Shattered Glass Reaction

The movie "Shattered Glass" was alot better than i expected. It showed how the journalism/communication world transpires when there are real life conflicts. The main character Stephen Glass, was under enormous amounts of pressure from his classes and his job, the New Republic magazine. He made the decision to fabricate stories and evidence to keep up with this grueling work load. Eventually it all caught up to him and he was found out. Glass was under huge amounts of scrutiny and kept digging himself in deeper holes by lying more. He ended up getting fired from his job, and starting a new life. The main thing i got out of this was if you do get caught doing something wrong, fess up right away. The consequences are way worse in the long run. This was surprisingly a good movie which had me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend it to any aspiring journalists.

This English class was a great 4th quarter class because of how independent it was. It allowed you to work at your own pace while learning new material. I also thought how the class integrated art elements such as photoshops with written assignments like the stories was great. It allowed for variety and never really made the class boring. Lastly, I thought the movie we watched at the end was good because it linked what we did in class. I'm extremely glad i took this class because i learned many things along with having fun.

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EDITORIAL

FEATURE STORY

                When you think of a “gamer” the stereotypical perception is an anti social kid who usually has little to no friends. However, with how more accessible technology has become more kids are starting to play videogames. High School is the time where most kids are finding out what their interests and hobbies are, and when you don’t know anybody; videogames can be a great medium. This was the case for myself, and many other of my friends. At first, I was only a recreational gamer who played a couple times a week for fun. However, when I received an XBOX on my birthday in 6^th grade, that all changed.

            With the ability to play online, it opens up a whole new way to submerge yourself in this virtual experience. In addition, this virtual experience can transfer over to real life when you meet who is behind the controller. This is the instance that happened with myself and many others that attend Eastview. Not knowing too many people coming into High School made me a little on edge and nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Still having an immature mindset and not having experienced too many crazy events so far in life I held the generic disposition about video games. Only nerds and geeks played them. However, I noticed on my XBOX “friends list” that there were many kids who I knew that were in my grade, and that even played more than me.

            Fast-Forward several years later and some of my best friends are the ones that I met through gaming. Staying up late, talking trash, and recalling funny moments all play in to the camaraderie that comes with playing videogames. One specific way to do all of this, even without the hassle of having to play online are LANS. These allow people to connect to a local adapter and play each other, without having to be connected to the internet. Spending hours upon hours sitting next to the same people lets you get to know each other a little better, allowing for better friendships. The game of choice for all of us has always been Halo. Whether it be Halo 2, 3, or Reach. When I asked Derek what his favorite game is, he responded with the same answer that I would have given, Halo 2. This has been the go to game for the past several years for the sole reason of replay ability. It never gets old. As Jake Goetz put it, “I can play this game for hours straight, and still feel like playing more. You can’t say that with most games.”

            With everything in life, gaming can conflict with important aspects. One of the biggest being school. Although, when I asked non-gamer Jack Yakowicz if he believed he had the upper hand with school compared to “gamers” he surprisingly retorted, “No.” “There are other distractions that get me besides gaming.” When I asked what these were he replied, “Computer. I usually waste a good 3-4 hours each day doing nothing that forwards my learning.” After hearing this response from the other side of the gaming spectrum, I felt a little better with my hobby.

            Moderation is key with anything in life, especially gaming. I learned this the hard way sophomore year. Not doing homework and only worrying about how many kills I got each game really made my grades suffer. I was barley pulling by and my mom was not having any of it. She took my XBOX and I was forced to get my priorities straight. In Hindsight, it was probably for the better because I learned how to organize my time and how to be semi-responsible. This brings up my point though, that parents can’t scapegoat videogames for causing a lull in their kid’s life, when they have no direct evidence. Playing for an hour or less a day isn’t going to negatively impact anyone’s life. On the Contrary, I believe it helps. It gives kids a chance to interact with people differently than they normally would in real life. The problem is when a person lets it take over their life.

            Many kids have grown up with videogames as an outlet to deal with life’s everyday drags. They allow somebody to be or do something that they cannot. Aside from that, they are simply fun. Too many negative perceptions have been placed on gaming because of the epidemic of obesity in America etc., People need to realize that it’s not the videogames that are ruining lives, but the people themselves. Videogames can also be a great way to keep yourself distracted from negative influences in life such as drugs or mischievous behavior. Instead of spending time doing non-productive things, kids can interact with each other and keep building relationships and networks that can help them out with the future. The impact gaming can have on a High School kid is surprising. If it’s being monitored and balanced with other important aspects in life, it can really help out a struggling adolescent.

            Lastly, videogames can have an impact on high school students by opening up a new career for the future; developing videogames, learning how to market them, etc. This is vital because without this option, some kids may just give up on their future because they believe they can’t do anything. Pursuing a career in videogames is smart for certain kids because it allows them to try something that they actually enjoy doing, and that is really important for future happiness. There is no sign of slowing down in the videogame industry. Especially with all the new technology that is being developed. The problem is most people still don’t know that these options exist. Whether it’s for 30 minutes or a couple hours, videogames can have a strong positive impact on a high school student’s life. The negative view that they’re only for nerds, or for kids still living in their mom’s basements needs to change. Times are changing and so are the possibilities for future generations. Stop limiting kids, and start branching out.

Interview Questions for feature news story

Derek Schatz: What got you into gaming? "One of my old friends had a Xbox and I used to play with him everyday." What is your favorite game? "Halo 2" What's your favorite memory of gaming? "The LANS that i've been too. It's always more fun to talk trash in person." What's the longest period of time you've played a game? "Haha, I'd say about 10 hours."

Jake Goetz: What was your first videogame system? "Xbox" About how many hours do you play per day? "Usually about a hour or two." Do you believe that gaming has negatively affected your academics? No, because if it wasn't gaming, it'd be something else."

Jack Yakowicz: Do you ever wish you would have started gaming? "No not really because i do bettter things." What's the longest you've played a game for a single peiod of time? "~ 40 minuets."
 Do you believe by not spending a portion of your time gaming, your academics improved? "No, because by not gaming I waste time on the computer."

Feature News Story Topic

My topic for my Feature News story is the Impact of Gaming in High School.