November 2nd

Alexa Palacios

Journalism 100

November 7, 2010

Election Blog

Word Count - 304

November 2nd

Election time in America is always a intense, emotion-packed period of the year where candidates prove to the American people that they can either complete the immense tasks that lie ahead of them or if they can not. There is also the usual hint of controversy in times of disparity where the candidate's true colors are beaming brightly for the people to witness up-close.

Election Day in California, proud home of "Tinsletown" always seems to have a bit more controversy than any other state though. First, the just replaced governor of California was actor-turned-politician, Arnold Swarzchanegger who managed to lead California into one of the most excruciating financial deficit's ever. Then there is Jerry Brown, the newly elected governor & his opponent Meg Whitman whom together brewed enough controversy and scandal from the beginning of the race until the end. With name-calling and explosive campaign spending, the citizens of California chose the candidate that they felt could best give them a sense of perspective and comfort in a time surely filled with disparity and panic. 

On a larger scale, the race for spots in the Senate and the House of Representatives is arguably the most important part of the election. In this specific race, the “Tea Party” & its fellow Republicans managed to successfully gain power of the once Democratic-filled House. The Democratic party managed to still obtain the Senate, but the challenge for the Democrats has seemed to intensify enormously. If President Obama and the Democrats in office faced as many problems as they did in trying to win over a predominantly Democratic House and Senate, it seems that these next two years in his term will be a challenge that is too great for words.

Welcome to Yahoo! U

Alexa Palacios
Journalism 100
Yahoo! U
Word Count - 405
September 26, 2010


There are so many viewpoints that defend and dispel the argument of an online university that it seemingly makes it impossible to solidify any opinion on the matter. And although this issue is massively controversial and difficult to decide on, a consistent solution must be created quickly because the rapid growth of technology allots very little time for this situation to linger much longer.


The convenience and accessibility of an online college/university is a part of this issue that can not be ignored. For so many students that have no available funds to attend school, but aspire to go and be so much more than a statistic of the system in their lives, this is a dream solution. It is reasonable, helpful, affordable and gives the student the same tools to succeed as any other student attending a traditional four year college/university. Online schooling can also add a level of attractiveness to the certain students that do not wish to continue to higher learning because an online degree has no rush on it. Although it is traditional for a student to be in and out of school in four years on average, online schooling has a more lax and untimely approach to it.


But, there is something about the college experience and the engagement of being in a classroom that is such a great and humbling experience. Taking an online course is very literal and straight-forward, but a traditional college class allows a student to fully grasp the concept of the subject that they are studying through the interactive nature of a classroom. There is a certain tradition that goes along with being on a college campus as well. It's a very life altering experience that gives the student a chance to step away from the comforting surroundings of their homes and encounter the true realities of adulthood. Living in a dormitory gives a student the experience of living on their own, accepting and acknowledging complete strangers through the roommate situation and breeds a great amount of character. 


Although there are so many pros and cons to online schooling, the option most definitely should be taken into serious account. Every child deserves an equal chance at an education and creating this avenue of schooling for students will not only solidify that chance, but greatly increase the amount of intellectuals in America. 

Back-to-school assignments for L.A. Unified

Just as the new school has just begun, so have the problems that schools under L.A. Unified School District. Two of the most pertinent and discussed of those issues are lack of finances and teachers. In this article “Back-to-school assignments for L.A. Unified” in the Editorial section of the L.A. Times is a list of insight and priorities for the school board and the California government. “Effective Teachers, Prudence School Choice, Turnaround Schools and Fiscal Prudence” are apart of the list of changes in the article that the school district should embark on. With days being cut from the school year, with thousands of teachers being given the dreaded “pink slip” and with the state of L.A. Unified essentially in a state of emergency, the only way to go from this point is up. 

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-schools-20100912,0,3680450.story

Colleges: Where the Money Goes

College tuition and its continued rising is just another one of the massive issues in the sea of problems that our country has yet to face or change. The price of college has skyrocketed and at the rate that it is going presently, will continue to rise and rise. In the L.A. Times article “Colleges: Where the Money Goes” written by Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus is a very detailed and passionate review that discusses the rising college tuitions that virtually every school around the United States is faced with. The article reiterates several times that one of the main departments on a college campus that receives the most money is the athletic department. College sports has become such a “gold mine” for colleges and universities and there is a significant amount of money put out from the school before anything is brought in. The administration at schools has also greatly contributed to the increase in tuition. The article states that the number of administrators per student has doubled since 1980. These new administrators with new titles must be paid somehow and where else would the school receive that from other than the student’s tuition payments? This article is just as factual as it is controversial and gives much of the reasoning needed to display why so many of America’s youth can not afford to attend any institution of higher learning. The reason is simply that the prices are unmanageable and impossible to pay. Money talks and in this specific case in an unfamiliar and unreasonable language.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-dreifushacker-college-cost-20100912,0,6821452.story

First Day Introduction

ARP

August 31, 2010

Journalism 100

Introduction

Word Count- 361

            Katie is an 18 year old freshman at the University of La Verne from La Puente, California. Katie initially wanted to attend Arizona State University instead of La Verne, but there were some discrepancies that prohibited her from attending. Some of her interests and hobbies include playing soccer, working out, listening to music and attending concerts.

            When interviewing Katie, you could immediately sense her passion for soccer and her love for the sport. She played on the soccer team at her High School, Bishop Amat High School, and played on a girl’s soccer team that made history for the school by being the first girl’s soccer team to win two tournaments, win their league and make it to the semi finals. Her team’s season was cut short by a loss in the semi final game, and Katie expressed her unhappiness toward this. “When you look around the gym, you see banners of all the teams that won championships and girl’s soccer doesn’t have one”, says Katie.

            In regards to the relationships in her life, Katie has no significant other and does not have much of a relationship with her parents and older brother who also attends the University of La Verne and plays on the soccer team as well. Katie claims that she just recently started speaking to her brother and that she doesn’t really speak to her parents. She states that she doesn’t know why she doesn’t have a great relationship with her parents and that they are good parents. She also states that she grew up wanting to be on her own and that was the reason why she wanted to attend Arizona State.

            Katie is a member of the La Verne women’s soccer team and later on in the day of this interview she and the rest of her team would be informed of the 18 out of 28 girls that would be selected to go on the first big soccer trip of the season to Pennsylvania. Katie stated, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to go on the trip. I hope I go on the trip.”