PhotoJournalism

Photo 1              
              The subject of the photograph is an Afghan woman who is crying and waiting outside the NATO headquarters in Kabul for news on her husband that was involved in an explosion. The woman is very upset in the picture and distraught is apparent on her face. The photo was taken in Kabul in 2009. The photographer that is credited with this photo is Nikki Kahn who is a documentary photographer.. She graduated from Syracuse University and has worked at Knight Rider Tribune and the Indianapolis Star. She currently works for the Washington Post.(http://nikkikahn.com/#/confronting-aids/jose-redo) The photo originally appeared in the  Washington Post online version and was published in August 2009.

            There was not a news story that went along with this photo. It was located in a series of the photos titled Women’s Rights in Afghanistan that tells the story of how the rights of women there may be taking a step backwards from where they were. There are pictures similar to this photo that come out all the time, so many people are used to seeing them. There really wasn’t any controversy about the picture for that reason.

            The news values that this photo has are impact and conflict. The photo has conflict because of the story the photo reveals. This woman is crying, waiting on news of her husband and no one is there trying to console her. The viewer doesn’t know how long she has been waiting, it could have been hours or even days, but she is still there waiting patiently and trying to deal with her grief. The story also has impact because it affects many emotionally. The photo pulls at your heart because you feel so sorry for this woman because of what has happened to her. It impacts people because you have the tendency to place yourself in other people’s shoes. The feelings of ‘what if that happened to me,’ come up and it takes people to a place where they can empathize with the woman in the photo.

Photo 2

The subject of the photo for this picture is the burning oil rig that caused the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. You can see the oil floating around the ship and the sheer amount of smoke and fire that is coming off the oil rig is astounding. The photographer that is responsible for this photo is Gerald Herbert. He has been a staff photographer for the Washington Times since 1999. He has covered many conflicts from Haiti to the Middle East. (http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0112/herbert.htm)

The picture and the news story that it goes with both appeared on CNN’s online version. They both ran on March 30, 2011. In the story it talks about whether the executives at BP are going to face criminal charges for what happened in the Gulf of Mexico. In the article it argues that the company heads will most likely not be charged because it is hard to charge someone without a whole lot of proof. Again, there is not a lot of controversy about the picture because there are so many like it already out there. The executives at BP aren’t trying to stop it because people already know what happened and how bad it is, so it would be pointless for them to try. 

The news values that the photograph has are impact, proximity, conflict, and currency. The photo has impact because the oil spill changed a lot of people’s lives. The jobs that they once did cannot be done anymore because of the disaster. Proximity also plays a factor because this is something that has happened to Americans. It is not a tragedy that happened across the ocean, it is something that occurred on our territory. Conflict is a major player because you can see the oil creeping out into the ocean while the tanker is still burning. This shows that while BP is losing money on the tanker that is on fire, people’s lives are going to change drastically because of the damage that is happening because of the oil. Currency is in the picture as well because people are still engrossed by what is happening. They want to know what kind of progress, if any, is being made.

Photo 3

The subject of this photo is Alton Verdin who is a shrimper in the gulf who's life has been devastated after the oil spill. He is seen with his granddaughters Emily Verdin, 3, left, and Johenna Duplantis, 2.  By looking at the picture you can tell that Verdin doesn’t have a lot of money, so the money he makes from shrimping is very important to him. The photographer’s name is Jennifer Zdon. She is a graduate of San Francisco University and has done photos all over the world from Europe and Columbia to even the south here in America.  She has won several awards including photographer of the year in 2002. Her most recent focus is the aftermath of Katrina.(http://jenniferzdon.com/)

  The photo and news story that accompanies it originally appeared in the New York Times online edition on April 19, 2011.  The story itself tells about the troubles that Alton Verdin has had to go through and what he is still facing. Since the oil spill happened last year and the picture was of a man affected by the tragedy and not the actual oil spill itself, the picture was published without too much hassle. 

 The news values that are represented in this picture are impact, proximity, conflict, and currency. The picture has great impact because the man’s face is so heartbreaking. You can see that he loves his grandchildren and wants to give them what he can, but you can also see the look of desolation in his eyes because he knows that his life has changed because of the oil spill. Proximity because the oil spill something that has happened in America. Even though we aren’t right next door, viewers realize that this is happening right at home. The picture shows conflict because you can see the side of the shrimper and the side of BP. Both sides want to get things accomplished, but they aren’t having the best of luck. This picture shows the conflict of what is really happening in the gulf. Lastly, the picture has currency because this is something that American people are still interested in. They want to know what is happening and what is being done about it. 

Photo 4

The focus of this photo is a woman who is mourning the loss of her mother after the earthquake in Japan. When the woman went back to her home to see how badly it was damaged and she finds that her mother was discovered in the ruble. The photographer was David Guttenfelder who is based in Tokyo, Japan with his wife and two young daughters. He was named photojournalist of year in 2006 by NPPA and has worked for AP for the last 12 years. Guttenfelder is currently the AP Chief Asia Photographer, so he did experience this tragedy first hand.(http://www.immf.org/2007/david-guttenfelder/) The original publication of the photo was on the New York Daily News online edition.The photo is in a collection of photographs that show the destruction from the earthquake in Japan. The photo was published on the website on March 21, 2011. There was not a news story that accompanied this photograph, but it was paired with other photos from the destruction that happened from the earthquake and tsunami.

The news values that this photo has are impact, timeliness, conflict, and currency. The photo has impact because of the destruction and damage that you can see in the photo. When looking at the photo you can imagine yourself in that same position. The photo really brings things into perspective for viewers. The photo has timeliness and currency as well because this is something that has just happened and people are interested in it. These two elements are very important because they draw people into looking at the pictures because they want to see what is happening.

 

Photo 5

            The subject of this photo is a group a people mourning a peacemaker who had been killed by a masked man. You can see that there are several people lying on the casket, physically expressing their grief over the situation. From the looks on the bystanders’ faces, you can tell that many of them think that this event is a terrible tragedy and are severely distraught. The photographer of this picture is Ariel Schalit who is an AP photographer. He grew up in the Gaza area and is currently working in Gaza for AP.(http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/photographers_gallery/depth_gaza/index.html)

            The original place the picture appeared was News Week. There was not a full length story that was included, but in the short summary beside the picture it tells that the man, Juliano Mer-Khamis, was a peacekeeper and actor that was killed because of an internal war going on in Israel. There wasn’t any controversy about the photograph that could be located. The picture itself really isn’t controversial. This is simply a moving photograph that shows the dangers and realities that occur when a war is going on.

            The news values that are in this photo are conflict and prominence. There is lots of conflict in this photo because of what is happening. There are many people weeping in the photograph over his body. This is conflict in itself because there is so much emotion and drama going on. If you think about what would happen next if the photo could change into the next scene, you get the feeling that there would be people yelling and screaming causing the drama level to rise greatly. There is also prominence in this photo. The man who was killed was a famous actor and activist for peace.  

             

Down With the Housing System

Every spring semester the chaotic time of housing registration rolls around on the University of the Cumberlands campus. The first come, first serve policy and ridiculously long lines cause upheaval for students. The turmoil caused by this event is something that should not exist. With a frustrated student population, a change is needed for the housing system at the University of the Cumberlands.

Most of the school’s students live on campus. For three years every student has to deal with the hassles of getting a room for the next year. The current housing policy that the college has now basically says whoever gets in line first, gets the best room.

Class attendance is down during housing registration. The students who are able to skip classes or really could care less about classes are the ones that get the best room

According to Dr. Margaret Combs, chair of Hutton School of Business, “There are students who miss classes because they are trying to secure rooms for the coming year.”

Skipping classes is highly discouraged on the campus, yet because of the current housing system, students almost have no other option. Students do have a preference on dorms and worry whether they are going to get in a dorm that they actually want to live in. With that worry in the back of their minds the decision to skip classes is reinforced.  

Not only is attendance affected but there is complete chaos in the Cybernet Café. For many students that is the only place they eat lunch because of the time their classes are finished for the day. When students are trying to eat lunch and find somewhere to sit, there are other students trying to register for housing. All this traffic causes the Cybernet Café to become a madhouse.

Once students, especially freshman who are registering for housing for the first time, get over the shock of the mess, they then realize that they will have to wait in a line that could take hours to clear out.

Amber McDaniel, a sophomore majoring in religion, said, “I got up at 4 a.m. with my friends to go stand in line even thought the doors didn’t open until 7 a.m. I really wanted to live in Harth Hall and I didn’t want to take the chance of not getting in. Everyone knows how bad the lines are.”

Another issue that happens when housing starts is that nothing gets accomplished in the student services office. Everything else has to be put on hold for the rest of the week. Students are constantly flooding in and out of the office trying to reserve rooms.

Kyle Stygler, a junior majoring in psychology, said, “I had to meet with Ms. Carter and they made me wait until the next week. When I asked why, their response was that she was just too busy and had too much to do.” 

Student services has been asked many times about changing the system, but the response that is always given is that there really is not a better way to do things. There are lots of students that have to register for housing and it is a very overwhelming task, but there are solutions to the problems.

In the current system, all returning seniors and rising seniors register on the same day. This is the same with every class level. This causes huge crowds. One solution is sorting the students by credit hours rather than by status. For example, students that have 113 hours or more would be able to register first. Then, students with 97-112 hours could register later in the day. This system would continue with every class level.

A solution that solves the issue of students skipping class is moving the registration times to later in the day. For example, registration could start at 5 p.m. instead of 10 a.m. This would prevent students from missing class.

Some may ask the question why the housing registration form is not put online for students to fill out. This is another solution that could cut down on traffic and wait time for students. The school is allowing incoming freshman to register for housing online, but hesitate to let students already on campus do so because they are worried about network capacity. This makes no sense when students already register for classes online, so this is just another excuse by the administration.

The housing system at the University of the Cumberlands does need to change from its first come, first serve policy and the long lines that accompany it. By implementing even simple solutions, big changes could happen.

When will Cumberlands make the changes that could turn the system into an easy ride for everyone involved?

A Life of Learning

As she sits behind her desk admiring the plaques that hang on the wall that represent her associate’s degree, two masters degrees including one that was achieved online, and her doctorate that was also accomplished online, Dr. Sandra “Sandy” Mancuso can see her achievements.

 The countless hours of staying up until the early morning hours, hard work and dedication during her online and traditional classes as a student have finally paid off. Dr. Sandra Mancuso is the director of teaching and learning online for University of the Cumberlands. She is finally where she wants to be in life.

Growing up in Penfield, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester, was a joy at times for Mancuso. “I really enjoyed it because my family was there, but at the same time the winters were pretty rough up there,” Mancuso said.

When asked about her family, her face lights up with the joy of her memories. Being raised in a single-parent home, assumptions may be made that she was very lonely but that is not the case. With the companionship of an older sister and younger brother that are close in age Mancuso had constant friendship.

Attending college right after high school seems like the most obvious choice for most people, but Mancuso did not. She began in secretarial work and advertising with Jay Advertising, located in Rochester, N.Y., in 1987. As time passed and she stayed with the company, she moved up and became responsible for distributing all the commercials that her company produced.

When she got laid off from Jay Advertising, she was happy to leave. “It was fine, I wasn’t happy with the job anyway,” Mancuso said.  With that realization, Mancuso decided that it was time to continue her education. Monroe Community College, located in Rochester, N.Y. is where she earned an associate’s degree in human services.

Directly after graduating she attended The College of Brockport in Brockport, N.Y. where she obtained her bachelor of science in social work. Continuing in her education she went directly to the University of Buffalo where she acquired her master’s degree in human services. “I went to college straight for five years,” Mancuso said.

“I got out and started working as a primary therapist, otherwise known as, a clinical social worker,” Mancuso said. After a few years of working she became burnt out. The United States Sports Academy was where she got a second master’s degree in sports science. What makes this degree different from all the rest is that it was achieved online. After that she moved directly into her doctoral degree in post-secondary adult education, at Capella University which was also online. “From my mid-20s all the way up until my mid-30s, with the exception of probably two years I was in college.”

When asked how she ended up at University of the Cumberlands she began her story by telling about her adjunct teaching days. She taught at three different universities including Monroe Community College, her alma mater. Mancuso said, “Teaching is something that is really fun.” When she decided that it was time to get a permanent job she simply began looking and ran across the University because they had an opening in the human services department.

“I only taught one full semester until I moved into the position I am in now,” Dr. Mancuso said. At the university she is responsible for the online learning program. She trains faculty on how to use programs like iLearn and Elluminate, monitoring to make sure that teachers do use it and providing ongoing faculty development. “I make sure they understand how to teach online,” Mancuso said.

The online program at the University of the Cumberlands is something that is relatively new. The push for more online class came about because the university is considering moving to a four-day class schedule.

Mancuso is very positive about the online program at the university. “I believe that we have a very solid program. We are in a much better place in terms of what we are doing online this year than we were last year. Online learning is very important because there is flexibility, convenience, and it is conducive to different learning styles,” Mancuso said.

Dr. Jeff Smoak, professor of music at the University of the Cumberlands, has taught several online classes including music appreciation. “It can be a valuable experience for students. It gives them the freedom to work at their own pace,” Smoak said.
            Students on campus also have opinions on the online classes. Candice Rogers, a senior majoring in business administration, said, “When I took an online class I felt it was more personal. It was easier to earn a grade I deserved than sitting inside an actual classroom where there are distractions. I also felt that by taking an online class a student like me can learn a lot more and take learning more seriously.”

Not all of the students on campus think that the online classes are the best way to go. David Cupp, a senior majoring in business administration, said, “With online classes a person has to have great time management skills. I’ve dropped 6 online classes. It’s hard to go from 16 years of the traditional classroom setting to something totally different.”

When asked about her future and retirement plans, Dr. Mancuso simply laughs and says, “I hope I can retire, but I will probably always work.” She plans to continuing teaching online for many years to come as she travels around the world because of the flexibly that it gives. “I love to travel. It’s my thing.”

Dr. Sandra “Sandy” Mancuso has been touched by learning throughout her life whether it is in the classroom or her real passion of online teaching and learning.

“It has made me who I am today. The education and the process of education and the respect I have for it. It’s as if I entered into the world of academia back in 1995 and I never wanted to leave,” Mancuso said.