Midterm Story

Athena Hamilton
March 7, 2019
Murder Suspect Caught in Neighborhood

“I remember his eyes, they were cold, the eyes of a killer.”

This terrifying recollection is from Carols Vacanti, a 3rd year police officer, as he tells about his standoff with a murderous criminal.

The suspect was wanted by law enforcement for his connection to several robberies, grand theft, and a murder. Vacanti proceeded to attempt to apprehend the suspect when he recognized him from his squad car.

Vacanti stated, “I’d gotten his description by radio. Then, I spotted him in a parking lot.”

Vacanti then exited his vehicle, advanced towards the perpetrator, and even called out to him. The startled suspect turned around only to pull a gun on Vacanti.

“As he drew the gun and fired, I leaned to the right and dropped one knee,” Vacanti claimed. “When I heard the shot I thought he had me”.

Vacanti then found himself running away in a zig zag motion, hoping to dodge any potential buckets being fired in his direction.

A few moments later, law enforcement was able to apprehend the suspect before he could elude them any further.

“There’s no doubt in my mind he wanted to kill me last night just because I stopped him,” said Vacanti. I was an object in his way”.

No Ring , No Chaching !

Will Lawsuit Settlement
Athena Hamilton
February 28, 2019


Marriage is extortion .

Maria Montez, 32, proves this notion when she became furious about her financial pay out after her partner’s death. When her companion, Sidney Quevedo, died, his will entitled a $5million fortune not to Montez, but his hbelived cocker spaniel james Samantha.

Quevedo and Montez were together for 10 years prior to his death. Montez claimed, “I gave him the best years of my life.” Quevedo’s will left her with a mere $60,000 a year, along with specific conditions.

Quevedo’s massive income came from manufacturing bathroom fixtures. He also instructed in the will that Montez could only receive the annual payment if she agreed to take care of the dog. Moreover once the pooch dies, the $5 million estate must go to charity.

Montez is actively seeking a settlement for $2.7 million.

News Leads and 5W's

A.
Who: 15 year old high school student
What: Teacher's coffee was spiked
When: During school hours
Where: Giles Country High School
Why: Student claims it was an accident

A teacher's morning coffee gave them more than a kick when they realized it contained something other than caffeine.

B. 

Who: Timon Cobb, 66

What: Killed by car that crushed him

When: Before Church

Where: 728 Lomax Street

Why: bumper jack dislodged

Emergency response teams found Timon Cobb, 66 dead underneath his car, when is bumper jack apparently dislodged, causing the vehicle to crush him.

C. 

Who: Mike Dunleavy, football coach

What: Resigning from his position

When: effective immediately 

Where: Central High School

Why: low self - esteem; bad record

Central High School football coach Mike Dunleavy announced his end of season resignation, claiming he feels school officials and fans have lost faith in his coaching.

D. 

Who: Superintendent 

What: closing schools early

When: last 3 days of term

Where: All grade levels in public schools

Why: helping the teachers

In an effort to allot teachers more time for finalizing grades, Superintendent Margaret Perez is shortening schools hours for the last 3 days of term.

E. 

Who: Van holding 14 farmworkers

What: accident on highway 99

When: 7am Thursday

Where: highway 99

Why: tire blew out

Early Thursday morning, a van enroute to Napa Valley was carrying 14 farmworkers, when a tire blew out causing it to roll down Highway 99.

News Values and Criteria

Before constructing a great story journalists must always adhere to specific criteria that helps to define a "great" story. News values and criteria are common amongst all reporting. You can look at it as some type of guideline or judgment tools when picking a topic to report on.

To explain what the criteria means, I analyzed The Post and Courier newspaper of Charleston, SC. Their website can be found here:

Post and Courier Charelston, SC I then identified different stories that met each criterion. Below I listed each news value and described how the story applies to that value.

1. Human Interest- "Smashing barriers a way of Life for new police chief" - This story details the major accomplishment of L. J. Roscoe, as she was sworn in as Goose Creek's new police chief.

 I applied this to Human Interest because Roscoe is a part of the LGBTQ community. By achieving this high ranked position she is making milestones for members of the LGBTQ community who are often discriminated.

2. Uniqueness- "Bone disorder found in boy seized by DSS"- This story discusses a DSS case where a child was removed from his home due to his multiple broken bones. After the child was examined by a medical expert he was diagnosed with Rickets.

Rickets is a bone disease caused by an extreme deficiency of Vitamin D. I applied this to uniqueness because the average child is not afflicted with Rickets.

3. Controversy- "Secret shipment barely reduces SC plutonium" - As dangerous as nuclear chemicals are, you could at least tell someone when you're bringing it over their border. That wasn't the case with the US Federal government as the transported large amounts of plutonium from Aiken, South Carolina to Nevada.

Top Officials of Nevada are furious that the chemicals were brought into the state without their consent. I applied this to controversy because the state of Nevada is in disagreements with the federal government.

4. Conflict- "Richland missed 1,040 ballots"- In the last November election, Richland County voters took to ballots as they normally would. However, over a thousand voters were shocked to find that their ballots were not counted. I applied this to conflict because it could anger citizens and diminish voter trust.

5. Proximity- "Lawmaker: Give more time for gun purchase background checks" - Gun safety is a major if not a top priority in the United States.

An SC lawmaker is pushing for an extension on the time needed to conduct background checks for gun purchases. I applied this to proximity because many people in the state of South Carolina already own or are trying to purchase a gun.

6. Prominence- "MUSC receives $5 million donations" - In this story, The Medical University of South Carolina received a $5 million donation from businessman Gene Reed. The hospital is projected to cost $400 million to build. I applied this to prominence because of the status of both Reed and MUSC.

7. Consequence - "North Charleston refuses to be railroaded in crossing debacle" - Norfolk Southern Railroad Corp. is receiving heavy backlash from citizens and the Mayor of Charleston for the inconvenience that brought on the city.

The company is trying to make repairs to a particular section of the railroad, but they're not considering the daily needs of drivers. Many people are stuck for long periods or often. late to work. I applied this to consequence because the railroad company will eventually hear from higher officials in North Charleston.

8. Timeliness - "Senate OKs bill making electrocution main execution method" - A bill was recently passed that allows electrocution to be the primary method of killing in a death sentence. Senators voted 26-13. I apply this to timeliness because the vote was recent.

9. Feature - "Bulldogs rally late but can't catch Paladins" - The Citadel presented a rather disappointing performance in their basketball game against Furman. With 19 turnovers Citadel lost 71-61. I applied this to feature because sports are of interest to many people but not all. Highlights for this game can be found here: Citadel vs Furman Basketball

Newseum Paper Review

After viewing several front page stories of United States Newspapers, I decided to make a report on The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Denver Post. All three papers displayed great similarities in the content posted. Each paper highlighted issues involving Trump's State of the Union Address, the United States' Government involvement in Venezuela, and the ongoing teacher strike.


If we analyze each individual paper, they had their own distinctive stories. The Los Angeles Times included an article discussing Terry Bryant, a man who was accused of stealing the Oscar Award of Frances McDormand.

In the New York Times front page, there was an article dedicated to the controversy of gene editing. Many scientists and ethics boards are trying to develop safety rules to prevent the unnatural reproduction of babies by altering embryos.

The Denver Post brought light to oil and mining issues taking place in Colorado. Anti- Fracking organizations such as the Colorado Rising are filing lawsuits against oil operators who are extracting oil and minerals in an unconstitutional manner.

By looking at the front page of national papers I found that most major cities will highlight similar topics while bringing exposure to other issues in their states respectively. It is a matter of catering to the public interest as well as keeping the community informed of issues both nationally and locally.

Kick it With Kizoa

Kizoa is a photo and video organizing site that gives users the ability to create their own movies and slideshows. The platform is packed with cool transitions and effects that give the movies an exciting twist.

Kizoa is a free service however it has a premium version that gives users access to cooler features. The site also allows you to edit pictures, create collages, prints, and even gifts.

We got spirit yes we do and our Marching 101 has the sound too! Two very important programs at SC State that provides the University with some of the most spirit are the Marching 101 Band and the South Carolina State University Cheerleaders. 

Without these two groups football games, pep rallies, basketball games, and other special events would not be the same! Check out our Kizoa as we take the time to appreciate Our school's marching band and cheerleaders.   

Kizoa- SCSU SPIRIT

We're on The Roll !

A Japanese delicacy, sushi is a favorite dish of millions of eaters all across the world. Made with vinegared rice, vegetables, raw and cooked meats, there are several amazing rolls to choose from.

BUT! Which rolls are the best ones to try?

Based on my trial and error with several different rolls, I have compiled a list of my personal Top 5 Sushi rolls.

Even though this list is totally biased, it can give you some insight on the tastiest rolls to try. Here are my Top 5 sushi rolls that will take your test buds on a wild ride.

5. California Roll - The  California Roll is probably the most famous of sushi rolls. Previously named the Tojo roll, it is the father of sushi. The roll consists of crab meat, avocado, and cucumber. It's a simple go to for those who want to stay away from raw fish.

4. Crunch Roll - Often times it gets misconstrued with the Tiger Roll, the Crunch Roll has "tenkasu". Tenkasu is a crispy tempura breading that surrounds the roll. Inside the roll is spicy tempura and seaweed.

3. Spider Roll - If the California roll had a hot older brother, that would be the Spider Roll.  Coming in at 3rd on the list, the Spider Roll is made with tempura soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, and spicy mayo.

 Personally, spicy flavors aren't to appealing to my taste buds, but it was worth the try. This roll brings an extra kick and is packed with flavor.

2. Dragon Roll - 2nd place on my list is the Dragon Roll. Not only does this sushi roll have an awesome name, it comes with and awesome fish: EEL ! I guess an eel is a water dragon perhaps. In this roll, the eel is rolled with crabsticks, avocado, cucumber, and drizzled with eel sauce.

1. Philadelphia Roll - Last is my personal favorite, the Philadelphia Roll. Very simple, yet flavorful, this roll contains salmon, avocado, and cucumber. In most preparations, the salmon is smoked.

Interview with Mariah Ware

Any type of performance is considered art. It is a method of expression and tells a story. One great  way this is done is through dance .

In our next interview, we met with Mariah Ware . She is a dancer and student at South Carolina State University. Ware has been dancing for several years and is familiar with several styles that range from ballet to showstyle dancing. Below is an overview of the questions she answered along with a video of her performing .

Question 1: What inspired you to start dancing ?

Mariah: "If anything inspired me to dance it would be music. I didn't really have an inspiration. I just started dancing."

Question 2: Do you want to dance as a career ?

Mariah: "I would love to dance for a professional sports team."

Question 3: What advice would you give to someone who just started dancing ?

Mariah: Don't knock any new dance until you try it. Dancing offers many opportunities

Top 10 Prezi

For my Top 10 list I picked one of my favorite animal categories : SNAKES. In the presentation you will learn about the most venomous snake species known to man . Don't squirm !

 Top 10 Venomous Snakes

Interview with Jamal Harrell

Writing is one of the best ways for people to express their internal thoughts and feelings. It creates an open space that is free of judgment and allows the author to convey whatever message they choose.

I have a friend, named Jamal Harrel. He is a song writer and producer who attends Bethune Cookman University. He took the time to answer question on why he became a writer, his major influences, advice for new writers, and his vision for each project he works on . Each clip is about 1 minute in length.

For anyone who writes music or is interested, dig into the mind of this talented young man !

Q1 : What Inspired you to become a writer?

Q2 : What factors motivate you in your writing process? Do you ever find yourself not motivated to write?

Q3 : What do you wish to accomplish which each production?

Q4 : What advice would you give to a person who just started their journey as a writer?

The link below will take you to the Suite Dreams Facebook page where you can listen to the responses 

Suite Dreams Facebook

No Negativity !!!

I came across this image and it made me want to give you guys some ideas on how to stay positive in your daily routine. Personally, I don't think its possible to be 100% all the time... It's just not realistic! However, in the times you do experience distress, you can eliminate the stress much easier if you incorporate these tips.

1. Do Something Nice: It as been scientifically proven that helping others makes us feel better about ourselves. Go out and lend a helping hand, even if it is small.

2. Work Toward Change: Change is an inevitable factor in life. If we work with it rather than against it, we can BE the change that WE want to see. Instead of saying " Why is something like this", ask yourself "How can I make this situation change into that?"

3. Surround Yourself With Positivity: You are the company that you keep. Make sure your environment represents who you really are.

4. Self Care: No one will take care of you better than YOU. Exercise, eat healthier, try to be more prompt. We must be content with ourselves before we introduce it to the world.

5. Practice Positive Self Talk: Humans are prisoners of their own mind. We are exactly what we think about. There is nothing anyone can say to you that is worse than what you say about yourself. Write down your fears and goals.  Name 5 positive things about yourself.