Bedbugs in Boston, NY Times
How does this story start. (Ie what is the hook, the lede?) Is this an effective beginning to a report? Why or why not?
Where and how does this story tell you why this topic is relevant now? Is it effective?
What is the best detail/piece of evidence you can find in this story? What will you remember tomorrow? Where do you think the author got this detail?
This story begins by describing moving day in Boston. Well the day that many house leases expire and new students move in all over the city into the large schools there like University of Boston,Boston College, and MIT. The author makes it like this is such a crazy day, but the major problem is not all the hustle and bustle, of thousands of college students but a little bug, bed bugs. The story praises of its relevance now because its a huge problem nationwide, not just in this city. Large cities all over the country are being hit with these problems that arent just new, its been happening for a while, but someone is finally putting a stop to it. Yet hardly anyone even knows of the problem, even like the kid says at the end "bed bugs", "who Cares". I think it would been more effective though if the author would have decribed what bed bugs do exactly as more of a scare tactic to get people to really take the problem more seriously. To be honest I had heard of them before, but I had no idea that they were a large issue or even what they do or live on, just showing how it really is relevant to people today. I think the best detail is either the statement from the one lady that says she went for a walk and saw like 50 trucks, there the night before people were even allowed in. Or the statement that the executive from the city says about how he just took a walk and there is standstill traffic everywhere, with old furniture sctattered on every side walk. I would suspect that the author got his details for those from first account witnesses and interviews with them. Details like that really get the readers thinking about the problem and how they can take actions to change it.
ReplyDeleteThis report on bedbugs starts with a description of the chaos that consumes a Boston college in the apex of moving into, and out of, apartments or campus housing. I do not think this is an effective beginning to the report because, as a State College local, I have seen this mayhem every semester for many years. When I think of moving season I get filled with frustration and dormant rage for all of the stupid, ignorant out-of- towners and yuppies who do not obey traffic laws and feel they are high and mighty because their ‘Oh, so gifted child’ just got into PSU. The article places its relevance in the large number of students transitioning into a new living space, and the link between infestations and secondhand furniture. The report lacks any quality information. It has a lot of random people giving accounts of their own dumpster diving morals and some advice from a city official. It succeeds in saying that bedbugs are a problem, but is devoid of the reason why they are problem. I think he could strengthen his report by using the first paragraph to paint a grotesque picture of the horrible, mind-numbing itch caused by bed bugs. What I will remember tomorrow is that New York Times found in necessary to include the piece about Clay’s roommate pulling a bong from a pile of used furniture.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning introduces a hectic, stressful situation describing the move in day for college students. Then Zezima (author) adds, in a almost villain like description, the "tiny problem that poses a huge threat", bedbugs. The report is actually about the epidemic that is bedbugs through secondhand furniture. It is pretty effective in that the writer describes a normal situation and drops a severe and unorthodox issue like bedbugs. It defiantly catches attention. Zizima progresses into describing some small statistics and quotes to show the extent of the bedbugs issue by explaining how many cities are infested, how much furniture is passed around, and how there are people who are hired to specifically label things to warn people of bedbugs. It is semi-effective, it could have been a lot more effective with more information as to why bed bugs are so bad and how many there are on a given piece of furniture. Also it would be a good eye-opener to have a picture of either a bug up close or an infested piece of furniture. She put a lot of effort to detail the trucks on the streets with furniture, putting emphasis on how large scale bedbug issues are.The Author even added quotes from people describing this day and had a picture too, obviously doing some research and interviewing with people who have had personal experience with this type of move in day.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of Zezima's story begins with a stressful, college move in day in Boston. The story is however, not focused on the "discarded furniture and trash" but a huge threat, bedbugs. Bedbugs live in old furniture which is a problem when furniture is passed around between college students. The article states that 75,000 students move into the city each year. The use of statistical information allows readers to get a perspective of the arising problem with bedbugs. This article is relevant because we live on campus and many people move into the dorms and apartments here every year. I think that the article was not very effective because it could have been more effective if they used more statistics on bedbugs. The author did not explain in depth how bedbugs are a problem and hurt people. I think if they found statistics of bedbugs in a local college, the audience could be more aware of the bedbug issue. I do not know a lot about bedbugs other than seeing signs for them in my dorm and that they could potentially be living in our dorm. The only thing I will remember from this article is that 75,000 people move into Boston each year. I will not remember a lot from this article because it simply just stated that bedbugs are a growing problem.
ReplyDeleteThis article opens by referring to a scene that, as college students, we can all relate to. The scene is moving in day, a hectic time for students, parents, and just about anyone else involved in the process. This common connection to people is a great introduction to a story, as it gives the reader a real situation to connect to and picture. With this beginning connection, the story establishes the fact the article will be relevant to college students, and makes the reader want to continue. The outbreak of bed bugs across the country and internationally has been gaining great deals of media attention as of late. This shows the important relevance the subject matter has upon the current time. By using details and facts that the audience may not be aware of, the article is able to educate and grab the attention of all effectively. The detail that I will most take away though is the picture of the college student who was interested in taking the used pillow. This image comes to me as a realistic albeit disgusting scene, and because of the details, I will remember upholstered items are not something to be taken in as used. The author obviously got this detail from viewing directly the actions of various students during this hectic time and interviewing the involved parties.
ReplyDeleteThis story starts by describing the grueling process of moving in a college student. It has a very effective hook by foreshadowing a threat; it is effective because it makes the reader want to keep reading in order to find out about this danger. This story is relevant in time and place because it describes a bed bug problem for college students in an area (Boston) that is relatively close to ours (PA). It is extremely effective because it brings awareness to the target audience (college students) of the problem at hand. The best detail I found in the story is the part describing the officials slapping bright orange stickers with the image of a bedbug onto discarded furniture. This gives me the feeling of some sort of viral outbreak in which the government is putting hazardous stickers onto contaminated areas. The author probably got this detail from the photographer who took these vivid photographs.
ReplyDeleteThe report starts by depicting the normal scene of students moving in on their first day of school, and the author then points out a big threat of students moving in is bedbugs. This is a very effective start, since it immediately attracts the audiences’ attention by depicting a normal scene on students moving in, and by doing this, the author reveals the connection between the issue he is addressing and the readers. As a college student, after reading the report, I consider the issue of bedbugs is closely related to me. The issue of bedbug is relevant because I am one of the students who might have the chance to encounter bedbugs, and the problems concerning bedbugs are becoming more and more serious. The best detail I consider in the report is the author mentioned “they do not die easily. The pests can live, undetected, for six to nine months before staring bite.” This astonishing and scary detail strikes me, for I never realized the bed bug can exist such a long time before being detected. I would definitely keep an extra eye on bedbugs after reading the report. I think the author learned most of his information from internet, and some of them are by interviewing people.
ReplyDeleteThe story begins by describing the scene of college move in day around the Boston area. He makes it seem hectic and crazy due to the massive amounts of kids moving in and parents with them. By stating that 75,000 kids move in each semester this makes us realize the size and we can account for how much chaos is really going on. Although, he makes is seem like even though all of these people are moving in, bed bugs is a bigger hassle and problem then all of these kids. Showing how terrible a problem the bed bugs are. I think this is an effective beginning because it is relevant to me and makes me interested to read more. My advice for the article would be to provide more information on the occurrences of bed bugs and the problems they provide. This would get the point across that these are dangerous to the people moving in. A picture or two of bed bugs or what they can do would also have been effective. The only thing i will remember tomorrow is that 75,000 kids move yearly because I don't really care for anything relating to bed bugs.
ReplyDeleteKatie Zezima's report begins with a typical story of a move in day for thousands of college students in the city of Boston. She then moves into the real purpose of her report by stating one problem with move-in day, and then bringing the readers focus to the real problem of move-in day, bedbugs. In my opinion, this is a very effective beginning to her report because it immediately grabs the reader's attention and then provides a strong cliffhanger closing to her introduction that has the reader wanting more information. Zezima tells us about the relevance of bedbugs towards the middle of her report. She does this by stating how bedbugs are no longer an isolated problem to a few desolate areas, but a wide spread problem that effects millions of people both nationally and across the globe. I believe that she was effective in her point and information, but could have been more effective by providing more information to the reader. Katie Zezima could have provided vital information about bedbugs and exactly what they do once they have infected a person's belongings. By stating these facts, she could have really provided evidence and reason to why people should care about bed bugs. I think Zezima's best piece of information was her point that bedbugs are a wide spread problem. This is my belief because she seemed to focus solely on the city of Boston and a few ways of how Boston's police and other resources are cracking down upon the bedbug problem, not on the actually problem of bedbugs. I believe the author probably got her details from various interviews and by observing the scene.
ReplyDeleteThe article begins as a description of chaos as thousands of college students move into their apartments. The hook of this article is the sense of a crisis approaching these college students. The other hook in the article is the use of college students as the main victim; this is very relevant since many readers are college students themselves. The introduction of this report is very effective through the use of descriptions and facts. It is also effective because the reader immediately know who the author is targeting in her article. It is relevant now because a new school year just started and thousands of students are heading back to college and many of them are trying to save money. It is also relevant because here at Penn State with over 40000 students, bed bug can also become a serious epidemic over night.The best detail in this piece is when the author describes how officials are "slapping bright orange stickers on items left on sidewalks." The author probably got these details from being at the scene of the move in day or from other primary sources.
ReplyDeleteThe story starts with a description of the chaos that comes with all the students moving into various colleges in Boston all at once. However, the author makes it know that it’s not all of the commotion that causes the problem on this day, but in fact it is the tiny little bugs that may be hiding in your furniture. The beginning is effective because the author takes a regular situation and imposes a problem that many people would not consider. This is relevant now because the spread of bed bugs across the country have become a growing problem especially in college towns. Many people still don’t understand the dangers of bedbugs, or they just don’t care. I think the story would have been more effective if the author had explained the problems that bed bugs can cause. The best detail from the story is the description of the bright orange stickers that were put on old pieces of furniture that warned of bedbugs. The story wasn’t very descriptive, but I could picture these stickers spread out all over town. The thing I will remember about this story tomorrow is that the author found it relevant that Clay’s roommate took an old bong out of the trash.
ReplyDeleteThe story starts by listing some of the anxieties and complications about moving into college on the first day. Then the Zezima abruptly writes “bedbugs”. This is very captivating and startling. It definitely gets the reader intrigued and wanting to read more. The use of how bedbugs is the only word in the sentence is very to the point and immediately tells the reader what the story is going to be about and the tone of the story. The next paragraph tells why the topic is relevant. It is very effective because I can relate to the issue, being a freshman at college, and being cautionary of the current bed bug problem. It was also effective because it made me want to read more because I am curious about this topic. The best detail in the story is how a student let his roommate being a chord organ, bong, and let him claim an end table yet he wouldn’t let him bring a used pillow. This really shows the fear of bed bugs and is a perfect example. I will remember this tomorrow because it is very effective. I think the author got this detail by interviewing students. Interviewing is a great tool to get a point across because it shows how real people think about the issue.
ReplyDeleteThe article germinated with an effective beginning that utilized the cramped and crowded living conditions of the city of Boston. This was an entertaining and effective introduction because it strengthened attention to the connection between the congested state of a popular college city and the hazards of bedbugs. Throughout the entire article, the author gives mention that the problems associated with bedbugs are even relevant internationally, yet especially important around college campuses. Zezima uses a myriad amount of statistical research and interviews in order to reveal that the challenge of bedbugs is indeed a colossal problem. She quotes John Meaney, Boston’s director of environmental services and chief general against bedbugs, multiple times to reiterate the present and complicated danger at hand. For example Meany explains, “Infestations can be hard to find- sometimes trained dogs are brought in to sniff them out – and they do not die easily.” This quote I will definitely remember tomorrow. It boggles my mind that police dogs are an integral part of the solution against bedbugs. Considering I am sitting on my bed as I write this journal entry, I would agree with Zezima that this dilemma is extremely concerning. I’m going to wash my sheets now. These pests are for real.
ReplyDeleteThis story starts with a traditional moving in day experience, however there is a twist when the author introduces bedbugs. Bedbugs are becoming an increasingly popular throughout many colleges and universities. This is an effective beginning because it outs readers in the shoes of a college student or it gives students something to relate to. In addition, it is an entertaining beginning because it has strong images that allow the reader to be in a college student in Bostons shoes. This story is relevant because many colleges have finished moving in and bedbugs may have already began to spread. For example, I have met multiple people who have encountered bedbug problems here at Penn State. I find the most interesting part of this piece is the fact that bedbugs are becoming an epidemic where one student allowed his roommate to bring items that many would consider unethical but drew the line at a used pillow. That stands out to me because I feel the other items named were of more risk than the chance of getting bedbugs.
ReplyDelete