Category: journalism

Stuff having to do with the world of journalism.

A Home Away From Home

pikachu04Leave a comment

ojai
As a senior this year, I have had to adjust to several new changes. I find it hard to believe that the first semester is already almost over. And just two days ago I turned in all of my college applications.

These new things are both exciting and nerve-racking. The next step is finishing up the year, receiving a car at graduation and heading off to college , opening a new chapter in my life. I have been going to OVS for 11 years now and when I think about it, I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.

OVS has prepared me, taught me to be an independent studier, and offered me countless friendships that will last me the rest of my life. I am thankful that my aunt chose to put me into this school and although at times I have detested OVS, I will always appreciate the way it has pushed me and supported me for the most part.

We Aren’t Really Horsing Around..

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

I’ve been riding horses since I was five and there have only been a few years of my life where I wasn’t fully immersed in a riding program. When I came to OVS, I expected the riding program to be just as it was at my old barn, Springdown, but it wasn’t at all. I can barely remember the Lower Campus’ program, but when I came to Upper and I was incredibly pleased.

Horses

It was 2006 when I joined the Upper Campus’ riding program, and since then I can safely say that I’ve ridden almost every horse, jumped every fence, and gone on every trail offered.

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The Beatles Are On iTunes!

yrreskrapLeave a comment

“Tomorrow is just another day. That you’ll never forget.”

Apple displayed this arcane message on their website until 10 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on November the 16th. It has been replaced with a large monochrome picture of the Beatles with black bold letters reading, “The Beatles. Now on iTunes.”

This message is still presented on Apple’s website today. The Beatles have reached the Top 100 downloaded songs on iTunes within the first few weeks and still stands strong in its ranking.

Meat.

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

It all started with Upton Sinclair‘s “The Jungle.” This book showed how cramped and dirty meat stockyards were in the US. Food sanitation, and more importantly, food safety, has been a big concern of many people in America.

Even today, the agricultural business has a very bad rap. The cows, chickens and other animals used for food are treated horribly. The animals are put in cages that do not allow them to move. They are forced fed food to become as fat as possible. They know nothing about being outside or being able to run, or even walk. When they are good and plump, they are slaughtered for food.Old Chicago stockyards

As sad as all of this is, there still is some hope. The senate just passed a new bill that increases food safety regulations. This is the first change in food saftey laws in a very long time. The bill was passed by a vote of 73 to 25.

Stolen

yourgingerkidLeave a comment

It’s almost ironic that last week I posted a blog about how incredibly fantastic the iPhone 4 is. At the Best Day Foundation, another post of mine, my iPhone 4 was stolen.

MEEP

It was sitting in my beach bag, inside my small make up bag, and underneath all my makeup; somewhere I thought no one would look.

I honestly have nothing to hide on my phone, or on any other electronic item for that matter, but it’s still a bit nerve-racking to have something of yours stolen.

My iPhone was the first item to ever be really stolen from me. I’ve had people “borrow” my things and not bring them back. I’ve have lost things and just assumed that I have misplaced them. Never has someone directly taken something important from me. It’s like your privacy has been invaded.

Which bring me to to the topic of privacy.

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Crooning for Crookers

realtompagnozziLeave a comment

Nobody can pull of a combination of cool and classy quite like Crookers. This Italian DJ duo goes by the pseudonyms Bot and Phra. The twosome famously signed to Diplo’s oddball Mad Decent record label not too long ago. I see this as a well-functioning symbiotic relationship. Their unique electro house is catchy enough for the mainstream consumption Mad Decent needs, yet quirky enough to be…well…Mad Decent.

Crookers get common complaints of being repetitive, but personally I find it to be part of their charm. Compared to most straight house music, it’s incredibly varied. And no one can argue against the inventiveness of their baselines.

Both Bot and Phra are not only some of the most prolific DJs, but also the most sought after in all realms of electronic music. They are truly spectacular.

The Big Spill

realtompagnozziLeave a comment


With exponentially growing advancements in technology, we have more access to information than ever. But moral struggles of how to handle this information remain the same. What happens, for instance, when we have comprehensive access to military secrets? This is why the Afghan War Diary published on the website Wikileaks.com is the most influential story of the year.

In 2006, Australian hacker Julian Assange was named editor in chief of a new website entitled WikiLeaks. The site steadily grew notoriety with each new release of exclusive federal information, culminating in their release of over 91,000 classified U.S. documents from 2004-2009 entitled “Afghan War Diary”.

Should citizens be entitled to explicit details of the military’s actions in the war? The military conceals a significant amount of information in the interest of public safety, though they are guilty of significant war crimes.

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exchange peace

weirdjennyLeave a comment

After holding many fund-raising events for Invisible Children, student council encourage students to participate in the Exchange Peace event. We can make peace pals with students from all over the world. Last year we exchange with students in Uganda.

This year we are going to exchange with students in India. It is very easy for students to be one part of this event. Every student receive a little card which requires them to draw a picture related to peace and write a short message to those students.

We will send the cards to India and later the Indian students will send the same cards to us. Although it is just a simple card exchanging event, the meaning for this event is to create a global peace, because there are still many children like those in Uganda are suffering from the civil war in their country.

Our Greatest Fears

sennymcflyLeave a comment

Sometimes we lose the ones we love. They die from disease or even get killed. Then there are the times when they are taken from us and we are forced to imagine all the awful possibilities.

But, sometimes fate takes a hopeful turn and our loved ones are returned to us. We can only hope for the best right? That’s all we can do. A girl was found today. She and three others had gone missing about a week ago and they found her “bound and gagged in the basement of a home in Mount Vernon, Ohio.” She is safe, but who knows where the others are. Another girl was abducted in July. The mother raced after her daughters kidnapper, hoping to retrieve her four year old. She was found just a few days after. There have been seven other abductions within the last four months. As far as anyone knows they haven’t yet been found.

One Child One Life One Family

Do you remember Polly Klaas?  Polly was kidnapped on October 1, 1993. She was found, but not alive. Her death started a foundation that changed the lives of hundreds of families. The organization gives support to the devastated families of lost children. Some are never seen again. Some are found and return to the lives they once knew. So what can we do when our greatest fears come true. All we can do is hope. That’s all we can do.

My heart goes out to all families who have lost the ones they loved. Just remember there is always hope.

Schools for Swat Valley

vabenissimoLeave a comment

In America, students compete for high quality education.

In Pakistan, students just want a “school”.

Due to Taliban attacks, about 150 schools in Swat Valley were left devastated.

No water, chairs, desks, buildings, or proper educational supplies is provided to these students who sincerely need the help of education.

“Today, when I look all around me at my school, I can’t tell if this is reality or just part of my dream,” said one of the girls in the video, “Lost Generation in Swat Valley.”

Constant threats from Taliban, limited donations from other countries, and corrupted political exertions hinder the future lives of these students.

However, wealthy Pakistani families began to contribute in school reconstructions and, most importantly, the students still find the desire to attend “schools.”

All they want is a building with chairs and desks.

Still, a long road seems to be left ahead to establish such environment in Swat Valley.