Concerns of a Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist: “Please Don’t Tweet Me”

Orono, ME- Guests ranging from young college students in jeans and T’s to distinguished professors in their finest attire intermingled and chattered in anticipation of the lecture to come. This short-lived moment was proof that there is viability in two separate generations, each with their own culture, values, and norms coming together on common ground to engage in a shared interest. As mentioned, however, this melding of two groups was all too short lived.

After an impressive introduction, a meek middle-aged woman with salt and pepper hair stepped up to the podium. Bettina Boxall of LA times is a well known eco-journalist, and a UMaine alumna, who recently won the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting.

Although known for her progressive views, and great contributions to the development of journalism, Boxall spoke against the forward direction in which communications and journalism is moving today.

Boxall is a self proclaimed “old fart” who gets her news solely from newspapers, writes on a manual typewriter, refuses to watch T.V. and is considerably unacquainted with computers and the internet.

Boxall’s concerns for the future of journalism root in decline in newspaper readership: “Readership affects advertising. If circulation decreases, companies have less desire to buy advertising space, which causes newspaper revenues to significantly drop,” Boxall explained to the intent audience.

This concept is intuitive and doesn’t require much evidence to convince someone of its actuality, but is it a legitimate base for concern? It is evident that newspapers are becoming less popular at the hands of the internet; daily newspaper readership is decreasing (with a current estimation at 74,000 customers) and the unique audience of newspaper web sites are ever-growing at a current 76 million individual readers.

With the introduction of online news, information is more easily distributed at a lower cost, and to a broader audience; so what’s the issue with this transition from hard copy newspapers? According to Boxall, it’s the difference in journalistic integrity and quality: “[Online information sources] are like snack food: they’re addictive, but not very nourishing.”

Boxall is worried that the end of newspapers will be the end of probing and explanatory journalism, something she takes very personally as this quality is what earned her the Pulitzer Prize in 2009. Under the impression that online news sources are generally used to gather quick information on ecologically, socially, and economically insignificant topics, Boxall reflects on her passion for printed papers: “ I dearly love newspapers. They’re important to a democracy, and important to give more than just quick hits and short stories.”

Boxall may have a point; perhaps many readers of online sources aren’t benefiting from the long and intricate stories printed upon the pages of hard-copy, fresh-from-the-press newspapers; perhaps online readers search for specific topics, missing out on the smaller, yet more controversial stories they wouldn’t happen to read unless it caught their eye while flipping through the paper; but perhaps it is Boxall who is misinformed.

As far as online news coverage being “the end of good journalism,” it seems Boxall’s admittance of internet unfamiliarity may be the basis of this concern. Boxall’s fear is that with the gradual decline of newspaper readership, people will become more dependent on websites such as twitter to stay (somewhat) up to date with current affairs. What Boxall may not realize is those websites are used to grab readers’ attention, and lure them in to reading in depth articles. These websites can act as aids for online readership.

Much like print news, the more people visit online news sources, the more money advertisers are willing to pay to buy a spot on the website. This, in turn, raises revenue. It is becoming more necessary for online journalists to produce riveting and controversial stories in order to maintain a large audience, and therefore maintain a sustainable revenue. The falling demand for newspapers does not equate a falling demand for “good journalism” as Boxall implied. Those who desire accurate, informative, and explanatory journalism will find no shortage on the internet.

Towards the end of the lecture, the unity of the audience had been substantially divided. Questions from the younger generations showed passion towards embracing current technology, while older generations showed their discontent with the new direction of journalism. This split was demonstrated when Boxall responded to a student’s whimsical question regarding her thoughts on modern twists of news such as the John Daily Show: “I think it’s fine as entertainment, but it shouldn’t be used as a source of news... but I suppose for your generation, though, something is better than nothing.” The older generation responded with a pompous snicker, while the younger generation was left with a look of disparagement, as many in the audience took pride in their passion for “good journalism.”

The tone left at the closing of the lecture was one mirrored by the current conflict in the news sector. Should information such as the news be owned, or should it be in the public domain for all to benefit from regardless of financial ability? Is the future of online journalism one of light, and unimportant topics, or will it provide quality information and education to a broader audience? Will the revenue from add space be enough to sustain a dependable news source, or will online journalism become solely a hobby, providing unreliable and possibly inaccurate information? The answer to these highly sought out questions lie only in the future. As for now, according to Boxall, "It will be a long time before print ends."

Wind Power in Maine!

With the national energy crisis in the forefront of many citizens' minds, the state of Maine is taking initiative to begin using a sustainable and reliable source of power-- wind. Here are some links to great websites explaining the benefits and details of using wind power in Maine:

• Natural Resources Council of Maine- basics and background on wind power in Maine
• Governor's Task Force on Wind Power- the State Government's initiatives towards the usage of wind power
• GTFWP Meeting Summaries
• Citizens' Task Force on Wind Power- what Maine citizens think of the idea
• Earth First! Journal's Take on Wind Power- An environmental group's take on the idea
• U.S. Department of Energy- Data on wind activity in Maine
• An article on UMaine and wind power from Maine Insights
• themainemag.com's article about Habib Dagher and his contributions to wind power technology
• Mainebuisness.com- the financial aspects of using wind power
• Industrial Wind Action Group- emphasizing the importance of offshore wind power
• VIDEO: Habib Dagher and Senator Collins on Maine Wind Power

Clark Cougars Maul Brandeis Judges for Home Field Crowd

While the large majority of the crowd was sluggish and and clumsy, fighting off hangovers from a Saturday night at Clark University, the Women’s Club Lacrosse team was fired and ready to go this Sunday morning at their 9:45 home game against the long rivaled Brandies Judges.

At the draw of the game, Ali Glick set the mood for the Cougars by making a break away and scoring only seconds into the match. The ball continued to whizz up and down the field for the proceeding 15 minutes in a competitive frenzy between the two rival teams.

17 minutes into the first half, the Judges were given a free shot after a Cougar slashed an opponents stick, tying up the score 1-1. It wasn’t long before the Cougars came back to score 3 more goals before the end of the first half leading 4-2.

The Judges entered the second half with a new burst of energy making 6 shots at goal, 3 of which got in, bringing them to lead the score at 4-5, 13 minutes into the second half.

After a trying beginning to the second half, the Cougar defense finally got a break when midi, Angie Marshall, carried the ball into the Cougar’s offensive half where it was passed around for the next 2 minutes while the Cougars waited for the right opportunity to make a shot. That opportunity was taken once the ball returned to Marshall who made a goal from outside the fan, once again tying up the game 5-5.

Excluding the one additional goal made by the Judges, the Cougars prevailed in the last 10 minutes of the game scoring 3 more goals and ending the game with a victorious score of 8-6.

“We’re so excited about this win,” Explains Marshall of the Cougars, “This was a major home game for us because it was against our toughest competition.”

In past years, the Judges have proven to be the only team in Women’s Varsity Club Lacrosse that the Cougars couldn’t manage to defeat.

“We have a lot of new girls with a lot of talent, so we were excited to show them how much we’ve improved since last year,” Glick says of the Cougar win.

With this victory, the Cougars have proven that each year brings new competition. This very well may be the turning of a new leaf for this rival pair with the domination of Cougars in future seasons to come.

Technology for Tragedies

Plates clatter, books fall, a child cries-- amidst the confusion and terror, you think only of your life in that moment, and the loved ones who fill it. Thanks to the technology of websites like Twitter, those who are at the misfortune of experiencing disasters are able to easily communicate with loved ones, as well as their community, while Information-based websites such as Wikipedia can provide instantaneous facts to those elsewhere.

After the earthquake in Chile on February 27 this year, many people took advantage of these technological resources. Some people used their Twitter accounts to assure their friends and family that they were safe, while others used the website as a tool for finding missing relatives.

A concerned Chilean posted to her page: “¡Fernando Andrés Vergara Vásquez de Cobquecura, nececita avisarte a su familia que está bien!” Translation: “Fernando Andrés Vergara Vásquez from Cobquecura, you need to let your family know that you’re ok!” Her post was one of many desperately searching for missing people. In contrast to the posts in search of people, there were also several posts notifying Tweeters of “found” people.

While many Tweets displayed the anguish that comes with such tragedy, others were more encouraging. One man took it upon himself to travel to the hard-hit regions to spread some encouragement. He tweeted: “Partiendo a Putu nuevamente a llevar un poco de luz y esperanza a la gente.” Translation: “ I’m starting at Putu again to bring some light and hope to the people.”

Others made light of the situation by posting Tweets such as Andrea Jiménez’s on March 20th in reference to the numerous aftershocks: “La lámpara se movió; es mi sismógrafo.” Translation: “The lamp moved; it’s my seismograph.”

Twitter also served as a medium for community organization. There was one tweet looking for reconstruction volunteers: “SE BUSCA: Ingenieros, constructores, y arquitecto. Inscribirse en fundciontracender.cl como profesionales voluntarios para reconstrucción.” Translation: “ WANTED: Engineers, builders, and architects. Join ‘transcendfoundation.com’ as professional volunteers for reconstruction.” There was a significant amount of Tweets describing how quickly the damaged roads were being repaired.

As the urgency of the crisis has diminished, Tweets about the earthquake became less frequent, and the Wikipedia “2010 Chile Earthquake” article substantially expanded. The article was started on the day of the quake, and has been updated to include the geology of the country, damage and casualties, humanitarian responses, conditions of the aftermath, and information on the resulting tsunami. This article provides accurate information about the disaster and its effects to people around the world.

This open and easy access to information provided by Twitter and Wikipedia allows great opportunity for international aid. More importantly, the use of this technology draws the world closer together as one race through compassion for the collective good of Chileans.

Student Spends Spring Break Surfing... On a Couch?

For many college students, spring break equates fun in the sun with close friends and a surplus of cocktails. Andrew Dunn, a 3rd year English major at the University of Maine, did just the opposite, seeing Spring Break 2010 as an opportunity to break the norm.

As Old Man Winter blew his last few snow storms through Maine, Dunn was beginning to feel the all-too-familiar “cabin fever” that circulates the UMaine campus each February. He needed to get out, but where to? Dunn reflects on this whimsical decision:

“I had never been to the west coast, so I figured I mine as well check out Seattle.”

He immediately got on his computer and bought a round trip ticket for a week adventure in Seattle, WA. He had previously heard of some “hipped out” hostiles in Seattle, but that was just a back up plan for his real goal: Couch Surfing.

Couch Surfing is a non-profit organization that provides networking between those who wish to travel, and those interested in meeting people from around the world by giving them a couch (or air mattress, guest bed, etc.) to sleep on while they’re in the area.

Couch Surfers complete a profile with a self-portrait, a picture of their couch (if they want to host), and personal information such as interests, current location, and previous experiences with Couch Surfing. Members can become “verified” when couchsurfing.org verifies your identity and location. Another feature that adds to users’ comfort is being “vouched for.” By vouching for someone, a user is saying that he or she has had a positive Couch Surfing experience with that person, and that he or she vouches for the actions of that person.

These profiles make it easier for travelers to decide who they’re comfortable staying with, and hosts to decide who they will allow stay in their house. Hosts and “surfers” can also communicate through a messaging system provided before they decide to meet up... or not.

Several months before his decision to take a trip, Dunn had heard of this traveling phenomenon from a close friend who highly recommended it to him out of experience. After buying the plane ticket, he made an account with Couch Surfing.

“I made my profile, searched for hosts in Seattle, and desperately started sending e-mails” Dunn explained. He had only one week to find a host, and had no luck until 2 days before his flight.

With a couch to crash on, and his ticket in hand, Dunn boarded the plane.

His week was certainly unique. Rather than relaxing on the beach with friends, and sleeping in until 12 p.m., Dunn was up at 8 every morning ready to explore.

“I would just see what I could see. If something struck me as interesting, I would check it out.” Amongst the many parks, murals, and grafiti art work, Dunn recalled a sculpture that caught his eye: “Down a random alley, there was this red sculpture of a distorted face... it was sitting on a bench like someone had just set it down... there was art everywhere.”

After exploring the city, Dunn would return to the apartment each evening for dinner with his host, then would head back out to experience the bar scene until his eyes could no longer stay open. He would then rest his eager head on the promised couch, only to wake up early to other day, and another adventure.

In addition to getting to know a far away city, Dunn established many friendships, and learned a bit about himself as well. “You’re thrown into a completely new environment with people who have no opinion or expectations of you based on your past. It really allows you to see who you are and what you’ve grown to be up to this point.”

Over all, Dunn’s Spring Break 2010 was unquestionably a positive, life-changing experience. “I would definitely recommend Couch Surfing,” Dunn contended, “...The personalized profiles and messaging system really makes it safe... you can easily tell what kind of person you’re dealing with just by looking at their profile, seeing who they’re friends with, and writing them.”

As for future Couch Surfing, Dunn plans to post a picture of his own couch so that he, too, can host.

Marshwood High School: Possibilities of a Private Policy

South Berwick- Take a moment to recall your high school days-- walking down the familiar hallways, smiling at the faces you’ve grown up with as they pass by, participating in clubs, committees, and teams, celebrating camaraderie at pep-rallies, finally getting somewhat of a choice in the classes you had to sit through... the list goes on. With the current economic crisis, these fond memories may soon be nothing more but mere recollections of the way life used to be. A school district in southern Maine struggles to keep these memories of such opportunity alive and progressing for those in anticipation of attending Marshwood High School.

Since September of 2008, the state of Maine has faced a $200 million shortfall in education in the shadow of the national economic crisis. This translates to a $68 million loss to the school district MSAD #35, who depends heavily on state funding. If not for the $827,000 received from the Federal Stimulus Package, MSAD #35 would have been nearly $1.3 million dollars short of it’s typical funds this fiscal year. This federal aid will not be coming in next year, leaving Marshwood High School in a scramble to prepare for a financially trying bout.

Marshwood has already put a budget freeze into action, and if no solution to this financial problem is found, a salary freeze will be initiated as well as a cut back on employees and programs offered to students. This has stirred up much concern with the community, as such measures have significantly reduced the quality of education in the past. Since the last economic downfall in the 1980’s, Marshwood has worked hard to re-build its reputation as a successful, competitive, college-preparatory high school.

After much research and contemplation, the Marshwood Board of Directors has come up with a possible solution to Marshwood’s financial woes.

Starting in September 2010, Marshwood High School will admit and tuition 10 non-residential students who apply before April 30th. This policy is subject to an annual review where the school board may adjust the amount of students accepted to what is best for the school and its community.

As of next year, the tuition will be roughly $8,700 a year plus a $500 application fee. This yields an $8,400 profit for Marshwood for each student admitted to the high school. With 10 non-residential students admitted, this means a $84,000 profit for the year.

While this profit will serve as a solution for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the school board has confessed an ulterior motive; they are looking at eventually “tuitioning in” another town’s high school students to the present Eliot/South Berwick district.

Traip Academy of Kittery, Maine is a neighboring high school facing similar, yet magnified financial struggles. In addition to dwindling funds, the enrollment rate is lower than ever at 280 students, and is projected to continue to fall. The town of Kittery is now considering closing the high school only two years after shutting down their elementary school.

Marshwood High was built with the intention of holding up to 1,100 students. Currently, there are 750 students enrolled in the high school leaving empty class rooms, and great potential to grow.

If Kittery residents were to attend Marshwood by paying the $8,700 tuition, MSAD #35 would be capable of not only providing more programs and opportunities than they currently do, but also would be able to afford to hire many of the teachers currently employed at Traip Academy.

This integration of Kittery high school students, however, depends on whether or not the town decides to close down Traip Academy. Also, citizens of Eliot and South Berwick must vote in favor of combining kids from the three towns. In anticipation of this possibility, Marshwood and Traip school committees have formed a subcommittee to discuss this option in a proactive manner.

As for now, Marshwood awaits the new-coming school year with the assimilation of the10 tuition-paying students in hopes that it will save the school from further financial detriment.

Discover how planets and moons throughout the universe can influence our survival here on earth

Orono- Galactic voyagers share their discoveries and research in a Omnidome presentation at the University of Maine's Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium. Every Friday in the month of March from 7 to 8 p.m. locals are invited to join these scientists in exploring the ice planets of our Universe including our very own planet's polar caps.

In celebration of International Polar Year, this "Ice Worlds" presentation explains how Earth's polar ice caps and places alike throughout the Universe affect our world today and its near future. In attending, you can expect to see animated scenes of what may be in store for our planet, as well as satellite images and real footage.

These images come to life in the Jordan Planetarium's Omnidome. This is a projection system designed to fill up the entire dome, giving each audience member a unique experience as they are surrounded by the sounds and visuals of our Universe and its ice worlds. All Omnidome presentations are $3 a ticket, or free with a MaineCard. Any questions or comments may be directed towards Alan Davenport at 207-581-1341 or info@galaxymaine.com.