online challenge
Vacation challenge
Submitted by ggevalt on Thu, 04/24/2008 - 4:59pmOK, so someone sent me this link and I honestly was flabbergasted. I'm not sure whether video can inspire you to write, but here goes. Watch this, then write about it; tell us what it made you think about, create a story, write a poem, whatever. Do it in the comment section so we can see everyone's creations. The challenge, of course, is this: Can you keep up with an elephant?
[video:http://youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk&feature=related]
Cool news -- Six word stories
Submitted by ggevalt on Wed, 04/16/2008 - 5:30pmPublishing your six-word stories, PART 1
OK, so we'll be publishing the best of your Six-word Stories over the next few months. And here's one presentation that's cool: Six Pieces in Six Words in Six Minutes to be presented by the writers and the Vermont Symphony Orchestra at Flynn Center on Dec. 5.
The following six-word stories were selected by the VSO and were passed along to a young composer who created one-minute musical interpretations of each. Each of the writers get up on stage, read the words and then have the VSO follow by playing the musical interpretation of the story... Then the next author will read, and so on. Concerts again are on December 5.
Here are the selections.
Before the light hit the earth. Mango
The aliens transported the cow away. Pineapple_babbitt32
People finally stopped reading the newspapers. imagine
No sir, it's a bird shop. greenie1138
I knew I should have walked. squeejay
Her ghost restlessly haunts the castle. schila
We will be publishing the best of the other entries. We have so many great entries to choose from! AND don't miss our new 7-word story project. Post them in the box on the right!
And here's a Web site for one-sentence stories and a cool video on another 6-word story project:
Six-Word Memoir book preview from SMITHmag on Vimeo.
gg
Online Challenge: What would you do?
Submitted by ggevalt on Thu, 03/06/2008 - 3:55pmWhat one thing would you change to improve your high school? Why?
This is a special challenge. Your voice matters. Educational leaders are starting a project aimed at increasing student involvement in high school decisions and curriculum. They want to hear from you.
Some other focusing questions: What would you change to give students more say in school decisions? How would you change the way your courses were taught? How would you change the curriculum to connect it more to your interests? Or to your future? Answer as comments below.
I know, I know. Heady questions. But here's a chance for your voice to matter in a very practical way. A lot of people who make decisions are interested in what you have to say. Give it a try. Thanks. Best essays will get movie tickets.
While we are focusing this on high schools, if you wish to add a comment on how to improve your middle school, feel free.
gg
Online Challenge: The Primaries -- Updated
Submitted by ggevalt on Wed, 02/27/2008 - 10:04amAn update:
Clinton came back, winning Texas, Ohio, R.I. Obama took Vermont because we seem to care more about the war than the economy.
Tell everyone how you voted or would have voted if you could have -- in Tuesday's presidential primary. Tell us why you are supporting a candidate or why you think she or he would make good president.
OC#6: Should small amounts of pot be decriminalized?
Submitted by ggevalt on Thu, 01/24/2008 - 3:38pm
What do you think? What would happen if the state had a law where you would be fined, but not criminally charged, if you had an ounce of pot? Click on the link above, and then click back on your browser.
Comment below or create a blog and put "newsblog" and "OC6" in the keywords (without quotes.)
OC5: Does this story make you hungry?
Submitted by ggevalt on Sun, 01/13/2008 - 7:25pm
Check out this story in the NY Times:
It may not surprise you to learn that much of the pork and chicken and beef and milk that you buy at the grocery store comes from huge, industrial-size operations that bear little resemblance to the quaint family farms that adorn many food packages.
But you may be surprised to learn that your tax dollars have helped pave the way for the growth of these livestock megafarms by paying farmers to deal with the mountains of excrement that their farms generate. All of this is carried out under the rubric of “conservation.” Congress is about to renew the program — and possibly even expand it — as part of a new farm bill wending its way through the Capitol. ...
After you read it, give us your reaction by posting a blog. Put OC5 and newsblog in the keywords.
OC#4: Should this man be allowed to compete in the Olympics?
Submitted by ggevalt on Thu, 01/10/2008 - 4:10pm
Admirable Spirit, but Rules Are Rules, by George Vescey, NYTimes
An athlete named Oscar Pistorius of South Africa is almost sure to be denied in his bid to run in the 2008 Summer Games with two artificial lower legs. Pistorius’s problem is that his prosthetic devices are far beyond the contour and function of so-called normal legs.
Pistorius, 21, who was born without the fibula in his lower legs and with other defects in his feet, uses carbon-fiber devices, known as Cheetahs, shaped like the letter J. ... Read more of NYTimes story
Online Challenge #4: Should this athlete be allowed to compete in the 2008 Olympics in China? Check out the story, the related graphics, then come back here, and comment or create a blog entry as to whether you think he should be allowed to compete in the Olympics or should only compete in the paraOlympics. If you create a new blog entry, put OC4 and newsblog in the box marked "Keywords".
Online Challenge #3: The Primaries
Submitted by ggevalt on Tue, 01/08/2008 - 1:25pm
Tight races in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. Huckabee wins Iowa, McCain wins New Hampshire, Romney wins Wyoming and Michigan. Obama wins Iowa, Clinton wins New Hampshire, Edwards still hanging in. What do you think about the campaign so far? Write a blog on the primaries. Include the words OC3 and newsblog in your keywords.
Participate in the Presidential Poll.
What do you think are the most important qualities the next president should have? What's the most important issue facing the next president? Read the news on YWP Newsblog,, click back on the browser, create a blog entry and answer one or more of those questions above. Put "OC3" and "Newsblog" in the keywords.
Create a six-word story
Submitted by ggevalt on Tue, 12/18/2007 - 11:53pmThe challenge: Create a story using only six words. This is commonly known as the Hemingway Challenge; Ernest Hemingway said he could write a complete short story in six words. His story: "For sale: Baby shoes. Never used." ...
As you can tell, we've had GREAT response. Keep them coming. We soon will be selecting the best for publication. AND we have already selected six of them for a very special on stage project that will happen in December. More later. Add your Six-word Stories as comments below.
ONLINE CHALLENGE: #1
Submitted by ggevalt on Mon, 10/22/2007 - 1:03pmEditor's note: I was deeply moved when I heard this commentary on National Public Radio the other day about how the community of Blackey, Kentucky, has been ravaged by addiction to the pain killer OxyContin.
The context of this commentary was that, over the summer, the drug's maker -- Purdue Pharma -- had agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to many states because the manufacturer had encouraged doctors to over-prescribe the drug. And last week, the state of Kentucky refused the settlement and instead sued the manufacturer saying the drug had ravaged its communities in Appalachia and had cost the state's people millions in health care costs, drug enforcement costs and payments for prescriptions.
