Final Newspaper

http://www.district196.org/evhs/academics/journalism/McDevitt/mcds times.html

The Cages

Owning a business at age 18 was something I never imagined nor dreamed of. Very few highschoolers have the desire to own a business at such a you age, and take on the great responsibilities and time commitment needed to create, run and manage a business while still in high school. I was the same as almost every other high school kid, the less work the better. Late in the summer going into my senior, with baseball winding down, and football starting up, my dad was searching. With the poor economy, many business buildings and warehouses were empty, and my dad was looking for a spot to hang some batting cages so my 3 younger brothers and I could hit during the winter. We planned on borrowing the cages from the high school team for the winter months and borrowing space in an empty warehouse or industrial building. That idea soon became laughable. Opportunities arise and soon became thoughts and then became reality. In an untrackable series of events, a family winter hitting cage, became a 12,000 square foot indoor baseball facility. We got an awesome deal on a lease of a space in Lakeville, we bought batting cages from a net company in Iowa, and found used turf that was being taken of a high school football field in Texas. We named it The Cages. Its as simple as it can get but it felt genius-like for a bunch of creativeness lacking guys. The guys I’m referring to are my dad, my brother Ty, and myself. We all were important to the overall creation and success of The Cages. My dad took care of the money and had connections through his other job. Ty took care of the cages, and hanging the nets. And I designed the logo, painted it on the walls of the facility, and created the sign display out front. I turned 18 in the fall and took ownership of the business. By the New Year we were up and running. The time commitment was beyond incredible. With my dad coaching my younger brothers, and Ty playing high school hockey, I spent the majority of the time at The Cages. During the winter months I worked and average of 48 hours a week. Plus a full school day and winter baseball workouts, my life was hectic. Early on it felt like a failure. People weren’t coming as much as hoped, and the hours of hard work and dedication were not seeming to be worth it. But as the winter went on, and early spring came, all of my feelings changed. The Cages were in "full swing" and the opportunity for success was thinkable. The workload didn’t let up, in fact it grew. Instead of sitting behind a desk managing the facility, I was giving hitting lessons and making $30 an hour. More and more people started coming, and the hard work was starting to become worthwhile. The Cages are here to stay for awhile, and will be a nice asset for me and my family. Instead of working at a fast food joint, or a summer job, trying to save for college, I know that college can be paid for. And not only is the financial aspect worth all of the hard work, but more importantly the lessons I’ve learned and things I’ve experienced that will help me in the future. From the creation of a business, I have done many things normal high school students haven’t done or have probably heard about. I have leased space in a business/industrial district. I have opened a business checking account and have to manage a business credit card. I have gone to the state capital and have applied and registered for a business license. I have managed the money in a business and made crucial decisions about purchasing inventory and assets such as field turf, nets, pitching machines, baseballs, televisions, computers, furniture, and phone, television, and internet services. Creating a business is extremely complex and much more in depth and complicated then I had ever expected. Not only is the time commitment incredible, as one can expect, but the mental commitment and energy used thinking about new ideas and making difficult decisions is not understood until actually experienced. The entire process, from imagining, to creating, to actually running the business is a major investment, but it is all worthwhile when you see the rewards or even the opportunity of success at the end. The tough work is done, the kinks have been worked out and the business plan has showed it can succeed. Everything is set in place for the future and under control. The process is far greater than I could have imagined, especially not having any desire to do it in the first place. But now that I have done it, I am happy that I was presented the opportunity to be a part of such an experience that I can take with me for the rest of my life, and also as a tool that will help me pay for my college education and start out ahead of peers and have an advantage in the “real world” which is a difficult place to find an opportunity to succeed. The Cages will be a part of me for a long time. Hopefully the financial benefits will help me as much as the lessons I’ve learned and things I’ve experienced, and that in the end, the benefits I’ve earned will be worth the investments early on. I feel that I have an advantage and am a step ahead of my peers, and that makes me excited to continue my pursuit through college and into the rest of my life.

peer review.

Matt Lilledahl.

1. Is there a clear point of view? (position)
Yes, pro-college playoff system
2. Does the Op-Ed state the problem and solution simply?
Yes, its very precise.
3. Does the piece address the counter arguments?
no not really, needs to do that.
4. Is the Op-Ed interesting?
yes. attracts many readers
5. Are the paragraphs organized logically?
yes, there are 2.5 paragraphs.
6. Does each paragraph develop an idea to support the thesis?
Yes, but needs to look at the counter argument
7. Is the writing clear?
Yes. easy to read,


Jenny Handke.

1. Is there a clear point of view? (position)
Yes. Not right at the beginning but it works
2. Does the Op-Ed state the problem and solution simply?
Not solution stated yet.
3. Does the piece address the counter arguments?
no, not yet
4. Is the Op-Ed interesting?
Yes, it has to do with many ppl.
5. Are the paragraphs organized logically?
yes so far. not finnised yet
6. Does each paragraph develop an idea to support the thesis?
yes. very clear
7. Is the writing clear?
yes. very opinionated though.

1. What is a problem/issue that our entire student body (our school, community, country, etc.) faces today?

University and colleges becoming more expensie, and making it more and more difficult to go to the ideal college.


2. What is your view/position on the problem or situation?

Universities and colleges along with the government need to help pay or find a way to make college more accesible and financially easier for students

3. What would you like to achieve with your editorial? (What is the desired result?)

To help people realoze the cost of college and the negative results of this. andthat there are ways to help people in the future.


4. How will you persuade your audience to adopt your viewpoint as theirs? List at least 4 persuasive points.

Overall cost
Private colleges
Out state tuition
debt of loans after college

5. How will you motivate your readership to action in your conclusion?

By showing them there are ways to reduce cost of college

6. How will your editorial serve a public purpose?

It affects many people and will draw attention to many people that it affects.

summertime

Summer time is coming, and highschool students are looking for jobs. Lemonade stands, and mowing lawns are in the past, and teenagers everywhere are looking for work in oreder to earn some money during their downtime in the summer. Whether its working at a fast food resteraunt or mowing fairways at the local golf course, highschoolers are hunting for jobs. With the poor economy, this summer is similar to the past few years and finding a summer job is getting more and more difficult. Sarah Wiley, a high school senior agrees, “Jobs are getting a lot more difficult to find, especially for teenagers.” Many adults have been laid off, and are losing jobs and are falling back on lower income jobs that most teenagers and young adults occupied. Wonda Sterichs, a manager at the Apple Valley Target says, “We have seen older people applying, more than normal. They have workplace experience and maturity that most teens don’t have.” Adults usually have an adavantage when competing with teens for lower level jobs. Employers often feel guilty not giving jobs to adults that are applying because they know what that adult is going through, needing to find an income in the difficult economy. Where as teens are working to save for college or extra spending money. Wiley is looking towards the future as well, “I plan on saving about half of it for college, while the other half will probably go towards my normal expenses.” Teens are struggling to find jobs and many are being creative in where to look.High school senior Matt Lilledahl is one of the lucky ones who has a summer job lined up, “This summer I plan on being a youth baseball umpire. The demand for umpires is actually pretty high so it wasn't too tough to get. I just had to attend an umpire clinic in the spring so I could be certified. It can be a pretty fun job.” Hourly wages and hours worked used to be a big influence on what job students took, but these days most are just happy that they have a job. Wiley is one of those thank ful students, “It's difficult to get a job as a teenager that pays more than minimum wage. While I would like to have a job that pays higher, I'm satisfied with my pay rate now.” Fast food resteraunts, swimming pools, golf courses and babysitting are top jobs for teens in the summer. According to the fast food guide book, “Eat This, Not That” 1/10 of Americans have worked at a McDonalds sometime in their life. Minnimum wage is what most teens expect to make, but in recent years the minnimum wage has increased, helping out many teens with low paying summer jobs. There are many thing that can help highschoolers find summer jobs. Not being picky with jobs, and applying to many different places can help. Also applying to the same stores often, even on a monthly basis. Sometimes stores might not be hiring, and throw away your application, and a couple of weeks later they are hiriing. Applying often can help you get those jobs. Another tip is to try to find a job early in the spring, when there is less competition with your peers. Finding a job in this economy is difficult no matter who you are. Highschoolers looking for summer jobs are feeling the same effect.

Hard News Story

Topic: Summer Jobs

Angle: With the tough economy, people being laid off are takign lower level jobs, and there are less jobs available in the first place. High schoolers who are looking for a summer job are having a more difficult time finding work this summer.

Writing A News Story

Writing a News Story
1. What can I write about? What is news?

News is an account of what is happening around us. It may involve current events, new initiatives or ongoing projects or issues. It also prints background analysis, opinions, and human interest stories.

2. Identify what kind of a story it is

Hard news (+/- 600 words): This is how journalists refer to news of the day. It is a chronicle of current events/incidents and is the most common news style on the front page of your typical newspaper.

It starts with a summary lead. What happened? Where? When? To/by whom? Why? (The journalist's 5 W's). It must be kept brief and simple, because the purpose of the rest of the story will be to elaborate on this lead.

Soft news (+/-600 words): This is a term for all the news that isn't time-sensitive. Soft news includes profiles of people, programs or organizations. As we discussed earlier, the "lead" is more literary. Most of YPP's news content is soft news.

Feature (+/-1500 words): A news feature takes one step back from the headlines. It explores an issue. News features are less time-sensitive than hard news but no less newsworthy. They can be an effective way to write about complex issues too large for the terse style of a hard news item.

Hint: Remember to "balance" your story. Present the opinions of people on both sides of an issue and let the readers make their own decision on who to believe.

Editorial: The editorial expresses an opinion. The editorial page of the newspaper lets the writer comment on issues in the news.

3. Structure for your article

The structure of a news story (hard & soft news & features) is simple: a lead and the body.

The lead
its function is to summarize the story and/or to draw the reader in (depending on whether it is a "hard" or "soft" news story

In a hard news story, the lead should be a full summary of what is to follow. It should incorporate as many of the 5 "W's" of journalism (who, what, where, when and why) as possible.

In a soft news story, the lead should present the subject of the story by allusion. This type of opening is somewhat literary.

The body of the story involves combining the opinions of the people you interview,
some factual data, and a narrative which helps the story flow. A word of caution, however.

The role of a reporter is to find out what people are thinking of an issue and to report the opinions of different stakeholders of an issue. As a reporter, you are the eyes and ears for the readers. You should also try to get a feel for the story. Having a feel means getting some understanding of the emotional background of the piece and the people involved in it. Try to get a sense of the characters involved and why they feel the way they do.

summarizing the essentials:

4. Further tips for news writing

Finding story ideas

Keep your eyes and ears open; listen to what your friends are talking about.


Read everything you can get your hands on; get story ideas from other newspapers and magazines.


Think of a youth angle to a current news story.


Research a subject that interests you ask yourself what you would like to know more about.


Talk to people in a specific field to find out what is important to them.
Newsgathering

Begin collecting articles on your subject.


Talk to friends and associates about the subject.


Contact any agencies or associations with interest or professional knowledge in the area.


Create a list of people you want to interview; cover both sides of the story by interviewing people on both sides of the issue.


Collect government statistics and reports on the subject get old press releases or reports to use as background.
Interviewing do's and don'ts

Be polite.

Find a tpic. Find an angle. Collect iformation. Gather interviews. Write the story. Edit the story.