After our class discussion and learning more about columns, I better understand the differences I saw between the two columns. Hammond's New York Times piece was noticeably longer with more complex sentence structure and word choice. The lead of the Times piece also had 40 more words than that of the Columbus Dispatch. I thought this might have just been a discrepancy between subject matter, as the Dispatch column is sports related. Prof. Morris told us elaborate writing is typical of Times columns because they are directed toward more of a college-educated audience, rather than the standard measure for other papers - fifth grade level language.
I also noticed that a lot of my classmates mentioned humor taking on a role in columns. While I have definitely read columns that include humor before, neither Hamond nor Oller employed humor in their piece. I did not specifically choose columns void of humor, but maybe it speaks more to my preferences as a reader. I prefer a more straight shooter approach to columns.
We also spoke much of personal stories incorporated into columns. Hammond included personal examples in her column about remembering news because the subject matter is applicable to everyone. With the second column being about Braxton Miller (Buckeye QB), it is harder to include personal connections, especially when the writer was not an athlete himself. This does not mean he does not incorporate his opinions about Miller's play and anecdotal stories about games past, but there is no commentary involving the writer himself.
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