Black Friday Shopping

As I push through women after women after women. I finally see them. The new, dark brown, riding boots that I have wanted since the beginning of winter. I run to go grad them before someone else does. I find a quiet corner to go try them on. They fit perfectly. Waking up at 6.a.m is finally worth it. The what-seemed endless drive to the galleria doesn't matter anymore. Right as I'm to check out, I notice there is a sweater sale going on in the Macy's next door. Well might as well as I'm here, I could go check it out. I doubt there is anything still in my size. But you never know, I might find something that is worthwhile. I walk in. It looks as if a tornado has passed through. Am I going to find anything in this black hole? Is it really worth it? Well, I might as well try. I savage through the scraps of clothes I find left.I see something, buried under a pile of clothes. I dig through and find the perfect sweater. The perfect holiday sweater covered with reindeer and snowflakes. I can't expect to leave the store without it. I look at size. A small! This is really a thanksgiving miracle. As I check out, the lady at the register tells I'm lucky. It was the last one. Finally ready to go home and take a fulfilled nap. Successful shopping trip? Very, Would I do it again next year? Never.

Jackie Wertheimer
Entertainment Writer
Bellaire High School
Bellaire, TX

A Push

     I feel alone. My eyes scan the entire room and all I see are a bunch of strangers to me. I crack a smile, desperately trying to evoke a sense of confidence. But really on the inside my heart is pounding 20 miles a minute as I try to take in everything.

    Ever since I can remember, I've always been a shy person. I can clearly remember the moments in elementary where I would sit as silent as a mouse with a group of kids. With my close friends, I could be myself but with people that I didn't know, I crawled back into my shell.  It seemed as if there was a piece of duct tape over my mouth preventing me from communicating with people I didn't know. There was nothing for me to say to someone I didn't know and the fear of meeting someone mean held me back.

    I stand in a room full of people 30 + years older than me. As my mom shoves me towards a stranger, she whispers, " You'll thank me for this later." I am forced to get out of my comfort zone. I am forced to do something I don't want to do. After the initial butterflies, I realized that it wasn't as bad as I expected. Now I feel like there is nothing limiting me anymore. My mom has also been a strong believer in that everyone just needs a little push to overcome a fear. I think she's right.

Jennifer Wang

Writer

Bellaire High School TPP

Hawaii Climb

My family and I woke up just as the sun was rising behind a layer of perfectly white clouds floating over the blue ocean waves. We got in the car and drove to Diamond Head Mountain. I was definitely not ready to face the climb. I did not train or prepare at all. I still got my water and backpack out of the car and starting climbing the steep mountain. After a steep 30 minute climb, we reached a large look out point. I expecting a good view, but I could not believe my eyes when I stopped walking and looked out. The view was amazing. I could see the ocean for miles on end. I could see the edges of the island and the perfectly placed grains of sand. The wind was flowing through my hair, and for a moment, I felt free. We continued on the trail and finally reached the top of Diamond Head. I thought I would never reach the peak. Looking out on the beautiful blue ocean, I felt like I was looking at heaven. The view was gorgeous and everything was perfect. We took in the view, but we had to climb back down just too soon. I had definitely anticipated the climb for I was never much of an outdoors person. I would always choose indoors over outdoors, but I definitely look back happy I made the decision to climb Diamond Head. I will never forget the amazing view and experience.

Sophie Daily
Writer
TPP Bellaire High School

photo from: Chron.com - "Longhorns and their fans are not on the same page" Taken by: Elisabeth Dillon

This photo shows that the Texas fans are not as entertained, I really liked it because the two guys were dressed up as a turkey and a pilgram. it is really hard to find good shots like this from a giant crowd. The photo is focusing on the front row, where it needs to be, which really pulls the viewers to the two men in the front.

A Distant Memory

Here to stay for a few days, and gone so suddenly the next, hardly leaving a trace of her presence. Feeling her absence here afterwards only lasts for a few seconds, and I'm back to my daily routine. How is it that someone could be here and not here within a few moments? People come and go, promises are made and broken, and memories are forgotten just so that new ones can be created. I learned that early on in life. Don't hold on, it's the easiest way to cope; that way there's no need for letting go. She comes in and out of my life, and it feels like I'm struggling to get a quick glimpse. "She's here. She's here," I have to constantly remind myself. But she leaves, closing the door, and I can hardly remember the shape of her face, her stature, the way she smiles, or her mannerisms that resemble my dad's so well.

I always wake up the next morning, having a strange feeling of a faint dream that oddly seems to be still lingering. Walking downstairs, I pass the hallway and stare blankly at the spot where her bags should sitting so calmly next to the cold, bare window. But today, they're not there. 

Sometimes, I have to remind myself that she's my sister. She's more like a stranger who happens to have similar DNA.The one thing I cannot possibly understand is that no matter how many times she has came over to visit, it seems like I never fully know who she is. Each visit, I hold on to one more piece of knowledge about her that I did not have the day before. And she closes the door one more time, only to leave me with mixed feelings, unexpectedly welcoming her once more the following year.

But she is a mirage of untold stories, scars that cannot be mended, and a confusion of emotions.

With each visit, I attempt to hear a new story, to admire a different scar, and experience the many constantly changing emotions, with her. I can only do this over and over again until she is no longer a distant memory,but a permanent part of my life. 

Sara Nabhan

Writer

Bellaire High School

Houston, Texas

A New Chapter

As my college years approach rapidly, my remaining days in high school seem to drag out forever.  It used to seem so far away, but now that I have received my acceptance letter to my dream school, I can't get out of here fast enough.  Coincidentally, I first heard of this wonderfully news while sitting right here in the TPP classroom.  I had made a habit of checking my goBaylor account daily in TPP, but that particular day I noticed something different.  There was a conspicuous "Deposit Now" button.  My heart stopped, but I wasn't ready to believe the life-changing news.  I scrolled up the screen in disbelief, and the news was confirmed.  "Laure, You're Accepted" was flashing on the screen in big green and gold letters.  After letting out a brief shriek and several tears of joy, it set in.  High school is virtually over, and the next phase of my life has been opened up.  Now that the door has been opened, it is so hard to sit back and not walk through.  It is as if there is a pile of gold just through the door, but I am being forced not to walk through.  Will August ever arrive?  How come nine months seems like nine years?  I've been looking forward to this step forward since probably sixth grade.  Now that I can practically taste the experience, I want to eat a whole mouthful.  My parents tell me to enjoy the rest of high school and stop wishing my life away, but it is so hard.  I am simply wishing for my life to begin.  Baylor is the start of a new chapter, and I can't wait to turn the page. 

Laure Cundiff
Entertainment Writer
Three Penny Press

Losing a Friend

Yelling at a phone with no one on the other end, knowing you there won't be a response to your anger, is not an experience I wish to relive.
A little over a year ago, one of my best friends denounced me, all of his friends from middle school, and especially my sister.
My sister and this "friend" were inseparable in seventh and eight grade. Rumors of a spark floated around, but she never liked him that way. He was just her best friend.
We had always known he was different. When my sister first became friends with him, he told her he was a follower of the little known religion Baha'i, and by eighth grade he was a full blown Buddhist, but we never gave it any thought because we don't discriminate and he was our friend.
This "friend" and my cousin never got along. They would try and be cordial because they both knew they were both important to Margaret and I, but my cousin always told us he thought our "friend" was trouble.
The summer between eighth and ninth grade my sister and I spent almost everyday with our "friend" and another person. The other person was not someone you would normally find among my sister's and I's peers, but he had recently gone through a big change, and he was fun to be around.
We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into that summer. Every moment we spent our "friend" and the other person uncovered a little piece of who they truly were.
The other person told us about his dysfunctional family and how much he didn't want to move to Arizona with his mom, but didn't want to stay with his dad's new family even more.
Our "friend" spent even more time with the other person than my sister and I did, and thing came tumbling down that fateful day when he left for Arizona.
The other person is a drug addict and has tried to kill himself more than a few times. Every time my sister and I try to speak to him he says, "We aren't his real friends."
When the other person left our "friend" left our world and broke my sister's heart.
Our "friend" said he hated us, and was ready to move on. He cursed out my sister and left her with terrible feelings and ruined memories.
I didn't find out about the fallout until a month after happened. I called him, and when I got his voice mail I let him have it.
I haven't really spoken to him since, and I don't want to. I'm not very good at second chances.
My "friend" and the other person changed my life in good ways, but now all I'll remember them for are things they did that hurt my sister and I.

Claire Fisher
News Writer
Bellaire High School
Bellaire, Texas

A Confectionary Dream

This past summer I went to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Watching a show about the delicious treats this family-owned business shells out just made me dream about that one delicious bite of one of my favorite sweet foods. To taste a red velvet cupcake created by Buddy himself seemed like a dream. Riding the Amtrak from Boston to New York City, my dad hands me a piece of paper, a receipt for a pre-ordered red velvet cupcake all for me, in addition to some treats for him, my mom and my sister. I could not believe it. That very day he had planned a cab trip across the Hudson to the bakery that I had seen on TV every Monday at nine o'clock pm. We drove up, and I immediately saw the day-long line, my hopes crushed. But then, my dad reminded me we pre-ordered, an advantage which gave us the ability to skip the line. I walk in, and we give them our receipt, and then we get our food. But then, out comes Mauro to take pictures and socialize with customers. We get in line to take pictures, and my dad gets the perfect one. While this was happening, my mom bought my sister and me shirts. Not only did I have the delicious taste still in my mind, but I also walked away with a shirt, a photograph and a memory that will never escape me.

Leslie Cundiff
Writer
Three Penny Press
Period 6

Action Shots

This is a good action shot because one can see his circular motion in his arms. Also, his facial expression is very clear. However, it would have been better if the entire basketball hoop was in the picture. 

This is a great action shot because one can see both the players' entire body and facial expressions. Also, the background timer (five seconds left) contributes to the intensity of the action. 

Solo Singing

As I unsteadily climbed up a few steps leading to the stage, I caught myself right before tripping in front of a decently large crowd. This isn't a good start. How am I suppose to continue to the stage and sing in front of all these people? I hesitated as I walked up to the microphone and waited for my accompanist to start playing the song. Am I going to start the song off with the right pitch? Will I panic in the middle of the song and forget my lyrics? I closed my eyes for a quick second and mentally made the audience disappear  The song began and I opened my mouth, praying that something, anything, will come out. As I started singing, my nerves began to settle and I finally calmed down. Ah, here comes a high note. Breathe.
I recall practicing in front of the mirror the night before. I was my only audience. I found that more comforting. However, that wasn't going to help me get over my fear. I mean, I have sung in front of people before, but they were my friends and the numbers were not nearly as large. The other time I sang was during my 8th grade talent show. The only difference was it was a duet with my best friend; but this time I was on my own, and I felt that everyone in the audience suddenly turned into a judge.
As I approached the end of my song, I realized that I had wasted my time worrying when I could have been enjoying my own performance. I ended the last note with a smile on my face, finally feeling at peace with myself.

Lara Hattab
Writer
Bellaire High School
Houston, TX

Ellipsis and Em Dashes

Ellipsis is represented in any piece of writing by a row of three periods or full stops (...). At times, it may overlap with the use of em dash (—).

Ellipsis is useful for omitting certain words in long speech writing, citations or quotations. When using ellipsis, however, the writer must be careful not to change the meaning of what the speaker is actually saying. This is a basic journalistic rule and ethical practice for any kind of writing. When ellipsis is used at the end of a sentence, it usually signifies something is 'to be continued ...'. If used somewhere between a sentence, it is considered an omission to shorten a sentence, often to remove words that are not critical to the objective point at hand. For example:

Before
Jane went about looking for the dog again and again, but was unable to find it.

After
Jane went about looking for the dog again ... but was unable to find it.

According to the MLA and AP style guideline, ellipsis should precede and proceed with a space for correct usage as shown above. There is a tendency for many writers to omit the space after a word, and this is not a correct usage following the standard style guides.

Em dash is represented by a longer dash (—), and should not be mistaken as figure dash (-) or en dash (–). Figure dash is used as a hyphen and en dash in a range, for example 'three to ten people' or 3–10 people.

Em dash is used in two ways, one as a break between a continuing sentence and the other at the end of sentence.

When used as a break between a continuing sentence, it sets off from the parenthetical information to indicate a break in character thought or speech. For example:

Every single thing we do — big or small — is significant in the sight of God.

When facing tough situations, the best thing to do is to first know God’s will through His word — the Bible.

When used at the end of a sentence, it usually refers to an aposiopesis — a sentence deliberately broken off and left unfinished which ending is supplied by your imagination or to give impression of unwillingness or inability to continue. For example:

"Get out, or else —!"

Em dash is frequently used without a space around it. Even with universities and various educational sites, many in practice advise no space before and after the use of an em dash as a house style. Certain newspapers use a dash in place of em dash or en dash because of the limited space within the columns.

According to the MLA and AP style guide, the em dash should precede and proceed with a space in all uses except at the start of a paragraph or for sports agate summaries.

Source: http://print2screen.blogspot.com/2010/07/ellipsis-and-em-dash.html

Michelle Huang
News Editor
Period 6

The Oxford comma rule: in a list delete last comma. Eggs, bacon and toast.

Hyperlinks

A hyperlink is a link from one part of an Internet page to another. We use these for our online beats.

Example: Bellaire TPP

Academic Degrees

If you have to mention a degree to establish someone's credentials, instead of an abbreviation use a phrase such as: John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology.

datelines

 Datelines appear at the beginning of stories and include the name of the city in all capital letters, usually followed the state or territory in which the city is located. 

Examples: 

• DENVER – The Democratic National Convention began...
• ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Republican National Convention began...
• YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – President Bush spoke to a group...

Action Photos

This is a great airborn photo. Nothing is blurry, and you can see the player's facial expression very well. I also like the angle of the shot because nothing is hidden and it's a relatable point of view.



I love this photo. It has perfect timing where the player meets the ball exactly. You can see the ball is in motion without it being too blurry.

Action Shots

This is a very good example of stop action photography. The subjects are very in focus and the background is blurry. It's good because you can see the player's face and the ball.

This is a good action shot because the subjects are in focus and the background is blurry and you can see their faces and the ball. The looks on their faces adds a lot to the photo.

Action Shots

This is a great example of an action shot because it gets the players face and is straight on the action. Instead of getting a sideline picture of the side of the player when he scores, the photographer stood behind the end zone. 

Many action shots like this would get a full body picture, but this picture is really helped by the emotions on the player's faces. If the photographer or editor had gone with a full body shot, the faces would not be as prominent.

Parentheses ( ) - Amanda Taylor

Parentheses ( )
In general use parentheses around logos. Parentheses are jarring to reader so be sparing with them. The following cases are when parentheses are necessary: WITHIN QUOTATIONS, PUNCTUATION place a period outside a closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a sentence, MATERIAL FROM OTHER AREAS, INSERTIONS IN A PROPER NAME

Journal #2 - Action Shots

This picture clearly shows that #20 is going to continue running despite the other's attempts. It has good focus, #20 is holding the ball, it is well balanced, and it shows the viewer what happens next.

 Here, #43 is going to tackle #25 who is clearly holding the ball. The ball is central to the image and there is a slight leading line from left to right thanks to #43 being nearly horizontal. 

Names

When the name is first written, it must include both first and last name. On every following usage, use only the last name. Do not use titles (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms.) unless in a quote or necessary for clarification.

Leading Lines

The natural lines in the rock as well as the perspective create sweeping leading lines. By being directly in line with the formations, the photographer allows the lines to immediately pick up the view and curve it upwards.

Here is a fairly straight forward example of leading lines. The design on the top of the archway goes straight into the distance as does the sidewalk. The shadows from the archway also add more emphasis, making the tunnel effect much more apparent. 

Times

The exact time when an event has occurred or will occur is unnecessary for most stories. Of course, there are occasions when the time of day is important. In such cases, use figures, but spell out noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, but do not use :00. Examples: 1 p.m., 3:30 a.m.

(Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/735/02/)

Jackie Luo, Editor-in-Chief