From:        Mike W. Loader, mloader@scs.unr.edu

  Very good job. :) The ordered chaos of a high school paper (okay, to be
honest, ANY paper) was nicely depicted. Brought back old times, it did.

Can't say for sure about the high school paper; I wasn't involved with 
the one at my school, but it did seem rather smaller and less active. 
OTOH, very much like the newsroom at the University Daily Kansan. You 
just forgot the large TV set hanging on the wall... tuned to CNN when the 
faculty advisor was around, and to ESPN whenever they weren't... or 
whenever the sports staff could claim it *officially*. :)

       "Gosunkugi no BAKA!!" Noriko shouted. "You wasted an entire roll
taking pictures of AKANE??"

  Gos the reporter. The mind boggles.

No, Gos the *photographer*. Photojournalists are a completely different 
species. You should know that by now. :) Of course, the ad staff is not 
just a completely different species, but a completely *alien* one. :)

       With lightning speed, Mr. Watanabe hurled the letter opener in
Noriko's direction. Before Noriko could even gasp in surprise, her
reflexes took over her body and Noriko caught the blade just centimeters

>from her face. "What did you that for?? You could have been killed!

I like how she was concerned about _his_ safety. :)
  Overall, Noriko is portrayed very well. Editors tend to be fairly nice,
if stubborn, people - unless you work under them. Then the relationship
becomes akin to the one between galley slaves and the whip dude.
  Good first chapter. Kick out the rest soon. :)

You'd better believe it. :) The grammar does need some extra work, but 
that can be handled. It appears to be time for the introduction of... 
dare I say it... Martial Arts Journalism? <g,d,rvvf!> 

You could also bring in Nabiki to handle the Ad staff. That could make 
things rather interesting indeed... :)



Travis Butler
(The Professor, formerly of Myth and Magick!, Lawrence, KS;
 tbutler@tfs.net, now from the Wandering Powerbook;
 <http://www.tfs.net/personal/tbutler/>;
 Mac page <http://www.tfs.net/business/tbutler/>)

...Cats are the proof of a higher purpose to the universe.