High Point University's Newest Gate: Food Lion

 

        

    In the past recent year, High Point University has recently added a new gate next to the Food Lion across from campus.   

    What was once a bustling business and shopping center is now home to only two stores. This has caused much controversy and talks both on and off campus about how students believe that since there are multiple locations that have not sold their property; therefore, this is still considered public grounds.  

    HPU is also considering starting checking students' IDs, considering there is a vape shop located on the grounds and they have been sent multiple citations for selling to underage students. However, for students that are of age many students believe including myself that they should not be told where they can and cannot shop.  

    With HPU telling students where they can and cannot shop on the grounds, personally this is only going to make them purchase from other vape shops from off campus. 

    For example, there is another vape shop located only about 2 miles from campus called "Smoky Shays",  that many several students buy from. Knowing this, shutting down just one vape shop in High Point will not do much good. 

    Therefore, once again no matter if HPU puts a stop to buying from that certain vape shop will not stop them from buying from others. While HPU is a private college campus, its understandable that they do want their students to feel as safe as possible.  

    HPU is continuously growing in students and size, meaning that they are most likely only going to start putting more gates around the town. Within the town of High Point alone not always being the safest, many students are also sometimes even afraid to leave campus.   

    The vape store not selling to underage students makes perfect sense, but sensibly the university cannot stop students that are of age from purchasing e-cigarettes. 

    After speaking with fellow student peer Sophia Corigliano on this topic she feels as though the vape shop not selling to underage students will only make students more susceptible from purchasing from other vape stores near campus. Sophia's reasoning behind this is personally she has witnessed many of her fellow peers go to vape shops off campus to purchase e-cigarette products. Sophia feels that if the vape shop were to quit selling to underage students, it would only make them more "rebellious" in the sense that many students already vape whether they are underage or not.

    Many students have also noticed that over the past few months that HPU is now becoming much more strict with gate entrances and checking student IDs, many security officers have even began to check the backs of students vehicles to make sure they there "High Point University" sticker. 

    While they are doing this mostly to ensure the best possible safety for students, at times it makes students feel as though they are stuck in a "bubble" or even some students saying a "prison". However, at the end of the day it does make sense that HPU is a very secure and safe campus considering the area of town that HPU is in. For example, last spring there was a "drive-by shooting" that occurred just outside the gates of HPU. At the end of the day, HPU is only trying to keep their students as safe as possible. 

    Lastly, HPU is growing and will continue to grow even more over the next several years. With this being the case HPU will only continue to add more gates in the town of High Point. Many High Point residents are not fond of this idea, but again it makes students feel much safer being on a gated college campus.                                      

In class editorial

 

By Q News 

The Affordable Housing Management is hoping to lower the homeless rate in Greensboro, North Carolina by adding more affordable housing and a new apartment complex. 

    The complex called Oakwood Park, will be a two story complex located in 2943 W. Vandalia Road. However the complex may not be completed until mid 2025 and it already has an ongoing waitlist. Morgan Waterman whom is a representative of the Affordable Housing Management is hoping to have the rent prices between 30 and 50% of the triads median income, but of course this will be adjusted to family size. The complex will also be located near popular restaurants and shopping center making them easily accessible. 

    The homeless rate in the triad has been an ongoing issue for several years, for example the Open Door Food Ministries located in High Point is also another one of many solutions the Triad uses to help the homeless. However, the poverty rates found on Open Door Ministries website was very alarming. In just 2023 alone, 75,000 meals were served, and 360 household were granted Emergency Financial Assistance, and lastly 1,819 homes were granted Emergency Food Aid.  

The new apartment complex is set to be very nice and featuring several ammenties but all at a reasonable and lower cost, for those looking for more affordable housing. David Levy a spokesperson for the non profit said there are four different things individuals most qualify for in order to live in the complex, such as a household at risk of losing their home and also individual residents that do not have a nighttime residence. 

It is our hope that the new Oakwood Park apartments will significantly decrease homelessness in the Triad. 

Collateral Murder (in class video)

    Before I watched the Collateral Murder video I had no idea what it would "entail", but I knew it would be very disturbing. Many of the clips throughout the video I could not even believe what I was watching. I personally find it interesting that the video starts with "The stories of most of those who were killed are unknown." Among the dead were two Reuters news employees. Saeed Chmagh and Namir Noor- Eldeen. My heart instantly wanted to break when I saw the image of Saeed's grieving son holding a picture of his late father. It saddened me even more when I learned how respected he was and passed away at only 40 years old.  Namir Noor- Eldeen was also very respected, and considered one of the best war photographers in Iraq. Personally, it has never made sense to me as to why the most innocent people are taken from us during wars.

    

   I honestly could not believe what I watching into the first five minutes of this, from hearing terrible vulgar cursing, and hearing "just keep shootin, just keep shootin", and hearing the awful words of "Look at those dead bast****". How could just a few people, kill several innocent people like that and be care-less about it? It comes down to two words Government and power...the Government in any country for that matter is all about "who has the power", and "what are we going to do next." Oftentimes, I feel that governments in many different countries are too "overpowered". 

The images I saw in this video were vastly disturbing, and I cannot imagine seeing this happen in person. Later, in the video it states "Eight minutes after the attack, ground troops arrive on the scene." I will say I do believe this video being released helped many people see the truth of what the government hides behind the scenes until videos like this are released.

    

    

The Press and War Blog

 

    

    Marina Ovsyannikova, whom is a Russian journalist was fined and released after she protested against the war in Ukraine on a live TV news program and made an "anti-war" video. Marina works as an editor at Channel 1, and she ran onto the news set recently holding a sign saying "no war." She was questioned for 14 hours proceeding this, and did not sleep for two days. Marina was also never given access to legal help. Marina claims "The interrogation lasted for more than 14 hours, I wasn't allowed to get in touch with my family or friends, I was denied access to a lawyer." Marina would stress several times that she came up with the idea of protesting by herself. She claims, "It was my anti-war decision. I made this decision by myself because I don't like Russia starting this invasion. It was really terrible." Ms. Ovsyannikova's whereabouts were completely unknown, as lawyers were searching for her, until an image was circulated through the media of her sitting in court with lawyer Anton Gashinsky. 

    It has been reported that a German media outlet, has hired Marina Ovsyannikova as a news correspondent. This was only just a few weeks after her protest happened. The Company is "Die Welt" and according to Ovsyannikova, Die Welt "stands for what is being defended so vehemently by the courageous people on the ground in Ukraine right now: for freedom." Ulf Porschardt, who is the editor in chief of Welt Group stated, "Ms Ovsyannikova's on-air protest "defended the most important journalistic ethics-despite the threat of state repression. I am excited to be working with her." Although Ms Ovsyannikova has still been able to get another job she could still face several years and further prosecution. Russia has also recently made it illegal to call the war an "invasion," for Russian controlled news organizations, correspondents now instead have to call it a "special military operation". 

    Russian authorities have been cracking down on independent journalism, anti-war protests and dissenting voices. Authorities have blocked the popular critical media outlets, and forced dozens of journalists to halt their work or leave the country, "authorities have almost completely deprived people in Russia of access to objective, unbiased and trustworthy information." It is unbelievable to me personally how Roskomnxdzor, Russia's media regulator, has blocked access to both Facebook and Twitter. 

    To end off with, Russian journalists and the press, ultimately have no say on what they can and cannot say while on camera and even off camera. Even the Russian people in general have no access to almost any social media, I personally cannot imagine living in a country that has almost no say on what they can view from media outlets all because of the government they live under. 

    Facebook and media crackdown 

    Russian Journalist Marina Ovsyannikova

    Marina Ovsyannikova is hired at German News Outlet

 

 

                   

       

    

The Life Of Ernest Hemingway (Final Exam Journalism Heros)

 

    Many people may already know who Ernest Hemingway is or some people may have never heard of him before. Ernest Hemingway was a famous writer and author who has written several famous books such as, "The Sun also Rises", "The Old Man and the Sea", and "Dangerous Summer". While Hemingway became very famous throughout the years and even after his passing in 1962, he suffered from many mental health struggles. 

    Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway started his writing career very early as a newspaper writer in Kansas City at "The Star" at the age of seventeen. It is a known fact that Hemingway suffered from severe depression, paranoid delusions, and bipolar disease. Hemingway would also suffer for years from severe alcoholism, severe head injuries, and a rare genetic disease called "hemochromatosis", this can cause intense fatigue and memory loss. Suicide was very common in Hemingways family,  as his father, sister, brother and much later his granddaughter all committed suicide. Hemingway passed away from suicide after several previous suicide attempts on July 2 1961, just a few days before his 62nd Birthday. His wife found him and recalled his death as "being an accidental suicide", but everyone knows it was absolutely not an accident. 

    Although, Ernest Hemingway lived a very successful life he struggled a lot with his own issues, whether it was moving from wife to wife or suffering from mental health issues. Hemingways struggles demonstrates that anyone even famous people can suffer in silence and not show visible signs. Hemingway was always fond of writing and his pet cats.... this is how he seemed to decompress as well as spend his spare time. On a personal note, I have been to the Ernest Hemingway home in Key West, Florida. After arriving in Key West in April of 1928, Hemingway and his wife Pauline would later decide to make Key West their permanent home. Hemingways wife's Uncle Gus would buy a house on Whitehead Street for the couple. This home is now a well known historical and museum site. It homes over 60 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Earnest Hemingway was gifted a polydactyl or six toed cat by a ship captain. The cat was white in color and aptly named Snow White. The cats on on the Hemingway home property today are "descendants" of the white polydactyl cat. I also throughly enjoyed learning more about Ernest Hemingway, when visiting this home. There was historical facts all throughout the home about Hemingway, the home furnishings and why he was important. I loved getting to pet the cats as well. The Hemingway home is a truly beautiful historical site, and I highly recommend it  to anyone who visits the Florida Keys. 

   Hemingway and Paulines marriage would end and they would ultimately divorce in 1940. Hemingway would begin living in Cuba along with what would be his third wife Martha Gel-horn. Hemingway would still visit Key West up until he died in 1961. Even though Key West has had its share of writers and artists alike no one would be as well known as Earnest Hemingway.

Hemingways Life     

The Story of Ernest Hemingway

Famous Books

The images below were taken by me at the Ernest Hemingway Home. 

                          

"Goodnight and Good Luck" Movie Review

 

    Even before this class I have watched "Goodnight and Good Luck" several times. I also watched it last spring in Professor Smith's Media Law and Literacy class. Just by seeing the old time black and white film you would probably think it was filmed in the mid 1900s but it was filmed in 2005, directed by George Clooney. The film analyzes and shows how powerful the media is in political and personal terms. 

    The professional newsmen believe in American freedom. One of the newsmen Edward R. Murrow, believes that Sen. Joseph McCarthy is trying to take down "the American freedoms" by lying, overpowering, and then is destroyed by newsmen who actually tell the truth. 

Although, the main person who brings him down is Edward Murrow, who is a television and radio journalist. His radio broadcasts led him to be one of the most famous newsmen in television history. There are several times throughout the movie where he is backed up by producers and directors of his network which is CBS. But there are also some scenes where CBS loses sponsors because of Murrow and McCarthy's relationship in how it looks bad for the media. 

    All in all, I believe that "Goodnight and Good luck" portrays very well how even today not everything you see in the media is true, and behind the scenes many journalists do not get along with each other as much as they portray.     

EOTO #4 Political Cartoons

 

    Many people may not be sure of what a political cartoon entails or where they came from, besides just being in newspapers.  A political cartoon is a cartoon found in a newspaper or magazine article, or political website. They make a point about a political issue or event. When found in a newspaper they are right next to the editorial columns.  Political cartoons can even be humorous, if you can understand the issue they are discussing, as some of it comes across a sarcastic humor. A good political cartoon should make you think about current events, but also sway your opinion toward the cartoonist's point of view. 

    Political cartoons have been in American history since political dissent, in other words a very long time. A great example of this would be Benjamin Franklin's 1753 "Join or Die" showed how a cartoon artist can turn a complex political issue into a single potent image. Although even today, political cartoons still remain a staple of newspaper's editorial pages. They also have a lot of competition with the TV and Internet as a news source. 

    Satire is implicitly protected by the First Amendment yet it still comes under legal attack. Defamation is the idea of a claim that encompasses false statements and facts to harm another's reputation. Although there is an argument: Satire is not meant to be believed by the audience. It's an exaggeration of an idea or person. Overall, the importance of political cartoons is to shift gears/ provide a break from a political discourse, and to illustrate and discuss stories ways that news channels and news articles cant. 

Benjamin Franklins Viral Political Cartoon

History of Political Cartoons