What 2011 holds for investigative reporting

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"The Future of Textbooks": Revised edition

By: Jennifer Wilson

Word Count: 706

“Statistics for Business and Economics”: $140, “International Business”: $98, “The Economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets”: $140, “Principles of Risk Management and Insurance”: $90, “Concepts and Cases of Strategic Management”: $170. The grand total for one Ole Miss senior’s textbooks for the fall semester: $638.

“It is completely ridiculous,” said Brandon Grimes, an Ole Miss senior and the recent purchaser of the previously listed books.

“I feel like I’m getting robbed every time I buy textbooks,” Grimes said.

These financial woes are felt by many students at Ole Miss at the beginning of each semester. The University of Mississippi Financial Aid website estimates that an average undergraduate student will spend $1,200 on textbooks during the 2011-2012 academic year. Graduate and Law students may spend up to $2,000 more.

In an attempt to make buying textbooks easier, a few universities have recently decided to completely change the way their students buy books. These colleges, including Brown and Cornell, have recently made the switch to digital textbooks, which can help students save money in the long run.

According to an article on Time.com, Brown and Cornell both offer digital textbook downloads for the Kindle, Amazon’s version of an e-book reader. Similarly, the University of California, Irvine, gave each of its students in a medical program an Apple Ipad to use and download textbooks onto.

Some students believe that the entire Ole Miss student body would benefit if the university jumped on board this new trend and switched to digital textbooks.

“I think having a Kindle to download books onto would be a great alternative,” Grimes said.

“It would save me money and it would be nice to only have to worry about one “book” rather than four or five.”

Other students believe that requiring an Ipad or Kindle for school would just provide new and different problems.

“I don’t think it would be a good idea,” said Elizabeth Wilson, senior at Ole Miss.

“They are too easy to break so it would probably get cracked or broken. Also, there would be added fees, like updates on the Ipad. I can see how it would be good for some people, but not for everyone.”

An Ipad currently costs anywhere from $300 to $500 and a Kindle is $100 to $200; the price for each depends on the model and the amount of extra features purchased. Hypothetically, if Ole Miss made the switch to digital textbooks, a student could make a one-time purchase of a Kindle at around $100, then all that student would have to do is download his or her textbooks each semester at a reduced price.

Many expensive books, like textbooks, can be purchased as Kindle e-books at about half the original list price. Also, some books can be bought by chapter, some as cheap as $3, so students could save money by only purchasing the required readings for their classes.

It is currently unclear how much money students could save by switching to digital textbooks because there are so many factors to consider. Also, not many colleges have been willing to make the switch because the technology is still so new. Could Ole Miss be in line to test this new trend in the near future?

Coulter Ward, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Involvement, said that to the best of his knowledge, such technology had not yet been discussed at Ole Miss, but he would not be surprised if it was soon.

“I would not be able to say much about Ole Miss participating in this transition, but I would say if other schools are going digital, that it is not too much of a surprise,” Ward said.

“Just look at the past 20 years. Newspapers, magazines, and other mediums are all going that way.”

Ward expressed that it would not be a shock if textbooks were completely discarded as the primary way that students obtain information.

“More and more print is just becoming obsolete,” he said.

Sources:

Brandon Grimes, Ole Miss senior, Management major, bmcockru@olemiss.edu

Elizabeth Wilson, Ole Miss senior, Theater major, evwilson@olemiss.edu

Coulter Ward, Assistant Dean of Students for Student Involvement, jcward@olemiss.edu

Database/Statistics- Office of Financial Aid: http://www.olemiss.edu/finaid/costofattendance.html

Time article- http://techland.time.com/2011/08/29/can-digital-textbooks-truly-replace-the-print-kind/

Daily stress of the Daily Mississippian

Meghan Hutchinson

September 27, 2011

Journalism 377

Overcoming the Stress to Write for the Daily Mississippian

Most people have the luxury of working a 9 to 5 schedule, although in the real world breaking news and events often occur after 5 p.m. It is up to our local newspapers to be able to inform us as soon as possible.

Writing for the Daily Mississippian at the University of Mississippi is a great way to get your foot in the door for writing in a newspaper. The Daily Mississippian is picked up and read five days a week by many of the Ole Miss student body, and the Ole Miss community. Every Monday through Friday we are able to read news articles, amuse ourselves with comics, and enjoy the perfected layout of the Daily Mississippian. You would think that by the way the magazine flows and how interesting it is to read, that publishing 10,000 newspapers five days a week would be a breeze.

Newly appointed editor in chief of the Daily Mississippian and a senior at Ole Miss, Cain Madden gives insight to the hard work and stress that it takes for the Daily Mississippian to be published five days a week.

To become editor at the Daily Mississippian was a stressful process in itself, he said. “We had to be interviewed by a group of alumni, current students, journalism faculty and journalism professionals in Mississippi,” he said. “My panel was about 15 people and they all had a lot of questions for me.” To be editor not only do you have to deal with the stress of publishing a newspaper everyday, but the stress of having to complete school work as well. When asked what the most stressful part about being editor of the Daily Mississippian is “no matter if you’re sick, if you have a test the next day, you have to be at the Student Media Center until midnight and then you have to go home and study and do homework.” Even though the amount of stress is extensive, Cain said he thinks that it is all worth it. “One day when I graduate I will have a big edge on a lot of my competitors coming from the Meek School of Journalism.”

Although Cain proofreads and checks the final copy of the Daily Mississippian, Cain does not write the whole newspaper alone. There are writers for each section of the newspaper. Senior secondary education and public policy double major, Meghan Litten of Hattiesburg, writes almost one a week for the Daily Mississippian. She first had the idea to start publishing in the Daily Mississippian after sitting in at a panhellenic meeting. “My first article ran the spring of my sophomore year. I was on panhellenic council and was really angry when I heard some remarks regarding recruitment.” she said. Meghan is known for writing some controversial pieces in the Daily Mississippian about our student body, and politics, but she said that people’s responses do not stress her out.

“What stresses me out the most is that the DM is not sometimes respected on campus,” she said. “People judge the DM and they don’t look at what you’re writing separately and they look at the mistakes. People call it the ‘daily mistake’.”

Just like Cain, Meghan says that all the stress writing for the Daily Mississippian is worth it. “The DM puts out 10,000 issues a day and people get to read,” she said. “The cool part is that you might just change somebody’s opinion.”

When you graduate high school, nobody can fully guide you as to how to be stress free in college. Jackie Certion who works as a counselor and teacher at the Academic Support Center, at the University of Mississippi teaches a freshman class on how to handle stress and juggle your life in college.

“I teach a class for freshman who go on academic probation and how to stay on top of your school work while, you also live your college lifestyle”.

Many students become stressed when all of a sudden they have three tests and a paper due the same week. Jackie tells us how students could prepare without being too stressed out. “I tell the students to be prepared. You’re not going to get what you need through osmosis”.

Jackie Certion’s finds that what hurts students in their academic careers is that students have “free-time”. According to her “there is no free time in college. Whenever you think you have free time and are procrastinating you are setting yourself up to create stress”.

Having the back up and support from other students and editors at the Daily Mississippian help Cain Madden get through his days. It also helps him get home at somewhat of a decent hour every night.

Sources:

Cain Madden: cain.madden@gmail.com, (601)-754-9999

Meghan Litten: mmlitten@gmail.com , (601)-270-0501

Jackie Certion: jcertion@olemiss.edu , (662)-915-5970

Interfaith Compassion Blog -- Jour 377

                                                                                                            September 26, 2011

                                         Interfaith Compassion Ministries

           

The needs of those less fortunate are often overlooked in the Oxford community in the Lafayette County area where there is so much wealth and fortune. Poverty, along with drug and alcohol addiction is rampant in many places in the South, and Oxford, is no exception. There are countless ways to positively help people in need. Rob Treppendahl, Bowman Hitchens, and Max Zoghbi are examples to look at as to just what creative things can be done. The Oxford, MS Board of Alderman want to adopt a proclamation honoring them for the $20,000 they raised for Interfaith Compassion Ministries by kayaking the entire Mississippi River. Their actions, which they performed over the summer, have been turning heads due to the diligence and hard work they had to endure. The length of the Mississippi River is approximately 2,320 miles. These three hardworking guys combined a passion of many at Ole Miss with the idea of helping others, and got beaming results.

Taylor Brasher, an Ole Miss student, was attending “The Orchard,” a church in Oxford, when the idea was pitched to the congregation.

Taylor, “Trying to fathom the grueling experience of kayaking 2,320 miles is something that I cannot wrap my mind around, Brasher said. What Rob, Bowman, and Max did this summer was creative and very encouraging.”

The organization that the three kayaked for this summer is Interfaith Compassion Ministries, which provides for the needs of others by raising money for those less fortunate and for providing for families with drug and alcohol problems within their family.

“It is a collaborative effort among local churches to provide assistance with basic needs such as rent, utilities, and prescription drug program in a centralized location to individuals in Lafayette County who face crisis situations.” Says the front page of the Interfaith Compassion Ministry website.

The Ministries’ slogan is a powerful one, say some Oxford residents:

“Underneath everything we are.

Underneath everything we do, we are people.

Connected, Independent, United.

And when we reach out a hand to one,

We influence the condition of all.

That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED…”

            The $20,000 raised will go toward the goals of Interfaith.

Josh Gregory, a regular at the Orchard, said,

“It would be great for Rob, Bowman, and Max to be honored for what they did this summer. They are all three very humble guys and I guarantee you that their biggest reward was the feeling they got from helping others in our community and our area.”

Having people like Max, Rob, and Bowman in our Oxford community is something that is beneficial in more ways than one. Their actions will open new doors for volunteer services in our area and will allow more, less fortunate people to feel a happiness that they may usually never feel. The 2350 miles traveled is something that the three guys will never forget. What came from their journey will benefit many people, which will ultimately fulfill the goal set out my Interfaith Compassion Ministries…to live united.

Word Count: 511 words.

Sources:  Taylor Brasher: (615) 948-9350/ email: tbrasher44@aol.com

            Josh Gregory: (615) 714-2793

            Interfaith Compassion Ministries: 440 N. Lamar Blvd., Site 5

                                                                   Oxford, MS 38655

                                                                   Phone: (662) 236-4265

           

OUT

OXFORD, MISS.—With three new routes, extended hours, and larger buses, the Oxford-University Transit now covers more of Oxford and is free of charge for University of Mississippi students, faculty, and staff.

With recent improvements, there are more reasons to ride the OUT, according to the Green Initiative conducted by the UM. The current public transportation service is convenient, on time, saves money on gas, and has new routes including Old Taylor Road and Anderson Road.

In a previous meeting at City Hall, the OUT Commission proposed a new route on the agenda. The commission is considering including Molly Bar Road in their daily route.

UM students who feel decals and the price of gas are too expensive may find the O.U.T. to be a more convenient way of getting to their destinations. Senior UM student, Kendra Harper said that she started using the OUT when gas prices increased. “With the influx of freshman students, parking is always terrible, so I decided to use public transportation to save my gas and the frustration of finding a park," Harper said.

Ron Biggs, General Manager of OUT, said the goal of the OUT is to accommodate all riders and to ensure a safe and inexpensive trip. “We have about 2,700 riders a day,” he said.

The transit is free for U of M students, faculty, and staff if their Ole Miss id is shown. For adults the fee is $1 per ride. For the elderly and disabled the fee is 50 cents, and for K-12 students the fee is 75 cents. Monthly passes also are available. For adults the passes are $30, for elderly and disabled, the price is $15, and for K-12 students, $25.

Monthly passes also are available at the OUT office located on the corner of University Avenue and Bramlett Boulevard and also in the Oxford City Hall.

New routes were made effective Aug. 15, according to the city of Oxford’s official website. The routes are listed online indicated by blue, red, green, and yellow map routes.

According to a recent article in the Daily Mississippian, UM students were concerned the buses would have them late for class. “For those who use a smart-phone, the next bus can be tracked in real time by visiting the city of Oxford’s official website,” Biggs said.

-30-

Sources:

General Manager of O.U.T., Ron Biggs

662-234-3540

Kendra Harper

662-436-4486

keharper@olemiss.edu

Oxfordms.net “Oxford-University Transit Commission”

www.olemiss.edu “Green Initiative”

www.thedmonline.com/article/out-bus-build-new-facility “Current student opinion of O.U.T.”

The Art of Location-Brandon L. Red

Many students, tourists and homeowners in Oxford, love the fact that their town is small and quaint. Clothing stores, businesses and restaurants are within a short driving distance. Though this can be a positive for many, often some of the local businesses can actually lose money because of its lack of space.

At the intersection of South Lamar Boulevard and University Avenue, one of the more congested areas in Oxford, Checkers is under construction. Checkers opens soon and its location is visible for most to see. So, just how important is location? And what are the odds a place like Checkers has success over time in a small town like Oxford?

Martha Fondren, head of sales and marketing for the Grant & Co. in Memphis believes it’s the most precious decision when attempting to start a new business.

“I would say location is the most important consideration when planning a new business or expanding the one you already have,” Fondren said. “As in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location.”

The Entrepreneur magazine agrees saying that the single most important objective a restaurant can achieve is having good location for a successful business.

What exactly consist of a good location?

Fondren names accessibility, visibility, convenience, and safety as her four most important aspects of a good location.

Checkers location is visible to most everyone passing through downtown Oxford and just south of the Square is considered a very safe part of town. But with the overflow of traffic, many can argue that the restaurant won’t be easily accessibly or convenient.

The U.S Small Business Administration reminds of its readers the importance of people being able to get around in a certain area. Are the areas crowded or does traffic flow?

Taking everything in account, Fondren believes Checkers has a lot of positives, but also a lot of negatives. Her biggest concern is the overall traffic and lack of parking that will come with the newly established restaurant.

“A great example is Walgreens,” Fondren said. “They’ve seriously challenged the big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target because they are located on every corner and their parking lot is small enough that you can park right at the door. Considering many people are always lacking time or just lazy, they’ll pay more for that convenience.”

The Democrat reporter Theron Fly has covered town councils and local business meetings in Senatobia over the past summer. Fly feels parking is important, but at times can be overbearing.

“People must remember parking is not an inexpensive endeavor,” Fly said. “In most meetings I’ve covered, a big concern deals with financials. Business owners don’t want to overpay for something they don’t need.”

Like Fly, Fondren believes within a good location, everything must be affordable.

“As many things in business planning, it’s a balancing act,” Fondren said. “The location must justify the rent. Strategic and wise planning on the front end will always save tons of money by avoiding costly mistakes.”

Student reactions on precautionary warnings before and during severe weather conditions at Ole Miss

Word count: 474

The University of Mississippi takes active precautions and provides specific guidelines before and during severe weather conditions whether you live on or off-campus, claim some Ole Miss’ students.

Students who have been here for longer than a semester are quite familiar with what happens every Wednesday at noon – routine testing of the University severe weather sirens. Although the noise is unbearable, loud and irritating it serves a much greater purpose than just to annoy you.

Besides the loud sirens, the University sends out mass emails to all enrolled students, regardless of their housing situation, and has posted guidelines on residential buildings to alert students of severe weather.

Students that originate from the U.S. are familiar with these conditions.

Andrew J. Bartholomew, a business marketing major student said, “Yes, I have a house in Georgia so we sort of have similar weather over there, so I am used to it and it doesn’t scare me that much.”

But what about students who haven’t experienced such weather and have to face it for the first time, such as international students?

According to Donna Chappell, the administrative coordinator at the Office of International Programs, there are 274 newly enrolled international students for the fall semester 2011. Additionally, fall of 2010 recorded 581 enrolled students but the numbers for fall 2011 are expected to increase, Chappell said.

It is up to the individual whether or not they choose to live on or off-campus.

Besian Nushi, an Albanian finance student at Ole Miss, shared his opinions and perceptions about severe weather guidelines and precautions taken by the UM.

“Personally, I don’t mind the weather,” he said. “But it is kind of weird for me to live in such an environment with such natural happenings. Before I came, I had seen such weather conditions only on TV but now I live in it. So for me it is an interesting experience.”

Besian, who is also a community assistant at Campus Walk, said he is glad UM takes precautionary actions before and during such weather – especially because he “wouldn’t know what to do if there weren’t any guidelines.”

“Before, at Campus Walk, we didn’t have specific guidelines for severe weather conditions,” he said. “Now that the staff posted huge signs with steps of what we need to do, I feel much safer and confident.”

Glendin Pano, a Greek psychology student shared similar views.

“My parents call me all the time when they hear something on the news back home. But I tell them that we have efficient and specific safety guidelines and that I am not that stupid to go out when there is a tornado warning!”

Sources:

- Besian Nushi bnushi@olemiss.edu

- Glendin Pano gpano@olemiss.edu

- Andrew J. Bartholomew ajbartho@olemiss.edu

- Donna Chappell, administrative coordinator, dpdcc@olemiss.edu

By By Gjoko Dungevski

Rebel Black Bear; Out of sight or Overlooked?

By: Kelton Brooks

Despite last year’s ongoing, sizzling debate about the University of Mississippi’s next on-field mascot, the new era of the “Black Bear Nation” may have gone unnoticed.

It depends on who you ask however.

“Yeah I noticed him, but the Black Bear received a poor reception in my area,” said Andrew Wheatley, sophomore at Ole Miss.

Even though Wheatley didn’t clarify his area, he did point out that his section was crowded, which made the mascot hard to spot.

Last year the UM created the “Ole Miss Mascot Selection Committee” to determine who would represent the university on game days.

This committee consisted of faculty, students, medical faculty, medical students, alumni and season ticket holders.

Michael Thompson, senior associate athletic director for marketing and communications, lead the voting process.

Thompson said the overall reception of the Black Bear’s first game day appearance was successful.

Out of a total of 13, 365 participants in the voting committee, 62 percent of the polls supported the Black Bear and 8,321 loved, liked or said they could accept this mascot, according to Mascot Poll Results.

Compared to the other two finalists, the Land Shark and “Hotty Toddy,” the Black Bear received more overall positive votes, 3,420 and less negative votes, 5,044.

However, students and Ole Miss medical students in Jackson were more in favor of the Land Shark mascot, voting 1, 095 and 69 respectively.

This statistic coincides with the feeling and opinion of Brea Pauling, sophomore biology major at Ole Miss.

“When I saw him, I didn’t think too much but that Ole Miss was better off with the original mascot,” Pauling said.

Pauling also said she could “care less” about seeing the new mascot.

“I kind of didn’t pay attention to him because I was into the game, but when I did see him I told my friend that we should have kept the old mascot,” Pauling said.

Wheatley also shared similar feelings.

“It wasn’t like he didn’t do a good job, it just wasn’t up to the level of performance that you would expect from a new mascot,” Wheatley said.

The mascot himself said his reception was very positive.

The Rebel Black Bear is a student, but his identity is kept secret for various reasons.

Thompson said that concealing the Black Bear’s secret is actually an easy task.

“It’s very common to keep the mascot’s identity a secret,” he said.

“It makes the character really come to life.”

“Rebel,” a name the Black Bear goes by, said the fans reacted to him well and said his first experience went great.

When asked if he felt he went unseen or unnoticed, Rebel said, “absolutely not.”

Whether Ole Miss fans cheered for the Black Bear or rooted against him, Wheatley made the feelings clear of all students.

“I was just glad to see someone out there, it’s been a while.”

1st news story rewrite- Rebecca Ralph

Rebecca Ralph

Journalism 377

08/20/11

Word Count: 466

John Leslie Tennis facility Expansion

The Oxford Park Commission has plans to expand the John Leslie Tennis Facility at 400 Price Street.

The Facility currently has eight courts and with the expansion the facility will hold 20 courts. “The expansion is based on need and we don’t have enough courts in Oxford to handle the tennis demand,” said Rob Boyd, Executive director of the Oxford Park Commission.

All the courts will be outdoor courts and there will be no indoor courts at the tennis facility. The courts will be opened to anyone to play on and will allow the facility to host more tournaments.

“I am excited for Oxford to have more courts because it will allow me and my friends to find an open court more easily,” said Ann Hogan, senior business major at Ole Miss.

The new tennis facility will provide a more welcoming and fun atmosphere for those who enjoy the game of tennis and being with friends. It will allow more people to come together at the same time instead of having limited space and time to accommodate large groups.

“With the new courts added it will hopefully give me the opportunity to play more tennis with my friends and to also be apart of the Oxford community and hopefully meet new people,” said Campbell Boyer, senior at Ole Miss.

Both Oxford and Lafayette County High Schools will now be able to use the new courts and facility during the schools’ tennis season for practice and for hosting matches against other schools.

According to Boyd, the cost for the new tennis facility is estimated at between $2 and $3 million. “Funds are being provided by the city of Oxford, the University, and hopefully the County,” Boyd said. “The County has not committed as of yet.”

There also are plans for a new clubhouse at the tennis facility. It will include larger locker rooms and a gathering place for those meeting up with their group to play tennis. “The facility should take about six months to be completed depending on the time of year,” Boyd said.

This is a petition for expansion of the John Leslie Tennis Facility people can sign. Signing the petition allows people to show their support for the new expansion of the tennis facility. So far 652 people have signed the petition and it can be found at www.petitiononline.com/tennis13/petition.

This also is a Facebook page you can join to communicate with other on their thoughts and yours about the tennis facility expansion. You can also view updates, news articles and new information about the facility that the Oxford Park Commission has posted on the Facebook page wall.

Contact Information:

Rob Boyd: rboyd@dixie-net.com or Oxford Park Commission at 662-232-2380

Campbell Boyer: cwboyer@olemiss.edu

Ann Hogan: aehogan@olemiss.edu

Courtney Foster 1st News Story--Revised

Courtney Foster

Jour 377

D. Jackson

9/11/11

794 words

“MRS Degree” vs. M.D. Degree?: Can the Southern Ladies at Ole Miss Ever Relinquish Their Reputation as Husband-Hunters?

            With multiple generations of Mississippi kin still being raised to believe that their greatest achievements involve becoming domestic Barbie, marrying into Cotton royalty, and raising five rebel yellin’ infants; perhaps the time has come for these Southern belles to accomplish more than just homemade apple pie recipes.

Female students at the University of Mississippi continue to revitalize their eternal reputation as being nuptial savages, as some relentlessly would rather seek the fulfillment of a man’s love, versus marking their own professional success as doctors, lawyers, or CEOs of major corporate companies. As the state of Mississippi continues to struggle with high percentages of divorce and poverty, it can only be justified that pondering marriage against a career as crossroads renders questionable motives. But why are these young women still being taught to rely solely on a man for everything? But most importantly, we linger on the question: Why is it love or success, as opposed to the entitlement to have both?

            Though it may be unconventional to stereotype these wannabe Stepford wives as mostly Mississippi-born but multiple personal experiences and conversations at Ole Miss have been collected, which has led to this mode of thinking. The constant eagerness to engage with the opposite sex is only natural; but that look of terror that is instilled on their faces because they are 25 and still single is quite unnerving and very misleading. Gary Pettus of the Clarion Ledger recently reported that “Mississippi’s divorce rates for men and women are among the highest in the nation, while its marriage rates rank in the bottom half.” He added “For all its pro-family reputation, Mississippi is more wedded to the institution of divorce than most other states.”

So why all the hype around marriage? The Clarion Ledger also reported that the marriage rate for women in Mississippi is 17.3, which is slightly less than the national average of 17.6, and marks a No. 32 ranking, so it seems that some of these young women are delusional when it comes to the stigma of marital bliss.

Living in fear that they will be ostracized if they don’t have one child already and another “bun in the oven” by the time they are 30, seems quite silly to the individuals who are not Mississippi natives. The biased remarks that have been made throughout this piece can easily be proven. When asked about her plans for the future, UM senior Callie Upchurch of Hernando said “I hope to be engaged and married to my boyfriend by the time I am 23, and have a boy and a girl by the time I am 25.”

Then when asked about how she foresaw her future, Georgia native Courtney Wimmer McCraken, 26, who works as a data analyst at Emory, said; “After I graduated college at the University of Georgia, I wanted to go to medical school; and I did. I studied and got my Ph.D in biostatistics at the Medical College of Georgia. While I was studying there, I met my now husband, Jay McCraken. I wanted to make something of myself before anything else. I also needed to be able to take care of myself on my own and not rely on anyone else.”

So why is there such reluctance to independence? And as time progresses and women continue to gain more freedom, will marriage always be the No. 1 priority? Perhaps it is up to the free will of each generation to make a statement of their own, and decide what they feel is most important.

The movie The Help recently hit theatres and told the inspirational story of an Ole Miss journalism graduate in the 1960s by the name of “Skeeter.” Despite the opinions of her family and friends who feel the most important duty for a woman is becoming just a housewife, Skeeter goes after her dream to become a successful journalist and gets a job writing a cleaning column for the local newspaper and then goes on to write a book called “The Help.” Will the yearning for female independence ever captivate these young women?

 According to U.S. News, UM ranked No. 143 in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges National Universities and made note of its Ole Miss Law School, School of Business, medical school, engineering school, and the education programs. And as females currently make up 53.1 percent of Ole Miss’ total student enrollment, these young women should feel compelled and encouraged to take advantage of larger opportunities and revolutionize a distinguished reputation for them. So though the search for the holy grail of having both love and a career may seem like a stretch, take a look at Oprah Winfrey or Ivanka Trump who relish in their independent success and the devotion from their men.   

             

Sources List:

Callie Upchurch (Ole Miss senior)

(662)-385-3189

callieupchurch@bellsouth.net

Courtney Wimmer McCraken (Emory Data Analyst)

(678)-463-3002

court921@gmail.com

Pettus, Gary. “Divorce Rates in Miss. Among Highest in the U.S.” Clarion Ledger. 25 August 2011. Web. 10 Sep 2011. http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20110826/NEWS/108260349/Divorce-rates-Miss-among-highest-U-S-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CHome

“U.S. News Education Colleges: The University of Mississippi” U.S. News. Web. 10 Sep 2011. http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-mississippi-2440

           

Jour-377 Article Response

"Documents are the historical record of the democracy." Information provided in background records is important due to the fact that everyone wants further knowledge of something before they partake in it. I believe that the government should provide information to both the public and the media, without knowledge of such information how can we expect to live in a democratic society? I agree that background information with regards to buying a house and raising a family is extremely important in many ways. Locating sex offenders, crime rate and finding the best public school systems are just a few advantages in background research when buying a home. I like how this article provides information regarding the whereabouts of certain documents and how to obtain insight on different background information. Providing the public and the media with such information is important to our democratic society, without these documents people become disconnected and unaware of information that can be helpful to everyone.

Ben Von Drehle

Jour 377: "Finding Story Ideas in the Records that Matter" article response

I found this article extremely helpful as a journalist and as a young woman. My favorite part was the background information you can find on people (example: a potential date) and if that person is bankrupt, married, divorced etc. I also liked that records are available on my doctors, dentists, hairdressers etc and if they are in good standing. I like how the article made aware that the use of records & video surveillance is helpful to journalists and it can also be marketable. The most helpful advice was..."As you learn what documents can make your life better, you will bolster your reporting skills because you'll feel motivated and become more adept at searching and finding records. Also, you'll be able to pass along your knowledge to readers, friends, and relatives, who will be amazed and grateful."

Jour 377 article response

I partially agree with the article that news organizations have become "lazier" in information gathering and dissemination. Indeed, it is the duty of the media to convey important info to the public, but this does not mean that the public should completely rely and believe everything the media says. This is where I disagree. As we all know, most (if not all) media outlets are governed by higher authorities. Thus, it is more than just publishing a newsworthy and interesting story - there is much more at stake. According to me, media outlets serve the general public just to tell them that there is something wrong in the system. All those interested in finding out more about that are not restricted or forbidden to search for themselves. Also, another important factor here is technology. We, the public, are granted access to almost every source of information. Therefore, instead of focusing on how bad media outlets do their job, we should turn the focus on how they can improve it. (Yes, criticizing is one way, but contributing is another yet more efficient way). This is were civic journalism comes to light. After all, media outlets are run by people, just like us. It is in our human nature to be corrupt, selfish, discrete and sometimes evil when it comes to the future of our own career or life.

By

Gjoko Dungevski

Jour 377: Article Response

The phrase "a closed mouth never gets fed" is at full effect here. If citizens are unaware of their surrounds and oblivious to information that is able to be obtained, then the government will continue to shun information and public records. Sarah Baron said, "Increased pressure by citizens for more transparency could help offset a decrease in media resources." However, now that citizens are given the opportunity to get more involved, the increased numbers in the surveys displays positive changes. Government information must be obtainable to the public and journalist to ensure the rights of everyone to be filled in about "foul play."