Click here for audio clip.

Above is a link for a clip of audio from my interview with Melkonian Hoover.
It is from my interview regarding my article below.

Does it begin at the bell?

“Come to Gordon and find your future spouse,” seemed the message of a 1947 admissions video that was 33 minutes and walked the viewer through a typical student’s life.  From his first day looking at Gordon College, to the rest of his life married to a lovely Gordon girl.

The idea of graduating with a MRS degree along with a BA sounds good, but is Gordon, in the administration or the student body, putting more attention into finding a future spouse than an education?

To the public eye, that is a normal part of life at Gordon. In a review of the college by Entrepreneur under the Entrepreneur top colleges it reports, “It is not out of the ordinary for students to “meet their future spouse on campus and get married their senior year.”

            When showing friends around campus, they are typically shocked to find that there is even married housing made available for students who can’t wait till they graduate. “I was shocked and a little sickened to see that there were apartments for married students,” said Spencer Reese, and senior at Boston University, “but that’s to be expected I guess.”

             Students are now starting to speak up against this ideal double degree that has been the cause of much judging from the outside world.

            Sandra Wright, a junior political studies major, pre-law minor from NJ made her college choice based on more than the timing of her future wedding.

            “I chose a Christian college because during the years which I develop my skills for the work place, I wanted to be surrounded by people who could help me grow,” said Wright. “I would hope that girls would come here to learn in a Christian environment, not to be on a husband hunt. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen, that’s not always the case.”

            Rachel Keller, a junior pre-med major, political studies minor from CT is upset by the students who look to Gordon as a mating grounds.

            “I see it done again and again. It’s a massive waste of forty thousand a year,” says Keller. “I don’t think there is anything essentially wrong with dating and finding a husband during your college years. But, using your college as a hunting grounds is not acceptable because it not only stereotypes us, it also pressures us.”

            The pressure of finding specifically a husband in four years is not one that is necessarily coming from the faculty. That is the stance taken by Dr. Ruth Melkonian Hoover, Professor of Political Studies at Gordon College.

            “There doesn’t seem to be a discrepancy based on gender. How can there be with a student body that is primarily female,” Melkonian Hoover said. “There may be pressure socially here and I would presume more people are hearing it from home as well.”

            While professors do not see an issue in their teaching, but students like Wright feel that there is something wrong with the structure of Gordon, that professors do not do enough to challenge women when it comes to their careers.

            “Especially male leaders at this school, they don’t want to discourage women, which might cause them not to come. But, by not speaking up they are really losing out and not tapping into a good resource,” said Wright. “They may not be harassing us, but by not speaking up to promote more than just being a housewife and a mother in the Christian circle, they are just allowing for a stereotype to continue to grow.”

            This seems to be an issue that other Christian Colleges face as well. Amy Fischer, a junior, education major at Eastern University sees the same thing happening at her school. “Girls just go to Christian Colleges to get married! Where else are they going to find a place where Christian men flock to,” said Fischer. “I wouldn’t mind getting married right after College, but I’m not crazy about it like these other girls.”

Lightfoot: Illuminating the Truth

As a nation, we consume news in the written form on a daily basis. Whether it is an article on the front page of the New York Times, an interesting bio in your local paper, or the latest husband of Britney Spears in the tabloids, we absorb the written knowledge of current events and opinions like a fat kid devours cake.

But what would it be like to be the one finding this information? The one who has to play investigator to be able to gossip the world to us in ways that are exceedingly accurate and interesting? What’s it like living on the inside?

We learn a little bit about life on the inside from Jo Kadlecek’s novel; A Minute Before Friday. The story of a religion beat journalist for The Clarion in New York City named Jonna Lightfoot McLaughlin. Her struggles include more than writing the truth, but we discover as readers, they have more trouble finding the truth.

Having just moved to New York City, Lightfoot rooms with a reporter from her old town, Hannah. Living with someone of the same profession, Hannah being a politics reporter, gives Lightfoot someone to discuss her research with.

As we trail along, peering over Lightfoot’s shoulder, seeing a reporter first-hand, we see a scandal of a story unfold. David, a friend and love interest in the book, while working at Regal University, uncovers a large religious scandal. Confiding in McLaughlin about Regal Colleges’ misuse of the endowment meant for the school’s religious organizations left Lightfoot to not only find the truth, but also prove that it’s the truth.

While Lightfoot’s editor, who is typically trustworthy, is determined to keep the story on the wiccans protesting at Regal University, Lightfoot and David secretly investigate on their own time. This also allows for some added romance.

A Minute Before Friday is a look into some critical elements of journalism. Finding truth within a story can be one of the most difficult things for a journalist. Yet, we find in this story, that as Lightfoot reveals the truth in the Regal University scandal, she also unveils some truths about herself. 

Good Night and Good Luck

“This might just do nobody any good,” said Edward R. Murrow to the Radio and Television News Directors Association in an attempt at letting them know the potential of television in informing the public and not hiding the accurate facts.

In 1953 censorship and hiding was at its height with Senator Joseph McCarthy isolating those in government he assumed were associating with the communists. The film, Good Night and Good Luck by Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is an account of Murrow’s actions fighting McCarthyism.

Censorship was an issue that, during the 50’s, plagued the television and radio stations as well as the newspapers. Even today a certain level of faith is intertwined with our critical thinking while we read, watch or listen to any form of news.

Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenthal understand the importance of keeping censorship at an arm’s length from reporters’ stories so much so that they felt the need to address it in their book, The Elements of Journalism.

“A commitment to citizens is more than professional egoism,” says Kovach when explaining that Journalisms first loyalty is to its citizens. This was not the case in Good Night and Good Luck until Murrow decided it was time for the public to be aware of the truth behind the masks of the news displayed up to this point.

The red scare intimidated the public, and it was the obligation of Murrow and his fellow reporters in the CBS newsroom to only state the facts, and find the accuracy in them. This is all that was done by Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck, and it provided a way to keep those in authority, like McCarthy in check.

“People need sources that tell them what is true and significant,” said Kovach, “They need and answer to the question: “What here can I believe?”

You could see the success of this truth telling in Good Night and Good Luck by the positive feedback that Murrow received from the public. Because of Murrow, individual’s names, like Annie Lee Moss from the Pentagon, and Milo Radulovich from the U.S. Air Force were cleared from suspicion. Murrow was even able to clear his own name from suspicions based on suspicion of his being a member of the leftist union.

We have come a long way since the 1950’s. The idea that our trusted news sources aren’t being completely honest is not a thought that crosses our minds when we pick up a New York Times or turn to CBS.

Most of this is thanks to Murrow, who took honesty in Journalism to the people and away from the sponsors. This idea might have been more of a triumph than originally thought. The results have made the journalistic media more than they originally expected. All sides seem to apparently win. What more could we ask for?

“Thus people who gather news are not like the employees of other companies,” says Kovach. “They have a social obligation that at times overrides their employers’ immediate interests, and yet this obligation is the source of their employers’ financial success.”

Eyes on the Prize

Journalists’ responsibility to truth and the public helped shape the outcome of the Civil Rights movement. From articles of the events in Birmingham, Alabama to the videos of children being taken care of by the police’s water hoses, the public’s new found knowledge enabled them to act.

Reporters must have felt an immense form of social obligation to get their hands dirty, in the action to accurately portray the events in Birmingham. From the way the dogs handled petitioners, to how the police carted innocent children off to jail, journalist’s personal accounts added a touch that would not have been if any article, video, or report had been observation from a distance. 

Former and Current Scots Run for Scholarship in 3rd Annual 5K Trot

Katie Thompson & Abigail Solberg

The clouds gave way to the sun Saturday morning just in time for Gordon College’s 3^rd Annual Scot Trot, one of several athletic events during Homecoming weekend.

The Scot Trot featured 101 runners comprised of students, parents and alumni whose registration fees, for the first time, went towards the Partners Program, a program that provides financial support to students who otherwise would not be able to afford Gordon.

The Scot Trot has been a success the past three years, primarily due to the fact that it is the only athletic event during homecoming that is open for all to participate in.  “There are a lot of students running this year, as well as parents running with younger kids,” said Jennifer Thorburn Migonis, ‘04 the director of development of events for Alumni.

For a few runners, the Scot Trot was the first organized race that they have decided to take part in.

Emily Bell, ‘12 from Harare, Zimbabwe, was one of these runners. “I enjoy running. I am not a big competitor, but I wanted to do this race to see how well I can do,” Bell said. “It helps that the money is going to a good cause.”

Another first timer at the Scot Trot was Donna Loy, the Application Assistant for the admissions office of Gordon College. “It was my first race and I was really excited about doing it,” Loy said. “I started running about two and a half years ago and even though I had a knee injury over the summer, I still wanted to be part of the Scot Trot.”

Loy is not the only member of her family to run for Gordon College. “My daughter, Sarah, ran for Gordon while she went here. Here’s a fun fact, I ran the 5k in about the time she runs the 10k. Even though I came in last, I feel like I won.”

Gordon Students Mixed About Rabbi

By Abigail Solberg

In mid-September, Gordon College’s students ushered their weary bodies into chapel, to find that morning’s convocation lead by someone of a different faith.

Rabbi Baruch HaLevy came to Gordon as a guest speaker introduced by Professor Wilson in part of a Convocation series on Creativity.

Gordon’s students hold varying responses to the Jewish teachings during convocation, ranging from acceptance to tolerance around campus.  “We can always learn from those in any form of authority,” said Annelise Midland, ’11 Art and Business Major. “Why wouldn’t we take them seriously?”

While acceptance has been made by most, some have yet to see the purpose for a Rabbi at Gordon. “I do not think they have nothing to teach us, but I think we have other things we should be focusing on,” said Rachel Keller, ’11 pre-med major. “I guess it’s good. At the same time, none of us are Jewish, maybe some of us are… I’m not.”

While HaLevy is part of a convocation series, the theme is being confused with the regular chapel series, which has recently been covering depression. “I really want to hear a depressed Jew, just to balance things out,” said Sandra Wright, ’11 political science major. “As long as he doesn’t talk about shalom.”

 “We are transformed by repetitive action,” said LaHevy during his message. Which is proving accurate, since Gordon has invited two more Rabbi’s to speak on the same subject later this semester. Perhaps they will receive a warmer welcoming.