A night in Reno
It’s been a long but good first week in Reno at the Maynard Institute’s multimedia editing fellowship. I’ve learned to do some tweeting on Twitter and create my own Facebook account. Click on the links given if you’d like to follow along. I’m @mjbakereditor on Twitter.
But tonight — actually last night — it was time to have a little fun. So, along with my roommate here, I decided to experience a bit of the after hours fun in downtown Reno on Virginia Street.
The greeting as you pull off of Interstate 80 onto Virginia Street.
Just how big was this little city?
First, we headed to Circus Circus to find out. Too bad, happy hour was over, but there was still plenty to do, if you gamble. I’m not a big gambler. Just don’t ever seem to get the cards. The deck is definitely stacked against me. Nevertheless, plenty of people do and the craps table was certainly hopping.
From one casino to another, but first a walk down Virginia Street. Gambling wasn’t the only thing possible in downtown Reno. It’s nearly one stop shopping for a lot of things. If marriage isn’t commitment enough, feel free to stop next door and get a tattoo.
There are several casinos to check out. We tackled Harrah’s next. The games are the same, especially for a novice. But I will say the dealers were awfully friendly.
She dances too.
It was a break-even sort of night.
Up next, a trip to Tahoe.
– Michael Baker, Local Editor
The big and little of Reno
It’s about time I got around to it. So here it is, “The Reno photo.”
Taken from a moving car heading west on Virginia Street.
I doubt if there has been but a few visitors that didn’t snap the same shot from some angle or at least bought a postcard with the image.
I took a brief look at downtown Reno today, as my roommate and I stopped by a bar and grill for a beer and dinner after our Maynard Institute class at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Here’s a couple of quick observations about the Reno tourist and the hard-core gambler. The tourist smiles. The gambler has deep lines etched into their pale face. At a bar/restaurant, the tourist has dinner and chats. The gambler feeds money into the video poker machine inset into the bar. All this probably proves the wisdom of moderation.
But as I stated in my last post, I’m here to learn and discuss issues of journalism. Today, the fellows in the program heard from Dori Maynard, president of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism. Her presentation diverted a bit from the multimedia editing program, but was certainly no less important. She spoke about adding diversity to newspaper coverage and viewing stories and coverage through the prisms of race, class, gender, generation and geography. In short, it’s a way of trying to get complete coverage that touches on many viewpoints.
So to those that have read this post, I ask these questions: How’s The Oklahoman doing with this? Does our coverage seem complete? Do we ever offer a perspective maybe you weren’t aware of?
– Michael Baker, Local Editor
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. Boys State camps, which teach teenagers about politics and democracy, started:
a) In Oklahoma, 1921.
b) In Illinois, 1935.
c) In Wyoming, 1957.
2. 18 U.S. soldiers recovered from the swine flu in what country?
a) Iraq.
b) Philippines.
c) Kuwait.
3. Which team scored 11 runs in one inning to win the Big 12 Baseball Tournament championship game?
a) Oklahoma.
b) Missouri.
c) Texas.
4. For every $100 Oklahoma spends on substance abuse, how much goes toward prevention?
a) $2.30.
b) $20.30.
c) 30 cents.
5. In comparison to some cities in the Rust Belt, home vacancy rates in the Oklahoma City area are what?
a) Lower.
b) Higher.
c) The same.
6. A Broken Arrow couple sell candles featuring which of the following scents?
a) Muscadine grape, mistletoe and rose rock.
b) Wet dog, puppy breath and kibble.
c) Pot roast, fishing dock and motor oil.
7. Who among Oklahoma’s delegation opposed Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the federal bench in 1998?
a) Jim Inhofe.
b) Tom Coburn.
c) Tom Cole.
8. The Oklahoma Legislature approved plans for a high school with what type of focus in Tulsa?
a) Energy industry careers.
b) Math and science.
c) The arts.
9. Wichita State baseball coach Gene Stephenson once backed out of coaching what Oklahoma team?
a) University of Central Oklahoma.
b) University of Oklahoma.
c) Oklahoma State University.
10. What animal do Coweta residents Vickie and Larry Smith own that officials say was violating a city ordinance?
a) Kangaroo.
b) Ostrich.
c) Horse.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-A, 5-A, 6-C, 7-A, 8-C, 9-B, 10-C.
Learning in Reno
I arrived in Reno, Nev., Sunday afternoon and here’s what I’ve learned:
You can play the slots in the airport.
Taxi drivers are the same in every city.
And the views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are spectacular.
Sierra Nevadas from the road to my apartment
Behind the wall is a busy street called Mae Anne Avenue
But that’s not the point. I’m here to learn.
I’m one of 14 fellows at the Maynard Institute’s Multimedia Editing Program. It’s a six-week immersion program that promises to teach me everything from blogging, social networking strategies to video. I’m hoping it will allow me to bring better content to the readers.
But I’m also hoping to have some fun along the way.
I’ll be posting updates on things I learn, see, taste, drink and experience while in “The Biggest Little City in the World.”
– Michael Baker, Local Editor
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. The Country Music Hall of Fame added which Oklahoma-born performer Sunday?
a) Toby Keith.
b) Roy Clark.
c) Woody Guthrie.
2. Students at the University of Oregon are using what unconventional method to produce electricity?
a) Potatoes and paperclips.
b) Ant farms on teeter-totters.
c) Exercise machines.
3. DreamWorks Studios plans to make a film on which civil rights leader?
a) The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
b) Rosa Parks.
c) William Edward Burghardt “W.E.B.” Du Bois.
4. High water put parts of which state golf course under water?
a) Cedar Creek Golf Course at Beavers Bend.
b) Arrowhead State Park Golf Course.
c) Lake Murray State Park Golf Course.
5. “The Killer Inside Me,” being filmed in Oklahoma, stars:
a) Andy Affleck.
b) Ben Affleck.
c) Casey Affleck.
6. What do Sooner baseball players Garrett Buechele and Cameron Seitzer have in common?
a) They’re both pitchers.
b) They’re both catchers.
c) They’re both sons of former Major League Baseball players.
7. Why was Food Network’s Guy Fieri in Oklahoma?
a) He was visiting his grandmother.
b) He was taping segments at six restaurants for his show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”
c) Trick question; he was in Texas, not Oklahoma.
8. Elena Schoo, an exchange student from Germany, has found success in Oklahoma in what activity?
a) Tennis.
b) Showing horses.
c) Rattlesnake hunting.
9. Which policy does the Oklahoma Office of State Finance say some state agencies are not correctly following?
a) Computer encryption.
b) Payroll deductions.
c) Expense reporting.
10. What is the name of the Oklahoma film accepted for the 66th annual Venice Inter8national Film Festival in September and was an official selection at this year’s Sundance Film Festival?
a) “Barking Water.”
b) “Barking Dog.”
c) “Still Waters.”
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B, 2-C, 3-A, 4-A, 5-C, 6-C, 7-B, 8-B, 9-A, 10A
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. What do police say is helping to cut down on youthful crimes such as vandalism?
a) Citywide curfews for teenagers.
b) Microchips secretly embedded in teenagers’ arms.
c) Good parenting.
2. Viewers from around the globe are logging online to watch which state animal at Sooner Lake?
a) Eagles.
b) Bears.
c) Elk.
3. An Oklahoma City sailor is helping fight pirates …
a) From Somalia.
b) At Walt Disney World.
c) Of the Caribbean.
4. Oklahoma has seen a 55 percent increase in what population group since 2000?
a) American Indians.
b) Asians.
c) Hispanics.
5. A statue of what Oklahoma sports hero was unveiled last week at the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame?
a) Sam Bradford.
b) Jim Thorpe.
c) Johnny Bench.
6. Why did people receiving food stamps through the state Department of Human Services see a rise in April subsidies?
a) Increased tax revenue.
b) Federal economic stimulus package.
c) Decreased number of applicants.
7. OU triple jumper Will Claye hopes one day to represent which country in the Olympics?
a) Sierra Leone.
b) United States.
c) Canada.
8. Food 4 Kids is a program that provides food to children at risk of going to bed hungry. How many children does the Made in Oklahoma Coalition hope to sponsor this year?
a) 350.
b) 1,000.
c) 700.
9. Visitors from which country traveled through Oklahoma recently along old Route 66?
a) Czech Republic.
b) China.
c) France.
10. Voters in what town will have to wait to find out who their new city councilman is after the election ended in a tie?
a) Ardmore.
b) Pauls Valley.
c) Seminole.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A, 2-A, 3-A, 4-C, 5-B, 6-B, 7-A, 8-C, 9-A, 10-B.
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. A partnership between Edmond and Guthrie seeks investors for:
a) An airport expansion.
b) Recruiting a major league soccer team.
c) A shared business district.
2. Oklahoma City firefighters credit what for decreasing fire deaths?
a) Fire-safe cigarettes.
b) Flame-retardant pajamas.
c) Free smoke detectors.
3. A new system in Oklahoma will allow law enforcement officers to instantly check:
a) Whether a truck is too heavy for a particular road.
b) Whether a motorist is insured.
c) What traffic is like around the curve.
4. The school district in which Oklahoma town plans to cut its band program?
a) Okemah.
b) Okmulgee.
c) Okay.
5. Chris Jakubauskas was an outfielder for the Oklahoma baseball team, but is making a name for himself in the big leagues as:
a) An umpire.
b) A pitcher.
c) A hot dog vendor.
6. An Oklahoma City hotel developer is doing what despite the economic climate?
a) Closing all of his businesses and opening new ones.
b) Moving all of his hotels to Texas to start over.
c) Continuing to expand his downtown hotel projects.
7. Two groups of Geronimo’s descendants are fighting over what?
a) Whether to move his remains from Oklahoma to New Mexico.
b) Whether to add his name to their tribe’s name.
c) What to do with his belongings.
8. A dog show planned in Ardmore focuses on this type of pit bull terrier, known for being more muscular, shorter and mellower:
a) “Pitty.”
b) “Bully.”
c) “Terriery”
9. Which Oklahoma casino has a structure built by the same company as the Dallas Cowboys practice site that collapsed recently?
a) Gonnalose Casino in Gotebo.
b) Westward Casino in Velma.
c) WinStar Casino in Thackerville.
10. Parking for the Oklahoma-Brigham Young University football game at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium will cost:
a) Nothing.
b) $18.
c) $38.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-C, 5-B, 6-C, 7-A, 8-B, 9-C, 10-C.
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. A new law requires how many hours of instruction in state schools each year?
a) 680.
b) 1,080.
c) 2,080.
2. Riots at which school reminded some people of an incident in 1970?
a) University of Oklahoma.
b) New York University.
c) Kent State University.
3. Performers of all ages gathered at the state Capitol to celebrate what?
a) Reba McEntire Day.
b) Garth Brooks Day.
c) Bob Wills Day.
4. Oklahoma leads the nation in the percentage of federal economic stimulus funds allocated in what area?
a) Highway projects.
b) Health care reform.
c) Education projects.
5. The Oklahoma City Medi Flight air ambulance base is being moved to what city?
a) Norman.
b) Stillwater.
c) Gotebo.
6. What did Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox do in a recent game that reminded Oklahoman Cal McLish of stories from 1955 and 1960?
a) He stole home.
b) He hit four home runs in a game.
c) He pulled an unassisted triple play.
7. At a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event, OU’s Sam Bradford and OSU’s Zac Robinson revealed they were planning to meet soon where?
a) At an Edmond restaurant.
b) A golf course.
c) The national title game.
8. “Curious Organism” is a work of public art that begins on a downtown street and extends into:
a) The Ford Center.
b) The Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
c) The Underground.
9. A new report gave Oklahoma and Tulsa counties a failing grade for what?
a) Childhood obesity.
b) Smog.
c) School test scores.
10. The Crosstown Expressway relocation project could be stalled if what happens?
a) Buildings near the planned path are deemed historic.
b) The state doesn’t receive enough stimulus funds.
c) A federal agency denies an application to relocate a railway line.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-A, 5-B, 6-A, 7-B, 8-C, 9-B, 10-C.
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. A program at Taft and Jackson middle schools sends a police officer to homes when a student:
a) Is making a D or F.
b) Is missing school.
c) Writes graffiti on a bathroom wall.
2. Kingfisher elementary students dressed in period clothing to re-enact what?
a) Battle of Gettysburg.
b) Statehood Day.
c) Oklahoma Land Run.
3. A recent report shows what percentage of Oklahoma City Public Schools students graduated on time in the past 10 years?
a) 47 percent.
b) 75 percent.
c) 21 percent.
4. Documents sent to the NCAA reveal that OU issued new rules on athletes’ use of:
a) High-performance cars.
b) Facebook and MySpace.
c) ATMs.
5. What did a member of the Flaming Lips do when visiting the state Capitol that prompted debate in the House?
a) Sang off-key in a giant hamster ball.
b) Dressed like an alien while promoting the school of rock at UCO.
c) Wore a red shirt with a yellow hammer and sickle on it.
6. A record number of Oklahomans are seeking permits to carry what?
a) Pets into hospitals.
b) Outside foods into sports stadiums.
c) Concealed handguns.
7. Oklahoma native Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony Award for her role in which play?
a) “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”
b) “Oklahoma!”
c) “South Pacific.”
8. What will help pay for new runway lighting at Will Rogers World Airport?
a) A $44 million stimulus fund package.
b) An increase in landing fees.
c) A decrease in employee pay.
9. David Walters, president of Walters Power International, formerly held which of these state offices:
a) Insurance commissioner.
b) Energy secretary.
c) Governor.
10. The Oklahoma House has passed a bill that would drop the state’s income tax from 5.5 percent to what rate?
a) 5 percent.
b) 4 percent.
c) 5.25 percent.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B, 2-C, 3-A, 4-B, 5-C, 6-C, 7-A, 8-A, 9-C, 10-B.
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.
1. What did the Edmond City Council ban last week?
a) Skateboards. in city parks
b) Realistic-looking toy guns.
c) Barbecue grills on front porches.
2. What has Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. decided to give many full-time employees?
a) A pay increase.
b) A lifetime supply of craft paints.
c) Free painting lessons.
3. An Oklahoma City developer plans a project along the Oklahoma River. What will be its focal point?
a) A shopping mall.
b) A Ferris wheel.
c) A skate park.
4. Why is a group of students from France in Oklahoma?
a) To learn country and western music.
b) Part of a foreign exchange program.
c) To promote tourism.
5. What did some state senators do last week to highlight problems in developing countries?
a) Fasted.
b) Took their shoes off.
c) Collected money.
6. The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of terrorism found what percentage of Oklahomans are “not really worried at all” about a major terrorist attack in the next few months?
a) 8 percent.
b) 38 percent.
c) 88 percent.
7. Entertainers Will Rogers and Tom Mix once performed at The Coleman Theatre, which has been restored in what town?
a) Ada.
b) Altus.
c) Miami, OK.
8. A mysterious disease could threaten what animals in Oklahoma in the next few years?
a) Rats.
b) Cats.
c) Bats.
9. Norman North High School athlete Jack Whitt is aiming to break a national track and field record in which event?
a) Pole vault.
b) Shot put.
c) Long jump.
10. Which of the following did Oklahoma City-based Black Oak Partners say it would not do if it buys General Motors’ Saturn division?
a) Sell vehicles under the Saturn brand name.
b) Set up a manufacturing plant in Oklahoma City.
c) Maintain a vehicle design function.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B, 2-A, 3-B, 4-B, 5-B, 6-B, 7-C, 8-C, 9-A, 10-B.
