rockin relay

Oromocto High School recently hosted a yearly event known as the Rockin' Relay. This event lasts all day long and serves as a fundraiser for the school, and hundreds of students participate. Students make teams of up to 15 people and raise $1000.00 in about two months. Then, on May 23rd of this year, they are excluded from classes and are able to take part in a variety of fun activities. One student from each team is walking, running or jogging around the track at all times, in order to honour the fundraiser's name. This year, the weather was not on their side, as it rained quite a bit all day. However, this did not stop students from enjoying bands, laser tag, sports, and inflatable equipment. With over fifteen teams involved, many fought for prizes of "best campsite", "most laps run" and "best outfits". 

Grade 12 student Kymberley Gillett was the captain of the "Chicks n Hicks" Rockin' Relay team. She has participated in this event for three years, but it was her first year as captain. "It isn't something that I would normally do, so this was a big thing for me. It has helped me realize that I can be a leader." Gillett's team worked hard to raise enough money, and had a blast doing so.

newspaper

Why NBIS to Speedway 660?

I have mixed feelings regarding the name change to the racetrack in Geary. The track name was recently changed from the New Brunswick International Speedway to Speedway 660. The New Brunswick International Speedway sounds professional and attractive. i believe that many people, myself included, preferred that name. It sounds classy and dignified. This is why I do not understand the meaning behind changing the name.

Yes, I realize that the speedway is located on Highway 660, so it does make sense as to why the name was changed to that. I just do not see a reason in changing something that was in no need of a change. I frequent the track during the racing season and have heard no complaints regarding the name. In my opinion, it was unnecessary to change something that was already well-known and loved.

On The Road Again

Dale Hiltz is a man with two homes; one of the normal variety and another in an 18-wheeler. Hiltz, who has been a long-haul truck driver for ....... years, drives for Ayr Motor Express, a company based out of Woodstock. Though he loves his job, it has its ups and downs in the family department. 

"Sometimes it's hard being away from your family for that long. You miss out on things. It's tough." Bt, he does enjoy travelling all over Canada and the United States. And he does it in style. His transport is equipped with bunk beds, a microwave, toaster, coffee-maker, and fridge. 

"I have all the comforts of home, right in my truck."

Saving A Life- Times Four

There was no doubt in Tammy Dickeson's mind that she would get a dog when she moved from the city into the country. But she didn't just get one dog-she got four. "I adopted dogs from the SPCA because I wanted to give them a better life. They didn't have a home, and I wanted to give them one." she said, looking at them fondly. 

There are few cons when considering a shelter dog. The workers at the Fredericton SPCA get to know each animal individually, in order to place them with the right family. Certain dogs have specifications that need to be met, like being in a home with no children or other animals. 

However, there are many advantages to adopting a dog. "You have an animal that someone else may not want, and have the opportunity to give it something better. And in return, you get unconditional love." Dickeson explained. 

She has adopted four dogs already, over a period of six years. Each one was carefully thought out and ensured that it would get along with the other dogs in the house. Is there any chance of getting more? "Eventually, yes." she laughs. 

Hundreds pay respects to murdered woman

The Canadian Press
CALGARY - So many people attended the funeral for a Calgary woman slain by her landlord last week that it's standing-room only at the chapel. Amber Bowerman was stabbed to death by Joshua Lall, along with his wife and two of their children, before he turned the knife on himself.
Many of the mourners lined up before the service to take a look at dozens of photos of the 30-year-old freelance writer in happier times.
Pictures included Bowerman with her family, on holidays and, in one case, smiling as she sat on Santa's knee.
Her casket, covered with flowers, is at the front of the chapel.
Bowerman's family came forward Tuesday to remember her as an immensely caring person with an adventurous spirit.

Two ships collide, causing huge oil spill
The Associated Press
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Officials say they are fighting a 21-kilometre-long fuel-oil spill caused by the collision of two ships just outside the harbour of Uruguay's capital.
Navy Captain Marcelo Larrobla says an undetermined amount of fuel oil was released after the Greece-registered Syros slammed against the Malta-registered Sea Bird near Montevideo.
Authorities are trying to control the spill with floating barriers.
No one on either ship was injured but the Syros was damaged near the fuel tank, which apparently produced the spill.
Larrobla says the collision was likely caused by a wrong manoeuvre by the Syros, although it is still being investigated.
He says a southeast wind will likely prevent the oil slick from reaching Uruguay's coast.

Angry motorist overreacted to driving mistake
Road rage is deliberately dangerous and/or violent behaviour under the influence of heightened violent emotions, such as anger and frustration, involving an automobile in use.
I was driving my car on Montgomery Street last Saturday. I yielded to go down onto Smythe Street. There were no cars coming and I made a decision to go.
I did make an error and went through a red light. I was lucky there were no cars coming and no one got hurt. At that point I realized that I was not as defensive as I thought and I better start doing my part to be a defensive driver.
As mentioned above, I did make a driving offence. However, the person in the vehicle behind me should have reported the offence to law enforcement, not chased me down Smythe Street, blocked me in my parking spot and abused me verbally. The person almost knocked me down while driving away, and then continued with hand gestures.
Road rage is a relatively serious act; it may be seen as a violation of property rights and endangerment of personal security. When I accidently went through the red light, it was not about the other driver - it was offensive driving.
If I ever experience road rage again, I will be taking down the licence plate and driving directly to the police station. If that is not possible, I will try to find a spot where there are a lot of people around; park my car and, if I am still in danger, I will lock my car, roll up my windows and beep my horn continuously to get the attention of the people around me.
Again, my apologies go out to the driver that was behind me that Saturday afternoon.
Drive defensively.
Jean Murdoch
Fredericton

TEENS' VISIT TO GRANDPARENTS COMES UNDER THEIR PROTEST

DEAR ABBY: Our parents make my sister and me go with them to visit our grandparents one Saturday a month. They live two hours away. We don't like having to waste our Saturday this way. My sister and I are 15 and 16, and we're old enough to stay home alone. When we are there, all we do is sit there bored while our parents and grandparents talk.
Our grandparents show no interest in us, even though they tell our parents how much they "love" seeing us. Our parents say our grandparents are not in good health and may not be around much longer, so one Saturday a month isn't too much to ask.
The other day Mom overheard us in our room talking about how much we hate having to go over there, and she was furious. She said we were selfish and care about no one but ourselves, and she had better not hear that kind of talk again. Please tell us what you think. -- BORED TO DEATH IN SAN FRANCISCO

DEAR BORED TO DEATH: Sometimes when people grow older, they lose the knack of communicating with younger people. While visiting your grandparents may seem like a pain in the neck now, when you're older you may be glad that you did.
One way to bridge the generation gap would be for you and your sister to show some interest in THEM. Prepare a list of questions to ask them before you go to visit. You might be pleasantly surprised to find their answers a fascinating window on the past, and give you an insight about how your parents were raised.
Please consider what I have said. It will make visiting your grandparents less of an ordeal -- and you might even learn something of value.

DEAR ABBY: My long-standing boyfriend, "Peter," and I plan to be married next year. Peter's parents divorced long ago because his father was abusive. Peter told me about a specific incident in which his father pushed him down the basement stairs.
Because of a recent spiritual awakening, Peter decided to forgive his dad, but the man rejected a face-to-face reconciliation with his son. Of course, this has hurt Peter deeply, and it hurts me to see him go through it.
I had always thought that married couples should share the same last name. But I feel uncomfortable taking Peter's name, knowing that it was given to him by a man who abused him and no longer wants him as a son.
A logical solution would be for us to take his maternal grandfather's last name because he and Peter are extremely close. However, I could never ask Peter to give up his last name. Should I alone take his grandfather's name? I realize this problem may not seem important, but it carries a lot of weight with me. -- NO-NAME JANE IN GAINESVILLE, FLA.

DEAR JANE: While you could never "ask" Peter to give up his last name, you should certainly talk to him about your feelings. If he has no objection, you could use his maternal grandfather's name. You could also, as many women do today, continue to use your maiden name.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips.

horoscopes

http://horoscopes.astrology.com/index/dailyindex.html
ARIES
March 21-April 19
That sticky situation at home or at work might get pretty frustrating today. Try not to let it get to you too much, because if you do, it gets that much more difficult to deal with tomorrow or the next day.
TAURUS
April 20-May 20
You get a great reminder of how lucky you are, socially speaking, when someone really comes through for you. It may be help with a problem you didn't know you had, or it may be a surprise gift.
GEMINI
May 21-June 21
You long for a big change in your life -- one that seems to be a long time coming. It's a good time to try way-out ideas and see what happens, because your dreams can come true if you push.
CANCER
June 22-July 22
It's a great day for brainstorming and letting your mind wander -- you never know what you might come up with. See if you can find a like mind or two so you can work together on mutually interesting issues.
LEO
July 23-August 22
It's a good idea to take a giant step back and figure out what's really going on with that new client or potential mate -- you may be making a few assumptions that won't hold up under a harsher light.
VIRGO
August 23-September 22
Unless someone close is about to put their life at risk, try not to criticize their choices today. It's just too hard to couch it in language that is respectful enough to effectively sway them.
LIBRA
September 23-October 22
It's a good time for you to step back and clear your plate -- even if that means leaving some things undone. You haven't got quite as much time as you think you do, so make sure you prioritize!
SCORPIO
October 23 - November 21
Imaginative power comes naturally to you and on days like today, you find it easier than ever to dream up new plans and solutions. Don't worry about how crazy they may seem at this stage.
SAGITTARIUS
November 22-December 21
It's another slow day, but at least you can get going! It may be hard to tackle projects that involve more than one stage or too many details, so try your best to just focus on what's in front of you.
CAPRICORN
December 22-January 19
You may not fancy yourself a writer, but on days like today, your written words are more powerful than anyone else's. Email, texting, IM and old-fashioned letters are all potent tools at your disposal.
AQUARIUS
January 20-February 18
Spending is a powerful force, but it can't solve all the problems you face. Today you need to choose between incurring greater debt and forgoing some amenity that you really want -- but things should settle down soon.
PISCES
February 19-March 20
Your assistance is crucial to making a difference in someone's life and timing is everything. You should see what's needed and be able to take care of it without interfering much in their plans.

Canadian Geography 120 in a Distance Education Setting

I really enjoyed the Distance Education course that I took this semester. I feel that the semester work plan guide did meet my needs in that I rarely felt rushed to get my assignments completed. I felt that the work load was fairly average, and wasn’t too much for me to do. The information that I was given on the website for my assignments was clear and concise. I was able to follow along easily. There were a few resources available for my course, but more would make it easier to find what you are looking for.
Students should be told in detail about the Distance Education courses, and what will be expected of you. They should be told completely that it is on your own and there isn’t someone reminding them that their assignment is due. I had no problems whatsoever with navigating the course or finding out where anything was. The site was designed well, and everything seems to be at your fingertips with regards to finding what you need. The roles of the teacher and facilitator seem odd to me. The teacher mainly just sits in the class and keeps order, as they may not have taught the subjects that are in that class. Plus there is a teacher in a different place that can help you out if you need it. Wouldn't it make more sense to have the teacher in the classroom know the subjects of the students in their room? For example, it would be more beneficial to me to have a canadian geography teacher in my class, so then I could just go up and ask my question and get an immediate response. With a facilitator, sometimes you have to wait a day or so to get an answer about the question that you have. I do not think that a weekly tutorial for all students would be beneficial, because different students work at their own pace, so having a tutorial for everyone would mess up the process of the students who learn at different paces. The email accounts could be better utilized because they could be a place where the facilitators could send a quick word of praise to the students who did good on an assignment, etc. I don't think deadlines should be placed on the units because then it seems like so much more work to do, whereas when you have one assignment that's due in a week, it doesn't seem like that much work that needs to be done. I do believe that more pictures, diagrams and graphics would add a lot to the course, instead of just a lot of text. As for the assignments, my only complaint is the amount of graphs and diagrams that needed to be labelled and made. They are the most time-consuming of anything.
The regular evaluation of student progress could be improved by more communication between the facilitators and the students. There could be a place where you could keep a journal showing your progress within the course. If you make the journal worth some marks I'm sure that the students would be more than willing to participate. I think students should be tested whenever the test is scheduled. By giving a student a date, it is their responsibility to be ready by this time. I think the tests should be done online, as it is an online course. Students should become familiar with the computers, and should be able to navigate on them efficiently enough to be able to write a test online. I think the evaluation should be formatted in a way that allows the students to show what they have learned and to show that their online course was beneficial to them in some way. I think that regular assignments should be worth 80%, work ethic, regular testing, special projects, and the final examination should be worth 5% each. The assignments are the main topic in this course, as it is where you learn all the information, so it should have the biggest weight.
I liked being able to work at my own pace and teach myself about the topics, rather than being taught to. That made the course interesting and fun for me. However, I did not really like all of the maps and graphs and diagrams that I needed to do. They took a lot of time, which could have been put towards something else. I would take another distance course, but since I am graduating, I can't. I did enjoy it because it was a nice break from the normal, everyday class room setting.

Journal #12

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about our advertising project that we are working on. My group is doing subliminal messaging and product placement. I find that researching subliminal messages is very interesting, because you see the messages in a different way if your purpose is to dissect them. There are a lot of subliminal messages out there that we don't really think about because we just see them as an ad, not as having a hidden message in them. We can be easily influenced by advertisements because we do not take the time to really look at them and see what the meaning is. The advertisements can have a whole different meaning, but if you do not take the time to look at it, you will not notice it. When we looked at the ads in class, we saw something totally different when we really looked at them. Some people might think that the ads were sexy and appropriate, but if you take the time to look you can see that women are portrayed totally differently in ads. I think that this advertising project will be very informative and will make people look at advertisements in a whole new light.

Journal #11

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about how advertising affects us. Advertising affects us in basically everything we do. We are constantly influenced about what we see in ads, which can be seen or heard on the radio, television, magazines and newspapers. If we see an ad with something that we are familiar with, we will probably stop to watch it, just because we like the product or have seen it before. There are also commercials that people will watch over and over again, simply because they like the commercial, not necessarily the product. Advertising affects us because we may see an ad about a product, and then buy it because we like how the product was portrayed in the ad. Personally, I will watch commercials that I like, and sometimes will get an idea for something else based on some of the ads I see in magazines, etc. Very rarely will I go and buy a product that I see on a commercial or in an ad, unless I have thought about buying it before. Overall, we are still influenced and affected by every type of advertising. 

Journal #10

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about the ongoing disputes that are centred around the Olympics. I know it is a very controversial topic, so I would like to throw my two cents in. I believe that countries should boycott the Olympics to show China that the world does not agree with its rule over Tibet. I don't think the Olympics should be put on in a country that us bringing such harm onto other people. It has escalated so that it is no longer about the athletes, but Tibet. The Olympics are supposed to be a symbol of peace, and I agree with many other people that the Olympics should not be held when there is not really a sense of peace in the world. Many people have said that the pro Tibet protesters are being disrespectful towards the athletes as they have continued to try to sabotage the torch relay. In my opinion, these people have been protesting for a long time, and now are simply using the Olympics as a global stage to get the word out. I completely approve.

Journal #9

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about the presentations that are being done in class. I am really enjoying them, even if my group has not gone yet. I have found that they are extremely informative, as most have taken the entire class. I feel that they are very in depth, and I have learned a lot. I think that the visuals, like the clothing that are similar to the decades, are a nice part of the presentations as it is something different than just a poster. I find that learning about these decades are very interesting, especially to see that some things that were popular then are still popular now. I really liked working on my presentation with my group, and I learned a lot while working on it. It is a nice change from the basic essays that we always have to write. I think this kind of presentation enables us to learn and see things about a different topic that we might normally just learn about with writing notes. I hope my group gets to present soon and hopefully everyone will like it. Even though one group has done the fifties already, my group has some different information, so it shouldn't be repetitive.

Journal #8

(Media Studies)
This week I would like to talk about potentially boycotting the Olympics in Beijing later this year. Even though it would hurt the athletes who have trained hard for this event and may not be able to return to the next games, I believe it is a safety concern. With China ruling over Tibet, and the fighting that has been going on because they want to have control over a place that has certain religious rules, it has caused major problems within the country. I think that bringing people from all over the world to a place that is having a war within it, is just asking for major trouble. It has the potential to be a serious safety risk, and people's health and safety could be in jeopardy. I think that the rumours that the prime minister is saying that Canada will probably not boycot the Olympics is out of order. I think that they are saying this simply because the Olympic Games are coming to Vancouer after that. There are several major protesting groups that are fighting for the freedom of Tibet, and if many countries boycotted the Olympics, it would be a world wide message that China should leave Tibet alone.

Journal #7

(Medis Studies)
This week I would like to talk again about our project on different decades. My group is doing the 1950's, and it is going quite well. We are filming a skit along with our own individual topics. The skit combines all of our topics into one, including music, fashion and family. The skit is taking a lot of time, but it should come together nicely. We have a script and everything, so the main problem is remembering the lines and acting out the parts at the right time. Having props for the set from Mrs. Briden's room is very beneficial, and I do not know how we could have done the skit without it. If anything, it will be extremely entertaining, and we are adding on some bloopers too. It should be really funny, and depict some of the common things that occurred in this decade. I am the camera-woman, and even though I'm not very good at it, I don't think it will look that bad. (fingers crossed) Anyway, I am learning a lot about the decade, and it is a very fun assignment.

Journal #6

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about the project that we began working on in class. I think that this is a really good idea, because then we will be able to learn about the things that were popular when we weren't even born yet. Then we can compare the previous decades to the decades that we were alive in. I find it interesting that there are so many of the same popular things now that were popular up to fifty years ago. I think that it is a very good learning experience, and the presentations of each decade will probably stick with me a lot better that something like notes. Also, while researching the fifties, which is the decade that my group is learning about, I found that there were many Disney movies that were released in the fifties, but a lot of the main movies were made in black and white. I found it peculiar that there was enough technology to make cartoons, but was lacking in basic colours for movies in which everything was in colour. Also, this project gives the opportunity to research something that we enjoy, like music, movies or fashion, and enables us to show it in a different way, besides an essay. All in all, I think that this project should come together really well.

Journal #5

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about the clips that were shown in class in which two different people commented on Canada. One of the people was Tucker Carlson, and him, along with a woman, made comments that were completely wrong about Canada. The woman (I'm not sure of her name) had a very strong opinion about Canada, and said that it should be happy it's allowed on the same continent that the United States is on. I think she is totally misinformed, and simply does not know her geography that well. Does Canada have a choice that it is on the same continent as the US? It is just our location, so I do not think that she should have used that argument, as it just made her look bad. As for Tucker Carlson, he talked to the woman that stomped on a George Bush doll. He made very rude comments to her, and made himself look like a fool when he said, more than once, that all Canadians do is dog sled. I really liked what the woman had to say, because if she was so insignificant, why were they making such a big deal over what she said. My problem was that Americans are so mis-guided about Canada. I have travelled all over the United States, and it amazes me that they know so little about a country that is connected to them. Also, I have seen Rick Mercer's "Talking to Americans", and I found this hilarious, yet also very disturbing. Many people do not even know that we do not live in igloos, or drive dog sleds. And there were well educated people on the show, for example, professors at Harvard. The things that Americans believe about Canada is scary, and I wonder why they don't learn at least a little bit about our country. We learn some things about the US, and I can say many do not have such outrageous misconceptions about our neighbour to the south.

Marshall McLuhan

(Media Studies)

1. "The medium is the message" means that the medium burrows into the message, and slowly changes it as time goes on. This quote means that the way the information is shown is the message, not so much the information itself. More focus should be put on the media, and what portrays the information that the world is given, rather than the focus being on the actual news and information. It means that the medium, meaning how it is portrayed, is the message, not just how it is shown.

2. "Television is teaching all the time, it does more educating than all the schools and all the institutions of higher learning." This means that television is the key to knowledge. It is true that almost everything you can learn in school you can learn on television. Some things may not be exactly right, but the main message for subjects is there. It also gives you information that you may not be able to learn in school. This may include more in-depth explanations and discussions on subjects, or it could even branch to topics that may be inappropriate for school. This could include gangs and drugs, that are not often talked about in the classroom. Learning things on television could be used to your advantage, as there is only a certain amount of time allotted for each topic in school. For example, when learning about history, you may learn the main points about a war. But if you watch it on television, you will be able to expand on the subject by watching a variety of documentaries and movies dedicated to teaching about past wars.

"Technologies are not simply inventions which people employ, but are the means by which people are re-invented." This means that new technologies have the power to shape people as they evolve. We should not just use these new technologies, but allow them to change us as people. As technology continues to advance, this, in turn, will allow the world to change us. This will change the human race. For example, new technology can allow us to communicate with people all around the world. By this, we can be re-invented as we learn about different places and cultures. Many years ago, people barely travelled away from their homes, and new little, if anything at all about other cultures and places. But now, the rest of the world is at our fingertips, and if we let it, it can change who we are, mostly for the better. New technology could break down some barriers that are in place, dividing cultures, religions, and races. It allows us to get a first hand look and explanations from people who are different than us.

Journal #4

(Media Studies)
This week we watched "An Inconvenient Truth" in which Al Gore talked about global warming. I found it amazing, as I didn't really know the exact meaning of global warming. It was very informative, but also very scary. The statistics are alarming, and I am worried that not enough people have this information, or take it seriously. I know some people think that global warming is fake, or just a fad. In my opinion, it is very real. I believe footage showing that Antarctica is melting. And I would think that this would be a bad thing, and I am definatly not a scientist. The graphs and diagrams showing how global warming is caused was very interesting and easy to understand. I think that this should be shown more to educate people of the dangers of global warming. I was really shocked when I saw the diagrams showing how the sea levels would increase if parts of Greenland and Antarctica melted. I was astonished that so much of the world would then be underwater. The fact that the World Trade Center Memorial site would no longer exist is unimaginable to me. One scientist was quoted saying that we would have to create a new world map if this kept occurring. As a person, I would never have guessed that such a thing would even need to be mentioned. I am worried that many people think that it is nothing to worry about, and carry on as they have been. My question would be "Well, what if it is real?" Would it hurt to start doing some things to help the environment instead of help kill it? I don't think some people realize that this is the only world there is; if something happens to it, is there an alternative for life? I don't think so. And I enjoyed how Al Gore put the movie together, even if there were times that focused on him and his family and experiences. I think that this just made the movie more personal. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie.

Journal #3

(Media Studies)

This week I would like to talk about the spaghetti commercial. I thought that this was a very clever way to see how convincing commercials could be. I knew from the first moment that it is impossible for pasta to grow on trees, so I just watched how the whole commercial would unfold. I knew by the many facts and tips that the narrator made that some people would believe this, and doubt what was the obvious, and this worries me. We rely on the media so much that we will even believe something that we know is not true. All our lives we've known that pasta is made from ingredients, not on trees. The pictures were very convincing, however, when it showed it on the actual trees, and the people "harvesting" the crop. I think it would be interesting to see how many people would believe commercials like this, and ignore what they have been taught since childhood. It was such a simple commercial, and such a unique way to gauge how people react to things that are false. The media is such an easy way to make the general public believe almost anything, and that is extremely powerful. This power could be used in a bad way, if the power of the media fell into the wrong hands, because it could influence the world to believe some things that aren't very good.

Assignment #5- Exploring the Daily Gleaner

(Journalism)

Done based on the February 28th Daily Gleaner.

Front Page:

1. 4 items that appear on the front page other than pictures and stories are: An advertisement at the bottom of the page, a table of contents on the side, today's weather forecast at the top, and the barcode for purchasing the paper on the side.

2. The headline for the most important story on the front page is: "Writing may be on wall for education programs."

3. If I had to take out one of the stories on the front page to make room for a late breaking story, I would take out "Taking school to the great outdoors" which is about schools teaching a class outside. I would take this one out because it would still be seen on a different page, but may not be more important than this late breaking story.

*I would take out the story "PM goes on ski weekend" because it is not so important that it needs to be on the front page. It is not like the other 5 articles which talk about issues and problems that people should be aware of.

4. Out of the six stories, I would put pictures on the following articles: "The price of milk will double", "Forest fires cause great damage in Northern Ontario", and "A Canadian athlete sets a world high jump record at Athens Olympics". I would put pictures on these stories because they seem to be an upcoming issue, or something really fantastic, so they should be honored with a picture which helps with the article.

Hard News Stories:

1. The reporter is Terri Theodore.

2. The source of the story is the Canadian Press.

3. I think that the reporter got the information to write the story from some of the key people in the case, like Latimer's wife, and his lawyer. I think they also got the information

4. Even though it's not really a two-sided story, there is the other side that people may not think that Latimer should have gotten day parole. The reporter explains that some people still think that Robert Latimer should stay in prison for the remainder of his sentence.

5. I do think that the reporter should do a follow up on the story to show how Latimer is doing with the day parole that he has been granted. I know that many people support him, and would probably like to know how he is doing with this new sense of freedom.

6. The best quote in the story is: "The appeal division of the National Parole Board found that Mr. Latimer does not represent a significant threat to re offend." This was the best quote because it explains that they do not think that he is a threat because he killed his daughter so she wouldn't be in constant pain for the rest of her life. This shows that it is highly unlikely that he will re offend.

7. Headline: "Latimer finally wins day parole"

Lead: Robert Latimer was granted day parole on wednesday and was met with relief on the farm where he killed his disabled daughter fourteen years ago.

Who: Robert Latimer

What: He has been granted day parole after spending seven years in prison for killing his daughter.

Where: Vancouver, British Columbia

When: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Why: The day parole was granted because there was no reason to turn down the request that was made last year.

How: They appealed the decision from last December, which stated the refusal of day parole for Latimer. The appeal division said that the refusal couldn't be supported by law.

Opinion

1. Tom Hickie from Fredericton is offering this opinion.

2. Mr. Hickie knows quite a bit on the topic that he is writing about. He knows what types of classes that are available both for students in the United States and Canada. He knows things like the differences between both school systems, and how the United States schools have classes that are more based on the students' interests.

3. Yes, facts have been given to support the writer's opinion, like the classes for hunting and fishing that are offered in Arkansas. He also gives facts on Canadian students who have done poorly that are put in classes with students who are much younger than they are. This obviously puts pressure on and puts down these students.

4. The writer is appealing to reason in that the Canadian school system can obviously become better. There are examples displaying the differences between schooling in the US and schooling in Canada. He is saying that the education system needs to be more about the students themselves, rather than the wishes of teachers and parents. He also takes a stab at the French Immersion program, as is it questioned whether or not the courses are beneficial to students in the long run.

5. Many people will benefit if the opinion being presented is generally accepted. If the education system is changed, then students will benefit, along with parents and teachers as the students are getting a more personal schooling, with courses that cater to the students interests, therefore making school a much better place to be for students.

Sports:

1. The percentage of sports stories in the paper written by the Daily Gleaner reporters and the percentage written by reporters from other agencies is 50/50. In this day's paper the stories were split equally.

2. There are 26 stories in the sports section of the newspaper.

3. "Senatorial Shuffle" is a story that outlines two conflicts: Competitor vs. Competitor, and Competitor vs. Team Management.

4.a. The nature of this conflict is that the Ottawa Senators fired their head coach, after their second straight shutout loss, and brought in a new one.

b. The names of the parties involved in the conflict are John Paddock, who was fired, and Bryan Murray, who is now the new head coach.

c. The cause of the conflict is that the Senators were losing too many games, and were passed by New Jersey for the number one spot in the Eastern Conference.

d. The conflict will affect people that are not directly involved because maybe Paddock has some fans as a coach, who might not support the Senators now that they have fired him. Also, he was given a different job with regards to the team, which also may affect some people surrounding that job.

Editorial Assignment #4

(Journalism)

1. The publisher is Shelley Wood. It is also a division of the Brunswick News.

2. The entertainment news is on pages D3 and D4.

3. The headline from a story from a foreign country is "Activists outraged; South Africa allows killing of elephants".

4. A photograph that shows people in action can be found on page A3.

5. A news story about a politician is "Obama faces parodies, questions about his promise in race".

6. Two reporters who write for the Daily Gleaner are: Stephen Llewellyn and Michael Staples.

7. Two columnists are: Jo-Ann Fellows and Laverne Stewart.

8. A national news story is "Doomsday vault to protect world's seeds".

9. The Canadian city that recorded the highest temperature is Victoria (9)

10. You can find a list of the sports scores on pages B2 and B3.

11. The subject of today's editorial cartoon is the amount of ambulances that have crashed recently because of the lack of good tires.

12. My horoscope is: Aries: Work with others. Listen. The unexpected will take a toll f you don't flex and open up to other possibilities. Integrate new information, and what you experience will happen easily. Confusion surrounds plans or a goal. Tonight: How about a game of Scrabble?

13. A business story is: "Electronic Arts offers US $2 billion for Take-Two" on page C1.

14. Two examples of opinion writing are: "Value bilingualism's success" and "Stop trying to force French" which are both found on page C7.

15. Three things found on the editorial page are: the editorial cartoon, the letters to the editor, and the editorial itself.

Bulldog Burgers (Media Studies)

Codes & Conventions

(Media Studies)
*The advertisement that I used is a Max Factor makeup ad with Carmen Electra and a nice looking guy.

A) The type of reality that is being constructed in this ad is exciting and sexy. The background is dark, with the main focus on the guy who is entranced with Carmen Electra. It makes it seem really seductive and flirty at the same time. 
B) This ad shows constructed reality in that it portrays that if you wear this make up, you will "get the guy" that is good looking and totally into you because of the make up that you wear. It says "head-turning" and "heart-stopping" which portrays that Max Factor make up will make you this way. People should know that you probably won't get the guy you want just based on what you put on your face. 
C) It shows the "good life" in that you will be sexy and seductive and get a great looking guy if you use this product. It depicts how much more exciting and awesome your life would be if you use their make up. It almost makes it seem like you could be like Carmen Electra if you use the make up that she wears. 

Letter to the Editor

(Journalism)
I have recently heard and read about the ambulances in the Fredericton area not having the proper tires for winter. Since the many storms that have hit New Brunswick in the last few weeks, I have been appalled at the conditions of the roads. One example is when I was traveling to and from Woodstock on Sunday, the 17th. I was concerned with the layer of ice that was virtually covering the left hand lane of the highway. This made it very difficult and dangerous to pass. What would happen if an ambulance needed to reach someone as quickly as possible, but was held up due to the horrible road conditions?
Why not give the ambulances studded tires? If it would get them to where they need to be quickly and safely, what's the harm? I live in a rural area, and live on a secondary road. It is still rutted and slippery, and the storms have ended days ago. The scarce use of sand or salt is limited to the middle of the road, causing only one safe lane. It worries me that the roads are still in such rough shape, and the emergency services are without the proper equipment to do their jobs efficiently. Even if the roads are still not completely clear, I am sure that it would at least give the public peace of mind that that if you get injured or are in an accident, the ambulances can reach you safely. Whoever made the decision against studded tires on the ambulances have obviously never endured a New Brunswick winter.



Amy Dickeson
Fredericton Junction, NB

Journal #2

(Media Studies)
This week, I would like to discuss the video that we watched yesterday, the one about the university classroom. I really liked this video, and I think that it should be shown in many high school classes. I liked the video because it shows some realities that are going to happen, once some of us enter post secondary education. The things that are shown are also statistics, so it is a lot more real than just someone telling a story. The fact that the students are saying what they mean by writing on a piece of paper gives it more impact as well. Even though the video is not that long, it shows students a little of what to expect if they go on to university. It shows what a waste it can be if you go to class and just go on facebook for the whole time. It gives you the knowledge that professors will not chase you for late work, because you are the one that is paying for the education, and you are the one that has everything to lose. I also thought that it was interesting that many students will get an education for a career that doesn't even exist yet. It is something that I have never really thought about. It is kind of scary that technology is moving so quickly. Overall, this was the best video that I have seen in a long time, and it gave me some good lessons about what might occur at university.

Journal #1

(Media Studies)
The topic that I am going to talk about this week is pretty much everything we have done so far. First of all is the Challenge Day videos. I thought they were amazing in that even the guys that were in opposite gangs were hugging and saying that they wanted to change. Obviously this technique is quite effective and should be done at more schools, more often. I didn't participate when it was at OHS because I wasn't sure what it was, but now that I know some stuff about it I think it is awesome. Second is the advertisements that we looked at yesterday. I thought the cereal ones for Special K were really good, but I was disappointed when I read the article that said that the US changed the ads to have Cindy Crawford instead. I think that ads that are about a healthy weight should have regular people in them instead of famous people. Then the ads would seem much more believable. Anyway I enjoyed everything that we talked about this week :)
~Amy

*My Bulldog Burger ad is on the computer that I was working on, in case you want to look at it... because I didn't know where to put it...