Friday, July 11, 2014

The Other Side of Montco Radio

By: Rachel Stehman

BLUE BELL, PA--With the help of Matt Porter, Senior Producer and Technical Services Manager, I spoke to three former Montgomery County Community College students whose lives were changed by participating in Montco Radio.

     Kerri Hughes had a lot to say about Montco Radio.  “My experience with Montco Radio has honestly been a life highlight for me.  Meeting new people, gaining new experiences, and really having a focus on what I wanted to do.  Montco Radio gave me something to be proud of and honestly, it meant a lot to me even on a...personal level.

     “To see where Montco Radio has gone [gives] me so much pride. Being the station manager at the time was such a wonderful experience.  Winning Club of the Year and being awarded by the Board of Trustees was due to all the members and mentors: Matt [Porter], Morgan [Betz], Jeff [Asche].  My own work ethic...was molded [into] what it is today because of Montco Radio.”

     Paul Vidas speaks highly of Montco Radio. “Montco Radio was a fantastic experience.  The best part of it was the people.  I got to make connections that will last me a lifetime.  I hosted various shows on Montco radio and I simply adore the connections I made while there.  Through Montco Radio I made lifelong friends.”

     Nick Minnick says, “Montco Radio was instrumental in my career path.  I spent two years at Montco, [from] 2001 [to] 2002.  During that time I was fortunate enough to produce the weekly public affairs show. That experience directly led...to an internship at a local radio station.

     “Fast-forward twelve years and I am a successful Account Manager with 102.9 WMGK!  Without my experiences at Montco, I never would have had the opportunity to get into this field.  And it all started for me because I saw a class that would enable me to work on [in] radio.  I [am grateful] to Montco and my professors...Matt [Porter] and Neil [Goldstein] who helped guide me down this...path [to professional radio].”

Taking Strides To Minimize Montco’s Carbon Footprint; Who Knew?

By: Irene O’Connell

BLUE BELL, PA--Since 2007, the President’s Climate Commitment Advisory Council, or PCCAC, has been taking strides to minimize Montgomery County Community College’s carbon foot print with its Sustainability Initiative.  The Sustainability Initiative is Montco’s  plan to move toward becoming a “green” campus, extending the life of our planet.

     As part of its commitment to sustainability, Montco has implemented many improvements to reduce its carbon footprint.  Among the many programs in place, the college partnering with Zimride,{a .}  In addition to this, Montco participates in recyclemania, has installed solar panels on the main campus in Blue Bell and wind turbines on the west campus in Pottstown.  The overall plan is to move to a carbon neutral campus as an in-depth, innovative, structured plan by removing and reducing waste and establishing eco-friendly alternatives.

     The Sustainability Initiative is seeing success and has earned Montco  many awards over the last few years.  Including the 2014 climate leadership award along with five other institutions across the country from a national non-profit organization called Second Nature.  However, many Montco students are seemingly unaware of the college’s commitment to sustainability.

     Many of Montco’s students are surprised to find out that Montco is taking significant action to reduce the college’s carbon footprint.  Some students seem not to realize that they’re walking to class on a “green” campus without taking steps toward minimizing their own carbon footprint.

     Assistant Professor of Communications and Coordinator of Speech Communication & Public Relations Tom Donlan is also a member of the PCCAC here at Montco.  As a member of the committee, he spreads information about sustainability efforts to the students in his classes.

     The ongoing issue, he explains, is not enough students are exposed to the information regarding the Sustainability Initiative.  “The problem is making students aware of what the college offers for students committed to ecological endeavors.  This will always be a significant obstacle at a commuter school.”

     Many of the students here at Montco are coming and going with one mission in mind: get to class, do the work specific to that class and go home. Usually students are coming from or headed to work.  Students aren’t actively looking for extracurricular activities to participate in so unless it hits them on the head, students may enroll and graduate without ever knowing that Montco is doing its part to extend the life of the planet.

     “I would like to see more students exposed to sources of information [about sustainability] in their courses,” Donlan says.  “Knowledge is power.”

Friday, July 4, 2014

Amid Falling Support, the Paper Still Finds Its Place

By: Kevin Lund
 

BLUE BELL, PA--Despite discouraging reports, like those from the Pew Research Center, print newspapers have several advantages over online news sources.  Pew’s study mentions drops over the past decade in the numbers of people who read a daily print newspaper.

Columnist Stu Bykofsky of the Philadelphia Daily News says, “[The advantage of newspapers] on newsstands and in honor boxes everywhere around the Delaware Valley [is] they are seen by everyone.  The headlines are [visible] even [to] those who don't care."

He sees that the disadvantage of online news is in the discovery of the news.  “When [the news] is online, you must make a conscious choice to find it.  And you do that alone, in your room or at your desk.  [There] are millions of websites to choose.  Few develop critical mass."

Bykofsky also touches on the backbone of online news.  Namely, the lack of profitability of online advertising.  "Publishers generally have been unable to find enough advertisers who'd be willing to pay enough for online advertisements," he says.

Of the successful news websites, many of them are simply online versions of a print newspaper.  For example, The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.  In fact, only two percent of people in a 2013 Pew survey claimed the internet was their only "regular news source.”  The average person also spends just seven minutes a day reading online news as well.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett sees potential in newspapers.  He has acquired 28 daily newspapers in the past few years, and says they should transition away from an advertising-dependent business model.  He believes the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette serves as an example of how local newspapers can be successful if the public is asked to pay for them.

Online news consumption hasn’t rendered print newspapers obsolete yet.  People continue to find uses for them everyday.  Only time will tell if print newspapers can hold their own as the internet becomes the news business’ medium of choice.

Summertime Music Electrifies Phoenixville

By: Brent Hoyer
 

BLUE BELL, PA--At the end of every spring semester, Montgomery County Community College students leave campus with their plans for summer.  Most students have vacation plans or work so they can pay off their student loans.  For some, summer fun is right around the corner in Phoenixville, PA.
 

Summers in Phoenixville include the township’s Summer Music Series.  Every Friday, except the first Friday of the month, between June 13 and August 29, 2014, Phoenixville will fill the air with music.  This gives Phoenixville a “life of it’s own,” says Ashley Gabrick, a bystander of the band Electrified.
 

There is music everywhere you turn, whether its at Molly Maguire’s, The Pickering Creek Inn, the Children’s Plaza, or any old corner of Phoenixville’s main drag.  “It’s just a really nice place to come and relax if you’re looking for something to do,” Tyler Smith, a glass blower for the Phoenixville Smoke Shop, said.
 

Phoenixville’s Summer Music Series Fridays are not for any specific age group.  The township attracts people from all walks of life and of any age from the very young to the very old.  Even, kids and teens can have a great time exploring the unique shops and restaurants that line Phoenixville’s main drag.  Some restaurants that sell alcohol allow underage patrons into the venue to watch the bands perform until later in the night when it becomes adult only.
 

Phoenixville is without a doubt a town of good vibes to create a one-day vacation in middle of a long summer.