Tri-State Literacy Council Story

The Tri-State Literacy Council provides an education haven for adults.

The National Center for Educational Statistics says about 13 percent of adults in West Virginia lack basic prose literacy skills. Not only does illiteracy make it difficult for these people to find a job, but it also can be hard to function in everyday life.

The Tri-State Literacy Council provides a refuge for adults who want to learn or re-learn reading, writing and arithmetic.

Lynn Ormiston, program director of the council, said that adult students ranging in skill level will seek help for a variety of reasons.

“We have one student who’s been here for maybe six years, and he likes to write,” Ormiston said. “One of the things he has written relates how it was for him to now be able to walk the street and read the store signs.

“I think the best part of what he said had to do with how he can put down on paper his own feelings.”

Ormiston said she once had a student who came for tutoring because he wanted to get his motorcycle license, and he achieved his goal. She said there are also students who come because they want to advance in their career or they want to find a job.

The council uses volunteer tutors to teach the students. Ormiston said the volunteers undergo 12 hours of training before they begin meeting with the students. The volunteers can either meet once a week one – on – one or in a small group setting, which is more flexible for volunteers. She said students are tutored anywhere from one to six years, depending on their skill level and goals. The average number of students tutored at any given time is 35, she said.

Ormiston said that any organization is welcome to partner or ask for help with the Tri-State Literacy Council. A project with the Huntington Housing Authority, which is still in the planning stages, is set to help those being serviced by Huntington Housing with reading needs, she said.

The Tri-State Literacy Council is a funded partner of United Way of the River Cities. Other funding comes from fundraising efforts in the community. It also partnered with Mountain State Center for Independent Living in the annual “Walk for Independence” in 2009. For its 30 year anniversary in March the council wants to add a new kind of fundraising event.
“We are talking about a scrabble tournament, hopefully by next September,” she said.

She said the money earned by fundraising efforts is used to pay for materials as well as full and part-time office staff. All materials used by the tutors and students are offered free of charge.

She said the ways the council raises awareness in the community is by doing presentations, fairs and non-profit events.

“We try to put things in the newspaper on an ongoing basis,” Ormiston said. “September is literacy month, and I usually do a column for the paper. I do appeal to people to understand about the need for literacy tutoring, and also to appreciate that they are readers.”

Marshall students can get involved by becoming a tutor or by helping out with special events. She said Marshall students can help even by providing entertainment at the annual dinner they host to honor their students’ accomplishments.

“You can either be a traditional tutor where you are trained and meet once a week with a student or you can join team tutoring,” she said. “You can do a special event with us. We have an annual dinner and we need some help planning that.”

The council currently serves four counties – Cabell, Wayne, Lawrence and Boyd.

“Eventually I would like to increase our reach,” Ormiston said. “We do have students in Wayne County and we have some in Chesapeake, but we certainly aren’t meeting what probably is the need.”

Meeting experience and story

The experience of covering a meeting was confusing but interesting. Many of the issues discussed were vague – the board had obviously talked about some of the subjects before. The short term and long term measures taken in the district to dilute traffic were not specified, they were simply called short term or long term. The Board of Education meeting took place on Nov. 22, 2010, at 7 p.m. in Stevens Point, WI. All nine members of the board were in attendance, along with six students from Kennedy Elementary School, 18 from Ben Franklin Junior High School and their parents. The board voted yes to canceling the next board meeting in December and to the continuation of safety work in school zones.



The school improvement plan and the one to one laptop initiative were the major subjects of the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board of Education meeting.
The meeting on Nov. 22 included four guest speakers to inform the board and audience of each of these issues. The school improvement plan, brought to the board by Mary Jo Lekner, is designed to help elementary students with reading and math, so they do not fall behind. Similarly, the one to one laptop initiative focuses on individual student needs, but at a high school level.
Lekner said the teachers at Madison Elementary School are currently urging their students to work on math and reading skills. The faculty has put together a homework club available after school for students struggling with math. In addition, a new goal has been set for reading – all students will be able to perform proficiently in advanced levels of reading. About 62 students are now utilizing extra help with reading through the school.
“We have a building reading coach and a math coach who work with the students every day,” she said.
The one to one laptop initiative allows students to use laptops provided by the school to work on assignments individually and as small groups. Ashley Stewart and Michelle Rafe, two sophomores from the senior high said it is easier for them to be creative when they have a space to themselves. Stewart said her English class’ online message board is helpful because people who aren’t comfortable enough to speak up in class can do so on the computers.
Jill Quinn, an English teacher at Stevens Point Area Senior High said that the one to one laptop initiative makes assignments much easier for her and her students. She said she can grade them quicker and doesn’t have to waste time taking her students to and from the computer lab during class.
“Normally we listen to a professional recording of Julius Caesar on CD, but we found the full text on this lit —to —go website,” said Quinn. “So when students are absent from class they can not only read the text, but they can listen to it.”

George Arnold, Ph.D., returns to Marshall University

The author and a retired Marshall University professor said Tuesday he wants students to recognize simple grammatical errors in their speech and writing.
George Arnold, Ph.D., said he encourages journalism students to have fun with language and to develop their own style, but to also respect language by using it correctly. He was invited to visit Marshall University’s news writing class by professor Burnis Morris.
He said that because he has taught and practiced editing throughout his life, he has become what he calls a ‘grammerholic.’
“I bother everybody, I really do. I correct everything,” he said laughing.
He said when he was a professor at Marshall he would correct the flyers put up by students and faculty with a felt tip pen.
“I go to restaurants and I visit museums, they have things that are wrong and I sometimes write notes — just give it to the head person on the way out,” he said.
Students often have trouble with grammar which causes trouble in the long run, he said.
“We were loosing so many students who enrolled as freshmen but didn’t graduate from our program because they had poor language skills,” he said.
JMC 100 was created at Marshall to help these students, he said, and he created a book based on the teaching materials for that class called the “Media Writer’s Handbook.”
He has written five editions of the “Media Writer’s Handbook” which is used in journalism classes at Marshall University and even internationally. The book focuses on aspects of grammar such as punctuation and word differentiation. He said he is currently working on the sixth edition.
“What I have put in here is everything I have learned over the past 40 years and everything I have learned from other teachers, mass communicators and students,” he said about the content of the handbook.
Pretentious language, unnecessary words, clichés, jargon, slang and euphemisms will all be discussed in a chapter of the sixth edition. He said these categories are to be avoided when writing, but a few exceptions are included. The cliché, ‘Chip off the old block,’ would not usually be appropriate in a story, he said, but in one case it worked.
“I had a student who did a feature story and referred to a baseball player on Marshall’s team as a ‘chip off the old block.’ I let it go because in the story his nickname is Chip and his father was Jack Cook who was the longest serving baseball coach in Marshall University’s history. After Chip’s baseball playing days he wanted to be a coach like his father, I thought it worked,” Arnold said.
Arnold retired in 2004 and now lives in South Carolina with his siblings.

ECU/MU revised article

The East Carolina Pirates defeated the Marshall University Thundering Herd 37-10 on Saturday. About 50,000 fans attended the Pirates’ homecoming game at East Carolina University.

East Carolina thus far has had five wins and only two losses, while Marshall has suffered six losses and only one win. According to espn.com, the win Saturday kept East Carolina University at the top of Conference USA’s eastern division (4-0), Marshall holds the number five spot (0-3).

The Pirates started off with a touchdown followed by an impressive interception by Marshall University’s Donald Brown. Brown’s feet were almost out of bounds, but he managed to catch the ball and keep it in.

The Thundering Herd gathered all the points they would receive this game in the first half. Tyler Warner began with a field goal for Marshall.

Troy Evans ran in his first career touchdown in the second quarter, which made Marshall and ECU tied 10-10. ECU’s Jonathan Williams scored a touchdown soon after, pushing the Pirates ahead.

Dwayne Harris, wide receiver for ECU, was injured during the first half. Head coach Ruffin McNeill said he hoped that Harris could return quickly because Harris is like his son.

“It’s not about football, it’s about his life,” McNeill said.

Harris returned to the game in the third quarter.

The game was frequented with interceptions by ECU. Bradley Jacobs, Derek Blacknall and Michael Brooks intercepted the ball, which was costly to Marshall who needed to even the score.

Marshall was unable to keep up with ECU in the end. The final score was 37-10.

Marshall will play The University of Texas at El Paso in Huntington, W.Va., on Saturday at 3:00.

ECU/MU story

The East Carolina Pirates defeated the Marshall University Thundering Herd 37-10 on Saturday. About 50,000 fans attended the Pirates’ homecoming game at East Carolina University.

East Carolina thus far has had five wins and only two losses, while Marshall has suffered six losses and only one win. According to espn.com, the win Saturday kept East Carolina University at the top of Conference USA’s eastern division, Marshall holds the number five spot.

The Pirates started off with a touchdown followed by an impressive interception by Marshall University’s Donald Brown. Brown’s feet were almost out of bounds, but he managed to catch the ball and keep it in.

The Thundering Herd gathered all the points they would receive this game in the first half. Tyler Warner began with a field goal for Marshall.

Troy Evans ran in his first career touchdown in the second quarter, making Marshall and ECU tied 10-10. ECU’s Jonathan Williams scored a touchdown soon after, pushing the Pirates ahead.

Dwayne Harris, wide receiver for ECU, was injured during the first half. Head coach Ruffin McNeill said he hoped that Harris could return quickly because Harris is like his son.

“It’s not about football, it’s about his life,” McNeill said.

Harris returned to the game in the third quarter.

The game was frequented with interceptions by ECU. Bradley Jacobs, Derek Blacknall and Michael Brooks intercepted the ball, which was incredibly costly to Marshall who needed to even the score.

Marshall was unable to keep up with ECU in the end. The final score was 37-10.

Marshall will play The University of Texas at El Paso in Huntington, W.Va., on October 30, 2010, at 3:00.

The Salvation Army

Three websites I have visited for this assignment are guidestar.org, unitedwayrivercities.org and independantsector.org. When I conduct my interview I plan to ask for copies of their last three tax returns, their IRS tax exempt letter and their annual report. I also plan to ask five questions:
How did you become involved with United Way of the River Cities?
Name some of the best ways you've found the Salvation Army fund-raises.
When is your busiest time of year? When do you need donations the most?
What are a few of your most memorable success stories?

United Way Assignment #2

The United Way of the River Cities executive director was at Marshall University Thursday and said United Way has begun moving in a new direction.

            Laura Gilliam, the executive director of United Way of the River Cities said that United Way wants to begin aiding people with skills and opportunities before they reach a crisis point. The Student Government Association and Faculty Senate invited her to speak in the John Marshall Room of Marshall University’s Memorial Student Center.

            The money United Way has put into the community is for safety-net services, she said. These services provide people with food, shelter, medication and other basic needs.

            “Since 1922 we’ve put millions of dollars back into this area and we still are seeing the same problems,” she said.

            In early 2000 United Way participated in Community Needs Assessment. For the assessment they partnered with other organizations to poll service providers, residents and people who are recipients of services to find out what the major problems in the community are, she said. The results of the survey led United Way to the decision to focus on four major areas of improvement in the community: learning and earning, health and wellness, families and children and basic needs and unforeseen hardships.

            United Way has already begun the shift to community improvement. The substance abuse prevention partnership conducted a survey in the health and wellness focus area. She said the survey was about community awareness of substance abuse that was ranked one to 10, one being in denial of abuse and 10 being active and assertive to fix the problem.

“Cabell County was at a two. One of the things they (substance abuse prevention partnership) have done is raise the awareness and readiness of the community. Last year when they did the assessment it was up to a five,” she said.

            Marshall students can become involved with United Way and their partners simply by volunteering their time.

            “We have different opportunities that come up periodically, we will have one time events where we need a bunch of people to come and help,” she said.

            She said there are other ways to volunteer, such as taking pharmacy bags with substance abuse information to local pharmacies and helping people in the community with their taxes.

            Although United Way seeks to improve life in the community by new means, fundraising and monetary donations still impact the work. United Way Worldwide is practicing a one-on-one fundraising strategy she said. An individual relationship with the donor is becoming more popular. She said they can find out what each individual’s passion is and give them opportunities to invest in the work.

            United Way of the River Cities plans to raise 1.25 million dollars in fundraising this year, she said, but the new direction and community work are more important than the amount they want to raise.

            “We do want to lead with the work that we’re doing, not the dollar amount,” she said

Just a little something

Reality shows are one of the best oxymorons in pop culture.  The only thing that seems to be real is the fact that human beings are on the television.  One of the first contestant based reality dating shows is The Bachelor.  It seemed innocent enough, one ridiculously rich man chooses from a number of good-looking, attention seeking women.  They were routed for and against, but only one was chosen as his “true love” at the end of the show.  Is this all the closure the viewers need at the end of a season?  Apparently it is enough; several shows have since spawned from this idea.  But is it actually believable?  After a couple weeks of awkward and unreal circumstance he chose to be with her for the rest of his life?  Should these shows even be toying with the concept of love so freely?

Young viewers are easily influenced by what they see on television.  A hipper, younger reality dating show like Daisy of Love can lead those with less experience in the dating world to use that as a model for themselves.  The men are reckless and lustful and the women are loose and dramatic.  There is certainly a great chance that these situations act as representations of how relationships are supposed to be. 

Reality dating shows do not reflect reality whatsoever.  People do not live in a house for eight weeks together competing for one person’s affection.  People do not go on group dates, and they do not go through “challenges” where contestants have to fight against each other for a chance at a date. 

Reality shows should not be dubbed “reality.”  The only thing that differentiates these shows from others is that there are no official actors, supposedly no script, and there is no ongoing plot or storyline.  Is the American public aware of the lack of creativity and intelligence these shows emit?  Maybe it doesn’t matter, the shows continue to be made and we continue to watch.

United Way Visit

Two directors from United Way of the River Cities presented the new direction of United Way to Marshall University’s journalism 201 class.

Burnis Morris, Carter G. Woodson Professor, invited Laura Gilliam, the executive director of United Way, and Cassey Bowden, director of resource development and marketing, to Marshall University on Tuesday, Sept. 28. The two women said that their main focus is to go beyond just raising money; they want to specialize on specific areas of improvement. The 12 students of the Journalism class actively asked questions on the topic and the women provided a great amount of information.

United Way of the River Cities is a non-profit organization that aims to better the local community by joining with other non-profit organizations, raising money, and hosting local events. United Way has been active in the community since 1922.

“The initial intent and what we got really good at was going into businesses in the community and asking for money on behalf of these (non-profit) organizations…the hallmark of United Way’s work is the workplace campaign. Since 1922 we’ve put millions of dollars back into this area and we still are seeing the same problems,” Gilliam said.

The money United Way has put into the community is for safety-net services, she said. These services provide people with food, shelter, medication and other basic needs. She said she wants to be able to help people before they reach this crisis point; she wants people to feel secure by helping them obtain employment and the skills that they need to provide for themselves.

In early 2000 United Way participated in Community Needs Assessment. United Way partnered with other organizations to poll service providers, residents and people who are recipients of services to find out what the major problems in the community are, Gilliam said. The results of the survey led United Way to the decision to focus on four major areas of improvement in the community: learning and earning, health and wellness, families and children and basic needs and unforeseen hardships.

Learning and earning, for example, focuses on critical issues such as adults who don’t have basic skills to gain employment. Before these people lose their independence or end up on the street, United Way wants to help them gain the skills they need to live securely.

            One of the ways United Way has begun the shift from fundraising to community improvement is a survey the substance abuse prevention partnership conducted. She said the survey was about community awareness of substance abuse that was ranked one to 10, one being in denial of abuse and 10 being active and assertive to fix the problem.

“Cabell County was at a two. One of the things they (substance abuse prevention partnership) have done is raise the awareness and readiness of the community. Last year when they did the assessment it was up to a five,” she said.

Although United Way seeks to improve life in the community by new means, the fundraising events and monetary donations still impact the work. United Way Worldwide is practicing a one-on-one fundraising strategy she said. An individual relationship with the donor is becoming more popular. She said United Way can find out what each individual’s passion is and give them opportunities to invest in the work.

United Way hopes to raise $1.25 million and increase their donor base by 15 percent as their goal this year, Bowden said.

“The gift truly doesn’t matter; obviously we would love to see everyone come forth with $10,000, but the reality is if we all give a little it will come together to be a lot,” she said.

She said they would rather people focus on their goals in community work as opposed to the dollar amount.

“Our work is in community outcome and community change; our goal is to move away from band-aid fixes and to lasting changes in the community,” Bowden said.

United Way summary

          United Way of the River Cities is a non-profit organization that seeks to help the people of the tri-state area with education, health, and other needs.  Any local donations go to the local people.  United Way works with local charities such as The Salvation Army, Girl Scouts Black Diamond Council, and the American Red Cross.

            There have been several events that the United Way has been a part of this year including Super Kids Super Families Super Saturday and the Winter Series race. These two events allow anyone to be involved with no cost and promote family time.

            They have three initiatives/collaborations one helps families with financial problems called “Financial Stability Partnership,” another makes sure that children are ready to enter kindergarten called “Success by six,” and the last is the “Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership,” which reduces local substance abuse.

            Laura Gilliam is United Way of the River Cities’ executive director. In an article I read on marshallparthenon.com, Gilliam seems very passionate about serving her community. She said in 2009 that United Way’s goal was to raise 1.4 million dollars and if it isn’t met the people of United Way will find out why and how they can improve for future performance.

Cassey Bowden is the director of research development and marketing for United Way. In a Herald Dispatch article, I found out that Cassey Bowden was chosen for Leadership West Virginia in 2010. She showed exceptional involvement in civic activities, public affairs, and in her professional career.

Bowden teaches at Marshall University and has on child. She and Gilliam are both listed under parents and business community on Cabell County’s 2010 Strategic Planning Committee.

The Salvation Army is a non-profit, Christian organization. They help families who are homeless or who are suffering financially. The home page for The Salvation Army has a short section written by Captain Bob Mullins that I found inspiring. He and his family had faced homeless when he was a child which seems to now be a motivator for his activities with the organization. They not only give food and money to help the poor, but also supply counseling and self-sufficiency programs to get people on their feet. 

The AP Style Guide strikes again

Writing according to the AP Style Guide can be difficult for me, especially when I already think I'm right about something. On Sept. 2, I completed an interview assignment for my news writing class and made a couple common mistakes. Instead of using the word "said" or "says" for a quotation, I used "explains" and "contends." I also used the word "alludes" (for example: A alludes to B) in the wrong context. Hopefully next time around I won't make the same mistakes.

Just something that is bothering me

In the news this past week I've noticed the controversy that the new (under construction) mosque in New York City is stirring up. People have been speaking out against it, probably because it's only a few blocks from ground zero. There have been protests at the construction site and I find it almost completely insane; they aren't replacing the World Trade Center with a mosque. There are Islamic Centers/mosques all over our country and people want to attack this one, now? It's a religion in our country that allows freedom of religion. Not all Islamic people are terrorists! The majority of Islamic people aren't terrorists! Ergo the term "terrorist groups," a way to label the terrorists within a society. New York City is a diverse place- our country is a diverse place, I think it's time everyone at least tries to accept that.

Editorial on nytimes.com that better proves my point.

"Your Brain on Computers"

I found this article on nytimes.com last Tuesday and it immediately caught my attention.  I feel I can completely relate to this. With so many portable, digital devices we now have barely any time to think for ourselves. This may not be correct of all people, but most of the time when I'm watching a video, listening to music, or just sending a text on my phone I feel as if my brain completely shuts off- I might as well be asleep (accept that would be contributing to my physical health). Personally, my favorite example of this is when someone is walking around campus engrossed in their phone and they don't realize that they are about to run into a person or a door. Whatever they're doing may be important, but is it important enough to risk missing something around you, be it the door or a chance to get Ryan Reynold's autograph?


Two studies mentioned in this article suggest that you can learn easier with fewer distractions, specifically electronic distractions. That doesn't exactly sound like rocket science to me, but maybe that's what it takes for people to realize this. The University of Michigan conducted a study that implies bombarding yourself with information throughout the day makes you more fatigued. For example, you come home and watch TV for two hours and you believe that you are relaxing or refreshing yourself, but it is actually tiring your brain.


This article also says that "when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas." I agree with this, I find it much harder to write a paper or take a good photograph after I've been watching TV all day as opposed to days when I only focus on general tasks.

Ironically enough, here are some videos related to this article.


Try not to fatigue your brain!

There is a rumor among the students of Marshall University. It can be seen as an act of God by the city of Huntington whose cracked and broken sidewalks scream for the need of re-pavement, but it can also be a devastating blow to the ego's of Marshall fans and students. On the night of September 10, 2010 West Virginia University may be renting out Marshall's entire Recreational Center for its own private use. While this rumor has not yet been confirmed, the likelihood of it is undeniable. The city of Huntington, which owns Marshall's Rec. Center, would benefit greatly from the profit made by renting out the building from the financially fortunate WVU. While this is great for the city we inhabit, our personal feelings and pride may be damaged in consequence. This is our city, our campus, our Rec. There has been no confirmation of this rumor (though not from lack of trying), and we will be patiently waiting for the truth.

Furyk

Pro golfer Jim Furyk was disqualified from the Barclays for accidently sleeping in.  Furyk is one of the highest ranked players in the world right now and cannot continue in the tournament.  I believe that his disqualification is unfair; I don't think he deserves the consequences. It was just a mistake that many people make on a daily basis.  I personally do not agree with the rule, and the players should be given some slack- nobody's perfect. He didn't hurt anybody by showing up late, and he should be given another chance especially since he's been preparing for this tournament.