Interview of Joseph Call

Q: What is your book about?

A: Well, I’m working on 2 right now. One is set in Minnesota, and one day everything electric goes out. This can actually happen, it’s called an EMP attack. He then goes out and tries to find his way in the world. The other one is a science fiction about aliens and stuff.

Q: What is it called?

A: I haven’t worked out names, but I think I might call the first Journeyman. I sort of don’t like that name though

Q: When did you start to write it?

A: This summer, I was bored and lonely.

Q: How far are you into it?

A: For the first I am 59 pages (34,000 words) and the second I am 6 pages (3,000)

Q: What genre would you classify it as?

A: Well the first I really have no idea, it’s got a bit of everything in it. Science fiction, romance, war, drama.

Q: What inspired you to write it?

A: Like I said, I was bored and lonely but then I really ended up liking it.

Q: What genres of books do you like to read?

A: Thrillers Sci fi and fantasy.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

A: Michael Creighton, JK Rowling

Q: Did any of these authors inspire you to write your book?

A: Not really

Q: Have you written any other books?

A: I’ve had a few other failed attempts but I failed.

Q: Do you write any other material like poetry or plays?

A: When I was little I wrote poetry, and I do it sometimes when I’m bored in class.

Q: Do you hope to become a professional author?

A: That would be a dream come true, but honestly, there are a lot of great amateur authors out there. It seems that everyone in our generation has attempted to write a book. They usually only get a couple pages in, however. The odds are stacked against me. If I can get it published, then I will be ecstatic. If I can’t, I still had fun.

Q: What are your goals for your future in writing?

A: To finish my book, it takes hours upon hours of time. 

Q: Are you intending to major in anything related to writing?

A: Not really, if I ever do have any success with what I have, then maybe I'll try and get more skills. If not, it's just too much of a risk, and I might end up with a degree I can't use. 

Q: If not, what are you majoring in?

A: Probably Engineering. I realized how cool they were after playing Dead Space. (This is a joke)

Q: What high school did/do you go to?

A: I go to North Branch High School.

Q: Can you recall anything in specific that inspired/inspires you to write (teacher, event, etc)?

A: I like to read. It's familiar to me. 

story 3

Josiah Daniels

Feb. 24, 2011

Sleep Diana Gant

The Importance of Sleep and How to Get It

            Have you ever wondered how much how much sleep you need a day and how to get that sleep? Diana Gant has the answer.

Gant is regarded as a national leader on the study of sleep. She is also a part of the psychology faculty at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.

            Gant claims that people need nine to 10 hours of sleep a night. When asked why some people say you only need seven to eight or four to five, Gant replied, “I know not everyone agrees with me, but that’s what I keep finding.” In a laboratory study Gant conducted, she found that when people got the chance to sleep, they typically slept for about nine hours.

            Gant claims that not getting enough sleep can be a serious detriment not only to you, but to society as well. Gant has done some research on the number of traffic accidents that occur after daylight savings in the spring when people loose an hour. “There’s an eight percent increase in accidents the day after the time change, and there’s a corresponding decrease in accidents in the fall when people gain an extra hour of sleep,” Gant stated. Gant also said that a lack of sleep contributed, in some way, to some major disasters including the Exxon Valdez oil spill and Russia’s Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident. Gant even says that sleep may have caused them instead of simply contributing to them. She also states that not getting enough sleep could lead to depression.

            Some things that a person could do to get more sleep, Gant says, includes:

-         Sleep in a dark and quiet area.

-         Relax for an hour before you go to bed.

-         Don’t eat or drink too much before you go to bed.

-         Don’t consume alcohol, tobacco, or coffee before you go to bed.

-         Don’t eat foods with high sugar content before you go to bed.

Gant also believes people aren’t getting enough sleep because of their perception of sleep. According to Gant, “some people think that going without sleep is the big, sophisticated, macho thing to do. They figure they don’t need it, that the rules don’t apply to them, that they can get more done.”

            You should be able to tell if you are not getting enough sleep if you have trouble staying awake after large meals at lunchtime, or even at the intersection, Gant claims.

Obituary

Josiah Daniels

Obituary

            Josiah Daniels, who was a student with the dream of becoming a military lawyer, died today at the age of 17.

            Daniels was a high school student who attended college full-time at Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC). After high school, he wanted to go to Wheaton College in Illinois and get an undergraduate degree in philosophy. After that, he dreamed of going to one of the best law schools in the nation and serving the military at the same time.

            Daniels died from a rare form of malaria that he caught from a mosquito bite.

            “He loved being involved in his church,” his mom said. In addition to his church, Daniels was involved in tennis and speech at Princeton High School. At ARCC, Daniels was in student government and an honors student.

Blog 3: Story 2

Josiah Daniels

Feb. 10, 2010

Police Car Meeting

Heated Debate in Commissioner Meeting Regarding Police Funds

     Sheriff Gus DiCesari was denied his petition for eight new police cars and five new deputies in a heated debate at the County Commissioners meeting on Thursday afternoon.

     DiCesari stated that he needed the new cars to replace old ones that each had over 150,000 miles on them. “My deputies can’t keep driving these old vehicles. Something bad is going to happen,” stated DiCesari.

     However, the Commissioners voted against granting DiCesari the money. They stated that the county doesn’t have the funds. The county’s budget this year was $127 million, and Commission Member Anne Chenn said that the county ran short of money this year. The sheriff’s department would require $580,000 for the cars and deputies.

     Chenn suggested that deputies stop driving their squad cars home to preserve mileage. DiCesari countered by saying the cars were a deterrent to crime.

     DiCesari was upset by the decision. He voiced his opinion at the meeting when he stated, “You’re putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy.” According to DiCesari, “This is the first time in my 27 years as sheriff that the county hasn’t allocated money to the sheriff’s department to buy equipment.”

     Not every commissioner voted against DiCesari’s request. Two of the commissioners were in favor of it. Those two were commissioners Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne. They both argued that the county should devote more money to the police department and less to programs for migrant workers.

     Commissioners Chen, Valerie Dawkins, Faith Ellis, Jose Gardez, and Roland Grauman voted against DiCesari’s request. They countered Shenuski and Laybourne’s argument by saying that the migrant workers are valuable to the community and economy.