Bob Dylan Concert Review

Everybody loves a good concert, especially when a living legend happens to be the one headlining the show.

When I first heard that Bob Dylan was coming to the Mullins Center on Friday, November 19, my first thought was that I had to go so that I could say that I saw one of the most prolific musicians to ever play live and in concert.

Once I bought my ticket and that thought was properly handled, I was a little nervous going into the show.

It is no surprise that Dylan’s age has shown over the past 15 years in his performances: many people have heavily criticized his voice as having left the building years ago, along with stating that he does not interact enough with the crowd during the course of the show.

Walking into the event, I was not sure what to expect-so many different opinions were floating around in my head about what he was going to be like that I just had to block it all out and hope for the best.

When I found my seat (on the floor, about 15 rows away from the stage), all I could do is scroll through my iPod and pick out which songs I wanted him to play, which ones I hoped he would avoid, and which ones I thought he could possibly get a surprise musical guest to play with, if there would be one.

After about 10 minutes or so, the lights finally dimmed and the crowd rose to their feet (the ones that were not too old to stand, anyway).  Dylan and his band got on the stage in an almost unassuming fashion, taking their places as they did a quick tune of their instruments, just to make sure everything sounded just right.

Then it happened.

There were no song introductions, there were side notes.  Anecdotes were absent as were backgrounds.  “Grandpa Bob” did not come to the stage to speak of what was or how it was going to be.

He just led his band, like he always did, and let his music do the talking.

Throughout the show, he played the keyboard, the guitar and the harmonica intermittently, transitioning between instrument just as smoothly as he did through song.  His voice was both a disappointment and a pleasant surprise in the fact that, though it was mostly gone and undecipherable in the slower songs, was stronger than expected and in tune with the faster, bluesier music that came off of his last few albums.

The band was well-versed and organized, and brought a newer blues spin to an artist I knew of mostly as a folk and classic rock legend.  Each deep guitar call and modest drum beat complemented the lead man well, revealing another face to his musical identity.

As the music played, the band (especially Dylan himself) did practically no interaction with the crowd at all.  The light show behind them was simply a slide show projection of different backgrounds that seemed carefully hand-picked for each song, with soft yellow lights finding their ways to each of the performers.

Nobody seemed to mind though.  They, college senior and senior citizen alike, were all too busy listening to a musical icon to really notice.

After a two hour performance that seemed to fly by faster than a summer’s breeze, Dylan and his band ended the night with “Forever Young,” and though his voice had shown his age, his love for stage seemed just as fresh as it did over 50 years ago.  Then, Bob introduced the members that played behind them, and the group left the stage just as they had taken it:

Unassuming and undramatic, with a quiet confidence that screamed professionalism, as they proceeded onward to the next stop in a tour that, as long as Dylan can still breathe, will really never stop.

November 3rd Quiz

I. REWRITE THIS LEAD PARAGRAPH INTO TWO PARAGRAPHS, BASED ONLY ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE.
TEHRAN — The country of Iran on Tuesday, a day coinciding with busy traffic in downtown Tehran, its historic capital city, celebrated the start of the process of loading 163 fuel rods into the core of its first nuclear power plant reactor, putting it within months of operation and reinflaming concern in diplomatic circles that the country is interested not in generating electricity, but in making warheads that could threaten its Middle East neighbors, particularly Israel.

TEHRAN–On a bustling Tuesday afternoon in Tehran, the historic Iranian capital worked to complete the installation of 163 fuel rods into the core of its first ever nuclear power plant reactor.

The reactor, which is within months of operation, has been refueling concern that Iran is looking produce nuclear warheads that could be used to attack its neighbors in the Middle East, particularly Israel, and not to provide the country with a more advanced power supply.

II. WHAT KEY FACTS ARE MISSING FROM THE FOLLOWING LEADS? EXPLAIN WHAT’S LOST BY THE ABSENCE.

– 1. WASHINGTON, Nov 3 (Reuters) – The party’s big victories in Congress could compel a second look at parts of President Barack Obama’s sweeping healthcare overhaul, but any changes will be subtle and a far cry from the blanket repeal vowed by leaders.
Democrats’ continued control of the Senate, albeit with a smaller majority and with veto power, leave the Republicans with only a weak hand in trying to push through aggressive changes.

In the opening sentence, it doesn’t make clear for the reader which political party is garnering the “big victories.”  It also doesn’t clearly distinguish which side is in favour of the plan and which is begging for the changes to take place, but only that the Democrats have much more power than the Republicans.  This can be a big deterrent for somebody who doesn’t know a lot about politics, because they could pick this lead up and not know where it’s going with the  story or who’s with which side.

– 2. (USA TODAY) Sunday’s New York City Marathon may be the first time that the crowd is more interested in a runner who’s way, way back in the pack than the leaders.
Edison Pena tells the New York Daily News he hopes to break 4 hours even though he has never run further than 10 miles.

The opening line is worded awkwardly and really doesn’t make much sense at first glance.  The Marathon is the first time that the crowd is interested in someone further back behind the leaders is what it can be boiled down to, instead of saying that this is the first race in which the crowd is more excited to see a middle-of-the-pack runner than a standard leader.  The runner is also awkwardly introduced into the lead and is placed poorly; he should be introduced earlier so that the reader can understand who the article is about.

– 3. (HOUSTON CHRONICLE) DALLAS — A coroner says toxic levels of cocaine, PCP and Ecstasy caused the accidental death of a suspect after Dallas police shocked him with a Taser. The report from the Dallas County medical examiner’s office involves the Sept. 12 death of 30-year-old Freddie Lee Lockett.
The Dallas Morning News, for its Wednesday editions, reported a Taser was used on Lockett at least six times.

First thing, we don’t know why Lockett is a suspect or what he’s a suspect for, which can really confuse and throw off the reader.  Next, the lead is ordered poorly and is confusing for the reader.  It should state that a coroner from the Dallas County medical examiner’s office has determined that toxic levels of cocaine, PCP and Ecstasy, not the taser used by the Dallas police officer,  were the cause of death for 30-year-old Freddie Lee Lockett.  When worded properly, a lead can be easy to read and easy to absorb.  Also, the second paragraph in the lead is not really necessary, or can at least be reworded also.

– 4. SAN FRANCISCO — More than 100,000 Giants fans, dressed in black and orange, lined the streets of San Francisco on Wednesday for a ticker-tape parade. The parade paid homage to the route taken when the Giants were first welcomed to San Francisco in 1958.

First off, the lead doesn’t even make clear that the Giants won the World Series–that fact has somehow been omitted from the story.  Second, we don’t know what sports league the team’s a part of, how many times they’ve won the world series since coming from New York to San Francisco (0 times), or even the fact that they came from New York in the first place in 1958.  We don’t know why they’ve lined the streets, and we’re left to wonder why this story is even important in the first place that’s how badly it’s informed.  The reader doesn’t understand the significance or the importance of the fact that the team has it’s first World Series win since it moved to San Francisco.

III. LIST THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN A SPEECH STORY. EXPLAIN IMPORTANCE OF THREE OF THEM.

The essential elements in a speech story are what was said (the speaker’s main point), the setting or the reason behind the speech, who spoke (name and identification), and any unusual occurrence.

The what was said in the speech is the the idea or point that the speaker’s trying to convey to the public.  It’s the focus issue that the speaker feels the people need to hear about, whether it’s restricted to a certain community (such as the population of a certain city) or to the nation as a whole.

The speaker himself (or herself) is critical to the significance of the speech overall.  The speaker could be anyone from a town mayor to the president, or a survivor to a philanthropist-he himself is half of the story in the speech.

An unusual occurrence is what can turn a boring, mundane speech into something important or memorable.  When the speaker takes an unexpected turn to prove a point or the speaker is attacked by someone in the crowd with a shoe, for instance, the speech can gain that much more coverage or importance to that cause.

—

IV.

SOURCING CASE STUDY: You are told on a reporting visit to the local police station that a detective has been placed on leave and there is an inquiry under way into objects missing from the department’s evidence room.
What are the first steps you take to get this story? Include specifics on sourcing.

I would first ask the commissioner about the detective; for instance, what his ranking on the squad is, how long he’s been there, his history within the system, whether or not he’s had incidents or claims filed against him, and if he has any affiliations with other organizations or groups.

As far as the evidence room goes, I would ask what items went missing from the vault, what their value is, when they went missing (does it correlate with when the detective went on leave?), what time of the day/night they were suspected to have disappeared, who discovered their absence, and who they thought was a possible lead into the case.

I would also ask the commissioner if he though the detective and the missing evidence were related.

Charles Baker

It’s only fitting that Massachusetts Gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker addressed his supporters at the Boston House of Blues following his loss to Deval Patrick on Tuesday night.

Baker, who garnered 41% of the vote compared to Patrick’s 49%, was not afraid to take pride in what his campaign was able to accomplish over the past year.  He made sure to thank his family, staff, and supporters for their hard work, all without losing his trademark sense of humour.

“At the end of the day, things didn’t turn out the way we thought they would,” Baker said in his concession speech.  “We fought the good fight…but we are all still the people of the great state of Massachusetts.  This just means no more marching in parades for a while.”

Baker was also gracious in his defeat, as he asked the crowd to pledge their support with him to Governor Patrick.

“All of the candidates in this race had the best interests of the Commonwealth at heart,” Baker said.  “Governor Patrick had told me that, if he won, he would incorporate some of our policy ideas into his agenda.  If the governor is able to take some of our ideas and get them through then there will be no one happier about it than me.”

 

UMass Construction Projects Approved

The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees committee approved $546 million dollars worth of construction projects that would benefit all five campuses on Wednesday.

The building program, which has already spent $2 billion over the last decade, aims to improve the campuses further with new academic, housing, and parking facilities.

“The University of Massachusetts has been building world-class facilities in keeping with its recent designation as one of the best universities in the world,” said President Jack M. Wilson.  “These are facilities that our students need to have a world-class learning experience.”

The construction is being seen to many as not only an improvement with the facilities, but also as fiscally smart and economically stimulating.

Whately Farmer Sunk for Damaging Wetlands

Farmer James Pasiecnik has been ordered by the EPA to restore more than 17 acres of freshwater wetlands in Whately, MA, that he altered for expanded farmland.

Pasiecnik, who owns J. M. Pasiecnik Farms, had “grubbed, graded, filled, and altered approximately 17.3 acres of wetlands” on his farm in order to expand his growing fields said the EPA in a news release from the New England Regional Office.

He will be required to restore the 17+ acres to their previously undisturbed state by “removing all dredged and/or filled material” along with consulting with the Natural Resources Conservation Service on how to properly irrigate the wetlands.

Pasiecnik and his workers had been altering the wetlands from 1984 through 2005 without a federal permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, as required under the Clean Water Act.

Post-Occupation in Iraq

One of the big things that dictate our country’s foreign policy right now is the war in Iraq.  Now, over seven years later, President Obama has withdrawn the last combat troops from the country, signifying an end of an era.  More importantly than the end, however, is the beginning of a new era for the oft troubled country.  Now that occupation is all but over, it is now America’s job to help Iraq rebuild itself from the ground up into a politically, socially, and economically stable nation.  The US is now assuming the same role that it had previously taken in Japan and Germany after WWII and in South Korea after the Korean War, in that it, by military and economic means, it will work to restore a country it had ripped apart.  Its work there is critical in the development of both Iraq and the Middle East as a whole, and thus should be covered heavily and scrutinized thoroughly.

Library Story

Every body goes to libraries to learn, work, and study for a plethora of different classes and projects.  Whether it’s Journalism 300 or Botany for Gardeners 110 or Astrophysics 251, the library is a place where people can go and build upon their knowledge of classes, crafts, and career choices.

How they work there, though, can be as different as the subjects they study, and UMass has tried to address that fact.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has taken their W.E.B. DuBois Library and expanded the basement’s Learning Commons to accommodate all types of students, study habits, and needs so that all may be able to use the library to work to their full potential.

The expansion, which was completed before the 2009 fall semester, cost $8.5 million and includes accommodation for two hundred more students, over a million dollars worth of new computers and software, wireless internet throughout, both private and public learning spaces, and 30,000 square feet of space.

Many students, including 21 year old Eric Filiou, appreciate the efforts.

“I think they did a great job with this place,” said Eric, a freshman on the UMass hockey team from Montreal, Quebec.  “There are always lots of open spots, the computers are pretty available, and the internet’s fast.  Studying and writing papers here is much better than trying to bust it out in the dorms.”

He is certainly not alone in his opinion.

“It is always good working here,” said Jean Robert, a 36 year old exchange student.  “It’s more accessible now then before, it’s even easier to work and study here, and I can get much more accomplished.”

His views, however, were not all positive.

“The issue that I do have with it is, I feel that, because they spent so much money on making it bigger, student fees will go up to compensate for it,” said Jean.  “For a lot of people where bills are tight and extra money is scarce, I feel that this is taking away from what they can work with.”

There are also those who feel that the University may have done too much in expanding the library.  Take, for example, Justin VanGoor.

“I think it’s good, but it’s also a bit excessive,” Justin said.  “Don’t get me wrong, I love it here: I’m here three to four times a week to work on papers for my biology major, and the computer availability and printer access are definitely a plus for me, but there are things I would have done differently.  For instance [pointing to a large Mac monitor], this kind of computer seems to me to be a bit excessive.  I feel like, if they would have gotten just one size smaller on these Macs that they would have saved a bunch of money.”

He went on to add that he wasn’t pleased with what went on in the group spaces.

“I wish there was an easier way to enforce people to do work, like more quiet hours and such.  I mean, when I hear kids playing pong in one of the group rooms, it just reminds me of why I left the dorm room to study.”

Though many students have their opinions on the details of the expansion, one thing is for certain: the library will remain one of the key components of the curriculum.

Quiz #1

Journalism 300 QUIZ / Sept. 29, 2010

Provide short definitions and purposes of the following:

– The lead.

The lead is the introduction to a news story that summarizes the event in a way that allows for more in-depth coverage and conversation further on in the article.  It provides the reader with the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the event.

– Nut graph or billboard graph.

A nut graph or billboard graph is used to write about a story in a manner that finds the humanizing elements of the story, but one that also doesn’t have to answer all the questions that a lead does (if the conditions allow for that to happen).   A nut graph is also written about news that is not immediate (it can be two days old or older) and is used to tell an interesting story that otherwise would only receive minimal coverage.

– Delayed lead.

A delayed lead is when the writer of a story (most commonly a feature story) begins his article not with straight forward information, but an introduction that begins as if he or she was narrating a story to the reader.  It is often used to bring the reader in further and to peak their interests, so that they’ll keep reading on and take something out of the story.  A delayed lead may begin describing a person’s specific conditions in a hospital room, or how a baseball game means much more to one of the players than a state championship title.

– Subject-verb-object sentence construction.

The sentence opens up with the subject, shows what the subject does (i.e. the verb) and what receives the action (the object).  This format is used in news writing because it easily points out to the reader who did what to what/whom, and can then be used to explain why the news itself is important.  The fact that it’s simple and to the point excellently gets the news across to the reader in the shortest amount of time possible for them to be able to process the information easily.

– Multiple element lead.

A multiple element lead is a lead that brings two or more different facets of a story to light in the story’s introduction.  It can, for example, discuss how two politicians (like, say, a Republican and a Democrat) approach the same issue differently at the same time.  Different points of the same story are raised and open for the reader’s enjoyment.

——-

Choose a recent news event and discuss how coverage of it would have been guided by underlying principles of news value (timeliness, impact, prominence, proximity, conflict, the unusual, currency, necessity).

The recent primaries occurring across the country have proved very important to national politics, especially considering the rise of the Tea Party to the national spotlight.  The coverage that would result from the primaries is around the clock, because every candidate that wins the primary is a potential pendulum from which the parties may swing from.  The impact is considerable, for with each primary candidate that emerges victorious there exist several chain reactions that can change the face of the areas’ political games (will voters choose differently because they don’t like the candidate?, will  that party’s views on an issue change with the candidate? etc.).  Every political story that comes out these days always has a strong sense of prominence amongst the public, especially when it’s as proximal and as conflicting as the primaries are.  The fact that so many primaries are happening at once in several different states makes it a national story as well as local, and with each candidate that rises and falls amongst the ballot spears of his or her voters, its sure to make an enticing conflict story.  The unusual aspect of the story would be the rise of the Tea Party to national prominence in an electoral arena.  Just think; a relatively young political movement has already gained enough momentum on the tracks to see candidates of it’s beliefs win primaries and be in the running for important seats of power and influence.  Currency is an obvious factor in the primaries considering so many issues are in the air at the moment.  Immigration and economic issues are running strong with the American public, not to mention issues concerning the war in the Middle East.  Finally, necessity is big on this story.  People need to know who is running for and against their political views and ideologies, their beliefs and their approaches to how their district and state and government should be run and managed.  Elections are always necessary, for their current values on issues to their collective callback to the need to establish and maintain a democracy of, by, and for the people.  This is a collection of news stories that cannot be overlooked.

——-

Write a short, energetic lead for a story you know well (i.e. 9/11, historic moment, sports event).

In a moment worthy of Olympic gold, Sydney Crosby scored the overtime game-winning goal in Team Canada’s 3-2 win over Team USA in the Vancouver Winter Olympics Sunday night.

——-

Critique the story lead below. Explain what reporter may have been seeking to achieve in each of the numbered segments.

LEAD:

By ANDREW MARTIN
The New York Times
Is a football mainly for children? What about a Halloween costume or a model train? (1)

(1)–This is definitely a delayed lead that is looking to draw a reader into a story, particularly a parent or grandparent or someone who works closely with children, because the writer feels that these people most importantly should read the story.

None of the above, manufacturers say, as a new federal crackdown on dangerous toys has left some in the industry crying foul and not wanting to play. (2)

(2)–This really shifts the attention of the reader into a serious mode, while still retaining the original subject of the story (the kids).  The point of the story is now being brought to light (with a slight element of fear to really grab the reader’s attention).

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been swamped with requests to exempt playthings from the new regulations, put in place after extensive toy recalls several years ago. (3)

(3)–This shows how hard hit the industry is after such regulations and how much people want things fixed for their businesses.  Children’s toys are such a big market that people feel that, to put regulations on them, is to put unfair restrictions on their enterprises as opposed to other businesses that are more diverse.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 gave the commission the job of defining a “children’s product” — which includes such things as toys, clothing and household goods — and eventually enforcing the act. But coming up with that definition has become so difficult that the commission has postponed votes three times. (4)

(4)–The issue itself is such a hot-button one that, though the intentions are good and meaningful, the path(s) to getting there have been shaky and unclear from the start.  Business is in a large conflict with public safety and both have valid points to their arguments.

Another vote is scheduled for Wednesday, but it is unclear if the five commissioners — three Democrats and two Republicans — can reach an agreement this time. A spokesman for the commission declined to comment. (5)

(5)–This shows the two sides to the conflict in a more human perspective to the story; one can assume the Republicans stand for the businesses and the Democrats stand for the public safety.

Critics of the crackdown argue that it heaps additional costs on small, American-based businesses that were not responsible for the tainted toys, many of which were made in China for large toy companies. So many manufacturers want out — even if their arguments may leave some children scratching their heads. (6)

(6)–This shows how complex the story is, how close to home it hits on so many levels, and how there isn’t a clear opportunity for conflict resolution in sight anytime soon.  The story itself is worth more coverage, more analysis, and more perspectives from more people (leading the reader to buy more copies of the paper to read up on what happens).
END of LEAD

——-
OPTIONAL QUESTION: You are about to knock on the door of the home of a man killed in an accident at a dangerous intersection. How will you explain why family members should speak with you?

I would explain to the people who I was, that I was covering the story, and that I was writing about the accident in efforts to get the attention of important city officials so that the intersection could be rebuild or redesigned, so that accidents like that wouldn’t happen again.  I would try to tell them (in the most sensitive way possible) that his death could be used to save the lives of other drivers if his story was brought to the public’s light.

60 Minutes with Sydney Fiorentino

The effect that sports has on a person’s life path can be empowering, strong, and all-encompassing to several degrees.  They can be someone’s passion, their career path, their link to their childhood, and even their cause for action in life.

Just take Sydney Fiorentino for example.

As a child growing up in southern New Jersey, Sydney found that sports were not just games that were limited to only the boys.

“I played a variety of sports when I was a kid,” said Fiorentino.  “I played soccer and softball, I did ballet, I tried field hockey, and I even played lacrosse my freshman and sohpmore year of high school.  They were fun, but I never really had a true passion for them.”

Problem is, the sport she loved most growing up had no place for her, no matter how badly she wanted to play.

“I always loved football, ever since I was eight years old,” said Fiorentino.  “But, being a girl, there was never any opportunity to play.  It’s always been my favourite sport to watch, read about, discuss, write on, etc.  It started when I fell in love with watching the Dallas Cowboys (which is still my favourite team) and learning about the great franchise they’ve been throughout the years.  Now, it has grown into me learning as much as I can about all the teams, the rules of the game, plays, and everything and anything else about the sport.”

Though football may be her reason to keep Sunday as the sabbath for six months out of the year, Sydney found her true love in horseback riding.

“It wasn’t until I was fourteen and started to horseback ride that I knew this was the sport I was “destined” to participate in,” she said.  “I’ve been riding for six years, mainly doing English-style riding (dressage, hunt seat, pleasure). I tired Western-style riding briefly, but I was just drawn to graceful look of English.  Also, I never felt as alive as when I was jumping.  To me, it’s the closest I will ever get to being able to fly… I know that sounds silly, but that is always how I felt, since the first time I jumped on a horse.  Horseback riding truely is my passion.”

With such passion and devotion to the sports she loves, it’s clear that Sydney is destined to pick up a career that beckons to the games that mean so much to her.

Well, it’s about as clear a possibility as an onside kick at this point.

“To be honest, I am not really sure if I want to become a sports journalist,” said Fiorentino.  “As much as I love sports, sometimes I am not sure if thats the direction I want to take my career.  Other times, though, I could picture myself working for ESPN.  If anything, I’d love to announce football… as a woman, I know that would be a challenge, but I am always up for a challenge.  I’d like to break the stereotype of women only being sideline reporters.  Just because we can’t play the game doesn’t mean we don’t know what we are talking about!”

Regardless of what her future in the journalism business may be, she’s confident in the fact that she’ll always have her sports to enjoy and take part in.

“I feel I’m going to have a strong future in journalism, once I figure out exactly it is that I want to do.  If it doesn’t happen to be in sports thats fine.  I am still going to watch NFL games religiously during the season, and I will always horseback ride. I’m addicted to completely opposite sports… they’re kind of like beauty and the beast, so different… but they make me happy.  And I guess they just show how dynamic I am… I can be graceful but some days you just want to play rough.”

Hopes and Expectations for the Course

Hi, this is David Martin, and I completely understand what the course expects of me and I swear to live up to them.

I really want to take away from this class not only a better understanding of how to write for a newspaper, but also how to better use online media to my advantage, especially blogging (I’m absolutely terrible with computers).

In my writing, I want to make sure that I’m better able to write in a journalistic format, that I can really focus on making the facts a priority, and that I can write so that it both captivates and excites the reader’s perspective (just an example, I’d love to be able to cover sports the same way that Peter Gammons and Buster Olney do).