of losing their dominance and being replaced by blacks in positions of power throughout the south (In the past). Modern day racists are also voicing fears about being replaced. According to CNN “The Texas man suspected in the EL Paso shooting posted a document online saying he was "defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement." Many of the political and ethical problems America face today goes back to our ancestors and their beliefs an actions.
May 18th, 2020
Self reflection post #1 What do you love about life? The past few months, whether it be due to the pandemic we’re currently going through, or personal experience, I have spent a lot of time reflecting, and came to the realization of the little things that often go overlooked. “What do you love about life?” What do I love about life? I love that you can do anything. It sounds cliche, it sounds basic, but it is true! You can really do anything you set your mind to. Some days, the biggest accomplishment may be getting out of bed, other days, you may decide to take that risk you’ve been considering. I love the experiences. No one has the same experiences as you! There are endless possibilities! Experiences can be anything from what you’ve done, to what you’ve learned! I love the surprises, the miracles, the lessons. The relationships, the breathtaking moments, the sunsets and sunrises, etc. The best part about life is that it is yours. You only live your life once, which is even more of a reason to love it. Life might not always be the best for some people, but that can change with the snap of a finger. Learn to appreciate the little things. Make your life one that you love.
May 6th, 2020
Blog post #6 The 2019-2020 school year has been a huge year for many, including me.Aside from all of the major world changing events going on, this past year (school year to be specific) has helped me change myself as a person, and lead me in the right path of finding myself. This school year, one of the biggest events for me was joining student council. This small, but significant event taught me so much about not only myself, but how to BE myself. Student council definitely helped me break out of my shell. I became more creative, more confident, more involved, and so much more. I definitely think that this event alone set my Junior year up to be so successful. Another huge event for me was my role in newspaper this year. Getting to be an editor and have so much say in what went on in the classroom really meant a lot to me and helped me figure out how to not only manage my time better but also to prioritize. Working with Yellowstone county news and KTVQ really meant a lot to me, it was such an honor, and I hope that that’s something we can do again in the future! My junior year was probably the hardest, but I know in the long run it set me up for success for the rest of my life. There were a lot of tears and a lot of laughs, and I’m forever going to be bummed that we couldn’t finish off the year together.
April 29th, 2020
Blog post #5 How Billings Public Schools are handling the pandemic As of Monday, April 27th, the school board for Billings Public Schools announced that our community would be continuing alternative online education for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year. For many, this was a devastating announcement, for some, this was a relief, but it is no doubt the safest decision being made in the community. During this last month and a half, teachers themselves have learned tremendous amounts on how to teach from home, help students understand via online discussion, and much more. Most have been successful, although not all trials through teaching have been without error. With all of the new expectations and requirements, many have discovered that there is a lot yet to be learned, especially with platforms such as google classroom. Senior High Junior Reegan Graves reflects on this topic and says “I think the school overall did a good job responding. The lunch pick up system is really beneficial to the community since so may kids don’t have food regularly.” Along with this, Graves also mentioned her stance on the success of the online teaching. “I think teachers did a good job quickly adapting to a new way of teaching. Most of my teachers are quick to respond to emails when I need help. They have also been understanding of late work as well.” Continues Graves. Although mostly successful, the system is susceptible to flaws and improvement, and some being prioritizing what is most important. “I think it’s important to remember that many of us have a lot of stress (and teachers do too).” Says Graves. “Many are worrying bout the financial situation of their family or even loved ones who are especially at risk.” Despite all of these things, the district has been working diligently in making sure all students are doing the best they can.
April 22nd, 2020
Blog post #4 One of the most frustrating things in the world is when you know you’re right, but the other person in the situation thinks you’re wrong. These situations can be so comical and insignificant, yet the most frustrating things in the world. A recent experience I personally had serves as a great example for this topic. During quarantine, a teacher of mine assigned this assignment, and it was fairly simple, mostly everyone in the class got the same answers because it was pretty straightforward. After completing the assignment and turning it in digitally, I heard from a fellow classmate that my teacher believed I copied someone else's assignment. My teacher for this specific class text this other student and accused me of copying their work, even though the other student mentioned and I both refuted the accusation. I had evidence that I did the assignment on my own, I could explain the work and how I did it, but this teacher wasn’t having it. The worst part was, my teacher never confronted me about it. They text my classmate and said some very hurtful, unprofessional things, and they didn’t confront me or even give me a grade for this. The lesson this taught me is sometimes people aren’t going to listen to you. Some people believe one thing, an refuse to change their perspective or look at things in a different light. It’s frustrating when this happens, but I suppose it’s just a part of going through life.
April 2nd, 2020
During this break, my family and I have taken the chance to go to the river and get closer with nature and each other. This picture was taken by me at Coulson park. For this picture I tried following the rule of thirds.
I took this picture while looking in a tub of old pictures that my mom has. We've done a lot of looking through keepsake boxes and whatnot during this time. To me it kind of symbolizes spending time with my family. Pictured above is my great grandma, my grandma, my mom, and then me. I guess I didn't really use any techniques for this picture, but I thought it was a good representation of my quarantine.
This is a picture of my cat, Anika. I took a picture of her for this project because I've spent hours during quarantine trying to get her to love me, to no avail. I tried getting more of a silhouette of her in this picture, but that's not really what I achieved.
April 1st, 2020
Blog post #2 For some, social distancing and quarantine is a time to relax, catch up on homework, and sleep in, but for 13 year old Ziona Toffton, that’s not quite the case. When Toffton first heard that she would be home for two weeks her initial response wasn’t full of excitement like other kids her age, but more “bummed.” The idea of staying home without seeing her friends filled her with a sense of grief, seeing that she tends to be a rather social butterfly. Although this generation has access to various forms of social media, Toffton says it’s not quite the same. “I miss the homies,” she say. “I hope [quarantines] not for the rest of the year.” The idea of missing the rest of the school year means more to her than just missing her friends. For younger kids, it’s easy to find the good in situations, and look forward to things, and that’s just what Toffton was doing. “If we don’t go back to school this year, all of my friends and I will miss the end of the year field trip to the Reef.” says Toffton, adding that she missed her last volley ball game of the year. Along with missing her friends, Toffton also claims to miss school as a whole. “I don’t like the whole learning part as much as I like the whole social aspect,” she continues, “but it’s still better than being stuck at home with online learning.” For Toffton, online learning takes away not the environment, but the ability to get the educational help she needs. “It’s harder without hearing the lesson.” Despite the negatives and disadvantages, Toffton has gained from this experience in minimalist ways. “I’ve spent a lot more time with my sister and my family,” says Toffton. “My dad taught us how to play Magic the gathering, and I’ve spent a lot of time watching Supernatural.” Toffton has learned to appreciate the finer things in life, such as being thankful, going out into public, and toilet paper. For those struggling in these strange times, Toffton suggests “Stay inside. Relax, and appreciate the homies.”
March 19th, 2020
Blog post-Issue refection National Emergency shines light on little things It’s not very often grocery stores completely run out of toilet paper and milk, restaurants close for weeks at a time, and schools shut down, cancel all social events, and resort to online teaching. The situation at hand isn’t like something we have ever experienced in modern times, and it is greatly affecting the younger generations. Despite the endless complaining about school and having to sit in the same building with your peers for 8 hours a day every day, this national COVID-19 breakout has taught a large majority of students to actually appreciate school. Sure, the math classes and whatnot may not be missed, but being quarantined is not fun, and it does not put the stress at ease. Many students rely on the everyday routine of getting up at 6AM, going to school, going home and doing homework. For some, staying at home may not be the most relaxing experience, and going to school serves as a safe haven. For a large amount of students at Senior High, the school is not just a resource for education, but also a resource for food and other necessities that we often take for granted. How do you respond when the country goes ballistic over an extremely dangerous and contagious disease that we don’t know a lot about? For a large majority of students around not only the country, but the world, education has been halted, or at least slowed down for a while. For some, this may seem nice, as some call it a “Coronacation,” for others, this situation isn't only concerning to their physical health, but to their mental health and education as well. During this crazy time, teachers are still trying to provide education materials to students in order to keep the ball rolling, and although this is helpful, a lot is being lost. Nationwide tests such as the ACT and SAT are being postponed and rescheduled, school events and conventions are being cancelled, etc. Not only this, but hours in the classroom with teachers as a resource are being lost, and this may leave students suffering. Of course, this is only temporary for most, and eventually things will go back to normal, but for the time being, stress levels are high. It’s not only students, though, who are reaping repercussions from this crisis. Many working families all over the country are losing income due to work places closing down, meaning more stress on everyone in the household as resources become more valuable and money becomes tighter. As we don’t know where this path will take us, it’s important to remember in the future that everyone has their own stuff going on in their lives, and that the community should always be open for support to whoever needs it, not just in a national crisis.
February 18th, 2019
Reflections on the New York Times weekly news quiz The New York Times posts a weekly quiz reviewing the events that happened over the course of the week. They can't review everything, but they get a fair amount of information in. In this weeks quiz, the New York Times covered many of the topics that were discussed in the media, for example the location of Trump and Kim Jong Un's next meeting and NASA's announcement of the ending of the Opportunity rovers mission on Mars. They portrayed a good picture of the most recent happenings.
February 12th, 2019
Blogging about news
3 important news stories
Mexican druglord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman was found guilty on all counts
This article was about a druglord who was found guilty for 10 total federal criminal counts after a long trial. He was sentenced to a life in prison. This article shows prominence ('El Chapo' being widely known for years), timeliness (being that it happened recently), and Human interest (the public wanting to know whats happening in their community.)
This article is about information on a mysterious and conflicting internet challenge leading many to suicide, self harm, and danger. The article shows timeliness (being that it currently is happening), and proximity (due to the fact that there have been reports of Montana picking up on internet challenges.)
FBI searching for a trailer holding $65G worth of energy drinks
A stolen trailer FULL of energy drinks goes missing, and the FBI is asking the public for help. This article contains Human interest (because the public may be amused from hearing this), and proximity (because the FBI is asking for the nations help, due to not knowing where the trailer is located.)
After Bozeman woman, Barbara Keremedjiev's husband died during heart surgery, she decided that the best way to move forward was to move forward with her husbands creation, the American Computer and Robotics museum. This is a Human interest story; it shows the emotional entertainment value through her triumphs. It fits proximity, because it's near the readers, timliness, because it's recent and Keremedjiev's work is still continuing, human interest, because it draws the readers in by giving background on the topic and Keremedjiev feels.