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Speech Coverage 1 · Speech Coverage 2 · Speech Coverage 3 · Disaster Story · News Release Story · Enterprise Story
T.A.R.D.I.S. : When the article ABSOLUTELY must be published YESTERDAY An article from the June 21, 2006 Baltimore City Paper
arguing publishing speed at the new Baltimore free daily paper the Examiner
and commentary by P.C. Paul.
Women are becoming more active in politics which may result in legislation that is more compassionate and less punitive. Professor Alice Fahr-Johnstone spoke to students of the Political Science and Politics Club last night at Mallory College in Freeport, New York. Fahr-Johnstone said women are more interested in general solutions than men who gravitate towards piecemeal legislation.
Fahr-Johnstone said that studies analyzing the behavior of legislators point to gender differences in the types of legislation introduced. Fahr-Johnstone also discussed that men and women act upon bills differently. Fahr-Johnstone discussed studies that analyzed the Colorado State Legislature which indicated that women are more likely to sponsor innovative legislation. Fahr-Johnstone cited Professor Lyn Kathlene's work indicating that women chose to find "new solutions to old problems, and new programs for the state, whereas men were more likely than women to sponsor bills that modified existing laws or updated old laws."
Fahr-Johnstone also discussed how men and women differ in opinion on the issues of crime and prison. Fahr-Johnstone once again cited Kathlene's research which indicates that, "women emphasized the societal link to crime, seeing criminal problems as part of lifelong issues, stemming from early-childhood experiences, poor education and a lack of opportunities in adulthood. This conceptualization of crime led women to sponsor crime bills that included long-term preventative strategies as well as intervention measures."
On the other hand, Fahr-Johnstone said that male legislators did "not talk about criminals as products of society but rather as individuals responsible for their choices." Fahr-Johnstone said the result was "reactive policy recommendations and legislative proposals based on stricter sentencing, longer terms and rehabilitation in prison."
Alice Fahr-Johnstone is a professor of political science on leave from the City University of New York and is currently studying the role of women in politics.
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Sixty-three days before the presidential election, a professor delivered a speech objecting to President Bush's use of belief in his faith to rally citizens' support of the war in Iraq.
Professor Rogers Smith delivered his message in the library of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County campus to an open forum. After the speech the floor was opened for questions from the audience of 30-plus attendees. During the question answer period Smith emphasized points he made in his 50-minute speech.
Smith, department chair of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, was a distracting speaker with his constant uhm's and ah's in the delivery of his speech. Smith said that when the actions of a leader are either morally questionable or when their objective is unclear, they will use the phrase, "We are on a mission from God," a phrase President Bush has used in many of his speeches.
Smith said, "I want people to be honest about what they think, and if they are acting on a message from God I sure do want to know that." Smith also noted that President Bush did slip up in post-Sept. 11 speech and used the word "crusade."
Smith explained his fear of the use of such phrases as 'crusade' and 'calling' saying, "The President's rhetoric is recognized as Protestant religion rhetoric. The word 'calling,' the notion of vocation, is a Protestant notion not found in every religion or sect of Christianity." The fear and concern Smith expressed is the problem of blindly following a leader who says, "God wants this and that God deems this action as morally right and just.”
Smith said that stories of peoplehood are emphasized when one of three occasions exist. These stories are used by leaders who cannot provide economic gain and political power. Stories of peoplehood are also used when economic gain and political power are being provided but the leader’s cause becomes ethically questionable. Lastly, Smith said that President Bush is invoking stories of peoplehood because his prevailing ethical stories are coming under attack. This is the third reason stories of peoplehood may be invoked by a leader.
Smith said that Sen. John Kerry also uses similar stories of peoplehood in his speeches but uses the “beacon on the hill” or the “promised land” type of story. These stories are secular in nature, appealing to citizens who believe in a separation of church and state philosophy.
Professor Rogers Smith is the author of four books on the topic of peoplehood. His latest book is titled, “How is a sense of belonging to a political community created?”
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In a pointed speech given in the University Center Ballroom of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Tuesday evening, Azar Nafisi, professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the author of the New York Times best seller, "Reading Lolita in Tehran."
Professor Nafisi reminded the audience how central imagination is in maintaining freedom. She also discussed how important it is to have the freedom to discuss literature publicly.
Professor Azar Nafisi left her homeland of Iran and came to the United States in 1997 in order to escape an oppressive regime that imposes its "imagination" on its citizens’ "reality." "Literature is the enemy of oppressive mind-sets everywhere... it is neither a Western notion nor an Eastern notion," Nafisi said. Nafisi received a warm welcome from more than 270 people who came to hear her speak.
Nafisi was drawing a parallel between the Iranian government and the villain, Humbert, in Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita," where Humbert forces his imagination upon Lolita's reality. "Lolita" is one of many literary works banned in Iran.
The problem with dictators is that they are "evil and seductive people," Nafisi said." We expect evil people to look evil, but this is rarely the case, according to Nafisi.
Continuing her speech in the same vein, Nafisi said that dictators make us "feel comfortable," and when we become "comfortable," we become "complacent." When we become "complacent," we no longer question authority, Nafisi said.
In summarizing her construction of parallels between Humbert and the Iranian government, Nafisi said, "Dictators impose their desire and their imagination upon our reality. Therefore in order to avoid the seduction, we must constantly question authority."
"The Republic of Imagination has no limitations, and it is this republic that links us all together as human beings creating hope for humanity," Nafisi said.
Nafisi said when we discuss literature we begin to acquire knowledge. As readers, we begin to imagine how things could be, and "we begin to question our own reality," Nafisi said. By discussing literature with others, we create a dialogue. According to Nafisi, it is "this dialogue that creates discourse and arguments."
The construction of an argument builds knowledge and allows us to arrive at the truth. "Once we develop knowledge, we become curious, insubordinate and begin to question authority," Nafisi said.
The speech event was sponsored by the Center for the Humanities, Office of the Provost, the Department of English and the Women's Studies Program. Most notable of the many UMBC professors, faculty and students who attended the event was UMBC Provost, Arthur T. Johnson.
Nafisi has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New Republic, and is the author of "Anti-Terra: A Critical Study of Vladimir Nabokov's Novels." Nafisi is currently working on her next book in the genre of nonfiction about the lives of three generations of women, dealing with loss and how it changes one.
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The suspension bridge over the Orange River in Franklinville collapsed yesterday, killing four people, injuring fifteen and at least eighteen people are still presumed missing as their vehicles plunged into the river authorities said. Mayor Royce Harris called it the worst disaster in the town’s 140-year history.
Three of the four confirmed dead were Franklinville residents: Gordon Raach, 45, of Smith Blvd.; Gordon Raach’s son, Robert Raach, 6; Jennifer Zerad, 29, of 14 S. West Ave., and Peggy Trzevich, 53, of 229 Marigold St., Vicksburg, Miss. Fifteen people were rushed from the scene of the accident to Franklinville General Hospital. Six people were listed in critical condition; four in serious condition and five were treated and released.
Police were on the scene at 12:59 p.m. and closed the bridge by setting up barricades on both sides of the river. Three fire departments were also on the scene. Divers from Franklinville and Smithburg fire departments entered the river to rescue people trapped in vehicles. Divers freed four adults and two children from two of the cars by smashing the windows and pulling them from the wreckage.
One of the survivors, a 37-year-old woman, who escaped with minor injuries, said, “I’m going right to church to pray for thanks,” as she described her account of the catastrophe. She said the visibility was bad and cars were traveling 25 mph. The bridge began swaying in the wind. Suddenly, one of the cables snapped. The next thing she recalled was her car falling and blacking out for a moment when the car hit the water. She was fortunate enough to have been driving with an open window so when she came to, she pushed herself out of her now submerged car. Witnesses nearby grabbed her by the arms and pulled her to safety onto the river bank.
A citizens group, The Coalition for Safe Transportation, had been warning about the bridge’s structural condition for three years. In a 1999 report by Ohio Transportation Safety Board found the bridge underpinnings to be weak. Also, it said there was a major buildup of rust on the cables. It called the need to renovate the bridge a level 2 infrastructure project. Level 1 projects in Ohio are the most needed; level 10 are least necessary.
Susan Barker, president of the citizens coalition, said, “It’s an outrage that people had to die because the government had done nothing to fix the bridge. The warning signs were in place years ago.”
Since Thursday, five inches of rain have fallen on and off and have been the cause for major flooding in the area. In the past two days, there have been 31 motor vehicle accidents; most of these have been fender benders. 20,000 homes lost their electricity on Sunday for three hours due to the torrential rainfall.
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Snacking on foods between meals loaded with nutrients, low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories that also have minimal processing can be healthy, the American Heart Association announced today.
The benefits received from snacking, “all depend on what you’re snacking on,” said Melanie Harris, spokeswoman for the Heart Association, Missouri Affiliate. There are other benefits to snacking such as losing weight.
Snacking with high-fiber foods can help to fill one up and therefore one eats less at mealtime helping to lose weight. “Again, it all depends on what you eat,” Harris said. Snacks that are high in fiber would include fresh fruit, dried fruit, low-sugar frozen fruit bars, raw vegetables, canned beans air-popped corn without butter and unsweetened grain cereals. “All of these are high-fiber snacks,” Harris said.
The disadvantages to overeating in addition to unnecessary weight gain include a possible increase in blood pressure, blood vessel disease, and heart disease.
Snacking on high-fiber foods “can be especially important for growing youngsters, active teens, pregnant women and nursing mothers,” according to Ann Cohen, a registered dietician, and volunteer for the Heart Association, Missouri Affiliate. Growing youngsters, active teens, pregnant women and nursing mothers in particular, require food sources that are high in proteins.
One should try to steer clear of fried snacks, such as most chips, as they are loaded with fat, calories and in most cases, sodium. In order to avoid the afternoon vending machine binge and also save money, try bringing low-calorie, healthy snacks to work such as apples, carrots or any tree or vine-ripened fruits or vegetables. As the saying goes: “you are what you eat.”
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For the fiscal years 1997 to 2002, the UMBC library was undergoing a steady decline in book circulation. In January 2003, a new system was brought online that allowed for interlibrary loan of books within the University System of Maryland and affiliated institutions. Patrons, through the use of the Internet, can now locate books within any of the State of Maryland University Libraries and have books delivered to the university they are attending.
Only three patrons were spotted browsing through the book stacks on the entire seven floors of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery at University of Maryland-Baltimore County over a two-day period, Tuesday, November 31 and Wednesday December 1, last week, during the hours of 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. All 36 quiet and group study rooms on floors two through seven were occupied, as were all 198 computers that were connected to the Internet. One has to ask, "Is anyone using the books within the stacks or is all research now being conducted on the Internet?" Even though there are few patrons within the stacks, UMBC book circulation statistics indicate appearances can be deceiving.
Rick Muko, 19, a sophomore and biology major, said that he never uses the books in the UMBC library. "I'm a commuter, so I usually use the public library near my home. I usually use the UMBC library for playing computer games on the Internet, as I'm doing now."
According to Jessame Ferguson, head of circulation and media at the UMBC library, "The library that owns the book receives credit for the circulation of the book." This means that if a patron in the University of Maryland-College Park library orders a book from the UMBC library, it is the UMBC library that receives credit for the circulation of that book. Circulation numbers are not 100 percent accurate, but they are reasonably accurate. "Errors do crop in due to the way data is entered into the Microsoft Access database system," Ferguson said.
For 1995, 98,883 books were circulated. For 1996, 101,321 books were circulated. For 1997, 104,553 books were circulated. For 1998, 102,180 books were circulated. From 1999 to 2002 the statistics indicate a steady decline in book circulation. Speculation is that the online database subscription services offered by the UMBC library started to become more popular. Unfortunately this is difficult to prove due to the fact that there are no database usage statistics available for comparison. For 1999, 91,608 books were circulated. For 2000, 80,369 books were circulated. For 2001, 75,298 books were circulated. For 2002, 72,061 books were circulated.
At the end of the fiscal year 2002 and beginning with 2003, the interlibrary book loan system was brought online. This allowed patrons to request books from virtually all of the State of Maryland University libraries and some other participating university libraries such as Towson University. With the introduction of this new online ordering system, UMBC book circulation numbers began to rise for the years 2003 to 2004. For 2003, 76,393 books were circulated and for the year 2004, 89,240 books were circulated.
Mike Akerman, 26, a senior and an information system major said, "I exclusively use the UMBC library due to convenience. I'm here all the time and I live 10 minutes away." Akerman said he uses the UMBC databases as his primary source for research. "On some research projects, professors have required us to use a minimum of five books and they had to be listed in the 'works cited' portion of the paper, otherwise the instructor would deduct points," Akerman said.
Statistics on patron use of the subscription databases for the years 1995 to 2004 were requested from Corey D. Williams-Green, business services librarian, at the UMBC library. “Unfortunately we do not have good usage statistics from the various electronic databases available to students because each database vendor counts ‘usage’ differently,” Williams–Green said.
Josh Bright, 22, a junior and biology major, said that he takes books out from the UMBC library approximately once a month for pleasure reading. Bright tends to check out science fiction and psychology books. "When I do research, the UMBC databases are helpful especially if you use ‘Lexis/Nexis’ and some of the other databases," Bright said.
Lexis/Nexis is an information database that many libraries subscribe to. Lexis/Nexis allows the user to search for articles from magazines, newspapers and other publishing sources on various topics. Virtually anything that has been published in the press can be found on Lexis/Nexis.
One would think that Internet use would be hurting the UMBC library, but according to Drew Alfgren, head of research at the UMBC library, "It is not hurting library use at all." Patrons of the library simply use the UMBC library differently since the introduction of the Internet. "It has opened up access to the library dramatically," Alfgren said. Patrons are now accessing the UMBC library remotely because the library is available through a research port within the UMBC library web site.
The problem with the Internet is that there is a wealth of information out there, but not all of the information is relevant and many times it is difficult to find exactly what one is looking for. This has increased traffic at the reference desk. "There is a large body of students who don't know how to use the library or how to conduct searches," Alfgren said. In order to meet the changing demands of patrons, the UMBC library subscribes to a wealth of databases, which can be found at the UMBC Library-Reference and Instruction Page.
The other problem with the Internet is that virtually anyone can create a website and claim that their published works are facts. Due to this problem that not everything published on the Internet is a fact, all those in search of the truth stipulate that one must use sites that are either .gov’s, .edu’s, .net’s. All agree to avoid sites that end with .com’s, or .org’s because these sites are pushing their own agendas; either political or selling something. Even when using .net’s and .edu’s, one must exercise caution as .edu’s do contain student websites that may not be on par with other sites within the university network and .net’s can also be in the business of sales or pushing a hidden agenda.
For patrons who have difficulty using the databases or any other materials in the library, the reference desk is accessible through various means other than walk-in. "Patrons can ask questions by telephone, e-mail, or chat in real time using AOL IM. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions Web page to help with common questions," Alfgren said.
To address the problem of students who don't understand how to use the library to its full potential, the UMBC library offers tutorial sessions. "Instructors can request appointments to bring i an entire class to receive a tutorial session on how to better utilize all the services available at the UMBC library," Alfgren said. The UMBC library is constantly reviewing the ways patrons use the library and "we are constantly looking for new ways we can better serve our patrons," Alfgren said.
Mike Helfer, 20, a junior and an English Secondary Education major, said that he takes books out of the UMBC library on a monthly basis. Helfer's preferences when doing research is to use his own local library about 50 percent of the time, the Internet 40 percent, and UMBC's library 10 percent of the time. "Basically, I use the databases within the UMBC library system for a great deal of my research," Helfer said.
Unfortunately without statistics on online database usage, it is difficult to prove that book circulation decreased to the introduction of graphical user interfaces, GUI’s, to surf the Internet and with the introduction of online subscription databases. What is clear is during the years 1998 to 2002, there was a steady decline in book circulation and that book circulation was increased with the introduction of the interlibrary loan system.
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