TU Tuesday - Editorial

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/EDITORIAL-Smoking-ban-at-Lamar-Institute-of-2393386.php

I have a lot of family members that smoke, mostly on my dads side. My grandpa, who I've never met, died of lung cancer. My dad, his brothers, and his sisters (their are 7 of them total) all smoke cigarettes. The editorial suggests that "smoking shouldn't just be restricted at other places; it should be non-existent" after stating that the Lamar Institute of Technology has banned smoking on campus. First off, I agree that smoking should be non-existent, but sadly, it exists and there is no chance of getting rid of it. There is really no point of banning smoking on campus, because people are smoking, even though they know the consequences. That doesn't stop a majority of people. They should just put a smoking section somewhere. "Efforts like this will protect the majority of people - non smokers - from secondhand smoke." Maybe people just shouldn't inhale a bunch of smoke where someone is smoking if they're against smoking! Go create a little gazebo, like they do at amusement parks, where the smokers can smoke without being harassed. 

My T-Shirt Vote

The one that says "Every year, 30 million Americans are teenagers. Together, we can find a cure through education." 


Oatmeal raisin!

Creative Contest I Blog

M = Manchester Terrier

Breed Description: Lively, sharp witted breed that is eager to learn. They're loyal, and good watchdogs. 

Appearance/Size: They are black and tan, and have a short, sleek coat. The average size is about bigger than 12 pounds, but less than 22 pounds. They're slightly longer than tall.

First Source

Diet: It's best for them to eat food made for smaller dogs. 

Second Source

Temperament: The Manchester Terrier is a high-spirited, powerful, agile, very intelligent, cunning dog which is eager to learn. They display the true terrier nature, are independent, and faithful. Extremely lively, sporty, alert, keen and vigilant.  Discerning and devoted, it is loyal and a good friend to its master. The Manchester Terrier likes to please its handler and learns quite quickly. Without enough exercise, mental stimulation, and or, if the dog is allowed to be pack leader to the humans, they can get upset when left alone. Becoming bored, hyper, destructive, and bark excessively when alone and ignored.  


Shedding: The short, shiny black & tan coat is easy to care for, requiring almost no grooming. They are an easy-care breed. The Manchester Terrier is an average shedder, while the Toy Manchester Terrier sheds little to no hair.


Health/Allergies/Vaccines: Some lines are prone to a blood problem called glaucoma. Also some are prone to a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's disease, but this is rare and wounds heal quickly. If left out in the sun for long periods, heat bumps may appear along its back.
Third Source

Creativity Breeds Creativity

I chose this short film by Ashley Lendzion and Heather Morris. These two girls are comical geniuses, and are the ones who first inspired me to first pick up a video camera. This is one of their newer films, The Elevator.

Small Poetry Prompt

To all the thumbtacks,


It's hard to see you most of time
Especially when you're hiding on the floor
You can be likable, or you can be hurtful
You can puncture my skin, or you can hang up my posters
and rest peacefully on my cork boards


Don't get offended when people get mad at you,
and toss you to the side after stepping on you
I know it's not your fault
People may use tape after your incidents,
but that's okay, because in my opinion,
you're a thousand times better than tape.

TU Tuesday Guest Speaker

Poise

Mrs. Barlette seemed comfortable speaking to our class. When she talked about how she used to be shy and couldn't even talk to a group of 10 people, I was surprised because she was not shy with our class at all. I thought she connected with the audience well. When I asked her a question, she made eye contact with me the whole time. You could tell that she was trying to communicate with the person who had asked the question, but at the same time directed her answer towards the audience. 

Clarity

I think Mrs. Barlette pronounced her words carefully, but she did talk fast at some points, like when her answers started to become lengthily. Sometimes she would stutter when she was trying to think of what to say, but overall  I could understand her.

Volume
Mrs. Barlette was a loud speaker. I could hear her perfectly from the back row. She probably could have spoke a little softer and I would have still been able to hear her. Her volume definitely helped keep me engaged in the conversation.

Information
Mrs. Barlette provided a lot of detail when answering a simple question. Sometimes the detail was unnecessary  like when she was talking about her blog and all of the anonymous hate she kept receiving, and the story about Billy Fuccillo, but I think that is just my opinion.

Organization 
Mrs. Barlette did not make it difficult to follow her thoughts. For the most part, the discussion was well organized and didn't go off topic. I think she started to go off on a bit of a tangent when talking about how people disliked her, and the anonymous hate on her blog.

My Role
I think I did well in the discussion. I asked questions that I was truly curious about. I was trying to think of more interesting questions for her to answer. Not everyone participated in the discussion, and it was mostly the same people asking her the questions. I don't understand why not a lot of people asked questions when we did the blog assignment and brainstormed question ideas. Some people were a little rude during the discussion. Even if they weren't extremely interested in what Mrs. Barlette was saying, they should have at least been more respectful. It was kind of embarrassing because she took the time out of schedule to speak to us about her job.

I think it would be a good idea for a journalist to come in and talk to your class next year, whether it is Mrs. Barlette or someone new. It seemed that Mrs. Barlette was better at talking to college students rather than students in high school.