Feature story

For some people hobbies are just that; hobbies. But for Anoka-Ramsey Community College student Caitlyn Peterson, her hobby is a passion and a way of life.

Peterson has been attending Anoka-Ramsey Community College four semesters and will be transferring to the University of Wisconsin River Falls in the fall. She has plans of going on to obtain a degree to become a pharmaceutical representative. When she graduates and finds her first job in her new field she will be peddling medications and making good money. However, her desire to become a pharmaceutical representative has nothing to do with the money; it has more to do with the travel opportunities.

Peterson has a fondness for horses to put it plainly. Her family owns 10 horses and she spends most of her free time with them. She has been riding since she was in the seventh grade and competes in various competitions.

Peterson stated that she didn’t get her first horse until she was in the seventh grade. “My parents had horses when they were just married and then they sold them when me and my sister were just born. They sold them because they just didn’t have time, and ever since I learned to talk I really wanted horses so I begged and begged and they kept saying no until the summer after seventh grade, then they bought me my first horse.”

Her first horse was a quarter horse named Moose. She stated he was interesting to begin with. He bucked her off a few times but eventually she was able to train him and turn him around.

Eventually Peterson began to compete in competitions within the Western Saddle Club Association (WSCA). Among her competition styles Peterson cited Western and English Pleasure, which are types of show competitions, as well as timed racing competitions such as keyhole racing.

After three years of training and competing she was able to take Moose to the state championship held at the Minnesota State Fair in 2008 and take home the state championship title in hunt seat English pleasure. She repeated the feat in 2009 once again in with a victory in keyhole racing. “It was really fun to do back to back years because not a lot of people do all of the kinds of showing so for me to do both, it was really exciting, I was happy,” said Peterson.

Although she is proud of her accomplishments in competitions, Peterson’s work with horses doesn’t stop there. She is currently working for Circle Vee Ranch in St. Francis. At the ranch she gives riding lessons and trains horses for shows. She is currently training 10 young girls and getting them ready for shows themselves. Peterson stated “I ride at least 4 or 5 different horses every single day. So now training comes really easily, I start a lot of young ones (horses) and people will bring older ones to me and I get them ready to show.”

Peterson stated that there is quite a bit of work involved in training a horse. “To compete and win it takes about a year. If you just want to just get out there and get some experience I can do it in 3 months,” stated Peterson “That’s a horse that’s never been rode, but they probably wouldn’t be winning. That’s for the pleasure events; in gaming though you can probably win in about 3 months because it’s a little easier. You’re racing a clock instead of someone else’s opinion.”

Within Peterson’s family the work with horses doesn’t end with her. Both of her parents are riders as well as her sister Lyndsie, who also designs clothing for shows with her company Owl Creek Designs. Peterson considers Lyndsie her partner as she designs all of the clothing for her competitions.

Looking towards the future Peterson plans to move to Hastings, Minn with her best friend Courtney Parson and her sister Lyndsie. The three will share an apartment where Peterson and Parson will share a room while Lyndsie will have a room to herself in order to be able to continue to design her clothing.

Peterson plans to help her sister sell her clothing once she has more of a background in sales through her pharmaceutical representative training and the two want to someday own two houses on the same property with an arena and a barn in between them in order to continue their work with horses. For now Peterson is training a horse named Dreamer, maybe she will make it three years in a row with a state title.

news summary

headline:

She was trapped and frantic ... and her car kept sinking

A woman drowned today after her SUV sank into a storm retaining pond in Hugo, Minn. Brian Peltier, a real estate agent on his way home from his parents home in Forest Lake, spotted the vehicle as it was sinking and attempted to save the womans life but was unsuccessful. Alcohol is being considered as an attributing factor in the crash.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14871111

Summary

Headline:

RNC expense report renews criticism about Steele's spending

The Republican national committee, and its chairman Michael Steele are under fire by democrats again after lists of expenditures were released. The RNC apparently spent 10's of thousands of dollars on private jets and expensive meals. Among the most controversial expenditures was just over $1900 spent at Voyeur in West Hollywood, a club which features topless dancers and mimicked sex acts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032903822.html

Story 6

Some teachers obtain their degrees looking toward teaching at universities, yet others prefer state schools and smaller community colleges. Dr. Kate Maurer, member of the Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) English department, has had the best of both worlds.

Maurer was born in Little Falls, Minn and raised in St. Cloud, Minn where she attended a parochial high school. Maurer grew up believing she could be whatever she wanted to be, thanks to her mother’s praises.

In her early post-secondary education, Maurer was engaged in scientific studies. She believed that a person always had to study something that was a challenge to them, but she soon became ill and fell behind.

Maurer recalled, “When I was a sophomore in college I got very sick, I ended up missing about a month of school, and if you miss a month of chemistry and calculus when they are not easy for you to begin with, you will never catch up.” It was at that point in her education that Maurer had an epiphany. She added, “That’s when I realized, ‘wow, I don’t have to take something that’s hard for me.’ I always enjoyed literature and reading, and it never dawned on me that I could study for something that I have an affinity for.”

Maurer explained that she was drawn to teaching by example, “I had some really good role models. Some professors who I just would do anything for, they were amazing, which made me want to be like them.”

Maurer went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth and followed that with a Masters from Marquette University in Milwaukee where she also got her PhD.

While Marquette University in Milwaukee, Maurer worked as a teacher’s assistant (T.A.). She stated, “I was a T.A., which in our field means you run the whole class, it doesn’t mean you help the professor, you are the professor.” She added, “Once I started doing that I really liked it. I wasn’t quite sure where I was going to go but I found that I really sort of grew into my personality once I had to be in charge of a classroom, and I really enjoyed it. First it was to pay the bills and it quickly became something I very much enjoyed.”

Maurer has been teaching in one capacity or another since 1989. Before coming to ARCC she taught at the University of Minnesota Duluth for nine years. Maurer stated, “I wanted to come to a teaching centered school. I had some philosophical differences with the approach of the four year school.” Those differences were enough to convince her to make the move to the smaller campus of ARCC.

Comparing ARCC to the University of Minnesota Duluth, Maurer said, “I like that it [ARCC] is very student orientated. To me that doesn’t mean, bend over backwards and do whatever the students want, but it means I’m given the freedom to spend time with you, to help you to get to know you as opposed to, just ‘get them through, don’t care about them, push them on through.’ We are encouraged to get to know our students individually and spend time with them.”

Maurer explained that she is happy with her decision to make the move to a smaller school and has no future plans on moving back to a bigger school. She is currently involved in teaching courses at ARCC such as: college writing and critical reading, British literature, introduction to literature, and the art of watching films. She also hopes to one day teach a special topic Shakespeare course.

Journal Summary

Headline:

Maple River student critically hurt in rollover crash

An 18-year-old Maple River High School student, Lexi Hagen, is still in a coma after her car crashed into a ditch while traveling along Blue Earth County Road 90 Sunday.

Hagen is currently in St. Mary's hospital in Rochester and is listed in critical condition.

Maple River High School lost a pair of students almost two months ago when they were killed in a head-on collision along Minnesota 22.

Golden Rams hold media day event at Armed Forces Reserve Center

If their past games are any indication, the Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) Golden Rams women’s fast-pitch softball team is going to have their work cut out for them, but that didn’t stop them from holding their media day in the gym at the Armed Forces Reserve Center (AFRC) across from the Cambridge Campus Tuesday.

The media day event was scarce with onlookers, but among those in attendance were Mary Jacobson, marketing/public relations liaison for ARCC. Jacobson took photos of the girls as they posed for team shots and individual photos. “We really want to bring more excitement to campus through the athletics,” stated Jacobson, “this is a good opportunity to draw in new students.” Also in attendance was Patrick Johns, ARCC school president.

The ARCC Golden Rams have played five games thus far this season and have yet to score a run. The team has been blanked in five consecutive games, losing with scores of: 30-0, 29-0, 36-0, 9-0, and 17-0, respectively. The Golden Rams are set to play 47 games this season within the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III and they are part of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference (MCAC). This is the girl’s fast-pitch softball team’s inaugural season and they admit they have a lot of team building to do. ARCC athletic director and fast-pitch softball coach Dave Alto stated, “From a team standpoint, we are just trying to improve.”

Alto has coached softball for 19 years but this is his first year coaching a college level team. He voiced his excitement over his new coaching position, stating, “we look forward to creating excitement and enthusiasm about having varsity sports at the Cambridge Campus.” He went on to say, “This [fast-pitch softball] is something the people here in Cambridge and on campus can rally around.”

The Golden Rams currently have 12 girls on the team and are looking to improve, as shown at the open practice on Tuesday. The girls spent the better part of an hour tossing balls back and forth, fielding ground balls and running sprint drills.

The girls seemed to have a lot of fun working together Tuesday during practice. There were plenty of smiles and laughs to go around as they tossed the balls around and while they posed for team photos. Ashley Peterson, Golden Rams second base player, stated before the drills started, “I love playing softball and playing with new people.” Peterson went on to say her goals for the season were, winning games and having good chemistry. Alex Thunborg, Golden Rams shortstop, said her goals are mainly having fun, meeting new people, and just enjoying the new experience.

While the girls are now spending time practicing in the AFRC gym, and playing games in various out-of-town locations, they are hopeful to be playing on their own field scheduled to be built near the AFRC by next year.

-30-

News Summary

Headline: Five-hour standoff at Shoreview town house ends with man's arrest


A Shoreview man was arrested by the Ramsey County SWAT team after a 5 1/2 hour standoff at his home on Chatworth Street North. Police were called to the home after neighbors reported a couple fighting outside the home early Monday morning.

When police arrived at the home they were unable to reach the man by cell phone or landline but his spouse reported that he was inside the house threatening to kill himself or anyone who tried to take him out.

The SWAT team were eventually able to arrest the man after using tear gas to storm the house.



http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_14637080

Rachel Kempen: A gamer in the making

Rachel Kempen: A gamer in the making

Game on! Anoka-Ramsey Community College student Rachel Kempen is tired of the same old mistakes in video games. That’s why she’s setting her controls for auto-pilot; destination: game design. Kempen has given much thought to what career path to choose and has settled on game design. “The reason behind being a game designer is really simple,” said Kempen, “I enjoy games; everything from Zelda, Mario, Final Fantasy, to World of Warcraft and Doom. Heck, even Tetris can keep me entertained for hours.” Kempen attributed her love for video games to her brother Ben. Among the many reasons she gave, Kempen spoke lovingly about story-lines, graphics, and game play. Beyond her love for the games she see’s much room for improvement. “The way certain areas or encounters are designed, they are just either extremely stupid and you begin to wonder, ‘who the heck thought this was a great idea’, said Kempen, “and other times they are so hard that you find yourself raging at your T.V. or computer.” Kempen went on to say that there were times during games when she felt she could do a better job with the design. She said, “I always have these ideas pop into my head about what should have happened, or what they could have done to make an event better.” All this and more is what’s driving Kempen towards game design. Looking towards the future Kempen noted that, “It would be amazing to see my own ideas and designs in a popular video game. I could point something out and be like, ‘I designed that’, Not to mention I’d have a blast having a career in game design.”

New Summary #7

Headline:

Minnesota deficit shrinks to $994 million, down from $1.2 billion

Economist Tom Stinson declared the recession in Minnesota, "all but over," after the state trimmed more than $200 million from it's deficit. Helping to trim the budget were an increase in federal reimbursements for health care spending, and $127 million more from corporate tax revenues.

Although the future may look bright, unemployment numbers are still cutting down on funds from individual tax revenues. The loss of individual tax revenues are due to still high rates of unemployment.

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_14497680?nclick_check=1

Rachel Kempen Interview transcript

1. How old are you? I'm the good ol' age of 21.

2. Where are you from originally? Well, I'm actually a Yankee. I was born
in New York, and lived in Berre for a few years.

3. Where do you currently live? These days I live in Cambridge, Minn.

4. Do you have bro's or sis's? How many, and their ages please? Ben is my older brother, and only brother thankfully. He is 25 right now, so he has
a few years on me. I don't have any other siblings besides him.

5. What school are you attending? Right now I'm going to the local college here, Anoka Ramsey Community College.

6. Whats your major? If you haven't chosen one what are you aspiring to
be? Actually, I can't really decide what I want to be. There are so many
options out there, and I enjoy way too many of them. I think I've
narrowed it down to game design, for now at least.

7. Why did you choose this field? Well the reason behind being a game
designer is really simple. I enjoy games. Everything from Zelda, Mario,
Final Fantasy to World of Warcraft and Doom. Heck, even Tetris can keep
me entertained for hours. Thanks to my brother I've been hooked on them
since I was a kid.

As being a gamer, you really get blown away by the story lines, graphics,
content, and just the actual game play. There are times though where you're
playing a game, and you just want to face-palm. The way certain areas or
encounters are designed, they are just either extremely stupid, and you
begin to wonder who the heck thought this was a great idea, and other times
they are just soooooo hard that you find yourself nerd raging at your
TV/computer.

So, after times like that you just feel like you could have done a better
job. That was what kind of led me to this career path. While playing a game
I always have these ideas pop into my head about what should have happened,
or what they could have done to make an event better ect. I get all these
thoughts on how something should look, or if they just adjusted this and
tweaked that the game would be a lot cooler. Now if I was in a position to
actually put these ideas into effect, they'd hold a lot more meaning than
just conversation with my gamer friends. It would be amazing to see my own
ideas and designs in a popular video game. I could point something out and
be like, I designed that. Not to mention I'd have a blast having a career
in game design.
8. Are you a first generation college student? If not, what degrees do your
parents hold? Nope, everyone in my family has been to college. My parents both have bachelor degrees.
9. Where do you work? Uhh, I work at Papa Murphys. It's a pizza place.
Not exactly something I'm proud of, or plan to do for the rest of my
life, but money is money in this tight economy. Something has to pay for
my college degree. Plus, free pizza now and then doesn't hurt.
10. What are your hobbies? Obviously video games are one of my
past-times. So as gamers would say, "pwning noobs". I also am trying to
learn how to play the guitar. I'm pretty awful I admit though. Also, I
draw/paint when I have the supplies and inspiration. Paintball is another
thing I do with friends. I'm not sure if concerts count, but usually when
there is a good band who comes to the cities, me and my friends will go
see them play.
11. What gives you joy in life? There are a lot of things in life that
bring me joy. Little things like how the air smells after a rainstorm or
cutting grass, running into an old friend you haven't seen in awhile,
having a great conversation with a stranger, and just feeling alive makes
me happy. Of course like anyone else, friends and family are a big part
of the joy in my life. But, it's always the little things that add up to
a great day.

12. Is there anything particular you would like readers of this story to
know? Not really, I'm sure whatever you write will be great.

Story 3

Are you sleeping at least nine hours each night? If not, you are sleep deprived according to Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) psychology department professor, Diana Gant. Gant has been a professor of psychology at ARCC for 17 years, but she has been studying sleep even longer. Gant stated, “I started when I was a graduate student and wrote my thesis, then my dissertation, about sleep.” Gant gathers her data in a variety of ways. She uses data from lab studies, statistics and other outside sources. “One thing I’ve done is study the number of traffic accidents in the state right after the shift to daylight savings time in the spring, when most people lose an hour’s sleep,” said Gant, “There’s an 8 percent increase in accidents the day after the time change, and there’s a corresponding decrease in accidents in the fall when people gain an extra hour of sleep.” Gant compares this trend to jet lag, saying that, “The effect can last a week. It isn’t due to loss of sleep, but complications from resetting the biological clock.” Gant’s interest in the study of sleep had changed over time. “When I started I wanted to write about people who got little sleep and remained productive,” said Gant, “The problem was, when my subjects arrived in laboratories and got a chance to sleep in dark, quiet rooms, they all slept for about nine hours. That and other work convinced me that most people suffer from sleep deprivation.” It has been commonly believed that a person requires only 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night, but Gant disagrees. “Nine hours is better,” said Gant, “I know not everyone agrees with me, but that’s what I keep finding. Think of sleep like exercise. People exercise because it’s healthy. Sleep is healthy.” According to Gant, the average person only gets about seven hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep can cause many problems throughout the day including; depression, or even falling asleep at red lights while driving. Gant states that it is easy to solve the problem of lack of sleep. She recommends staying away from eating or drinking a lot close to bedtime, especially alcohol or caffeine. Make sure the room is dark and quiet, and sleep in a comfortable bed with clean linens.

News Summary #6

Headline:

With a little help from a friend, Hecker stays free

An unnamed donor paid courts $125,000 to replenish a retirement fund that Denny Hecker had emptied last fall. The account was meant to be divvied up in Hecker's divorce. This unnamed source may have saved Hecker a stint in jail since the judge overseeing the proceedings had issued a warning to Hecker last month that the retirement fund money needed to be paid back by Monday. If the money is not shown to be back in an account managing the retirement fund Hecker could serve 90 days in the Hennepin County Jail.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14451283

Funeral Posting

Michael Relitz, 30, died suddenly of a heart attack Thursday night while filling out life insurance policy information after his wife nagged him for two weeks about it. Michael was a college student at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids, and a script writer for a small production company. Michael was a loving husband, devoted son and brother, and a genuinely kind-hearted person. He is survived in death by his wife Catherine, parents William and Stephanie, sister Angela, and brother William. Funeral services will be held Saturday at Doo U Really Kare Funeral Home in Saint Paul at 3:00am, followed by a reception at BYOB Bar and Grill. For further information contact: 1 800 MYPHONEISDISCONECTED.

News summary 5

Headline:

St. Paul teen shot father to protect mother, complaint says

An 18-year-old man has been charged with intentional second-degree murder after shooting his father to death in their St. Paul home at 1:30 pm this afternoon. The man allegedly shot his father after a heated argument between his parents. The suspect, Aramis Diamante-Sanitino Gaither, said that he felt if he didn't shoot his father that the gun would be taken from him and used by his father.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14411052?nclick_check=1

Story 2

County commission meeting

Feb. 11

The Washington County Commission denied county Sheriff Gus Dicesari’s request for additional money for eight new police cruisers and five additional deputies, after a 5-2 vote during a county commission meeting Thursday afternoon. The vote came after a heated argument between Dicesari and Commission President Anne Chenn over the county’s budget constraints. Dicesari said, “You’re [Chenn] putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy.” Dicesari also went on to say, “It is getting too costly to maintain the older vehicles and they spend too much time in the repair shop.” Chenn told Dicesari the sheriff’s department would have to make due this year because the county did not have the additional $580,000 it would cost to purchase new vehicles and hire new deputies. Chenn also noted that the county ran short of money this year because of increased costs of health care for employees, fuel, and $30 million the county had to spend to build a new prison to alleviate crowding. Commissioners Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne supported Dicesari, stating that the county should spend more money on the sheriff’s department and law enforcement than programs for migrant workers who come to the county to work. In response to the sheriff’s supporter’s claim, Commissioner Jose Gardez said that many of the migrant workers become permanent members of the community, open small businesses, and eventually earn citizenship. County commissioners estimate that there are around 5,000 migrant families now in the county working in agriculture, construction and service industry jobs.

News Summary #4

Headline:

Region rushes to prepare for another shot of winter weather

The federal government will be closed again Tuesday after the National Weather Service predicted another 10-20 inches of snow to fall on Washington D.C. Many metro rail lines have been shut down due to snow drifts on the tracks and officials are working hard to clear the half-buried trains before a layer of ice falls on them before th new predicted snow fall hits. Meanwhile, city officials are beginning to make way clearing streets throughout the district with much work ahead of them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020900663.html?sid=ST2010020503900

Writing contest entry...(couldn't add a file to my last post)

The Deafening Noise of Silence.

“…You cannot afford to think of being here to receive an education: you will do much better to think of being here to claim one”, stated Adrienne Rich at the convocation of Douglass College in 1977 and this declaration applies today just as well as it did then. Throughout my years in elementary school, middle school, and high school I was reserved. I was unable to speak up in class, whether I knew the answers to questions, had an opinion on a debate, or only to ask about material I did not understand. I found it difficult to get what I needed out of my classes by staying silent and I failed to “claim” my education. I was perfectly content to sit back and only “receive” an education, although the former was rightfully mine to reach for. I have come to find that in order to get what I desperately need, to succeed in my education and through life, I must be willing to step out of my comfort zone and speak up in school, or I risk wasting my time spent here. I was anticipated to graduate in 1997. However, decisions I made and paths I pursued deferred me from my intended destination. I spent eleven years kicking around in a vast array of odd jobs, none of which brought me any sort of satisfaction. Finally, I began to ponder the notion of returning to school and set out to receive my G.E.D. After taking the necessary steps I was able to take and pass the Exam. I began to discover some confidence, albeit a miniscule amount, in myself. Shortly after, I began working dissatisfying jobs once again but soon grew weary of them altogether. In 2008, I came to the conclusion that I needed to begin establishing a solid foundation for my future so I enrolled in Anoka Ramsey Community College. In an effort to acclimate myself into the process of beginning school once more, I selected only one course during the summer session. The course I chose was American Politics and Government. When I walked into my class on the first day of the term I was one of two students who arrived early. I placed my bags sheepishly next to my seat and slid down into the front row. I had decided to become pro-active and make the effort to claim as much knowledge from the course as possible. In the opening of the summer term I was extremely uneasy. Initially, I sat silently in my chair and attempted to disappear from the attention of the other students and the instructor. Soon I began to understand why I was feeling secluded from the rest of the class. Just as before, throughout all my former years in school, I refused to participate in class discussions and I failed to volunteer my perspective on various subjects without thought into how well informed I was on the matter. Eventually I came to the realization that if I didn’t do something immediately, I was on the brink of self-destruction. About a third of the way through the term I came to class determined to succeed. I refused to maintain my anonymity. I was going to speak up. This particular day, we were discussing the Iraq War and this was a subject I had strong convictions about. The instructor volunteered some thoughts and then left it up to the class to proceed with discussion. This was the moment I would choose to speak. I glanced around the room, searching for someone who would speak, thus providing a perfect segue for me to explode out of my internal suffocation. My quick scan of the surroundings provided me with no aid. The majority of the students were either staring into the screen of the computer in front of them or scribbling furiously in a notepad. It seemed there would be no relief from the grasp of apprehension upon my vocal cords. My hand shot up so abruptly it was as if I had the solution to all the world’s ailments and could not delay in illuminating the masses to my new found knowledge. When the instructor motioned for me to speak I felt my heart begin to gain momentum and pound so ferociously I felt it may burst from my pericardial cavity, through my chest, and race from the room as if I no longer needed it and the organ was destined for some other purpose. When I was able to gain my composure I began to speak and my preconceived notions of classmates throwing tomatoes at me, like I was some terrible comedian, disappeared. I was able to speak freely and fluently. My voice did not waiver and I no longer had any apprehension about the way the other students may have been thinking of me. When it was over, I did not die of a heart attack, I did not suffer brain hemorrhaging, and no one was laughing at me. The only criticism that I received was from within me. How convoluted was my hesitation? Why hadn’t I spoken sooner? Not long after my death defying moment of audacity the class period expired. I collected my bags which seemed to weigh a ton less than when I entered the room that evening and I walked back to my car. I couldn’t help but sit with a smirk on my face when I turned the ignition. I felt that I must have been the most daring man on earth in order to speak in front of all those critics. I had no need for my Volkswagen’s air conditioning system on that sweltering summer night, for I was the coolest customer around. I turned on the radio and pulled out of the parking lot free from burden. I am no longer hesitant in stating my opinions in front of the populace of my classes. I ask questions whenever I have one and feel no shame in doing so. I realize now that the people that I attend school with are in class for the same reasons as I am. We all wish to claim our education and become the adults we have always dreamed of becoming. The mistakes I made in the past have been left in the past and they will remain there. I have every opportunity now to break away from the withdrawn, meek individual I was and to be true to who I actually am. Since that day I have had no amount of dread in regards to public speaking. Each time I refused to converse in the classroom in the past, I wasn’t only wasting my instructors time, but mine as well. By my own doing I received a substandard education while I stayed silent. It wasn’t until I learned to leap beyond my qualms and express my ideas as well as my perspectives that I was able to finally make use of my time in college and “claim” my education.

ARCC...

My first day at ARCC was something I wasn't looking forward to. I had been out of High School for more than ten years when I decided to go back to college and do something different.

I was not enthused about going to a crappy community college in Cambridge but I would have

to make due.

I had taken a summer course to try and ease myself back into school life and I was pretty nervous

about having to walk in that day. Things were definitely not what I expected them to be. Most of the

students in the class were pretty laid back and so was the Professor; besides, American Politics and

Government, how hard can that be?

All in all it was an uneventful FIRST day. I am going to attach a file to this blog that I would like people

to check out though. This is an essay I wrote my first FULL semester at ARCC about a learning experience

in my life. It is much more entertaining than this blog post so anyone who cares to check it out...cool. (I also

won the ARCC writing contest with this essay so yeah, its that good!)

News Summary #3

Headline:

Afton 19-year-old charged with homicide in DWI crash death of friend

Alicia Rae Haupert, 19, was charged with criminal vehicular homicide Monday. Charges were filed after Haupert crashed her vehicle on Highway 95 S in Washington County Friday morning. Haupert and some friends had been drinking the night before and after the crash Haupert's blood alcohol level was .108. The legal limit is .80 in Minnesota. Haupert and two other women were in the vehicle when Haupert lost control and flipped the car, crashing into an electric pole, killing 20-year-old Andrea Barbara Zimmerman. Haupert and the owner of the car, Trisha Lee Hughes, 20, suffered minor injuries.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_14314113?nclick_check=1

Story 1

Two people were killed, and 20 others were injured after a devastating automobile accident along Interstate 790 in Cottage Grove this morning, police reported. Fire Chief Tony Sullivan stated that among the persons injured, four had life threatening injuries, including two who needed to be airlifted by Cottage Grove’s Life Flight helicopter to a trauma center in Statesville. Sullivan stated that when he arrived on the scene it resembled a war zone, with bodies laying all over the road, people covered in blood sitting next to their cars, emergency workers running from place to place trying to help the injured, and sirens wailing in the distance as more fire trucks and ambulances were hurrying to the scene. Sullivan went on to say that it was the worst thing he ever saw in his 18 years of experience with the fire department. Police believe the accident began when two tractor-trailers collided in the northbound lanes of the highway at 6:45 a.m., causing a chain reaction of other automobiles colliding. A total of four tractor- trailers and 14 cars were involved in the crash, according to Sgt. Albert Wei of the Cottage Grove police department. Firefighters had to cut the roofs off three of the cars to free the drivers and passengers that were inside. No major damage was done to the tractor-trailers involved, including one tanker hauling diesel fuel which managed to remain upright to prevent dumping the fuel and possibly catching fire, which would have further disrupted an already chaotic scene. Interstate 790 was shut down entirely after the crash and remained that way at 10 a.m. Wei said he had no idea how long it would stay that way. The usual Interstate 790 traffic was diverted to Interstate 690, on the eastern side of the city, backing up traffic for three hours.

News Summary #2

A 50-year-old man was found dying at La Quinta Hotel in St. Paul Thursday. The police had been responding to a disturbance call at the hotel where a party had been in progress in one of the rooms. The man, who's name has not been released to the public, suffered from a head injury when police found him and died Friday. Suspects have been arrested but no formal charges have been pressed as of yet.

http://www.twincities.com/stpaul/ci_14250985

The do's and don'ts (writing leads)

I am not very proficent in writing leads but I have learned to use the most vital (and attention grabbing) information available. By using the most pertinent, or unusual attention within a lead, you will bring the reader into the story. It is these first couple of sentences of a news story where a reader will decide to continue with the story or to move on. I know from personal experience that when I read a news story, if I am not interested in the story with the first 2 or 3 lines, I am through and moving on.

As far as don'ts in writing leads, I have learned that I should not use an overabundance of info. If I overwell the lead with statistics or just dry information the rest of the story is lost and there is not much room for development.

News Summary

Headline: White Bear Lake Hockey Coach Arrested in St. Paul prostitution sting



Police arrested the White Bear Lake Area High School’s girl’s hockey head coach last Tuesday after he responded to an advertisement posted on the internet soliciting sex for money as part of an undercover sting operation.
David Sperling, 45, has been placed on administrative leave by White Bear Public Schools after being informed of the charges against him.


http://www.twincities.com/ci_14217609?nclick_check=1

This is my blog.

I am Michael. I enjoy writing immensely. I have considered myself a writer for quite sometime. I am currently full-time at ARCC and have trasferred to the Coon Rapids campus this semester. During the fall '09 semester I was a staff writer for the InkSpot Newspaper on the Cambridge Campus. Mostly, I focused on opinion columns but also wrote news stories and features. I am full of opinion so I assume you will get alot of that from me on this blog. Good luck to everyone and happy readings!