TV is a last-minute medium

Not that long ago a La Salle student, communication major Jodi Gilbert responded to a twitter by ABC Evening News to see if she'd be willing to participate in a story about a study that found that families who spend time together, particuarly at dinner, have children who have fewer problems with drugs an alcohol. Because TV is the medium it is, nothing is ever settled until the last minute. Well, ABC contacted Jodie and asked if they could film her family that night -- in three hours! Well, the cameras showed up and the family was on the air.

Philadephia Daily News columnist Dan Gross reported this in his column today -- I think he was intrigued with the last-minute angle of the story. Here's a link to it:

www.phillycom/philly/columnistsdan_gross/20110929/_Dan_Gross_Karen_Hepp_a_theft_victim.html

Now that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is past...

I was pretty busy with the 10th anniversary of 9/11: some of the results were Social Work professor Janine Mariscotti talking on KYW Newsradio about the "recovery" of 9/11, both as a nation and on an individual basis. Philosophy Professor Robert Dobie wrote an oped for the Philadelphia Inquirer on the cultural differences between west and east that still plauge relations; English professor Kevin Grauke quoted in an Inqurier story on how 9/11 affected literature; and the Philadelphia Daily News ran photos of our students planting more than 2,700 American flags on the quad (one for each victim) and a candlelight vigil held on 9/11.

Some 9/11 stories were done by August.

Now back to the usual business of student achievements, faculty expertise and all things La Salle.

The smartest student they ever had...

I asked a few professors here who was the smartest student they ever had. Two, John Rossi and George Stow of the history dept., said William Burns, Jr. a 1978 grad who went on to do graduate work at Oxford. Burns has been ambassador to Jordan and Russia and on 9/8 wil be named Deputy Secretary of State. He has a helluva resume (fluent in three languages, special envoy on numerous occasions), but I wondered what would attract the Inquirer or Daily News about him. Well, his roots in Philly, for one, but in my emails to the papers I told two stories about Burns and what Rossi and Stow said. Stow recalled how he was lecturing and Burns was in the back of the room with his head bowed and hands folded in his lap. Stow thought Burns was bound for trouble, but after reading the first two pages of his first test Stow was astonished at what Burns wrote: he had absorbed all the lectures and readings.

I was hoping the two contrasts: the seemingly unasuminig but brillliant student who also happens to be a pretty good basketblal player, would intrigue them. I guess it did. Here's a link to the story:


http://www.philly.com/philly/insights/in_education/20110905_Soon_to_be_deputy_secretary_of_state__William_Burns_set_his_course_at_La_Salle.html


I also mentioned to the Inquirer and Daily News that Burns was a pretty good basketball player! On 9/5, the Inquirer ran a longish story about Burns; here's the link

First and Earthquake, now a hurricane

Hurricane Irene is making its way up the East Coast: supposed to hit the DelawareValley on Sat. night with plenty of winds and rain; already La Salle officials are meeting to implement emergency plans, strategies, etc.

Yesterday was freshmen move-in day and for the first time in my 14 years here it rained! The picnic was moved indoors and lines were long, but students and their parents were incredibly patient. Channel 29 showed up early but by 10ish no other stations had showed up to film the scene; I thought they were all down the shore on hurricane alert; turns out Channel 6 showed up and aired a report. I guess they swung by on their way back from the Jersey coast.

Freshmen convocation featured SGA president Amy Esselman addressing the fresh and parents (she was great) and alum Frank Cervone talking about the "Essential Question" that all freshmen must read/study/write. He finished brilliantly.

Today is sunny and warm: the literal calm behind the storm.

Earthquake

I was at my desk typing on my computer when my it seemed as if the desk was moving side to side...Was I dreaming and coming out of sleep, I wondered, but then I realized it must have been an Earthquake. It was: a 5.8 Richter scale beauty in Virginia that stretched up to Rhode Island. Some people left our building. I got on the phone and called Geology Prof. Hank Bart, who's our Earthquake expert; he wasn't in his office or home.

9/11/2011: Ten years

Sunday, Sept. 11 marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I recall when/where I was when I first heard, and then watching the TV for hours on end and being horrified at the images. The American media is already at work planning special sections, stories, broadcasts, etc. I've tapped into a few experts to see what they have to say and recall. Two professors went to NYC later that day to counsel not only survivors but counselors who had been working with survivors. As Sept. 11 falls on a Sunday, the University will be having a memorial service. Also, an annual event here is the planting of more than 2,700 flags on the campus quad, one flag for each person who died in the attacks.

I've asked Dr. James E. Moore, Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students here, for his thoughts on how college students have been affected by 9/11, from the day it happpened until now. There are professors here who specialize in Islamic theology/philosophy; I'm curious as to what they might have to say on the topic from a variety of perspectives.

The class of 2015

On Thursday the freshmen move into the dorms: nearly 800 or so. They will be the class of 2015. I can't believe the summer has gone by this quickly. Oh well, it's the nature of things. We have two sets of brother-sister twins coming here, one pair from England and the other from Nigeria.

TV loves covering the move-in story: lots of pictures of parents and children lugging furniture, TVs, computers, etc. up flights of stairs. Some of the athletic teams are given the day off from practice if they help the families with the moving. La Salle is one of the first colleges in the area to have students move into dorms, so we're lucky on that score. Among the incoming freshmen are several Eagle Scouts, a New Jersey life guard who rescued a drowning swimmer this summer, a student who illustrated a children’s book, a student who was class president for four years at their high school and one who was the MVP in Philadelphia Catholic League for soccer.

BTW, reporters are already working on stories about the "back to school" shopping season. We're hoping that Prof. Swee-Lim Chia of the marketing department can be useful for this (he has in the past).