Writing Assignment 5

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Towson U's TV station needs new members

Big responsiblilities may be too much for students who already balance school and work

By Matthew Peters| Towson University Newswriting student April, 23, 2009 WMJF-TV is one of only two FCC regulated student run television stations’ in the country. It provides many shows which range from news, to entertainment and even music reviews. It currently airs on channel 61 and is an MTV affiliate. The student run station will soon be undergoing major changes due to a large amount of graduating seniors. Many of the stations most experienced and dedicated members who put forth critical time and energy must finally move on to further their careers. Though it is Towson University’s only television station, a lack of publicity has caused the amount of new members coming in to decline sharply. With almost half of the overall staff graduating, a lack of new membership could pose a potential threat to the stations overall health and funding. For those not expecting to graduate this year, the changing atmosphere will be a major hurdle to overcome. Executive Producer of the show Campus Update Valarie Bragg, 19, of Waldorf Maryland is a junior at Towson University and must recruit new members to help keep her show running. “It’s really hard to find new people who can commit to helping out with a show. It’s a lot of work filming, editing, writing and actually producing a show” said Bragg. Campus Update is a show which informs students about important announcements and upcoming events in and around Towson University. Volunteers go out on assignment to film short segments about everything from new policies to entertainment, and are edited and produced in a thirty minute show which airs on Thursday evenings. “We have a lot of dedicated members who meet the responsibilities necessary for keeping the station afloat, but with everyone leaving after this semester the work could be too much to handle for the little staff we will have left.” Bragg said. Becoming a member of WMJF-TV is relatively simple and staff members are on hand to answer questions at the TU involvement fair which is held at the beginning of each semester. Information on how to become a member can also be found on the stations website, http://www.towson.edu/wmjf/. Next semester will certainly be a challenge for those involved and will require dedication by all of the stations remaining members. The stations continued success will certainly rely on incoming members who have an interest in television production.

Writing Assignment #4

A ten-day-old infant and a Baltimore woman are recovering today, after an explosion late last night rocked the 200 block of North Aisquith St. caused a wall to collapse onto the baby's crib.
The Infant, Andre Henderson, was taken to Johns Hopkins after firefighters removed a portion of the wall and found the child sleeping. The infant was treated for possible smoke inhalation, although hospital officials say that the child is okay.
Fire officials said that the one alarm fire started at approximately 12:13, and was caused when resident Arnetta Sands, 36, sprayed an aerosol can filled with insecticide near her lit stove which caused the can to explode. Sands suffered first degree burns to her back and arms and was treated at Church Home and Hospital before being released.
Fire investigators claim that there is fire damage to the kitchen and furnishings of Sands apartment. At this time the fire is being ruled as an accident.

Writing Assignment 3

A robbery involving three suspects occurred Wednesday at Provident Savings Bank on Greenmount Avenue, leaving no injuries and escaping with an undisclosed amount of money.

Officials said one suspect was armed with a .22 caliber sawed-off rifle, ordering everyone down to the ground while ransacking several tellers’ cages. The other suspects stuffed money into two white pillowcases before running east along an alley on the north side of the bank where the rifle was found.

At the time of the robbery, four employee’s as well as two customers were inside the bank to identify the suspects clothing. One suspect wore a red hat and red football jersey, another with a white fishnet shirt, and a third with red tennis shoes.

Though police are still investigating, no arrests have been made.

Writing Assignment 2

Universal healthcare is a critical goal of the Obama administration’s plans to change America, but for healthcare professionals like West River resident Maureen T. Peters, 49, a nurse practitioner at Mercy Medical Center, change may take getting used to.
“The problems with insurance need to be dealt with, but sudden changes in hospital management might not work out so great,” said Peters.
Many fellow healthcare professionals at Mercy share her anxiety over the issue. Doctors and nurses who are concerned most with the treatment of patients feel that universal healthcare will keep them from operating at peak performance while adjusting to the new system. Doctors and nurses are concerned with the number of un-insured Americans, but are worried how changes will effect hospital management while lives are on the line.
“The number one goal of the healthcare system is to take care of the sick and injured, issues with money should always come second,” Peters said.
While universal healthcare is still a goal far from being achieved, healthcare professionals are keeping the wellbeing of patients a top priority while bracing for change yet to come.

On Monday, in Islamabad, Pakistan, government officials agreed to a truce with Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters in the Northwest Frontier known as Swat Valley. Within the truce are provisions for a temporary ceasefire, as well as the acknowledgment of Islamic law (Shariah), as the formal judicial system in the region.

Swat Valley, a region the size of Delaware, is located in northwest Pakistan and has recently become a safe haven and base for Islamic extremists such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

The truce came about as the result of a series of Pakistani military losses over the course of the past year. The Taliban and other militant groups have consistently defeated Pakistan’s force of 12,000 soldiers with a group of only 3,000 extremists. According to Pakistani officials, the militants now control about 70 percent of the area, which is located a mere 100 miles from Pakistan’s capital.

After consulting with president Asif Ali Zardari, provincial government officials agreed to the truce, which limits Pakistani soldiers to playing a defensive role rather than trying to re-claim the valley, as well as imposing Islamic law on the region.

Sherry Rehman, Pakistan's government information minister, says the truce "is in no way a sign of the state’s weakness.” She claims that the truce is aimed at ending the suffering endured by the region’s population. “The public will of the population of the Swat region is at the center of all efforts, and it should be taken into account while debating the merits of this agreement,” says Rehman.

Now that Swat Valley is under the full control of Islamic extremists, however, there is little that can be done from the provincial government’s standpoint. The local population has suffered floggings as well as the burning of schools.

Since the Obama administration is now in power, and attempting to show its strength in Afghanistan, they have sent an additional 17,000 new soldiers to stop the escalating violence. The new truce comes as a shock to U.S. policy makers. As a standing ally with the U.S in the war on terror, Pakistan has come under fire for aiding and abetting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters, who freely cross Pakistan's border with weapons and supplies.

Not surprisingly, U.S. strategists are enraged that the provincial government would concede such a vital area, as well as the well being of the local population, to the militants. While government officials such as Rehman say that the truce is in the best interest of the people, the extremists who now control the area have gone so far as to hang decapitated bodies in full view of the public, and have used suicide bombers to target former political officials.

Recent violence in Afghanistan has skyrocketed, leaving U.S officials to question where Pakistan’s loyalties truly lie. Since Pakistan’s government believes that surrendering the region to extremists such as the Taliban and Al-Qaeda is in the best interest of the people, the question must be asked whether the United States can truly consider Pakistan an ally in the war on terror.

On Monday, in Islamabad, Pakistan, government officials agreed to a truce with militant forces to accept Islamic law, or Shariah, as the official judiciary system in a region known as Swat Valley.

Swat Valley, a region the size of Delaware, is located in northwest Pakistan and has recently become a safe haven and base for Islamic extremists such as Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.

The new truce came out of a series of Pakistani defeats by Taliban and militant groups who consistently defeated Pakistan’s force of 12,000 soldiers with only 3,000 extremists. According to Pakistani officials, extremists now control about 70 percent of the area located 100 miles from Pakistan’s capital.

After consulting with president Asif Ali Zardari, provincial government officials agreed to the new truce which limits Pakistani soldiers to playing a defensive, role rather than trying to re-claim the area.

Sherry Rehman, the Pakistani government's information minister, said the truce "is in no way a sign of the state’s weakness.” She claims that the truce is aimed at ending the suffering inflicted on the region's population. “The public will of the population of the Swat region is at the center of all efforts, and it should be taken into account while debating the merits of this agreement,” says Rehman.

The people of the Swat Valley, now under full control of Islamic extremists, have suffered floggings as well as terrorism such the burning of schools. These acts have been justified by the codes of Shariah. Local people of Swat Valley contest that the new Shariah codes are not as strict as traditional Islamic Law and that new action had to be taken against the existing corrupt civil courts.

New beliefs about the acceptance of Shariah comes only a year after elections in the region showed overwhelming support for the secular Awami National Party. Since elections took place, however, the situation has changed completely. Suicide bombers and death threats directed at political officials have caused all former authorities to vacate the region, leaving the Taliban and other Islamic extremist groups as the dominant force.

United States correspondents in Pakistan as well as Pakistani legal officials agree that the new truce will lead to further bloodshed. They also believe that Swat Valley will become a rallying point for groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban who seek to further resist U.S involvement in Afghanistan.

“This means you have surrendered to a handful of extremists,” said Athar Minallah, a Pakistani legal leader, as he addressed the government's new peace accord. U.S correspondent Richard C. Holbrooke, a liaison in the region under the Obama administration, agrees. He says that the treaty empowers “(the) enemy which poses direct threats to our leadership, our capitals, and our people”.

While reactions to the truce are mixed, the people of Swat Valley continue to endure the political fray and extremist oppression. The wellbeing of Swat Valley people, as well as the strength of the new truce, is yet to be determined. U.S and Pakistani officials must review and change strategy in order to decide what is the best course of action in the future.