Lone Star Dispatch Evaluation

Type: News

Headline: Encore! Encore! Miss Saigon hits the stage at GAHMSTA

Summary: Performers in Miss Saigon attended GAHMSTA. Bowie won three awards and students had a good time meeting theatre students from other schools.

Who was quoted in the story?

Sophomore Jenny Harms

Sophomore Paige Bradbury

Sophomore Julianna Davis

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

Paige Bradbury's quote about her favorite experience from the awards.

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

yes

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

quote

Type:Commentary

Headline:EOC becoming irrelevant

Summary:Students have many tests that they are required to take and some say there are too many. Micheala Norton believes EOCs are not efficient uses of time.

Who was quoted in the story?

no one

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

no quotes

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

yes

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

statement

Type: Student Life

Headline: Prom Dares seniors to "step in to the legend" as they experience a Monte Carlo casino night

Summary: Senior Madi Hacking describes her prom experience. She started with finding the perfect dress and ended with the fun addition of flip books.

Who was quoted in the story?

Senior Madi Hacking

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

The quote where she talks about her dress

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

Yes

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

Quote

Type: Entertainment

Headline: Singers Show of their skills

Summary: Madelyne Martinez won Bowie I dol, The annual talent show here at Bowie. Despite minor technical difficulties the show was a success.

Who was quoted in the story?

Junior Alexis Antoniadis

Jimmy Ellerbrock

Junior Madelyne Martinez

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

The quote about the new going methods

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

yes

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

statement

Type: Trends and Culinary

Headline: Kendra Scott proves to be a success with teens

Summary: Kendra Scott is a very famous brand of women's jewelry. This brand is especially here in Austin where it started and here at Bowie.

Who was quoted in the story?

Sophomore Anna Olsen

Junior Ashley Ellis

Junior Alexis Antoniadis

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

The quote where Olson talked about the Kendra Scott store

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

yes

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

quote

Type: Sports

Headline: Varsity Softball Finishes Season with Close Game

Summary: The vasrity softball season ended with a loss. Team members look forward to what next year will bring.

Who was quoted in the story?

Coach Catherine Landers

Senior Sam Flores

Senior Brittany Patton

Torres

Junior Mackenzie Kane

What quote was the strongest in your opinion?

Patton's quote about what she is going to miss.

Did the lead sentence make you want to keep reading?

yes

Was the conclusion a quote or a statement?

quote

Lead:The 2013-2014 Bowie Silver Stars dance together for the last time at their annual Spring Show a month ago.

Caption: Silver Star Captain Madi Hacking performs her solo with passion at the SIlver Star Spring Show. Hacking put a lot of time and effort in to helping the team improve this year.

Caption Review

Artists Find new Canvas for Expression

18 year old Ellie Lee paints a mural on the walls of an abandoned downtown building. The building used to be a small strip shopping center.

Cyclers Finish New Race Here in Austin

Professional and amateur cyclists are showered in bubbles as they finish the Tour de Austin. The race took riders through downtown Austin and is sure to become an Austin tradition.

Firefighters Work to rescue Woman Trapped in Car

Firefighter Darrel Wilson squeezes in the sunroof of unconscious Sarah James car to free her. James suffered a minor concussion but no major injuries.

High School Class of 2014 Breaks Size Record

Graduate Tod Hardy embraces his younger brother Chris Hardy after his High School Graduation ceremony. Tod graduated in the top ten percent of his class and will be attending the University of Texas next semester.

Current Events Quiz #6.3

1. What is the Veterans Administration accused of doing to U.S. military vets? Page A1 "Obama: VA chief has job on line"
Veteran hospitals changed the list of veterans waiting to see doctors.

2. What song prompted Iranian leaders to arrest six young men and women? Page A2
Happy by Pharrell Williams

3. Look at the political cartoon by Marshall Ramsey on Page A9. What is the meaning of the cartoon?
The cartoon shows that the potential threat of  a MERS outbreak is very scary, Scarier than godzilla haha.

4. What is so unique about the medals that will be given to winners at the Xgames which will be held in Austin next month? Page C10
they can also be worn as belt buckles

5. What is the Art Science Gallery doing that combines science and discovery? Page D1
They have been showcasing artists and events that find inspiration from science.

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

Read one of the obituaries found on page B4 or B5. Read one of the longer ones. What elements make up an obituary? What kind of information is available. What thing would you expect to read in an obituary that you rarely find in on (see if you can deduce this one on your own)? Did you know that many new reporters first assignments are to write obituaries? What would you think about having to write one of these?
They usually start out with date of death, parents of deceased, and where the deceased is from. After that the writer will include other background information about the person, like their cause of death, interests, and important things to the deceased. Lastly the writer puts people who the deceased knew that are dead or alive and information about funerals and memorial services. i did not know that writing obituaries was a common job for new journalists but it makes sense. I would not want to write them because they're very sad and it would be hard to see the families and loved ones at that point in their life.

infographics

What Countries do you expect to be the smartest? | Create Infographics

Creative Writing

I have been dancing since I was two. It has always been a passion of mine. I grew up watching my cousins Kristen and Becca dance and compete from the time I can still remember all the way to the time they graduated college.

Although I had danced my entire life by the time I was eleven I had never competed. It was never something that interested me or maybe it scared me: the pressure of being on a team. Anyway I was content to continue simply taking classes and performing in recitals. That was until my friend Hannah changed her mind.

I have known Hannah longer than I have been dancing. We are good friends and have been dancing together almost as long as we have known each other. It was Hannah’s idea to try out for company or the competition team at the studio we went to. I was just along for the ride at first, I wasn’t opposed or ecstatic about the idea but it grew on me. Not long after, the desire to be on company had grown and I wanted it bad.

All summer I worked hard in my dance classes to be ready for auditions. I was feeling confident except for one thing we had to audition for tap. To be in company you have to be in tap, which means you have to audition for tap.  The problem was I hadn’t taken a tap class since I was three.

Finally the day of the audition rolled around and I was incredibly nervous! Right off the bat I knew it was going to be a long audition because I couldn’t even do the warm ups. It was horrible everyone else could do the combinations wit ease but I couldn’t even do the simplest steps. Eventually the teacher had to dumb everything down for me. It was humiliating; I have never been so embarrassed in my life.

The next Friday we received an email telling us I we made the team. I checked the email and I didn’t make it. I didn’t make the team.

Movie Review

Will Frozen Warm Your Heart or Leave You Out in the Cold?

            I recently saw the new Disney princess movie Frozen and I was pleasantly surprised. I was interested in this movie purely because Disney made it. If Disney hadn’t made it I probably wouldn’t have seen it because the commercials didn’t include enough details to tell the audience what the plot was. However despite the inadequate previews I thought it was a great movie.

            The plot of the story centers on the relationship between sisters Anna and Elsa who are left to rule Arendale. The main conflict begins when Elsa accidentally uses her powers to control ice that she has never learned to control to plunge Arendale in to an endless winter. It is then up to Anna to help her sister Elsa thaw the ice with the help of some unlikely companions while trying to keep the kingdom from falling in to the wrong hands.

            Kristen Bell who I thought brought youth and optimism to the character voiced the vivacious Anna. Broadway star Idina Manzel voiced Elsa and brought to the table not only killer vocals but compassion. Every good children’s movie needs a few laughs and the majority of the movies laughs were supplied by the bubbly snowman named Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad. As one of Anna’s love interests Kristoff was voiced by Jonathon Groff who made the tell it like it is attitude lovable.

            I think this movie is worth the hype; the music was beautifully written and composed. However I thought it was unnecessary when the main characters were singing their lines when hey should have just been talking. For example in the scene where Anna is at Elsa’s ice castle and is trying to bring her back and their fighting they did not need to have them sing what they’re saying. Even though this is a Disney movie they don’t have to sing everything that only works for Les Mis.  The movie was incredibly character driven and the love triangle, which is becoming a formula for popular movies these days, was a bit cliché and predictable but it worked because it is a children’s movie.

            I thought the morals and themes this movie taught were values I would try to teach my daughter if I had one. Unlike many children’s movies especially princess movies Frozen proposed the idea that two people don’t have to get married or even have an instant connection with each other right after they meet. Instead the movie suggested that two people should get to know each other before rushing in to relationship. The movie also majorly promoted self-empowerment and acceptance by making it the main message of the movie. Both of these themes have continued Disney’s shift toward modern morals and values.

            Frozen is definitely geared toward children and that comes across when watching it. Because this movie mostly lacks the not so subtle adult humor sometimes inserted in kid’s movies I would recommend this movie for any age kid. However it is a princess movie so it probably won’t appeal as much to boys. This movie is true to its PG rating. Not only do I think children would enjoy it but I think parents accompanying their children and other adults would enjoy the movie because its themes and the fact that it is not over the top childish. Overall I enjoyed the movie it definitely holds its own amongst its Disney counterparts, the music is perfect for the movie and the story was well developed.

Rating out of letter grades including pluses and minuses: A

Current Events Quiz #6.2

1. Why did the grand jury decide not to charge deputy sheriff Randy McMillian? Page A1 "No charges in taser incident"

Officials said Noe as acting aggressively and McMillan did not act out of order.

2. Why is the European court ruling about Google searches so interesting? Page A1 "European court: Google can be forced to remove links"
I find it interesting because i didn't even know they could do what they did, its also interesting because it would gives people more control over the media.

3. Why did Michelle Obama recently have a photo taken of her holding a sigh with the words 'Bring home our girls'? Page A4 "US aircraft aid in search for missing Nigerian girls" BE SPECIFIC
300 nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped and Nigeria said all options are open to bring the girls home.

4. Why was the discovery of a chronometer such a big deal? Page B2 "Researchers: Chronometer was 'Big Discovery'"
It is very old and probably very rare.

5. What will the iPad hopefully be able to do with the next software update? Page B8
splitscreen

REMINDER - Some of you are not writing enough here. A single sentence isn't enough. I expect you to expand upon your writing. If you think you have written enough, you haven't, write more. Be sure to answer WHY you think something.

Last week an inmate who was scheduled to be executed in Oklahoma was given the lethal injection, but there were problems with the drug mixture and it took him over 40 minutes to die. While observers and prison officials watched he writhed and struggled before finally succumbing to a heart attack. Lethal injections and the use of the death penalty have come under fire because of this event. The problems really started about a year ago because the main supplier of the drug combination went out of business and states have struggled to find replacements that are as powerful and work as well.

If someone has been convicted in a state that has the death penalty, what should the obligations of the state be when it comes to actually executing that person? I am not asking you what you think about the death penalty, just what you think the state should have to do when they are going to execute a person.

I think if a state is going to sentence someone to death than the criminals death should be quick or painless or both. If its quick than any pain they may feel will be over shortly. If it is painless than the death can be slower because they are not feeling anything. However the most preferable way would be a way that quick and painless so the death does not drag on and they are not in pain. i feel this way because even  if they are a criminal and did something that made them deserve death then death is punishment enough.

Movie Prep

1. Who are the main characters you would expect to see in the movie, based on the real life events?
Richard Phillips, Muse, and Mike Perry

2. Briefly, in 2-3 paragraphs, tell me what you expect the plot to be in the movie, based on the real life events?
I think the move will start with the announcement that no one should be sailing under 600 nautical miles near the soma lion coast. I think they all also include that Phillips and his crew were only sailing 240 nautical miles off the coast. This is important because thats probably why the ship was taken.
In the movie I think they will then show the ship being boarded by the pirates. Then the crew will over take one of the pirates and offer a trade. Next they will include the pirates taking the offer but not returning Phillips.
Lastly I think they will show Phillips in the couple days he was held hostage. Next it will show SEAL team six taking out the pirates. Finally they will show Muse's trial.

3. Why was this story important?
It is a story about courage, bravery, and staying hopeful.

4. Why did the pirates try to take the ship?
The pirates wanted what supplies was on board.


1. List the five most important actors in the film.
*Barkhad Abdi
*Tom Hanks
*Yul Vasquez
*Faysal Ahmed
*Catherine Keener

2. What is the movie rated?
PG 13

3. Who directed the movie?
Paul Greengrass

4. Who was the producer?
Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca

5. What awards did it win?
*Barkhad Abdi for Best Supporting Role at BAFTA Awards, London Film Critics Circle Award, and Black Reel Awards
*Christopher Rouse From American Cinema Editors and San Diego Film Critics Society
*Oliver Tarney and the producers

6. How much did it cost to make?
55 million

7. How was it received by audiences?
It was very well received critically and in the box-office

8. What did other movie reviews think about the movie?
It was deemed critically Acclaimed by Rotten Tomatoes.