Reader experiences emotional roller coaster?

After reading Jason B. Grosky's article, "Rescuer experiences emotional roller coaster," I was left with the lingering feelings of heartbreak and loss.

The article, which centred around the emotional plight of firefighter, William J. Cunningham, zoned in on the aftermath of a tragedy involving the drowning deaths of four boys. Cunningham, once named Firefighter of the Year, had thrown his life into peril in an attempt to save the lives of four young boys who, as fate would have it, chose to play on the ice that day.

Unfortunately, his valiant and heroic efforts were not enough as Cunningham heard those heartwrenching words--"all four are dead."

The article outlined, step-by-step, Cunningham's rescue efforts. From his use of a 6-foot rod with a hook to his crawling on hands and knees for 15 minutes in 36-degree Fahrenheit weather, the reader is painted a vivid picture of what happened that ill-fated day.

We are left with a sense of loss and sympathy for, not only the man who risked his life to save others, but for the families who lost their young children. We wonder why life throws such seemingly unfair and unwarranted curveballs at the most wonderful people. We ask ourselves what we would do if dealt with similar situations.

We feel.

In an article such as this, Grosky humanizes heroes and evokes emotion from his readers. We are drawn to the tragedy of the story, and we feel pain for the characters involved. I believe these are the factors that determine whether a story is great, or simply mediocre. Grosky perfectly depicts Cunningham as the hero who did everything in his power to save lives. He also successfully capitalizes on the sense of dejection and failure, which this hero ultimately feels when the outcome turns out to be a tragedy.

"You did everything you could," his wife says in the story's lead. At this, Cunningham lowers his head and tears well up in his eyes.

As a reader, I felt for him. Not only was the story wrought with emotion and heartbreak, but Grosky's words brought it all to life. We feel like we are there by Merrimack River, and we feel like we know Firefighter Cunningham. And that's what great stories are about--the reader is engaged and intrigued. We envelop ourselves in the stories and we remember it long after we are finished reading.

Goin' green: A glowing (and gushing) reflection

Amongst the backdrop of the dimly lit Vegas Bar and Lounge, Ted Shelegy of the Green Party munched on a pretzel and conversed at ease with a number of curious journalism students. The moment we met him, he shook our hands and made himself comfortable in our crowd of inquisitive, information-hungry journalism students. He was engaging and full of warmth--never failing to answer every question genuinely and thoroughly. It was this gregarious nature and his welcoming smile that automatically drew me to him. I was impressed with how calmly he answered our questions and how he never once seemed bored or impatient. I also felt extremely grateful to be in the presence of such a humble and sincere individual who made time for us despite his busy schedule. He really made us feel like we were worth his while.

Although Shelegy has a copious number of excellent qualities, the attribute I found to be most endearing was his fantastic sense of humour. He wasn't the least bit intimidating and did not feel the need to exercise his authority over us. Instead, he cracked jokes about his son's drinking and how his political aspirations included winning the Lotto 6/49 so he could “truly retire.” Even with his colleagues and companions, he was always smiling and seemed in high spirits throughout the entire night. In short, he made it very easy for us to interact with him and to get to know him on a more personal level.

Overall, I would definitely say that I enjoyed my time with Shelegy at the Vegas. Not only was he personable and kind, but I learned a great deal about the Green Party and its core beliefs and policies. He helped me to see issues and politics in a different light, which will undoubtedly influence my decisions in the future. For example, I now understand the drastic measures we need to take in order to better treat our environment. If we start making changes now, we can begin to ensure a safer and healthier future for our children and grand-children. My conversation with Shelegy really hit home the severity of the issues at hand since his opinions were both thought-provoking and eye-opening. It may sound terribly clichéd, but I feel more inspired to start making changes in my life and treating the world we live in with more respect.