What's your handicap?

Have you ever thought about how hard it is for a handicap person to get around Albright’s campus? You most likely answered “No” to that question. The truth is most students don’t think twice about the accessibility of our campus because it does not affect them personally. Professor Bonnie Hamwi of the education department believes that this is an important issue that should not be ignored. Professor Hamwi took this issue and applied it to her intro to elemtary education class. I spoke to one of Professor Hamwi’s former students about her experiences while taking the class. Ashley Gaynor is a senior special education and theater major. “That one exercise really opened my eyes, I never really thought about whether it was easy or hard for handicapped people,” said Ashley when I asked her what she remembers most about the class. One part of the intro to education class experiment requires the students to take turns riding a wheel chair and maneuvering through campus. The students have a list of places they must attempt to access; Grinrich library, campus center, Masters and Selwyn hall to name a few. “I remember the worst place to get around in was Jake’s Place because of that ramp by the bathroom. It’s like a 180 degree turn,” stated Ashley. Although there are ramps in many places on campus some can be hard to maneuver depending on what type of wheel chair that is used. Professor Hamwi’s class is one of the few ways that students can learn about the accessibility of our campus.

The admissions office does have a tour route designated to accommodate people who are handicap. Albright Ambassadors are responsible for providing prospective students and visitors with a fresh, fun, and personal experience on their college tours. The admissions office mandates that all ambassadors be proficient in giving a handicap campus tour. The normal campus tour takes about an hour and makes stops at all the major landmarks of the college; Grinrich library, Masters Hall, Memorial chapel, and computing and mathematics just to name a few. During the handicap tour the tour guide relays all the same information as in a normal tour and points out all the major landmarks. However, the handicap tour does take a half hour longer than the normal tour. This is due to the extra walking around buildings and the estimated time for elevators and maneuvering up and down ramps. “I had to give a handicap tour a couple weeks ago and it was tough,” said Jared Epler a senior ambassador. Jared has been an ambassador since the spring semester of his freshman year. “Since I don’t normally give the handicap tours I had to bring the manual with me to remember the path, it’s hard because I have to deviate from my normal tour route and walk around everything,” said Jared about his latest tour experience.

Although Albright is not an easily accessible campus there are services that are offered free of charge for students who request them. Students can request to be shuttled by public safety to different locations. Jen Bonnes a sophomore said, “Public safety did use to drive me to my physical therapy three times a week since I couldn’t drive myself.” On top of the shuttle service public safety can also provide an elevator key if the student follows the proper procedures to procure the key.


Want to know what else public safety and other departments on campus do to assist handicapped students? Be sure to listen to the audio podcast version of this post. Also step into someone else’s shoes and check out the mini documentary, “day in the life.”

Update On the Science Building

With graduation only a week away, I have been thinking a lot about my memories from my years here at Albright. I’ve even been thinking about the tour that eventually sealed my decision to come here. One of the biggest things I remember about my tour was the promise of a new state-of-the-art science building that was to be completed in my junior or senior year. And I’m definitely not the only one who remembers this tour highlight.

Unfortunately, the construction of the new addition was started only this past fall and those of us who remember this tour promise won’t be here to see it become a reality. “The senior and junior science majors are kind of bitter about this because we were promised a new building when we came here for orientation,” said senior Rick Grimminger, a chemistry major here at Albright. Theresa Parrish, a senior biology major, agreed with Rick when asked her opinion on the new addition to the science building. “The only thing I have to complain about is they said it would be done when I was touring.”

Since I’m not a science major, it’s easy for me not to be all that upset that the science building isn’t complete despite the promise during my tour. Then again I didn’t base my decision to come here on that promise because I’m a communications and English major. I would probably feel much like Rick and Theresa if I was promised a new communications center and wasn’t in school when the project came to fruition.

However, both Rick and Theresa see the benefits the new addition will bring. “I think it’s a good way to expand our academic pursuits by building the new building,” said Theresa. Rick said, “It will be a huge benefit. The new addition will provide new classrooms and new labs. Along with those lab will be new lab equipment.”

Having taken an anatomy class to fulfill my lab science general studies requirement, I saw how outdated most of the labs and equipment seemed to be. Even though I don’t use the building and its resources on an everyday basis, I’m pretty sure when trying to dissect a whale’s eye it shouldn’t break the scalpel. Samantha Cordisco, a freshman chemistry and education major who often uses the labs and their equipment explained, “The facilities we have are in need of an update. Things are old and corroded.” She also said the new labs and equipment will help speed up the processes of labs that oftentimes take much longer to complete using outdated materials.

Bob Presser, a sophomore business administration major, has yet to take his lab science general studies course. He said that if he knew the addition was to be finished and operating, he would wait to take his lab science in his senior year. “If all the science majors I know are right in telling me their sure it will help me, I guess I can trust them,” he said. Judging by the opinions of science majors like Rick, Theresa, and Samantha, and knowing first hand that the materials and labs are out dated, Bob may be smart in waiting to take his lab science course and utilizing the advantages the addition will afford him.


In the attached videoblog, I document the construction’s progress. With the unique foundation being finished, the summer months will see the quick rise of the actual building’s frame, according to Bill Robinson, the Senior Superintendent for IMC Construction who is handling all of the construction work. Administrator William Wood, Vice President for Administrative and Financial Services at Albright, discusses how the completion of the construction is a top priority for the college and how the web cam showing the progress is an under utilized tool. Despite being at the beginning stages of the construction, IMC and the Albright community have a good working relationship that both Robinson and Wood believe is the key to the success of the project moving forward and being completed as scheduled.

In the attached audio blog, I interviewed Albright professors from the physics, chemistry, and biology departments about the advantages the new addition will provide for teaching. Dr. Richard Heller, a biology professor, said the new addition will go beyond just giving the building a facelift. Dr. Pamela Artz, chair of the chemistry and biochemistry departments, said the chemistry department will have a better ventilation system to work with. Dr. Brian Buerke, chair of the physics department, said all physics labs will be able to occur under one roof. The professors not only agreed the addition would bring benefits to their different departments, but they all agreed it will allow students the opportunity to do more advanced and sophisticated research.

Greek Recruitment Still Important Issue

It may seem like Greek life here at Albright is the most prominent extra curricular activity on campus because you can always see Greek letters around campus. But in fact only about 30% of the student population is involved in Greek organizations. That is why rush and recruitment are important to all three sororities (Phi Mu, Alpha Delta Pi, and Sigma Kappa) and fraternities (Alpha Sigma Phi, Pi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon). Inner Fraternal Council Treasurer Dave Morano talks about how IFC regulates rush for all three fraternities and Panhell President Jessie Curcio talks about how Panhell does much the same thing for all three sororities. Freshman Steve Lamonaca talks about why he decided to rush Pi Kappa Phi and sophomore Amanda Schroeder talks about her decision to join Phi Mu.

Video by: Allyse Wolfinger and Kevin Ayala

Albright Celebrates Earth Week

This week students here at Albright will be celebrating Earth Week. In celebration events such as a movie marathon dedicate to earth movies, days of caring, a go green concert, an Earth Ball, and a go green poster contest sponsored by the Student Government Association are all planned for students to celebrate the environment and going green. SGA Member at Large, Steph Bunce, explains why SGA came up with the poster idea and how Albright being more environmentally friendly is a good thing. Mike Weekley, Vice President of MEISA, the organization co-hosting the go green concert talks about his organizations involvement in Earth Week and why a concert can help raise environmental awareness. Senior Theresa Parrish, a member of the Albright Environmental Action organization that orchestrated Earth Week, talks about why the organization decided to have Earth Week instead of just celebrating Earth Day. Senior Greg Smith explains that he is excited for all of the Earth Week events taking place and that he believes it will be a success. While many students preferred not be videotaped, almost all thought Earth Week and Albright's efforts to be more environmentally conscious were a good thing and were looking forward to this weeks events.

Seniors And The Unknown Future

As graduation quickly approaches many seniors at Albright College are preparing for their next big step. Many are currently applying for jobs but are finding it difficult with the current economic situation. Senior Mary Burns has at least the next couple of years planned, as she is set to attend graduate school in the fall. Seniors Chrissy Phillips, Greg Wolfenden, and Brandon Ruppert are all actively applying for jobs, but are having a hard time securing one. Senior Amanda Foulds is moving to Reading, Pennsylvania to expand her job market opportunities as her hometown offers little in relation to her major. Seniors Maria Valentine and Thomas Joseph Kennedy have secured jobs in the fashion and political spectrums, respectively. One thing all seniors have in common is we will be facing a future outside of Albright whether we are ready for it or not.

An American Journalist's Experience In Iraq

On Tuesday, March 31, 2009, award winning journalist Deborah Horan spoke at Albright College about her time as an American journalist covering the war in Iraq. Horan talked about her struggles to find reliable information to report in a war struck country. Professor Gerald Ronning, chair of the experience event program, gives his opinion on the turnout of the event and whether the war in Iraq is still an issue that resonates with students. Albright students Katie Donaldson and Mitch Nathan, who attended Horan's speech, give their opinions on Horan's experience and the on-going issues with Iraq.

The Tall Brothers

For the past four years Phil Hall has been the big man on Albright's mens basketball team. This year he got a little competition from his not so much shorter younger brother when he came back to compete as a fifth year senior. In this candid interview the brothers talk about life both on and off the basketball court, what Derek has learned in his freshman season with his big brother, and what Phil thinks is in store for his younger brother's basketball future. Teammate Matt Bazsika offers his insight on how much Phil helped Derek and what it was like to play with them throughout the season. Together their story definitely lives up to its tall expectations.

The Uninformed Loss of Ruckus

On February 10th, all students received an e-mail from IT services. The e-mail read:
“Please be informed that Albright College IT Services has received a letter informing us that the Ruckus service was shut down effective immediately. The Ruckus service is the free music download service that all students have had access to for the past 2 years. We will be researching the options that we have to consider; but, at this time, this service is no longer available.”

Ruckus was a beneficial service too many. It allowed students to access music free of charge as well as prevented artists from getting their work stolen. Students on campus loved being able to login into a website, and in 5 seconds having full albums downloaded, and downloaded legally at that. It was a great service. One student replied “I tried to go download a few songs, and when I went to their website, it wouldn’t work. I had no idea why, and when I said something to my roommate, he told me about the e-mail.”

This e-mail came, and was left open to a lot of questions. Was the service just shut down for Albright? What was the reasoning for the shut down? What other options are there to consider? Upon going to Ruckus' website on the night of the 10th, everything looked normal. Only difference was I was unable to log in. When I went to the website on the 17th, I found the image shown at the top of this page. No information was available there.

On February 17th, I went to the help desk to ask some questions. Ryan from the Help Desk had stated that “the service as a whole was shutdown, not just for Albright.” When asked about the e-mail, he stated “The director just told me what to send out, and I did.” My last question was what other options are being considered, and I was told “we are still looking, but have none at this time.”

When I asked to speak with the director, he was unavailable for comment.
It is not our school’s fault that the service is gone, because Ruckus itself is gone. However; the e-mail sent out was very uninformative, and left too much open for question. It should have said Ruckus is shutting down, therefore the service is no longer available to all colleges. It should have said that we have no other options at this time, but are searching for alternative music sources. The e-mail lead me to believe that IT had an idea of where to turn for music, and that the issue would be resolved soon. After my interview with the Help Desk, I found out I thought wrong. So be informed that although IT is searching for other options, but they currently do not have any, contradictory to what their e-mail said. Let us hope for a fast search, and another option to be found soon.

Photo: Courtesy of Ruckus

Another Housing Selection Headache

Housing selection has always been stressful process for me and my roommate. Freshman year it was trying to get rooms closest to our friends. Sophomore year it was trying to get an apartment in the Woods, getting stuck with the very last number, losing our other roommates because they didn’t want to live in the Pi Kap apartment, and scrabbling to find two new roommates to keep the apartment. Junior year it was wondering if the Pi Kaps were going to kick us out of the apartment we signed back into because they were tired of only having the top two apartments. Now as a senior I’m even more glad I don’t have to go through this process because there will be one less dorm for upper classmen students to choose from.
As of next year Smith Hall will now be an all freshman dorm, leaving the Woods, North Hall, Mohn Hall, Krause Hall, and Court for upperclassmen housing. This is a significant reduction of available housing for upperclassmen because the Woods, North Hall, and Mohn Hall all require a certain GPA for its residents. “I think it’s stupid,” said sophomore Emily Morin. “First, in order to live in the Woods, North and Mohn you have to have a certain gpa and lots of students don’t live up to it. That leaves Krause and Court and the downside to living in Court is it’s farther away from all the other upper classmen dorms.”
Court is not an appealing option to upper classmen. I have been in there once in all of my four years here and all I can remember is not being able to move in the double rooms. “There are 28 singles in Court, so the majority of the dorm is singles,” said Morin. Renovations to Court are expected to entice upperclassmen to live there. “I think if it was actually renovated to look nice for our age group it would work,” said junior Emily Duke. “It would be like living off-campus because it’s so far away. If they made it more like living in an apartment complex it would be much more appealing.”
Albright would have to renovate Court to appeal to a group that feel we have the right to be closer to campus and have the most advantages because we’ve been here longer than the freshman. They would have to combat the distance factor with something so appealing to upper classman that the distance from campus and to where their friends live wouldn’t matter. If Court were to become something like the Woods apartments, it would definitely be appealing because the lottery to live in the Woods is so popular every year.
At least one student could see there being a benefit to having all the freshman living in three dorms. “With all the freshman together, we get to know the people in our class more,” said freshman Stacey Norman. “If you live in the upper classmen dorms you met more upper classmen then freshman.” I tried to ask the director of housing the exact reasoning behind the change for Smith, but with it being RA selection time she has been unable to get back to me.
The decision to make Smith an all freshman dorm will no doubt be beneficial for them. It will also create another housing headache for upper classmen who feel they have earned living closer to campus and their friends. Making Court into another on-campus apartment opportunity for upper classmen would be Albright’s best bet for getting upper classmen to want to live there, because right now not many do.

The Leader of the Pack

Playing a sport at the college level can be very stressful and demanding, but not for senior softball player Alex Keyes. At times she finds it difficult during season to balance out academics and softball but always finds a way to do so. Keyes is the only senior on Albright College’s Softball team and holds two records as well.
Alex currently holds records for the most homeruns in a season and has a high of 19 career homeruns coming into her senior season. Alex has come a long way since freshman year, and for the past three seasons has played under the same coach. This upcoming season she has two new coaches and is the only player leaving the team at the end of this 2009 season.
“It’s completely different being the only senior. There’s a lot more pressure on me personally to be a good team leader. I don’t have other seniors to help share responsibility with, but luckily for me a few of the underclassmen stepped up tremendously,” says Alex Keyes.
Not only do her teammates respect her because she is a senior, but because of the dedication she puts into the team. Teammate Marry Dwyer said, “I look up to Alex as a teammate, captain, and a person. I do not just respect her because she is captain and the only senior, but she's pretty much the heart and soul of the team.”

It is obvious Alex is respected in many ways other than just as a senior. She has motivation and dedication, which help her strive to be the player that she is.

Alex states, “I think that being a good player makes it a lot easier to gain respect from your younger teammates.”
Another fellow teammate Megan Keohane says, “The respect I have for Alex is ten times higher than the respect I have for the other juniors and sophomores that also lead the team. This isn't really because she's older, but because she works the hardest at getting all of us to play our best.”

There is no argument amongst the players that Alex Keyes is the most respected on the team and it seems that it is going to be a major transition next year without her. Keyes is a great asset to Albright College’s Softball team and has learned a lot from her team. “Playing college softball has taught me how to manage my time better, how to be a good team player, how to work with others to accomplish a common goal”, states senior Alex Keyes.

It seems that not only has Alex taught her teammates a little bit about heart and dedication, but she has also gotten some things in return that she will take with her past the sport of softball.

To get scores and see how Alex Keyes and the rest of the softball team are doing this season, check out the Albright College’s Softball website. http://www.albright.edu/athletics/softball.html

*Photos Courtesy of Alex Keyes

Don't be Forgotten, Leave Your Legacy!

Tuition for 8 semesters at Albright College: $119,080
Room and board for four years: $19,480
Full 7 day meal plan per year: $3,800
Pledging money for the Senior Walkway Legacy: $100,
Having the most memorable four years of your life: PRICELESS!!!

It’s no surprise that college has been super expensive but I’m sure that when you graduate and look back you won’t regret a single minute of it. Ok, well maybe there are a few things you would change like that one psychology class you had at 8 o’clock in the morning or letting your friends throw you in the pond in the middle of December.

Because of all of the memories, knowledge, and stories students get during their time here at Albright it is not uncommon for many to want to give something back.

So how can you give back to the place that you called home for four years of your life when you are getting ready to graduate and leave your mark for all to remember you? Thanks to the class on 2006 it’s really easy.

THE SENIOR WALKWAY LEGACY!!!

The Senior Walkway Legacy (SWL) is the class gift program that was developed in 2006 by the College’s Sesquicentennial Class. Traditionally, each senior class raised money for a campus project in honor of their graduation, but the Class of 2006 had a “different way of thinking.” They decided to start a project that could be carried on by future graduating classes by raising money to restore walkways around campus.

The walkway around Sylvan Pond is the starting point where each graduating senior has the opportunity to have his or her name engraved on a paver brick with other members of their graduating class.

How do you get your name on a paver you may ask?

To get their name on a paver seniors are asked to make a pledge of $100. Since many seniors can’t afford to pay $100 right away they have until the end of May of the following year to pay it off.

Students can decide to pledge any amount but if they donate $100 or more they also become a member of the President’s Council for Young Alumni, in which they receive recognition as a leadership donor to the College, and get two complimentary tickets to the President’s Council Dinner. While still here they also get to attend a “Pizza & Pledge Party” as well as receive specials at both the 100 and 50 Nights till Graduation Senior Nights!

Thea Graybill, a senior this year, stated, “I think the Senior Walkway is a great gift program. I am actually asking my parents to get it for me as my graduation present. I think it is an awesome way to give back and I can’t wait to come back at homecoming and reunions to see my name on a paver and remember how great my college experience was at Albright.”

Bill Gusler, Class of ’07, Assistant Director of the Fund for Albright and the man in charge of the Senior Walkway Legacy explained two reasons why the program is important, “First it gives each senior a chance to leave a permanent mark on Albright’s campus. Second, it helps to educate seniors why it is so important to give back to your school. The goals for the Class of 2009 are 148 pledges, and $10,500. If these goals are achieved, the Class of 2009 will then hold the record for SWL.”

Christina Reimer, a senior who is on the SWL committee, said, “Bill and the rest of the committee are really working hard to get students to pledge and emphasize the fact that they don’t have to pay until next year. The committee really wants to break the previous class records so we really need to get 45% of our class to participate.”

It might not be your name on a Hollywood Star but it is YOUR NAME on a 12” x 12” paver letting everyone know the huge accomplishment you made, graduating from Albright College!

*Photos courtesy of Albright College’s website http://www.albright.edu/seniorwalkway/2007.html

Sorority Formal Recruitment, a little too formal?

“You can’t sit with us.” To some it may be a funny quote from the movie Mean Girls, but to 150+ girls on Albright’s campus it was a reality. Yep it was that time of year again, Recruitment season, and the rules were in full force.

For the last two weeks the sisters of Alpha Delta Pi, Pi Mu and Sigma Kappa Sororities hustled and bustled to put on their biggest, and I mean biggest, event of the year, Spring Recruitment. It’s the event that determines the future president of your sorority, the next generation of your Greek family and the reputation of your sorority as a whole. Sound like a reason to freak out and worry a little? Hah, freaked out and worried would be an understatement when you have a foot long list of rules to follow while other sororities watch your every move in hopes that you will screw up and break one.

Where do these rules come from you may ask, the answer, Albright College’s Panhellenic Council. Panhel is an organization that acts as a governing body of the three sororities here at Albright. They are a national organization that performs this task at each school that has nationally recognized sororities. Fraternities are governed by a different organization.

Recruitment season is Panhel’s busiest time of the year; it is the period of time following a Go Greek Holiday Party in the first week of December up until the morning formal bids are handed out, usually in the first week of February. During this time Panhel issues and enforces a long list of rules that are designed to put each sorority on an equal playing field so that potential new members are not presented with a biased look at any of the sororities. Penalties are issued when any sister from any organization fails to follow any of the outlined rules.

What are some of these rules? Well I will tell you.

Rule #1: You cannot go out anywhere with independent girls (those not in a sorority).

Rule #2: Absolutely no independents can eat at your lunch table.

Rule #3: You may not talk to independents unless it is about school work, sports you are both involved in or just saying hi.

Rule #4: No hanging out in one another’s rooms, apartments etc.

Rule #5: Don’t even dare to take pictures and post them on facebook, let alone write a comment on their wall.

The list goes on and on but I won’t bore you with the 20+ other ones.

What I don’t understand is we put in tremendous amounts of effort to get these girls signed up and interested in recruitment and just before it starts we cut all ties and can barely speak to them. Why? Marci Nawrocki, President of Panhel, explained, “The rules are enforced so sororities aren’t pressuring girls to join the sorority they are in.”

Kim Thompson, a sister of Alpha Delta Pi, expressed, “I understand that we need rules to follow but I don’t think they have to be as extreme as they are. I mean it’s pretty pathetic when I live with a senior who is an independent who obviously is not going to join a sorority and I can’t be seen eating lunch with her outside of our apartment or my sorority might be fined.”

Heather-Ashley Spagnola, a Pi Mu sister, agreed, “Yes, we shouldn’t be taking girls out to eat right before Recruitment but just having a conversation with them should be allowed. I remember last year when I went through Recruitment it was so hard because most of my friends were already in a sorority and I felt like I had no one.”

According to Panhel the rules are put in place to keep each sorority on an equal level with one another. The rules are supposed to give the girls going through an open opportunity to get to know each sorority. However; I think sometimes these rules can turn the Recruitment process into a blood bath between sororities trying to battle it out with each other.

Beth Moran, a new member of Sigma Kappa, stated, “I play field hockey with some of the girls that are in sororities and it was hard to hear hey sorry I can’t really talk to you because of Recruitment. After just going through recruitment I think there is a way to alter the rules a little. I had a lot of friends who were in a different sorority than the one I chose and the rules had nothing to do with my decision at all.”

Rules, no rules what is your opinion? I think there must be a better way than sorry “You can’t sit here.”

Storytelling Critique

Slideshows
Slideshows are a very powerful way to get a story or message across to an audience. Slideshows produce a feeling that many times words cannot do otherwise. When I viewed the slideshow “Shattered,” I could see the agony in firefighters’ eyes, the horror on civilians’ faces and the effect of what a terrorist attack could do to not just one city but a whole country. If I were to read an article about the attack on 9/11 I would not get nearly the same gut sickening feeling I got when I looked at The Time’s slideshow. Slideshows are a great way to tell a story when the photos are going to have meaning. I think the slideshow would have been more affective if there were captions of what was happening at the time the photo was taken. Having instrumental music playing throughout would have also been a way to add more layers to the storytelling, without going overboard.
http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/shattered/

Live Chats
If someone were to tell me that live chats are a great way to tell a story I would have never believed them, until now that is. I have always viewed live chats as being more of a friendly conversation tool or a way to meet new people. After reading this article though I learned that live chats allow for open ended conversation with people all over the world. They are very interactive, giving people the chance to ask questions and retrieve answers. I didn’t know how much the readers help to shape the chats until reading this article. However; with the readers asking and answering questions the story can be altered sometimes too much. This can be a problem because the story can change so much that it no longer is true. Even though the links for the live chats didn’t work I have seen live chats before and think that they can be very useful if done accurately.

Animated Stories
When I think of animation I usually think of the cartoons I used to watch growing up. Nowadays, animation is being used more and more to tell stories that are not just for children under the age of ten. I think animation is a great way to tell a story when you are trying to get someone who does not know much or if any information about the topic you are writing about to understand it more clearly. The animation I think makes people feel as ease, similar to the way they felt when they were young and watched animated cartoons. Animation can also be used to help explain how something works in a more enjoyable way then just providing basic instructions. However; I don’t think animated stories should be used for more serious stories. The Tiger Woods animated story is a helpful way for people who don’t understand or have much interest in golf, better understand the game. The drawback of animated stories is that they are very time consuming and take longer to produce. This being said, I think animated stories should only be used when necessary and when they will not be out dated in days after being made.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/augusta/tour/flash/20010408_frame.html

Wrapped! The Search for the Essential Mummy

As part of the experience event program here at Albright College, Dr. Jonathon Elias presented his research into the fascinating world of Egyptian mummies. In his hour long lecture Dr. Elias explained the history behind the fascination with mummies and how advanced the research has become since people first began examining them. “Mummies make great fiction,” said Dr. Elias during his lecture, “but that takes away from the history of the Egyptian mummy.”
However, with an hour long time limit Dr. Elias’ lecture and presentation were rushed and focused more on the history of the mummy then his research. “I liked learning about the history, but he could have had more on CT scans and why they are so important to the study of mummies,” said senior Marc Simmons who attended the lecture. Fellow senior Moe Bounouk agreed with Simmons’ statement adding that the time constraint “made the presentation less effective because it was like he (Dr. Elias) was rushing.”
There was an obvious interest in the lecture with all the chairs being full and people standing and sitting along the walls of the room. However, with as large a turnout as there was the room wasn’t properly prepared. “The room was prepared poorly,” said Simmons. “People in the back couldn’t hear because there was no microphone. It would have been much better if it was in Klein Lecture Hall because we all would have been able to see and hear.”
Judging from the large turnout this was a topic several students, myself included, were interested in. Simmons believes Albright should offer more programs on mummies or such varied topics because “it was something new that isn’t offered semester after semester.” Bounouk agreed saying, “by the turnout people are genuinely interested in the topic, so they should have more events dealing with mummies.” Next time an event featuring such a fascinating topic should be in a better-suited room without a time limit that inhibited what began as an interesting lecture.

Albright Parking

For four years now I have had an issue with the availability of parking students have on campus. For my first blog I wanted to take on this issue and get the students’, as well as, the faculties’ perspective on this issue.
After talking with fellow student, Greg Smith, he agreed 100% that there needs to be more available student parking allotted on campus. He said that this is the number one question asked by parents of prospective students when giving a tour. He is aware of the new parking lot that is going to be constructed in the future behind the football stadium and thinks it is fantastic. I went on with the question, “Do you feel this is a safe spot to allow for student parking? “ He gave me an answer that I actually had never even thought of. Greg would like to see some sort of security go in to that parking lot, such as a swipe of the Albright card, which would allow a gate to open. This would stop anyone from entering the parking lot that was not a current Albright student to allow for a safer and more available parking lot. Indifferent to Greg Smith’s answer, another one of my fellow students Andre Forbes does not agree that this type of security is in our budget. Forbes works for Albright security and realizes how hard it is to fund money for more security related materials to benefit Albright. He feels that making the shuttle system run more frequently and making it more available than just once an hour may benefit the security issues that we are facing at Albright. This would save from a student having to walk to and from various places that would be considered unsafe. An unidentified student understood that making more parking lots available would maybe mean tearing down buildings and understood that would never happen. He explained that if the availability were there to allow more parking spots available for current students then it would already be there.
Taking a different angle I spoke with Dr. Forte, chairman for the Campus Life Council and a religion professor here at Albright, and Officer Gross, an on campus police officer at Albright College. Most of their views were very sympathetic for current students. Dr. Forte informed me that he wishes Albright students were allowed to park in the two parking lots that are offered here for faculty only. He also agrees that street parking, especially in Reading, may not always be the safest spot to park, and hopefully with the new parking lot under construction will help with the availability of parking spots in the future.
Officer Gross cares so much about the safety of the Albright students, and stated if Albright had room for it, that there probably would be more parking lots, but the campus does not have the space to provide this. Officer Gross informed me that the theft and crime rate in Reading is significantly low in this part of town compared to the other side. This does not mean that parking on 13th street will be always safe, but that security patrols the area constantly to try to prevent any crime and theft. Officer Gross and the rest of the security department plan on adding the new parking lot as an additional stop to their shuttle route and considering to make consistent stops there to protect the cars parked there. He also thought of the idea as adding Oak Forest and Autumn Park as another stop, to allow students who live there to get a ride from our public safety. This makes it more convenient for those residents and keeps more cars off campus to allow parking for other commuting students. I hope this issue is solved the best way possible to help suit and make Albright as safe as possible.

Brittani's Media Pyramid

My Media Pyramid

Philadelphia Inquirer, evening news
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In-theatre movies, DVDs, cable channel movies,
The Albrightian, morning television shows
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AOL news, youtube.com, Glamour magazine, books for
pleasure, primetime network television, talk on the phone
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Cosmopolitan magazine, school textbooks, the radio, Pandora radio
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Text message, Facebook, i-pod, e-mail

When I look at my media pyramid I admit I am somewhat ashamed of myself for not absorbing

more beneficial material. Overall, most of the media I consume on a daily basis barely provides me with any fruitful knowledge. I would claim my textbooks for my classes, are the only media

that I consume regularly that supply me with information besides gossip, the newest fashion trends, and photos of my friends. On the other hand, I actually enjoy reading books for pleasure and watching the evening news but many times with my busy schedule I find that I hardly have anytime to pick up a book for fun or watch the news without feeling guilty. I tend to feel guilty if I am reading a book that I am interested in if I am already two chapters behind in my school readings. The same feeling occurs when it comes to going to the movies and watching television. Even with a busy schedule I believe that I should still make time to catch up with local and worldwide news to become a more educated individual in general.

My Media Pyramid

Cable News
Various Women’s
Magazines
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Movies on Cable – Tabloid Magazines
The Albrightian – Movies In Theater – DVD’s
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Juicy Campus – OnDemand Movies - AIM
Books For Pleasure – Primetime Network TV – YouTube
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Specialized Cable Channels
Perez Hilton – Popular Music Radio Stations – ipod/itunes – Pandora Radio
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Albright E-mail – Facebook – Textbooks - Texting

Judging by the media listed in my pyramid it is obvious that I am getting a limited understanding of the world around me. There is virtually no news in my media diet. The closest thing to news that I have listed consistently throughout the pyramid are things like tabloid magazines and Perez Hilton. Those types of sources typically only give ‘news’ about celebrities not more concrete news.

This has shown me that I hardly ever seek out credible news sources to find out information. I mostly rely on word of mouth to understand things going on in the world such as the current economic crisis. I never thought to just take the time out to watch the news for a few minutes or pick up a newspaper to keep myself informed.

The pyramid shows me that instead of seeking out sources that will inform me of all types of information that I’m relatively selfish with my media consumption. I consume media that only pertains to my interests and likes and just disregard everything else even if it would keep me more informed. The bottom tiers of my pyramid deal predominantly with media that are tailored to my life such as Facebook and my E-mail, the rest of the tiers follow suit. It's opened my eyes and showed me that even though I thought I was getting a more 'balanced diet' of media, I'm actually saturating my consumption with things that only cater to my tastes.

Media Pyramid

In-theater movies
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Magazines – Textbooks
Books – The Albrightian
Early morning talk shows
Specialized cable channels

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The Times of Trenton – Action News – facebook.com
msn.com – variety of country and hit music stations – ipod
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perezhilton.com – Albright and personal e-mail – people.com – instant message – texting
nascar.com – primetime network television – USA Today – jayski.com – The Trentonian

The first level of my media pyramid represents media that I use everyday and read thoroughly. Many of the website I access more than once a day because they are always being updated and I like to be the first in the know. Even though most of the news in both the USA Today and The Trentonian can be found online in different venues I still like to read them to a get a different and even sometimes more accurate account then what has been reported online. I also like to read the special columns in both. When I am here at school I do not have access to a hard copy of The Trentonian, as it is my hometown newspaper, so I read that online while I am here and in print at home for all of my local news. I use texting and instant messaging to talk to my friends and family all day several times a day.
The second level of my media pyramid represents media that I use on a daily basis, but often do not detailed pay attention to. My homepage for Internet Explorer is set to msn.com, and I often skim through the headlines but only click on articles that interest me. I access facebook.com several times a day but only really pay attention when someone has written to be or invited me to an event. I listen to music several times during the day using my ipod and the radio, but I often do not pay much attention as I am usually doing other things. Action News is usually something that I have on in the background while I am making dinner and generally only pay attention to the weather report. I access The Times to get another perspective on my local news as The Trentonian is usually considered to be a tabloid.
The third level of my pyramid is media that I use weekly. Classes require reading from textbooks but it is usually only one reading per week, which I can have done in one day. I read a lot of magazines but with classes and homework I can only read them in my spare time. I usually only watch specialized cable channels when there is nothing else on television and they have something that I find interesting or entertaining. The fourth level of my pyramid represents media that I use on a monthly basis. I really enjoy going to the movie theater, but with cost and time constraints it is something that I usually only do once or twice a month.

Media Pyramid

Kevin Brogan

My media pyramid is exactly how it looks. I am a huge sports fan, and watch ESPN constantly. It is on almost all day, and usually at night when I fall asleep. Hence, being my most watched show, it is the base of my pyramid. The next biggest sources are the internet: Facebook, Comcast, and SI.com. They are my three most visited websites, and I use them a lot in my free time. After that is funny TV, namely the Simpsons and Family Guy being two of the funniest shows I have ever seen. Judging from my first two layers, it speaks I don’t care much for politics, which is true. After that, it is my cell phone which I use to check sports constantly, NBC, due to my preference of their news coverage and Jay Leno (and all late night TV on the station), and an AP logo because most websites I get stories from, they were contributed by the Associated Press. My last level is the Philadelphia Inquirer, which I rarely read. When I do, I find the comics, crosswords, and cryptograms real quick.