Exercise 3.9, 3.10, 3.11

3.9 Using the Stylebook 7

Correct the following items to conform to AP style.

1. Estalene Smoots dropped her French class the first day of school.

2. Sadie Hoots won $3.2 million on "Wheel of Fortune."

3. Frustrated that their professor required them to eat fried rutabagas, the students walked out of class at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

4. The office manager had 21 plants, 62 cats and two puppies.

5. President Aubrey Lucas is from Compton, Calif.

6. On Oct. 25, Ruth Ann Bobetksi will turn 41.

7. Goober Hicks lives at 10 W. Hardy St. He used to live in a run-down shack at 2803 Williamsburg Road.

8. Abby gave birth to a 9-pound baby boy.

9. The president invited me to dinner at the White House, but I could not fit it into my schedule.

10. Sen. Davies said his earning had increase 10 percent in the 1980s.

11. Barney the Dinosaur will be executed Tuesday, November 2.

12. Twenty-five vagabonds attacked me from behind in front of the hub.

13. Snarkle found a 10-inch bug crawling in her spaghetti. "Great! Now I won't need seconds," she exclaimed.

14. All the men in the ROTC chapter wore red, white and blue pantyhose to class in January 1991.

15. The Bay City baseball team lost its final game 2-1 and climbed dejectedly back onto its bus.


3.10 Using the Stylebook 8

Using the AP Stylebook, answer the questions or correct the following sentences or phrases.

1. mph

2. A civil case is a suit from one individual against another, usually involving a breach of contract or personal injury. A criminal case involves the state or federal government prosecuting an individual accused of committing a crime.

3. The eyewitness found himself in an eye-to-eye confrontation.

4. A clock reading

5. Never

6. Scene 2

7. Q-tips

8. capitol

9. Adjective

10. either one


3.11 Using the AP Stylebook 9

Using the AP Stylebook, answer the questions or correct the following sentences or phrases.

1. The United States comprises 50 states.

2. A.D. 33

3. czar

4. QE2

5. courts-martial

6. International Associations of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

7. Navy ROTC

8. liberal

9. pour

10. Atlanta

CNA #2

Egypt ex-President Morsi defiant at jailbreak trial

While on trial for his attempted prison escape, former Egyptian president and Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi has presented a belligerent attitude throughout the entire process. Along with other defendants in this specific case (he is also involved in three other separate trials), he is kept in a glass cage to prevent him from disrupting the proceedings with his unruly behavior. The jailbreak occurred three years ago and involves 130 other defendants.

Philippine police condemned over 'torture wheel'

The Philippine Commission on Human Rights found a "torture wheel" located in a prison in Laguna, a tool used by officers to determine different methods of torture for detainees. Forty-four detainees claimed to have been victims of torture in the officers' attempts to learn the whereabouts of drug sources. According to police official Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, the situation is being investigated.

Northern Cyprus lifts ban on gay sex

Where sexual relations between homosexual couples had been formerly prohibited by law, the Turkish Cypriot in North Cyprus has now lifted the the ban on homosexual acts. This ban is a remnant of British colonial rule in the country. Political figures within the European Union and Britain are highly supportive of this decision and hope other former British colonies will follow suit.

Exercises 1.13 & 1.14

1.13 Brevity

Edit all the unnecessary words from the following expressions.

1. wore a white goatee

2. throughout the nation

3. was confirmed

4. looked ill

5. a corpse was found

6. in Los Angeles

7. cost ten dollars

8. broke a rule

9. during May

10. for a short time

11. a pioneer

12. the incumbent

13. will end

14. at the corner of Sixth and Elm

15. for shock purpose

1.4 Wordiness

The following sentences use too many words. Edit them carefully to reduce the number of words, but do not cut out important information. If necessary, rewrite the sentences completely.

1. There was no doubt that one day soon Hannah would become a famous, internationally-recognized jazz singer.

2. Midville is a small town, offering a safe environment for its residents, young and old alike.

3. Ed spent many tedious hours drawing a detailed map tracing the growth of the church denomination to which he had belonged from its beginnings. 

4. At this point, Erin could not any point in continuing to pay tuition to a college where she felt she was not receiving an education comparable to her investment.

5. Always confused by mathematical problems, Sally signed up for one of the hardest math courses in the curriculum, much to everyone's surprise.

6. Because John had not taken prerequisite courses, he was having difficulty and spending a lot of time figuring out his schedule for the upcoming semester.

7. Our textbooks are often extremely expensive, and our professors don't seem to care about this problem.

8. Alex said that in order to improve his writing he should read as many good books as possible.

9. While baseball has always been thought of as the national pastime, football, for all practical purposes, has replaced baseball as the favorite sport for many across the country.

10. During most of February, Laura stayed cooped up in her room trying to fight off a debilitating cold.

11. I don't like helping people who are not willing to put forth the effort to succeed in life.

CNA #1

Campbell Co. Family Raising Money to Adopt 

Steve and Chrystal Anders, a local couple seeking to adopt, are being benefited by national efforts to raise the necessary $21,000 to bring Tavin, a 2-year-old orphan from Eastern Europe. Efforts have included the family's blog, a marathon, and a BBQ scheduled for January 25 at an area church. Short only $6,000, the Anders are looking forward to bringing Tavin home and providing him with the love and safety that he deserves.

Danville Theater Group Wins National Award

Twenty-one students from a theater group in Danville received the "Excellence in Acting" Award at a national theater festival. The Junior Theatre Festival was held in Atlanta, Georgia. Out of 94 groups, the Danville group was one of 12 to receive an award.

Area Crews, VDOT, Preparing for the First Real Snow

With the first major snowstorm approaching central Virginia this winter, VDOT crews are preparing to combat the inclement weather by treating roadways for ice. In addition, hardware stores are stocking up on winter essentials such as snow shovels and heaters. Professionals are advising the populace to be prepared for all possible situations.

assignment two: #JFLibrary

Something new has made it's way on campus. It's big, it's bright, and it's shiny.

Literally.

I give you the Jerry Falwell Library.

(Well. The first two floors, anyway. My arm is only so long.)

Now, what do you say to a neatly-bulleted, ten-item run-down of this dazzling new facility?

Yes?

I knew you couldn't resist.

1. To the Sky 
The building boasts four spectacular stories of bookshelves, seating areas, and lots - I mean *lots* - of glass. (Look to the next bullet to see what I mean.)

2. Oh, Mr. Sun... 
One of the beauties of this facility is the remarkable amount of natural light - no more headaches brought on by harsh fluorescent lighting. The ambiance is effected by over 80,000 square feet of glass: walls, staircases, skylights, et cetera.

3. A Magic [Staircase] Ride 
Speaking of staircases, there are two of them. Well, I mean, there are more than two in the entire complex, but the two of which I speak are prominent and unmistakable. If you were an Aztec Indian from the long-distant past paying a visit to the library, you might erect an altar to the god that made staircases float. Because, with their streamlined styling, glass railings, and no support columns or walls, these staircases sure look like they're suspended on air and little else.

4. Open Up  
Should you need a snack while on a study break, you've got options. An adjacent two-level food court, featuring Starbucks on the top level and Pizza Hut, a French-style bistro dubbed Brioche Doree, and Tsunami Sushi, is conveniently located to satisfy all of your growling stomach's demands and then some.

5. Bookworm 
Now, of course, we're talking about the library - so what about the books? Currently, the library boasts a collection of approximately 20,000 items in their database. While the majority are stored in the electronic retrieval system, many of the most popular are on display for easy access on each floor of the library.

6. Take a Load Off 
For students tired of searching a crowded computer lab for a place to sit and study in their free time, the library offers enough seating for 2,300 people. Couches, desks, chairs and tables - even seating built into the stairs of the main entry - are plentiful enough for the entire student body as well as visitors to enjoy.

7. Shh! Quiet Zone! 
If you're feeling like a champion and ready to immerse yourself in your studies, take advantage of the Reading Room on the first floor or the Scholar's Lounge in a wing just down the hall. Both are designated "quiet" zones - only whispering allowed!

8. Together Forever
Yay for group projects! (Wait. Where did everyone go? Ohhh, now, group projects aren't that bad!) To facilitate quality discussions and planning for group projects, the library houses 35 group study rooms around the building. Bonus: use the walls, windows, and tabletop to take notes with dry-erase pens - each surface functions as a whiteboard.

9. Save Me a Seat 
By the way - just how do you reserve one of them newfangled group study rooms? Easy. Visit 25live.liberty.edu to reserve a date, time, and specific study room without even leaving your dorm. Or your seat. Or your bed. Wherever you happen to be. You know. Or, if you're the more adventurous type, each study room will be eventually equipped with a Creston touchscreen tablet by the door for on-the-spot reservations.

10. [SuperHero Reference] 
Finally, I have a treat for you media-savvy, tech-loving individuals. The main lobby of the Jerry Falwell Library takes innovation to the top notch with a 24' x 11' interactive "media wall" which is, in essence, a giant screen filled with pictures and a globe that anyone can walk up to and spin via the mind-boggling technology that recognizes and responds to your movements from over a yard away (as observed by the author). Outta this world, I tell you. What its purpose is, I can't quite say, but who cares? SHINY.

***

You enjoyed this fly-by? Oh, too kind, too kind. But don't just take my word for it! Get up and get out and visit this inspiring (and seriously cool) library asap.

Yes.

You.

Do it.

assignment one: "what is good writing?"

It stands unassuming in the shadows and draws you boldly into the light. Its hushed tones scream at you, and it hides a secret that anyone can discover.

Prosaic and poetic, writing is, perhaps, the ultimate paradox. For centuries, students have struggled to understand the simplest of phrasings and instructors have laid claim to a thorough comprehension of the most abstract passages. Even when you try to break a piece of writing down into “simplistic” terms, you’ll encounter a bizarre web of grammar that includes complicated ideas like syntax and phonetics and punctuation, which, you’ll quickly admit, have concepts and rules that refuse to make sense. Explain it as you will, you really…well…can’t.

So what, then, is good writing? Can one person presume to make sense of something that might very well turn out to be something else on the other side of the proverbial (and, I guess, also paradoxical) rainbow?

Absolutely.

First of all, good writing takes ideas and gives them a cohesive, coherent body. Instead of abstractions floating about in the air above your inquisitive head, they become letters and words that take possession of that meaning and effectively communicate it to other human beings. Much like the spoken word, the beauty of writing - good writing in particular - is that it solidifies expression rather than leaving your thoughts hanging somewhere in the gap between you and the person you’re having a conversation with.

But communicating meaning is not enough. Although theorists still debate the concept of inherent meaning, it’s fairly safe to state that almost everything in existence communicates meaning. Good writing emerges beyond the confines of this simple (but nevertheless crucial) task to compel – compel your feet to action, your mind to thinking, or your heart to feeling a new or suppressed emotion. In other words, good writing “molds” us like a potter molds clay, conforming our thoughts and emotions to its agenda. Ultimately, no piece of writing can ever be considered truly “good” unless it succeeds in producing some sort of mental or emotional reaction, in accordance with its message, in the reader.

Oh, yes. Proper grammar is a win. Correct spelling? Please and thank you. Avoiding muddling comma splices or run-ons is also a good idea. But at the heart of successful authorship is a graceful, ethical manipulation of emotion. Remember, people feel more than they diagram sentences.