My day at the White House

The day after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) organized the State of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math — or SoSTEM — event at the Eisenhower Executive Building. My editor Dante arranged for me to attend it.

When I got to the meeting room at 9:50 a.m., I went to interview Bobak Ferdowsi, better known as the Mohawk Guy, who is the flight director for the Mars Curiosity Program. Bobak was very nice and funny. He was wearing his “normal” Mohawk, except it was dyed blue and red. One side of his head said MARS.

The interview went quite smoothly. At one point during the interview we were briefly joined by Dr. John Holdren, the assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of OSTP. Dr. Holdren chatted with the Mohawk Guy about the State of the Union speech the night before.

At 10 a.m., the SoSTEM meeting began. The panel for the meeting included the Mohawk Guy, Lori Garver (deputy director of NASA), Todd Park (US chief technology officer), high school student Jake Andraka (2012 Intel Science Competition winner), and iTriage CEO Peter Hudson. Dr. Holdren was the moderator and started the meeting. In the audience, there were about 50 students from nearby middle and high schools. Some students asked about the Mars program and NASA, and others asked about STEM.

It was a really great meeting, and it was great to go to the White House — especially on one of my first assignments!

Check out my report on the SoSTEM event and my interview with Mohawk Guy on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

How important do you think a good STEM education is? Let us know in the comments below!

—Kid Reporter Emily Shao

Photo: Kid Reporter Emily Shao talks with Dr. John Holdren (center) before the SoSTEM event on Wednesday, February 13, 2013. (Courtesy Emily Shao)

Kid Reporters go inside Hotel Transylvania!

Diego: On Thursday, January 10, my good friend Damien and I took a trip to Sony Pictures Animation Studios to get a behind-the-scene look at how the movie Hotel Transylvania was made. When we arrived, we were greeted by two very hospitable ladies who showed us around and walked us through the animation process. Looking around, everyone seemed so enthusiastic and exuberant as they were getting ready for their next big project and wrapping up this one.

Damien: When we walked up to the entrance we were greeted by a life-sized character cutout of Dracula from Hotel Transylvania. The lobby of the studios was filled with giant 3D poster boards of all the characters from the movie. I couldn't believe I was in the studios where so many of my favorite computer animated movies had been created!

Our tour began with a special one on one drawing lesson from Darrell Rooney, a story artist who worked on the movie. He taught us the basics of how to draw Dracula. It's really simple and composed of the three basic shapes: triangles, rectangles and circles.

Diego: Thanks to Darrell Rooney I can draw a decent portrait of Dracula! Of course, it’s nothing compared to what he has done but at least I know the basics to draw my own cartoons. “When drawing a character,” paraphrasing what Rooney said, “it is important to exaggerate, distort, or alternate certain features in order to help with theme development and characterization.” For example, did you know that the shape of Dracula’s head in Hotel Transylvania was inspired by a coffin?

Damien: Then we were off to meet the creator and director himself, Genndy Tartakovsky. He was in the voiceover room where many of the world's animation voices have been recorded. Diego and I took turns doing voice over for Mavis and Dracula by viewing clips from the movie. It was hilarious and super cool to try.

Diego: That was my favorite part of the trip. Going into the scratch room with Director Genndy Tartakovsky and recording dialogue for a scene was really fun!

Talking with Genndy was cool, too. He's an interesting man with an impressive background in the art of animation. When he was young, and he came to America from Russia, Genddy said cartoons were his escape from everyday life. And now look where he is. Cartoons and animation ARE his everyday life.

Damien: The last stop on our tour was to the other side of the studios where we met 3D Stereoscopic Supervisor Von Williams who gave us a sneak peek on the tech side of what it takes to make 3D movies.

Diego: Von Williams is possibly the best stereoscopic 3D professional in the world and he gave us an inside look at his job, too. Watching Von Williams was like observing a potter create a whole entire world from clay, only with computers.

Damien: It's amazing how just the slightest touch of a button here or a flip of a switch there can make all the difference in how a movie can pop out at you. It was fascinating to see the layers and controls that are used to make 3D animation come alive in 3D. It was a lot of fun to learn all the secrets behind the magic of the animation movie making. It really is fun!

Diego: Seeing the characters jumping out of the screen and huge, atmospheric castle chambers make many feel as if they were jumping into the screen. But to actually see the 3D process is a whole other story.

Check out our video report about our time at the Sony Animation Studio on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website! And watch a video of our voiceover work below!

—Kid Reporters Diego Magaña and Damien Murphy

Photo: Kid Reporters Diego Magana (left) and Damien Murphy take a turn behind the microphone to give voice to characters in Hotel Transylvania during their Sony Animation Studio tour in January. 

My day at the inauguration

I was super excited to witness history in the making, the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama taking the oath of office for the second and last time.

My editor Dante and I met early in the morning to make our way to the designated area where we had tickets. By the time we got there, tens of thousands of people had already gathered on the National Mall and more were yet to come. They had started pouring in since before sunrise, even though the ceremony was scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Everywhere I looked I saw folks wearing inauguration memorabilia: buttons, hats, scarves, flags, bagsand backpacks, and even jackets with the presidential seal. People had come from all over the country to be together for this momentous occasion. I spoke with members of a family who came from Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas for a reunion on the National Mall on Inauguration Day!

A crowd of great diversity was making its way slowly but steadily towards the Capitol Building. Kids of all ages, parents, and grandparents tried to find a spot in front of the giant screens placed strategically on the Mall. The atmosphere was charged with boundless energy as the crowd was anticipating the President’s oath and speech.

Everywhere you went was jam-packed with people. Dante and I had tickets for the South Standing area. Because no one seemed to be checking tickets once we were inside, we moved with the crowd to the West Standing area. It was mobbed by thousands of people. At one point we were even squashed between a massive crowd and the doors of a port-a-potty!

My inauguration weekend

I was very excited when I first heard that my editor Dante assigned me to cover the Inauguration Day. But when I arrived in Washington, D.C., on Saturday my weekend got even better.

Being at the inauguration is very important to me because it completes the election cycle I have been writing about since the primaries. I’ve learned a lot about the issues and the candidates in the process, and witnessing the President taking the oath of office will be the final page in my election book.

My excitement doubled when I heard that I would also be covering the Kids’ Inaugural Concert, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. The concert took place on Saturday before the inauguration and it highlighted support for the military spouses and children. Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Fun., Brad Paisley, and host Nick Cannon performed for a huge audience at the Convention Center.

My dad and I arrived two hours in advance to pick up our credentials, talk to some young spectators, and take in the atmosphere. I was so eager to hear the music and see all of the entertainers, I could hardly contain myself! The venue was absolutely packed with thousands of excited kids who felt just like me.

Just as the show was about to start, I received a message from Dante that Wolf Blitzer wanted to interview me live on CNN’s The Situation Room. Although I was sad that I didn’t get to see the concert, I was very much looking forward to this new opportunity.

The Nominations Are In!

This morning was one of the biggest moments of the year for Hollywood. At 5:30 a.m., the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 85th Annual Academy Awards. The Academy Awards — also known as the Oscars — are the most prestigious honor handed out to movies in America.

Oscars are awarded in 24 categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. These awards usually go to grown-up movies, but there's a category for movies kids have probably seen, too. This is the Best Animated Feature award. This year, the five nominees are Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph.

As it turns out, Kid Reporters have written about all five of these movies! Revisit their stories on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website, then let us know what movie you think should win the Best Animated Feature Oscar!

The Oscars will be awarded on February 24. 

Photos: (from left to right) A still from Brave (Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.); a still from The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation); a still from ParaNorman (LAIKA, Inc.); a still from Wreck-It Ralph (Disney. All Rights Reserved.); a still from Frankenweenie (Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

—Editor Dante A. Ciampaglia 

Hurricane Sandy Recovery Special Report

Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29, hitting New York City, Long Island, coastal New Jersey, and parts of New England very hard. In early 2013, many communities are still struggling to recover from one of the worst storms to ever hit the region.

But the residents in the hardest-hit areas aren't alone. Kids and adults from all over the country have sent aid, assistance, and relief to the victims of Sandy. Schools have held fundraisers to help other schools, volunteers have traveled to affected areas to help restore power, and clinics and shelters have helped pets who were displaced by the storm.

Scholastic News Kid Reporters have found stories of communities across the nation standing with their east coast neighbors. Find out how kids are helping the relief effort – and catch up with the Kid Reporters' on-the-ground reporting during the storm – in the Hurricane Sandy Recovery Special Report.

Check it out on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

Photo: A young volunteer at Hoboken High School pushes a bin of clothing donations intended for distribution to the public as surrounding neighborhoods remain without power due to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, Sunday, November 4, 2012, in Hoboken, New Jersey. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)

—Editor Dante A. Ciampaglia

Standing Tall with Amar'e Stoudemire

The instant I stepped inside Barnes & Noble at 54th street in New York City for NBA superstar  Amar’e Stoudemire’s signing of his newly-released children’s book, Home Court, I could tell by the excited children – and even adults – that were beginning to line up, that this would be a special day!  I would be interviewing Stoudemire about Home Court, which is the first book in his STAT (Standing Tall and Talented) series, an autobiographical set of books about his childhood.

My dad and I were led into a small conference room. It was only around 10:45 a.m., and it would still be awhile before Stoudemire’s arrival. Two people from a New York Knicks website were already waiting, and over the next 20 minutes more and more reporters and media personalities gathered, many of whom I knew from their journalism work on TV or the Internet. I was able to meet Tina Cervasio, a two-time Emmy award winner for her fantastic work on New York Knicks and New York Redbulls broadcasts for MSG Networks. It was also a pleasure to also meet Jared Zwerling, whose articles on the Knicks and NBA I read almost daily on ESPN.com.

As I was reviewing my interview questions, Amar’e Stoudemire, standing 6’11” tall, walked quietly through the door! Nearly all the reporters sitting down got to their feet in a hurry and cameramen and women quickly set up their equipment. The Barnes & Noble representative that had escorted me to the room earlier announced to all of us: “Amar’e will be on this side back wall taking your open questions.”

As if they were all tied together by a long string, the entire pack of reporters, writers, and camerapeople moved at once towards the area of the room where Stoudemire stood. I immediately picked up my tape recorder, gave my personal camera to my dad so he could film the “press conference,” and hustled over to join the pack of reporters that had formed a crowd around Amar’e.

Cervasio started the interview with three questions about Home Court. After several more book-related questions, the interview shifted to the subject of basketball. I was able to squeeze through the throng of bodies so I could stand– crouch at times – at the side of Amar’e. It was extremely tough for me to try and interject my questions, as all the other reporters were assertively asking theirs! Eventually, I managed to ask Stoudemire a few of my questions about his thoughts on training camp and how the Knicks can improve through the training.

When the Q&A session was over, I went back to my seat excitedly. Now was the moment I was waiting for -- my one-on-one interview with Amar’e Stoudemire!

Amar’e made his way to the table where I was seated and sat down across from me. As the camera crew set up their equipment, I told Amar’e my name, and my small hand shook his huge hand to begin the interview.  Admittedly, I was a bit nervous as I asked him my first question. There were a great deal of cameramen with video recorders and microphones, but mainly there were a lot of reporters watching me. And, of course, I was interviewing a NBA superstar. How could I not be nervous? However, after the first question, I think I calmed down. I was able to go through all twelve of my questions perfectly, all of which were kindly answered by Amar’e.

After about 15 minutes of talking with Amar’e, the interview came to a close. I was extremely excited as I shook hands with him, and then he signed my personal copy of Home Court! Seemingly all of the other reporters came up to me and said “nice job,” or “you’ll be taking my job soon” as I said my final regards to Amar’e.

I had a fantastic time in New York City meeting professional reporters and talking with Amar’e Stoudemire. I truly enjoyed every single second of the experience. Hopefully, I can do it again when Double Team, the second book in the STAT series, is released in October!

You can watch my interview with Amar’e on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Amiri Tulloch

Photo: Kid Reporter Amiri Tulloch with Amar’e Stoudemire after their interview in New York City. (Dante A. Ciampaglia/Scholastic)

Covering the DNC: Final Thoughts

When I first received the assignment to cover the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, I really did not know what to expect. I was missing an overnight school field trip to Savannah, Georgia, but I knew that the convention would be equally if not more fun. My dad and I arrived in Charlotte on the morning of Tuesday, September 4, and met editors, Dante and Kristen, at the Charlotte airport. From that moment, we would all begin a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in the Queen City.

The Final Night of the DNC: Joe Biden Accepts the Vice Presidential Nomination

We are nearing the end of the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. The audience is still as excited as it was at the start of the night five hours ago. Volunteers are handing out signs to people including ones that say "Fired Up" and "Thank You" and "Ready for Joe."

The 9-10 PM hour began with a video on veterans and a speech by retired Admiral John B. Nathman. He spoke about those who made the ultimate sacrifice to America and how the Obama administration plans to help veterans with education and jobs once they return. Standing behind Nathman were veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the crowd applauded, they raised sigs saying "Thank you" on them. And at the end of the Admiral's speech, there was a sea of blue "Thank you" signs directed towards America's many thousands of veterans.

Angie Flores, a student, introduced the Second Lady and teacher, Jill Biden. She took the podium and spoke about her husband Joe Biden's values, kindness, and compassion for others. She also talked about the tragic car accident that killed his first wife and his love for her and others. Then, she introduced him, Vice President Joe Biden.

As people waved the signs reading "Ready for Joe" and "Fired Up," Biden walked out on stage and accepted the nomination for Vice President after his son nominated him a few hours earlier. Biden talked about his loyalty to President Obama, the President's work on saving the economy and the automobile industry, and also his own dad's values and the things that he learned from his dad as a child.

"Conviction, resolve, Barack Obama, thats what saved the automobile industry!" Biden told the crowd. "He comes from the determination of American workers."

Biden also talked about his Republican opponents, Mitt Romney and Romney's running mate Joe Biden. "I've got news for Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan," Biden said. "Gentlemen, its never been a good be to bet against the American people."

Biden finished his acceptance speech with this: "The cause of change is not fully, but we are on or way," he said. "America's best days are ahead. Finish the job and re-elect President Barack Obama."

—Kid Reporter Andrew Liang

My Interview with Savannah Guthrie

Early this morning, I found out that I would have the opportunity to interview Savannah Guthrie, co-anchore of the Today Show on NBC. So my editor Kristen and I got to the Time Warner Cable Arena as quickly as possible!

In the same suite that I interviewed Andrea Mitchell, I spoke with Guthrie in between segments of the Today Show. She talked to me about covering politics, being a good journalist, and her favorite assignments. Below is my interview with her on the set of the Today Show at the Democratic National Convention.

—Kid Reporter Andrew Liang