Facebook crazy

If there’s one thing that 1 in 13 people in the world have in common nowadays, it’s the fact that they all have Facebook. While the fact that Facebook exists is certainly no secret to the world, I think the extent to which many people are using it would absolutely blow people’s minds to look at on paper. Facebook was originally created for students of Harvard to network and circulate amongst each other, while gradually adding other universities into the mix, until it all became one unit. Many other people began joining Facebook to keep in touch with old friends, long-distance family, and etc. But rather recently, in the opinions of many, Facebook has become out of control. The whole purpose is just being abused by (again, in many opinions) people with nothing else to do. There are many “Facebook personas” that people can easily be classified into, and if one took a look at their own friends list, it would be quite simple to separate each friend into their own individual group, or most anyway; however, there are far too many of these online personalities to name them all, so the following are just to name a few. One very popular persona is the person who uses their Facebook as a diary, frequently posting things that would qualify as “TMI” or “WTF” moments, also classified as the complainer. The complainer is famous for taking the “What’s on your mind?” question in the status box a little bit too literally. A very similar persona is that of the person who logs onto Facebook and gives all who will take the time to read a play-by-play of their day, for example, “Shower, breakfast, getting ready, school, lunch, practice, dentist, homework, dinner, movies, then bed! Wow, got a long day ahead of me!” This is what many would consider a direct misuse of Facebook. The second is the drama starter- mostly someone who posts statuses, usually also complaining or just simply ripping someone apart, without using names, but the recipient to the abuse is usually a clear shot, which 9 times out of 10 turns into a knockdown, drag-out status comment war (these people usually include, but are not limited to, high school students.) Leah Davis, a student at Onondaga Community College, explains her thoughts on Facebook fights, “They’re completely useless, no one ever wins and everyone just pretends to be someone they’re not. Just when you think you won a Facebook fight you realize you’ve been verbally abusing someone from the comfort of your own home and behind a computer screen (*laughs*).” While all of these Facebook users are equally annoying, these are not the only abusive behaviors committed on Facebook, because there are simply too many to name, but just to list off just a few more, we all have: the excessive photo uploader, the “trying too hard to be funny and not succeeding guy,” the aunt or other older relative that feels the need to comment on anything you post/are tagged in, and last but not least, the “friend” we all have, the one that goes out on the weekend and decides to document every drunken mishap. While there are still many people that use Facebook for what it was created for, staying in touch with friends, family, and acquaintances, the ones who abuse it are appearing to far surpass the innocent. “People just take Facebook way too far, you don’t even need to have talked to someone in years and you could know every detail of their life,” says Nathan George, a freshman at Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. That statement couldn’t be truer. Without even ever seeing someone in person you could know everything about them, right down to the outfits they wear each day (see: excessive photo uploader). So, if while reading this a thought entered your mind that maybe you might be guilty of committing any of these offenses, take this advice: set the computer/smartphone aside for a little while, perhaps you could read a book, purchase a diary, or take your dog for a walk, anything to get your eyes off the computer screen; it’s for your own good, and your Facebook friends will thank you.

With last Monday, April 2 being Autism Awareness day, millions of people around the country and around the world wore blue to support and spread awareness for a still very mysterious disorder. Despite the many people who wore blue that day, autism is still something that sometimes falls under the radar when it comes to knowledge of the disorder, as well as funding in pursuits of a cure. A very broad definition of autism, according to autismspeaks.org, would be “[varying] difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors,” but there is very many different types of autism and a very wide spectrum of degrees of the disorder. A high-functioning case of Autism can often lead a very normal, self-sufficient life into their adulthood; however, low functioning cases often don’t stand a chance when it comes to living on their own and leading a normal life. Autism roots in early brain development and tends to emerge, and be diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 3 years, as of right now there is no known exact cause or cure to this disorder. Autism is on the rise, with the diagnosis increasing ten-fold within the past 40 years. It affects 1 in 88 American children, and 1 in 54 boys. This year, more children will be diagnosed with Autism than pediatric AIDS, diabetes, and cancer of any type combined; however, it receives less than 5% of the research funding of those less common childhood diseases. Although Autism is not life-threatening, it affects its victims and its victims’ families for life. One example of a mother who is no stranger to the heartbreak that comes when your child is diagnosed with Autism is Toby Jacobs-Mijolovic, of Newport, NY. Toby is the mother of Michael, who, some might describe as a 12-year-old boy genius; however, there was a time when Toby worried if Michael would ever speak. As a newborn, Toby described her son as very verbal and very active, he spoke 10 words by 10 months old. But something happened after Michael received his vaccinations, he “stopped talking, stopped playing, all he would do was stare at ceiling fans and line up is matchbox cars in a row,” according to his mother. When Michael was diagnosed with Autism, his parents, Simon and Toby, were told he would never speak, never go to normal school or have friends, and ultimately never live a normal life, which left them nothing but time to worry. Immediately, Toby quit her job as a teacher to dedicate all her time to helping Michael and volunteering at his school, the Promises Program at Upstate Cerebral Palsy, a specialized program for children with Autism that uses Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy; along with 7 hours of school, Toby worked with Michael for 3 hours a day at home, and all her hard work was paid off when Michael spoke his first word (Mama) after almost 3 years. “A lot is to be said for early, intense, and extensive intervention,” says Toby today, and a lot would agree with her, considering Michael is now a 6th grader, in normal elementary school, excelling in his classes, and preparing to move up to middle school with his class this coming June. Current controversy in the Autism and families of children with Autism community is whether a cure is to be found, or simply just acceptance for its victims. Toby would probably be described as neutral in this conflict, “I want a cure, but I would never want to change Michael, I can’t imagine him being any different.” It’s not imaginable that anyone would want to change this intelligent, caring, and funny 12-year-old, and there’s no doubt that he has an extremely bright future ahead of him. So, although being diagnosed with autism is in no way a death sentence, it presents many challenges for its victims and their families. Many autistic children aren’t as lucky as Michael and will never live a normal life, which is exactly why more awareness, acceptance, and research of the disorder in pursuits of finding a cure needs to happen.

Second Hydrofracking Meeting in Little Falls, NY

Michaela Monohan
4/18/12

                On February 21, the second of three public information sessions were held at the Senior Community Center, located at 524 East Main Street in the city of Little Falls, to discuss the positive aspects of hydrofracking.  Hydrofracking is the technological method of drilling horizontally, deep into the earth’s surface, to extract water or natural gas.   Bruce Przybyl, principal geologist for the New York State Unconventional Gas Service and a project manager for URS CorporaBruce Przybyl, a geologist, for the New York State Unconventional Gas Service and Project Manger of URS Corporation, led the session on Tuesday night.

In order to drill, you need Marcellus shale and Utica shale to properly extract natural gases.  According to Przybyl, the Marcellus shale seems to be absent in this area, but there is still a possibility to hyrdrofrack. According to Przybyl, there are many benefits to drill.

            “Many can benefit from allowing hydrofracking, such as the gas companies, truckers, agricultural communities, farmers, engineers, hotels, restaurants, property owners, and municipalities.  If hydrofracking comes to the city of Little Falls, then gas prices will be lowered, electricity will go down and taxes will be lowered,” stated Przybyl.

            When hydrofracking, there is a release of harmful radiation. Questions arose in concern of this, which Przybyl addressed.  “Low levels of radiation is a natural occurring thing.  We will find out the level of radiation and how it is dispersed.”

            Water contamination is also a huge concern amongst the residents of Little Falls, who voiced their worries at this meeting.  Przybyl was quick to respond. “If there is a problem, the problem will be fixed.”

            Throughout the presentation, individual’s kept referring to the terrible and tragic events, which unfolded in Pennsylvania when hydrofracking disrupted their environment, killed a number of species and contaminated large amounts of drinking water.  Przybyl reassured, “We have learned from past mistakes, we will monitor spills and preventive plans will be put into place and practiced.”

            On February 27, the last meeting will take place at

Little Falls City Hall, to discuss the moratorium. No

questions are allowed, only statements from the public can

 be given.  

Hold on to that!

The crystal football trophy that Alabama received for beating L.S.U. in the B.C.S. championship game in January was shattered when it was knocked off a display table by one of the player’s fathers.

Jeff Purinton, a member of the Athletic Department said the trophy, valued at $30,000, was on display in the Athletic Facility as part of the festivities for the Crimson Tide’s spring football game Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He says the man accidently tripped on a rug that was under the trophy display and knocked it over.

Purinton said the school is working with the American Football Coaches Association, on getting a replacement for the broken one.

Florida‘s 2006 trophy was destroyed when it was accidentally knocked off a pedestal by a recruit in 2008. In 2004, Florida State had two trophies stolen.

Unfortunately, accidents do happen. And after this happened all schools (including Bama') will be way more careful handling their winning trophy's.

Alabama's Trent Richardson holding up the $30,000 National Championship Trophy.

Flyers in control of first round

Three games into the series, The Flyers are up 3-0 over the Penguins. One of the top teams in the NHL has been playing bad but the Philadelphia Flyers don’t mind. They’re rather pleased with the opposing team’s performance and maybe even a little surprised, that they are not playing like they would in past playoff seasons.

The Flyers lead the first-round playoff series, three games to none, and can eliminate the Penguins with a victory Wednesday in Game 4. Pittsburgh has allowed 20 goals in three games. The so called “elite defense” has been playing terrible along with Pittsburgh’s special teams.

But that begins to explain why the Flyers have gained such fire or spark to their play. Before the series, the Flyers have been playing almost below average hockey. The team had discussed the value of playing hard, but clean. They would play this way from first whistle to final whistle. They have done so. And clearly Pittsburgh has not.

The N.H.L. suspended a number of players in this heated series. This 3-game series has been full of fights. Craig Adams was one of the suspended player’s one game for instigating a fight late in the 3^rd period.

Their behavior has been uncharacteristic for the Flyers. They had led the N.H.L. during the regular season with an average of 16.1 penalty minutes a game. They were in third place with fighting majors, having 57.

All in all the Flyers have been playing better hockey and if the Penguins want to stay alive they have to come out with discipline and heart tonight in game four.

Section Ones Biggest Star Finally Chooses School

Section 1 Recruiting writer Joe Lopopolo recently spoke with his former New Rochelle teammate Jordan Lucas about Lucas’s decision to play football at Penn State University in 2012. Lucas, a 6-foot, 176-pound safety, played this past fall at Worcester Academy, a prep school in Massachusetts, after graduating from New Rochelle High School in 2011. Lucas came a long way and improved a lot during his semester at Worcester. The Nittany Lions contacted Lucas last week and told him that they would possibly offer a scholarship. Lucas waited, even though it meant putting his guaranteed scholarship at Temple University in jeopardy. It turned out to be well worth the wait.
Here’s Lopopolo’s Q&A with Lucas on his decision to attend Penn State.

Lopopolo: How does it feel to finally commit, especially to a BCS school?

Lucas: It’s a great feeling, I mean the recruiting process was very stressful like always, if it’s out of prep school or out of high school. Penn State University has great tradition and I take it as a challenge with what they´re going through. They want to build on the tradition that they have and keep things going in the right direction. I´m happy to be a part of it. But now that it’s almost done I’m glad I picked the right school and I cannot wait until signing day so I can just relax.

Lopopolo: What other schools were you considering?

Lucas: Akron, UMass, Old Dominion and Villanova.

Lopopolo: What were the main factors in your decision?

Lucas: I chose PSU mainly because of the opportunity I have once I get there. I have a chance to get playing time right away as a freshman at safety and on special teams, so I’m making sure I take full advantage. Coach O’Brien made it seem like a great place, playing in front of 107,000 great fans every game and the academics PSU had to offer. I got a good taste of all that when I went on my unofficial visit and I loved the campus and environment.

Lopopolo: What are your strengths as a player and what style do you think you play?

Lucas: My strength would probably be my awareness. Knowing where everyone is on the field and knowing what to do in whatever situation I’m put in. I also really like to prepare myself during practice week on and off the field. I love to watch lots of film so you know what your opponent brings to the table. In terms of my style of play, I think I bring lots of speed and smarts to the game, but at the same time physicalness. I love to hit and tackle the football.”

Lopopolo: What were your thoughts on your season at Worcester Academy?

Lucas: It was definitely a great experience. I got to do a lot of things I’ve never done before. I played a lot of special teams and got to return kicks and punts all season. On the offensive side of the ball I played receiver and even wildcat quarterback. On defense I played cornerback and safety. It was a lot of fun. Coach let me be an athlete and do what I do best.

Lopopolo: Has Worcester Academy improved your skills in terms of football and/or academics?

Lucas: Oh yes, of course. This school has done a lot for me so far, especially academically. But I mainly came for school to improve my grades. I thought the transition from high school to college was going to be hard, but I adapted quick and it shows with the 3.6 GPA I earned this semester. I definitely feel like Worcester Academy is preparing me for the future.

Lopopolo: What was your number one highlight, whether it was at Worcester Academy, New Rochelle HS or even Pop Warner?

Lucas: I think my number one highlight would have to be senior year at New Rochelle against White Plains. It was a very important game, let alone it was a huge rivalry. I kind of took it personal that I hadn’t scored against them since my sophomore year, so I told myself I had to this game. I scored a 53-yard run, breaking six tackles and the play actually gave us the lead. The funny thing is that the play actually helped me get recruited. It was an offensive play but it showed how much of an athlete I was, so I would have to go with that as my biggest highlight.

Herkimer Lacrosse

Herkimer County Community College has announced the appointment of James Ireland, of Norwalk CT, as head men’s lacrosse coach for the spring 2012 season. Ireland is an HCCC graduate with the Class of 2004, and was a member of the Herkimer Generals 2003 national championship lacrosse team and was a two-time first team All American and 2004 NJCAA Player of the Year. He served as assistant varsity and junior varsity lacrosse coach at Newtown High School in Newtown, CT. A private lacrosse instructor, Ireland works with athletes of all ages. Jamie has tremendous love for the sport and for Herkimer.

If you have been following any type of lacrosse in the past 20 years you probably at some point heard of the program at Herkimer County Community College. And recently you have probably heard about how the program is in a slight downfall. If you are not familiar with the program you might want to read the history of Herk Lacrosse, the rise of the program to dominance, and their recent fall in the world of lacrosse.

For decades Herkimer was THE school for Junior College lacrosse. So what happened to this once top program? The basic history is that Herk had a team for decades and that they were the primetime JuCo of upstate NY until OCC (Onondaga Community College) took over the title.

Herk won their last JuCo title in 2005. Paul Wehrum was the coach at the time (he is now at Union College – NCAA DIII), and he heavily recruited some of the best players, and helped them move on to 4 year colleges after finishing their time in JuCo. He was like a father figure for the kids and helped them with great success.

After Wehrum left for Union College (NCAA DIII) in 2004, Scott Barnard, who also won a NJCAA championship at Herk, took over.  He is now the head coach at Hamilton.

After Barnard left in 2008, Rich Dommer, also a Herk Lacrosse Alum, took over for a couple of years.

The great coaches kept coming and we also can’t forget that Herkimer also had campus adjacent housing, which is something that almost no other JuCo in the country had. The players basically lived in a two story condo with no RAs. But by the time Dommer had taken over, Onondaga Community College had started a team and had on campus housing and were coached by former Herk Lacrosse players.Things changed fast.

With Wehrum as coach, Herk always had a strong advantage on bringing in Native American players. But he couldn’t stay with the program forever, and Native American players could now go to a school which was also closer to a Reservation (OCC) and was making a real investment in the sport of lacrosse. The native americans are the creators of lacrosse and are key to this game.

So can Herkimer ever get back to the levels of success they once enjoyed? For a program that won 9 JuCo National Championships between 1988 and 2005, it would almost be too sad to imagine that they cannot step up to the plate. If anyone can turn this program around, it would be Coach Ireland.



“I would just like to personally thank each and every one of you for your support through out these past few weeks. You have all been so great! Our love for Herkimer and the game of lacrosse is now stronger than ever. As we all know, this is a very special place for us and this has only proven that more. I encourage all to come to as many games/practices as possible. A more formal letter will be sent out very soon. Thanks again for everything, I hope to see you all soon.” - Coach Ireland

“Jamie is a remarkable young man. I have been impressed by his desire to improve his own lacrosse abilities and remain a student of the game. He is enthusiastic and loves new challenges. He is determined to build back the program that we all love at Herkimer.” - Paul Wehrum

“I am excited and optimistic that Jamie will quickly provide direction and commitment to our current lacrosse student-athletes. Jamie’s playing and coaching experience makes him an excellent selection for Herkimer Lacrosse. As an alum and a member of the Herkimer “Lacrosse Family,” Jamie knows the importance of commitment, excellence and opportunity that all of our Lacrosse Alumni have experienced at Herkimer.” - Athletic Director Donald Dutcher.
New Head Coach: Jamie Ireland

Going Green in Herkimer County

Going green can be defined as learning and practicing healthier living habits that produce an ecologically friendlier environment. This is an important concept to preserve our earth.

In Herkimer County, there are a handful of people willing to step up to the plate to inform the public about preserving the earth.  One of them is Jaime Tuttle.  Jaime Tuttle works for Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste and is a School Recycling Coordinator.  She spreads her knowledge in Herkimer County and visits elementary schools, high schools and colleges.  She teaches the importance of putting recyclables in a recyclable bin.  By doing this, the recyclables are then sent to manufactures to be reused.  This lowers the cost of making more products, and is saving space in landfills. The Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority has made is easier and simpler for individuals to become active in recycling.  No longer do we have to sift through our garbage’s and separate, paper, glass and cans, it can all be placed into black bin, provided by your garbage company.  

Other greening efforts in which Jaime Tuttle is participating in is incorporating the Earth Tub in local schools, which is a small scale, in vessel composting system which is used for recycling organic waste materials. It can mix and shred food as well.   This is ideal for large institutions such as businesses or schools.  Another project in which Tuttle is active in is called the Zero Waste Challenge which occurs in local schools.  It involves students learning to make less trash at lunch so in the future they can apply this aspect to their daily life. Whichever school has the lowest percentage of waste, wins. Recycling bins and composts should be available to each school participating in the challenge.  These kinds of environmentally friendly competitions get kids involved in preserving the earth.

Herkimer County Community College is becoming green by taking action by preserving energy.  Thomas Stock, a Science professor at Herkimer College is the director of the Green Club, which implements green practices.  Thomas Stock explained that Herkimer College has changed their light bulbs to fluorescent lights, implements the three R’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and even has a compost located on campus. HCCC has also installed sensors in some of the classrooms, turning off lights automatically when no movement is detected.  In classrooms that don’t have sensor detectors, there are stickers on each light informing students and faculty members to turn off lights when leaving the classroom. The school has also installed a new air conditioning system which is more effective and uses less energy.  There is also a Park Pick-Up Day which the Green Club as well as students at the college participate in.  By going green, and taking measures to preserve energy, the college has been able to stay within their budget while helping the earth. 

Christine Shahin is an activist and eco-friendly leader.  She is interested in educating others about going green and preserving the earth’s natural resources.  In her efforts, she has introduced the Green Team, which promotes awareness of going green and educates others in Herkimer County.   She has taught healthier, greening tips to individuals nationally and internationally such as not using harmful chemicals, avoiding plastics, using a compost, and overall producing less pollution.  In the past she was the Executive Director of Kids Against Pollution and taught kids grades 5-12 to respect the environment.   To keep the spirit of greening alive, she awarded the Little Falls Co-Op for practicing healthy lifestyles which helps to preserve the earth’s resources.

Shahin owns a salon in Little Falls at 410 Canal Place, on the second floor, which offers all natural make-up, and promotes eco friendly life styles to her customers.  At Faces of Astarte, Shahin doesn’t use any chemicals in the product she sells, such as shampoos, conditioners, lotions, face creams and make-up.  She uses a compost, and reusable bags at her salon.  Shahin’s long term goals include her Green Team spreading the message across to other local businesses to reduce, reuse, recycle, have a compost, and eventually live off the grid, by means of wind and not fossil fuels. 

Terry Stanly works for Iberdrola Renewables as the Plant Manager of Hardscrabble Wind Project.  His team brought windmills to Herkimer County.   Some individuals are for or against windmills coming into this area for a few different reasons.  Some are against windmills because they may take up space, and disrupt natural habitats. However, windmills are tall, but do not take up a lot of space.    They do not disrupt many habitats when built, and if a habitat is disrupted, then the company is required to make a new habitat a short distance away from the original one.  Windmills are extremely beneficial to Herkimer County and the people who live there because they are energy efficient.  Windmills which are also called wind turbines, which run off from wind, and use hardly any electricity to power themselves. Wind, which is essential to these turbines, is an unlimited, free source of power which produces zero pollution.  Because of windmill’s  their carbon footprint is minimally evasive to the environment. Other benefits include long-run reduction in energy and lower energy expenses.

Herkimer County has taken huge strides in order to preserve our earth thanks to Jaime Tuttle; who is reaching out to students and educating them on the importance of recycling and composting. Thomas Stock, who is passing on his knowledge to his students ad implementing the Green Club. Christine Shahin, a local business owner and advocate of going green and Terry Stanley who helped bring windmills to our community for cleaner and efficient energy.

Herkimer General's Baseball on a 22 game winning streak

        The Generals have found their grove on the field and are winning very impressively. After opening the season playing against a couple division II teams, the team was 2-4 to start the season. Jason Rathbun coach of the Generals says "We put our team in some tough games early in the season that have prepared us to be where we are at now." In Division III, they are 18-1, and in the Mountain Valley Conference, the Generals have a strong record of 17-0.

       The Generals have had some tough games in the winning streak but for the most part they have

been taking out teams with strong wins. Kyle Schwartz, a pitcher for the Generals has been

doing phenomenal, and has a 7-0 record on the mound. 

        Coach Rathbun is happy with the way his team is playing. He states that "I think we are starting to

form our lineup for the season and some pieces are starting to become fixtures in our lineup like Tyler

Hall hitting third for us and Luke Nethaway hitting fourth for us. We are right on track for where we

want to be at this point of the season." 

        The Generals have some tough games ahead of them. They will be taking on Schenectady

Community College, and Mohawk Valley Community College in their next few games. With 9 games

left in the season, the Generals are looking at a good strong record to enter Sub-Regional's in a few

week.

NPR's New Guiding Handbook

        According to an article written by Mallary Jean Tenore of Poynter, the staff of NPR, is currently being introduced to a new Ethics Handbook.  This handbook is illustrating the importance of avoiding ethical dilemmas and stressing the importance of reporting the truth.   According to NPR, the new handbook is a how to guide, rather than a set of codes.       

            The handbook addresses certain issues which NPR has faced, such as falsely reporting Gabrielle Giffords had died.   In order to avoid such mistakes from happening again, journalists as well as editors need to follow the how to steps in the Ethics Handbook to avoid mistakes.  The Ethics Handbook goes into detail about how journalists should write, who they should source and the importance of remaining unbiased and impartial. According to NPR, “review and update policies/training with respect to the role of NPR journalists appearing on other media outlets to ensure that they understand they applicability of the Ethics Code to their work and to facilitate equitable and consistent application of the Code.”  If journalists have any questions about ethical decisions they are told to consult with their superiors for help.

            On Pressthink.org, an article about NPR’s new handbook was also written.  More information about this handbook was given, such as avoiding ‘he said, she said.'.  The goal is to report the truth with clarity and correct information.  The new handbook shifts from a code of rules to a handbook of how-to guidelines.  According to Pressthink.org, NPR’s mission is to create a more reformed public.

            I think that it was wise of NPR to introduce a new handbook.  It will help individuals have a better understanding of ethics.  I think that this handbook can become very beneficial to NPR, because if their journalists understand their guidelines, they will make fewer mistakes in their articles.

           

Effective ways to make use of those Sundays

So, here I lie in bed as I type up an article pertaining to what most consider “the most boring day of the week”. I, for one, completely beg to differ; I take complete advantage of not having to go to class, or having to go to work. Theoretically, Sundays are a day where everyone has a chance to catch up with what happened last week, and prepare for the next one to come.

Let’s take a step backwards and get to know a little about Sunday, and the origin of its name. The name comes from the Latin phrase dies solis, meaning “sun’s day”: the name of a pagan Roman holiday. According to Encyclopedia Mythica, “the early Romans, around the first century, used Saturday as the first day of the week. As the worshipping of the Sun increased, the Sun’s day (Sunday) advanced from position of the second day to the first day of the week (and Saturday became the seventh day).”

On the other hand, Sunday is significant to other cultures, while some cultures just see it as another day. For most Christians, Sunday is a day of worship and rest, in recognition of the excerpt from the Bible, which states, “And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it, he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Gen 2:2-3)”.

Now that we have gotten a brief background of Sunday, let’s take the next step by establishing some random facts about typical Sundays. For folks that usually go to school, or work during the regular business week, have the grace of utilizing Sunday as their “free day”, if you will. For instance, Sunday is a day where: families that practice some sort of Catholicism go to Church and worship, most football games in the NFL occur and most stores close early to prepare for the regular business week.

If you’re anything like me, and attend classes regularly Monday through Friday, and work all the week (except I always get Sunday off, coincidentally), chances are you don’t have all the time you really need in order to get homework assignments complete. Luckily, there is a day where I have no real-life tasks to complete, other than keeping up with life itself, and that day is Sunday; I can sleep in until three in the afternoon, or I can wake up early and actually get a chance to eat off of McDonald’s Breakfast menu.

Top 5 things I recommend people doing on their Sundays:

1.)    Dedicate this day to sit down and think of every task you need to complete: either it be for your job, schoolwork or any other extracurricular activities you plan on doing.

2.)    Walk around the outside of your house and check for any imperfections that may bother you, things that you may have never noticed before on a day-to-day basis.

3.)    Walk around the inside of your house and brainstorm any ways you can effectively clean every little nook and cranny.

4.)    Put down the iPad, laptop, or what have you, and take a jog (if the weather permits)!

5.)    Make Sunday your big laundry day.

Top 5 things I do on my Sundays:

1.)    Catch up with all of my assignments.

2.)    Play video games until my fingers fall off.

3.)    Take a gander around the web to see anything new going on.

4.)    Watch whatever sport is on [preferably football (NFL), or basketball (NBA).]

5.)    I take a cruise around town and see the gents take out their vintage cars for a good ol’ Sunday drive (if you aren’t already familiar, these individuals with their vintage cars tend to be “Sunday Drivers”, so don’t plan on making it anywhere on time).

Have you been effectively using your Sundays all along, or have any of my tips helped you? Do you do any of the things I normally do on my Sundays? Leave feedback in the comments section to help others utilize those “boring” Sundays!

School Boy Humor: Concert Review

On Sunday February 26, fans gathered at The Hangout in Ilion to listen to several bands perform. The Hangout is conveniently located on the back side of the Red Roof Inn; if you blink while driving past it, you would miss it entirely. The tiny venue held over thirty people, who killed time by shooting games of pool and playing air hockey in the sitting room.

Anthony Evans, the guitarist for the show’s headlining band, School Boy Humor, greeted people as they entered the main room. He greeted people coming in. In his very tight black t-shirt with a picture of Taylor Lautner on it, his shiny lip ring, and his very interesting mohawk, he was quite the sight.

His twin brother and bandmate, Phil Evans, stood quietly next to him. Tired from the long trip from their last show, he greeted people with a smile and a wave, and continued to watch the bands before him perform. Meanwhile, their drummer Caleb Schultz, decided to venture off on his own and wander around the venue, watching people shoot games of pool and chomping on peanuts.

The days started off with performances by some local bands. Give Us Jersey and The Avondales, both from Syracuse, performed and caught the audiences’ attention with their upbeat songs. After a set change and ten minute intermission, a band called Rookie of the Year took to the performance space. The band consisted of only one person, Ryan Dunson, and his acoustic guitar. He waved at the audience and started his sound check.

“Grab a seat, everyone. You’ve been on your feet all day. We can have a camp-fire type sing along.” He told the audience, who then sat on the ground before him.

Dunson first played on of his singles, “Slow Down”. He taught the crowd the lyrics of the chorus and asked them to sing along with him. When he got to the first chorus, he moved his mouth away from the microphone, so all that was heard was the sound of the audience singing.

He dedicated his last song to his grandfather, who had recently lost his battle with cancer.  There was not a dry eye in the whole house when he finished performing and the audience, including several members of other bands, gave him a standing ovation.

            Now, it was time for the last band to play. School Boy Humor, a band from Little Rock Arkansas, took to the stage. After a little mishap with a fog machine, which caused the whole venue to fill up with smoke, they began their set.

            They started with their single titled “7 Minutes In Heaven”, which got the entire audience jumping and singing along. They played songs off of their new album entitled “Show Me” and two songs off of their first self-titled album.

            Phil Evans, the lead singer, was full of energy. As he belted out the notes, he jumped around and interacted with the audience; ruffling several peoples’ hair and holding hands. The Evans brothers seemed to be enjoying themselves. If you looked past the twins at the drum set, you could see Caleb Schultz flipping his drumsticks while he played and having a good time.

            They closed their set with the fan favorite song “Camera Shy” and the audience sang along and cheered when the band had finished playing.

For a little over an hour, the members of School Boy Humor signed autographs, took pictures, and spent time with every fan. They did everything they could to put a smile on their fans faces. Needless to say, all bands gave their all during this show. If you ever have the opportunity to see any of these performers, take the chance and go to their show. You won’t regret it.
(Watch an acoustic version of "Camera Shy" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcyqvM01gt0)

Body Image & Eating Disorders in the Media

When you look at people who are represented in the media today, you mainly see stick thin models and women who are deemed an “acceptable size”. The media portrays women who wear size negative zero clothing are “perfect” and anyone other than that, are ridiculed and judged. People, mainly women, are constantly dieting and trying to change the way they look.

According to the article “Nature vs. Nurture: The Media’s Effect on Body Image” by Sara Shea, the media does, in fact, “glamorize” thin people. Even young men are dealing with the media scrutinizing weight.

“The “thin ideal” is the media’s glamorized portrayal of extremely thin women. While this phenomenon primarily affects women between the ages of 18 and 25, it has also been proven to effect adolescents as well as males.” states the article.

The media can affect people in various ways. Some young women, even children, could be so self-conscious about their weight, that they would go as far as developing an eating disorder to lose weight and be the "perfect" size.

The Disney Channel, a network for children, has been called out on promoting eating disorders in an episode of the sitcom “Shake It Up” by one of their former employees, Demi Lovato. One of the characters in the episode says: “I could just eat you up. Well, if I ate…” which has the underlying meaning of saying that she suffers from an eating disorder.

The former Disney starlet has recently come out to the public and stated that she suffered from eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. Upon seeing the episode and hearing this remark, Lovato took to Twitter.

“What are we promoting here? #notfunnyatall. I find it really funny how a company can lose one of their actress' from the pressures of an eating disorder and yet still make a joke about that very disease.” wrote Lovato.

She then followed her statement with another message; "And is it just me or are the actress' getting thinner and thinner? I miss the days of Raven, and Lizzie McGuire. Eating disorders are not something to joke about."  Promptly after these tweets, Disney pulled the episode.

One would think that a children's network would support healthy eating habits, not ones that suggest not eating entirely, just to keep a slim figure. The media has a very powerful pull on society, and the next generation is so immersed in the media, that they will take everything that is being said and think that is how they should look. If a young girl sees a model on a magazine, which is a size one, she will believe that that is how she is supposed to look, and she will go throughout her life trying to be that size.

It is not healthy for people to be subjected to these ideals that the media puts on them. What the media does not realize, is that what they put out in magazines and television shows could potentially push a person with an eating disorder over the edge. It seems that no matter what, the media is always somehow criticizing someone. If you're overweight, you are criticized. If you're too skinny, you're criticized. Sometimes, it seems like nothing is ever good enough. And that is not a good message.

The Truth is Out There, and NPR Wants to Find It

Reading NPR's latest ethics handbook gives the impression of a solid and admirable document, the product of years of analyzed experience and deep thought. However, Jay Rosen's enthusiastic praise of the handbook on the blog Pressthink opens the door to highly contentious debate about the nature of truth and the authority of the media and of institutions.

Rosen emphasizes the idealism of the new policy in his February 26 article, “NPR Tries to Get its Pressthink Right.”  Rosen praises the new handbook, citing the passages in the section on fairness about reporting truth for the audience rather than creating the “appearance of balance,” and about acknowledging which side the “balance of evidence” falls on. In the section of the handbook about fairness, NPR commits itself to be “fair to the truth.” Rosen's comment qualifies “fair to the truth” with “which as we know is not evenly distributed among the sides in a public dispute.” The Pressthink article implies that one of the greatest benefits is the media giving itself permission to declare plainly the objective truth to the public.

The Pressthink blog post received comments of diverse opinion. Those expressing a negative reaction condemn NPR for bias. The commenters simply can't point to the direction in which that propaganda runs; some call NPR liberal while others accuse it of being a tool of the Republican establishment.


It is unfair to dismiss the handbook as an excuse to manipulate the public, as some of those comments speculate. No harm can possibly come from a firm commitment to the integrity of journalism, and it is true that the truth often runs deeper than two opposing sides in a contraversy.


Rosen interviewed the co-author of the new ethics handbook, NPR Editorial Product Manager Matt Thompson, who says, “It's critical that we earn and preserve the trust of our sources and subjects of coverage, but it's always most vital to tell the public what we know to be true.” There is no question that telling the truth to the best of knowledge is good, and should in fact be the standard for any news organization. It should be unthinkable that journalists would not make such a deep commitment to the truth.


However, there is a danger in the lofty idealism of the new ethics code, one that the Pressthink article may emphasize by ignoring it. This danger is rooted in two questions – whether truth is really objective, and whether any institution has the right to make truth judgments for the public.

If one does not believe in objective truth, there would be little point in deciding what is most important for the public or what side in a controversy is right. “The 'Truth' is completely subjective,” wrote a commenter, expressing this point succinctly. “There is no such thing as an objective 'Truth'. So, I guess NPR decided to no longer be objective in its reporting. At least they're honest about it.”

To my mind, this is not the problem. If there is no objective truth, is that the plain objective truth? The second question is even more worrisome. The above comment was responded to several times. “Of course there is,” wrote the person behind the screen name “Torg.” “Just because no one can agree on what it is in a given situation doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and I fail to see why throwing up your hands and saying 'well, I guess we'll never find out' is a better procedure.”

The fact that no one can agree on truth may indeed not be a good enough reason for individual people not to seek truth earnestly for themselves. Perhaps it may be a good enough reason for the media – especially a highly institutional media outlet like NPR – not to claim to have the truth.

“The difficult case is when there is an 'accepted view' that nevertheless has flaws and outcomes that can't be explained away,” wrote a very reasonable commenter who posted as “Chris.” Despite the fact that our society is so segmented and multicultural, there are still many accepted views. And there are even more reasons why some people cannot accept the accepted views. There are always flaws in all accepted wisdom, and that is reason enough for people to keep looking.


Not all minority views are held because of personal hangups. Many researchers, such as the scientists at the Institute for Creation Research, honestly believe that the hard evidence goes against the theory of evolution, and the holes that will always be present in scientific theories justify their belief. More orthodox scientists may say that creationism is categorically unscientific, but that is meaningless since the term “scientific” was invented by other scholars, and no institution is able to coin the truth. Many people believe that the terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001 – or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy – were orchestrated or allowed to one degree or another by factions within the United States. These conspiracy theorists really believe that something dark is at work in their country, and it would be irresponsible of them to ignore such a dire conviction. These views and many more are serious and real. The threat with the pro-active journalism that NPR is adopting is that these minority views may be outwardly disgraced by the accepted media. As Chris said in his or her comment, “Just because a view is narrowly held, doesn't mean it should be treated unfairly.”


Despite all this risk, it is very hard to condemn NPR's commitment. Real situations do often require analysis, and it may indeed be irresponsible in some cases to stick too legalistically to a policy of “balance.” Real situations call for judgment, and people will inevitably base their judgments on their biases and values. As a comment to the Pressthink article attributed to Tom Paulson points out, impartiality is “more an aspirational target than anything an honest individual will ever claim to achieve.”


The handbook itself offers no indication as to whether or not NPR will abuse its status as a major media outlet in connection with its analysis of the truth. Human nature being what it is, NPR will very likely take too much authority in defining truth from time to time, but it probably won't be the worst thing that has ever been in the news.

First Hydrofracking Meeting in Little Falls, NY

            On February 14, 2012 the first of three public meetings took place in the city of Little Falls at the Senior Community Center,  located on 524 East Main Street.   David Slottje, an attorney for the Community Environmental Defense Council, led the information session and explained the technical terms of hydrofacking. He answered many questions the public had about possibly allowing hydrofracking in the city of Little Falls.

            Slottje explained that the city was drafting a moratorium, which allows the community to discuss the proposal of either having or prohibiting hydrofracking.  To hydrofrack means to drill horizontally at least 8,000 ft. deep, both ways, in order find critical water resource and to explore and extract natural gas and petroleum.   A concern that hydrofracking brings to the city of Little Falls, involves health problems, such as being exposed to radon and where the disposal of waste will be placed.  If hydrofracking comes to Little Falls, Slottje expressed the historic landscape of Little Falls would be ruined and an increase of traffic congestion would occur, with result of more car accidents.

Slottje stated,  “The DEC has not approved any permits for drilling, as of right now, we are still in the moratorium stage which allows the community to discuss this proposal."

             Mr. Slottje explained why he decided to be the guest speaker at the public information session.  “I grew up in Broome County.   My parents still live there and they wanted me to come over and see the damage that hydofracking brought to my hometown.  I cried and actually vomited when I saw what they were doing.  I knew as an attorney I could do something about it.”  Slottje also mentioned his opinion of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who agrees with hyrdrofracking. Slottje spoke openly about Cuomo and stated that,  “Cuomo doesn’t care about anyone in this room or in the New York state.  He just wants to be president in 2016.  He’s a sharp elbow.”

            A geologist will speak at the next information session on February 21 at 6:00 pm at the Senior Community Center in Little Falls.  The public is allowed to come and ask questions regarding hydrofracking.  This meeting will focus on the positive outcomes of hydrofracking and the benefits it will bring to the city.