Nicole PierettiPortfolio

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Internship Work

Blog Posts for author, Frederick Lee Brooke

Blog Example: Drone News

Drones could change the way of the future — but are you ready for this new, high tech technology to take over? Drones could transform everything from agriculture, aerial photography, emergency services and delivery. Could this new technology benefit us and take us even further into the world of high tech technology or will it cause more harm than good? What if you walked outside your house and the sky was buzzing with drones?

Drones will save us money, eliminate human error, take pilots out of the sky, deliver packages to remote areas of the world and protect transportation lanes. It seems like drones can do no wrong—right?

The FAA was instructed to announce the rules and regulations of drones in 2015 and they have just recently came out with them. Now that they are out, they are under much speculation. People say they are vague and unclear. Are you comfortable with drone operators’ only requirement being a written test? Shouldn’t they need a pilot’s license as well? Sure drones will alleviate some of the risks pilots take because they are unmanned aircrafts but that doesn’t mean the ones flying the drones are as good as pilots.

Amazon as recently gotten permission to start testing what they call Amazon Prime Air. They cannot deploy their idea until they get the regulatory support but one day this could be a very big possibility.

Picture this. You’re sitting at your computer or laptop and suddenly have an itch to do some online shopping because your tired brain needs a break from the endless amount of work lying in front of you. You type Amazon in the search bar and you find that Rolling Stones poster you’ve been searching for, or the super expensive wrinkle creme you’ll regret buying later, or even that tempurpedic comforter you’ve been aching for. Whatever it may be, you place the order and bam it magically appears on your doorstep in 30 minutes. A drone found your house and delivered it to you. Does this sound like a scene pulled from a science fiction movie?

How could a high tech piece of technology help farmers? What if you had a device that could transmit information about your crops and direct you to those exact spots where crops need more or less water or chemicals? It would save a huge amount of time. Agriculture companies that have begun using drones say their businesses have sky rocketed. The FAA is working on rules to allow all businesses to use drones.

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Drones will fly us into the future of technology. But what about the safety of them? What about our privacy standards? Will you step out of your house one day and see drones flying above you delivering packages? Taking aerial photos? Spying?...

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Blog Example: Drone News: Fuego

One word: Fuego. No, not the catchy club song by Pitbull but rather something quite different—something that could save lives. Wildfire season started early this summer in California and people were ready for a tough season especially with the ongoing drought. A group of researches came up with the idea to use drones mounted with infrared cameras to identify early location of fires. They are calling it Fuego.

The drones will be able to spot emerging wildfires three minutes after they start. Of course this operation will take several years to be put into motion but it could result in saving lives and controlling the wildfire epidemic.

Check out this link to five drone technologies that have been helping watch for fires and other natural disasters: http://www.firechief.com/2014/03/20/5-drone-technologies-firefighting/

Although what happens when a drone makes the fire worse? Doesn’t seem like it could right? Wrong. Drones have recently become an additional threat to the spreading of California wildfires. A four foot drone shut down all operations over the Lake Fire last Wednesday evening. Another 3.5 square miles were burned in result.

The San Bernadino County commissioners explained, ““Low-flying air tankers cannot share the sky with drones because the small aircraft can be sucked into jet engines, causing the engines to fail and the planes to crash.” A second drone was spotted the same evening by a firefighter pilot. They are upset and concerned that they have to worry about drones while trying to fight off massive forest fires.

Hopefully in the years to come drones will be aiding in the fight against California wildfires and not making them worse. Drones have the ability to do great things for us in the future but it begs the question— is it all just a facade?

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William Galaini’s Social Media Work: In charge of Twitter and Buffer

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William Galaini’s Pubslush Campaign

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Research for William Galaini: Diverse Book Blogs, podcasts and Meetup Groups that could potentially help him promote his book. I compiled spreadsheets for each and then queried all of them. The query letters for the blogs is the same letter used for the podcasts and Meetup Groups.

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Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop Social Media Work: Twitter, Buffer and Crowdfire

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The Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop is hosting a convention on September 26, 2015 called “Murder As You Like It.” I was in charge of finding newspapers, magazines and

digital advertising for it. After I found them, I queried each one. This is the spreadsheet I used to track each potential advertising site followed by the letter I sent each one.

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Twitter Spreadsheets: Tracking followers and unfollowers for five author accounts. The spreadsheet was updated twice a week and then used for #WW (Writer Wednesday) and #FF (Follow Friday). These are four examples of about 30 spreadsheets completed.

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Professional Writing WorkShort Story Fiction

Secrets He stared out the window as the rain fell softly and the sky darkened. Gray clouds were rolling in from the West and none of it seemed real. Doug stood up from his chair and walked to the long oval mirror in the corner of the bedroom. His black suit fit loosely and his tie was a little crooked but she was the one that always fixed it for him and she wasn’t here anymore. He picked up the small folded piece of paper from his desk and opened it. His chicken scratch covered the page. As he read, the words began to melt into each other. He blinked away the tears and took a deep breath. Before the funeral he wanted to find her half-written manuscript. He thought it would be nice to read some of it out loud. She had been working on her second novel and had kept asking him to read some of it. “I’m busy right now, bring it back to me later,” he would always say. He never got around to reading any of it. Her small office was cluttered with boxes of folders and papers. He started opening the drawers looking for the manuscript. He pulled at the bottom drawer but it wouldn’t open. He tried again. A tiny lock was next to the handle. Why would she lock this? He began searching for a key. He soon remembered a place it could be hidden. He quickly ran up the stairs and looked for the small clay box she had made for him. He found it in her sock drawer. He had told her he didn’t need it and thought it was silly for a man to have a jewelry box. He worked on construction sites and most days had to leave his wedding ring behind. Lynn thought he could use a place to put it so he would stop misplacing it around the house. He opened the box and there it was—a small silver key resting on a red felt lining. The drawer squeaked open and he peered inside. There was a manilla folder and nothing else. He flipped it open and found letters. They were all addressed the same way, “My Dearest Lynn...” The signature was always the same, as well: “Love always, R.L.” He began racking his brain for friends whose initials were R. L. Lynn’s parents had died years ago and she was an only child; it couldn’t have been a relative. He read some out loud to himself, “My Dearest Lynn, I miss you more than you can imagine. It’s hard being here and dealing with this without you. I cannot wait to come back and be with you again. I’m so lucky to have found someone like you. Doug looked at his watch and shut the folder. Guests would have already arrived. He put it back in the drawer and left. The funeral was just as painful as he expected it to be. He kept reliving the day a cop stood on his porch and told him his wife was hit and killed by a pickup truck. Just hours before that she was kissing him on the cheek and telling him she was going shopping for a bit. She was wearing a red floral dress that hung just above her knees and her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun. Her blue eyes sparkled when she told him she loved him and she’d be back soon. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out the memory but when he closed them all he saw was her. He sat in her office chair where she wrote every day and stared at the letters. He flipped through the letters reading more and a small photo slipped out. It was a picture of Lynn sitting in

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the park with a Harvard T-shirt on. The letters did not hint to who this man was. They must have kept them vague on purpose. Does he know she’s dead? He put the letters down and rubbed his tired, red eyes. The sun streamed in through the window and he blinked his eyes open. He had fallen asleep in their bed with the letters next to him. The door bell suddenly rang and he jumped up in bed. He assumed it was someone offering their condolences. A man with short blonde hair and blue eyes stood on his porch. “Hello, Mr. Ryan.” The man reached out to shake his hand and Doug noticed a gold ring around his pinky finger. “What a ring you got there.” “Harvard,” he said. Doug froze as he remembered the picture of Lynn with a Harvard T-shirt on. “Who are you?” “My name is Ray Long. I wanted to say I’m sorry about your wife.” “How did you know my wife?” “I was helping her with her novel. I’m sure you know about it.” “Are you the R.L. from the letters? Were you having some sort of affair with my wife?” “Your wife and I were very close.” Ray’s lip was quivering. Doug narrowed his eyes at him skeptically. “Then why has she never mentioned you?” “I—I’m not sure. Maybe I shouldn’t have come.” “Were you having an affair with my wife?” Doug’s voice got louder and his face was red. “Please calm down, Mr. Ryan. I only came to tell you how sorry I am. I should leave.” “Not until you tell me what happened between you and my wife!” Doug closed the space between them now only inches from Ray’s face. Ray took an immediate step back. “I really don’t want any trouble.” “Explain the letters. Now!” “I don’t think I can right now but if you want to meet somewhere public tomorrow I can do that.” Doug eyed him up and down. “Fine. Meet me at Ruby’s Diner at noon.” Ray nodded and left quickly. Doug slammed the door and leaned his back against it. He couldn’t hold it together anymore. Tears bursted out of him and he put his head in his hands. That night Doug couldn’t sleep. Ray’s face was burned into his mind. The quivering lip, his teary blue eyes and the way he ran off like a scared little boy. Then he thought of Lynn and became furious. He slammed his fist into his pillow and sobbed all night. It was an hour before he was supposed to meet Ray at Ruby’s Diner. He pulled on a gray sweatshirt and jeans and left his house feeling nervous and angry. When he pulled into the parking lot, he parked in the front and saw Ray through the big glass window. Ray was sitting at

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a booth looking down at his lap. Doug watched him from his car before getting out. He watched Ray wipe his eyes and blow his nose with a napkin. The smell of fried food hit Doug’s nostrils when he swung open the heavy glass doors of the diner. Girls wearing skates clumsily maneuvered their way around the restaurant with trays of food. The hostess said something to Doug but he ignored her and headed straight for the booth Ray was sitting in. Ray was wearing a black button down and a pair of slacks. Doug sat down across from him and leaned in close. “We’re skipping the small talk. Tell me what happened between you and my wife.” A pretty young girl with brown hair and green eyes skated to their table. “Hey boys! My names Andy. Welcome to Ruby’s. Can I get you both something to drink?” “Just a water, please,” Ray said. “Nothing for me,” Doug said never removing his eyes from Ray. “Okie dokie then! Be right back with your water.” She skated away almost colliding with another waitress. Ray cleared his throat and folded his hands in front of him. “I know your wife through a friend of mine that went to Harvard with her. She needed help with her story and he gave her my contact information.” “Whats with the letters?” Ray shifted uncomfortably in his seat and continued. “I was in Italy for six months with my mother while she was sick.” “It’s the 21st century, why not just pick up the phone?” “Well, we both thought writing letters was more— “Romantic?” Doug interrupted narrowing his eyes. “We never expected it to go that far,” Ray said quietly. “So are you finally admitting to it?” “Admitting to what?” “Sleeping with my god damn wife!” Doug yelled loud enough for the people around them to turn and stare. Doug was glaring at Ray with a wild look in his eyes. Andy skated from the kitchen over to their table and plopped Ray’s water down next to him. “You boys ready to eat?” Doug looked up at her with a big, fake smile on his face. “I just found out my dead wife was having an affair. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.” Andy’s eyes widened. “Uh—I’ll come back in a couple of minutes then.” Ray gave her an apologetic look. “Please calm down, Mr. Ryan. I have told you the truth and there is nothing we can do about it now.” “There’s a lot I could do about it. I could fucking strangle you right here and kill you in this god awful diner.” Ray looked down at his lap. His lip began to quiver again and he shook his head.

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“Are you about to cry? Holy shit! I should be the one crying.” “You don’t understand,” Ray choked. Tears began pouring from Ray’s eyes and he looked out the window. “She was pregnant.” Doug mouth’s dropped and he was speechless for a long time. They both sat in silence until Andy came back. “So is anyone eating today?” She was less friendly this time. “No. I need to go,” Doug said. He slid out of the booth but before he stood up he turned back and looked at Ray. “Your sure it was yours?” He said weakly. Ray nodded his head slowly. “Then it looks like you may have lost more than me. Good luck to you, Ray.” Doug stood up and left. He went to his car and sat down watching Ray through the glass window. Ray was looking out at the trees swaying in the wind and Doug suddenly felt sorry for him. He felt sorry for the man that his wife was having an affair with and was probably going to leave him for. He looked away not wanting to give into these feelings and drove off leaving Ray sitting in the diner booth.

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Literary Journalism: Profile Piece

The small living room of her apartment was dimly lit and when I sat down I sunk uncomfortably into the couch. She sat down next to me and crossed her legs. A tiny black notebook was sitting in her lap and she folded her hands on top of it. A flat screen television was facing us and twinkling lights were hanging messily around the room. The smell of vanilla from the lit candle on the coffee table in front of us filled the room. She looked at me through her black rimmed glasses and told me some of her most painful memories. Meghan, a 23 year old Kutztown student, struggled with being gay while growing up in a strict, conservative military family. She came out to her family three years ago, but her anger still showed as she spoke. She started tapping her dirty sneakers against the coffee table and her jaw clenched tightly before she began. She spoke slowly and her brows furrowed, looking deep in concentration.“Even though I’ve been out for a while, negative comments about being gay are used in my household. They’re accepting of me because they love me, but I’m constantly trying to maintain my individuality while living in an environment that doesn’t condone my lifestyle.” Meghan looked down for a second, collecting herself, and then looked back up at me, and continued. “Sometimes I felt bad that my mom wanted a daughter and she got a third son.” She looked back down at her lap and sighed deeply. “It feels like an unfulfilled responsibility.” She began describing how her relationship with her brother, Ryan changed. She spoke about the first time she came out to one of her family members. It was nighttime and they were driving down a windy dark road. The trees hung over the road like claws reaching down to grab them. When there was a moment of silence between their casual conversation, Meghan told him she needed to tell him something. He paused for a moment and then replied. “Oh god, you’re gonna tell me you’re gay aren’t you?” “Yeah, I’m gay. You still love me don’t you?” She looked up at me gauging my reaction. I smiled reassuringly and she continued but I could see the pain in her eyes as she recalled the memory. Her face then softened and her lips curved into a small smile, “He said it’s 2011 Meg, nobody cares.” When Meghan came to Kutztown she was able to live the life she wanted. I asked her how she felt when she got to Kutztown and how her life changed. She said, “My roommate was gay my freshman year and it was something completely new to me. It was like fate. I had these feelings and I didn’t know how to talk about them. By having a gay roommate it made me step out of my own comfort zone and realize that it was okay to feel like this.” She paused for a moment and looked down at her notebook. “People from my high school always said how weird it was to be gay. When I brought some of my friends home from Kutztown who were gay, my high school friends were so cruel.” They were all sitting in her basement watching movies, eating popcorn, and casually drinking. Her friends sat together and stared meanly at Meghan’s friends from Kutztown. “They were rude and disrespectful and would not talk to my gay friends.” After her Kutztown friends left, they sat around the kitchen and talked furiously about strange it was that she had friends that were gay. “I never talked to my high school friends after that.” One of the only friends from high school she still speaks to is Julie. She goes to Kutztown as well and I asked her how their relationship changed when Meghan came out. She shrugged her shoulders

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simply answered, “Nothing changed. She’s been my best friend forever and she always will be. Who cares that she’s gay.” Meghan became very close with her friends from Kutztown and swore to herself she would never try to be someone that she is not. She never felt like she fit in her whole life and to this day whenever she is feeling out of place or uncertain, she escapes by drawing and listening to music. After she stopped talking she looked down at her notebook and began doodling. While she was looking down she whispered, “So yup, that’s my story.”

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Live Report

Kutztown Women’s Lacrosse Falls Short of a Comeback Against Edinboro, losing 8-7.by Nicole Pieretti

KUTZTOWN, Pa - On Friday, Kutztown Women’s Lacrosse played Edinboro on their home field and fell short of a comeback in the last 30 seconds. Edinboro won, 8-7.

In the final seconds, the score 8-7, Edinboro defensive player Molly Campion, received a yellow card in its defensive zone, giving Kutztown an opportunity to tie. Kutztown couldn’t find the back of the net and Edinboro won.

In the first half, Edinboro’s offense dominated, keeping the ball in Kutztown’s territory. Edinboro offensive players, Alexa Healy and Anna Purdy, kept the game in control. Rebecca Martin was the leading scorer with three goals. With 30 seconds into the second half, Martin’s bounce shot went through the goalie’s legs, making the score 6-1.

Kutztown’s turnaround began nine minutes into the second half, when Kutztown offensive player Taylor Stone, drove up the field and scored with a shot to the bottom left corner of the net. Kutztown offense did not come alive until the second half, and were saved by its defense that prevented Edinboro from reaching double digits.

Kutztown lost its opportunity to come back and tie when offensive player Taylor Sandin, missed the penalty shot. It was missed with seconds left in the second half; the final score, 8-7.

Kutztown’s Coach Kate Scattergod, commented: “I thought the game against Edinboro was a great contest,” says Scattergod after the game. “We would have liked to play more consistently from the start and not gotten behind so much; however the team showed a great amount of fight to get back into the game.”

Kutztown’s next game on Saturday, March 29, at 1p.m. against Bloomsburg will be a home game.

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