Final Project Example

Oxford may create a new dog park, in part because of complaints about dogs running loose at Lamar Park. "We feel like it would be a good idea if people had a place for this animals to go and run," says Oxford mayor Pat Patterson.

Numerous complaints about dogs at Lamar Park caused the city to start enforcing a stricter leash law. Last month, a woman at the park was knocked down by a dog and broke her wrist. That incident "was the straw that broke the camel's back," said Oxford Police Chief Mike Martin.

"A dog park would be beneficial to dogs and dog lovers," said Oxford resident Kesha Rena. "Oxford is in desperate need of a place for dogs and their owners to go and relax and have fun, especially considering the new leash laws. "

Currently, 1,000 acres of land has been set aside for a dog park next to the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society located on McElroy Road. City officials want to work with the Humane Society to build the park, but no timetable has been set for approval.

For more on this story, you can click here.

Sequence Example

The theme of the story is how NFL players worked out on their own during the recent NFL lockout. Both sequences are of former Ole Miss player Dexter McCluster working out at a gym in Oxford, so they communicate the theme. They are personalized because we see Dexter working out, including good closeups, which gives the story a personal feel.

You can see both sequences by clicking on this link.

Interview Example

The interview is with Simon Jeffery, president of Sega America. The theme is how changing tastes and technology are impacting the gaming business and how Sega is adapting. The interview took place in Mr. Jeffery's office, which was the place that made him feel most comfortable. His best quote is his very last one, "If you don't gamble, you can't win." That quote relates directly to the theme and about Sega's attitude on home gaming.

(interview originally appeared in GamesBeat).

Q: How is Sega doing?

A: We’re having a great year. We’re the No. 6 publisher in the U.S. year to date. We doubled our market share from a year ago. There has always been quite a gap in the top 5 market share. We’re in the 5 percent range now. That’s been extremely positive for us. We have great hopes for the rest of the year with Sonic coming on the Nintendo DS and Samba de Amigo for the Wii, we’re improving with quality as well.

Q: What got you to the better market share?

A: A lot of it is sales from our catalog. One thing we suffered from for a while was that we didn’t have catalog that turned over. That gives games more legs. We’ve had a lot of releases in the first part of the year, such as “Condemned 2,” “Viking,” “Sega Superstars Tennis.” They didn’t sell huge numbers but significant enough to increase our share. “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” have also done good numbers, thanks to the movies.

Q: How do you look at things like iPhone games and Facebook games?

A: The social networking area is challenging for game companies. As soon as EA focuses on Facebook, the kids will move on. Look at how fast MySpace came and went in the U.S. That space needs to mature. We will play in it but won’t over-invest. We have the No. 1 application on the iPhone. We made a bet early on and have a great relationship with Apple. We use that to our advantage. Super Monkey Ball is No. 1 and it’s an extremely high profit-margin business. It’s likely it will do a million units.

Q: Will the iPhone become a real game platform alongside the consoles?

A: I think the iPhone and all of the ones that copy it will absolutely be a new platform. We’re investing in a forward-looking mobile games group. The point isn’t just to get Sonic on as many handsets as possible. Direct consumer delivery is where it’s going, as Apple has proven. We’re in a really good position and see it as a viable platform.

Q: You had some mixed results on games like the Golden Compass.

A: The Golden Compass was a major disappointment. It did well in the United Kingdom because the movie did well there. It was a real box office flop in North America. If we did the best game in the world, it still wouldn’t have sold well with a movie that flopped.

Q: Did you learn something from that?

A: Were we in the same position, would we take a gamble on another opportunity like that? Yes. The upside potential is significant. When we signed the Ironman deal, it wasn’t going to be a huge movie. It was going to be like Ghost Rider or the Silver Surfer that does maybe $120 million at the box office. It’s more than $300 million at the U.S box office now and will be one of the top three movies of the year for sure. That has powered game sales beyond our expectations. If you don’t gamble, you can’t win.

Feature Story Example

(borrowed from Daily Mississippian/May 4, 2011)

The Ole Miss Amateur Radio Club, or “ham radio” as it is sometimes called, is one of the smaller club organizations on campus, consisting of six student members and president Richard Burgett.

Burgett is a researcher and engineer who works for the UM National Center for Physical Acoustics and has been a part of the Amateur Radio Club for three years.

He said it is a privilege to be a part of the Amateur Radio Club and to be an amateur radio operator.

Amateur Radio is a hobby for many people and also a public service, where amateur radio operators or “hams” use radio communication equipment to communicate with other amateur radio operators for training, special events, emergencies and recreation.

To become an amateur radio operator, a person must go through a licensing and training exam to obtain a license from the SEC to be able to operate on the airwaves.

“We are more than just a student organization — we also have amateur radio operators in Oxford and the Lafayette County areas and a few outside the county,” Burgett said.

One of the mandates that comes with amateur radio is public service.

This past weekend at the Double Decker festival, the amateur radio operators had Marshalls stationed at various places for the race that took place so that people would be able to call in at the start of the race to find out where their runner was and how they were doing throughout the race.

The radio operators were able to tell which runners had already passed by and which runners were coming around.

Burgett said the club does a number of helpful events around the Oxford and Lafayette area.

“We have helped with the diabetes walk, and we have also sponsored the lost kids tent,” he said.

“With the tornadoes that came through just recently, we have a storm spotter net that is coordinated with the National Weather Service. If people spot bad weather, they can give the weather service a heads up.”

Along with the public service and the radio operating, the club participates in an event known as radio sport.

“Radio sport gets into the contesting type of amateur radio; we set up our booth with the temporary antenna and a temporary power source and try and contact as many stations as possible,” Burgett said.

He also spoke of an upcoming event in June called Field Day, which is another type of contacting contest. Field Day is similar to radio sport because it requires setting up a temporary antenna and temporary power source.

During Field Day, the amateur radio operators set up their station where they normally set up and simulate an actual emergency type of operation. Everyone keeps score of how many people they were able to contact, which indicates how well the station was set up and the station with the most people contacted wins.

Burgett also spoke of an interesting event happening in May that will consist of the emergency management people.

“They will be simulating an earthquake that takes place at the new Madrid fault line,” he said. “There will be five states participating in it and all of the communication and power will be knocked out. Which means no internet, phones, computers or anything. That’s where amateur radio operators shine because we bring our own radios and power equipment with us.”

Amateur radio is based on a volunteer basis only, and no payment is accepted.

“It doesn’t mean we don’t know what we are doing,” Burgett said. “Many of the people who participate in amateur radio are in the engineering school at Ole Miss, lawyers and are professionals in their work environment.”

“The King of Jordan was an amateur radio operator. He always started quite the fuss when he got on the air.”

The Amateur Radio Club meets the first of every month, unless it is a holiday, at the Hospital on South Lamar.

To become involved in the UM Amateur Radio Club please contact Richard Burgett at 662-915-5641 or visit the Ole Miss website for club organizations.

Hard News Story Example

(Borrowed from Daily Mississippian/January 23, 2011)

The Board of Aldermen approved the proposal for the request of occasional sale of alcohol on certain Sundays in the city of Oxford between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Mayor Pat Patterson said that sometime in the next few weeks he will be going to Jackson to meet with the State Tax Commission and seek permission for those exceptions.

The approval was a 4-3 decision at the regularly scheduled December 7, 2010, meeting.

The said Sundays would be Mother’s Day (May 8), Father’s Day (June 19), Valentine’s Day when on a Sunday and after every Ole Miss home football game. Sales would be limited to these nine or possibly ten Sundays out of the year.

The proposal to sell beer in grocery stores and convenience stores on Sundays was declined at the January 4 meeting.

Oxford Police Chief Mike Martin said that he does not expect the approval to change things too drastically.

“I do not expect it will be as busy as a Friday or Saturday night, but I expect it to be a lot more reserved,” Martin said. “The times that the board is requesting to be allowed to serve are normally busy weekends anyway, so I don’t believe it will add that much more to what we have to deal with.”

Scott Michael, owner and founder of Rooster’s Blues House, said he thinks the approval of the decision is beneficial for Oxford and his business.

“With 18 restaurants closing in the past year, the city could use the revenue from sales on Sunday,” said Michael.

Michael said he believes that families would be more willing to stay the entire weekend and this would generate more revenue that we need to embrace.

The Board of Aldermen has been considering the approval of Sunday sales for several months and has investigated different options to satisfy both sides of issue.

VOSOT example

The theme of the story is how New Albany High School is getting ready for the football season by taking part in a 7-on-7 summer passing league. The sequence includes the team huddle and a pass play. The story is personalized because we see the players in action. The SOT is appropriate because the coach talks about the importance of the league and how it helps his players.

You can see this story by clicking here.