Blogging A Scene

The building, which can seem ominous and eerie in the dark cover of night has a completely different feel during the light of day. During the heat of the day, the pillars in the front of Norlin library command respect, attention, and strength. Several groups of students are scattered here and there on the library steps. Most are socalizing, some advocating a cause, and some are simply taking a smoke break.

Students fill the sparse wood tables in the library, diligently studying or Facebooking, and a calm quiet fills the air. The distinct quiet of the atmosphere magnifies every small sound. Footsteps, low murmuring chatter, the swoosh of turning pages, and the clickity-clack of typing, are the only sounds that fill the air. Occasionally a the RING of a cell phone will slice through the silence like a knife and bring an abrupt halt to the concentration of those in the room. Quick pounding footsteps and, "I'm in the library. I have to be quiet," follow the interruption as someone scurries into the hall to take their call.

The smell of coffee creeps up the stairs to the 2nd floor of Norlin Library, enticing the students who are hard at work. This iconic smell of caffeine and energy lures some students down the stairs to fulfill their craving. The rest remain hard at work, or serenely napping on the soft, vibrantly colored, cushions and chairs.

Stepping out into the brightness of sunlight reflected off of snow is blinding and like stepping into another world. In the library, it is as if only you and your work exists--but once you step outside the doors it's immediately back to the stresses and perils of reality.

Rove vs. Dean

(image courtesy of the University of Colorado)

Story Ideas

1)Positions on political issues.

2)Reactions to the debate, who does the public identify with most? why?

3)Debate overview and summary; how it went? how many people attended? etc

4)Backgrounds and voting records on Karl Rove and Howard Dean.

5)The future of the Democratic and Republican Parties

6)Focus on one main point, issue that was debated on. Demonstrate each side, give history and information.

News Story

The death and accident rates of left-handed people are generally higher than those of right-handed people, according to a study featured in today's edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study,conducted by California State University at San Bernardino psychology professor Diane Halpern and Stanley Coren,a researcher at the University of British Colombia, examined death certificates and queried relatives about the dominant hand of the deceased.

Halpern and Coren found that left-handed people are four times more likely to die from injuries sustained while driving. Left-handed people are six times more likely to die from any type of accident.

"Almost all engineering is geared to the right hand and right foot," said Halpern, "There are many more car and other accidents among left-handers because of their environment." Left-handed individuals only represent 10 percent of the U.S. population.

Researchers found that, on average, right-handed females tend to live six years longer than their left-handed counterparts, while right-handed males live 11 years longer than left-handed males.

Halpern, said the study should be interpreted with caution. "It should not, of course, be used to predict the life span of any one individual. It does not take into account the fitness of any individual," said Halpern.

Although Halpern admits, "the results [of her study] are striking in magnitude," she insists that the results of this study not be a cause for alarm. "It is important that mothers of left-handed children not be alarmed and not try to change which hand a child uses," Halpern said, "There are many-many old left-handed people."