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Final Piece

2007-12-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

FACULTY ADVISORS/Caleb Waldron 1
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE LOVE, HATE, OBLIVIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH FACULTY ADVISORS

By Caleb Waldron

The events of September 11^th, 2001 shifted the world’s focus to Islamic issues. “There were a lot of questions and interest about Islam and its followers after 9/11, and I took that as a good way to educate people on Muslim issues,” said sophomore Mohsen Ghazi. He and junior Alyssa Al-Dookhi took that interest as an opportunity to start the Muslim Student Association, a group dedicated to Islamic issues. “The group’s goal is to help create awareness about Islam and Muslims, to explore various feelings people have about Islam, to think progressively about Islamic issues, and to support each other in a non-Muslim setting,” said Al-Dookhi.

The process of forming a student organization proved to be a complex issue. A formal submission of the group’s mission statement, student membership, leadership, and proposed budgeting were all required. The task was overwhelming for the group of students who had little to no experience with the inner bowels of Kalamazoo bureaucracy. Due to issues of paperwork, the MSA was unable to become a formal student organization and receive school funding. But through the help of College Chaplain and Professor of English Mary Ellen Ashcroft, the organization was able to independently raise money for its events. “Mary-Ellen was a lot of help- she really helped us get off the ground,” said Ghazi.

The situation of the Muslim Students Association speaks to the larger issue of faculty involvement in student organizations as a whole. Student organizations have a need for constant, relatable sources of information and guidance. This is especially true for long-term establishment, considering that leadership gap formed by juniors’ de-acclimation to campus issues following their study abroad. Faculty are an ideal resource.

“I think that having a faculty advisor is a great help because we can turn to him for more ideas when we have come to a road block,” said Amnesty International member and sophomore Jillian Belstler. “The students do pretty much all of the work, but it is nice to have Dr. Dugas there when we have questions or need another opinion.” Faculty advisors provide a sense of history, stability, and continuity that helps student organizations overcome otherwise daunting obstacles.

“If from year to year groups don’t see what’s good or bad, they fall into the same mistakes,” said Director of Student Activities and Hicks Center Brian Dietz. “Advisors would help groups work on previous mistakes and build on previous success.”

But while faculty advisors provide a valuable resource to student organizations, the school has no official policy regarding their responsibility or availability. Said Dietz, “I don’t know if we have a clear policy. Nobody’s got a real history; I don’t know if it was ever stopped- no one seems to recall anything official.”

The relationship between faculty advisors and student organizations is forged on a case-by-case basis, independent of any official guidelines or policy. “I assumed that student groups were required to have a faculty advisor. My assumption was that it was a requirement that wasn’t enforced,” said Dan Lipson, faculty advisor for the American Civil Liberties Union and Assistant Professor of Political Science. Lipson had never been asked to sign papers or officially register himself as a faculty advisor. He simply accepted the group’s invitation to join their organization.

While a clearer policy would help broadcast the potential resource of faculty advising, the vagueness of the policy isn’t altogether unintentional.

Not all student organizations want faculty advisors, such as groups that focus on peer-to-peer discussions. But more importantly, faculty advisors pose a potential threat to student organizations’ sense of independence.

“The point of a student organization it to be independent of authority. So I don’t know if the role of faculty advisors is required-- it seems to be another hoop to jump through,” said Associate Professor of Psychology Karyn Boatwright.

The element of independence that surrounds the general college experience seems to prevent many student organizations from seeking out a potentially autocratic authority figure. “We like feeling independent and able to make decisions for ourselves without having to consult a faculty member first,” stated Sexual Health Awareness Group member Caitlin Rider.

Faculty advisors have to strike a delicate balance. They can discuss, but can’t dominate—they can complement, but can’t command.

The administration recognizes this delicate equilibrium between independence and inexperience. It recognizes that leadership must come from the student body and that faculty advisors must not be mandatory, especially considering that there aren’t enough faculty advisors for the 93 student organizations currently running. (With 93 organizations, any policy that made faculty advisors mandatory would either force faculty to advise multiple organizations at a time, or student organizations to officially shut down.) But it also wants to make the resource of potential faculty advisors known to campus, and to create a formal system for helping faculty advisors connect with student organizations.

“I’ve been an advisor of the WRC for three years, and I’ve never been asked for advice or to attend a meeting,” said associated professor of psychology Karyn Boatwright on a crisp fall afternoon.

Heide Taylor, member of the WRC, said later that night: “We have an advisor? I’ve never even met her.”

The administration would like to prevent situations like these from re-occurring.

It’s a delicate balance, and the school will address it accordingly. The school’s plan for dealing with the unclear policy is to gradually introduce the concept of faculty advisors to the campus. The next few years will be a bridge period, in which the concept of a faculty advisor will be set in place and organizations see the benefits of having one. “Initially we wouldn’t make it mandatory. If a group wants a faculty advisor they’d be assigned one, to build a concept of what an advisor is. Other groups will see that setting goals, committees, and faculty advisors helps groups. And then, we’ll see where it goes from there,” said Dietz.

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Article Critique 12/1

2007-12-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

The following is a critique of the December 11^th “New York Times” article “Feminist Pitch for a Democrat Named Obama,” which is accessible via the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/us/politics/02women.html?hp

I find this article’s title to be unnecessarily long. The words “A Democrat Named” add nothing to the title’s meaning- they’re dead weight.

I find that the article’s lede adequately conveys the heart of the story- it provides the reader with the five “w’s” in a loose sentence structure that gets the information across without overwhelming the reader.

The paragraph structure loops in on itself and creates a sense of repetition. The piece alternates between a description of how Mr. Obama is an enticing candidate to feminist political circles and how some feminist political circles are epistemologically torn over the upcoming presidential election. Each paragraph provides more general information on the themes, but no sense of chronological progression or thematic focus. The piece presents facts, but it doesn’t give the reader incentive to read the entire article.

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Critique 11/25

2007-11-25T15:35:00.000-08:00

ARTICLE CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

ARTICLE FALLS SHORT

By Caleb Waldron

The following is a critique of the November 25^th New York Times piece “As Democrats See Security Gains in Iraq, Tone Shifts,” which is accessible via the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/us/politics/25dems.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

My impression of this piece is that it tries to get too much information to the reader at a time, starting with the title. The title’s attempts to reflect both the potential security gains in Iraq for Democratic candidates and the shift in Democrats’ tone at the same time makes the phrase seem awkward.

In the coming paragraphs, the piece attempts to address these issues at the same time. This makes the reader feel like they’re hopping from one storyline to the next. There’s no sense of flow or natural progression, only an anxious scattershot of information. The following sentence is a suitable example: “if security continues to improve, President Bush could become less of a drag on his party, too, and Republicans may have an easier time zeroing in on other issues, such as how the Democrats have proposed raising taxes in difficult economic times.” This reads like an anxious leapfrog, manically hopping from one Lilly-pad of an idea to the next.

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Article Critique for November 18

2007-11-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

The following is a critique of the November 18^th New York Times Article “A Guerilla Video Site Meets MTV,” which is accessible via the following link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/business/media/19vice.html?hp

I find this article to have the structure and tone of a casual conversation.

Structurally, the story follows the rise in popularity of Vice magazine according to chronological sequence. There are no erratic jumps from one topic to the next that leave the convey a feeling of disorganization or lack of professionalism.

Stylistically, however, this story conveys the feeling of a casual conversation. The following excerpts are especially glaring examples:

1) “Vice did some work…” This description doesn’t provide information in regards to when this action occurred.

2) “Vice was started in Montreal in 1994…” This description personifies a corporate entity and doesn’t give specific evidence that supports Vice’s surprise.

3) “So the magazine started to cover more serious issues.” The word “so” at the beginning of this sentence creates an off-hand tone, in which separate sentences are blurred together more than most newspaper pieces.

4) “The deal with MTV gives Vice the resources to apply its D.I.Y. approach in a new medium, and it has enlisted Spike Jonze, the film director, as VBS creative director.” The large number of clauses in this enormous compound sentence draws the reader on through the sentence, which more emulates a conversation rather than conveys brief clips of information.

5) “There are no lights or makeup.” -This sentence doesn’t explicitly explain the situation in which there are no lights or makeup. While that piece of information was detailed earlier in the piece, the abrupt sentence is still irregular for its dependence on a larger context of the piece to be understood.

While this style of writing doesn’t detract from the general idea of the story, it does create a relaxed and slapdash tone.

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Article Critique 9/9

2007-11-09T10:01:00.000-08:00

ARTICLE CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

ARTICLE FALLS SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS

By Caleb Waldron

The following is a critique of the November 9, 2007 New York Times article “Thousands of Police Block Pakistan Rally,” accessible through the link http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/world/asia/10pakistan.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

I find that while this article does relay the facts and implications of political turmoil in Pakistan, its contradictions, lack of sourcing, inclarity, and poor grammar detract from the story as a whole.

While the story’s lede does accurately capture the rising tension between the Palestinian government and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, it doesn’t touch upon the situation’s implications or context. The reader is presented with cold facts, but not with a motivation to discover their signifigance.

The article also houses an apparent contradiction. While the article’s fourth paragraph on the second page mentions that Bhutto’s house arrest may be a face saving gesture for the government, the work’s last paragraph states that the situation poses problems for the government. These statements are especially conflicting due to a lack of sourcing or supporting evidence to their validity. The writer merely sources the analysis to “analysts” instead of providing their name or rank.

This article’s grammar is also of poor quality. The writer begins the seventh paragraph of the second page with the a conjunction, fails to place end quotation marks on the first paragraph of the second page, and awkwardly slaps together four seperte clauses in the tenth paragraph of the first page. This crates an impression of sloppy and disorganized writing.

Overall, this is a poorly written journalistic piece.

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Revision of In-Class Crime Story

2007-11-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

FIRE/Caleb Waldron 1

SUSPECTED ARSON KILLS CHILD

By Caleb Waldron

KALAMAZOO, Mich. - A suspected act of arson killed a child and destroyed a duplex early this morning, said officials.

According to Deputy Chief of the Kalamazoo Fire Department Patricia Clarkson, the fire occurred at 1275 Monroe St. at 2 a.m. and was called in at 2:10 am. Fire detectors were not up to code. All 10 of the confirmed tenants escaped the building on their own accord, except for Tiffany Blanchard, age 3, and her brothers Tory, age 5, and Terry, age 6 who were rescued by firefighters and brought to Bronson Memorial Hospital at 3:12 am. According to a spokesperson of Bronson Memorial Hospital, Tiffany died of smoke inhalation at 3:57 am. Tory and Terry were released at 10 am after treatment for minor injuries to their mother Marie Blanchard, 32, of Kalamazoo, Mich.

Marie Blanchard, tenant and mother of the three evacuated children, is believed to be the target of the suspected arson. Accelerants were detected by trained dogs of the fire department, and according to lieutenant Regina Sentarpio of the Kalamazoo Police Department, witnesses say they saw a juvenile holding a canister near the premises prior to the fire.

Vincent DeNofrio, 33, of Mattawan, Mich., and a 16-year-old a juvenile has been arrested in connection to the suspected arson. DeNofrio is suspected to be the estranged boyfriend of Blanchard. “What I can tell you, without hesitation, is that there is a nexus
between Ms. Blanchard, Mr. DeNofrio, the juvenile, and the fire,” said Santarpio. The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow at 10 am.

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Article Critique 11/3/07

2007-11-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

GUANTANAMO ARTICLE FAILS TO CONTEXTUALIZE

By Caleb Waldron

The following is a critique of the "New York Times" article " New Detainee Rights Weighed in Plans to Close Guantanamo," accessible through the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/us/nationalspecial3/04gitmo.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

This piece does an excellent job of relaying the immediate information surrounding the legal conflicts of Guantanamo detainees prisoners. The lede accurately portrays the issue in general, and each of the following paragraphs offers information with a progressively narrowed focus. And while the reader’s presented with a very focused topic, the information is presented in such a way that the reader isn’t overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the piece doesn’t offer a sense of context as to what motivations are behind the issue of Guantanamo detainees. While the reader knows that the U.S. government faces legal troubles for its actions, the reader isn’t told why Guantanamo Bay is considered controversial. While this information is relatively well-known, the reader is still disconnected from the motivations behind the central conflict of this piece, and therefore disconnected from the importance of the affair.

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Press Release/Crime Story Assignment

2007-10-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

EXTORTION/Caleb Waldron 1

ASSEMBLYMAN PLEADS GUILTY FOR ATTEMPTED EXTORTION

By Caleb Waldron

KALAMAZOO, Mich., On October 19^th former state Assemblyman Alfred E. Steele pleaded guilty to attempted extortion related to the guidance of public contracts, according to U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie.

The New Jersey Assemblyman pled guilty to accepting $15,500 in bribes from an FBI undercover insurance brokerage company in exchange for official assistance in the direction of public contracts and further payment via a portion of the insurance brokerage’s revenue.

Mr. Steele, age 53, was arrested on September 6 along with 10 other public officials and one private citizen for one-count criminal Information charging attempted extortion under color of official. Prior to his arrest, Mr. Steele had arranged and attended meetings between public officials within several municipalities, including his own, and

representatives of the FBI undercover brokerage company. The defendants involved in

the scandal include officials from the Paterson Housing Authority, the City of Passaic, the City of Orange, and the Paterson School District. After his arrest, Mr. Steele resigned both his job as a Passaic County undersheriff and his seat in the New Jersey Assembly.

The case was brought before U.S. district judge Anne E. Thomson. The crime carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison with a $250,000 fine. Mr. Steele faces 37-46 months in federal prison and currently remains free on $200,000 bond pending sentence. Christie credited the investigation’s success to special agents of the FBI under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dun. Also credited were investigators and prosecutors with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office under Prosecutor Theodore F.L. Housel.

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Source: FBI press release via: http://newark.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2007/nk101907.pdf

Critique on New York Times "Death Penalty Tests a Church as It Mourns"

2007-10-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

The following is a critique of the October 28th New York Times story "Death Penalty Tests a Church as It Mourns" by Alison Leigh Cowan, accessible through the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/28/nyregion/28cheshire.html?ref=todayspaper

CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

CRITIQUE ON NEY YORK TIMES ARTICLE “DEATH PENALTY TESTS A CHURCH AS IT MOURNS”

By Caleb Waldron

This article lacks structure, eloquence, and detail, starting with the title. “Death Penalty Tests a Church as it Mourns” is confusing and unnecessarily convoluted. “As is mourns” is superfluous; something like “Death Penalty Tests mourning church” would grab the reader’s attention more, and draw a stronger connection between the death penalty and the church’s morning. Otherwise, they seem to be independent variables.

In terms of eloquence, this article smacks of speculation with questionable support. Phrases like “it might have been expected” and “they think/thought that” litter the work; there’s no sense of the concrete, or of actual facts. The article seems to consist entirely of hearsay and supposition. What’s more, the crux of the conflict within this article isn’t explicitly outlined. There’s mention of parishioners’ reluctance to publicly condemn the death penalty, but there’s no mention of their motivations for doing so.

There isn’t a single sentence in this piece that outlines the basic moral issue involved. As such, there’s no sense of overall context with this piece. The reader’s left stranded with the information that a church is conflicted over issues related to the death penalty, but isn’t given the proper tools to apply that conflict to their own lives or surrounding issues.

In regards to the overall context of the situation, there’s no sense of opposing viewpoints in this article. The sources are all parishioners who struggle with their own individual perspectives on the moral validity of the death penalty. But again, with no sense of larger context, the reader feels stranded from the piece.

Overall, this article relies on supposition and implication in such a way that creates a sterile, alien style.

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Article Critique 10/27

2007-10-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

The following is a critique of the New York Times article entitled "Watchdog of C.I.A is subject of C.I.A inquiry" from October 11th.
http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/washington/12intel.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26refQ3Dtodayspaper&OP=2af68787Q2FQ5CuQ26cQ5CQ5BiNQ510iiQ5E5Q5C522DQ5Cb2Q5CbbQ5CuQ20Q51Q7E49OQ5Ei9Q5Cb549Q5EQ26GhQ7EQ5EdG

The first half of the article explains how Director Hayden’s investigation of Inspector General Helgerson can be viewed as counter-productive and outrageous. The second half of the article establishes why officials at the C.I.A are dissatisfied with the actions of Inspector General Helgerson. On the surface, this piece seems to provide an unbiased and evenly-balanced report of a conflict within the C.I.A between its Director and its Inspector General. But through a subtle orchestration of quotes and facts, the writer of this article conveys a sense of dissatisfaction and alarm over the actions of the Director of the C.I.A. These are my reasons:

1) The first indication of this subtle criticism is that while the title of the piece portrays the Inspector General as being the focus of the article, the actual name of the Inspector General isn’t mentioned until the third paragraph. The Director, however, is mentioned in the first paragraph. I understand that ledes and opening paragraphs are meant to convey as much important information to the reader as possible with the shortest amount of words- so I find that this article’s focus to be on the Director of the C.I.A, and not the Inspector General. This emphasis encourages the reader to question the actions of the Director.

2) Right before the article provides possible reasons for dissatisfaction with the Inspector General, there’s mention of the alternative and arguably preferable methods of complaint. This order of paragraphs leads to a skepticism towards critics of the Inspector General- while there’s an established disgruntlement towards the official, there’s no sense of justification for the investigation. In essence, the writer’s lack of evidence in support of the investigation itself, compared to the in-depth analysis provided by the first paragraph, subtly leans the report against the actions of the Director.

3) I find that the quotes of the first section are more powerful and well-worded than the quotes from the second section, which lends credence to the argument against the investigation. What’s more, the only ‘backed’ sources in this article are found in the first section- which lends more credence to their argument.

4) A paragraph found on the first page describes the firing of Mary O. McCarthy and the work of Mr. Helgerson in the investigation of officials. While no direct link between the two incidents is drawn, their inclusion in the same paragraph creates a sense of underhandedness on the part of the Director of the C.I.A.

5) The only concrete quote that ‘supports’ actions of the C.I.A Director is from John A. Rizzo, which states that “Director Hayden has done a lot of things to convince the operators that he’s looking out for them, and putting the I.G. back in its place is part of this.” But I find that this quote to be a subtle criticism of the Director- the wording ‘to convince’ could be interpreted as an attempt to fool others, or to convey a message that isn’t true. The choice of wording creates a sense of ambiguity that leans towards criticism.

In sum, this article criticizes the actions of the Director of the C.I.A without the use of an explicit confrontation or imposition of beliefs. This is conveyed especially well in the last paragraph, which describes the purpose of Inspector General as being ‘independent,’ after conveying the CIA’s desire to keep the situation contained within itself- thereby creating a sense of contradiction and highlighting a sense of skepticism towards the C.I.A.

Revised Obituary of War Hero

2007-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

HERO DIES/Caleb Waldron 1

World War II Hero dies at 79

By Caleb Waldrdon

KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Jeffrey R. Ahson, naval hero and longtime firefighter, died at 79 last night of emphysema, according to lietenant commander Geraldine Fyfe from the Naval Public Relations Office. “Ahson was a genuine war hero,” said Fyfe, clearly distraught over the hero’s death. Mr. Ahson was born in Chico, Calif. And served as a naval petty officer on the USS Emery during World War II. Mr. Ahson was noted for valor during the Battle of Midway in June 1942, during which he saved 4 seamen from the burning wreck and shot down three enemy aircraft. For his heroic actions, Mr. Ahson was promoted to ensign and was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Navy Cross.

After he retired from the navy in 1946, Ahson moved to Kalamazoo, Mich. He was designated as awarded the position of post commander of the American Legion 702 and of VFW 4206. Ahson was also a meber of the National Checkers Association, Gideon’s International, and the Elks Lodge. He was also an usher of John Calvin Presbyterian Church. Mr. Ahson served as a city firefighter until 1985 and collected firefighting memorabilia, including a 1924 fire truck that is now on display at the Museum of Kalamazoo. After his retirement, Mr. Ahson worked as a car salesman.

Mr. Ahson is survived by his wife Therese Alpert, his brother Henry from San

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Franscisco, his sisters Judith Eaker from Reedsville, N.C., Shirley Solomon from Newark, N.J., his children Richard Ahson from Phillipsburg, Kan., Angelina Malino from Omaha Neb. and Lilla Stalling from Pipe Creek, Texas and five grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Littleton Mortuary, with viewings at 4 p.m. to 5:30 and 7:30 to 9 o’clock on Friday. The funeral will be held at Littleton Mortuary following the 10 a.m. services. The family requests no flowers.

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Article Critique on Bhutto Bombing 10/19

2007-10-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

STORY CRITIQUE/Caleb Waldron 1

Critique of 10/19/2007 New York Times Piece “Bomb Attack Kills Scores in Pakistan as Bhutto Returns”

KALAMAZOO, Mich. 10/19/2007- I find this to be an extremely powerful article because of its use of structure and the order of its content. This article weaves together separate moods and pieces of information in such a way that the reader is drawn into the work, thereby conveying a large amount of information without creating a sense of boredom. The lede sets a fast-paced, informative tempo- the basic descriptions of time and place are encapsulated in a brief, to-the-point paragraph. But the motivations behind the car-bombing, or any sense of context in regards to the targeted victim, are left unaddressed until the fourth paragraph, where there’s reference to Benazir Bhutto’s political career. Because this paragraph only grazes the subject of possible motivations behind the attack, the reader is drawn further still into the piece. And the next few paragraphs certainly capture their attention- descriptions of the crowd, of the explosion’s devastating effect, and of a juxtaposition with comparatively uplifting/inspiring descriptions of Ms. Bhutto’s arrival creates a sense of drama and intrigue that easily holds the reader’s attention. Finally, towards the end of the piece, there’s an analysis of the event’s overall motivations and ramifications in regards to tensions between the Pakistani government and the Pakistan Peoples’ Party. By this time, the reader has received an in-depth, humanized, detailed description of an event that would seem sterile, alien, and statistics-oriented in the words of a less talented writer.

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Source:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/19/world/asia/19pakistan.html?ref=todayspaper&page

wanted=print

My fake obituary project, revised

2007-10-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

After careful consideration, I decided to talk less about Ms. McKinney's personal life and focus more on her achievements. While I feel that her upbringing might have added a more personal element to her life, I felt that snapshots of her career in politics and teaching would get across a better representation of who she was to the community at large and grab the reader's attention. The obituary is as follows:

Obituary for Hannah McKinney

Hannah E. McKinney, mayor of Kalamazoo, Michigan, and professor of Economics and Business at Kalamazoo College since 1989, died last night at the age of 52 due to food poisoning at Kalamazoo College. Mayor McKinney’s husband, James, told reporters that the beloved political figure died after dining at Kalamazoo College’s cafeteria at approximately 6:45 at night. No other information was released in regards to the death.

Mayor McKinney was the publisher of several books, including “The Development of Local Public Services, 1650-1869: Lessons from Middletown, CT” by Greenwood Press in 1995. She also co-directed “Convening our Community” from 1999-2001, during which time she published several articles based on community building.

During her teaching career at Kalamazoo College in 1989, Mayor McKinney focused on the professional aspect of economics. Her area of study dwelt on the issues of urban economics, public finance, and urban planning. Her teachings both reflected this focus and reflected a wide spectrum within her field, as demonstrated in classes such as First-Year Seminars, studies of micro and macro economics, quantitative methods, and issues of urban development. After several years as a professor at the college, Mayor McKinney carried this enthusiasm for economics and development into the wider sphere of the city itself.

Her charisma for reform was first noted during her position on the City’s Planning Commission of Kalamazoo from 1991-1997, during which time she chaired the Comprehensive Plan update and also served on the Downtown Plan committee. After having a taste of political life, Mayor McKinney ran for and obtained political office as vice-mayor of Kalamazoo for four terms, from 1997-2007. During November of 2005, she was elected as mayor of Kalamazoo. In her own words, “it was a difficult campaign because (she didn’t) know whether Kalamazoo has been faced with so many hard issues in decades.” (Kalamazoo Gazette) Even now, issues of job loss, racial unrest, poverty, and tightening budgets are still an issue for Kalamazoo. But the Mayor’s efforts to thaw the icy relations between the cities of Kalamazoo and Portage may provide a solution in the form of inter-city commerce. Her later research efforts included work on the future of small metropolitan areas and work on a National League of Cities project that examined the measures of poverty alleviation in cities across America.

Mayor McKinney was born in 1955, and later received an AB from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a P.H.D in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. She lived with her husband James and their two children on Grande Avenue in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Funeral preparations were made by Truesdale Ansell Funeral Home on Westnedge Avenue, and services will be held at noon this coming Sunday at Allen Chapel Ame Church. Kalamazoo College will hold its own memorial service at 9:00 this coming Monday morning. She will be missed by all.

Throughout her career, Mayor McKinney literally ‘practiced what she preached’ in regards to progressive reform in the economic, political, and educational spheres.

SOURCES:

http://www.kalamazoocity.org/portal/government.php?page_id=263

http://www.kzoo.edu/faculty/profile.php?name=mckinney

Kalamazoo Gazzette, Wednesday November 9, 2005

Critique of Obituary

2007-10-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

The following is a critique of the article "Nolan Herndon, Navigator in '42 Raid, Dies at 88" that can be accessed through the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/12herndon.html?ref=todayspaper

I find that this obituary’s focus the deceased’s military service detracts from conveying a sense of personality. Indeed, besides Mr. Herndon’s role as a navigator-bombardier there’s little to no reference of any other event related to his 82 years of life. The article further compartmentalizes the man’s life by emphasizing a single event within his career, known as the “Doolittle Raid.” While this was no doubt an influential and life-changing event within his life, there’s no sense of context- the reader gets no sense of what led him to engage in the event, or how it affected him in later life. There’s mention that he received the Medal of Honor, but nothing that connects him to the incident as a whole or distinguishes him from his fellow airmen. In essence, the reader feels completely disconnected from the deceased- the same obituary very well might have been written for any of the other 4 airmen who engaged in the “Doolittle Raid.” This is less an obituary than a cold, impersonal history lesson.

Critique of article related to starvation in Japan

2007-10-12T20:32:00.001-07:00

This is a critique of the article “Death Reveals Harsh Side of a “Model” in Japan” by the New York Times that can be accessed through the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/world/asia/12japan.html?pagewanted=2

This article’s initial focus on the death a single victim of poor welfare in China adds an element of personality to an otherwise impersonal and un-contextualized abhorrence that affects millions. The ‘shock value’ of a starvation victim’s ledger grabs the reader’s attention and brings them to the focus of an issue that would otherwise be alien to the average American reader; there’s an element of connection to the piece. While I’m not a fan of the notion that ‘shock breeds good news,’ the account of pain and longing creates a connection that couldn’t be captured through a sterile graph of income projections or low-housing figures. Furthermore, the pictures convey the desperation of the welfare recipients’ situation. The frames of dilapidated housing and an emaciated victim of the welfare system capture a sense of the squalor in these peoples’ environments and a sense of connection to their situation as a whole. In essence, this paper creates a connection between the reader and a topic that would otherwise be alien and sterile.

Obituary Critique

2007-10-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

The following is the title of an obituary posted on the New York Times website titled "Nolan Herndon, Navigator in '42 Raid, Dies at 88," which can be accessed at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/us/12herndon.html?ref=todayspaper

I find that this obituary’s focus the deceased’s military service detracts from conveying a sense of personality. Indeed, besides Mr. Herndon’s role as a navigator-bombardier there’s little to no reference of any other event related to his 88 years of life. The article further compartmentalizes the man’s life by emphasizing a single event within his career, known as the “Doolittle Raid.” While this was no doubt an influential and life-changing event within his life, there’s no sense of context- the reader gets no sense of what led him to engage in the event, or how it affected him in later life. There’s mention that he received the Medal of Honor, but nothing that connects him to the incident as a whole or distinguishes him from his fellow airmen. In essence, the reader feels completely disconnected from the deceased- the same obituary very well might have been written for any of the other 4 airmen who engaged in the “Doolittle Raid.” This is less an obituary than a cold, impersonal history lesson.

Article Critique 10/12

2007-10-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

The following is a review of the "New York Times" article "Watchdog of C.I.A. is Subject of C.I.A. Inquiry."

In sum, this article criticizes the actions of the Director of the C.I.A without the use of an explicit confrontation or imposition of beliefs. This is conveyed especially well in the last paragraph, which describes the purpose of Inspector General as being ‘independent,’ after conveying the C.I.A.’s desire to keep the situation contained within itself- thereby creating a sense of contradiction and highlighting a sense of skepticism towards the C.I.A.

Assignment from page 181 of "Writing and Reporting"

2007-10-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

Assignment from page 181 of "Writing and Reporting":

The Connecticut State Police Department banned hand-held radar guns yesterday due to concerns of a possible link with cancer, according to police spokesman Adam Berluti. The police departmnent’s ban on hand-held radar guns was ordered as a precaution while researchers study the possible link between cancer and long-term exposure to the radiation waves emitted by the device. “The feeling here is to err on the side of caution until more is known about the issue,” Berluti said. “The whole situation is under review.” The move is considered to be the first of its kind in a police agency, and came two months after three police officers in Connecticut filed workers’ compensation claims, saying that they developed cancer from using hand-held radar guns. While the ban affects 70 radar guns, which will be withdrawn from service, state troopers will continue to use radar units with transmitters mounted on the outside of their cruisers.

Amazing Lead from the New York Times

2007-10-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

"ZAMORA, Mexico — When she gets her high, Lupita Díaz says she enters a sweet illusion of peace, a respite from her pain and self-loathing."

This lede was taken from the New York Times online on Tuesday, October 3. The article was titled "Drug Trade, Once Passing By, Takes Root in Mexico," and the link to the article is

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/03/world/americas/03addicts.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

I chose this soft lede because the writer captures a sense of instability and loss in little more than a dozen words.