I hope to be writing soon.

Hello, everyone. I have recently graduated with my associates degree (with high honors). Woo Hoo! I hope to be writing again soon, but for now I’m taking a short break. I will begin school again in the fall at UNF majoring in communications with a concentration in journalism and going for a second bachelor’s in history with a concentration on the American Metropolis. Look for new posts around summer. I will also be volunteering at Riverside Arts Market this coming spring in the art gallery booth. Lots of stuff planned!

Synthetic marijuana, a dangerous cocktail of experimental chemicals

K2 Kush Package and its Contents Photo Credit: Sarah Wiese

Innocuously labeled as a type of incense, synthetic marijuana has made its way onto the shelves of stores across the country. The high is steeper and far more dangerous than that of organic marijuana, and it is legal, being sold at a convenience store near you. Several countries in Europe, as well as 13 states in the U.S. have managed to outlaw synthetic marijuana, but for now, any Floridian can purchase it. However, Florida State Senator Stephen Wise has legislation in the works for the illegalization of these products, which he plans to bring to the floor in the next legislative session, according to a report by the St. Petersburg Times.

Dr. Jay Schauben, Doctor of Pharmacy and director of the Florida/USVI Poison Information Center and Professor at the University of Florida Health Science Center, said toxic chemicals are sprayed on a variety of dried plant material without uniformity. The herbal ingredients vary with every package, and the potency of the chemicals changes from batch to batch. The potency is on average 15 times more powerful than marijuana but can be up to 700 times, depending on the batch. According to Dr. Schauben, some of the effects that have been reported are seizures, severe agitation and panic attacks, cardiac effects, serious hallucinations, and comas. Thirty cases have been reported to the Poison Control Center in the state of Florida in the last year.

Synthetic marijuana, sometimes branded K2 or Spice, is being sold legally because it is marketed as a room deodorizer or incense. The Food and Drug Administration has no control over the product because it is clearly labeled “not for consumption.” So, how did these chemicals end up in gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops around Jacksonville?

According to Dr. Schauben, the chemical ended up in the hands of street pharmacologists that set out searching scientific journals for possible chemical formulas that can be easily made and used as a recreational drug. This is the same method that brought GHB to dance clubs and caused many deaths and negative health effects for young people.

Regardless of the dangers and the impending legislation, many students use K2 and Spice because of its availability and similar high to marijuana.

“I would say it is a high comparable to weed, minus the longevity of it.” said a Florida State College at Jacksonville student who wished to remain anonymous “The side affects are minimal to me, but some of my friends suffer stomach pains from it. It’s also convenient because it doesn’t show up on drug tests.”

In all actuality, testing for the various chemicals associated with synthetic marijuana is not widely available, but in a press release from Norchem Labs dated Nov. 18, 2010, a test has now been developed and criminal justice systems around the United States will be implementing it.

These synthetic marijuana products are not widely known throughout the general population, but knowledge of their existence is spreading fast. The office of Jacksonville City Councilman Art Shad was contacted for this story. Shad is vice chair of the Jacksonville Health and Safety Committee. Upon searching for anything related to the sale of synthetic marijuana, his office could come up with no notifications or legislation that they have been made aware of.

From the beginning of the interview, Dr. Schauben stated that knowing the dangers this product carries is very important for college students.

“Clearly, this is playing Russian Roulette”, said Dr. Schauben.

Florida State College Student has Dreams Out of this World

It takes strong academic discipline and great ambition to achieve what most children consider to be the ultimate career – astronaut. A long time dream of United States children since the 1960’s, astronaut is what Heather Smith hopes to accomplish, and she seems to be on the right path headed straight for NASA. Smith is a student here at Florida State College at Jacksonville, but is also a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach as an advanced junior expected to graduate in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace studies and a master’s degree in business administration. However, her journey does not end when she graduates, and it did not even begin with college. It started in middle school.

Heather Smith at Saturday's Naval Air Show. She has only ever missed one air show.

As with many children and teenagers, field trips can inspire and spark an interest in subjects such as science. A sixth grade field trip to The Kenner Rivertown Museum and Space Station in New Orleans is what sparked a passion for space flight in Heather Smith. Following a second field trip in eighth grade, this time to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Smith made a commitment to work towards becoming an astronaut. By the time she was a sophomore in high school, she was interning at the Museum of Science and History here in Jacksonville in their planetarium department. Displaying a passion for space science, Smith stayed extra hours on weekends to learn how everything worked at the planetarium and how to speak to the audience, leading to a permanent job with MOSH as planetarium educator.

As planetarium educator, Smith has participated in leading summer camps for kids, including Young Astronaut Camp, Space Camp, Lego Robots and Colorful Chemistry, along with operating the controls for the planetarium shows and speaking to the audience about astronomy, space and space flight. Her journey at MOSH began with an internship, but it was not the only internship she held during her high school career. At 17 years old, Smith was the youngest and one of 12 in the state of Florida to be chosen for a week long engineering internship at NASA, fitting given that she will be attending college for a second time for an engineering degree after graduating in 2012. Clearly, she is on a mission.

Smith plans to join the United States Air Force as an officer. She has had great preparation for this as a member of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) in high school and the AFROTC in college. She says, “Of course, I want to work for NASA but the plan is to work for the Air Force as an officer to get my foot through the door. Plus, it’s more training and discipline that’s needed.” Discipline seems to be a natural quality for this ambitious young lady. Look for her in the space program in the coming years, for she is sure to be there.

Bryan-Gooding Planetarium has Latest Technology, Giving Jacksonville a Valuable Tool for Education

By Sarah Wiese and Heather Smith

The Jacksonville community is anxiously awaiting the opening of the new Bryan-Gooding Planetarium, originally scheduled to open on October 23. It will now be open to the public on November 11.  The planetarium will, of course, impress with laser shows and trips through the night sky. However, it will also be a valuable tool for students and educators in the community.

Jena Spacemaster Photo: Sarah Wiese

The planetarium has been closed for improvements since August 23 when the Museum of Science and History decommissioned the Jena Spacemaster Planetarium, one of only six Spacemasters in the world. Implemented in 1988, the Jena Spacemaster is now out of date. The new system will replace 66 pieces of equipment and use 1/5 of the energy. The Jena will now be part of a new exhibit, “Space Science Gallery”, educating the public on the history of spaceflight relative to the state of Florida and history of astronomy, along with the original Spitzer planetarium from 1951. The Bryan-Gooding Planetarium will be the fourth planetarium projector in MOSH’s 69 year history.
In place of the Jena Spacemaster will be a Konica Minolta Super MediaGlobe II. Utilizing the latest advancements in technology, the Minolta planetarium is state of the art with a price tag of $400,000, and is only the third in operation in the United States.

5.8mm Fisheye Lens Photo: Sarah Wiese

The lens alone, a 5.8mm circular fisheye lens with a 180 degree view, costs $100,000, and it is worth every penny. With technology tailored to today’s age of on demand information, it is not surprising that the Super Mediaglobe II will be able to access live NASA and Skype feed.
Visitors to the planetarium will be floored by the realistic experience set forth in front and above them on a dome that is 40 feet high and 60 feet across. The images projected on the dome jump out at you with resolution “four times better than the best HDTV”, according to the MOSH planetarium website.
Speaking to the Planetarium Advisor Committee on Friday, former planetarium director at MOSH now currently working as Planetarium Design/Engineering in Audio Visual Engineering (AVI) USA as an Agent for Konica Minolta Planetarium Co., Phil Groce, said that the planetarium is so advanced, its algorithms are so accurate they can project the alignment of the stars in plus or minus a million years. The purpose in this is to educate the audience on how active the universe is, although it appears static. This demonstration is truly amazing to watch. The stars move around the dome like little gnats circling, spinning and darting. Name a year and the planetarium can project that year’s sky, but this is only the beginning.
There are new shows that will be implemented with this new technology, including walking with dinosaurs, swimming the deep ocean and light speed travel into the depths of space.

Artist's Rendering of Finished Planetarium Photo: Sarah Wiese

Christy Leonard, history curator and collections manager for MOSH, said, “We are going to have a show called ‘Sea Monsters’ that will correspond with an exhibit called ‘Savage Ancient Seas’. Another show we are going to have is called ‘Molecularium’. It’s a really neat show where students can learn about the science of molecules.”
While many shows will be for entertainment purposes, such as laser light shows coordinated to the beats of music, much of the programming will benefit the community by providing a valuable resource for education to students in pre-school all the way through college and beyond. Current programming for the public and schools will now be increased from a previous six to a current twelve programs, and attendance will increase on Mondays due to Title One free planetarium programs.
The planetarium will also be utilized by professors from Florida State College at Jacksonville and University of North Florida to better educate and engage their students in the subject matter corresponding to their particular course or major. The facility is equipped to implement custom content coordinated with lectures by the professors and invited speakers and educators.
Phil Groce explained how streamlined and accessible this technology will be for educators, “This is a computer based system, and what that means, of course, is that anything you can render on a computer you can project with this type of system. So, it utilizes many of the types of software and the image generation capabilities that people are used to.” For example, Photoshop, familiar to many, can be used to create images in order to project them on the dome.
This new planetarium, implemented at MOSH, and now its own department separate from the museum, translates into major entertainment and education for the Jacksonville community. It is a remarkable tool that will prove to be very valuable for MOSH, Jacksonville, and the educational community.

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Challenges and Rewards in Charitable Careers

The career fields open to students graduating with communications degrees are vast. Some possibilities are public relations and marketing, specifically in the charity organization field. Charity organizations work with communities and raise money for their cause. It is a major undertaking to keep your organization in the minds of the public, for in this field, you not only rely on the public but so does your cause. These are lessons learned by the highly recognizable in our community and those new to the non-profit sector.

Charlene Shirk, director of community relations for the PGA TOUR, knows all too well of the challenges and hard work it takes to make non-profits successful. Her focus is to “ensure that the community and corporate sponsors are aware that their support of THE PLAYERS directly impacts more than 100 charities and countless people in our community.”

When asked what her position at THE PGA TOUR entails Ms. Shirk said, “I work with our branding, marketing, sales and charitable department to coordinate the message and events that will offer community exposure. I am also responsible for developing new ways to assist THE PLAYERS in generating additional charitable dollars and sponsorship dollars.” This is quite a huge responsibility for one person, but it is what Charlene Shirk is passionate about. She has faced numerous challenges in her newfound career since leaving First Coast News in early 2007 to pursue a career in community giving.

She says, “Trying to find active and engaged volunteers is always tough. You will often find people who are passionate but also overstretched and can’t devote a lot of time, or people who want to help but don’t make the commitment. Also, the economy is challenged, and finding new ways to fundraise that keeps people and supporters engaged is a struggle.”

Overall, the rewards make it worth the hard work. According to Ms. Shirk, “The rewarding part is being a part of change, seeing projects through to the end, meeting new people, learning new things everyday and seeing your efforts come to fruition. That is, a building is built, children receive services, a life is changed.”

 

Amanda Litchfield

 

These results are what Amanda Litchfield, current student at Florida State College at Jacksonville, hopes to see. She strives to impact the lives of the homeless community here in Jacksonville with the same success that Charlene Shirk and THE PGA TOUR has had on many charitable organizations in the First Coast area. However, Amanda Litchfield has a unique perspective, for she and her immediate family were homeless for a time when she was a child.

“Growing up, I was homeless with my family at age five, age nine and again at age 13. Being a homeless child was a helpless feeling. The City Rescue Mission and the New Life Inn downtown were always there to help.” says Ms. Litchfield.

These circumstances have helped shape her into the person she is now, and she would like to give back to the organizations that helped her and her family out so much when she was younger. Her idea started as a project for her Student Life Studies class, and she plans to run with it full force. To her surprise, FSCJ does not already have a club or student organization in place for volunteering to help the homeless and provide shelter. This is her first lesson in public relations and marketing. She plans to start the club from the ground up.

“At the moment the process has been slow. I am coming up with ideas and presenting my club or organization starter kit in my group presentation on the subject of homelessness and shelter on November 22. I am hoping, after presenting this idea to my class, that I can get enough people to join and then begin planning events and volunteer work from there.”

Ms. Litchfield admits she will face many challenges taking on a project like this.

“Time and student volunteers are the two main things I am worried about. I fear that there won’t be many students who really want to help. I am hoping for a lot, and I want to hear ideas from other students, as well. However, I believe this will happen and be successful because I know I am going to do my best at bringing this idea to life”, she says.

She has already made an effort to organize a group to volunteer at the City Rescue Mission on World Homeless Day, October 10^th, but they were fully staffed at the time with volunteers. This was, admittedly, a last minute idea at the very beginning in the planning stage of this project. However, Amanda Litchfield is determined to put in the effort to make this happen.

“I am hoping to include faculty and students together. This is a project for everyone at the school who wants to help” she says. She is hoping it will be fully accomplished by this time next year, and hopes this interview will bring some attention to her cause. It is a first lesson in marketing and public relations but for something close to her heart.

Plagiarism: Sometimes Accidental, Always Avoidable

An ever present danger for college students, journalists and many public officials, plagiarism is a looming threat to the credibility of one’s work. What constitutes plagiarism? To put it simply, it is the use of someone else’s work without giving the author credit for said work and the effects can be devastating for everyone involved.

Sometimes deliberate, sometimes accidental, plagiarism is committed rather often in academic settings. The modern digital age has given us a plethora of information at our fingertips, and, inadvertently, a means of which to pluck a sentence, or in some cases whole works, from the internet and claim as our own. According to The Handbook for Economics Lecturers, this practice “has grown in scale to the point where it is almost of epidemic proportions.” There are some students that are genuinely oblivious to the crime they have committed. Roy Peter Clark, a leading scholar at the Poynter Institute, says “many students are unknowledgeable about when to borrow and how much to borrow because their teachers and editors fail to set guidelines.”

There is plenty of information on the internet and in a student’s text books and style guides to avoid plagiarism. Many articles, written by journalists, academics and seasoned authors teach one how to avoid inadvertent plagiarism. Some articles even address the murkier aspects of using another’s work. A National Public Radio article entitled How Not to Be a Radio Plagiarist by Jeffrey A. Dvorkin, an NPR ombudsman, cites a particular incident where a reporter, with a deadline coursing around the corner, substituted a stored library recording of seagulls for sound he failed to record on location for a report on an Atlantic coast fishery. This would surprise some to be an act of plagiarism, but in radio journalism sound effects are not ethical unless they are recorded during the time of the story and in the exact place of the story being reported on. With a bit of research, these offenses can be avoided, and with plagiarism checking engines, such as Turnitin.com and Articlechecker.com, you can double check your work.

 

RodneyGlassman.com

 

An unfortunate example of academic plagiarism has recently come to light in the Arizona senate race between John McCain and Rodney Glassman. Glassman denies intentional plagiarism. According to an Associated Press article by Jacques Billeaud, Glassman’s 2005 doctoral dissertation plagiarized five sentences from other authors that he listed in references at the end of his 246 page paper. However, he did not attribute those authors directly when plucking sentences from the original work. Deliberate plagiarism or unfortunate mistake? The public may never know.

What we do know is reputations have taken a hit. Not only does Rodney Glassman suffer from his mistake, but the original authors will now be burdened with the reality that their work has been published under someone else’s name. The professors and other academics that reviewed and approved of his dissertation may now come under fire for their oversight. As for Glassman, his campaign for senator has been damaged severely. Much of his time is spent explaining himself to the media when he should be focusing on his campaign. We will not know if this supposed innocent mistake will cost Glassman the senate seat until November 2, but even then, he is still up against a seasoned senator with 23 years under his belt, affectionately known as the “Maverick”. Maybe the question is: Will the University of Arizona, from which Glassman holds five degrees, revoke his doctorate?



Grassroots Campaign, Children’s Movement of Florida, Comes to Jacksonville to Put Children First

September 27, 2010

Sarah J. Wiese

This evening, September 27, David Lawrence Jr., president and co-chair of the Children’s Movement of Florida, brought his Milk Party Rally to the Ritz Theater in downtown Jacksonville. Lawrence, former publisher of the Miami Herald and member of Governor Crist’s Children’s Cabinet, founded this movement to make children the number one priority investment to the state legislators of Florida by urging voters to elect candidates who want to put children first and urge elected officials already in office to make children the top priority in the state. Their five initiatives are to develop access to quality healthcare, screening and treatment for special needs children, high quality pre-kindergarten, high quality mentoring programs and support and information for parents.

According to Lawrence, as a state, we are failing our children. Highways, bullet trains, and prisons are just a few examples of items higher on the state priority list than the education and health of Florida’s kids. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, we spend $20,108 a year per prisoner. However, the crowd at the Ritz tonight learned our children only receive one third of that amount towards education funding per student. Ninety percent of a child’s brain is fully developed by the age of five, but Florida only devotes three percent of its budget to early learning. Hundreds of thousands of kids have no access to healthcare, and 30,000 live here in Duval County. As a state, we voted for high quality pre-kindergarten with professionally indicated standards, and the V.P.K. program was born. This program has fallen short by most of the areas indicated to be of high value by leaders in education. This means Florida has invested $375,000,000 into a program that is inadequate. The message of the Children’s Movement is clear. We need to reevaluate and reorganize our priorities in this state to move education and healthcare for children to the top of the list in funding.

David Lawrence Jr. was passionate in his speech tonight, but he was not the only speaker. He was accompanied by Charlene Shirk, former co-anchor of Good Morning Jacksonville and MaliVai Washington, professional tennis player, Wimbledon finalist, founder of the MaliVai Washington Kids’ Foundation and Arthur Ashe 2009 Humanitarian of the Year Award recipient. Putting children first is also a passion of Washington’s. His foundation’s mission is to develop champions in classrooms, on tennis courts and throughout communities. Shirk happens to sponsor a child at the foundation, located in Jacksonville, which has strong community mentoring and peer leadership programs. Both Shirk and Washington drove home the points Lawrence made on a local level. Also present, the Mandarin High School Marching Band and Dance Team performed, with the final performance coming from the Jacksonville Mass Choir, directed by Deborah McDuffie.

The movement is on the last legs of its tour with its final stop in Key West this Thursday, but they are not through with gathering supporters for their cause. To be updated on events, news and volunteer opportunities, you can visit www.childrensmovementflorida.org or text MILK to 5633 to receive updates directly to your phone as they are announced. A debate between the two candidates running for governor, Rick Scott and Alex Sink, has been planned for October 16, 2010 at the University of Miami. Alex Sink has confirmed her participation. They are awaiting a response from Scott.  Lawrence urges the people of Florida to contact Rick Scott at 954-915-3360 and show your interest in his participation in the debate. The Milk Party, a play on the Tea Party, is a non-partisan movement with a grassroots campaign. David Lawrence stresses, “Our only ideology has to do with investing in children and making them the number one priority in Florida.”

Welcome to My Personal and Academic Exploration in the field of Journalism!

This blog has been started as a class assignment, but I just may decide to continue this experiment even after my class ends. Journalism happens to be my major after all.