Edna M. Meisel Interview Transcribe (Library Beat Update)

"My role on the committee is Recording Secretary. I attend all of the meetings and participate as a member. And, as secretary, I take minutes, type them up formally for the committee and for Faculty Senate review. The Library Committee advises the Dean of Libraries on matters of library policy such as library services that directly affect students of Marshall University; the acquisition of library materials and resources; library funds and budgets; cancellations of resources when needed; maintenance of library spaces, and other concerns directly related to our Marshall University Libraries. We also review the activities carried out by the administration of the libraries. Library administrators make up part of the committee as non-voting members. We carry out studies relating to library functions. We serve as a liaison between the faculty of our respective departments to inform them of library issues. We are also the liaison to the Faculty Senate; we report issues at the Faculty Senate monthly meetings. And we are liaisons to the university libraries. Recently we have talked about budgets and resources of the library and how this affects students here at Marshall University. We also discuss how the libraries are serving faculty with requests for materials that can benefit their teaching of MU students. We strive to cover all of our responsibilities as presented in your second question above at each of our meetings; focusing on those that are most important at the time. This has mostly impacted the MU Library’s ability to maintain journal subscriptions, and the acquisition of new books and other resources needed by students and faculty. A shrinking budget impacts the “amount of funds spent per student” in library resources here at Marshall University. The MU Library Committee encourages Marshall University students to contact WV Legislators who control budgets to express their concerns of how budget cuts affect their library resources. And of course we also encourage students to express their experiences with the MU Library system and how it benefits students here at Marshall University!"

State of the City-After

As expected, Mayor Steve Williams’ state of the city address included the topics that were in the preview article. However, there were many more topics that were not included.

Having not questioned Williams more about his speech when he answered student’s questions last Wednesday, Feb. 11, I was unable to fully predict the topics that would be included in the state of the city address today.

In addition to the development projects, and budget, a new reform development plan for Harris Riverfront was proposed, crime and drug traffic issues, competition against other river cities, diversity progress and the LGBT and black communities.

The Harris Riverfront plan is expected to take six to 10 years in three phases to complete. It is from a partnership with Superior Marie that embraces a long-term development plan recently created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The plan is to bring commerce to the riverside of the floodwall by developing.

“It will include a 260-slip marina and dry dock, a boat repair and retail facility and a boardwalk with retail and dining facilities, potential condos, a spray and splash park, a skate park and RV camping facilities,” Williams said.   

Williams then said the city’s single largest issue was drug addiction. He said that the focus the past few years have been on dealers and less on addicts. The goal is to eventually help the addicts and their families. Williams said that it is time to for the Office of Drug Control Policy with partners in government agencies, recovery programs and houses, hospitals, medical centers and personnel, clergy and elected officials to act and organize a plan.

“The level of addiction in our city is a burden that will prevent us from achieving the heights which we are capable of accomplishing. It is time for us to act,” said Williams.

The mayor also said that the city would be entering America’s Best communities competition, sponsored by Frontier Communications and DISH Network.

            “Communities with populations between 10,000 and 80,000 within Frontier’s footprint are eligible to enter. It will be a rigorous competition of cities like Huntington across the country. We expect to win,” Williams said.

            Finally, the mayor said that he has promoted inclusiveness and diversity in the city the past few years and still has some who have feelings of loneliness and the pain of exclusion come and to him. Williams has formed an LGBT advisory committee that meets monthly, and said that there is more work to be done in regards with race relations. A Community Coalition on Public Safety is being organized. Along with meeting with the local Black Pastors Association and creating a Committee on Diversity.

"We don't have time or luxury to exclude anyone from community affairs and field of mutual ambition," Williams said. "My vision for our city is that we embrace diversity and seek inclusiveness as we learn to stand as one people celebrating our differences."

State of the City Address-Preview

Mayor Steve Williams will address the state of the city at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17. This will be Williams’ third state of the city address since being elected in 2012.

Williams is expected to cover the city’s budget, on going development projects, jobs, efforts to keep citizens in the city and efforts to make downtown safer.

Williams said that over the past two years, the city has had a great deal of success and that there is no changing course now.

Williams said that the current budget structure will not change and that no new taxes or fees will be added in the next year, as well as no lay-offs.

“The city budget for the fiscal year of 2015 is $43.4 million which is down from the 45.8 million of last years. We have been operating on a structure of $42 million so the structure for the new budget will not affect us any,” Williams said.

Williams said that slowed business and revenue is to be expected with the completion of some projects such as the Visual Arts Center and the new Engineering building for Marshall, but there are going to be more projects, some that have already begun.

One current development is the demolition being done on Hal Greer Boulevard at the Northcott Court housing area. Plans are for the 130 some families to be living in updated housing as well as the addition of retail and commercial properties bringing in more jobs.

“From Charleston Avenue to Ninth Avenue and Hal Greer Blvd back to Minton Street we expect to have commercial, retail and housing built there that will create ample opportunity and construction jobs to ensure that there can be apprenticeships for individuals who are looking to be in the construction trade so that they have the opportunity for jobs,” Williams said.

Williams said another development projects is the 14^th Street West area, which is less than a quarter of a mile from the interstate and has about 10 million cars a year that drive by Huntington. The idea is to bring business and warehousing facilities to this area since it is so close to the interstate.

One other development is in the Highlawn area off of Third Avenue. The idea is to reform the area for more hotels, ball fields, businesses, etc.

The mayor has also said that that there is the idea of Friday Nite where all shops open and host activities to draw people downtown. Along with this, the weekends will have more police on duty in the area from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. to ensure a safer environment.

With these project developments in place to happen it will likely keep citizens in the city due to the expected job growth and activities set for the downtown area.

Thom Walker Interview Transcribe (Library Beat Update) PART 1

“I am the faculty senate liaison for the library committee. Basically, they have me classified as a voting member, I have the ability to agree and disagree with anything that the library sets forth to present to the faculty senate. I usually abstain from voting as a liaison because I don’t feel that being a member of faculty senate that has a position should be able to influence that decision anymore than I already do. I will present unbiased opinion to faculty senate when I give the committee report. Typically I tell what this committee discusses, what they voted on, and I always mentioned that I excluded myself from voting because I don’t think that’s right personally. But liaisons do have voting rights on all the committees that they are on. Some choose to do it, some choose not. I choose not to. Basically we have meetings, we are kind of slack this semester because we haven’t had our first meeting yet, usually we have it once a month where we discuss everything that entails that has to do with the library, essentially. Budgeting, cuts, student involvement, student use of the library, those kinds of things. This year has been mainly been focused on budget cuts, and how we are going to handle the state cutting academic budgets on all college campuses, varying ranges of 2.5 to 5 percent. Every year that this happens, the library submits a letter of request to be exempt from those cuts, because we are already running on a shoestring budget. Some of the things that happen with library budgeting is that the databases and journals usually go up every year based upon inflation, the cost of printing that kind of thing. So their prices go up and that price comes to us, and of course with those prices going up our budget is going down something ends up having to happen. And we end up loosing things. Typically what the library committee does is that they become aware of what’s going to be lost and they will go back to their respective departments and tell them what is happening. Usually, a letter of petition is written by the department head to request that those things not be cut. Aside from that, that’s really what the library committee does, are the day-to-day operations of the library, business meetings, that kind of stuff. Those are usually given to us by Dr. Monica Garcia Brooks, who is the VP of the Library, and she keeps the budgets and numbering. Other members come and basically voice their opinions, to mainly get the idea of what’s happening in the library and what’s going to affect the department that each chair of the department comes from. What’s supposed to happen we’re suppose to have members delegated to the library committee from every department on campus.”

The West Virginia Shield Law

The West Virginia State Legislature passed a bill on March 12, 2011 that protects journalists from revealing confidential sources or material. Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Jr. signed the bill into law on April 7, 2011 and took effect on June 10, 2011. The bill, H.B. 2159, was an act to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, by adding in a section for journalists.

            The section is referred to “Reporter’s Privilege,” defining a reporter as one who regularly gathers, records, writes, reports, or publishes and distributes news or information that concerns matters of public interest for a large portion of the person’s livelihood.

            The section also adds that student journalists are protected by the law providing that they are attending an accredited educational institution and who meets all of the requirements of reporter’s definition, except the students reporting may not provide a portion of their livelihood.

            The law states that no reporter may be compelled to testify or produce any material that would identify a confidential source in regards to published or unpublished information the reporter obtained without the consent of the confidential source, unless the material is necessary to prevent imminent death, serious bodily injury or unjust incarceration.

            After examining and researching the law, it is the only shield law for reporters that include student journalists. The law is beneficial for anonymous sources tipping reporters, especially investigative reporters, on news stories such as political corruption, financial fraud, government agencies not fully doing their public services, etc. It is also beneficial for the student journalist that may have reporter on sensitive topics such as students smoking marijuana, or have a secret fight club, etc.

            The law does seem to have a disadvantage as it specifically states that a reporter does not have to give the information or the confidential source unless the material prevents death, injury, or unjust incarceration. If the material does prevent these factors, then the reporter may reveal the information or the court may subpoena the reporter to do so. If the reporter still decides not to disclose the information they could face jail time.

It appears to be fair in stating the reasons that a reporter would have to reveal the information, yet for high school student reporters it could be up to the school administrators, as they have the powers to regulate the paper, to determine what is necessary to prevent death, injury, or unjust incarceration. Who is to say that finding out which students smoke marijuana to prevent them from doing harm or injury to themselves and other students is a reason to disclose the information?

            

"I Have a Dream" Speech Story

          The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. said Wednesday that 100 years after slavery ended, the Negro is still not free to more than 250,000 marchers.­

          King, who is from Atlanta, Georgia and president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, delivered the speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial stating that it would be the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of the nation.

         The speech was part of a march on Washington to support the civil rights legislation proposed by President John F. Kennedy. King and the SCLC have been advocating for Negro equal rights and freedom since 1957.

          Despite the Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation, and the amendments to the Constitution, King said that Negros are exiles in their own land.

          “One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land,” King said. 

          King discussed the exploitation and mistreatment that he and the Negro community have faced and how the nation’s dream was founded to provide equal rights and freedom to all, including blacks.

          King said that 1963 is the beginning of change and that the Negro community needs to pull together and march forward until they get equal rights and freedoms.

          “…until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges,” King said.

          King stated that his dream was that one day the nation would realize this idea.

          “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal,” King said.

           The crowd roared with cheers and applause. King said that he hoped and dreamed that in the future, his children would be judged for who they are and not their race.

          “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” King said.

           King said that when America realizes this dream, it will be a great nation and that freedom will ring throughout the nation and all will join hands.

          “From every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing …: ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’” King said.

Grade: 85/100

News Beat Update

I have been looking into my news beat, the Marshall University Faculty Senate Library Committee, and have contacted and will be meeting and talking with two members as of right now, Mr. Thomas Walker (Liaison) and Ms. Edna Meisel (Recording Secretary). The committee assists and advises the Dean of Libraries on matters of policy, studies related to library functions, and also acts as a mediator between the faculty, the facility senate, and the libraries. More to follow.

Question: What are the policies and functions the committee advises the Dean of Libraries on?

Question: Where does the university receive funding for the libraries? Does someone donate? If so Who? Does the committee regulate of advise on this funding?

Question: Why have two libraries and not one? Is it to keep the archival and older texts separate from the ones used mostly for student studies?

Makeup In Class-Assignment: 1-28-15

1. Have you decided which public meeting you will attend between now and March 31?

 I have decided on attending Huntington's City Council meetings between now and March 31, 2015.

2. Have you contacted the people on your beat, read stories about them and they work, and made considerable progress in gathering data to determine the subject of your final, in-depth article?

I have only made one contact with my current beat and read only two pieces of data, but upon reading the text book I came up with a few ideas for another beat and have asked permission to change my news beat in order to keep up to date on the information. I am awaiting a reply from my professor.

3. Will you design your report to answer the questions in the handout the professor gave you Monday?

My report will answer and follow the questions and guide from the handout and in the textbook that were covered on Monday, January 26.

4. How do you plan to avoid designing a routine feature story?

I plan on avoiding the design of a routine feature story by pulling together examples of investigative news stories similar to my beat/topic/research, by seeking advice and tips from professionals on writing an investigative story, and by posting updates on my research and beat as requested by my professor.