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Cheerleading is a tough sport

Most people think to be a cheerleader you go to football games, you're pretty, popular, wanting attention, and the list goes on. In reality that's not the truth at all, you have to be mentally and physically ready just like any other sport. There is competitive cheer and high school cheer teams and both are very stressful to be in. 

     Anyone in cheer will tell you that you have to be willing to give up your life to stay committed to this sport. You have practices everyday after school for high school cheer and three or more practices with competitive cheer plus competitions almost every weekend. Homework is also hard to do because I would stay up until 12:00-1:00 every

night trying to finish and I still don't get the grades I want. The car rides for competitions is the only time you have for your homework.

    What is the actual definition of a sport? A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. I do think cheer is definitely a sport while others may disagree. Others will say “it’s not a sport because of the inability to compete against an opponent. It is solely dedicated to entertain and motivate the crowd during sports events.” That’s only half of cheer, they don’t know the competitive side of it.

    Cheer is very competitive and at competitions you will always see teams lose by .01 and that feeling sucks because it’s happened to me before. Other sports will lose by 7 or more points while cheer will lose by point something. You put all the hard work to lose by a pointed toe or a wrong motion.

    There is also reported the most injuries than any other sport, why is this? We throw girls in the air and we flip our body all other the place. One wrong grip or wrong move and you can be seriously injured.

     Full outs will always be the death of a cheerleader. A full out is doing your whole routine from beginning to end and giving it your all. Even though they are only 2 minutes and 30 seconds, that feels like the longest 2 minutes and 30 seconds of your life. You are out of breath and you feel like jello after wards. And if you don’t do good you do full outs back to back and girls will eventually throw up.

     If someone gets hurt in cheer there are no replacements like football or baseball. If you get hurt, you better push through and finish the full outs. There is also no halftime meaning we don’t get any breaks not one. Water breaks are only 1 minute if you get lucky. You are constantly doing something from the start of practice until the end and you never know when it’s going to end because coaches will keep you until however long they want.

    Conditioning. Yes even cheerleader’s condition, probably more than any other sport. We have practices just for conditioning and you don’t want to miss those practices because next time you won’t be able to walk. You need to have a big amount of cardio and endurance to finish each routine.

Opinions writing preview activity

Immigration laws getting out of hand:

1. Who wrote the story?

Reagan Wallace?

2. What is their story about?

All of the new immigration laws since Donald Trump was elected president. It has caused a big uproar through the states but especially Austin,Texas. 

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing.

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)?

2

Betsy DeVos unfit to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education:

1. Who wrote the story?

2. What is their story about?

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing.

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion.

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)?

Our great tree is worth saving:

1. Who wrote the story?

Ian Miller

2. What is their story about?

Saving the tree in the school courtyard

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing.

"In my opinion, it's absolutely worth the price to save it."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

No

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion.

No

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)?

1

Going above the norm for college:

1. Who wrote the story?

Jake Brien

2. What is their story about?

How hard it is to get into college now

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing.
"While college may be very hard to get not these days, there's still the option of a community college such as Austin Community college (ACC)."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

No

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion.

No

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)?

2

Importance of physics class:

1. Who wrote the story?

Abby Ong

2. What is their story about?

Taking the physics class 

3. What is their direct opinion about that topic? Please quote it directly from the story or do a really good job of paraphrasing.

"I believe all students should take it regardless of endorsement or future career choice."

4. Did they address what the other side might think about their topic?

Sorta

5. Were they wishy-washy with their opinion? By this I mean did they every go back and say well maybe if this were to happen, then their opinion wouldn't be valid. Support your opinion.

No

6. Are there any quotes in the story?

No

7. What point of view did they write in (1st, 2nd or 3rd)?

1

A. What do you think the major differences between a hard news story and an opinions piece? Come up with at least three.

• never use I or we in hard news story
• hard news used the 5W's
• hard news uses inverted pyramid

B. Why do you think there aren't very many photos on this page?

it is harder to find pictures for one side of the opinion

C. What are three topics you think would be good to write an opinions piece on?

• cheerleading is a sport and not a club
• 
  

Personal Essays

1. What was one idea that the writer gave in the Wide Range of Topics section that you can use as you start deciding on a topic?
Conversational topic or news stories

2. What was one idea the writer gave in the Opinions Pieces section that you should remember as you are writing your piece?
Details draw the reader in and generalizations keep them out 


3. List three suggestions the writer makes in the Personal Essays and Crafts section that you will use as you write.

• make connection; if you write about a global theme connect it to it to individual examples
• if every sentence begins wit "I" rephrase the sentence
• personal essays contain more opinion than facts

Peer review SoM

http://katiespjblog.blogspot.com/2017/04/student-of-of-month-story.html

50 points for having at least 8-10 paragraphs (350 words)
25 points for having at least 5 quotes (you may give 10 bonus points if the quotes are done PERFECTLY as the example below looks - PUNCTUATION counts!!!)
25 points if the story is in inverted pyramid style (in your opinion)

Paragraphs - 50
5 quotes - 25
Inverted pyramid - 15
Extra Credit? - 10
TOTAL = 100

SLO practice

1. In the following, which news value is most clearly represented in the caption below?

Caption: Courtney Suel (left) and Lesia Bridges navigate a flooded Aquarena Springs Drive in San Marcos on Tuesday. One gauge in the city recorded nearly seven inches of rain.

A. Conflict
B. Human Interest
C. Impact
D. Proximity

2. In the following, which news value is most clearly represented in the caption below?

Caption: Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday in Nogales, Ariz: "This is a new era. This is the Trump era. The lawlessness, the abdication of the duty to enforce our immigration laws....are over."

A. Prominence
B. Human Interest
C. Impact
D.Proximity

3. Which of the following is an example of a present tense action verb?

A. painted
B. gets painted
C. paints
D. getting paint

4. What is the most wrong with the following headline?

Headline: Big win

A. The date and the place
B. The background information
C. The lack of a verb
D. The lack of a subject
5. What information is missing from the first sentence of this caption:

Caption: On Wednesday, March 13 senior Sarah Smith captured the flag.

A. The date
B. The location
C. The name of the subject
D. A present tense verb

6. What information is missing from the second sentence of this caption:

Caption: On Wednesday, March 13 senior Sarah Smith captured the flag in the annual senior games event held at Bowie High School. Smith lives at 10405 Johnston St. in Austin.

A. The date of the event
B. A present tense verb
C. Background information about the senior games
D. The name of the subject

Caption Writing:

Please write a correct 2 sentence caption for the following photo - remember that you get to make up all the information, but you still need to follow the correct format as described above:

Paul Zint and Malala Yousafzai walk down the aisle in a Canadian cathedral. Malala was being interviewed by Paul about her incident as people take photos of them. 

Photograph: Chris Wattie/Reuters

Sports portfolio evaluation

1. 
a. Name of photographer -
Travis Haughton
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)-
I honestly wasn't to sure but I think photos
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio -
Pictures look to staged, over photoshopped, doesn't want to be so graphic
d. List two things the,  judges like-
All the levels in some photos, 
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like
I think it is all over the place and I couldn't figure out the main focus. 


a. Name of photographer -
Carlos Delgado 
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)-
stories
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio -
Backgrounds are to cluttered, a little "heavy" on levels, lighting wasn't good 
d. List two things the judges like-

e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like?
They had good stories but some pictures were cluttered like the judges said. 


a. Name of photographer -
Jordan Murph
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)-
sports, photojournalism
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio -
photographer started strong then started falling apart, lighting was wishy washy, couldn't find the story or subject for some photos
d. List two things the judges like-
good composition, had good sports photos
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like?
I feel like you could tell the photographers thoughts and you weren't lost throughout the portfolio

a. Name of photographer -
Nick Adams 
b. General focus of portfolio (photoj, sports, stories, etc.)-
photojournalism
c. List three problems that the judges noted with the portfolio -
not in focus, boring, not framed well 
d. List two things the judges like-
Silhouettes, 
e. What is your overall impression of the photographer? What did you like or not like?
I think the photographer tried but they didn't know what they were doing or trying to take a photo of.

Winning Portfolio
a. What did the judges note as strengths as they were critiquing it?
Had cool ideas, photographer knew what he was doing
b. What do you see as strengths? Do you see any weaknesses?
They had good focus and lighting. There wasn't a whole lot of weaknesses, I think the photographer got the story across on all his photos

a. Briefly describe the process the judges went through in deciding the winner. 

The judges go through each photographers portfolio again and narrow each one down and get very critical on each photo of each portfolio. They have to see which ones have the best photos even if they have totally different stories.

Nut Graf

A nut graf tells the reader why the story is important and what your about t read about. It's almost like a hook. You want to answer who, what, where, when, why, and how in a quick sufficient way. If your writing the same story in a feature style and news style, it would be more narrative in a news style. In the nut graf you don't want to to give away the ending of the story. You should also keep it short and simple but written well enough so people will actually read it. It provides a transit from the lead and explains the lead and its connection to the rest of the story.

Student of the Month Story

Who- Cole Claessen
What- won student of the month
Where- at Bowie High school
When- This past year
Why- he made good grades and is a good student in all his classes, he also helps with the community and is very friendly
How- His teachers and Principle nominated him

The principle and teachers have nominated a new student of the month at Bowie High School as of March 31, 2017. His name is Cole Claessen and he makes perfect straight A's and he also volunteers for the community.

The student of the month award is a very tough award too win, there are many students trying to achieve to this goal. Cole Claessen worked very hard by making perfect grades, practicing with his soccer team, and helping out his teachers and peers when needed.

Every student wants to win Student of the month but luckily for Cole, he did.

"There were so many people with good grades," Cole Claessen said.

Each student feels accomplished after winning.

"I feel proud that all my work paid off," Claeseen said.

Cole worked the hardest he had ever worked before.

"I tried hard in school with all AP classes," Claessen said.

His parents and friends had a similar reaction to him winning.

"They told me they didn't believe I got student of the month and they said congrats," Claessen said.

Although he was working hard, Cole didn't believe he was going to win.

"There was so many people but people think I'm smart now," Claessen said.

With making all A's in his classes, he still made time for extra circular activities and the community.

"I play soccer, volunteer at the food bank, and class officer," Claessen said.

When Cole was asked if he wanted to win, he replies with

"Yes i would get a lot of recognition and people think better of me," Claessen said.

After high school Cole wants to attend college for business school.

Inverted Pyramid