Go PSU?

The issue of this radio piece was to investigate how much students at Penn State actually drink. In 2009, we were voted the #1 Party School in the U.S. This sparked lots of interest for many and so journalists came to see what really went on in State College after dark.

I feel that the audience is very diverse. This piece could be for students to show them how it effects the people living in the area. It could also be interesting for local business owners, residents, and just about anyone who lives in a college town or who is interested in the "#1 Party School."

The broadcast interviews different groups such as the students, local residents, business owners, and alumni. Many of the students interviewed, if not all of them, are drunk at the time and are asked questions about what they were doing and what typically happens when they go out. They encountered a couple male students that had stolen a stop sign out of a nearby corner. When they interviewed they local residents and business owners most of them talked about what crazy things students have done like sleeping in their houses and peeing in their yards. Business provided tips when it comes to dry cleaning and delivering food, especially hot wings. The journalists also interview Penn State alumni and, surprisingly, they are a fan of the drinking. Some consider it a form of entertainment and most partake themselves.

By the end of the report, the journalists conclude that the amount that students drink will not decrease. Students and staff are well aware of how much is being consumed and that there have been alcohol related deaths in the past such as the case of Joe Dado in 2005 where a male freshman fell to his death in an outside stairwell when walking home alone from a night of partying. Penn State promotes safe drinking over abstinence and student know that they should stay with friends to stay safe.

The broadcast featured clips of speeches that Graham Spanier spoke about PSU being voted the #1 Party School. He said that the students get online and vote and when Penn State students want to be voted #1, he has to clean up the mess. Since Spanier started at Penn State, he has preached about drinking. This sparked controversy, so he has been preaching less, but still promotes safe drinking.

I personally loved this piece. I actually sat down and just listened to it from start to finish. I loved how we heard from different people and they each had their own group to interview. My favorite part was when they asked the two male students where they got the stop sign and when they said that the found it the host told them that they didn't need to know their names they said, "In that case we got it from over there." Priceless. I loved the comic side of the story, but I also liked when they got down to it and talked about the serious consequences that come when drinking so heavily. I feel that the journalists covered just about every aspect. I loved their use of anecdotes and facts. I feel that this broadcast was put together very well and targeted multiple audiences and kept the interest of the listeners. I wouldn't change a thing about this piece. It was by far my favorite and I thought everything flowed well together.

When in Doubt, Let it Out

I am nowhere near, and I probably never will be close to, Anne Lamott's level of writing. Throughout her life, she has picked up several tips on how to write and not only that, but write well. Tips on things like writer's block, how to research and have other's help you, revisions, listening to your intuition and so much more.

The piece of advice that Lamott has talked about that I find most important is to follow your intuition. When you begin a book, you may not know exactly where it will end, but if you listen and pay attention to the work and let it lead you, it will end wonderfully. You may feel hesitant about doing the work, but if you just go with the flow and let happen what will happen, it has the potential to be a masterpiece. Anne talks about an old Mel Brooks routine in the chapter titled Broccoli where a psychiatrist tells his patient, "Listen to your broccoli, and your broccoli will tell you how to eat it." Just like listen to you your work and it will tell you how to write it or what the next step is.

I loved the advice about intuition because a lot of the time I find myself pushing too hard for an idea that I'm not even happy with. If I just see what has been written and follow my intuition, I can write a story that flows and ends well. Not only this, but I feel that it's a piece of advice that can be used elsewhere too. Following your intuition on just about anything can eventually lead you to the right place. I feel that this advice goes well with the revision process she uses as a writing technique. Sometimes once you write something it's still not all quite right. When you write you may see something that you didn't before and your intuition can tell you to scratch what you just wrote and try another approach.

All in all, I loved everything that Anne Lamott used to get her points across. She was so down to earth that it made it easy to understand and interesting to follow. She was a normal person like you or me that just so happened to pick up a few tricks along the way that made her a fantastic writer. Thankfully, she passed these tricks on to some of us less-than-fantastic writers and I hope that we can make her proud.

Analysis of Confessions of a Bad Teacher

In Confessions of a Bad Teacher, the writer, John Owens, tells the story of his time at Latinate Institute in New York and the many diverse students he worked with. He begins his memoir with a short depiction of the interaction between him and his students when they sing the “Star-Spangled Banner." By goofing around with the kids as they butcher the National Anthem he shows the readers that he is not an uptight person, he has fun with his students.

In the next scene, he talks about his interview for the job. A teacher that has been in the system for 20+ years tells him to just run away because the principal will give him a U which, for new teachers, is basically a mark of death. He finally gets a chance to prove himself by doing a teaching demonstration for a group of 11th grade kids in summer school in front of the assistant principal and some teachers. The students were learning about "The Diary of Anne Frank" and he asked the class if they were going into hiding and they didn't know how long they'd be gone, what they would take. They goofed around saying things like their Blackberry or Pringles, which he quickly got under control, therefore proving to the assistant principal that he could handle it and he got the job.

He soon sees how difficult it can be trying to control a group of students that do not want to learn on his own. Through it all, the students grow to have respect for him because he is not like most of the teachers. Owens tries to relate to the students and be more on their level, like the time there was a girl acting out and refusing to listen. She tells him to "back it up" so he snaps back with the lyrics to a popular rap song from 1999.

After finding original methods to help the students focused and in control he is labeled as a bad teacher. He is finally compatible in a class of 9th grade students, but is soon let go for his out of the ordinary tactics. This story is about a teacher's struggle to be considered a good teacher not only in the eyes of his students, but in the eyes of other educators. He had to quit and go back to what he knew. This is relevant because I'm sure there are still teachers today dealing with the same issues: How do I control my students? How do I get them to want to learn? etc.

The audience may be to other administrators or to students to see how they affect their teachers. John Owens' use of dialogue gave the story life and helped us vision the characters. In my writing I know I will be using enough dialogue to bring my stories a life of their own.