final article

In a time where the WSU football team has fallen from the view of the national audience, one WSU football squad is receiving national recognition for their performance.

With Head Coach Paul Wulff leading the football team that is growing in talent, another team is looking to gain more recognition in the following few years: rugby as a sport looking to gain much national attention.

“Rugby has been exponentially getting more and more popular among college students and sports fans in general,” WSU rugby captain Cameron Soller said.  “WSU rugby has always had a reputation for running hard and hitting big and now we will get a chance to display that talent on a national level.”

WSU rugby recently participated in an invitational rugby sevens tournament with a fairly inexperienced squad, traveling with mostly freshman.  However, the Cougars played with a strong and determined to show the attending crowd what WSU rugby was all about.  Coming out a little banged up the Cougars finished with a few victories including a close match against rivals UW.

Participating in the invitational was a big step in WSU rugby receiving possible nation wide television coverage.

“I was really excited when we received the invitation to the tournament," WSU rugby Head Coach Matt Hudson said.  “The staff responsible for putting on the event had said that there was a very good chance that if the tournament went well this year then it would be televised next year, which it did and it most likely will.”

Playing against many PAC-10 opponents during their division one schedule, WSU rugby looks to climb the ranks this semester starting off their season ranked 21 in the nation.

In order to keep the team in shape for the newly revised one semester schedule, head coach Matt Hudson signed the cougs up for a division two schedule against teams like ranked Eastern Washington University and Gonzaga University.  The Cougars won all of their matches except for a close match against University of Montana.

“The WSU Cougars have a very strong program this year as they have had in the past,” writer for Rugby Magazine Joshua Young said.  “Despite graduating some key players, they handily defeated all of their opponents this fall, it may have been division two but there are still some good teams in that division.”

Despite being ranked in the past, WSU rugby has been unable to travel for playoffs in past years.  The Cougars qualified for playoffs and a chance at the national title 4 out of the last 5 years but were unable to attend.

The WSU women’s rugby team has also had a good amount of success in recent years.  Building a strong program the women’s team won a division two national title last year.  Further influencing them to bump up their competition to competing in a division one schedule.

Whit the men’s rugby team starting the year ranked in the top 25, the playoffs seem imminent.

Hudson said, “We have had a lot of help this year in terms of funding from our alumni and the chili cook-off we put on this year both helped raise lots of money for the team.  Needless to say we are pumped.”

Sources:

Matt Hudson:

Mudson08@hotmail.com

(253) 376-5734

Cameron Soller

Comeronsoller@live.com

(253) 606-6333

Joshua Young

joshuayoung@yahoo.com

(253) 740-7857

Background:

            I was talking with some of my friends trying to figure out what I should write about for this final article and one of them suggested I speak to his uncle who used to be a journalist for a local newspaper over in Bellingham.  I contacted Nick Wyatt and quickly realized his skills in evaluating newsworthy topics and in journalism in general.  I had some thoughts I shared with him for a story idea.  I wanted to write about why Seattle is always under fire when it comes to their efficiency in snow control whereas Pullman never seems to have an issue.  We quickly waved off that idea and determined that it was more of an answer that if someone wanted to know they could hop onto google and find out.  I also wanted to write about the possibility of the Sonics returning to Seattle but also disregarded that story idea discussing that it would be more of a conspiracy story than a news article.  He suggested writing about the Wikileaks guy but I told him that we had done a segment on it in class and didn’t know if that would show much creativity on my part.  I told him about how our rugby team has been ranked and we joked about our football team and stumbled upon this story.

secret

I fear death but i can't feel it.

ethics

Dilemma: We have a moral dilemma here because this girl who accused these men of rape has been considered by a court of law to have been a willing participant and we do not want to embarrass her or ruin her reputation by alluding to the fact that she is either a liar or she is a scandalous individual.

Alternatives: Alternatives could be describing her occupation and living situation to at least give us a background on who or how this person lives. or if she is a student describe that and the university she attends.

Justification:  She didn't want to be interviewed so we can assume then that she wouldn't want her name smeared all over the press.

edit your peers

Help a classmate. Fix the following sentences:

1. Beat Officer Chris Engle, who wrote Felt’s citation, agrees minors drinking will remain an issue in Pullman and that Beat officers are important in helping control underage drinking.

2. According to the data, WSU reported no homicides, two aggravated assaults, and several other incidence.

3. “If it was not for financial aid,” Smith said. “Then I would have had a much harder time getting my Bachelor’s degree; not to mention my Master’s.”

4. "Though the university is losing money," Jones said.  " It is also receiving applications from more potential students."

5. The Whitman County housing market decreased 31 percent this year. (Shorten by five words)

6. Stephanie Marie, a 22-year-old student at Seattle University, did not know the risks of unprotected sex. (Correct and shorten by three words.)

7. The Washington State Liquor Control Board is in the process of banning the caffinated malt liquor beverage, Four Loco, from shelves on Nov. 18. (Combine into one sentence and cut any unnecessary words.)

8. Legislators uphold their belief that the ban on cell phone use while driving will eventually lower accident rates despite criticism for its lack of change so far.

9. Police said they do not know who attended the party last month.

Public records

November 29, 2010



Dear ,
Pursuant to the state open records law, Ala. Code Secs. 36-12-40 to 36-12-41, I write to request access to and a copy of records regarding accurate information about all properties in Whitman countty, taxes paid by property owners.. If your agency does not maintain these public records, please let me know who does and include the proper custodian’s name and address.
I agree to pay any reasonable copying and postage fees of not more than $. If the cost would be greater than this amount, please notify me. Please provide a receipt indicating the charges for each document.
I would request your response within ten (10) business days.
If you choose to deny this request, please provide a written explanation for the denial including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely. Also, please provide all segregable portions of otherwise exempt material.
Please be advised that I am prepared to pursue whatever legal remedy necessary to obtain access to the requested records. I would note that Alabama courts have awarded court costs and attorney fees to parties who have successfully sued for access to public information. In addition, state law imposes criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment, upon those who knowingly fail to comply with a lawful request for records. Ala. Code Secs. 13A-10-12(a)(3) and 36-12-64.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
+Will Dornes

good leads

13. Illegally downloaded software can cost $100,000 or more per program along with fines and imprisonment for criminal consequences, according to the WSU Business Policies and Procedures.

7. Over the last couple of years, “going green” has been integrated into becoming a large part of American culture, and WSU is doing everything possible to keep up.

Trend story

The Whitman County housing market experienced a 31 percent decrease in home sales in the past year and property values continue to diminish in a struggling economy.

“They always say that land is a good place to invest your money,” homeowner Patrick Swenson said.  “But at this point it feels more like a burden than a benefit.”

“I don’t have much trouble paying my mortgage despite the recession because I’ve managed to stay employed,” Swenson said.  “But it seems that the more I pay for the house the less its worth.”

Swenson is not alone.  Home resale values around the state have declined by 4.2 percent according to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research.  With current home values in the state averaging $248,900, a homeowner looking a resell a home at this price will have lost more than $1,000 in the current housing market.

“Markets throughout Washington are experiencing declining real estate values because of the recession,” Glenn E. Crellin, Director of Washington Center for Real Estate Research, said.  “However, buyers of more expensive homes are taking advantage of bargain prices on those homes at a time when first time buyers have exited the market because of the expiration of the tax credit programs.”

When the recession hit and the economy and housing market fell from its record setting highs, it left many buyers with mortgages they could not afford.  After foreclosures and seizures began it left a high rise in home availability, but unemployment rates forced the demand for homes to decrease.

“A home is one of the largest and most important investments a person will make in their lifetime,” homeowner and paralegal Mike Sullivan said.  “When the recession hit and people started losing their jobs it makes buying a new home more of a risk than a dream.”

“My job security is fairly high so I had less of a worry buying my home,” Sullivan said.  “With unemployment rates being as high as they are, if my job was less secure than it is now then I couldn’t imagine buying a home.  No job means no house payments and no house payments means no house.”

The effects of the recession also directly affect the apartment market.  Many of WSU students live off-campus in apartment complexes and duplexes.  However the issue may appear less severe to the student body.

“The issue we are facing with the recession is in terms of vacancy,” Owner of DRA Real Estate/Rentals Kathy Wilson said.  “When people can’t afford their homes they often have to downsize to smaller more affordable apartments and rent out their homes instead of selling them at distressed prices.”

This allows students to rent homes at rates that can be lower than apartment complexes.  Causing an increase in apartment complex vacancies forcing leasers to lower rents in order to attract renters and decrease vacancy.  This cycle can consequently make newer apartment complexes difficult to operate profitably.

Although many WSU students will soon have to face the reality of the recession and current housing market, they may have a better opportunity to succeed in purchasing a home in a recovering economy.

Outline

I.            Lead

            a.            Homeowner (Swenson)

            b.            His struggle and its relationship to the trend addressed

II.            Statistics of current house market in Washington

            a.            Glenn Crellin

            b.            Explanation and diagnosis of issue

            c.            Further explanation of the cause of issue

III.            Homeowner (Sullivan)

            a.            Alternate perspective on recession and house market

IV.            Relevance to WSU students renting apartments

            a.            Kathy Wilson

            b.            Effects on student population

V.            Conclusion

Sources

Glenn E. Crellin

crellin@wsu.edu

Kathy Wilson

509-334-7700 (ext. 22)

drarentals@completebbs.com

Mike Sullivan

360-961-4537

Sulli_m@hotmail.com

Patrick Swenson

206-725-1662

PSwenson@comcast.net