Sound check for Katie Couric. . .

Sitting in a three foot high bar stool I shifted from left to right desperately trying to get comfortable as Paul placed my microphone on my shirt and handed me an earpiece. My eyes wandered around the Ford Theater, as the camera began to focus and the teleprompter turn on. The house lights dimmed as a single voice was heard in my ear, "Ladies, all of New York is watching you." There I was doing the sound check for the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

The Art of the Tease

After hearing Tom Rose, managing editor of the Palm Beach Post, speak Monday one sentence stuck out, journalism is the “art of the tease.” It is finding out what hooks our readers. He stressing that we must tailor or stories to our readers and he is correct. Newspapers and Magazines will continue to strive once they figure out what brings their demographics of readers alive.

His story on Bear Bryant is exactly what Journalism is all about to me. To everyone else he was a football coach and a great one at that. But to the state of Alabama, he was their pride. Writers have the privilege to capture a memory and share it with those that were unable to experience it. That is why I want to write. I want to inform people about a side of the story they would otherwise not hear.

If I remember nothing else from Mr. Rose’s speech I will remember this: you learn to write by reading great writers and journalism can bring people to life.

Palin... a risky move?

Upon seeing that McCain picked Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his vice president I immediately thought it was a rash decision, but not necessarily a stupid one. Picking a woman as his running mate, McCain equals up the playing field. Regardless of which party wins, history is being made. Obama will be the first African American as president and Palin will be the first woman ever to be on the presidential ticket.

Having a woman on the ticket, which until Friday was completely unknown, makes it easy to question if the Republican Party merely added her on to try and win the voters that supported Hillary Clinton. While it may entice some, I cannot see many women looking merely at her sex instead of her policies.

McCain’s campaign focused mainly on the lack of experience Obama held. Why then would they pick a woman who has been a governor for less time then Obama has been in the senate? One would think if this was such a serious point the Republican’s were trying to make they would have picked someone equally as qualified as McCain for the Vice President nomination.

Yet, Palin, being only 44 years old does bring a younger vibe to the republican ticket now. With discussion of McCain’s old age, after celebrating his 72 birthday last Friday, the Republican have someone equally as young as Obama to counter the Democrats “out of touch” slurs. Being a mother of 5, she not only gives a new aspect to the campaign but she brings a younger feel to the Republican Party.

I think it was a very risky move on McCain’s part but seems to be a wise decision.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/29palin.html

“Site/Possession” by William Christenberry

After reading the press release and seeing the museum, I walked away with certain unease about the exhibit and of the artist. Knowing that Christenberry has been haunted by the eyes of the hooded Klan member he ran into forty years before made me take a second look at his objectives and design. Once inside the red curtains there seemed to be walls of Klan member’s surrounding you. Around the exhibit were G.I. Joe dolls dressed as Klan’s members hanged, drenched in wax, stabbed with pins and in coffins. I noticed he made all his drawings in deep red, dark blue and white backgrounds, exposing the Klan’s so called “Patriotism.” I noticed how he places the frames in a cross and has a christening blanket with KKK embroidered to represent their strong “Christianity” faith. While the exhibit was very educational, I thought it showcased an artist’s obsession with a moment in time.

The exhibit, a bit eerie, was not painful to view. I’m glad to see an emotional piece of southern identity shown and not covered up; as much as we’re ashamed it happened. By allowing it at the University of Mississippi I think the school is letting students and the community take a closer look at one man’s perspective on this piece of southern history.

From an editorial stand point I think concerns would be: should we replicate it? Should we allow lynched Klan dolls and rag dolls that flip into hooded figures? With the Presidential Debate coming in less than a month, is it wise to have such an exhibit out with an African American candidate running? History should not be neglected even if we’re ashamed it took place but would people be okay with a replication of a gas chamber with a Nazi soldier in it? Probably not. We should ask ourselves, is the exhibit a proper way to explain hate crimes?

A New School Year. Much Concern.

Questions:
Who does it concern?
What is being done to fix the problem?
How Can I help?

A new school year; fresh resolve; renewed enthusiasm. For some. Hopefully for many. But not everyone.

There are lots of reasons why some children do not face a new school year with optimism: little home encouragement, low self-esteem, inadequate educational foundation, poor classroom achievement, no dream of the future.

Volunteers can make a difference. Volunteers are making a difference. Schools need tutors and mentors for elementary, middle school, and high school students, especially for high school students at risk of dropping out.

And volunteers are beginning to respond. Due to a concerted effort during the past year, 20 mentors were recruited for Oxford High School and 25 for Oxford Middle School. More are needed. Many more. In all the schools. For example, OHS needs 25 and OMS 100.The greatest need for tutors is in the lower grades, school officials say. They hope that the tutoring relationship might develop into mentoring. Anyone interested may apply at the district office.



A New School Year. Much Concern.

With problems such as poor grades, low self-esteem, and zero home encouragement some children are left with no dreams for the future.

Oxford officials have asked its citizens to reach out to these students and get involved with the volunteer tutoring programs being set up in their school system.

The greatest need for tutors is in the lower grades, school officials say. The middle school is also looking for more than 100 additional volunteers for the upcoming year and the high school is looking to find at least 25.

Oxford School Officials hope that the tutoring relationship will develop into a mentoring for these students as they continue in their academics and in doing so lower the drop out rate in Oxford, Miss.

Anyone interested may apply at the Oxford School District Office or call, 662-234-0000.