Reaction feature story example

A "reaction feature story" is one of the most common types of features. You simply talk to people and get their reaction to an event in the news. Colin Kaepernick's controversial gesture has generated lots of reaction. Below is a feature story on how Kaepernick's hometown is reacting to the controversy. Give it a read.

TURLOCK, Calif. — When 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick dropped to his right knee before the national anthem Monday night, another protest commenced here in his hometown.

It took place inside Jura’s Pizza Parlor, about 100 miles east of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, where the San Francisco 49ers played the Los Angeles Rams.

Two men, sitting side-by-side, rose to their feet in the busy restaurant. Then they crossed their arms and stared in silence at a big screen TV showing the image of Kaepernick, the 49ers’ backup quarterback.

While Kaepernick again refused to stand during The Star Spangled Banner to protest social injustice, the two men stood in the pizza parlor to protest Kaepernick.

At the same table, a third man, Jeremy Hibbs, sat in defiance across from the two others — even though one of the men was his father and the other was his brother.

“They got their opinion and I got mine,” Hibbs told USA TODAY Sports as his father and brother looked away. “I’m going to back Kap up.”

Debates and divisions like this have been going on throughout the country since Kaepernick first refused to stand for the national anthem before the 49ers' preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Aug. 26.

 And although Kaepernick grew up in Turlock and once helped to unite his hometown, this city of 70,000 is just as conflicted as many others about his actions.

In the California’s Central Valley, Turlock is known for its almonds, dairy products and, according to Ripley's Believe It or Not, once having had more churches per capita than any city in the U.S.

But it was Kaepernick, also known as "Kap," who put Turlock on the national sports map when he helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013.

A 49ers flag hangs in front of Kaepernick’s boyhood home, but his parents have since moved to nearby Modesto and they have declined to comment.

The head football coach at John Pitman High School, where Kaepernick starred a decade ago, also refused to talk. “No comment’’ might as well be the motto among his former coaches, teammates and teachers in a city that gushed over him when he ended up in the Super Bowl.

His framed autographed jersey went up on the wall in Jura’s. Another restaurant named a hot dog in his honor. Turlock became “KAP TOWN.”

As Kaepernick’s protest continued on its biggest stage yet — Monday Night Football, during the regular-season opener for the 49ers and Rams — Papiola Aghassi, general manager of the pizza parlor her family opened 37 years ago, grinned nervously as kickoff approached.

“I don’t know what to expect,” she said, and the once-unfathomable is the new normal.

About two weeks earlier, after Kaepernick first took a knee, angry customers pointed to the framed Kaepernick jersey on the wall.

“Take that (expletive) down,’’ Aghassi said the customers demanded.

The next day, Aghassi said, she got a call from her brother, who also told her to take down the jersey.

“Absolutely not,’’ she recalled telling her brother. “We support him because he’s our hometown boy.”

But support him at a potential cost.

On Monday night, Aghassi noted the smaller-than-usual crowd — about 80 people in a restaurant that seats up to 300.

Although it was premature to know if customers boycotted Jura’s because of Kaepernick’s jersey another restaurateur acted on similar fears.

The day after Kaepernick sat during the national anthem before the 49ers-Packers game, a local TV crew showed up at Main Street Footers, a popular sandwich shop.

The reporter wanted to know if the owners intended to continue serving a hot dog named in Kaepernick’s honor.

Main Street Footers promptly sacked the hot dog known as CK7, Kaepernick’s initials followed by his jersey number.

Glenn Newsum said he and his partner anticipated the outrage from customers who think Kaepernick disrespected the American flag and the military.

Axing the CK7 prompted more than a dozen calls, most from people who supported the decision, said one of Newsum’s employees.

“The reason we did it was to stop any disruption in our business,’’ Newsum said.

Jolynn DiGrazia, executive director of an after-school program for disadvantaged children, said she feared speaking up for Kaepernick might cost her donations on which she depends.

But it was Kaepernick who gave her the right to use his name on T-shirts that raised about $30,000 for her program, Westside Ministries.

Eventually, she decided to voice her support and said she thinks half of the backlash stems from Kaepernick being biracial and his changed image. In high school, Kaepernick, adopted by white parents, was widely viewed as quiet, respectful and clean cut.

On Monday he took the field wearing cornrows and often wears his hair Afro style — which DiGrazia said is seen as an affront by some of his former classmates and other Turlock residents.

Eventually, she decided to voice her support and said she thinks half of the backlash stems from Kaepernick being biracial and his changed image.

In high school, Kaepernick, adopted by white parents, was widely viewed as quiet, respectful and clean cut. On Monday he took the field wearing cornrows and often wears his hair Afro style — which DiGrazia said is seen as an affront by some of his former classmates and other Turlock residents.

“I see it as saying, ‘Boy, we thought you were white,’ ” DiGrazia said.

African Americans comprise only 2% of the population of Turlock compared to about 13% of the U.S. population.

After the silent protest at the pizza parlor Monday night, the Hibbses addressed the question of whether race has contributed to their sentiments.

“All of a sudden he has an Afro and it’s like, ‘No, dude, that’s not you,’ ” George Hibbs said.

Added his son, Anthony, “The whole racism thing, it doesn’t exist here. …You’ve got a sitting African-American president. What more do you want?’’

Aghassi, keeping an eye on the patrons, encountered another disagreement in the bar area. Monica Campos and Veronica Mora, good friends who usually sit side-by-side on football nights, were sitting apart.

Mora, who served in the Navy, said she was furious when Campos showed up wearing a Kaepernick jersey.

Mora said she thinks Kaepernick is disrespecting the military by refusing to stand for the flag, and she found her friend wearing the No. 7 49ers jersey unforgivable — well, for about an hour.

Late in the first half of the 49ers-Rams game, Mora may have given Turlock the blueprint to repair its divide when she sidled over to her friend and spread her arms.

“Let’s hug it out,’’ she said.

Trend feature example

Trend features are engaging to readers because they focus on social issues. Trend stories keep readers plugged in to the people, places, things and ideas affecting today's culture---from fads and fashion to lifestyles and entertainment.

Brian Branco is not a tattoo type of a guy.

The 50-year-old technology consultant normally wouldn't have wanted someone to pierce ink into his skin. Yet each upper arm is marked with prominent images that include the twin towers and the Pentagon, as well as the number 93 to symbolize the hijacked Flight93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pa., and the World Trade Center attack in 1993.

His ink includes the words "Never Forget," the phrase "No day shall erase you from the memory of time" and the names Bob, Jill and Steve.

Those are his colleagues who died when the towers crumbled.

"I would have never gotten any tattoos if it wasn't for Sept. 11 and my need to keep the memory alive of my friends who died that day," he says.

"Never Forget" is the mantra of many affected by those terrorist attacks -- and Branco is among the scores of people who have done just that by putting a permanent reminder on their skin.

Broken hearts, eagles, the twin towers, the Pentagon, American flags and the names of the deceased are among the wide array of tattoos that mark that day.

Some are small, such as a delicate "never forget" written in tiny script on a wrist of survivor Evelyn Lugo. Others are bold designs covering large swaths of skin.

The tattoos represent grief, anger, courage, patriotism, frustration, hope and resilience. They pay tribute. They invite observers to ask questions and allow a story about terrorism, death, heroism and healing to be retold.

They are akin to "putting our heart on our sleeves, so to speak," says Susan Salluce, a death, dying and bereavement specialist and author of GriefINK: Tattoo as the Language of Grief.

After the terrorist attacks, people took solace in tattoo studios.

Josh Everett estimates he and his fellow tattoo artists at a now-closed shop in downtown Manhattan inked at least 1,000 people after offering free tattoos as a way to give back.

"We worked with police officers, firefighters, EMS, paramedics, civilians and the military," he says. New Yorkers, as well out-of-town visitors, lined up for their services. Some patrons exuded anger, others would break down and cry. Throughout, the artists often served as "armchair psychiatrists," Everett says.

"It was a heavy, emotional time," he says. "It was probably the most significant thing I did as a tattoo artist."

Fifteen years later, people still pay homage via their skin.

This spring, Michael Anthony Cascio III -- who was 4 years old when the attacks happened -- got a 9-inch-by-11-inch tattoo on his right torso. It shows the New York City skyline with two beams of light representing the twin towers and is set against an American flag.

 Underneath, it says, "Strong men stand up for themselves. Stronger men stand up for others."

Cascio, 19, says the events of Sept. 11 are his earliest childhood memory. Upon hearing stories of firefighters heading into buildings to save others as people were running out, he decided that was the job for him. He is on the waiting list to join the New Rochelle, N.Y., fire department.

This summer, New York City Police Department officer Steven Waldron, 41, tattooed the names of 23 NYPD officers who died Sept. 11 down his right arm.

He added the names of two friends who died that day, a firefighter and emergency services worker.

"I always wanted something" he says, and when the 15-year mark loomed, he decided to act. "I wanted to get it done for the anniversary."

Waldron, who was off-duty and in the area assisting on 9/11, says he was buried in the debris and didn't know whether he would live. He still has bouts of survivor's guilt and feelings of frustration.

The tattoo helps to deal with that.

It's a way to "honor these guys," he says. "They are a part of my life."

People stop to ask him about the names that cascade down his arm, and "it's good to talk about it," he says.

Retired New York City Fire Department captain Thomas O'Brien says he welcomes inquiries about the large, intricate design on his left arm.

 It's in remembrance of the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day, he says, "especially the sacrifice made by 343 firefighters, 95 which I knew personally."

O'Brien, 54, was off-duty that morning but rushed to the scene, arriving after the second tower collapsed.

"The phoenix rises from hell to heaven," he says in describing the artwork on his arm. "Hell was the World Trade Center that day."

Max Giaccone's tattoos honor his father, Joseph Giaccone, who died while working on the 103rd floor of the north tower.

"Getting the tattoos was definitely a coping mechanism in some ways for me," he says.

Max, 25, got the first tattoo at age 16. It shows the New York City skyline in a broken heart, a nod to the logo of the punk rock band The Bouncing Souls. Above the heart are the Roman numerals IXXI for 911. Below is the word "DAD."

"I wasn't sure if 9/11 was something I wanted to look at in the mirror every day," he says. "The Roman numerals were a bit more of a subtle reminder."

His second tattoo -- on his back -- is a replica of one of Max's favorite photos. It shows his father holding him as a baby.

"I don't see it all the time, but when I do, it's nice to be reminded that he's got my back, and he's always there with me," he says. "I get to carry him with me wherever I go."

Mystery character example

A mixture of seasonal flowers adorn my headdress.

I mostly prefer roses, though.

Burgundy lipstick lines my almost smile.

My thick black hair is usually braided in a crown around my head, always with a center part.

I have a strong face and centering eyes that are indicative of a hardship-filled life.

I tend to favor wearing elaborate jewelry and bright, cultural colors in clothing.

Skirts are primarily what I wear on my lower half.

In portraits of myself, I prefer to look straight on or slightly to one side.

You will not find a photo or painting of me slouching.

As a confident person by nature, I refuse to be submissive.

You will often find me with a paintbrush in my hand.

Self-portraits are where I excel.

The hair on my upper brow tends to create one complete unibrow.

This is something I was never ashamed of, in fact, I was rather proud of it.

I am in-tune with myself and happy to be who I am.

“I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.”

Vocabulary enrichment

Instructions: Add the following words to your vocabulary. On your blog, write each of the following words along with the dictionary definition of the word and the part of speech. Use the word in a sentence. Copy the URL after you post the words to your blog and email it to me. (Deadlines for this assignment will be given in class).

Myriad

Innocuous

Feign

Temerity

Affront

Acquiesce

Interim

Trepidation

Alleviate

Stagnant

Elicit

Exacerbate

Tumultuous

Bolster

Cajole

Clandestine

Ameliorate

Cessation

Proliferation

Fervent

Ubiquitous

Sweltering

Extraneous

Recalcitrant

Schadenfreude

Malleable

Augment

Debauchery

Decadence

Presumptive

My Favorite Writing Example

Pacing back and forth in the dark was an exhausted mother, struggling to put her young, dependent child to sleep.

The infant, seemingly unaware of his mother’s fatigue, was crying away through the night.

An aching back, throbbing arms, and the longing for sleep weren’t enough to hinder the duty as a mother she had to fulfill.

In the meantime, the sun had risen and a new day had begun.

Tired, but rejuvenated by the noon sunlight, she sits in the warm, relaxing bath water, holding her child on her wet thighs.

In this poem, “Day Bath”, Debra Spencer, does an extraordinary job of using descriptive writing to not only illustrate a vivid image of what is going on literally, but how the mother is feeling as well.

Spencer writes, “Last night I wanted nothing more than to get him out of my arms. Today he fits neatly along the hollow my thighs make, and with his fragrant skin against mine I feel brash, like a sunflower.”

The reader is able to envision the mother’s exact emotions through her confessions of struggle.

Eliminating all misery from the night before, the simple physical contact and skinship between mother and child was able to flourish and become nothing but affectionate tenderness.

This illustration displays the exclusive yearning that is innately present in a mother to provide and nurture that I too, would like to have for my future child.

Source: “Good Poems” – Selected and Introduced by Garrison Keilor (2005)

Page 17. “Day Bath” by Debra Spencer

100W Checklist for students

100W Checklist

Follow this checklist for every assignment:

1. Did you write in the inverted pyramid style using one-sentence paragraphs? Every assignment needs to be written in this format.

2. Did you check your AP stylebook before turning in the assignment?

3. Reading sentences aloud allows you to hear awkward phrasing. Try it.

4. Did you look for wordy sentences? Wordy writing is bad writing. Try rewriting sentences using fewer words.

5. Did you use the correct format for hard copy and/or blog? Be sure your assignment follows the correct format.

6. Turn the assignment in on time to get credit for your work.

7. Is the lead dynamic? If not, rewrite it.