Check out this "By the Numbers" video from the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/video/sports/soccer/100000002504736/rio-soccer-reaches-new-heights.html
This piece uses statistics just like our "By the Numbers" section in the magazine, but presents them in video format. This allows for the portrayal of the accomplishments (or failures) through the significance of the stats, but also the inclusion of music, reactions, action, and comedy. Do you think that this would be a better format for our "By the Numbers" piece that is usually put in the magazine? Why or why not would it make an improvement? Is there anything else that could be better portrayed through video?

The term YOLO can be interpreted in multiple different ways; it means something different to everyone. Do some use it as an excuse to stupid things? Yes. At the same time others use it as a mindset to enjoy life. YOLO can't be blamed for teenage stupidity, the individual is the problem. What does this show about our culture? People want to do stupid things that somehow come to our head, they're just looking for some logic to convince the part of the brain that has doubts. You can convince yourself of anything with spotty logic, ANYTHING. It really comes down to being true to yourself, calling it how it really is. This returns to the core concept of integrity.

This is an interesting layout for a story. The day-by-day description of thought processes is easy to write and to read, both good for the speaker and the audience. We could learn from this kind of format and do something similar; maybe a typical week at a full time job. In regard to the issue of homework, there's no doubt that students are a bit overwhelmed these days. Other nations have more assessment based systems with optional homework to prepare oneself for the test. This requires a great deal of motivation that not all students possess, but is an interesting alternative to the traditional system.

This article describes a deal set to go down between Microsoft and Nokia. The long-time software company wants to expand into the hardware industry with smart phones. Nokia, which was once a leader in phone production, looks to be their angle to expand.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/technology/microsoft-gets-nokia-units-and-leader.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0
Do you think that Microsoft will be able to make an impact on the smart phone industry late in the game? Is a company able to change an identity established over decades? What is more valuable, software or hardware?

In most normal situations the photos posted would be perfectly acceptable, but with the military establishment I feel that the repercussions were called for. By posting those photos, the girls create a poor impression of the military, which is supposed to have certain standards as a government enforcement agency. Anything that threatens the reputation of the military, I feel, has the right to be punished. A military cannot be taken seriously if its reputation does not proceed it.

The technology is definitely there for the easy production of a smart watch. The newest iPod nano is the same size as some of the watches people are fashioning these days. The question is whether the market is there. Unfortunately, I think that we may have skipped the smart watch step. Phones have the same exact application and are equally practical. The next step is the Google Glass, not the iWatch. Once again, I think that Apple's newest gadget will become obsolete in very little time.

Read this story depicting a pioneer in pollution prevention.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/03/microsampling-air-pollution/?ref=todayspaper
What do you think about the initiative that Michael and his company have taken to make a difference when government programs are not enough? Should agencies like this be expected to take action or is the government's responsibility to manage pollution? What do you think we will see in the future; more private or government regulation?

I think that the argument made in this article is eye-opening to some underlying issues of dress codes. I used to attend a school with a set uniform and there is no doubt that it was done in an effort to discourage individualism. Whether this is individualism that would distract boys, or bring undo attention to a LGTBQ kid, it's all the same. I don't know that sexism and homophobia are intended messages sent in schools' efforts to limit individualism, but they are perceived loud and clear from an outside source. The article does fail to look into other potential benefits of a dress code. Especially when students are seven years old, I don't know how much sexism applies, but the concept of limiting individualism to keep students from acting out and getting in trouble seems more applicable. The "distracting" issue is another one of those unspoken, but evident messages in today's culture that helps create an environment where rape is possible. It is one ingredient in a large recipe of factors.

Although this scandal seems like a recent phenomenon, people have been acquiring photos from Snapchat for some time. Evidently, it is not enough for teens to stop the flow of nude pictures because they have been acting with this potential hack for some time. When it comes down to it, nobody cares because so many people are doing it. People feel safer in numbers, even safe enough to send nude photos. There is no way for Snapchat to prevent screenshots, but one can try to avoid such a scene by simply not download Snapchat, which is the primary modem of transportation. Even then, there is no way to stop pictures from being sent normally.

Read this crazy story depicting a fertilizer plant with highly explosive potential that neighbors had never heard of.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/terror-fears-keep-toxic-plants-hidden-public-071058872.html;_ylt=AkprM5hoK5tHH58QaZ68j2YJVux_;_ylu=X3oDMTJhZjZqdWxtBG1pdANBVFQgMyBTdG9yeSBKdW1ib3Ryb24gSG9tZSBDYWNoZWQEcG9zAzE1BHNlYwNNZWRpYUF0dFdpZGdldHJvbkFzc2VtYmx5;_ylg=X3oDMTFkcW51ZGliBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3BtaA--;_ylv=3
Is it the responsibility of the people living in the area to pursue information regarding the chemicals at the plant, or must the plant publicly disclose the dangers? Are the huge storage quantities of explosive chemicals at fault, or does it lie with communication? What measures should be taken to ensure that such an event does not occur again?

I know that I feel this way at times, but was wondering what you think. This article analyzes the issue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/education/reading-gains-lag-improvements-in-math.html?ref=todayspaper
Being in a journalism class, we are all proficient in English, but is it easier to learn new ideas in Math? What can be done to bridge this gap and improve English skills?

Printed news was once a huge revelation, a way for people to learn about the events occurring around them. But in the modern day where these needs can be met easier and cheaper with a computer, print is slowly dying. Newspapers have been part of society for centuries and this change seems odd, saddening to those in the industry, but their extinction is inevitable. The same information in newspapers is available online with less or no cost to the reader and likewise for the publisher. This makes printed news obsolete, there is no demand. To survive, news companies must adapt to the new society. They must explore online publications. In addition, printed magazines that provide something not available online will still draw support. In small communities like Tam, where no other news source is available than our local publication, I believe that we still have the potential to keep readers. This implies that we still must achieve the necessary funds to keep it running.

I think that photo essays are an excellent medium that we should explore. It is unique. engaging, and interactive, which is exactly what our audience needs. Although they can be used very effectively, there are also moments when photo essays don't portray a significant message. if we were to experiment with such a medium, we should focus on human interaction, which is best captured by photos, rather than event description commonly found in the news.

This is a similar kind of issue to that of steroids in baseball. Is it cheating? That is a debatable topic. I don't think using these drugs without a prescription is cheating because it is simply enhancing their ability to concentrate not changing their knowledge. Even if it isn't cheating, using these drugs is still against the law and ethically incorrect. It would also be better if less students used the drugs because of their harmful effects. For that reason, I think that universities should definitely toughen up their screening process and implement more regulations.

Such hazing at Redwood has long been a problem and definitely needed to be addressed. After the administration announced that they were going to crack down on such behavior, it was definitely the publications responsibility to publish this article because it was a major school concern. Any administration concern deserves media coverage, but such an event as underclassmen hazing goes beyond the administration and truly is the responsibility of the students. With such a circumstance I believe that it should be the publication's responsibility to use their power of media not to inform that the administration may take action, but to call for action itself. A respected media establishment should have some influence over the student population and the ability to influence some actions. I think that this hazing falls under that category and the Bark should have taken the initiative to condemn this behavior itself quite some time ago. I hope that the Tam News will be more aware of such student based issues and can take action against them.

Manhattan kidnapping? Nope, a wicked birthday prank! Check out this brief article and video describing the situation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/nyregion/manhattan-kidnapping-was-birthday-joke-police-say.html?ref=todayspaper&_r=0
Quite an interesting predicament that had a lot of people including the police and witnesses up in arms for quite some time. Despite the great entertainment do you think that this article, practically promoting such pranks deserved coverage in the New York Times? Why or why not? Should the Tam news, being in a school environment, publish such an article if a similar event occurs? Why or why not?