writing
I’m going to post some of the editorials I write for the Sheridan Sun, or for other classes, here. Feel free to comment.
Following in the footsteps of change
Ballots have been counted, all the dances have been danced and the hype is dying down. Now that the election is over and the 44th President of the United States has been sworn in, it seems that we’re left with little to look forward to.
Our television stations, flooded with images and coverage of the new administration throughout the day are showing us more of American politics than they do of Canadian.
President Obama’s speech was intense, emotional and inspiring - something we need here in Canada. He spoke of change, of people getting involved in making their country a better place, and of the badly weakened economy that is in need of immediate attention.
For Canadians, with parliament back in session, a throne speech and a budget coming down, our own politics is the next big topic of conversation. But surprisingly, we seem to know more about Barack Obama than we do about Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff and Jack Layton.
On the other hand, seeing so much coverage of Obama’s speech might actually be a positive thing; his inspiration, enthusiasm and dedication to change is something to admire. Things we can learn from.
Michelle Obama, the new First Lady, has been thrown into the spotlight, for no more than her wardrobe. Surely our crumbling economy is a more important topic than her choice of dress or shoes.
It might be that our political process has no room for celebrities, on-stage with the candidates, singing about peace, freedom and change. But is that what we’ll have to resort to, in order to get people excited about our own politics?
As the economic news worsened, Harper and the premiers have held meetings to discuss multi-billion dollar bailouts and what matters need to be dealt with. Topping the list are concerns such as transit, employment insurance and skills training.
Meeting with celebrities and attending inaugural balls is exciting, but the state of our economy, the fact that thousands of people have lost their jobs, should be the most important matter at hand.
Most Canadians don’t seem to fully understand how our politics work. They seem boring and fail to engage as largely as what’s going on with our neighbours.
Our media picks and chooses what topics we see - what’s most important, what will get the most attention. They help shape the agenda for the Canadian public, some of which do not grasp the whole concept of this politics thing.
Why does it seem that having a president is more unifying and exciting than having a prime minister? Do the people representing our country need to take a cue from Obama and seek out his charisma and positivity?
The fact that our prime minister is only the head of government and not head of state, a position filled through a governor general, could be part of the reason why Obama, just like past presidents, is a more recognizable figure to most Canadians than their very own PM.
Some people feel that American politics are more significant internationally than ours, but if we continue to feel this way, our concerns are always going to go by the wayside.
Following in the footsteps of past presidents, Obama has chosen to make Canada his first international visit.
The ties between Canada and the U.S. historically strong have been strained in the past eight years. Hopes are that Obama and Harper can really come together, at such a crucial time, and turn things around.
Obama’s passion for change is apparent. He signed an executive order to have the infamous Guantanamo Bay finally shut down, after only being in office one day.
Hopefully after hearing President Obama’s inspirational speech and seeing his immediate changes and actions, it might give Canada some motivation to take a better interest in our own affairs and take action.
Can we do it? Yes we can.
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an assignment i did for my “writing for newspapers class” - it was an advancer story about an event or opening (business/restaurant) so i covered a new restaurant. names have been changed - no stalkers please!
Indian Cuisine goes mainstream
Voted Best Indian Restaurant and described as “quick casual,” Rasoee the Indian kitchen is an up and coming concept of cuisine expected to take off like wild fire. This first franchise opened its doors to the public on Nov. 25.
Located at 911 Ambulance Dr. and just minutes below the highway, Rasoee has taken its place in the Springfield Commons plaza, featuring other alternative kinds of cuisine such as Asian, Italian and Mediterranean.
“It’s interesting, a lot of work starting up, lots of learning but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Jim Morrison, first-time franchisee and owner of Rasoee.
The founding family, whom after coming over from India 15 years ago, decided to make Rasoee and Indian cuisine a well-known and modern industry, owns one of the two other locations in the GTA.
Morrison, who hopes to open five to ten locations within Springfield and Shelbyville over the next two years, is very dedicated to his work and the success of Rasoee. “It’s not the product that’s important, what’s important is, is this the vehicle that will get you where you want to be in life?”
“We didn’t intend to open a restaurant initially,” says Morrison, who operates the Springfield location with his wife. The process of opening the restaurant has taken the couple just over a year.
Morrison and his wife were hooked up with FranNet, a company that meets with potential franchisees. Questions dealing with your interests and future plans help the company match people with franchise options.
“Meeting with the franchisor, the people, is what sold us. We felt we could really get together with these people and do things,” says Morrison who was initially adamant about not opening a restaurant. After much research, the couple decided that Rasoee was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up.
The restaurant, which is permeated with delicious aromas, is a casual establishment featuring quick, well-made food at fair prices.
“Indian cuisine is the fastest growing segment right now in North America,” says Morrison, who hopes to make Rasoee a household name like McDonalds.
The menu, which includes a multitude of options, has never contained any trans-fats and is “the healthiest Indian food you can probably find.” The location plans to offer catering and delivery, as well as dine in and take-out options.
A concern for most new franchisee owners might be the growing number of restaurants in the area, but Hawron is confident that people will choose Rasoee. He plans to work with these restaurants, in hopes of bringing in more business for everyone.
“It’s probably not so much about competition,” says Morrison. “When you create a food cluster, it doesn’t really matter what food they come for. A lot of them are going to select Rasoee. When you’ve tried the food, you’ll like it.”
People can choose to visit one of the other two locations of the restaurant, but they would be missing out on the warm welcome from Morrison and his staff, who have competitions to see who can get orders out to customers before the cash register drawer has even shut.
After recently sending out 10,000 menus with the Springfield Post, Morrison expects business to really pick up. The official grand opening for the location takes place on the weekend of Dec. 5 and 6, with Mayor Quimby slated to head up the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Stop on by for a chance to win a TV, computer or MP3 player and make sure to try something from the menu, such as the curry wrap, samosas, or the traditional naan bread. “It’s great food, very fast,” says Hawron, whose dedication and confidence is sure to be a recipe for success.
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we had a guest speaker, Lorraine Sommerfeld, come speak to our class about how she got into writing (only 4 years ago!) and to give us some material for an assignment. i got a GOOD mark on this.
Offbeat mom turns dream of writing into reality
Blogger, advice columnist and automotive journalist are only a few of the titles that Lorraine Sommerfeld has under her belt, after barreling into the business only four years ago.
After entering the classroom, it is immediately apparent that Lorraine is down-to-earth and someone people can relate to easily. She quickly showcased her sense of humor that teeters between confidence and modesty and can be compared to her childhood hero, Erma Bombeck, whose self-deprecating humour was her trademark.
She speaks candidly about making the decision to divulge the real names of her sisters, who still pick on her to this day. Sommerfeld juggles her hectic career along with raising her two sons, 14 and 17 years old, who give her inspiration and, sometimes-inappropriate story ideas.
Sommerfeld started her career running motocross teams for 15 years, before deciding to make the move into journalism. “I can’t believe I’m supporting myself writing,” says Sommerfeld, who admittedly has no formal schooling in writing.
“In some ways, I am the worst person to tell you about journalism,” says Sommerfeld. “In other ways the best, because if I can do it, you can too.” She was nominated for an Ontario Newspaper Award two years in a row, and after reading any of her work, it is apparent why. She divulges that she wanted to be a columnist but wasn’t even sure what that meant.
“It’s a good, good thing to take advantage of the people around you.” She suggests picking people’s brains, such as grandparents and even strangers at the bus stop, because truth be told, people love to talk about themselves.
Some other advice she includes is to be very versatile and savvy, which is a key point in the Journalism field. Sommerfeld says that it is important to explore parallel strengths and have many different interests. She also advises us to trust in our abilities, “No one hands you anything, you have to say, ‘I want this.’”
Sommerfeld has a deadline every Tuesday and works out of her kitchen, reading online newspapers for information and sometimes inspiration. “People know not to call me on Mondays, I’m a total bitch.”
There isn’t always the stress of upcoming deadlines for Sommerfeld. Being an automotive journalist leads to some perks such as trips to South America and the United States. She says that Argentina was, “the most spectacular trip,” which included llamas strolling by, a convoy of Land Rovers and a hot doctor who (conveniently) didn’t speak English.
It is plain to see that Sommerfeld’s humor and personality sets her apart from everyone else. After only being in the business for about four years, she’s accomplished a lot. “Everyone who’s spit out a kid figures they can write a mommy column,” says Sommerfeld. It’s pretty damn safe to say that she can. As she puts it, “It’s a great time to be 40, with a vagina.”
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again, another assignment for my “writing for newspapers” class. i got a good mark on this, as well.
Young drivers unfairly targeted
Legislation revealed a plan this week, targeting drivers 21 and under. The plan includes that young drivers have a zero blood-alcohol limit while behind the wheel, harsher discipline for broken rules of the road as well as a limit of only one teenage passenger.
Is it not a safe assumption that a person of any age could get behind the wheel, after having a few too many drinks, and be involved in a serious or even fatal accident? I strongly believe it is.
It seems somewhat unfair to simply target young drivers because they are just starting out. Sure, some are excited, careless and a bit immature when they finally have the freedom to get behind the wheel, but so are just as many seasoned drivers.
Having said that, I do agree with the ideas that legislation has unveiled. However, I also feel that stricter laws could be enforced that target preceding drivers.
As a 25 year old without a license, I have no idea what its like to have to make the difficult task of judging whether or not I’ve had too much to drink and am capable to drive.
The thing is, a person’s capability can be misjudged at any age.
A friend of the family, Lynne Boucher, hit and killed a man while driving home from a work meeting, in the early 90’s. Boucher had met a co-worker at a local bar to discuss work, had a few drinks and decided she was fine to get behind the wheel.
Sadly, in Boucher’s case as well as many others, she made the wrong decision about her capability to get herself home safely, and in turn ended up taking an innocent person’s life.
Boucher was sentenced with a charge of manslaughter and placed in the Kingston Prison for women. KP was a branch of the well-known maximum-security prison, Kingston Penitentiary and is now since closed.
Boucher was a hard working, dedicated wife and friend, in her early 30’s that simply made the wrong decision, just as so many others do.
In 1999, Federal laws were adjusted and minimum fines were increased. The changes stated that no person could be driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or over, as well as being unable to refuse giving blood samples or have a Breathalyzer test.
Undoubtedly, these laws are meant to help and have helped, but the list of repeated DUI offenders and alcohol related crashes just doesn’t seem to get much shorter.
TIRF, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, estimated that in 2005, 1,100 people died from alcohol related crashes, with most occurring around the months of June, July and August.
The graduated licensing system has been proven to reduce crashes in Ontario, as well as many U.S. states and helps young drivers gain experience safely. In Nova Scotia, collisions were decreased by 24% during the first year of the program.
A greater concern though, in my opinion, is the number of repeated arrests of individuals who are caught driving under the influence. It happens once and then again and again. What will it take for it these people to stop?
The penalties for first offences include a fine of no more than $2,000 and up to six months in jail. Second time offenders can expect to pay a heftier fine of $2,000 or more and up to five years in jail. Lastly, third time offenders can also be slapped with a fine of $2,000 or more and up to five years in jail.
If the charges are very much similar between second and third offenders, what do they have to lose by repeating their behaviour? They’ve done it once, paid their dues and are free to do it again.
I’ve seen friends and family get behind the wheel when they clearly shouldn’t have. Hell, I’ve even gotten in the car with them a few times. Was it a smart decision to do so? No, it wasn’t but it just shows that there are more people making the wrong decision, than just young teenagers.
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