Washington D.C. – Page 5 – Teen Observer Archive

July 7, 2015

Newspaper at the end of the driveway? Probably not.

Steve Monroe, a retired editor and current freelance communications professional, discussed minimum wage in the district. Photo by Madeline Jarrard. — Steve Monroe, a retired editor and current freelance communications professional, reads The Washington Post. Photo by Madeline Jarrard.

News is revolutionizing.

Younger generations in the United States are obtaining news differently than past generations as technology allows for new ways to receive news.

In the past, people received news from the television, the newspaper and the radio, but today those outlets are being side-swept by the Internet and a generation increasingly seeking its new through mobile devices.

The “State of the News Media” report from the Pew Research Center found that while advertising revenue for newspapers continues to slip, some of the top digital news websites have seen traffic from mobile devices more than desktop computers.

Malayna Nesbitt, 17, consumes news in a variety of ways, accessing a mix of old and new technologies.

“Social media is the main source of this generation,” said Nesbitt, who explained that she gets her news primarily through applications she has on her smartphone.

Nesbitt said that her parents used to have the newspaper delivered to their home when she was younger. But not any more.

Now, she listens to NPR in the morning and receives breaking news updates from the CNN application on her phone.

Nesbitt is part of a growing trend.

The news is becoming more accessible as people switch from desktop to mobile news apps, or tune in to NPR. The Pew Research Center reported in a Public Broadcasting report that, “The number of NPR associate and full member stations grew 11% in 2014 and the number of stations airing NPR programming grew by 3%.”

At the same time, the Internet has become a main news source for the younger generation. It beats out television, newspaper and radio.

But age matters.

Another Pew Research Center report found that the 18-29 age group claimed the Internet as their leading news source for national and international news, while the 65+ age group labeled television and the newspaper as their top news sources.

Steve Monroe, 66, used to be the business editor for the now-defunct The Gazette in Montgomery County, Maryland. After putting down his hard copy of The Washington Post on a recent morning sitting at a Tenleytown Starbucks, he explained his own news habits.

“I get 70 percent–no 60 percent–of news information from hard copy,” Monroe said.

He explained that he reads from a multitude of newspapers: The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, plus a local paper called Washington City Paper.

But even some who are closer to Monroe’s age see newspapers as a source of the past.

Rebecca Owens, 56, watches her local MSNBC affiliate twice a day and gets national news at 5:30 p.m. Other sources for Owens include the Internet but never a print newspaper.

Alice Scarborough, 47, watches her local Fox News affiliate and it’s been a while since she received a newspaper at home.

“Not in the past 10 years or so,” Scarborough said.

July 7, 2015July 7, 2015

Sexual assault on campus

Students and professors at American University interviewed this month shared their opinions on how security measures affect college rape culture and the prevalence of sexual assault on their own campuses and nearby housing in Northwest Washington D.C.

Campus rape is a problem plaguing universities and colleges across the country, and it’s receiving attention from many here. Almost everyone interviewed at AU in July said that the university’s administrative response could use improvement, but noted offenses occur off campus, too.

“I don’t think it’s a campus safety issue because from my experience with it, it’s all been acquaintance rape, date rape, happening at parties,” said Jessica Kowal, a 20-year-old AU student. “It’s not someone walking back to their dorm late at night and someone jumping out the bushes.”

Both Kowal and Carolyn Hamilton, also 20, shared personal stories detailing their dissatisfaction with administrative response. Both say they knew women who had been assaulted.

“It’s very prevalent,” Hamilton said.

But Amy Eisman, 62, who teaches in the journalism division, feels that perhaps the deficiency of effective response is due to the sheer magnitude of the problem.

“My perception is that the university is doing what it can,” Eisman said. “But it’s a huge issue that I’m not sure anybody has a great handle on yet.”

Stalls in every campus bathroom display a poster providing information for victims of sexual assault and contact information for support networks. Many of these posters also include handwritten notes that students have left each other. One scratched out the word “survivor” and wrote “victim.”

A sign posted inside a bathroom stall at American University. Photo by Zoe Searles.

“You are stronger than you know,” one reads.

The University offers sexual assault information on its website. IDs are required for entrance into the dorms, emergency telephone poles can be found every several hundred yards and safety patrol officers are stationed on campus around the clock.

There are peer support groups, of which the students interviewed spoke highly.

These groups are not limited to female discussion; Jaques Foul, 25, said that he doesn’t think males are left out of the conversation.

“I think we’re all responsible if something happens,” Foul said.

July 7, 2015July 9, 2015

AU students and faculty react to campus safety measures

By Emily Boyle — Discover the World of Communication student Naima Fonrose from Laurel, Maryland observes a blue phone emergency system on campus. Photo by Emily Boyle

American University students, staff and summer program attendees expressed both confidence and apprehension about campus safety in interviews this month.

Cassidy Luciano, a rising junior at AU, said she felt comfortable on campus with the various safety measures implemented. Though Luciano has never seen the blue “emergency” towers around campus in use, she has felt comfortable knowing they are present.

Luciano lives off campus but lived in Anderson Hall during her freshman year. While she liked having someone to check IDs at the front desk, Luciano said “sometimes I think they were a little relaxed,” attributing the laxness in the security to being in a “big city.”

Megan Piccirillo, a rising senior at AU, had no complaints about security on campus. Piccirillo noted she consistently finds public safety officers present, front desk monitors in dorms checking IDs and new technology frequently being introduced to the University.

Samantha Dumas, 19, a student at AU, has generally felt safe during her time on campus. Despite this, Dumas said that occasionally, “people are doing unsafe things behind closed doors.” Dumas did feel that resident advisers are “on top” of keeping dorms safe.

Michael Allen, an AU police officer for eight years, thinks public safety at AU has improved over the years, with many new technologies around the campus being implemented to maximize security measures. He pointed out a shelf of pamphlets that read “Personal Safety Apps.”

One of the key safety apps listed was the “Rave Guardian App.” According to Allen, the app connects students with AU police, allows tip texting and sets a safety timer for students traveling between locations on campus.

Assistant Director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution Regina Curran believes that AU’s public safety is improving drastically.

Curran said 14 new security officers were hired on campus. Curran said there will be a “greater presence” of officers all around AU, hopefully ensuring all students and faculty feel safe around the clock.

Curran additionally explained the function of the blue phones on campus, which “automatically call the dispatcher” and find immediate help for students in emergencies.

July 7, 2015July 7, 2015

D.C. students and residents want more, better cultural education

Residents and workers in Northwest Washington D.C. talked this month about their experiences with foreign cultures and discussed their interactions with world cultures.

Taylor Dewey, an American University student majoring in international relations, spent 4 months in Spain and England. She thinks that Spanish people know a lot about the U.S, but she thinks some in Europe dislike a lot about American culture.

Meghan Howie, 17, a high school student from Pennsylvania, stands outside a Starbucks in Washington D.C.'s Tenleytown neighborhood. Photo by Anne Yang. — Meghan Howie, 17, a high school student from Pennsylvania, stands outside a Starbucks in Washington D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood. Photo by Anne Yang.

“I think the people here are more naive about other people’s cultures whereas other people are always looking at the U.S. culture,” said Dewey, who like to see more knowledge and understanding of foreign cultures in the U.S.

Meghan Howie, a rising high school senior from Pennsylvania, has taken four years of Spanish plus a World Cultures class, but she thinks it’s not comprehensive of what cultures are. She has some experience visiting an uncle in Germany, but wishes she knew more.

“I feel like I’m not able to understand everyone from different countries,” Howie said.

Joanna Harris is a children’s librarian in Tenleytown and she spent two months in Japan. She was first exposed to Japanese culture by her half-Japanese friend and by watching Japanese anime as a kid.

Tenleytown librarian Joanna Harris hopes for more cultural understanding. Photo by Anne Yang.

“When I first watched it, I realized it was different from American cartoons, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it,” said Harris, who also was surprised to see Japanese children wearing uniforms after school and taking classes at other facilities in the late afternoon time.

But Harris questioned how much one culture could legitimately learn about another.

“I think media is really reflective of a culture, but always keep in mind who is telling this story and from which perspective,” Harris said.

Radhika Puri is a 20-year-old student at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee who was born in India. Puri, who speaks fluent Hindi, majors in biology and minors in business and is spending the summer interning for a public policy group. She thinks the world does a better job knowing about U.S. culture than the U.S. knows about the rest of the world.

“You go to India and you go to China, they know how to speak their language and English,” Puri said noting many in the U.S. don’t need to learn a second or third language.

July 5, 2015July 7, 2015

People respond to journalists’ ethics

It’s protected by the First Amendment. It’s helped take down a president. But, average citizens often do not know what being a reporter entails.

Some interviewed this month in Washington D.C. shared their thoughts and opinions on the topic of ethics in journalism, providing some insight about how everyday citizens see the world of U.S. media.

Version 2 — Newspaper boxes in Tenleytown. Photo by Sarah Plemmons.

Journalists must be familiar with the Society of Professional Journalist’s Code of Ethics, a list of principles explaining how to ethically perform the job of a journalist, or their organization’s own code. The preamble states that “Public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy.” The four principles are to seek the truth and report it, to minimize harm, to act independently, and to be accountable.

It is required that journalists abide by these rules in order to produce reliable content for media consumers.

According to consumers, writing and publishing the truth defines ethical journalism.

Jack Gibson, 20, emphasized the importance of “providing accurate information without bias.”

Michelle Nowak, 19, however, thinks bias is permissible because it shows personality in writing. According to her, “People have different truths.”

But should these truths come out in a journalist’s writing?

People had varying opinions on what they thought of the integrity of their own sources of media.

Tony Corbel, 74, a British native, regularly uses the BBC, Britain’s publicly-financed broadcast network. He trusts the network completely and has for most of his life.

Cindy Lee, 56, thinks her stations, CNN and Fox, are “probably as reliable as you can be.”

Others, though, do not solely rely on just one or two news stations.

By having numerous news sources, one avoids the risk of getting information that is biased, people said. Many consumers use multiple sources such as BBC, CNN, The New York Times, and various social media sites. They feel that though no one can entirely avoid bias, using multiple news sources makes their news more accurate.

“Generally they’re writing to appeal to an audience because they’ve got to get viewers on the internet and people to read the papers, so I think most–not every, but most–will cater to a specific audience to some extent,” said Aaron Rowell, 23.

This practice of dramatizing stories to make them more interesting is called “yellow journalism,” and is highly scorned in media today and violates the first tenet of the SPJ Code.

“I think that is not okay,” Lee said. “I think whatever happens, we need to reflect what happens and not dramatize it.”

Journalists are constantly evaluated by each other and the public to follow the Code of Ethics. To not report the whole truth would be devastating, yet it is crucial that journalists honor the privacy and safety of their subjects.

“I guess they’re just trying to do their job,” Corbel said. “But there’s a limit to what you do.”

July 5, 2015July 7, 2015

Do Americans appreciate the Fourth of July?

Fireworks explode over the National Mall in Washington D.C. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service.

In the days before the Fourth of July, many Americans begin to gear up for the celebration which this year marked the 239th anniversary of America’s independence.

Whether it’s eating hamburgers or seeing a fireworks show, many Americans like to party on the special day.

“It’s definitely a focal point of the summer,” said Chris Morgan, 25, from Gaithersburg, Maryland.

As of July 2, Morgan planned to party with his friends, one of which will be meeting him in Pennsylvania with his fellow hikers from the Appalachian Trail. Morgan has many Fourth of July memories from previous years as well, including a glow-stick party in his neighbor’s pool and a firework show over Camden Yards in Baltimore.

There’s no doubt that Americans do their share of partying on the Fourth of July. But is this partying aimed towards the right cause? Is there appropriate reverence for the actions of America’s forefathers?

Buddy Bonner, 48, said the answer is “no.”

“I think we got a gross departure from appreciation with what our freedoms are,” Bonner said. “It’s more than likely just viewed as another day off from work.”

Bonner even admitted that he might be one of those people who does not hold the Fourth of July in high enough regard.

For some, the lack of appreciation of the Fourth of July is rooted in a lack of education.

“What happened exactly only the Fourth of July?” said Kevin Quinto, a 16-year-old from North Carolina. “If you asked 10 people at least five of them wouldn’t know.”

For Francesca Coyne, 18, of Pennsylvania, the holiday brings people together.

“Its really cool to see everybody get together and appreciate something,” Coyne said.

“It’s very rare that you can get a group silent and appreciate something,” Coyne later said.

Marsel Ganeycv, 18, an international student, said the Fourth of July is a worthy celebration for the independence of the country.

“I have a t-shirt with stars and people say ‘I have the same t-shirt,'” Ganeycv said. “They’re all so friendly.”

Like Coyne, Ganeycv sees the holiday as a way to bring people together.

“When you see the fireworks, something is happening in your soul,” Ganeycv said. “You feel that you’re apart of the whole crowd.”

July 5, 2015July 15, 2015

2016 election already on voters’ minds

Standing between the 56 granite columns of the World War II Memorial donning shorts and a t-shirt, David Johnson, 31, toured the site with his wife and parents.

Sixteen months from the 2016 presidential election tourists like Johnson already are looking ahead to the barrage of political advertisements, speeches and debates that will shape the next year and a half. Regardless of political party, issues are diverse and the election season is expected to drag on.

“I would hope that they focus on the real issues rather than the crap that goes through the 24-hour news cycle,” said Johnson, who counts issues including net neutrality and money in politics as top election priorities.

Many citizens feel the need to elect a candidate who will focus on these issues and others.

Gregory Pratt, 27, said he would like to see the candidates address student debt, while Bianca Perez, 30, is looking for greater focus on the economy, especially for middle and lower classes.

“I hope people don’t vote based on party lines but instead on what the candidates have to say,” Pratt said.

Perez, however, had a different vision for the outcome of the election.

“I hope that we can get a candidate that can continue the progression of our country,” Perez said. “A lot of steps have been taken towards more acceptance in our nation, and I hope whoever the new candidate is can continue in that path.”

While most voters have high expectations and are passionate about the candidates’ talking points, some are skeptical and even indifferent.

Angel Cleves, 44, said that she doesn’t “really trust a lot of politicians. I guess. So that’s my concern: what they say they’re going to do, they do.”

American University graduate Logan Combest-Friedman was not keeping up with the election developments.

“I don’t have many expectations,” Combest-Friedman said. “It’s the same thing every time.”

July 4, 2015July 7, 2015

National Mall visitors respond to NASA’s New Horizons

Visitors of the National Mall in Washington D.C. on Monday expressed their opinions about life in space after hearing about the photos NASA’s New Horizons captured.

New Horizons captured photographs of Pluto showing spots.

Xzavier Jones, 18, from Atlanta, Georgia, thought that the mysterious spots could be oceans.

“It would be kinda strange,” Jones said.

Jones thought that fish or other aquatic animals could be living in the oceans. However, they would breathe differently due to a water unlike what is found on Earth. Jones believes that the creatures should be studied, even if it involves capturing them.

Jones said that humans will be living in space 100 years from now. He shares NASA’s interest in space exploration.

Xzavier Jones in front of the Washington Monument

Ann Thorn, 59, from Nacogdoches, Texas, believes that the dots found on Pluto could be either rock or mud fields.

“You never know,” Thorn said.

Thorn thought that life could be on other planets. She said that future generations will not have to live in space, but that people need to take care of Earth.

Thorn watched NASA’s shuttles launch when she lived in Florida. In Texas, she has worked with the local police to document and clean up pieces of aircraft that landed in her backyard.

Due to her recent knowledge about New Horizons, Thorn plans to follow new developments in the story.

“I just hope we don’t mess it up,” Thorn said.

Amy Longstreath, 47, was undecided about what the spots are.

She cannot prove or disprove that life in space exists. If there is a planet that can sustain human life, Longstreath believes that it is necessary to emigrate there.

Longstreath said that the Democratic and Republican Parties need to work together to encourage conservation of the environment before other nations get involved. If life is found on other planets, it should only be observed.

“Anything is possible,” Longstreath said.

July 4, 2015July 7, 2015

D.C. residents and visitors say SCOTUS same-sex ruling long overdue

Washington D.C. residents and tourists to the city overwhelmingly expressed joy about the legalization of same-sex marriage across America after June’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on the matter.

In more than a dozen interviews across Washington D.C. this week, most were thrilled with only a few expressing indifference. Most declared it was a long overdue decision and those on the other side were hard to find.

Chris Morgan, 25, shared his personal connection to the issue.

Morgan explained that his father is homosexual and can now officially get married to his boyfriend if they want.

“That could potentially be an affect, a pretty profound affect, on my life,” Morgan said.

gay_marriage_calif_two_women_ap_606 — Photo courtesy of Associated Press.

Others like Mia Molina, a 24-year-old visiting the National Mall from New York, was born in Spain. She said same sex marriage was legalized there long ago and was surprised when she moved to the U.S. and found it against the law.

“I think it’s a right everyone should have to be able to…love and marry whoever they want.” said Molina

The legalization of same-sex marriage has had a major impact on many people in the country. Not everyone is Washington D.C. has been personally affected by it, but they believe we are now moving in the right direction.

“I’m not surprised that we’ve finally come to this point,” said Maria Crudele, 47, who agreed with the ruling.

(Photo courtesy by Associated Press)

July 3, 2015July 3, 2015

Campus summer programs offer future college insights

High school students taking summer programs at American University listed their expectations of their future college experiences as taking challenging classes, meeting people and being busy and tired.

In Fall 2014, about 21 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universities, an increase since 2000, according to the National Center of Education Statistics.

For summer leadership and conference participants on American University’s campus this summer, they are receiving valuable insight into taking classes with college professors and living in dorms without their parents around.

Amy-Beth Hoarty, 17, a participant in the National Leadership Conference, said she has experienced being a part of a community with other students she relates to and connects with. Being in class with people who share her interests made it go faster, unlike her school where she doesn’t really connect with others, she said.

Kelsey Lageraaen, 17, a Long Island native enjoys having an experience different than she would at home.

“There is definitely a more diverse group of people because there is people from different states and countries, so you get to see people’s opinions and ideas based on where they are from.”

This encounter, she said, makes her realize this is definitely something she wants to have at her future college.

Amaris Norwood, 19, said she knew what she was expecting before she got to American University because she did a lot of research. When she got here she was not disappointed; the campus was full of diversity and passionate students, she said.

Norwood said she was surprised by how easy sickness spread in close quarters of the dorms.

“Sicknesses get spread easily,” Norwood said. “Sometimes you forget to eat and then you end up getting sick and passing out.”

Lageraaen feels college is a key part of her future.

“You get a lot of new experiences. It’s the first time for a lot of people being on their own and getting to live with themselves and their friends, so they learn to be independent,” she said.