Moving!

Note to readers:

Hard Copy Published Works is moving to to wordpress as the Errant Venture press!

Journalism 1 series #5 Awards Chapel

Gordon Alumni Honored at Convocation
By Maggie Lafferty and Steven Fletcher

The A.J. Gordon Chapel resounded with a bagpiper’s rendition of Amazing Grace, signaling the start of the college’s homecoming festivities. Echoing pipes served as a prelude for the 2009 Alumni Awards convocation held on October 9^th where five graduates of both Gordon and Barrington College received awards.

The convocation began with the Alumnus of the Year award, given to Reverend Eugene Neville, a ’69 Barrington graduate. He serves as pastor at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Brockton, MA. Neville created several ministries while serving; a prison ministry was most notable. He gave a short message on Psalm 27:4, telling the audience about his desire to “dwell in the house of the lord all his life.”

Herbert Boyd, a ’52 Gordon Graduate received the A.J. Gordon Missionary Service Award for 55 years of church planting in the Netherlands. For his service Queen Beatrix made him a member of the Order of Orange-Nassau, the highest civilian honor in 2008. At the convocation, he said a chapel speaker inspired his work in Holland expressed to the audience “listening is hearing and doing something with it.”

Shella SaintCyr, a ’03 graduate Gordon graduate received The Young Alumna of the Year.  SaintCyr serves as a social worker in both Boston and Chicago. Her message to the audience imparted a strong hope in God’s faithfulness.

The final award, the Winfred Currie Alumni Award in Education, was given to Dr. Gary Schmitt, a ’72 Gordon graduate. Schmitt writes young adult literature and teaches English at Calvin College. Schmitt arrived at the convocation just moments after Mering announced his award, but came not a moment too soon to speak.  Schmitt told the audience his Gordon education reminds him God is in the details.

The Jack Good Community Service Award winner, Melissa Winchell a ’99 Gordon graduate, could not attend the convocation. She serves at Lynn Classical High Schools in Lynn, MA.

“The award winners are just the tip of the iceberg of what people from Gordon and Barrington are doing all over the world,” said Mering.  Gordon’s Alumni awards convocations draw award winners from the Philippines, Romania, the Netherlands and others. 

Elements and Edward

Concerning Elements and Edward

By Steven Fletcher

Gorge Clooney’s “Good Night and Good Luck” (2005) makes a compelling case for vetted and trustworthy news-writing and broadcasting. The film tells the story of Edward R. Murrow’s report on Senator Joseph McCarthy. The story illuminates the epitome of journalism as a discipline of verification and art of making information engaging, relevant, and honest.

People called Murrow the "most trusted man in America.". His news came with an objective method, not with objectivity. The report on McCarthy lacks objectivity when seen through the eyes of "neutral" fairness.  Murrow believed McCarthy a threat to democracy and foundational American beliefs. His perspective lacked any smoked glass. One doesn’t find many anchors requesting to read from a script to ensure the accuracy of their information, in this film, Murrow does.  

He doesn’t sensationalize, and the content of his report on McCarthy belonged to the Senator himself. Murrow composed the account of McCarthy’s own words and images. Before the images aired, he told the audience precisely the purpose of the images. Murrow’s method stood transparent. He let his viewers know his intent, his credibility rested on transparency.  

Murrow’s journalism then, is as Kovach and Rosentiel, authors of The Elements of Journalism, write “a discipline of verification.” Murrow’s most explicit use of an objective method exists in the McCarthy report itself. He added little to what had occurred in McCarthy’s own hearings. Murrow reports t in a way that both engages the audience and makes relevant his material.

Murrow stands as an example of what a journalist needs to do in the age of modern communication. His words cannot insulate, or entertain for the sheer purpose of attracting viewers. A journalist must not say what is merely interesting, but make interesting what needs to be said. 

Journalism 1 Series Article #4 ::Rabbis on Campus::

Rabbis on the Psalms

Rabbi Baruch HaLevi lectures at Gordon College on Psalm 145

By Steven Fletcher

Gordon College’s four part convocation series “Rabbis on the Psalms,” began on September 11, 09. Rabbi Baruch HaLevi, a self-described “pulpit rabbi” and leader of the Congregation Shirat Hayam in Swampscott, MA, began the series with a lecture on Psalm 145, a psalm central to the Jewish community.

“All you need to know is in this Psalm,” said HaLevi. Psalm 145 is an acrostic poem, which he described as the A to Z of what you need to know to live your life. The Psalm is incorporated into each of the Jewish daily prayers.

 Dr. Marvin Wilson, professor of biblical studies at Gordon College  engineered the series; continuing Gordon’s 40-year legacy of inviting Jewish Scholars and Rabbis to speak on campus.

“Every student needs to learn some things about interfaith relations,” said Wilson. “When we bring Jewish Scholars to campus, it helps us understand better how to build relations with one of the largest religious minorities in America.” Wilson believes that Christians can learn from Jews, and vise versa.  Gordon College takes Christian-Jewish relations “very seriously” according to Wilson.

“It’s a bit audacious for the Church to take the psalms from the Jews and interpret them back to the Jews,” said Wilson.  He understands that in order to comprehend the Old Testament more fully, it is necessary to listen to the people who wrote it.

Behind the Counter Series #1 ::Man On Fire::

Behind The Counter:

Jonathan Ray

By Steven Fletcher

Jon Ray, ’12  a Foreign Languages and secondary education major from Rhode Island never worked with any frequency before coming to Gordon College. Now, he dons a blue polo shirt with a tan hat, and takes a daily walk to the Lane Student center. He works everywhere in the cafeteria, preparing pizza, compiling sandwiches and fighting with the dishwasher. 

This year marks the second year that Ray has worked for Lane Dining Services, and he maintains a positive opinion of the workplace. “It’s been good,” said Ray. “It’s a great place to start out, even for somebody who’s just looking to earn some money on campus and on a schedule that works around classes.” Dining services is primarily staffed by student workers, providing jobs from food preparation to pot-washing, and every hour from six in the morning to eleven at night. Ray worked for most of his freshman year and doesn’t remember a time when the cafeteria was just a place for eating. 

“There’s a lot more going on at Lane than just food service,” said Ray. “There’s interaction with other workers and the chefs.” Working in dining services provides the opportunity to grow in his ability to work with other people - and learn a bit about cooking. 

“I did absolutely no cooking whatsoever before coming to Gordon,” said Ray. “ I’ve made mistakes, some more momentous than others, but its great because when I go home, I can make a pizza.” Working with “people who actually know what they’re doing”, as Ray puts it, has helped him in learning, and he describes his experience as “positive enough.”

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said Ray, “but, you make mistakes, and then you own up to them, like catching the grill on fire.” 

Heads up!

Afternoon readers,

In the coming weeks, I will be composing a series on Gordon College's Lane Dining Services. Most articles will be "features" of sorts, on individual workers - student employee's, managers, chefs and administrative staff.  Other articles will include (if they ever get written), student thoughts on dining services.

Keep your heads up for them dispersed within the others!

Good night, and good luck.

Journalism 1 Series Article #3 ::Newcomers Alyssa Bailey::

Newcomers: Alyssa Bailey

“Stepping it up” 

By Steven Fletcher

Eight thousand students enroll in the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, accompanied by 368 faculty. For Alyssa Bailey, a sophomore communication arts major from Dartmouth, MA, the numbers don’t matter. She transferred from U-Mass Dartmouth and joined Gordon College’s class of 2012. Enrolling in a college one-sixth the size. Why Gordon? 

“ A smaller school definitely creates a more intimate community of people who can really get to know each other,” said Bailey. “as opposed to a larger school where, as an individual, I felt much more anonymous.” Large classes are the norm for universities like U-Mass Dartmouth, with its twenty-two to one student to faculty ratio. Bailey felt that faculty didn’t care if students participated or went to class, and described the whole of U-Mass Dartmouth as “off-standish,” with “cold walls, no life, and no fun.”

“Gordon has a small, meaningful community,” said Bailey “The classes are small, most teachers learn your name and the teachers are passionate.” She characterized Gordon students as, bright and hopeful, not a single one of them “off-standish.” The friendliness of her fellow students drew a stark contrast between her two schools.  At Gordon, Bailey found a strong community and a challenging academic environment. 

“I had three jobs, hardly did any homework, and maintained a 3.8 GPA at UMD,” said Bailey “I have yet to figure out what my GPA is here, but it’s just that people are much more dedicated to going to class, and caring.” She described herself as diligent and energetic, ready for the challenge of Gordon’s academic program. At Gordon, Bailey involved herself in the women’s choir, and plans to join the dance team. 

“It’s put my life slowly in perspective,” said Bailey about her time at Gordon, “in leaning who you want to be and how you want to live your life, like what purpose you serve.” She felt that time at Gordon shaped her, rather than her academic record. 

At UMD, you’re trying to get ahead for yourself,” Said Bailey. “At Gordon, you’re trying to figure out who you are, it’s not about how ahead you are of everyone else. It’s about discovering who you are as a person and what you want to do with your life.”