Summary based on the article "Tips for Public Speaking."

In the article "Tips for Public Speaking" by Teddy Wayne provides some methods people can follow in order to reduce anxiety when it comes time to make speeches. Some of the tips listed are to take a walk before the speech, focus on someone in the middle of the room, and to practice your speech. I disagree with one of the tips presented in the article. Focusing on one person is ineffective and will make the other audience members feel left out. When speaking to an audience you are supposed to get your points across and the way to do this is to look at everyone in the room. Make strong eye contact with each audience member. The other two tips listed I definitely agree with. Overall the article is beneficial for nervous speakers.

Comments based on the article "Red Carpet Trends of the Past 15 Years."

1. Headline: "Red Carpet Trends of the Past 15 Years."
Byline: Eric Wilson
Date: January 30, 2013.
Publication name: The New York Times.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/fashion/red-carpet-trends-of-the-past-15-years.html?ref=fashion

2. This article explains how the dresses celebrities wear constantly transforms over the years. The article also includes many pictures of the different hairstyles and dresses as well.

3. A. There are no interviews in this story. This story was solely based on opinions and observations. The lack of interviews made the story boring and very dry. A great example of this is when it states "Ah, the anticipation of all the frocks has come to play as significant a role at the Oscars as who goes home with an award."
B. The vocabulary was very easy to understand. The sentences were flabby and wordy. An example of this is when it states "For instance, of more than 400 gowns categorized by shape, designer and color, the most popular style over the years has been strapless, with a total of 127 examples."

C. There were no direct quotations.

4. A. The lead was okay. The lead explained how when it comes to award shoes everyone is anxious to know the designers of the gowns.
B. The nut graph was okay as well. It explained that The New York Times found photographs of the gowns from over the years.
C. The ending was extremely weak. The ending just explained how some of the outfits stood out and that was it.
D. The story organization was extremely weak because they did not have a list of the designers that created the dresses or interviews from the celebrities. The sentences were terrible.

5. I disliked everything about this piece.

Comments based on the article "The Sweet Smell of Success."

1. Headline: "The Sweet Smell of Success."
Byline: Ruth La Ferla
Date: February 22, 2013.
Publication name: The New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/fashion/jessica-chastains-sweet-smell-of-success.html?_r=0&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1361744643-Ohk0/XLngK6QAr6VuQ4hwg

2. This article focuses on the actress Jessica Chastains and her accomplishments. The article explains how she is viewed as a fashion icon, an extremely talented actress especially in the film "Zero Dark Thirty", and her new business venture, which is beginning a perfume line. Her list of accomplishments continues to increase and people enjoy working with her.

3. A. The people interviewed in this story are Chastain herself, Jenny B.Fine the woman in charge of WWD Beauty, and Stephan Bezy manager of Yves Saint Laurent Beauté. The research brought the story together in a wonderful way and a great example of this comes from an interview by Jenny B. Fine. "When an up-and-coming actress signs with such an iconic name, it becomes part of her brand," Ms. Fine said. "It's a win-win for both parties."

B. The vocabulary was self-explanatory. The only phrase I needed to define is serendipity. On the website dictionary.reference.com they define serendipity. It states "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident." I found the sentences to be precise and an example of this is when it states " One of Hollywood's most avidly courted actresses, she is bait these days for the style set as well, having shone in recent months as fashion's favorite clothes hanger."

C. There were great quotations in this article and one of them comes from Jessica herself. She says " I approach my fashion choices the same way I approach my acting choices," she said. "I don't want anyone to typecast me in a character. And I don't want anyone to say, 'This is what Jessica wears'."

4. A. The lead was very strong because it explains how journalists and celebrities immediately become anxious when she is in the room. It is a clear demonstration of the respect she receives.
B. The nut graph was strong because it begins to explain her numerous achievements.
C. The ending was very strong because it explained the recognition once again and ended with a quote from Jessica. "They're starting to recognize me now," said Ms. Chastain said."
D. The story was very strong because it incorporated interesting interviews, a list of her accomplishments, and gave amazing insight into the life of Jessica Chastain.

5. I enjoyed everything about this piece. I enjoyed reading information about what Jessica does in her career and the interviews made the story stand out even more.

Interesting information learned based on a description of English Proverbs from the website phrases.org.uk

On the website phrases.org.uk, they have a section where they provide information regarding English Proverbs and how it is used in everyday language. I learned that besides the word "good" being used all the time (in daily conversations and in some writing pieces), that the word "never" is also being over used.  I also learned something interesting regarding proverbs. In the section titled "English Proverbs", it states that " Proverbs are short and pithy sayings that express some traditionally held truth. They are usually metaphorical and often, for the sake of memorability, alliterative."

They also provide a huge list of popular sayings that use proverbs. These proverbs are also over used. There are a few that I recognized from films (like "Forest Gump" ) or reality shows (Like "Mob Wives)." These two sayings include "Blood is thicker than water" and "Stupid is as stupid does." Not only is this list of various proverbs, but they are also cliches. These sayings can be heard anywhere.

Comments based on the article "Steve Madden is Back."

1. Headline: " Steve Madden is Back."
Byline: Laura M. Holson
Date: Feb. 13, 2013
Publication name: The New York Times. Fashion and Style.
Link: www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/fashion/steve-madden-is-back.html?pagewanted1&_r=0&ref=style.

2. This particular article explains how Steve Madden is working on his business once again after serving jail time for stock fraud. His jail sentence was of almost three years and he is making up for lost time.

3. A. The people interviewed in this story are Steve Madden, his wife, and Marshall Cohen who works for a consumer company. The research in the story provided background information regarding what Madden was charged with and his sentence.
There was also information from interviews that were people close to Madden, who explained that he is still respected regardless of what he did to end up in prision. Madden also explained his side so that made the story great as well. One of the most important quotes came from Madden himself. In this particular statement he explains how terrible it was being in jail and the knowledge he gained from this experience. Madden states " It is a unique painful experierence that I had and I don't know how everybody reacts. I guess you get perspective, a different sort. I feel for things, I suppose." Mostly though, he said, " I thought about surviving."

B. The vocabulary used in the story was very easy to understand. I found all the sentences to be precise. A great example of a straight forward sentence is when it states "Collaboration can be tough, sure-but it beats sharing a jail cell, wondering if you can eveer rebuild the life you've left behind."

C. One of the best quotations comes from Madden. He says that " My impulse was to jump right in, but I had to lay back, watch, learn and see what needed to be fixed," Mr. Madden said. "So much of design is context."

4. A. The lead was very strong because it drew you in. It included great descriptive words and as soon as you read the lead, you want to go on to the rest of the story.
B. The nut graph was strong because it started to explain how being in jail took him away from his business. After the nut graph it starts to explain his charges and etc.
C. The ending was strong because the quote explained how when he was gone, his wife helped with the shoe business. He had someone on his side.
D. The story organization was very strong because it incorporated a lot of important information, some comedy, and great interviews.

5. I enjoyed everything about the piece and I never knew what happened to Steve Madden. Reading this story was very informative for me.

Comments based on "Everything but the Cook."

1. Headline: "Everything but the Cook."
Byline: by Julia Moskin
Date: Feb.12, 2013
Publication: The New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/dining/the-dinner-kit-is-served.html?ref=dining&_r=0

2. The article "Everything but the Cook" is about this famous chef, known as Nick Taranto devloping a meal kit for people that are too busy to cook dinner every night. This kit includes the following: Couscous, vegetable broth, dates, carrots, onions, cilantro, prunes and much more. This is Taranto's big help to the public.

3. A. The people interviewed in this story are Taranto, John Leeman, who is in charge of Fresh Direct
and Laura Shapiro author of a book based on cooking.

B. The vocabulary in this article were easy to understand. A majority of the article is written in a precise manner, but there is one sentence that was very wordy. It could be shorten down or seperated into two sentences. The sentence is the following: " Hello Fresh , owned by the German e-commerce giant Rocket Internet, delivers more than 10,000 boxes a week in Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Australia, and has expanded its reach in the United States from Maine to Florida."

C.The best direct quote is from Taranto how cooking is in the sense draining. It states that "When we started jobs in New York we realized that cooking dinner is really, really hard", said Mr.Taranto said of himself and his business partner Josh Hix, 31. (They often cooked together in graduate school). "There's not enough time in modern lives to recipe-select or grocery-shop."

4. A. The lead was strong because it had a conversational style and it summarizes what the content will be in the article.
B. The nut graph was strong because it explains information about the dinner kit.
C. The ending was sort of confusing. The quote did not support Taranto's idea about the dinner kit. It went against it.
D. The story organization was great because it incorporated information mostly relevant to the story and it included different opinions from people.
5. I enjoyed this overall piece, but the ending could have been changed. It could have been more supportive of this beneficial idea.

Comments based on the article "In Camp, Reading 'Les Miserables' "

1. Headline: "In Camp, Reading 'Les Miserables' "
Byline: Louis P.Masur
Date: Feb.9, 2013.
Publication name: The New York Times The Opinion Pages.
Link: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/in-camp-reading-les-miserables/

2. The article titled "In Camp, Reading 'Les Miserables' " provides a deeper explanation of the story behind 'Les Miserables'. It discusses information about the Civil War, the July Revolution from the 1830's, and other battles as well. The writer explains some information about the author.

3. A. The writer did a little research into the history of this story.The author of the story was also interviewed, but with only question. The comments were very cruel from other readers.  There was barely any history. For example, he only discusses the author's history in one line. It states that "He was an opponent of slavery, and in 1859 defended John Brown. "Insurrection," he said, was a "sacred duty."

B. The vocabulary used was very easy to understand, but the sentences were confusing. A perfect example, is when it states that "Perhaps the most dramatic example of how the novel filtered into the imagination of the solider cane from Wilky James, the younger brother of William and Henry James." This sentence could be phrased much better. It makes no sense.

C. There were no good quotes. There were mostly negative comments concerning the book.A perfect example of the most negative comment states that " There is a great deal of trash mixed with the good: long and worthless episodes, not sufficiently connected with the story," claimed the Christian Advocate.

4. A. The lead was very weak because it just mentions when the story was published. That information should be included later on in the story, instead of in the beginning.
B. The nut graph was filled with cruel comments.It was a very weak and negative lead.
C. The ending was very weak because it just had a long passage that could have been shortened.
D. The story organization was weak and made no sense. It was all over the place if it was review and is supposed to make authors understand the story, it did a terrible job at it.
5. I disliked the entire piece. It lacked history about the author. It lacked information about his other published works and incorporated all negative comments. The passage was five miles long and it made the story drag.

Comments on the article "The Asian Wave".

1. Headline: "The Asian Wave."
Byline: Suzy Menkes.
Date: Feb.8, 2013.
Publication name: The New York Times.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/fashion/the-asian-wave-in-fashion.html?ref=fashion

2. The article "The Asian Wave" explains how one designer named Jason Wu from Taiwan, is making his presence known all over the world. There are many famous people wearing his clothing and Mrs.Obama is one of them.
3. A. The people interviewed was Wu and other designers that are very familiar with his work. The research made the story good because it provided some information about his passion and also the recognition he receives in his home town. In this particular quote, Wu is explaining the welcoming he received when going back home. It says that "Recently I went back to Taiwan and was honored and surprised by how proud people were of my success," says Mr.Wu.
B. The vocabulary in the story was very easy to understand. It was very precise and very well composed. For example, it states that "The real difference between this generation of designer's creative energy is invested in a mass of products from the get-go."
C. There were many good quotations because they came from reliable sources. One of the best quotes in the story is when Mr.Wu says "Growing up, fashion and the arts were considered a relevant career choice and I hope that my work will inspire the new generation to be a bit more open-minded and creative."

4. A. The lead was strong because it already started to discuss how Asian designers are making a huge difference in fashion world.
B. The nut graph was strong because it started to discuss what businesses he is involved in regarding fashion.
C. The ending was strong because it used a strong metaphor. The metaphor was comparing the Chinese new year to Asian designers making a huge success.The ending statement was the following " However China's new Year of the Snake is viewed, it can be expected to mark fame and prosperity for American designers with Asian roots."

5. I liked everything about the piece. I enjoyed reading the interviews and learning more about new Asian designers. I also found it amazing that Mrs.Obama wore the design.

Comments based on the article "Getting Models Into Fighting Shape."

1. A. Headline: "Getting Models Into Fighting Shape."
B. Byline: Courtney Rubin.
C. Date: Feb. 6, 2013.
D. Publication name: New York Times.
E. Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/fashion/getting-models-into-fighting-shape.html?ref=style&_r=0

2. The article titled "Getting Models Into Fighting Shape" discusses different work out methods that the trainer Michael Olajide Jr. uses on models. Rubin also includes the names of the famous models Olajide trained and the results.

3. A. The people interviewed in this story were the trainer,teenage models and the president of Marilyn Agency. The story included a lot of information from the trainer regarding models he worked with and etc. The story also included personal experiences and the names of famous patients would be the story great. One of the best quotes from someone interviewed besides the trainer, is the following: "The British model Nyasha Matonhodze, 18, started working out at Mr.Olajide's gym at her agency's recommendation. "As models, we know that we have to be, some would say, ridiculously thin," she said. "It's not exact;y a woman's shape, but it is high fashion."
B. The vocabulary was very easy to understand. I found the article to be precise. For example, it states that "Chris Gay, the president of Marilyn Agency, New York, said that the modeling agency has had "a lot of success with sending our girls to this classes prior to fashion week." This particular quote gets right to the point. It was very direct.

C. There were many good quotations and in one of them is when Mr. Olajide says that " You've got to get your body hot if you want to burn calories and lose that weight." It made the story good because that is true. I agree with what the trainer said.

4. A. The lead was strong because it summarized the story. It explained how models go to him for help because he is the best trainer.
B. The nut graph was strong because it explained what his workout consist of.
C. The ending was strong because it explained a true statement, but in sort of a metaphorical way.
D. The story organization was very strong because there was great research (including interviews and the explanation of his workouts). The author also used previous experiences models had during the workouts and list of celebrities, which more the story pop.
5. I enjoyed the research and interviews in this piece.

Material learned in class

New material from Jan.30, 2013 class

In today's class we learned a lot of new material. We learned a new phrase and it was cogent.  On the website daily writing tips.com they define the word cogent as "convincing or believable". We also learned a new writing tool from and that is to begin sentences with subjects followed by verbs. We also learned some important information regarding when it comes to writing stories. Some of this information included, always being accurate when you write, being objective, being attentive to your audience, and to use your vocabulary accordingly.

Recent material learned in class

From class on Jan. 28, 2013.

In the lecture we learned a few things. We learned a new word and the word was silhouette. The definition of silhouette from the website daily writing tips.com, is the outline of someone or something. We also learned a new grammar tip and this tip regards to making a sentence in a story less confusing. The proper way to make the story less confusing is to edit it. During my experience in working for the Middlesex County College newspaper Quo Vadis, I would copy edit stories and there were times when I found statements to be very confusing or too wordy. In order to change it, I would break up the sentences. If words were mispelled I would fix them so the story made sense. The story had to flow properly so the reader is not lost when reading the piece. We also learned the meaning of the word nut graph. I remember hearing the phrase in the past, but did not have it fully explained to me. A nut graph is your purpose for writing the story. Nut graphs need to be present in every story in order to make it a big hit.

Comments on the feature article "Xu, Liangying, Scientist and Adocate, Dies at 92."

1. Headline: "Xu Liangying, Scientist and Advocate, Dies at 92."
   Byline: Chris Buckley
  Date: Jan.31, 2013.
 Publication name: The New York Times. Asia Pacific.
 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/world/asia/xu-liangying-92-scientist-and-democracy-advocate.html?ref=science&_r=0

2. Summary: The feature article titled "Xu Liangying, Scientist and Advocate, Dies at 92" explains the story about a particular scientist who enjoyed the work of Einstein and created his own publications using Einstein as a role model. The article also briefly explains his life and how he inspired other people during his life time.

3. A. The people interviewed in this article with previous soldiers that knew Liangying. The writer also incorporated previous interviews Liangying had with a magazine, known as Caijing in China. The research made the story a good read. Not only were there interviews, but the fact that they included history of this scientist made the story flow even better. There was an interesting piece of his history regarding his educational background and when he started to become fascinated by Einstein. It states that " He entered Zhejiang University in 1939, determined, he wrote on his entrance form, to become an "authority of modern physics." As a high school student he had read "The World as I See It", a collection of Einstein's essays."

B. The vocabulary in this article was very easy to understand. It was not flabby or wordy. The writer gets directly to the point. For example, it states that "Mr.Xu's studies were disrupted by the invading Japanese Army, which forced his school to shift from place to place and exposed him to the brute disparities of rural life." It explains what happened to him during school and the reason.

C. There were a couple of good direct quotations. One of the best quotations comes from Liangying himself when he is speaking to the Caijing magazine. It states "Superstition is the great enemy of truth", he told a Chinese magazine, Caijing, last year. "We must use science and democracy to eradicate modern superstitions of every kind, to eradicate superstitions that are born of loyalty."

4.A. The lead was very strong because it briefly explained who the person was and when he passed away. The lead summarized what the content in the rest of the article will be about, which is extremely important when writing a lead.
B. The nut graph was strong because it briefly explained facts about what he was involved in and how his life was immediately changed (like a damper on his plans) because of the army.
C. The ending was very strong because it provided information about the huge award he won for all of his accomplishments.
D. The story was very strongly organized because it explained important facts about his life and there were also interviews from people that knew him very closely.

5. I enjoyed everything about this piece. I enjoyed learning interesting information about this man's life, his accomplishments, learning about his role model, and his big reward.