First Draft

Catalina  Camacho

7th period

Survivor 

Tanya Camacho did a lot of drugs when she was younger but quickly turned her life around when she wanted to be a loving wife and mother.

"I started doing drugs because I was very immature and young." Tanya said  "I hung out with the wrong crowd, I wanted to fit in.

"She didn't fit in much because she was always getting in trouble and moving schools. 

"I was a very angry and self-centered person," Tanya said.

A lot of actions or problems impacted her family a lot and she didn't take that into consideration.

"It was terrible, they were very disappointed in me. My family went through a lot," Tanya said.

Even when her dad and mom wouldn't give up on her, she still would disrespect her family.

"All the time, her behavior was out of control," Joann Rameriez, Tanya's mom said.

Her family struggled a lot with her behavior.

 "Hated it, we tried many times to get her help," David Quintanilla, Tanya's dad said.

 They couldn't do anything about her doing drugs. They would try and try but nothing seemed to work out the way they wanted it too.

Even though she was on drugs most of the time, when she wasn't on them she would treat her parents good.                                                              

 "Yes, when i wasn't doing drugs," Tanya said.

Most people didn't like her because of the way she acted and how she treated people. She wasn't a very nice person or a good influence to be around so a lot of people wouldn't want to be friends with her but she also didn't like many people either.

"I would get very tired of the same people," Tanya said.

You would think her younger brother would act somewhat like her but he didn't. He was a little nerdy and a goody goody while she didn't do her school work and was a little rebel. Her brother and her weren't very close but they did talk some. They didn't do things together like normal brothers and sisters would do together.

"My brother was nothing like me, total opposite," Tanya said.

 She was so messed up when she was a teenager that she didn't realize how bad the drugs were and what they did to her. When she wasn't on the drugs she still didn't know what she was doing so when she was on drugs it made her act worse and do things that she didn't necessarily want to do. So now when she looks back at the past she regrets many things.

"The drugs, they only make things worse," Tanya said.

Most people would think that her childhood wasn't good but as she thinks it was good. She did feel that her parents loved her but she wouldn't accept it and she would act like she wouldn't care but when it came down to her needing something she would fake that she was sorry. Her parents knew who she would uses them for advantage but that didn't make them stop loving her.

"My childhood was loving, my parents were the best. They never gave up on me and never stopped loving me," Tanya said

 She had good memories and she had fun when she was younger but as she got into an older teenager that's when she started doing drugs. Her life wasn't a complete mess because she still had to good memories to hold onto.

"Traveling on christmas night with the family-28 of us, to go skiing, every year," Tanya said.

She met her husband when she was going to Hays high school. "No, he actually was the reason I stopped," Tanya said. He did not influence her into doing any more drugs, he was the reason she topped as she says in the quote.

"No, he actually was the reason I stopped," Tanya said.

He changed her to be a good person and not to hate the world every time something bad would happen. They are high school sweethearts so I think he had a big impact on her changing to be a better person and not to do drugs anymore.

"Yes, he is my rock. He showed me how to love and be loved," Tanya said.

When no one else had patients for her, he did and when everyone else was started to give on her , he didn't. He stayed with her through all of it. That's why they are such a strong couple.

"My husband, we have been together since high school. he loved me and taught me how to love myself," Tanya said.

She knows how she acted when she was younger and she turned her life around so thats all that matters to her now. She owned it and she didn't try to regret anything she did.

"I would say that a I'm a survivor. I have over come so much and am proud to say that I have been clean for over 20 years. Never be ashamed of who you are, learn from it, own it, and love yourself, " Tanya said

current event 3.3

1. The goals are improving fighting disease, improving education and "building a strong communities."

2. Three major reasons are limit class sizes, training for teaches and full day schooling.

3. the newest downtown condo will be 58 stories and it is significant because this could be the tallest tower.

4. David Price will make $217 over the next 7 years.

5. I would not eat Texas trash because margarine and bacon drippings does not sound too pleasant too me.

6.Homeboy Industries is and organization that works to give second chances to those just out of prison and to former gang members who want to change their lives. This is a compelling reading because it catches your attention and it keeps making you want to read more. When I read the story i thought it was a creative idea and I think it would help out a lot of people.

Feature Story Notes

1. Why did you start doing drugs?

I was very immature and young.
2. What influenced you to start doing drugs?

I hung out with the wrong crowd, wanted to fit in.
3. How did your actions affect your parents?

It was terrible, they were very disappointed in me. My family went through a lot. 
4. Would you change the the way you acted as a kid?

Yes of course.
5. What made you stop doing drugs?

My husband, we have been together since highs cool. He loved me and taught me how to love myself.
6. Did you ever disrespect your family?

All the time, my behavior was out of control.
7. Was your brother like you?

My brother was nothing like me, total opposite
8. What did your parents and other family members think of you doing drugs?

They hated it, they tried many times to get me help.
9.What was your personality when you were younger?

I was a very angry and self centers person. 
10.Whats one thing that you regret doing?

The drugs, they only make things worse.
11.What was your favorite memory as a kid/teenager?

Traveling on X-mas night with the whole family-28 of us, to goo skiing, every year. 
12. Who was your best friend when you were younger?

I really didn't have a best friends, I would get very tired of the same people.
13. Would you treat your parents good?

Yes, when I wasn't doing drugs.
14. Would you act the same sound family and friends?

It was very easy to put a front in front of my family

15. How would you describe your childhood?

Loving. my parents were the best. They never gave up on me and ever stopped loving me.

16. Did your husband change you in any way?

Yes, he is my rock. He showed me how to love and be loved.
17. Did your husband influence you to do more drugs?

No, he actually was stye reason I stopped.
18. If you went back to the past, what would you say about yourself? 

I would say that I'm a survivor. I have over so much and am proud to say I have been clean for over 20 years. Never be ashamed of who you are, learn from it, own it, and love yourself.
19. If one of your kids acted how you did, what would you do to make us stoop doing drugs?

I am not sure, this is hard. We would try to get them help with a professional. 

Checklist for Feature Story

1. Mom

2. Grandpa ( her dad) and Uncle (her brother)

3. The things she did when she was young and how she got into drugs

4. 3rd person

5.

1. Why did you start doing drugs?
2. What influenced you to start doing drugs?
3. How did your actions affect your parents?
4. Would you change the the way you acted as a kid?
5. What made you stop doing drugs?
6. Did you ever disrespect your family?
7. Was your brother like you?
8. What did your parents and other family members think of you doing drugs?
9. What was your personality when you were younger?
10. Whats one thing that you regret doing?
11. What was your favorite memory as a kid/teenager?
12. Who was your best friend when you were younger?
13. Would you treat your parents good?
14. Would you act the same sound family and friends?
15. Why did you do drugs?
16. How would you describe our childhood?
17. Did your husband change you in any way?
18. Did your husband influence you to do more drugs?
19. If you went back to the past, what would you say about yourself? 
20. If one of your kids acted how you did, what would you do to make us stoop doing drugs?

6.

1. What did you think your your daughter/sister?
2. How was your relationship with her?
3. How would you describe the way she acted?
4. Was it your fault she acted this way?
5. If you went into the past, what is one thing you would change?

7.

1. Messy appearance,poor hygiene, or red flushed cheeks are personal appearances for teens using drugs. 
2. 13% of 8th graders use drugs, 30% of 10th graders use drugs and 40% of 12th graders use drugs
3. More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined
4. About 50% of high school seniors do not think it's harmful to try crack or cocaine once or twice and 40% believe it's not harmful to use heroin once or twice.
5. Teens use drugs because of other people, boredom, social media. 

Current event 3.2

1. The unusual requests made by the defense attorney for VonTrey Clark's murder arraignment is to prevent attorneys and witnesses from speaking publicly about the case.

2. Students at Princeton are sitting in the presidents office because they want improvement for social and academic experiences to change for black the students. 

3. The current four teams that are predicted to play in the college football play-offs is Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, and Oklahoma State. 

4. The five "platinum" biker-friendldy cities in the United Stated is Madison, Wisconsin, Fort Collins and Boulder, Colorado, Portland, Oregon, and Davis, California 

5. The other films that were compared to the final Hunger Games film is "Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi", "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", "the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part II", "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2." 

6. I think this is a good decision because we need to get the best education that we can get. That was unacceptable because some students or staff members could get offended by what the caption said in the book. The book should be re-checked by experts because they know the information good and the kids will learn better if they know the right information. I think they can be but textbooks are not always accurate. 

Feature Writing Preview

1. The one that I read about is less informational and it was more like a hook to get readers attention to want to read more.

2.
     A. 1
     B. 1
     C. 1
     D. 1
     E. 1
     F. 1

3. Yes there are quotes.

4. Yes

5. The boss and William's quoted in the story.

6. The boss.

7. There is 34 paragraphs.

8. 762 words

9. The last paragraph sets the mood and it built suspense.

10.  I think the writer did this because it set the town and it made you want to read the story and watch the video more.

11.  It was sorta interesting to read.

12. Yes because in the story they kept talking about the voice and I didn't know what it sounded like so I wanted to hear it so I would understand the story more.

13.  The video had a bigger impact.

14. Yes, because the last paragraph wouldn't have been the same without the video.

15. Yes

16. The writer would say what the voice said in italicized letters then after that he would kinda explain what how the voice said that sentence.

Peer reflection #2

1. Fanny wrote this story.
2. Her story is about cell phone addiction and how it affects teens
3. "Overall cell phone addiction is a teenage problem that has to be stopped... This teen problem is  a growing aspect in a persons world today, and will only get worse if nothing is done to stop it."
4. No, they did not address what the other side might be thinking.
5. No, they were not wishy-washy with their opinion.
6. No, there is no quotes in the story.
7. She wrote in 3rd person point of view.
8. Fanny wrote a straight commentary article because she did not address what the other side was thinking.

Peer reflection #1

1. Emily Merritt wrote this story.
2. Her story is about the 5 Seconds of Summer album "Sounds Good Feels Good".
3. "The album almost goes immediately in the wrong direction... I honestly think someones liking of the music will be dependent on their already established opinion  of the band."
4. No, they did not address what the other side might be thinking.
5. No, she says she doesn't really like the album and she said she wasn't good.
6. There were no quotes in the story.
7. She wrote in 1st person point of view.
8. Emily wrote a straight commentary piece because she did not address what the other side was thinking and she just gave facts and what she thought about the album.

current event 3.1

1. Travis county wants to ban the confederate flag from a parade because a political symbol of racism and hatred.

2. Julian Hernandez figured out he was a victim of kidnapping by his father by trying to apply to college when something went wrong with his social security number, thats when he found out his real name and what had append to hime when he was 5 years old.

3. A group of kids have to climb a ladder to get to school because the property owner wouldn't allow the school district to build a side walk for the kids to get over and the property owner said they lived to close to the school so they won't allow any school buses for the kids so they have to climb a ladder to get over to school in a after time period.

4. Whole Food is in the supermarket business. Amplify Snack is in the food/snack business. Homeaway is the online rental house industry.

5. Elena Donio is one of the few women leaders of a technology company and she also has a big love for fashion.. She is trying to make tech more appealing to women and she mentors other women who want tech career and a family.

6. This article/story is an options piece. the argument he was making is

Normal Opinions Piece

Social Media affecting teens

Social media is used in the everyday life so you can interact with your friends or people all around the world without being with each other in person. I think social media for teens is good because i think they can learn a lot of information by being online. 

    Teens are still in school so if they need help on homework they can easily text, call, or FaceTime their friend to ask for help. If they have a question on the homework and have to ask a teacher and they are at home they can email their teacher and get the answer fast. Most teens are in extra circular activities so if they can't make it to a practice they can text their coach or whoever to tell them they won't make it to practice or a club. 

     Social media can strengthen relationships so you will never loose contact with your friends or loved ones if they live thousands and thousands miles away. If they have a friend who moved they can still talk to them by using any form of social media. No one wants to write letters to communicate with someone from far way so most people will choose to use their phone of any devise where they can get onto social media to get in contact with that person.

    Most teens asre socially awkward and media gives them a chance to improve their social skills. It gives them an opportunity to expand their social circle and make new friendships. If they talk to someone over social media then it will help them talk to that person face to face. Social media diversifies teens social skills, which then helps navigate them successfully through modern society. 

    Social networking can inspire teens. They could see a picture/video, meet someone, or hear a song. Teenagers might not listen to their parents or teachers but if they see it from a celebrity or someone famous they like then they will probably listen to them. If teens see a video of a famous person doling cheer these they might take up that sport just because they saw that picture. Teens can be inspired in a lot of different ways from social media and it might help them out in their life. 

     Social media can help with teen confidence. Teens will post selfies of themselves or post something about what they are doing and then people normally tend to leave good comments leaving the teen feeling confident and good about themselves. when teens read something that makes them happy it can make their whole day. Just one comment might make them that much more confident. 

     Social media helps teens find their identity. When they create their profile they feel a sense of independence. When they create their profile people will go look at it and they will share ideas and information with each other. They also get to join groups that help them "fit in" and feel wanted. 

     The other side will thick social media isn't good for teenagers because it doesn't help them in life and in their school work. It will do more damage to them instead of helping them. 

    Cyber bullying is one of the biggest problems on social media. Teens always have that one person they don't like so they will go on their Instagram or whatever other site and leave mean, negative comments. They don't know it but most of those comments they leave actually really hurt others and they need to be more cautious with what they say because once its out there its out there and they won't be able to delete it.

    Teens who are on social media all the time get poor sleep, more anxiety, and depression. Especially if they are on social media a lot at night then they will really get poor sleep. there is more risk factors of depression because of some of the information they might read online. 

      

    

Editorial and Personal Columns

Three ideas for editorial 
1. When students show up late to school, classes, or fit.

2. Students making fun of teachers or bullying their peers.

3. Online textbooks




I look what One Direction everyday on the internet to see what new is happening with them. I always check for them because I like them a lot and i really like their music they sing.

Peer reflection #2

1. Madison Austin wrote this story.

2.  Her story is about same sex marriage.

3. Her opinion is " I believe that same sex couples should be treated the same way that we treat other
people."

4.Yes she did by saying "I understand that many people are still learning to accept to gay community and are still stuck in their ways."

5. They were not wishy-washy with there opinion.

6. There are no quotes in the story.

7. Madison wrote in 1st person point of view.

http://mmynewblogspotadress.blogspot.com

Peer reflection #1

1. Faith Terrazas wrote the story.

2. About how kids shouldn't be spanked

3. Faiths opinion is  " I think children or any age should not be spanked, heres why hitting children teaches them tho become hitters themselves."

4. Yes by saying " It helps the child learn its mistake and not to do it again."

5. No they were not wishy- washy, they gave good long explanations why kids shouldn't be spanked and they stuck with that answer.

6. Theere is no quotes in her story.

7. Faith wrote in first person.

http://faithsjournalsimblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/1st-commentary-article.html#comment-form

Current Event 2.3

1. The political speaker is Pual Ryan and the political party they are aligned with is republican.

2. " You either show me ID, or I place you in cuffs for failure to identify."

3. The two teams playing in the world series is the Mets and Royals.

4. Two Do's are purchase high quality decor items, and buy seasonal items that can serve as a "foundation" pieces for your décor. Two don'ts are don't buy seasonal items in colors stat aren't part of your current decor and don't buy seasonal artwork.

5. Out of the five suggestions i would want to go to the Texas monthly's tmbbq fest.

6. Yes i have seen the video. I think that the police was to mean and too forceful, he could've done something else to get her to get out of the chair but he didn't have to flip her over. What the police did was not necessary. Yes i do because they can cause more damage than what was needed and they are just making it worse for themselves and they can seriously hurt the person. I think there is some racism because people are mean these days. It plays a big role because it gets their story out there and it sows that no one is lying about the situation. It is good that these kinds of stories are shared on social media because there needs to be a change so that this doesn't happen again.

First Commentary Article

STAAR testing is not necessary. 

    One test shouldn't determine if students should be able to go to the next grade level or not. I don't think STAAR testing is necessary because some kids might not be good test takers and most  kids get nervous to take this big test.

    In most cases students do bad on this teat because of all the pressure they are feeling. Students get nervous because they are taking a test of the very first information they learned in the beginning of the year to what they have learned up until this test. They have to study everything they've learned in a few days. For students to do well they need more time to prepare. Teachers need to take time out of their normal class schedule to review all the information for these students to succeed. 

    The tests are written in a language beyond grade level meaning they make the problem a lot harder by using words that the students haven't even heard of before. The students know the material and the information but they don't understand what is being asked because of the words and phrases besting used to ask them. The kids might not be in pre ap english or math but their test will be written in ap form. 

     This one test could cost many kids a chance at college. Colleges will look at only their STAAR scores or SAT scores and most kids are unhappy about what they got on it because they were stressed and put  under pressure. This is unfair for many reasons because kids will want to go to good colleges but they won't be accepted in the college because of their score on these tests. Colleges should look at the kids grades throughout the whole year not just this one test. STAAR  results required to count for 15% of the students grade. This single score will impact the students grade point average by a lot. Their grade point average will go down tremendously because of this test grade. 

     Since the STAAR  grade counts for some of the students final course grade, it is not consistent policy. A passing STAAR score could be a C in one district but an A in another district. This will also cause the students GPA to go down. The rules and polices aren't all the same in some districts.

    Other people might say, if they know the information then they will be fine taking the test. Or people will say your smart you pass everything. I do see where y'all are coming from but students get anxiety and they feel pressured to take the test.

    They say the test should be easy because the students have been learning this information for along time and they should've been studying. These kids have been working for months and months learning information and if they made good grades then they should be fine..      

      All kids learn information differently but they should've kept up with everyone so they would all be on the same page. Some teachers don't know whether your cheating or not, some students might be sneaky about that so its up to you too you to figure out the information yourself.

       

SNO Online Papers

Restorative Circles an opportunity to break social barriers 

1. Larry Durden wrote this story. 

2. His story is about puberty and Social Emotional Learning classes. 

3. "Puberty is not an easy topic for me to talk about, but I felt safe sharing my feelings because of the rules establishes by the Restorative Justice circles that have been created in classrooms across campus this school year." 

4. Yes

5. Sometimes because at the feeling he felt insecure but towards the end he feels more safe. 

6.Yes

7. He wrote in 1st person in this story. 

Pep rallies should not stop when football season ends

1. Stephanie Valle wrote this story.

2. Her story is about how pep rallies shouldn't stop when football season is over. Pep rallies should go until the end of the year and even for STAAR testing. 

3. " It's unfair that during the fall season theres a pep rally almost every week and yet as soon as the fall season is over, the pep rallies all disappear along with football, as if all sporting events are over and done." 

4. No

5. No, because she thought that pep rallies should happen all year in her whole story. 

6. No

7. She wrote in 1st person

 

Personal Essays

1. One idea the writer gave me is write your essay about something you care strongly enough to wax eloquent and passionate about it.
2. One idea the writer gave me in the Opinions Pieces section is give the reader and insight to both the small moment and the wider perspective.
3. Three suggestions are take your ideas wherever you can, think of your essay as a camera lens, and make connections.

Opinions writing preview

Student sharing, too much change or great opportunity? 

1. Editorial

2. Class time and bell schedule 

3. "While that's valid because, again, class time is more valuable then FIT , I think that shorter class times are worth the extra 30 minutes of study time."

4. Yes

5. No

6. No

7. 1st person 

The office welcomes the dawn of the technology age

1. Kelsie Stella 

2. VOE and parking permits now available online 

3. " Now it's no longer necessary to go to the office to get your VOE forms or get a parking space, you can do it on your phone."

4. Yes

5.Yes

6.No

7. First person 

I scream, you scream...

1.Nya Martin

2. Blue Bell Ice Cream

3. " I understand that everyone makes mistakes, but if a mistake that could've been avoided by doing your job drastically affects other peoples lives, you should be help accountable and punished."

4. No

5. No, they stuck with there opinion and didn't change it at all.

6. No

7. First person

The problem with pep rallies

1. Annika Holm 

2. Why the pep rallies aren't good 

3. " While also missing the last twenty minutes of class,  the way pep rallies aren't doing anyone any good." 

4. Yes

5. No, they don't like pep rallies and they stuck with their opinion. 

6. No

7. First person

A all for athletic equality 

1.  Amaya Marquez 

2. Some of the sports like lacrosse are counted as a club not a sport at Bowie

3. "I definitely feel like we should get just as much attention just like the other sports" 

4. Yes

5. No, because they chose their opinion and didn't change it.

6. Yes

7. First person

Emotional learning effective?

1. Mellis Weprin 

2. SEL skills

3. " I believe the way the skills are wing taught makes them ultimately unmemorable and unhelpful."

4. Yes

5. No, they stuck with there answer 

6. No

7. First person 

A. 

1. Hard news stories have more factual information
2. Opinion pieces have no quotes 
3. Opinion pieces are normally shorter

B. I think there aren't many pictures because most of these stories are opinion stories and it is kinda hard to come up with pictures for opinion stories.

C.

1. On which boy band do you like better, One Direction or 5 Seconds of Summer
2. On how teachers should teach the kids infromation 
3. If christmas is your favorite holiday

Current event 2.2

1.The two potential causes of the Hidden Pines in Bastrop are a farm accident which caused the fire or someone violated the burn ban.
2. Alan Guckian got nominated because he worked incredibly well with students and his performances are always above and beyond, he has a natural passion for it.
3.The favorite to win the F1 race it Lewis Hamilton.
4. The three types of apples are Ginger Golds, Honeycrisp, Jonagold and McIntosh.
5. I would want to try Good dark chocolate or Real vanilla
6. No we just get the digital version because its easier and less to keep up with. No, not having the textbook doesn't hurt my grade because I would never use the textbook to begin with and we do most of our notes and work in class so I would just go back and look at my notes. Yes because, the digital version is easier. The digital textbook is more efficient to use and teachers and student don't have to keep up with ruining the textbook.

Earthquake story

Who:Hayward Fire Department 

What:Injured and dead people 

Where:San Francisco Bay 

When: Monday morning at 8:12 

Why: didn't have a good place to stay safe 

How:Earthquake 

At 8:12 on Monday morning an earthquake struck San Francisco Bay, injuring many people and leaving some dead. 

When the earthquake struck, at 2342 Plum Streeet, McHenry's Auto Supply it partially collapsed. It killed two people and injured six. 

Huntington story

Who:Janice Jones
What: Got shot
When:  10 p.m Wednesday
Where:Barstow, California
Why:Gun was on a seat loaded
How: Her dog knocked it off

At 10 p.m. on Wednesday in Barstow, California, Janice Jones got shot on her leg.

Her handgun was loaded and on a seat and her dog knocked it over.

"It could have been worse"  California Highway Patrol Tammy Rye said.

Jones is lucky it just hit her leg and nothing more serious.

" The bullet hit two inches from the gas tank." Rye had said.

Jones went to two different hospitals before she got healed.

" Jones was treated at the hospital," Jim Washington said, a spokesperson from Huntington Beach Hospital.

While Janice was in the hospital, her dog Tombo was sent to the Huntington Beach Animal Control.

"The dog seemed to be malnourished" an animal control officer, Janet Ngo said.

The dog was being treated badly by Janice Jones and had many cigarette burns on its forehead.

"It could have done with a little less abuse and a few more of those pork chops," said Janet.

While checking out the dog Ngo decided her office would try to press animal abuse charges against Jones.

"Officers cited Jones for expired plates," Rye said.

The county's district attorney's office was thinking about putting charges towards the gun incident.

" Jones doesn't have a permit for the gun," Tammy had said.

Lone Star Dispatch Issue #1

Age old battle still going on-

Who: Parker Smith

What:Rape culture 

Where: At Bowie High School

When:September 4, 2015

Why: She got dress coded 

How: She posted on twitter about what happened to her 

Summary

Parker Smith is a senior at Bowie high school and she says she got dress coded unfairly. She posted her story on twitter and a lot of people supported her. Her and her parents went to the administration to talk about the dress code. 

People quoted

*Parker Smith

*Jennifer Smith

*Brandon Smith 

* Principal Stepan Kane

Direct quotes in this story

There is no statements/transition sentences. 

The title does indicate what is going on in the story and the problem is old but its still going on. But I don't think it says what the battle is.

No

Building a better education thanks to AISD bond-

Who: AISD

What: New equipment 

Where: Bowie High School

When: 2015-2016 School year

Why: Help students have a better environment 

How: Building new trainers room and kitchen 

Summary

They are building a new trainers room for students to help get better faster. They also built a new kitchen so the culinary arts students can learn how a real kitchen works. 

PEOPLE QUOTED:

* Pablo Riera 

* Brittani Thibodeaux

*Richard Winemiller

Direct quotes in this story 

There is no statements/transition sentences. 

The title does indicate what is going on in the story because we did get new equipment to help out the students learn how to get better faster and to learn how to work in a kitchen. 

 Yes

SAT and ACT  will change in March- 

Who: Students 

What: SAT and ACT changes 

When: March 2016 

Where: All over 

Why: to help us get a better score on the test 

How:changing the reading section 

Summary 

The SAT and ACT are changing the reading section of the test. They are making the test where we get to choose the book we want to read. 

People quoted

*Pfieffer

* Isabela Dobernez

*Ricky Ramirez

Direct quotes in this story 

There is no statements/transition sentences. 

The title does indicate what is going on in the story because it tells us exactly what the article is going to be about.

Yes 

Fit bell schedule remains the same after proposals last year

Who: Students 

What: Fit Bell schedule 

Where:Bowie high school

When: This school year 

Why: Help out students 

How: rearranging the schedule 

Summary 
Instead of having A classes on Monday and Wednesday, B classes on Tuesday and Thurday, and then Fridays switching off we are just alternating between A and B days. We are also having FIT every Tuesday and Wednesday. Most people like this schedule a lot better than the previous one.

People Quoted
*Nicole Moore
*Kalia Aquino
*Patricia Conroy
*Sahaj Mann
*Lili Benitez
Direct quotes in this story.

There is no statements/transition sentences.

The title does indicate what is going on in the story because the story did tell us about the fit bell schedule.

No

AISD gives school bond for campus renovations 
Who:AISD
What: gave Bowie money
When: in 2013
Where:Bowie High School
Why:To help the school and make it better for students and teachers
How: making changes to the school

Summary 
In 2013 AISD gave Bowie 16.5 million dollars to make renovations to the school. They changes the clocks, TV's, air conditioner, athletics hall, and they painted. A lot of teachers and students like the new changes but they say a lot still gads to be done.

People Quoted
*Vicki Hebert
*Tanner Howell
* Robert Rasmus
Direct quotes in this story.

There is no statements/transition sentences.

The title does indicate what the story was talking about because the story did tells how AISD helped Bowie.

Yes

Current event 2.1

1. The tickets could be perceived as a conflict of interest.

2. Tom Steglich's message is saying you hold onto what you love and most and he loves money so it was showing a picture of him hugging a bag of money.

3. The UT professor planned to resign later this year because he is scared of his safety because of the state's campus carry law.

4. Amazon is letting local artists make there handmade products and letting them sell it on Amazon.

5. Metal Gears is rated so highly because the story makes it intimidating for newcomers.

6. 

1. This industry has had a big growth because they deliver your items fast. Most people don't like waiting days for their items to be delivered to their house, when someone buys something they want it right away not 2 or 3 days later.
2. No, because my family or I hasn't needed to use it.
3. I might use these services on a regular basis, it just depends if I need to use it or not. I will probably uses it though just not everyday.  

Car Accident

Who: Roger Clementine, John Jacob Jingleheimer- Smith, and Melba
What: A car accident
When: October 7, 2015
Where: First Street and Slaughter Lane
Why: Roger was driving on the wrong side of the road
 How:


On October 7, 2015 there was a car wreck at 4:45 p.m. on First Street and Slaughter lane in Austin, Texas. Roger Clementine is a 13 year old boy who was driving a 1948 Studebaker that belonged to his uncle. John and Melba were driving a  1989 Yugo Firebelcher. Roger was driving sixty miles and hour going west in the far lane. The Smith's were going ten miles and hour going east but in the same lane as roger. They were all sent to the hospital shortly after the accident.

The Big Day

Who: Liam
What: Trying to stop the wedding
Where: Homes Chapel, Cheshire, England
When:June 14, 2015
Why: So Faith doesn't marry Abel
How: Driving in a volkswagen car and driving to to church



The girl Faith was getting ready to get married. The guy Liam was in the car and is in love with Faith. The girl was getting married to Abel and their wedding was about to start. Ron got stuck behind a slow car and a train in his Volkswagen. Once Liam  got to the church where the wedding was being held he was too late because the wedding already started. Liam tried to stop Faith from marrying Abel but it didn't work.




  In Homes Chapel, Cheshire, England on June 14, 2015, Faith was a pretty young women getting ready for her big day. Her dad was waiting for her to get ready for her wedding. Faith was about to go marry and handsome nice gentleman named Abel. He was getting ready for the big day also. Her dad, John said,
   " Sweetie are you almost ready, it is about time to go."  and she said,
  " Yes father, one moment."
     Meanwhile there was this ugly nice man Liam in a Volkswagen car, he was on his way to the wedding also. Liam is in love with Faith but Faith only saw him as a friend.
      The wedding was about to start so everyone got seated in their seat in the church. Liam was trying his fastest to get to the church but he was running a little bit behind schedule. He got stuck driving behind a slow car that only drove twenty miles an hour on a 45 mile per hour road. Liam finally went around the slow car. Liam was getting back on schedule then there was a train coming.
  "Dang it!!!" he yelled in his car,
" Why does this have to happen to me!" Liam said angrily.
     Abel was at the top of the alter waiting for his soon to be wife. Soft music starts to play and John comes waling down the aisle with Faith. Her long dress drags behind her and she has a huge smile on her face. When she walks up the four stairs to the alter Abel has his hand out waiting to guide her up the stairs. The minister starts to say
 "We now present....." then the doors swing open and Liam is standing in the doorway. His hair is all over the place and his face is beat red. Once he steps foot in the church he shouts
  "WAIT!!!" and everyone just looks around. Abel starts to run towards him and Faith tells him to stop and come back. So Faith goes down to Liam and Liam apologizes for what he just did. Faith isn't too happy with him right now but she lets him continue talking. Liam explains how he loves her and how he doesn't want her to get married. Faith says,
'I'm sorry Liam but I only see you as a friend and I'm in love with Abel."
Liam says "I understand." he sits down and apologizes to everyone. While Faith walks back up to the alter her tries really hard not to cry in his seat. Faith tells Abel what Liam said and Abel gets furious. Faith calms him and says that everything will be okay. So they finish the wedding and the rest of their day is good.
     

Current Event 1.5

1. The pope would meeting with the Kentucky clerk Kim Davis would be in the newspaper because the pope is an important person and if he wanted to meet with her, he obviously thinks this is an important situation.

2. 29% of Texans support same sex marriage and 46% of Texans support legalization of marijuana.

3. The other three of the six key findings are Texans think the economy is the most important thing in the US, they encourage their children to play football, and half of the Texans worry about global warming.

4. The thing that is unique about the Lyceum poll is that they looked at the states entire adult population.

5. Jordan Spieth's year was so amazing because the won the tour championship and the Fedex cup $10 million.

6. Wearables are any technology that you can wear. Yes, we are starting to see more and more of these but it will take some time until they get popular. The item that appeals to me the most in the blue tooth in jewelry. I think we will see more of these in the future. I might get a wearable but it depends how expensive they are and what items they have.

Student of the month Lede

Who: Emily

What: Student of the month

When: This month

Where: At school

Why: She is a good student and does a lot of clubs at school

How: All of her teachers voted for her to best student of the month

This month all the the teachers voted for Emily to achieve student of the month because she is a good student and she does a lot of clubs at school.

     "It feels great to be student of the month" said Emily. " It makes you feel good about yourself"
 Students get awarded when they win student of the month. "You get a medal!"

    Most parents are happy when their child gets student of the month. "My parents like to know I'm doing well in school that's why it's important to me to get student of the month."

    Some kids think its hard to get student of the month and some think it's easy. "It mainly depends on your stengths in school on how hard it is."

   A lot of kids stress because their grades aren't perfect so they think they won't win student of the month. " You don't have to make perfect grades but they have to be good."

   Some students think you have to be perfect to get student of the month. " You don't have to better than everyone but you have to be better than most people."

    It is a good thing to be awarded student of the month because it looks good on college applications. "Colleges will think you are a dilligint and hard worker."

    Most parents will push their child to get student of the month and other parents won't. "I will push  them and help the with homework or whatever else they need help with."

   A lot of parents get more upset then their child does if their child doesn't get student of the month. " I get upset because I want my child to be the best."

    According to the teacher they will choose student of the month differently. " I choose student of the month on how hard the student will work."

   

Additional Student of the Month Interviews

Interview with Teacher:

1. How would you choose student of the month?
I would choose the student that would work the hardest in school.

 2. Do your favor your students?
Yes, because some students annoy me.

3. Is it easy picking students of the month?
Its hard because a lot of kids are talented, smart, and helpful. 

4. Do you help out your students to get student of the month?
Yes, because i want them to achieve. 

5. Do you like choosing the student of the month?
No its hard to choose.

Interview with Parent:

1. Do you want your child to get student of the month?
Yes, because it means they are doing good. 

2. How do you feel about your child getting student of the month?
Good, I am very proud of my child.

3. Will you award your child a certain way for getting student of the month?
Yes, I will get them whatever they want.

4. How will you help your child to get student of the month?
I will push them and help them with homework or whatever they need help with.

5. Will you get upset if they don't get student of the month?
Yes, because its a big deal to my child. 

Inverted Pyramid

My top story of the century

On April 15, 1912 at 2:20 the Titanic sunk because it hit an iceberg. It sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean. The big ship carried 2200 people and crew members. About 1500  people froze to death or sunk with the ship. There was only 700 people who survived and it was mainly children and women. 
    This was important in the 1900's because it was the biggest man made ship ever made. 

On 1918 to 1919 in Europe US, and parts Asia the flu was observed. The flu infected 500 million people. There was no medicine or vaccination to help heal the people. It liked 20 to 50 million people all over. 

This is important because it just got discovered and people still get the flu  today. Most of the people who got  it were children or young adults. 

A 7.5 quake rumbled from the San Andreas fault. The earthquake it at 5:12 a.m. About 100 people couldn't make it out and got killed. 

This is important because it was a big earthquake. 

Current Event 1.4

1.Pope Francis will be in the United States for six days and he will be in Washington, New York, and Philadelphia.

2.   The terms of occupancy that the Austin city council just approved is:
 •No more than six unrelated guests. 
 •No more than 10 guests total.
 •No more than two people per bedroom, plus two.The presumption is that a house has two bedrooms until an inspection is done. 
 •No assembly of more than six people outside, and no outside gatherings allowed after 10 p.m.

3.Volkswagen altered thats 11 million of the German carmaker’s diesel vehicles worldwide contain software that evades emissions controls, it also violates the Clean Air Act.

4. Matt Cassel is going to bet the Cowboys new quarterback. 

5.The two central Texas companies are Samsung and Texas Leligh. 

6. I think the students have a good idea for doing this because there isn't a lot of money at schools so them writing this letter was 

School Uniform Requirement

Sources:

• Parents
• Students
• Principals
• School board Members
• District

1. Why did you change your mind to have uniforms?

2. Would it be easier to have uniforms?

3. Would you like having the uniforms? Why or why not?

4. Are the uniforms necessary?

5. Do the teachers like this idea?

6. Why does the school board want to change this policy?

7. Who will make the final decision?

8. Are you against this new change or do you like it? Explain.

9. Would you wear the uniforms?

10. Does this effect you?

11. What does your family think about this new policy?

12. How do you feel about this?

13. Do you like dress codes or having the uniforms?

14. Are the dress codes too strict so is it like having uniforms?

15. Is it an open or closed vote?

16. If you had a choice to wear the uniform or your normal clothes what would you wear?

17. What decision do you think is going to win?

18. Do the uniforms change the school?

19. Will there be less bullying of how people are dressed if we change to the uniform?

20. What was your first thought when you heard about this?

Student of the Month Interview

Sources

• Students
• Teachers/Staff 
• Parents

1. How do you become student of the month?
You have dot get good grades.

2. What things do you have to do to get student of the month?
You have to be involved in two clubs.

3. Who chooses student of the month?
The teachers will vote on who gets is.

4. Does everyone find out who student of the month is or is it private?
It is private so no one else will find out.

5. Do you get awarded a certain way?
Yes you get a medal. 

6. What things do you do during student of the month?
Be involved and help out around the school.

7. Would you want to be student of the month? Why or Why not?
Yes because it is an honor and it means most people like you.

8. Do you think you will ever be awarded student of the month?
No because Im not very out going.

9. Are you expected to be better than anemone to get student of the month?
In a way, not better than everyone.

10. Has any of your friends or just someone you know been studded of the month?
Yes, my cousin

11. If you get student of the month will it look good on your college applications?
Yes, it shows that your a diligent student and your a hard worker.

12. Do people change who they are to get student of the month?
They could but it is not a bad thing.

13. Is student of the month necessary?
No.

14. Is there any meaning off student of the month?
Yes it is, it means you are doing we'll in school.

15. Is it easy or hard to get student of the month?
It depends on your  strength's in school

16. If you get chosen student of the month do you have to be it or is it your choice?
It is your choice.

17. Is being student of the month a good thing?
Yes, it is like and award and you want to win. 

18. Do you have to make perfect grades?
Not perfect, as long as your trying.

19. Will your family be happy if you got this achievement?
Yes, because they like to know I'm doing well.

20. Do you get jealous if you don't get student of the month?
No I do not.

General Questions about Emily:

Favorite subject: English
Season: Fall
Color: White
Food: mac n' cheese
Tv show: Supernatural
Songwriter: One Direction
Free time: go on tumblr and listen to music
Age: 15 years old
Grade:9th grade
Likes School

Current Event 1.3

1. The presidential debate was held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and museum in California.

2. The Bernhards biggest concern is the 6 a.m to midnight operating hours.

3. Uber wants to expand in East Austin because they want to improve transportation options and to extend this equitable economic opportunity.

4. The five things that the new athletic director of Texas needs to do is says thank you, keep the trains moving, finish the Nike deal,  embrace the coaches, and make sure the athletes have a good time.

5. The thing that is so unique about the two new sculptures is that at dusk it changes shape to run the rain data and lake levels. I think this is a good idea because we need to know those things so we an easily find them out by the sculpture.

6. I think this story is a little bit sad because they handcuffed and suspended the boy because the made a clock for the teacher. There was so charge against him so he's doesn't have to be suspended any more. I get how they thought it was a bomb or something dangerous but they took it a little to far.  I think the boy was signaled out for his skin color because people these days are just really racist. Even if they say they aren't trying to be they can offend people in a lot of ways. The school district should be charged because the boy didn't do anything wrong but make a clock and they made a big deal out of something small. I don't think the boy needs something that big but and apology.

Headlines, Links, and Photos

1. Top Stories

Crane Crashes into Saudi Mosque, Killing Dozens

2. News Near You (Austin-Round Rock)
Hotel Review: Heywood Hotel in Austin, Tex.

3. World

Harsh Sentence for Protest Leader a Gamble for Venezuela

4. U.S.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/11/us-usa-sept-idUSKCN0RB15220150911

5. Business

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/09/11/donald-trump-announces-he-now-owns-all-of-miss-universe-organization/

6. Technology

Magid: Are Apple features like 3D Touch gimmicks or life savers?

7. Entertainment
Happy Birthday, Prince Harry! The Royal Shows Off His Ginger Beard – and His Sweet Side with Veterans

8. Sports
A Quick Reminder of Football’s Violence

9. Science
Plants That Are Predators

10. Health
In a First, Aspirin Is Recommended to Fight a Form of Cancer

11. Spotlight
Ancient squirrel's nest leads to discovery of giant virus

Current Event 1.2

1. A typical homeowner will $14.
2. The 2 similarities is they walk up-right and they
3. I don't think it is a good idea for Ben to swim across the Pacific ocean because there is too many risks he is going to take.
4. The new iPhone 6s has a 3D feature and the iPhone 6s+ comes in rose gold.
5. I would want to own a flying car, i think the coolest gadget is the Spyder PowerShadow Battery Case.
6.  I think the man should get the money. I think people who are shady like him should stop because its just showing that he's desperate for attention and for money. They just need to be fair and they don't need attention.They should get the money. Yes even if they have a criminal record. They should get about $8,000 because the person got killed. I think the family should get $1.5 million dollars because the police killed someones family member and thats very sad. I think we are seeing more of this today because officers think they are in charge of everything and they think that they can do everything they want but they can't.

Ethics

Using the "Holocaust" Metaphor-

The PETA group made an animal rights organization. But in 2003 they made a campaign called "Holocaust on Your Plate". The campaign is comparing the slaughter of animals and the murder of 6 million jews in World War 2. People were saying that is been hard to see the pictures that they've seen and its not a good sight. 

I think that "Holocaust on your Plate" is wrong for doing this and i don't like it. I don't like this because no one wants to look at those pictures or even think about it. Yes you can have your own opinion but i don't think you should create something like this, just keep everything to yourself. You just get yourself in a mess because people will fight you for having the campaign so its just easier not to have it.

The Medias Foul Ball-

In 2003 the cubs had a chance to go to the World Series. They ended up losing because a man fought a foul ball and one of the players couldn't catch it so it messed up the game.  A lot of people were mad and started calling him names and throwing beer another stuff on him. 

I don't think the man shouldn't face any danger but i think he could be identified. At baseball games a lot of people try to catch the balls so he was just trying to be one of those people. I don't think there is anything wrong with trying to catch one of the balls but he should've known that it could've lost them the game. Everyone makes mistakes and that was one mistake that he made.

Publishing Drunk Drivers' Photos- 

If people got a DUI then they would be n the newspaper. it would have their picture name, place of residence, time and date that they got arrested, charge, blood alcohol level, and date convicted. 

I think that this is newspaper appropriate because the people are doing something wrong. Its their fault they are drinking and driving when they shouldn't be at all. So i think it is okay for them to be in the newspaper. 

News Vales

News Values

Timliness: I chose this story because it was the most recent story that was published.

Patience, Diplomacy Key to Charging Ex-Officer

Patience, diplomacy key to charging ex-officer 

With charges filed against ex-cop and friend, clock starts on securing indictment 

By PhilipJankowski and Tony Plohetski pjankowski@statesman.com   tplohetski@statesman.com  

   BASTROP — Kimberly Dean sat silently, sometime making notes, beside a gaggle of law enforcement officers who gathered Thursday as Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goertz spoke about the complex case of her daughter Samantha’s slaying. 

   It was with patience, Goertz said, that investigators untangled the web of technical evidence linking former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark and his friend, Kevin Leo Watson, to the death of Samantha Dean. 

   Nearly seven months after Samantha Dean, a victim’s services coordinator at the Kyle Police Department who was found shot in the head on a chilly February morning outside of Bastrop, Goertz announced capital murder charges against Clark and Watson, his suspected accomplice.    At this milestone in the investigation, authorities said both Clark and Watson could face the death penalty if convicted of killing Dean, 29, who investigators say was seven months’ pregnant with Clark’s child when she was killed. 

   Whether prosecutors seek the death penalty will be up to Goertz. 

   “I think that this makes it very clear that no one is above prosecution if they commit a crime, whether they are an APD officer or whatever their background is,” Goertz said. 

   Clark and Watson will make their first appearances in court at an arraignment, which is still pending. 

   A third man named in court documents as a participant in Dean’s killing, Freddie Lee Smith, 29, hasn’t been charged, Goertz said. 

   Clark, 32, was in the Bastrop County Jail without bail after federal authorities returned him to the United States on Wednesday and handed him over to Bastrop County authorities. Watson, 31, was in the Harris County Jail with bail set at $1 million, officials said. 

   The district court Thursday afternoon unsealed arrest warrants for Clark and Watson. The documents provided few new details in the case because a large amount of evidence against the two had already been released in previous search warrants. 

   They showed the meticulous cellphone tracking required to trace Clark and Watson to the killing 

   — and a threatening text that led police to the man who would name the two suspects responsible for her death. 

   That man, Aaron Lamont Williams, told authorities that Clark offered $5,000 for someone to kill Dean and that Clark wanted her dead to avoid paying child support. He said that Clark drove Dean to the site where she was found dead, and that Watson and Smith had killed her. 

   Goertz noted the complexity of the case and thanked the Dean family for their patience as investigators unwound the evidence. “I think everyone is relieved to be at this point,” he said. 

   “Taking our time and working the evidence was very important in this case,” Goertz said. 

   At all times, Goertz said, he worked to keep the Dean family informed about the lengthy investigation: “They’re wonderful people.” 

   Clark’s attorney, Bristol Myers, said the judicial process would shed light on what so far has been a one-sided conversation. 

   “Making accusations in affidavits and press conferences is much easier than proving accusations in a courtroom,” Myers said in a statement Thursday. “Let’s see what happens when investigators finally have to face cross-examination, procedural missteps are exposed, and evidence favorable to officer Clark is brought to light. Officer Clark did not kill Ms. Dean, and he is not legally responsible for her death.” 

   FBI special agent Dan Snow touted his agency’s ability to bring Clark back to Texas from 10,000 miles away. 

   “This sends a message that if you are a violent criminal in the U.S., the FBI has the reach around the world to get you,” Snow said. “We will use the resources and the relationships we develop to do just that, and we will bring you back for the sake of justice.” 

   The United States has no extradition treaty with Indonesia, Snow said, so the FBI relied upon diplomatic and legal attachés’ relationships with Indonesian police. 

   Federal authorities canceled Clark’s passport, and Indonesian police decided to expel him. With no way for Clark to leave the country, he was forced to remain in custody in Bali until FBI agents could retrieve him. 

   At the same time, federal authorities needed Bastrop County officials to file a charge against Clark in order to charge him with a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. That charge will likely be dismissed now that Clark is in the hands of Bastrop County authorities, a federal law enforcement source said. 

   Court documents indicated that prosecutors had all the evidence mentioned in the arrest affidavit since at least June 11, including Williams’ statements that indicated Clark had offered money for Dean’s death. 

   Looking ahead, prosecutors no longer have the virtue of patience. Filing charges against Clark and Watson started a 90-day clock for Goertz to seek their indictment. 

   “The state is always ready,” he said. 

   Contact Philip Jankowski at 512-445-3702. 

   Contact Tony Plohetski at 512-445-3605. 

The airplane carrying VonTrey Clark arrives from Indonesia at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport just before midnight Wednesday. JAYJANNER / AMERICAN-STATESMAN 

Samantha Dean was found shot in the head on a February morning outside of Bastrop. 

Former Austin police officer VonTrey Clark is escorted into the Bastrop County Jail on Thursday after being extradited from Indonesia. RODOLFO GONZALEZ / AMERICAN-STATESMAN

*Found at the Austin Austin Statesman*

Proximity: I chose this story because they are talking about the drought in different parts of Texas and we live in Texas so it makes sense. 

"As summer wanes, the dryness mounts" is the headline

   Despite the scattered rain this week in the Austin metro area as summer vacations came to an end, Central Texas finds itself on the verge of renewed drought conditions. Some noteworthy numbers to consider: 

   42% How much of Texas the U.S. Drought Monitor described as at least“abnormally dry”or in drought Thursday. 

   1.32% How much of the state that was upgraded to“extreme drought” this week.The affected area was centered around Leon and a few other East Texas counties. Last week, no part ofTexas was in extreme drought. 

   11.02 MILLION Population affected by drought this week, according to the Drought Monitor. 

   5% How much rainfall was above normal inTexas during the1982-83 and 1997-98 El Niños,the strongest ever recorded, according to state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon. The current one is expected to rival those two. 

   0.61 Inches of rain that fell Tuesday at Barton Creek and Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway), the most rain recorded in Austin by the Lower Colorado River Authority’s rain gauges this week. 

   668 Number of feet above mean sea level, or the current elevation for Lake Travis.The lake is about 5.4 feet above its historical average elevation for September. 

   75% How full lakes Travis and Buchanan are.The two storage lakes provide water for Central Texas homes and businesses.

i used Austin American Statesman

Prominence: I chose this story because even though the coach had a stroke he still came back the next sea on to coach again and i think thats pretty cool but scary.

The headline is "Stokes Don't Headline Coach"

HIGH SCHOOLS VOLLEYBALL 

Strokes don’t sideline coach 

After health scare, Bennett back for his 27th year with Chaps. 

By Rick Cantu rcantu@statesman.com  

   Fresh off his 26th season as Westlake’s volleyball coach, Al Bennett had given no thought to retirement before he suffered a debilitating stroke on March 28. 

   Overnight, though, his chances of coaching again appeared doubtful as he took the first steps toward recovery at an area hospital. His speech was slurred. Walking was a struggle. He couldn’t even touch his nose with his index finger. 

   “I had to ask for goggles because I kept poking my eye,” Bennett joked this week. 

   Just five months after his wife, Cathy, rushed him to an emergency room in the wee hours of the morning, though, Bennett considers himself to be fortunate. He no longer needs a cane to walk, and he has regained most of his strength. Although he tires easily, he has returned to the Chaparrals for a 27th season.    “This keeps me young,” Bennett, 60, said Tuesday after Westlake earned a four-set victory over District 14-6A rival Bowie. “I’m lucky to be coaching a great group of kids. Throughout this journey, I’ve learned as much from them as they have learned from me.” 

   Bennett said his senior class “took ownership” of the team while he was hospitalized. He told his four captains — outside hitter Kathryn Sharplin, middle blocker Taylor Flaherty, outside hitter Carly Turner and libero Claire Hahn — to be prepared to take charge if his health didn’t improve. 

   “Coach Bennett wants to coach us so badly, he keeps pushing himself,” said Hahn, a University of Texas recruit who has helped the Chaparrals to a 24-6 record this season. “It concerns us a little, but we know how much he cares for us.” 

   Bennett said he gave himself a May deadline to determine whether he would return for another season. His idea was to give Eanes school district officials enough time to find a suitable replacement if he decided his health prevented him from coming back. 

   “At that point, the doctors told me I’d probably be feeling a lot better when the season started (in August),” he said. 

   One of the most respected high school volleyball coaches in Texas, Bennett has led to West-lake to four state championships and eight state finals. The Chaparrals have won 23 district championships in 26 years, and more than 70 of his players have signed with a college program. In 2014, he was named co-national coach of the year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association after Westlake finished 42-5 and reached the Class 6A regional semifinals. 

   Bennett’s health scare spawned a few changes at Westlake. He has delegated more responsibility to assistant coaches Lynne Bryant, Tanna Fiske, Jane Karnes, Abby Howden and Lizzi Bruns. Instead of three daily practices this summer, he cut back to two. He takes occasional afternoon naps now. 

   He gave up his role as Westlake’s athletic coordinator for girls sports, a post now held by softball coach Haley Gaddis. 

   “It’s been a difficult adjustment,” said Bennett, who continues to teach a history course at the high school. “I’d spent my whole life going 100 miles an hour, and all of a sudden I couldn’t do that.” 

   Some things, though, remain the same. 

   “Coach Bennett wakes up thinking about ways to improve his team and goes to sleep thinking about what he can be doing better,” said How-den, a 2009 Westlake graduate who played on state runner-up squads in 2005, 2007 and 2008. 

   Bennett said he suffered two strokes — a minor one on March 24 followed by a more damaging one on March 28. 

   “During my first stroke, I thought I had vertigo,” he recalled. “I felt lousy, slurred my words, had trouble walking. The bad part is that I kept driving.” 

   Four days later, Bennett awoke at 2 a.m. and knew something was terribly wrong. He tried to get out of bed to get a glass of water but couldn’t move. 

   “I tried talking, but everything came out gobbledygook,” he said, describing himself as “stupid” for not responding to warning signs regarding his health. He suffers from high blood pressure, he said, but thought he could control it with exercise. 

   “After spending four weeks in the hospital, your only worry is whether your right arm and right leg will ever work again,” Bennett said. 

   Bennett takes a daily cocktail of prescribed medications, including blood thinners, to help prevent another stroke. He said he still feels a “tingle” after the strokes — “something I’ll probably have the rest of my life” — but expects to be back to full strength by March. 

   “He’s given so much to us, I feel we owe it to him to give everything we have,” said Turner, who will play at Georgia Southern next season. 

   Bennett said he’s unsure when he’ll retire and that he’s having too much fun with this team to let go now. His roster includes seven seniors, plus sophomore middle blocker Holly Campbell, who’s already being recruited by Texas, Florida, USC and Washington. 

   “I’ll say this — I’m not going to be Joe Paterno, that’s for sure,” Bennett said. “I’ve always felt like I’d know when it’s time (to retire). I don’t want people to ever say, ‘Oh, he should have retired last year.’ 

   “As long as the fire is still in my belly — and my wife and I can manage my health — I want to coach.” 

   Contact Rick Cantu at 512-445-3953. 

   Twitter: @Rickyprep 

COACH SPEAK 

   A handful of former and current Westlake volleyball players share their thoughts about longtime Chaparrals coach Al Bennett: 

   › Claire Hahn, Class of 2016 As far as superstitions, he wore a plaid checkered shirt to every home game last year.This year, he wears a Hawaiian shirt on game days. At school, though, he’s usually just wearing a Westlake t-shirt and sweatpants. 

   › Abby Howden, Class of 2009 Coach Bennett never passed up opportunities to help us bond as a team or to get to know us. He is still doing it today with his team. He takes them out to team dinners, rides roller coasters with them and gets to know each of his athletes during long bus rides. He has nicknames for everyone, and they are always so random but always seem to stick. 

   › Lindsay Bixby Legate, Class of 2009 At every volleyball banquet, he would talk about the season and he’d end up talking for almost two hours.We’d always joke about how long he’d talk, but that was a testament to how much coach Bennett cares about his players. 

   › Carly Turner, Class of 2016 He’s here every Saturday, uploading our stats, records and film for HUDL. He watches hours of film, giving us detailed scouting reports on every team we play.There is so much that he does that no one sees. 

   › Grace Weghorst, Class of 2013 One thing I’ll remember about coach Bennett is that he was so articulate most of the time, but a few times each week, he would explain a drill that made absolutely no sense to us.We’d spend five minutes trying to figure out what he meant. Luckily after being in the program a few years, the upperclassmen learned how to speak“Bennett language” and clearly translated what he tried to say.

I found this story at Austin Americans Statesman 

Impact: This impacts people because the flood ruined a lot of peoples homes and churches and everything they had.

the headline is ' Grande's call center rebuilding after floods"

CENTRAL TEXAS FLOODING 

Grande’s call center rebuilding after floods 

Memorial Day setback hasn’t drowned Grande Communications’ zeal. 

By Gary Dinges gdinges@statesman.com  

   One minute, workers in the Grande Communications call center were busy assisting customers with cable TV, Internet and phone service. 

   The next, they were racing to find higher ground. 

   The floodwaters that swamped Hays County on Memorial Day weekend hit the San Marcos-based company especially hard, leaving about 3 feet of water inside Grande’s offices. 

   Still, most customers never lost their services due to built-in redundancies, said Matt Rohre, senior vice president of operations and general manager. 

   Three months later, repairs to those offices are still being made. Many employees are either working from home or from a temporary call center in another San Marcos location. 

   Those still based inside the flood-damaged buildings find themselves dodging construction workers and sometimes shouting over the noise of power tools. 

   Grande is still working with its insurance carriers and doesn’t have an estimate yet on how much the repairs will cost, Rohre said. 

   It’s been a trying time, to say the least, Rohre said. But, he said, the growing company is proud of how its workforce has risen to the challenge. 

   “It was a little rough at first,” Rohre said. “The damage was pretty extensive at all three of our facilities in San Marcos. So far, though, I think we’ve done a pretty good job.” 

   Construction is expected to wrap up near the end of the year, Rohre said. 

   “It’s been a slow go, but that’s OK,” he said. “This isn’t something you want to practice and get good at.” 

   At the same time it deals with its own repairs, Grande has also been working to assist about a dozen employees whose homes suffered damage. 

   “A lot of our employees live in close proximity to our office, so they flooded, too,” Rohre said. “It’s been really hard for them. That’s why we set up an employee relief fund to help.” 

   The flood’s aftermath hasn’t kept Grande from moving ahead with a number of major projects that were already in the works when the floods struck. 

   The company was set to close on its acquisition of Centrovision, a small Central Texas cable provider, the day after the flooding. That was delayed a week, but the sale still went through, Rohre said. 

   The deal gave Grande about 4,400 new customers in several cities in Bell and McLennan counties, including Little River-Academy, Moody, Morgan’s Point Resort, Pendleton, Rogers, Salado, Temple and Troy. 

   By early 2016, Centrovision’s customers will be tied into Grande’s Waco-area cable network, Rohre said. That will allow the company to start offering significantly upgraded services to Centrovision subscribers. 

   Grande is also pushing forward with rolling out its 1-gigabit Internet service in Austin. 

   “Every week, we’re adding additional capacity,” Rohre said. 

   Several West Austin neighborhoods already have the service. East Austin is a focus area right now, he said, and by year’s end about a quarter of Grande’s customers citywide should be able to get super-fast Internet. 

   “We’ve got a lot going on,” Rohre said. “We can’t let the flood slow us down.” 

   Contact Gary Dinges at 512-912-5987. Twitter: @gdinges

i found this at austin american statesmen.

Conflict: This is a big problem because the lady is fighting against judges and now she's going to jail. the headline is "Kentucky clerk jailed; deputies to issue marriage licenses"

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE 

Ky. clerk jailed; deputies to issue marriage licenses 

ByAdam Bean Associated Press 

   ASHLAND, KY. — A defiant county clerk went to jail Thursday for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, but five of her deputies agreed to end the church-state standoff in Rowan County, Ky. 

   U.S. District Judge David Bunning said he had no choice but to jail Kim Davis for contempt after she insisted that her “conscience will not allow” her to follow federal court rulings on gay marriage. 

   “God’s moral law conflicts with my job duties,” Davis told the judge before she was taken away. “You can’t be separated from something that’s in your heart and in your soul.”    The judge later tried to keep Davis out of jail, saying she could go free if her staff agreed to comply with the law and she agreed not to interfere. 

   But Davis rejected the offer. With that, the hearing ended, and gay and lesbian couples vowed to appear at the Rowan County clerk’s office yet again Friday to see if the deputy clerks keep their promises. 

   “We’re going to the courthouse tomorrow to get our marriage license and we’re very excited about that,” said April Miller, who has been engaged to Karen Roberts for 11 years. 

   As word of Davis’ jailing spread outside the federal courthouse, hundreds of people chanted and shouted, “Love won! Love won!” 

   But Davis’ lawyer, Roger Gannam, compared her willingness to accept imprisonment to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s sacrifices to advance civil rights, and said “everyone should lament and mourn the fact that her freedom has been taken away for what she believes.” 

   Laura Landenwich, an attorney for the plaintiffs, rejected the comparison. 

   “Ms. Davis is in an unfortunate situation of her own creation. She is not a martyr. No one created a martyr today,” Landenwich said. “She is not above the law.” 

   Speaking earlier from the bench, Bunning said it would set up a “slippery slope” to allow an individual’s ideas to supersede the courts’ authority. 

   “Her good-faith belief is simply not a viable defense,” Bunning said. “I myself have genuinely held religious beliefs ... but I took an oath.” 

   “Mrs. Davis took an oath,” he added. “Oaths mean things.” 

   Davis is represented by the Liberty Counsel, which advocates in court for religious freedom. Before she was led away, Davis said the U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage nationwide conflicts with the vows she made when she became a born-again Christian. 

   Miller and Roberts have been denied a marriage license four times by Davis or her deputies since the June ruling. Miller testified that one of the deputy clerks told her to apply in another county. 

   “That’s kind of like saying we don’t want gays or lesbians here. We don’t think you are valuable,” she said. 

   Rather than be fined, jailed or lose their jobs, five of the clerks told the judge they would issue the licenses. Her son, Nathan Davis, refused, but the judge said that wouldn’t matter and he wouldn’t be punished, as long as the others complied. 

   “I don’t really want to, but I will comply with the law,” said one of the deputies, Melissa Thompson. “I’m a preacher’s daughter and this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life.” 

   Davis, an Apostolic Christian whose critics mock her for being a three-time divorcee, stopped issuing marriage licenses for all couples after the Supreme Court ruling in June. Many supporters and even some Republican presidential candidates have rallied behind her. 

   “People are calling the office all the time asking to send money,” Davis testified. 

   She said she hopes the Legislature will change Kentucky law to allow her to keep her job while following her conscience. But unless the governor convenes a costly special session, lawmakers won’t meet until January. “Hopefully our Legislature will get something taken care of,” she told the judge. 

   Until then, Bunning said, he has no alternative but to keep her behind bars. 

   “The legislative and executive branches do have the ability to make changes,” Bunning said. “It’s not this court’s job to make changes. I don’t write law.” 

   Davis served as her mother’s deputy in the clerk’s office for 27 years before she was elected as a Democrat to succeed her in November. As an elected official, she can be removed only if the Legislature impeaches her, which is unlikely in a deeply conservative state. 

   Former Republican President George W. Bush nominated Bunning for a lifetime position as a federal judge in 2001 when he was just 35 years old. 

   But Bunning has been anything but a sure thing for conservative causes, ruling against a partial-birth abortion ban and in favor of a gay-straight high school club.

I found this at austin american statesman's 
Ethics: I chose this story for ethics because a lot of people watched the game on staurday and saw how badly they did so coach Charlie Strong is trying to decide which quarter back will be starting. 
The headline for this story is " Heard would be best for UT"
 Heard would be best for UT 

Time has passed for Swoopes as Watson’s starting quarterback. 

Cedric Golden 

   It wasn’t a bombshell, but it needed to be said. The quarterback competition is back on at Texas. 

   A still-steamed Charlie Strong said he will decide later this week if he will stay with Tyrone Swoopes as the starter or turn the offense over to Jerrod Heard. 

   Well, that’s a start of a good thing. The next step should be to name Heard the starter, even if quarterbacks coach and play-caller Shawn Watson insists on keeping Swoopes in there. 

   Anyone who has read this space over the past year knows my thoughts on Swoopes. I just don’t view him as a difference-maker or someone capable of taking this program to the lofty heights of days past. Heard has an upside that must be sped up, given the massacre that occurred in South Bend, Ind. 

   Here’s the problem with Watson: He’s stuck in the past. He helped turn Teddy Bridgewater into a first-round draft pick and is using that success in hopes of doing the same with Swoopes. 

   Swoopes isn’t Bridgewater. Watson knows as much but also understands that Swoopes represents his coaching comfort level. He’s completely comfortable coaching a drop-back passing type over someone like Heard, whose biggest plays will come because of his feet, not his arm.    I believe Watson would much rather coach Swoopes in a West Coast attack than Heard in a spread attack similar to what Vince Young ran in his day. It’s not Watson’s cup of tea, but it’s the cup of tea that would make this a better offense. 

   Strong didn’t exactly give Watson a glowing endorsement — “I know Shawn’s the offensive coordinator,” he said 

   — which should be taken to mean he’s getting an on-the-job evaluation. And if Strong decides to make a move during the season and remove Watson, the best thing would be to name Heard the starter and let Jay Norvell, who has coached in spread offenses for years, call the plays. 

   Heard might not be polished, but he has the type of athleticism this offense needs. Plus, he brings something that Swoopes won’t be able to give this fan base: HOPE. 

   If Strong decides to pull the trigger on Heard, Watson’s days could be numbered. 

   They might be numbered even if he doesn’t. 

   Did you catch what Jordan Spieth tweeted in the midst of the Notre Dame beatdown? 

   “Texas’ offense looking about as useful as my last four rounds.” 

   Golf’s newest superstar didn’t mince words, which is a refreshing change from the PC garbage you hear from some alumni. 

   Another tweet that caught my eye came from Ryan Palmer, who played cornerback here and was a freshman on the 2005 national championship team: 

   “I remember when we went 10-3 in back to back seasons. People thought it was the end of the world... lol don’t take winning for granted. It’s hard.” 

   Palmer was blessed that he came along at the height of Mack Brown’s success. The teams he played for went 45-7, and 4-0 in bowl games. It’s OK to say those were the good old days. It does seem long ago. 

   Texas’ 2015 NFL draft crop wasn’t huge, but fruit sprouted from an unexpected source. Tight end Geoff Swaim made the Dallas Cowboys’ roster, making him the surprise of this camp. 

   The Boys love his ability as a blocker, which should come as no surprise since he caught just 13 passes in two college seasons. 

   Not to worry. Dallas has Jason Witten and Gavin Escobar to handle that. 

   Of the 10 Longhorns from last season who were in NFL camps, Swaim was one of four to make a 53-man roster. The others are defensive tackle Malcom Brown (New England), cornerback Quandre Diggs (Detroit) and linebacker Jordan Hicks (Philadelphia). 

   Seven former Bevos were signed to NFL practice squads: running back Malcolm Brown (St. Louis), cornerback Carrington Byndom (Carolina), safety Adrian Phillips (San Diego), wide receiver Jaxon Shipley (Arizona), offensive lineman Michael Huey (San Diego), defensive end Cedric Reed (Buffalo) and quarterback Garrett Gilbert (Oakland). 

   And for those of you pooh-poohing the idea of being on a practice squad, be advised that these guys are pulling in a minimum of $112,200 for 17 weeks of work. 

   Not a bad part-time gig. 

   Contact Cedric Golden at 

   912-5944. 

   Twitter: @cedgolden

I found this story at austin american statesman Novelty: I chose this story for novelty because this normally doesn't happen and it is just weird for this to happen. 
The headline is "KKK leaves fliers on porches"
SOUTH AUSTIN 

KKK leaves fliers on porches 

Recruiting drive stuns, angers many who received pamphlets. 

By Claire Osborn cosborn@statesman.com  

   AUSTIN — When Amanda Davis walked out the front door of her South Austin house Sunday morning, she saw a pamphlet in a plastic bag on her doorstep. “I picked it up and I squealed like there was a snake,” she said. 

   The front page of the pamphlet said, “A Introduction to the Platform and Principles of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan.” 

   “I said to my husband, ‘Oh, my God, we just got a flier from the Ku Klux Klan on our front porch,’ ” said Davis, who lives near the intersection of Manchaca Road and Chappell Lane, south of Slaughter Lane. “I was so angry. I was just on my way to a job at a church and here’s this thing that’s the most antithetical to faith and what it means to be a Christian,” Davis said Monday. 

   Around the corner, one of her neighbors stepped out of her house Monday morning and said she hadn’t received a KKK pamphlet. 

   Then she gasped as she looked down and spotted one where it had just blown off her front porch. 

   “This is bizarre that’s it’s here,” she said, picking it up. “This is insane. This is not cool.” 

   The Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist and anti-immigration group that has existed in the United States off and on since the end of the Civil War, has a history of cross burnings, lynchings and other terrorism against African-Americans. 

   “I don’t know if they are trying to recruit or trying to intimidate,” said Davis, who is white. She said her subdivision is racially diverse, with Hispanic and African-American neighbors. 

   Robert Jones, a Klan spokesman and one of the group’s leaders in North Carolina, responded to the American-Statesman’s call Monday to the group’s “hotline,” the phone number printed on the pamphlet. He said a KKK recruitment effort is underway because of all the “racial tension” in America. 

   “They are trying to take down our Confederate flag and trying to erase whites out of history, and a lot of whites are starting to get fed up,” he said. “Look at that killing about two weeks ago when an African-American killed two white reporters. When you mix the races, you are distorting God’s creation.” 

   Jones said the Klan’s unit in Austin wanted to pass out recruitment pamphlets over the weekend. He said he didn’t know yet whether the group has received any responses or how many pamphlets were distributed. 

   “We tell our members to make sure you do no less than 500,” he said. 

   He said the KKK has been getting a lot of calls from people interested in joining ever since July, when the group rallied in Columbia, S.C., to protest the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state’s Capitol. 

   Davis said Monday that she called Austin police when she received the pamphlet and filled out a form on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website that tracks hate groups. 

   “You can’t get away with this,” she said. “I want people to know this is happening.” She said she was shocked she had gotten a pamphlet in Austin . “Austin is known as being more progressive, more open, more inclusive and more diverse,” she said. 

   Sue Deck, another neighbor, said she didn’t receive a pamphlet, but she said she couldn’t believe that KKK materials were left on doorsteps. 

   “It is scary,” Deck said. “We’ve come so far as people — why can’t we all just get along?” 

   Statesman reporters Asher Price and Tim Eaton contributed to this report. 

I found this story at the austin american statesman.