Brave Men in Women’s Heels

by Xinpei Yu

On March 28th, a total of 300 people assembled at the FSU Clock Tower at 7 p.m., joining the “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March”, hosted by GREEK COUNCIL and NRHH. Frostburg faculty, staff, and students as well as members from the local community greeted and embraced each other with purple ribbons, as a symbol against domestic violence.

The "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" encourages men to literally walk a mile in women heels in order to feel the hardship as women. Though finding hard to walk, many brave men participated by stepping in women’s high heels voluntarily as a pledge against domestic violence.

Tony Mancuso, Vice President of Greek Life, and Erick Humberto Garcia, Treasurer and Secretary of the National Residence Hall Honorary, have prepared this event for nearly a month. As a program done during Women's History Month, the event aims to show the appreciation to women and unite the Frostburg community. “As we look at the image of the campus, we saw a lot of negative things.” Said Tony, “we want to unite the campus and educate the university through the walk against domestic violence.”

Soon after a brief speech, the student organizers invite the advisors from the Residence Hall Association and Greek Life to present the total of $1264.29 donation to the representative from the DOVE center. The event raised this money through various donations from the students and faculty, as well as the local community such as Fat Boy’s Pizza, Ci Ci’s Pizza, and Grinders Pizza.

Leading by Tony and Erick, attendances set off their one-mile journey around the FSU campus in a random line. Starting from the clock tower, the ranks walk up to the Brandy’s house, get around along the Simpson Hall and Guild, pass through Campton, march down towards the Chesapeake, go back to the lawn in front of the Dunkle Hall, turn around the library and reach the fields behind the PE Center.

Brittany Stonestreet, a junior Music Education major in FSU, along with her friend from the community, attends this event for the first time as an RA. “It raises the awareness that it actually does happen, so people are more aware of it.” She said, “So it tends to happen less because people who support it are against the cause of domestic violence.”

All the RAs and RDs like Brittany are trained about how to talk to people about issues like this and how to deal with interpersonal conflicts, according to Dana Severance, Director of Housing. “I do think that domestic violence can affect students in relationships.” He further explains the definition of domestic violence, “For me, domestic violence means violence between people who are in a relationship, people who are partners together, not only at home.” He believes that relationship violence does happen among college students. It seems rare, probably because people don’t want to talk about it. It probably happens more than we hear, because people are embarrassed or they don’t want people to get involved.

Similar to the next-week campaign “Enough is Enough”, whose goal is to end violence in general, “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Men's March” values awareness and focuses pacifically on the relationship. It reminds people of such a thing, so that people will take more care of each other. They tend to keep the issue to themselves whenever come across such a report and make sure that those people can get help. Besides, any men who are walking in this walk would be more aware of how they should behave in their relationships.

For those people who are struggling through domestic violence, there are various organizations on as well as off campus that they can turn to for help. First of all, go to university police if it is very serious. Someone feels that they are victim of violence or threatened by the other person from a break-up relationship. Also, the counseling center can always be found helpful and the DOVE Center, a recovery center for battered and abused women, is recommended.

This Just In

“This Just In”

Scott McDonough, ENGL 336

Not all news stories are created equal, just ask the students of Frostburg State University. In asking several different students of FSU about their interest in recent news stories, one will find that the answers are as diverse as the students themselves. Specifically, students were asked what current news story most interested them, and what under-reported news story they thought deserved more attention.

 Freshman Chris Walker, who has not yet declared his major at Frostburg State University remarked, “I find the Kony coverage pretty interesting because it’s a hot issue involving children, but the man himself has a very interesting history as well.” However, Chris also made sure to mention that aside from headline news, any other news stories that go under-reported do not interest him as he explained, “I have too many of my own damn problems to worry about.”

While Chris finds news coverage on Joseph Kony most interesting, Senior Jordan Kochel of Frederick, who is majoring in Business Administration, tends to find his attention focused toward market, trade, economic, and business news. With blunt assertiveness, Jordan insisted that such news stories deserve the most attention because “the American economy is shit right now.” Accordingly, Jordan feels that economic news is always under-reported, and that it takes a little investigation of his own to find anything newsworthy concerning the economy and business.

 Finally, Geography major Ryan Ingraham, a Baltimore native, finds the coverage on the Republican primary candidates most interesting as he declared, “you have to know the stances of the people who may very well be the next to run this country.” In discussing the topic of under-reported news, Ryan offered his stead-fast opinion that “of all the news stories out there, the only news that deserves more coverage is good news.”

FSU tries to stay informed

News is something that has become controversial in itself. Various news sources are biased, some things get coverage where others don't; even whether or not you watch the news is a thing to be debated.

Some opinions on news coverage at FSU, therefore, were not difficult to find.

Michael Bean, a sophomore and English major from Waldorf, MD, says that he is most interested in North Korea's exchange of freezing their missile tests for food from the US (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-us-is-bribed-by-north-korea--again/2012/03/12/gIQAs1HD8R_story.html). He believes, "It is interesting to see how far Korea has fallen since the Korean War." Bean also thinks that there are some stories that need more coverage. He states, "We're at war with Korea, and no one knows it." (There was technically no treaty to end the Korean War, hence the continual arms race between the borders.)

Mark Smith, Director of Tutoring Center in the PASS Office, is engrossed in the potential Israeli/ Iran conflict because "it could lead to more unrest in the Middle East and could draw us into another war that we do not need to be involved in. It also could effect gas prices more so than it does now." Smith wants to hear more on the news about the Lost Children. He says that Kony is a brutal dictator who has done atrocious things, and it deserves more coverage. Smith mentions that it's just starting to get coverage because of the documentary released recently.

 

Clarice Weimer, who is Administrative Assistant II in the Admissions Office, is more interested in the coverage of Arlen Specter, former senator who switched from Republican to Democrat in order to get Obama's support. She says that it is interesting the way some politics work."Obama got his law passed, and [Specter] got shafted," she concluded. Weimer is of the opinion that rising gas prices are more newsworthy, since it is a direct impact on her day to day life.

 

All of these topics are important, and the FSU population may want to tune in to these stories.

Students and the News

Students and the News

By Kate Molander

           For many college students, the news is no on the top of their “to watch” list. Some students can’t find the time to watch the news or just don’t want to bother with it. The news can be a difficult thing to watch, but it is a necessary component to understand the world we live in. Senior Jenna McGoogan, Fine Arts Major at Frostburg State University, said, “I don’t really keep up with the news around here but the Kony story is what I’ve been hearing most about.” McGoogan added that this story first caught her attention because pictures and comments on the Kony situation were continually popping up in her Facebook news feed.

Katie Ecker, a junior Psychology Major at FSU, noticed that she has been seeing a lot of stories that are a few years old and recently began resurfacing. Stories like, “news on the trial for the hate crimes of the Rutgers University suicide scandal.” Eckers feels that the news needs to also give more attention to some of international stories: “I feel like everything going on in Africa, like disease and such, is under-reported.”

Some college students have started feeling the pressure of graduating and finding jobs in this economy. Richard Zimmerman, a senior Business Administration Major at FSU, has been paying close attention to the economic aspects of the news. He has been interested in “the fact that people are debating whether or not the economy will grow or enter another depression. It relates to my ability to get a job after I graduate.”

There are, however certain types of news that may catch a student’s interest enough that they decide to tune in. McGoogan recalls a story that really caught her interest when she was working as an intern at a newspaper in her hometown: “I heard this story about a cop who stabbed two firefighters while he was on a ‘journey to meet Jesus.’ I don’t think that was reported enough.” Zimmerman stated that he felt more that information about business and our government was under-reported. “I think in general all news media needs to push for more transparency in business and government meaning more exposure of all their activities, which helps prevent poor ethics.”

Regardless of what really interests the average student, it is becoming more and more important for students to tune in to the world around them and pay attention to the news. 

What Really Grinds FSU's Gears

By Michelle Queen

During an impromtu sit down about current news events with 3 members of FSU, I found that what really interests them is the imbalances in journalism coverage.

My trip first started in the 3rd floor of Dunkle Hall; roaming around, rubber-necking in open offices to see if anyone was able to talk.  I found Mary Anne Lutz, a professor of English in the English department.  I asked her what current or recent news story most interested her and after some thought she stated the debate about contraception.  She stated she was "shocked as a woman" that in this day and age people are still arguing about a woman's personal use of contraception.  When asking her about what news story deserves more attention she stated the lack of news coming out of places like Syria and stated that the headlines were not reported in depth.

Next I found myself in the almost always buzzing Lane Center.  I saw that the woman working at the information desk was not busy so I decided to get some information from her on current news .  She was Judy Abbott, the information desk manager.  The recent story that most interested her was the Obama health care plan.  She stated that he "introduced a Muslim word" in his plan for healthcare that was part of the Muslim lifestyle.  After conducting some research I found the word "Dhimmitude" on FactCheck.org, which states:
[Dhimmitude: Muslim system of controlling non-muslim populations conquered through jihad. Specifically, it is the TAXING of non-muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive means of converting conquered remnants to islam]
Then reading further I found:
[In our article "More Malarkey About Health Care," we wrote that some religious groups may indeed be considered exempt from the requirement to have health insurance. The law defines exempt groups using the definition from 26 U.S. Code section 1402(g)(1), which describes the religious groups currently considered exempt from Social Security payroll taxes. Eligible sects must forbid any payout in the event of death, disability, old age or retirement, including Social Security and Medicare...through the Freedom of Information Act of all the groups that have successfully applied for exemptions from payroll taxes. The overwhelming majority of them are explicitly Anabaptist — that is, Mennonite, Amish or Hutterite. Those that don’t specify their denomination are still explicitly Christian. Having gone through the list, we can say with certainty that no Muslim group, and indeed no non-Christian group, has ever qualified for an exemption under the statute used to define exempt religious groups in the health care law.
Nor are they likely to want to, says Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which opposes discrimination and defamation against Muslims. "I’ve never even heard it brought up as an issue," Hooper told us. "I have health insurance. We give health insurance to our employees. Every Muslim group I know of does the same thing." Hooper told us that he has seen some Muslims raise religious objections to life insurance, but not health insurance, and that, in fact, providing health coverage is very much in line with Islamic ideals of social justice.]
Information above from FactCheck.org
When asking her about a story that seems under-reported she mentioned the soldier that shot woman and children.  She stated that he was cleared to join the military despite having past "head issues" but "what normal person kills woman and children?"

Lastly I decided to make my way into the Fine Arts building where I found Nicole Houser, assistant professor of Spanish, in the foreign language department.  When asking her about what current news story interested her she initially stated the republican debates.  She said she was hearing about that the most although she didn't want to.  Then she stated that what really interests her is Invisible Children since she is an advisor to the amensty group at this school.  She stated that it's interesting how before charities were known to be good things, but now there are so many variables and controversies like Susan G. Komen pulling and un-pulling funding for Planned Parenthood, and the Kony 2012 controversy: things are not that simple anymore.  She also stated that social media is also a new big factor in presenting the news to people as well, but people "only know about 20% of what's going on."  When asked about what news story deserves more attention she stated broadly just the world news.  "I use 4-5 newsources," she said as she showed me the New York Times webpage.  Then she points out on the upper section of the page you just see personal interest stories like a celebrity rehabing out of drug use, but then she showed me a spanish news website and I saw a picture of some structure burning and Murdock's arrest front and center.  She states that it seems like from foreign news "you learn more about the world," as opposed to U.S news that seems more centered on personal interests.

Who Watch's the News?

Frostburg State University: Who Watch's the News?

By: Caitlin Megonigal

Every day there is something new being reported in the news. On March 13th, 2012 James Robert Clark, Thomas Michael Maras and Chris Inskeep, who all students at Frostburg State University were interviewed about recent stories reported in the news. Each student was asked; what current or recent news story interests you and why? And what under-reported news story do you think deserves more attention and why?

Thomas Maras a junior from Leonard Town, Maryland is currently studying business administration here at Frostburg State. Maras said that a recent news story that interested him the most was about Payton Manning transferring teams. “Peyton Manning might be transferring to either the Denver Broncos or the Miami Dolphins; I really did not expect Manning to consider the Broncos,” said Maras. When asked about a story he thinks is under-reported Maras remarks, “news that I think deserves more attention than it currently is, is the increasing national debt and that our debt might exceed the amount of money our country has. This is an issue that needs to be made more aware. Many people are not aware about the severity of debt the United States is in, and the economy is not going to get any better till they are.”

James Robert Clark, originally from Frederick, is also a junior at the University, studying political science/law and society. Clark answered right away saying that the issue that interests him most at the current time is the 16 civilian shootings by a soldier stationed in Afghanistan. Being a political science/law and society major not only contributes to Clark’s interest in this story, but also in his feelings that this event was under-reported. “News stations have not come out with too much information and it could change the whole dynamic of the war,” says James. According to an article by CBS news, nine children and three women were killed in the shootings. This is a very serious crime and President Obama according to the article is taking this just as seriously as if these civilians were American citizens (full article link below).

Chris Inskeep, who was the last person to be interviewed, is currently a junior studying Marketing. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Chris expressed concern with the military authorization bill Obama refused to veto. “It basically gives the military the right to arrest whoever they want, whenever they want,” states Chris. According to an article by the New York Times the bill contains a provision authorizing the government to detain, without trial, any suspected member of Al Qaeda or their allies (see link below for full article). Closely related to this issue, Chris believes that the presidential candidacy is much underreported and should be a more pressing issue. The reason for this is due to the plain fact that it is over the next President of the United States.

LINKS:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57396591/suspect-to-remain-held-in-killing-of-16-afghans/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/us/politics/obama-wont-veto-military-authorization-bill.html

What newsworthy stories spark the interest of FSU students

Newsworthiness: What sparks interest and what needs to be heard?

ENGL 336.002 by Jenny Toke

            At Frostburg State University, a student’s major, gender, or age does not determine the impact the outside world influences, and therefore interests, their lives. If you stop and talk to ten different students, you will get various answers on their take on news stories; some are interested in what is going on near the parameters of the campus, some have no interest in news whatsoever, and some talk about global issues off the bat.

Something that involves all Americans but truly offers insight to those who make an effort to be educated by it is the government. English major and senior of FSU, originally from Wisconsin, Lindsay Schmeling believes that the Republican primary interests her most. “It interests me because it scares me. Because I think they’re all crazy.” These are the men whom we intend to elect as presidental candidates of our country but the things their actions and speeches as of late have not been comforting to most. Lindsay goes on to say the birth control debate will do nothing but cause “more unwanted births,” if birth control is fought against and overall she believes that “it’s the women’s voices that need to be heard” because men simply cannot speak of shoes they’ve never worn.

Invisible Children's Kony 2012 film has gained attention all over the world pertaining to African warlord Joseph Kony and his misuse of children as soldiers. Christine DelloStritto, a senior and Psychology major from Greencastle, PA, said that “it’s something that isn’t being heard about but should be recognized.” Sophomore Psychology major, Bailey Kershner from Towson, MD, shares this vibe saying, “One guy thought it was a problem…this shows that one person can make a difference,” both good and bad. More information can be found at the following two websites: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2012/0313/Kony-2012-75-million-viewers-later-some-Ugandans-get-first-glimpse-of-film and http://www.kony2012.com/.

There are so many issues going on in the world and in our own country alone; it is a comfort to know that FSU students are paying attention to a variety of them. Freshman, Josh Merriman of Fredrick, MD brought up a dusty subject stating his belief that the American debt to China deserves more attention. News comes and goes because as soon as a fresh story comes along, it demands front page attention and other stories get buried deeper and deeper until they’re nearly forgotten or deemed irrelevant. FSU senior Vincent Morton Jr., English Literature major from Clinton, MD, deems that “the farce that is Americanism and the US government” needs to be brought to the public eye, but “will never get the attention of the media.” He gives the example of college becoming a societal norm promoted by capitalism so that society feels the need to become educated if they want nice things; not to learn and expand.

These news stories are just a few gathered by random inquiries to students around the FSU campus; imagine if even more students and faculty were asked about newsworthy stories that are important to them because they're currently relevant or because they deserve more attention. More news would probably be brought to attention than is published daily in the Cumberland Times. News will never be a passing fad because it is renewed every single day; and although there are the few that do not have anything to say because they do not keep up with the news, this could be your incentive to go out and either learn more or share your ideas with another person who just might just be enlightened thanks to you.

What's New?

On a warm sunny Tuesday here on Frostburg State University, three students on the campus were interviewed about stories that are interesting and stories that do not get much attention.  The first student, James Ball Jr., from Baltimore, Maryland was asked what current or recent news story most interests him? The Freshman student quickly starts talking about the Peyton Manning release from the Colts. Ball states, “Peyton Manning is the most pivotal player in NFL history and he redefined the art of the playbook with no huddle.” He goes on to say, “He is the chief constituent in the success of the Colts in recent years; Peyton Manning’s release is both shocking to fans and detrimental to the Indianapolis franchise.” When asked what stories he thinks does not get much exposure, he talks about the United States drone killing fifteen people in Pakistan. Ball states, “The Unites states exploit their powers by taking advantage of developing nations.” Without hesitation he goes on to say, “The US feels that because of their omniscient and omnipresent military force, they can forcefully attack nations that provoke them even in the slightest capacities.”

Josh Sparks a junior majoring in Accounting from Sykesville, Maryland laughs immediately when the first interview question was asked. He talks about a six grade basketball team’s assistant coach bit the other team’s coach’s ear, because they were the loosing opponent. Sparks says, “It’s unique and doesn’t happen every day.”  After asking Sparks what stories he thinks are under-reported, he sits there with a peer-pressured look saying, “I don’t know any stories that are under-reported because they are UNDER-REPORTED.” After being pressured about having to think of at least one story that is under-reported, he finally thinks of something! Sparks talks about how the defense spending is being cut heavily, and how it’s the wrong thing to do when the United States are constantly sending troops to different countries.

 Imena Debarros a Business Administration major with a concentration in Marketing is currently a senior attending Frostburg State University. Her interest were quite different then some of the other students on the campus. The story that most interest her is Snooki from the reality television show, Jersey Shore, being pregnant.  When asked why that interests her so much, she smiles and states, “I watch the show and thought it was not surprising that she’s pregnant and it’s funny.” Debarros thinks there are not many stories that are being under-reported, because if it’s under-reported she would not know about it all. She quickly thinks of something she most recently heard about that she thinks might not be getting much exposure, and says the father that is receiving coupons under his daughter’s name with a bunch of baby products. After hearing the story, she find out that the problem was that Target’s marketing research were watching what people were buying and sending them coupons relating to their items. She states, “ Companies are getting out of hand with privacy.”

What's in the News?

Megan Collins, ENG 336.001

Throughout the day many stories flash across the television screen and go unnoticed by people too busy to notice or to uninteresting to certain viewers to be remembered or paid attention to. This being said there are also interesting current stories that are grabbing the attention of people around the world. On Tuesday March 13, 2012 for English 336 Journalism I was asked to interview people and receive at least 3 direct quotes from people around the campus and to keep 2 questions. One was involved current or recent news stories that are most interesting and why. The second was under reported news story do you think deserves more attention and why?

Nicholas Wilson curator of FSDC in the College of Liberal Arts and Science department says a current story that interests him is Kony 2012 because “of the impact of social media on social issues.” A story that Nicholas Wilson views with intrigue is the recent events in Syria because “of the impact of general human rights of free speech that every citizen of the world should have the right to.” Kony 2012 is about bringing awareness to the children kidnapped in Uganda by Josheph Kony who makes the girls in to slaves and makes the boys into warriors.

Katrina Smullen, a freshman with a major in interpretive biology and natural history from Pestill Springs Tennessee says that a recent story that interests her was how “President Obama was trying to make it legal to shoot bard owls.” This is because she likes owls and says “I don’t see why you should kill one owl to save another.” A story Katrina Smullen viewed as important and underreported was on Fracking because “it’s an important issue that is effecting communities not only economically but with their health and without proper regulations it can cause issues.” Fracking, also called Hydraulic fracturing, is a mining technique which features drilling to release natural gas that may or may not be the cause of earth quakes which have been increasing since September.

Ben Stone is a senior with a major in wildlife biology from Hagerstown, Maryland says that a current story that interests him is “the Maryland ruling ‘carry laws’ as unconstitutional because I think it’s a huge victory for out 2^nd amendment rights” Ben Stone says that an underreported story that needs more attention is “patriotism on troops overseas because they are fighting a war to protect us. I feel there should be more reported on that topic.”

Get'em the News: Get'em Facebook

By Marcus Carter

Today, the students walking about Frostburg State University were abuzz, not with spring, but with the news. The most important news on students’ minds were Kony 2012 videos and news stories, but it was not because they like or even cared about the Ugandan rebel leader. The importance of the news was that it was on Facebook, said Darren Haggard, freshman majoring in computer science. The internet documentary about Kony and his possible human rights violations is making national news and the story remains a controversial issue. Bryan Murtha, a theater major noted that the Kony story is a non-issue, he stated that “nothing can be done about the issue, it is just a Facebook status.” What he believes would be a reasonable alternative “would be direct aid.” Brenden Williams, an information technology student, is not sure what to make of the story because some sites have reported that Kony is already dead. He is sure about one thing, that the story needs to be investigated and the facts displayed meticulously obvious because the donation for aid "sounds like a scam." 

What's interesting?

Bobby Croft from Frostburg MD is a senior at Frostburg State University with a major in art & design.  Bobby explained that a news story that grabs his attention is the story of Koney 2012.  Joseph Koney is an alleged killer that leads rebels in Uganda and was caught on video which is now viral. Kroft said, “The government is being a blind eye while people are trying to bring light to the situation.”   As a Frostburg citizen and student Bobby said “The news never shows anything positive about us (Frostburg) it’s always about the partying.”  Bobby would like to see more positive feedback about the Frostburg campus and students.

The administrative assistant for chemistry, physics, and engineering is Wendy Miller.  Wendy took me to her office in the science building to tell what most current news story interests her. Wendy said, “Same sex marriage in Maryland.”  She went on to explain that this story is intriguing to her because her daughter has a partner.  Mrs. Miller continued to say that ever since the topic has been brought up in Maryland that she has been “glued to the tv.”   Wendy Miller believes that a news story that deserves more media is texting while driving in Maryland.   She says that people still text and that the law for it needs more reinforcement.

“They are just being stupid and debating about it. I don’t know why they would try to get contraceptives out of the country.”  That is what Frostburg’s sophomore Neil Ralph said when expressing what news story is most important to him.  He does not understand why they keep debating. Neil is from Olney Maryland and says that gay marriages deserve more coverage on the news because, “it applies to more people than they think.”

Interest in the News on Campus

                On Tuesday March 13, 2012 I was sent out to ask three people there opinion s and interests of current news. The purpose of the questions was to see what people thought was the current event that was most interesting and why, along with the most under-reported topic and why it deserves more attention. The first person asked was Kevin Kerhwald, a professor in the English department at Frostburg State University. When asked the recent event that he’s been following he responded “I’ve mostly been following international news, especially what’s been happening in Syria. I’m interested in the politics of it as far as what the reaction is to a humanitarian action and national interest. I also see a similarity to Libya in the Syria situation.” On the other hand, when asked about an under-reported event he stated “The situation in Uganda, even if it may be an old event is still occurring and the acts of atrocity that the Lords Liberation is involved in needs more widespread coverage.” The next person asked these questions had a completely different response. Sarah Stafford of Lonaconing, a junior in the Biology program said “I’m most interested in that sergeant who just killed 16 civilians in Afghanistan. It just seems to be another thing in a long line of things the military has done like the burning of the Qurans, I guess I’m interested in that”. However, when asked about something under-reported the answer was, “I don’t know, I don’t really have anything that’s under-reported I kind of just follow whatever is the biggest because it’s what’s on in passing.”  The last person I questioned was Serena Thompson, 28 and a native of Frostburg. The most important story to her when asked was “The 2012 presidential race, more just what’s going on with the Republican candidates right now. There doesn’t seem to be any clear winner so I doubt they’ll be able to beat Obama. Which is good because they all seem to have some really scary ideas.” The subject needing most attention was described by her as “ I’m not really sure about that, I guess the whole Iran and Greece situation has kind of stopped being big news, I also hear something on NPR about Girl Scout Cookies have an ingredient called palm oil that’s leading to deforestation and killing orangutans.”

News Story Assignment

Andrew Betz, a sophmore whom is currently undecided for his major, believes Kony 2012 is currently the most interesting and controversial news story. He has read briefly about the subject online and in newspapers but says "Taking him down would be the right thing to do even though there is no money to be made and it doesnt seem like it would take alot to bring the douche down". In agreement with Andrew, Mark Bergstrom, a graduate student in the Business department, also finds Kony 2012 to be the top news story. "I heard about it from someone else and it's crazy. That guy is crazy."

Both guys disagreed on which news story they would like to hear more about; Mark deciding on President Obama and the facets in which he is lacking and Andrew wanting more coverage on the "Mustached Americans" bill. "It's completely ridiculous but equally awesome."

On the complete other end of the spectrum, Kelly (last name and other information withheld upon the request of the interviewee), stated "I read a story this morning about soldiers killing a bunch of people in the Middle East. I thought that was kind of interesting. It's probably not 'under-reported' but  it is something I would definitely read more about."

Interest Shown in News at FSU

On a sunny afternoon at Frostburg State University several students were being asked what current or recent news story they found most interesting. Sitting in the Lane Center selling bracelets for a fundraiser, four different students had this question put to them. Various Frostburg students responded. Junior Edwin Holandez said the most interesting is, “the killings in D.C.” He said he found it interesting for the simple fact that it interests him. Sophomore Hussain Fouad thought that the D.C. shootings that take place are under- reported and need more coverage. Fouad also said that Kony 2012 interested him because his fraternity brother told him it was a "controversial” issue. Ugandan rebel leader dictator Joseph Kony is alleged in an Internet video to have killed many innocent people.
Junior Emily Pendleton said, “Westboro Baptist Church protesting at Glen Burnie High School” has been the most interesting subject for her while Senior Becky Miller thought the most recent interesting story was Snooki being pregnant. She “can’t believe the world would let something like that on the news”. Snooki is a reality TV star on the hit show Jersey Shore.  Miller also went on to say that Ellen DeGeneres bought Snooki a crib that resembled a tanning bed. She thought the most under-reported story is about a game named Wetopia. She explained how it was a game on Facebook. The money you make on the game goes toward those that are under- privileged.  

What's in the News?

FSU students were asked what recent news story they find most interesting and what under-reported recent news story they thought deserved more attention. 


Dylan Hidey, a junior studying Information Technology, admitted that the only thing he’s been interested in paying attention to in the news lately is the presidential primary race. "I like to keep up with who's winning which states," Hidey stated.


However, the KONY 2012 campaign has caught his attention. He said that it has been all over his Facebook lately, but he hasn’t heard all that much about it in the media. He thinks it deserves more attention. “It’s basically mass genocide,” he said.


Christina Murphy, a senior studying Business, is happy the Kony story has been getting at least some attention in the media. “I feel like [the media] is getting people involved to help others,” she stated.


Murphy felt that the recent story involving Towson University deserved more attention in the media. The Youth for Western Civilization group was accused of being racist towards many different minority groups. Christina heard that the group accused a Muslim organization of being involved with terrorists. She first became aware of the story on Facebook.


Debbie Wiles, a senior Mathematics and Creative Writing major, said that she has found the story involving a U.S. Army Staff Sargent in Afghanistan who allegedly killed 16 Afghan civilians on Sunday to be most interesting lately. “He went door to door killing men, women and children,” she commented. Debbie found this story especially interesting because the 38 year old sergeant came from a base in Washington State that is known for being troubled. 


A story Wiles thought was deserving of more coverage is of the travesty of mathematics being taught at K-12 grade levels. This story is near and dear to her heart since she is a math major and developmental math tutor. “Kids are underprepared for college level math, and they get stuck in developmental courses," she stated. Wiles feels strongly that more awareness needs to be raised about this issue or it will just continue getting worse.

News Interviews

By Joel Watson

Originally from Frostburg, Sean is a freshman at Frostburg State University and is currently a History major with a minor in Journalism. A recent news story that has been of particular interest to him is the situation in Iran dealing with the Strait of Hormuz. He explains that the passage is “one of the world’s biggest oil trade routes,” and is worried that it could be a big issue in the near future. Something that Sean feels need more coverage is that problems that are sparking in Syria where people are trying to overthrow the dictator that is in charge.

All the way from Laurence, Kansas, Dr. Dusty Shaffer is an assistant professor in the theater department here at Frostburg State University. With particular concern in Rick Santorum’s rise in the elections, the republican primaries have become a story of interest. One aspect of the news that Dr. Shaffer feels doesn’t receive enough coverage is the Arts. Being in the Theater department and an actual theater artist his interest in more coverage of the arts is understandable. He goes on to explain that there was a show recently on campus called “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” and that other than directly on campus there was not much coverage of the show within the actual community.

A full professor in Biology, Dr. William Seddon explains that he feels the most prominent stories within most recent news coverage is the unfortunate killing of 16 afghan civilians by an American army sergeant. Something that Dr. Seddon feels needs more news coverage is the natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The drilling can affect the environment by dirtying drinking water, contaminating top soil as well as destroying 10 acres of land per well that is drilled.

Frostburg students strongly opinionated toward recent media coverage

By Shawn Pillai


With communication tools such as the Internet widely available to all students, opinions about who and what the media covers are not in short supply. Almost everyone on campus has an immediate and assertive stance on everything ranging from American politics to atrocities committed overseas.

History major Sean Schnably from LaVale, MD claims interest in the 2012 political race. “Political campaigns always interest me,” he states. “The fact that it is possible for Rick Santorum to be our next president is frightening and relevant to all of us.” Schnably, a Senior graduating this May, also shows interest in the Occupy Wall Street movement. “I’m lucky to have a stable job in which I can move up, but many graduating students are faced with unemployment.” Sean defends the Occupy Wall Street protesters and argues that the movement was undermined by the media portraying them as “jobless hippies.”

Alex Brant, History graduate and English Junior born in Berlin, PA, conveys approval of recent media coverage involving Astronomy. “NASA has been in the news a lot lately, and I think it’s time to continue exploration of the final frontier, the cosmos.” Celebrity physicists and astronomers such as Neil DeGrasse Tyson campaign to re-popularize the space program in America. “However, some things just don’t belong in the news,” Alex professes. “If anyone had bothered to read the transcript of Sandra Fluke’s testimony before congress, they would’ve realized that Rush Limbaugh is a non-newsworthy hack that doesn’t deserve any coverage, good or bad.”

Student interest is not limited to events on United States soil. Legal Studies Junior Sam Einbinder, expresses concern for the massacre of 16 Afghan citizens by a United States soldier last week. “He killed children,” laments Sam. Incidents involving soldiers in Afghanistan reaching their breaking point serve as a poignant reminder of the escalating hostility stemming from 11 years of tension.

Do you know whats going on in the world?

Faculty and Students are asked what they think is interesting in current or recent news and what they think is under reported.

Justin Ternent, a senior music management major from Frostburg, Md, thinks that the most interesting story he has heard in the news is about an Ohio democratic senator named Nina Turner who recently proposed a bill, that is written like the abortion bill, that says that men must get a second opinion from a psychologist before they can be prescribed Viagra. Ternent then states that the most under reported story is the homosexual side of the gay marriage proposal. He believes that “nobody has asked the homosexuals how they feel about the bills being passed.”

Ellen Grolman, a professor in the music department, thinks that the most recent story that has caught her attention is the story that in southern Israel the Hamas bombed a school. The school however was emptied because the Israeli government had received intelligence about the matter. This touched her heart because she “is Jewish and likes to hear and know what is going on in Israel." To Dr. Grolman the most under reported story in the news right now is how “the men behind the banking/ foreclosure have walked away with multi-million dollar stipends, when they have left hundreds or thousands of people poor.” Her main question was “why have there not been any consequences for their actions.”

Maureen Lauder, the administrative assistant for the nursing department, thinks that the most current story that has caught her attention is the issue with Syria and their human rights. She states, “I think that the fact that the people don’t have basic human rights is something that people need to know.” When asked what she thought was the most under reported story in the news she said, “The tsunami that occurred in Japan. I feel like it happened was talked about and then went away. It would have been nice to know what happened.”

Faculty members comment about the news

By Linda Stewart
This reporter recently asked several FSU English department faculty members the following questions: What current or recent news story interests you and why? What under-reported news story do you think deserves more attention?
Dr. Gerald Snelson, Associate Chair of English, responded that the Republican race is an issue important to him because there is a divided electorate and “people don’t vote for people, they vote against them”. Dr. Snelson believes the recent story about Rush Limbaugh’s offensive remarks has been under-reported by the mainstream news media and the Republican candidates have not called him out for his offensive comments.
Jennifer Browne, an English lecturer, is concerned about the legislation concerning contraceptives and “that women’s bodies are being politicalized.” Browne recently learned of multiple public school buildings in Detroit for sale and she believes this has not received enough attention in the news. “As an educator, educational equality is important to me, especially the inequality of education in urban areas”.
Dr. Charles Ewers, Associate Professor of English, is disturbed by the news story he read this morning that reported over one half of Republican voters in Mississippi believe Obama to be a Muslim. Only 12% believe he is a Christian. Dr. Ewers is astonished at the level of ignorance among potential voters, let alone the general non-voting population. In response to the question about an under-reported story, Ewers replied, “If it is under-reported, would I know about it?”

News Interests on Campus

March 12, 2012, a simple interview is carried out on campus about the following two questions: What current or recent news story most interests you and why? What under-reported news story do you think deserves more attention? Among all the interviewees, some say they haven't read news report for a long time and therefore have no idea about what is going on out the world. Finally, three people's answers are recorded as follows:

Tracey Tan, an Early Childhood Education major says she is interested in Kony 2012 recently, because "it has arisen a hot debate internationally". Moreover, she believes that the nuclear crisis in Japan needs more attention.

Jenell, another Early Childhood Education major, has a special focus. Rather than paying attention to big national issues, her biggest concern currently is the final decisions of the Rutgen case, because "my friend attends that school" says she. Similarly with Tracey, she has an eye on the Kony 2012, and she thinks people haven't paid enough attention to it.

John Raffelt, an international history major, likes policy very much. He reads as much news as he could about the election as he thinks this concerns the whole nation, and even though he is not a Republican, he supports them. As for the current government, he thinks that people need to focus on the “fault system” itself rather than debating it as a political tool to be against or pro Obama. People should talk more about how to fix the system (like health-care), rather than whether the system should exist or not.

What current or recent news story interests you the most?
What under-reported news story do you think deserves more attention?

Chris Dutcher, a senior pre-med major, says his attention has been most grabbed by the Kony controversy regarding the kidnapping and forced military servitude of children in Uganda. He says, if there are other news topics that deserve more attention, " I haven't heard of them."

Ainsley Raley, a senior pre-med major, said that she is most interested in recent murders at the University of Pittsburgh. She quickly follows with her distaste for Peyton Manning being kicked off of the Colts, saying that his dismissal deserves much more attention.

Sheena Willison, a senior biology major and psychology minor, says she has been most recently been drawn to an article about the singer Beyonce and her recent, "bold courtside appearance," referring to her garb at a recent basketball game. She strongly believes that the topic most deserving of more media attention is U.S. military actions overseas, which seems to leave the life of soldiers in the shadows.

Mary Biscoe, a senior double majoring in law and society and sociology, and current SGA president, is most interested in news regarding the new strain of flu outbreak. Her boyfriend's family members have so far been the only individuals diagnosed with this new strain, putting them in the intensive care unit in Calvert County, MD. Mary believes that the topic most underreported is U.S. military action. In particular, she believes that the stories of individual soldiers are blatantly absent, making them appear to be disrespected, and their feelings of solitude to be justified.

FSU Students Speak About the Issues

The news brings important stories to us each and every day. Sometimes these stories are simply entertaining and sometimes they affect every aspect of the world in which we live. On the Frostburg State University we have several outlets from which we can receive our news: newspapers, television, blogs, and much more. So that brings us to one crucial question about our campus… What news stories most interest FSU students?

When five students were asked, “What current or recent news story most interests you and why?” there were drastically different responses. Kristin Bayha, a sophomore Psychology major from Carroll County, Maryland, said “Definitely gay marriage passing in the Senate. It is such a big step towards equality!” On the opposite end of the news spectrum, Eddie Janeski, a freshman with an undecided major from Annapolis, Maryland answered, “Peyton Manning becoming a free agent is really interesting to me. Well, because I’m a football player.” as he stood proudly wearing his FSU football sweatshirt. Alex Peters, a sophomore English major from Lusby, Maryland finds her most important news at the local level. She said, “The influenza scare in Calvert County is really important to me right now because that is where I live.” However, Shayna Kramer, a junior communication studies major from Bowie, Maryland takes a worldwide approach to the crucial issues. She stated, “The story about Joseph Kony is interesting to me because I hate what is going on in Uganda. It is important that we try to do something to stop it.” Finally, Jessie Baker, a senior professional writing major from Frederick, Maryland gave the most common initial answer to the question, “Pretty much whatever I see on Facebook.”

After being asked what is most interesting to them, these five students were also asked, “What under-reported news story do you think deserves more attention?” Three out of five of the students interviewed had basically the same response. Peters, Janeski, and Kramer all said that they were unable to answer the question because they don’t really pay attention to the news, besides the well-publicized stories, which they see on Facebook. However, the two other students provided very fascinating responses. Bayha tied her answer in with her statement about gay marriage being passed in the Senate. She expressed, “I don’t necessarily think that the story of it being passed in the Senate needs more attention. I just think that both sides need to get more attention and that [gay marriage] needs to be more widely accepted.” Also, Baker provided a reply following what he said about getting all of his news off of Facebook. He declared, “All that shit that is going on with Koby or Kony or whatever in Uganda. One moment it’s real and we all need to pay attention. The next moment he’s a fraud and we hate him. What is going on?”

All in all, there are several important conclusions that we may find ourselves at after analyzing these student responses. First of all, has this generation cut themselves off from the news going on all around us every day? Can Facebook really be counted as a reliable primary source for what is going on in the world? These questions could be of great concern to us as students and as a generation. The important thing to focus on here is the diversity of subjects which FSU students find impacting and interesting. Everything from sports to civil rights were covered by the five interviewees. With such an assorted student body, the variety of issues and concerns is always an enlightening experience.

“V” isn’t just for Valentine’s Day

With so many hearts warming up to their loved ones and so many pockets being emptied in the name of love, it came as good news that the letter “V” wasn’t just for Valentine’s Day last February. As part of V-day, a global movement using creative events to end violence against women and girls, a benefit production of Eve Ensler’s award winning play, “The Vagina Monologues” was performed at Frostburg State University’s Pealer Recital Hall on February 16^th and 17^th. For the price of $12 for the general public and $6 for students, attendees were able to join in on a night of entertainment, the Clothesline Project in which participants were able to make their own t-shirts as a visual representation of violence against women, and a scarf sale in which proceeds were used to benefit and raise awareness for the cause.  As it turned out, the cause was a successful one, with many faces, familiar and new showing up for the production. Considering the play is made up of several monologues, Esteban Trochez, a freshman here at Frostburg State Univeristy praised the production for “how varied it was with all of the different ages, races, and backgrounds covered in the play.” Esteban states that he especially enjoyed the monologue featuring a very enthusiastic woman, played by junior Suzanne Carroll, screaming “Cunt!” Another Frostburg student, Trisha McCullen, enjoyed the play’s humorous monologues, specifically one concerned with moaning, stating,“I laughed so hard, I cried.” However, the most notable aspect of the event was not the play itself, but the cause behind the play. V-day was created by Eve Ensler herself to benefit female victims of violence and sexual abuse.  As part of www.vday.org’s mission statement V-Day's vision is "a world where women live safely and freely. V-Day demands that rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery end immediately and believes that women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.” As Kyra-Marie Moir, a long-time supporter of V-day and fan of “The Vagina Monologues” explains, “The ‘Vagina Monologues’ is such a great show! I have gone plenty of times and each time I have walked away with something new. V-day makes a great case for viewers to commit themselves to end violence against women and strive for social justice internationally, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s just good entertainment. Men and women alike will walk away with a sense of shared experience from the play, scarf sale, or Clothesline Project. Thanks to FSU for showcasing a great production and cause!” With this year’s earnings going to go to the Family Crises Resource Center and the Dove Center, this particular February event at Frostburg State University was a success in all aspects. From an entertaining production ranging from humor to more serious undertones, to a great cause behind the event, it was good news last February knowing that V-day wasn’t just for Valentine’s Day.

Leadership and Success at Frostburg

by Joel Watson

The newly formed Frostburg chapter of The National Society of Leadership and Success (Sigma Alpha Pi) held their very first orientation meeting in the Atkins Room on February 29^th in order to introduce an outlet for students to practice their leadership skills. As students began to shuffle through the doors of the Atkins room in the Lane Center, the buzzing chatters of eager voices filled the room. It wasn’t until almost every plastic chair in the room was filled that the double doors finally closed and the audience’s attention was turned to the nervous line up of professionally dressed students standing at the front of the room. Introducing themselves as the executive board of Frostburg’s new Sigma Alpha Pi chapter the orientation commenced.

The National Society of Leadership and Success is an organization that allows students seeking a way of reaching their goals, whatever they may be, to network with other students on campus and execute these goals successfully. Although it is a fairly new society it has already extended its reach to numerous schools through out the country and is still growing at a fast rate.

Some of the ways that the organization guarantees the success of its members is through the events that are exclusively available to the organization. Some of these events include six live speaker broadcasts on the Internet that take place through out each academic school year and introduce students to prestigious leaders that have demonstrated success and leadership. The organization also has leadership training days scheduled for its members in order for students to have some hands on experience with some of the leading practices that they have learned about. On top of these learning experiences that Sigma Alpha Pi offers, the members also have access to an online job bank to help them find jobs and network with people across the nation.

Now that this new organization has been introduced on campus it gives a chance for the students with a leadership minor to uses their knowledge from classes in an extracurricular group while also furthering the influence of Frostburg State University. Whether you are in a managerial position at your job or just stepping up to the plate because no one else would, a membership to the National Society of Leadership and Success is an asset for anybody.

For more information on the organization as well as how to join and what is required you can go to http://societyleadership.org/ . There is also a Facebook page available for those interested in the events taking place in the Frostburg chapter at http://www.facebook.com/FrostburgNSLS?ref=ts&sk=info .