Laura Worthington | Mobile | Tech | Grad Stud @digilala - Tumblr Blog

"If it's not related to my research, I can promise you I won't remember it five days from now."

Week 12: Interactive FAQ

StepLeader provides trusted content producers with the ability to earn revenue through engaging mobile technology, effective ad sales and great service. We design, build and support apps for smartphones, tablets and TVs. We also provide content producers with mobile websites.

Our ad sales ensure that content producers can monetize their mobile traffic upon launch. We are focused delivering high-value mobile ad campaigns, and advertisers working with StepLeader know where and when their ads run.

We are equally committed to providing great service to customers, partners and advertisers alike. Because mobile is a 24/7 channel, our knowledgeable and experienced support team is available around the clock.

What does “StepLeader” mean?

Our name reflects our goal to power vibrant, powerful results for our publisher and advertising partners on mobile devices and beyond. StepLeader was derived from the meteorological term “stepped leader.”

Before lightning strikes, invisible channels of electrons called stepped leaders travel down from storm clouds. As a stepped leader approaches the ground, streamers of positive charge rise. The resulting connection creates a return stroke or lightning.

Can you build a custom app for my company?

We welcome the opportunity to explore custom app builds; however, this is not typically where we focus our efforts. We primarily seek to help you keep start-up costs low as well as expedite the launch process and revenue opportunities by taking a templated approach. We continue to refine all products in six-week development sprints. This ensures that your mobile products are up-to-date and fully functional.

You work with many media companies, but I'm in another industry. Can you support our mobile solutions?

We are expanding our partnerships beyond media companies, including universities and sports entities. Please contact us so we can learn more about your needs.

What kind of apps do you build?

We build and support apps designed natively for the Apple iOS, Google's Android OS and Amazon's Kindle Fire. We additionally build and support apps for Smart TVs.

Visit the Publishers section of our website for more information on our platform.

Do I really need native mobile apps? Can't I just use responsive design to reach my mobile audience?

A native mobile app is an application designed specifically for use on a particular platform or device. Responsive design involves building web pages that detect a user’s screen size and adhere to the layout accordingly.

Responsive design and native apps both have their strengths and weaknesses. Our team can help guide your company toward the best mobile solution to optimize usability and maximize revenue. For more of our thoughts on this topic, check out our perspective on HTML 5 vs. native apps.

How can we make money with StepLeader?

If you are a publisher partner, you own all of the ad inventory in your mobile solution. We provide training to help you sell that inventory. We additionally deliver national and regional direct buys to supplement your local efforts. We also support in-app purchases and subscription-based apps.

If you are an advertiser, we can place your ads across our network of top-tier local media companies across the country.

Do you offer access to your publisher partners to add new content feeds?

This feature is in development and will be available in early 2013. Please contact us to learn more about our mobile platform and planned upgrades.

Do you support third party analytics like Google Analytics?

Yes, we currently support Google Analytics and Adobe Omniture.

Watch our video to learn the value you can derive from these advanced analytics platforms.

What mobile ad formats do you support?

We support all Mobile Marketing Association ad formats. To learn more about what is supported, visit our Creative page.

What ad targeting capabilities are available through your mobile platform?

Information on our ad server capabilities is available on the Targeting & Features page of our Advertisers section.

How much does it cost to launch?

Cost varies depending on the types of features you’d like to include in your mobile platform. Please reach out to us so we can chat more about your goals.

How long would it take to develop an app?

Launching a templated app and mobile website usually takes about six to eight weeks depending largely on your ability to provide the necessary feeds, assets and content decisions. We also recommend that you secure your Apple publisher account before starting the integration process, as that can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Custom apps are much more involved and take months to produce depending on the specifications.

How often are app updates completed and how much do they cost?

App upgrades are generally released every six weeks, but this varies at times depending on changes dictated by Apple, Google and Amazon.

Upgrades do not have associated costs. We do offer new features that are not critical to the functionality of your mobile products for additional costs.

Still have questions? Contact us.

Week 11: Additional Details

Audience/Targeted Publication: Columbus County residents, www.whiteville.com

Additional Elements: The following items would be nice to include in the piece I wrote on mental illness treatment in North Carolina:

An interactive timeline of events.

A video showing a tour of an adult home with mental patients.

A video interview with a mental patient or family member of a mental patient who has experienced life in an adult home.

Comments so readers could interact and share stories.

FAQ on Mental Illness.

Week 11: The Future of Mental Health Treatment in North Carolina Remains Unclear

State to start moving mentally ill patients out of adult care homes in 2013, more challenges ahead

By Laura Worthington

CHADBOURN, N.C. – After settling a lawsuit with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this year, the state of North Carolina faces big decisions regarding the treatment and care of its mentally ill.

The eight-year settlement agreement stipulates that the state must begin next year to transition 3,000 mentally ill patients who have been unnecessarily segregated in, or at risk of entering, adult care homes. The agreement will grow access to community-based supported housing promoting inclusion and independence that enables the mentally ill to participate in their communities.

The lawsuit against the state stemmed from a complaint filed in 2010 by Disability Rights North Carolina, a Raleigh-based advocacy group. The complaint cited that the state had a bias towards placing the mentally ill in adult care homes in lieu of facilities offering proper services to support recovery and meaningful community integration.

The group alleged that these placements violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law in 1990 to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities, including “any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.”

“An adult care home is not the appropriate place for [treating] mental illness,” said Vicki Smith, executive director of Disability Rights North Carolina. “There are no structured activities [in adult care homes]. Patients get [only] room and board and medication management.”

“There’s no way out of an adult care home” for the mentally ill, Smith said. “It’s a terminal placement and not a half-way house or a step-down program. There is no chance to recover your place in the community.”

After investigation, the DOJ issued a formal Letter of Findings in 2011 reporting that the state was not in compliance with the ADA, specifically that it “fail[ed] to provide services to individuals with mental illness in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.” It also stated that “[t]he State plans, structures, and administers its mental health service system to deliver services to thousands of persons with mental illness in large, segregated adult care homes” and “allocate[s] funding to serve individuals in adult care homes rather than in integrated settings.”

The state’s dilemma

For the past decade, the state has been downsizing state-run psychiatric hospitals, including Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, and shuttering county-level health agencies, all a response to the 1999 U.S. Supreme Court case, Olmstead v. L.C.. In its ruling, the Court held that under the ADA, individuals with disabilities had the right to receive care in their communities rather than being institutionalized in state mental hospitals. As mental healthcare began shifting quickly to privatization, the burden was suddenly placed onto families of the mentally ill to locate nearby facilities. It’s estimated that 6,400 formerly institutionalized patients were placed into adult care homes due to a lack of local healthcare facilities built to house patients.

Stories began to surface statewide about disorder, and even deaths, in adult care homes linked to mentally ill patients, and Disability Rights stepped in to investigate. The group found that hundreds of North Carolina’s adult care homes servicing displaced mentally ill patients were actually dangerous environments due to a lack of appropriately trained staff and treatment settings.

Disability Rights additionally published a report, “Trapped in a Fractured System: People with Mental Illness in Adult Care Homes,” which includes findings and recommendations shared with the DOJ.

In the near term, the agreement with the DOJ obligates the state to provide housing for at least 100 and up to 300 patients by July 1, 2013. These will be patients with serious mental illness or serious and persistent mental illness as defined by the government. The location of these community-based homes and selection process remain uncertain.

Changing of the guard

Some healthcare providers say they are hopeful the recent election will help spur more change, and faster change.

Ginger Gore, owner of Evergreen Behavioral Management based in Whiteville, says she is optimistic that newly elected officials will help providers of mental health services.

“We have a new governor,” she said. “I have a feeling that there is going to be a change with the doctors and with the state. I think it will be more positive."

Evergreen serves children and adults from all over the state with mental illness, physical illness, developmental disabilities and substance abuse, operating five facilities in Whiteville, Fayetteville, Lumberton, Laurinburg and Wilmington. “Every mentally ill person has the right to be treated,” Gore said. Unfortunately, for the last 12 years, the state has made providing this treatment complex, burdensome and unpredictable, she said.

“We have mountains of paperwork and rules change frequently,” she said. These burdens, and the unpredictability, are the principal reasons why one mental healthcare provider is closing its doors. Clean & Clear Evaluation & Treatment Service in Elizabethtown is shuttering in December, and owner Jackie Williams said her addiction treatment facility cannot “keep up with the changing rules and the amount of paperwork it takes to treat our patients.”

Williams said providers across the state are closing down because the government makes it too difficult to treat patients. It can take up to seven days to get the proper paperwork in place to treat a patient, she said, and many addiction patients don’t have seven days.

“They sometimes end up in the emergency room,” she said. Learn how to volunteer with Disability Rights North Carolina

Related Stories Dorothea Dix officially closes in Raleigh NC Proposes Plan to Move Mentally Ill from Adult Care Homes Video: Nursing Homes the New Home for Mentally-Ill

#mental illness #ADA #DOJ #North Carolina

Week 9: VP of Social Media

Position Overview

As the leader of all things social media, OurNewsroom.com will rely on you to manage our social media presence across a variety of channels and drive adoption internally. This position will report to the Chief Digital Officer.

You should feel comfortable in a fast-paced, newsroom environment and be ready to inspire news professionals to fully embrace social media.

Responsibilities

Build a team of social media specialists to create and manage social programs that strategically grow and cultivate the OurNewsroom.com audience.

Educate and inspire the OurNewsroom.com team to maximize benefits derived from social media tools within their purview and fully embrace it.

Be a social marketing expert, including expertise on social networks, blogging, vlogging, content sharing, user generated content and mobile marketing.

Develop a social media protocol for OurNewsroom.com news staff and lead training for new and existing staff members.

Outline key metrics and manage reporting for social media efforts using measurement tools such as Hootsuite.

Monitor OurNewsroom.com competitors and their social media efforts as well as provide analyses and next steps to management team.

Have a keen eye for trends and what’s to come in order to provide ongoing education to the OurNewsroom.com staff on the latest and greatest in social and digital media.

Requirements

At least 5 years of digital news, marketing and/or advertising management experience.

Experience managing social media channels for clients including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, Flickr, Vimeo.

Experience managing measurement tools as well as tools to monitor our brand in the social media environment.

Ability to clearly articulate the role that social media plays in a communication/marketing plan.

Experience managing and performing successfully in a deadline-driven environment.

Experience collaborating with various levels of management.

Up to date on both digital and social media trends and challenges as they relate to news organizations.

Week 9: OurNewsroom.com's Crowdsourcing Policy

All content on OurNewsroom.com is original and owned by us unless otherwise noted by citations stating the third-party source. It is our policy to ensure that:

A member of our staff has reached out to third-party sources to provide notice that we would like to use their content and provide credit.

Externally produced content is properly attributed.

Hyperlinks to the original sources are included whenever possible.

Any content submitted directly to OurNewsroom.com for publishing becomes the property of our site and can be reused as needed.

In turn, we expect those who wish to republish OurNewsroom.com’s content to cite us as the publisher and maintain our original content without editing text to change the meaning or cropping to remove our logo. Please visit our “About” section to download additional OurNewsroom.com logos. Quotes Direct quotes from third-party sources are placed in quotation marks and include the source. Hyperlinks are provided to the URL from which the quote was obtained. For example: “I had to dig deep in myself. My ankle was bothering me a little bit. I went down earlier in the game, and I just had to tough it through,” Giovani Bernard said, according to GoHeels.com. “That’s the type of player that I am.” Photos All photos will include a source (first and last name, site name or username) in the caption box. Videos All videos will include a source (first and last name, site name or username) in the lower thirds and contain an affiliation logo (i.e. ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, YouTube) whenever available.

Week 9: OurNewsroom.com Corrections Policy

OurNewsroom.com’s policy is to correct factual errors and provide clarification in a swift, upfront manner. Corrections Workflow Newsroom staff and online readers may request corrections and clarifications by emailing our editorial team at [email protected]. To ensure an expedited response, emails should include the title of the article in question as the email subject. Newsroom staff may call in emergency corrections and clarifications by dialing 919-821-0000.

Each week, a member of the editorial team will be “on call” to manage feedback emails and the emergency phone line per an annual calendar. On-call duty commences each Monday at 8:00 AM ET and includes weekends. Members of the editorial team may work together to swap on-call weeks as needed; however, any updates must be reflected in the editorial team calendar maintained in our shared online calendar.

All requests are assigned to the appropriate editor via our online ticketing system. The system will trigger an email to the appropriate editor. An acknowledgment and response to each request is required within 24 hours.

Once the update has been made or rejected, the responsible editor must close the ticket. For example, if a sports score was updated, the sports editor must close the ticket.

How to Address Corrections or Clarifications Minor errors such as spelling and punctuation may be corrected without adding notification to the body of the article. The article’s author and/or member of the editorial team must verify factual errors and/or clarifications. This may mean reviewing the author’s notes, sources, etc. If the error cannot be substantiated, changes may be deemed unnecessary. Upon verification, articles should be updated as described below.

Any update to an online article will automatically include an updated timestamp. This is controlled by our content management system (CMS) and will be reflected across our desktop and mobile sites.

Factual corrections and clarifications will be made in the body of the original article and noted at the end. If an article contains more than 3 significant errors, the author is required to add “Updated” to the title once the corrections are made. If the number of corrections and clarifications calls the overall veracity of the article into question, the editorial team will meet to discuss how to proceed. In extreme situations, they may deem it appropriate to replace the article with a retraction.

OurNewsRoom.com’s Corrections Page Our site includes a page outlining the submission process and key points surrounding our stance on corrections and clarifications. Our complete workflow is not necessary to share so only limited segments will be present on our website.

Week 8: Liveblogging Late Night with Roy 2012

Some people say that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. For Carolina fans, October 12 marks is a day we have anticipated since last spring.

I'll be showing my support for my alma mater and completing an assignment for one of my grad school courses by liveblogging the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's version of Midnight Madness known as Late Night with Roy.

Thousands will be present in the Dean Dome for this highly-anticipated event, and you can have a virtual front-row seat when you join me here for my liveblogging debut TONIGHT at 7 PM EST. The actual event starts at 7:30, but I'll be logging on early to get warmed up.

Watch Live GO HEELS!

RELATED STORIES The Daily Tar Heel: Late-night celebration

GoHeels.com: Late Night Set for Friday

Late Night with Roy

#LNWR12 #heels #coveritlive #UNC #MidnightMadness

Week 7: StepLeader iPad Apps Help Local News Providers Generate Revenue, Cater to Tablet Users

StepLeader and local media companies partner to deliver local news to millions of mobile users

Raleigh, N.C. (October 29, 2012) – Local news providers seeking a way to reach millions of iPad users can now call on StepLeader. A leading provider of mobile applications for innovative local TV stations and newspapers across the country, the company is offering an iPad app. StepLeader's iPad app template is designed to keep local news consumers up to date on the latest headlines, weather, traffic, sports, entertainment and more. While it has the same overall goal as the company’s apps for iPhone, iPod touch, Android and Kindle Fire, the design and functionality are exclusive to the iPad. This is the fourth iPad app template developed by StepLeader in the past two years. “In 2010, two TV station groups approached StepLeader to custom develop iPad apps for them based on our mobile app development expertise combined with their growing iPad traffic,” said Laura Worthington, StepLeader marketing manager. “We learned a great deal during those development cycles, and we’ve applied it the latest app templates.”

Tablet ownership is rising at a fast pace, and owners are increasingly accessing news on the devices.

Tablet sales, usage grow “The Future of Mobile News" report from Pew Research Center shows that 22 percent of U.S. adults own a tablet device, and that 23 percent of those who don’t have one plan to buy one in the next six months. A majority of tablet owners, 64 percent, say they access news on the device.

Tablet and smartphone owners use their respective devices differently which was a key reason StepLeader decided to create a unique experience for iPad users, Worthington said. Pew’s report noted that 73 percent of adults accessing news on tablets read in-depth articles at least sometimes, and that 19 percent do so daily.

Just over half of the tablet owners in the Pew study reported owning an iPad, and 48 percent reported owned Android tablets. Kindle Fire is the most popular Android tablet on the market, and StepLeader launched Kindle Fire apps in April.

Many of StepLeader's partners are in the integration process already and are expected to start launching their iPad apps in the first quarter of 2013. “The demand for news on the iPad is there, and many of our early adopter partners are taking advantage already,” said Worthington. StepLeader also has a team of experts in place to help partners monetize app traffic. The company offers hands-on training with partners and has included the ad team throughout the development cycles of the iPad app to maximize revenue opportunities. For an immediate impact, Stepleader’s ad team also provides direct ad deals, which means more revenue for partners.

The company has been helping local media partners monetize mobile since 2005, so they know that a simple display banner is not going to cut it anymore. The company additionally supports rich media and video ads.

Features and functionality StepLeader customizes each iPad app with the local content users know and love from their favorite local media company. Branding assets are integrated into each app as well. Other supported features include:

Live and on-demand video broadcasts

Breaking news alerts

Photo galleries

Commenting

Interactive radar

7-day and hourly forecasts

Customizable forecasts

Multiple radar views

Social sharing

Ready to learn more? StepLeader will hold a webinar to review the new iPad App and answer questions, on Monday, November 5 at 3 PM ET. Register for our webinar.

To schedule a private appointment immediately, contact StepLeader’s VP of Business Development Chris Hanburger at 919-573-9728 or [email protected].

To see a similar iPad app in action, see photos or watch a demo video of the recently launched WRAL iPad app.

About StepLeader Founded in 2005, StepLeader builds innovative digital solutions to help publishers and advertisers create new revenue opportunities in an ever-changing environment of mobile technology, Smart TV applications and more. StepLeader helps publishers create revenue opportunities across multiple mobile platforms and helps advertisers extend their reach to more consumers with the most trusted local content from the largest network of premium partners. The company has helped develop and launch more than 107 live mobile apps and serves more than 200 million ads monthly. StepLeader has a proven track record of delivering value for its more than 300 partners, including Scripps Television Station Group, Fox Television Stations, LIN Media, Morgan Murphy Media, and News-Press & Gazette Company (NPG).

CONTACT: Laura Worthington StepLeader Marketing Manager (919) 946-5389 Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lworthington Twitter: https://twitter.com/lbworthington

RELATED STORIES:

Got an iPad? Get our new WRAL News App

Scripps iPad Apps Get 3.0 Makeover

LIN Media Announces New and Enhanced iPad App

#iPad #StepLeader #Local TV #Local newspapers

Week 6: Audience Profile

The following profile is made with my current organization's publisher partners in mind.

Who will be reading the content?

Our publisher partners include a diverse group of roles in local media companies (mainly TV stations). These roles can be grouped broadly into the following categories:

Corporate management (VPs of Digital, CEOs, CFOs, etc.)

Local Management (typically a General Manager at the station level)

News Producers (content people)

Sales (General Sales Managers, Local Sales Managers, account executives, sales support, ad traffickers)

Technical (people managing traditional websites)

Purpose

The purpose of this particular digital content is to convey our thought leadership. We have many other pieces of information that we must consistently share; however, there is a big need to reinforce our mobile expertise to ensure that our partners continue to see value in our partnership.

Frequency

This is something that I generally struggle with. There is so much noise, and we already have to communicate with our partners on an operational level.

I will be taking a multi-channel approach to better ensure that our partners hear our message. I plan to do a survey in November to understand what channels work best for them.

Twitter: Multiple times per day

Blog: 2-3 times per week (focusing on Monday-Wednesday)

Email blast: At least 1 per week after the start of this campaign

Competition

Our biggest competition for our partners attention is noise. Our primary channel (email) tends to have a 10-25% open rate. We share important information regularly, but many of our partners miss it or forget that we've sent it.

Our actual competition includes traditional CMS providers, responsive web design and/or HTML 5, and three other vendors similar to us.

Style

I generally follow AP Style with some minor tweaks to fit our mobile lingo as needed.

Information Challenges (audience needs, organizational goals)

The audience needs:

Timely, relevant information

To grow their mobile expertise

Us to show them what the future will be like pertaining to mobile

The organization wants:

To improve customer satisfaction

To showcase our successes

To retain and grow our partnerships

The biggest challenges to meeting the needs of both groups is to understand how our partners want to receive the info. A good place to centralize much of this information, our internal partner site, is not designed to contain this communication.

Overcoming Challenges

For our immediate needs, I am going to try the multi-channel approach to cover all bases. This is a lot of work for a two person team, so it's likely not the long-term solution.

I plan to include some preferences on communication in an upcoming survey.

The partner site is scheduled to undergo a facelift starting in Q4 through Q1. I'm planning to be involved in the discussions to ensure that we have a place to communicate with partners.

Week 5: Updated Headline

Previous Headline: On the Heels of Greatness

Updated Headline: UNC Grad Student Motivated by Grandmother's Achievements

Week 5: Creating Headlines for Specificity

Season-Ending Knee Injury Doesn’t Deter Yankee’s Rivera

Yankee’s Closer Remains Optimistic After Injury

“I’m not going down like this”: New York Yankee’s Rivera to Attempt Post-Injury Comeback

Week 5: Improving online readability with lists

Headline: 82pc of US iPhone users plan to upgrade to iPhone 5: study

Source: mobilemarketer.com, Sept. 21, 2012, http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/research/13831.html AFTER Update on mobile The Mojiva study includes findings from iPhone users in the U.S. (1,000) and Britain (947). The study looked at the length of iPhone ownership, device type and intent to upgrade to iPhone 5.

Owned device for less than six months

U.S.: 42 percent

Britain: 52 percent

First-generation users

U.S.: 9 percent

Britain: 16 percent

Planning to upgrade

U.S.: 70 percent

Britain: 69 percent

Planning to upgrade (own both iPhone and iPad)

U.S.: 81 percent

Britain: 78 percent

If reviews of the new phone are positive, 89 percent of both groups plan to purchase, showing the strong loyalty that Apple has developed with its consumers. ----------------------------------------------------------------

BEFORE Update on mobile The Mojiva study includes findings from 1,000 iPhone users in the U.S and 947 British users.

The study looked at how long iPhone users in both areas have owned their devices.

For example, 42 percent of consumers in the U.S. have owned their smartphone for less than six months. In Britain, 52 percent of users have owned an iPhone for less than six months.

Sixteen percent of iPhone owners in Britain were first-generation iPhone users. Nine percent of consumers in the U.S. owned a first-generation device.

Additionally, 70 percent of current iPhone owners in the U.S. and 69 percent in Britain plan to upgrade to an iPhone 5 device. If reviews of the new phone are positive, 89 percent of both groups plan to purchase, showing the strong loyalty that Apple has developed with its consumers.

The intent to purchase an iPhone 5 jumps even more with current iPhone users that also have an iPad. Eighty-one percent of U.S. consumers who own both an iPhone and iPad plan to buy an iPhone 5. Seventy-eight percent of British consumers with both devices say the same.

Week 5: Poor Headlines Used as Hyperlinks

I. Headlines:

2 charged in break-in at NC home of dead toddler

Two charged with breaking into home of family at funeral for dead child

Arrest made in drowned toddler’s home break-in

Arrest made in grieving family home break in; accused of burning baby's angel ornament, other items

Problem: I saw this story a couple of times on different sites today, so I decided to see if anyone created a good headline. It’s a complicated concept to try and squeeze into one headline. Each example is unclear and somewhat confusing to me.

How does a dead toddler have a home? Why is the toddler dead? Did the 2 people charged kill the toddler? Did they find a dead baby? I also find “dead toddler” to be in poor taste. I think you also have to spell out a number if it begins a sentence according to AP style.

This works a little better but it’s still awkward.

Again, I find this awkward. If you didn’t know the story of the drowned toddler, this would be a perplexing headline.

This actually is not too bad, but it’s a lot of info for a headline.

Solution: Pair Arrested, Drowned NC Toddler’s Home Broken Into During Funeral

Sources:

WBTW.com, Sept. 21, 2012, http://www2.wbtw.com/news/2012/sep/21/2-charged-break-nc-home-dead-toddler-ar-4597809/

SalisburyPost.com, Sept. 21, 2012, http://www.salisburypost.com/Crime/092112-WEB-Arrest-made

TheTimesNews.com, Sept. 21, 2012, http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/dead-59221-faith-family.html

WBTV.com, Sept. 21, 2012, http://salisbury.wbtv.com/news/crime/75353-arrest-made-grieving-family-home-break-accused-burning-babys-angel-ornament-other-items

II. Headline: Autopsy to determine cause of death Problem: Vague and redundant. Solution: Robeson County Police Investigate Potential Murder in Maxton Source: therobesonian.com, Sept. 20, 2012, http://www.robesonian.com/view/full_story/20202378/article-Autopsy-to-determine-cause-of-death?

III. Headline: Female Soldier Ambushed by Baby At Afghan Base

Problem: This is misleading headline. A baby did not attack a soldier. Solution: British Solider Gives Birth on Afghan Frontline Source: ABCnews.go.com, Sept. 20, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/09/female-soldier-ambushed-by-baby-at-afghan-base/

Week 4: UNC Grad Student Motivated by Grandmother’s Achievements

Chadbourn native finds inspiration within the walls of her grandparents' home

By Laura Worthington

"Once-a-punce a time,” she always began my bedtime stories. Smelling of Ivory soap and shampoo, I nestled deep into the bed’s cool, white sheets. I lay clutching the edge of the thin top sheet, staring up at my grandmother in her nightgown. Her gown was well loved, yellowed and I could barely make out its pastel flowers.

I practically held my breath preparing for the sheer genius of her story. Every imaginative word my grandmother spoke kindled the creative fire intensifying in my young, impressionable brain. Night after night, she told the story of a little girl named Laura (this happens to be both of our names) and her many adventures.  

“…and then what happened?” she prodded me to continue the story. My imagination unfurled, unaware that I was already honing my storytelling skills. With a kiss and a hug, my heavy eyelids fluttered shut and another wonderful day with the world’s greatest grandmother came to a close. A childhood hideaway As a child growing up along the outskirts of the southeastern North Carolina town of Chadbourn, I spent much of my time with my paternal grandparents, John “Milton” and Laura “Eugenia” Blake. Milton was raised in Chadbourn and my grandmother, also known as Genie, was raised in Chinquapin, N.C.

  Their home, hidden among dogwood and longleaf pine trees, has always reminded me of something you’d read about in a storybook. Like my grandmother’s nightgown, each brick in the two-story home cannot conceal its age, but every imperfection adds to its charm. Visiting my grandparents often served as my respite from my home just across the pasture dotted by my grandfather’s Hackney horses.  

While every inch of the property has an interesting story to go along with it, those are stories for another time. Today, I want to focus on the inside of their home, as it shaped me in ways I am just beginning to realize.  

The house that shaped me Opening the back door of the home, the remnants of a decadent southern meal hit your nostrils with great intensity. The comforting scent of my grandmother’s homemade biscuits, fresh vegetables like collards or field peas, and fried chicken seem to always linger well after your meals. The stacks of magazines and books signal that you are in the home of two people that greatly value learning. The trinkets from their travels across the country and Europe are scattered about, juxtaposed against family heirlooms. Your eyes are kept busy trying to absorb everything.   

One of my favorite rooms in the house used to appear quite fantastical to me as a child. It’s an old recreation room that is so packed full of my grandparents things that you can barely move. My grandmother’s organ is in one corner. Beside it, homemade pickles sit on shelves in Mason jars filled with brine. You might spot the glittery motorcycle helmet or snare drum belonging to my uncle or my grandfather’s U.S. Navy Seabees uniform pressed in a frame. The hundreds of books lining the walls of the room are the room’s most overwhelming feature. My grandmother is a retired educator, so many of the books are about teaching or old textbooks on almost any subject. Classics, cookbooks and children’s books line shelves that go up and meet the ceiling. This one room represents achievement, and it reinforces the importance of knowledge.  

Walking down the hall to the formal living room as a child, I would stand and stare at the pretty pieces of paper framed behind a “Carolina blue” mat. As I learned to read, I realized my grandmother attended the same college as my mother and father—the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A huge record player with built-in speakers sits on the opposite wall. My grandmother and I would play The Sound of Music album on repeat. Sounds of the University’s Clef-Hangers, an all-male a cappella group, also wafted down the hallway many days.   

Entering the formal living room, the floor is covered by a large burgundy Oriental rug. All of the furniture is antique, passed down in my grandmother and grandfather’s families. My grandmother’s piano sits in a corner along with stacks of sheet music. The room is where my love for music originated. As a baby, I would sit on my grandmother’s lap while she played the “pee-no.” Be it Christmas music, classical or a show tune, I loved it all. I also remember sitting beside her on the piano bench as a child with my tiny hands on top of her long, spindly fingers as she played. Unfortunately, I never learned how to play the piano beyond a few basic songs, and my hands remain abnormally small.  

Dr. Grandma An oil painting hangs on the wall near the piano. A striking young woman sporting a black robe and cap with a gold tassel stares off to the right. My grandfather caught me staring at it one day, and he whispered to me that it was my grandmother. I was stunned by the fact that my grandmother was in a painting.  

“THAT’S my grandma? Why is she wearing that outfit?” I asked.  “She graduated from UNC, and now she is a doctor,” he explained.

  I knew she wasn’t a medical doctor, so I started putting together all of the evidence. The papers in the hallways suddenly became her diplomas. Even though I thought it many times before, I finally had proof that Genie Blake was the greatest grandmother in the world.  

Inspired to achieve After earning my bachelor’s degree from UNC, fulfilling a goal set early in my childhood, I have often wondered how I would have turned out had I lived far away from my grandparents. Don’t get me wrong; my parents are great. I love and respect them tremendously. I just don’t know that I would have pushed myself so hard in school had it not been for my grandmother’s many academic achievements. I likely would have lacked focus and purpose, like many other children in our small town. I probably have quit band in high school when it became “uncool.” Instead, I used memories from my childhood and the success my grandmother achieved to drive my own success. I cannot say “thank you” enough.

The author is a 2003 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication and was a Marching Tar Heel all four years. She recently found her way back to Chadbourn and UNC. She is pursuing a Master’s in Technology and Communication.

Milton and Genie Blake continue to live in their two-story brick home in Chadbourn, filled with many artifacts and, of course, homemade pickles.

#Chadbourn #UNC #Childhood #Growing Up #Tar Heel #The South #Grandmother

Week 2: On the Heels of Greatness

Abstract: My post describes the interior of my grandmother and grandfather’s home in Chadbourn, North Carolina. Focused on the impact of the physical contents as well as the people who lived there, the story attempts to encapsulate how they uniquely shaped me into the woman I am today. Audience: Our State Magazine, "North Carolina's premier statewide magazine devoted to travel, history, people and places"

Tags: Chadbourn, North Carolina, UNC, Childhood, Growing Up, The South, Tar Heel

“Once-a-punce a time,” she always began my bedtime stories. Smelling of Ivory soap and shampoo, I nestled deep into the bed’s cool, white sheets. I lay clutching the edge of the thin top sheet, staring up at my grandmother in her nightgown. Her gown was well loved, yellowed and I could barely make out its pastel flowers. I practically held my breath preparing for the sheer genius of her story. Every imaginative word my grandmother spoke kindled the creative fire intensifying in my young, impressionable brain. Night after night, she told the story of a little girl named Laura (this happens to be both of our names) and her many adventures. “…and then what happened?” she prodded me to continue the story. My imagination unfurled, unaware that I was already honing my storytelling skills. With a kiss and a hug, my heavy eyelids fluttered shut and another wonderful day with the world’s greatest grandmother came to a close. As a child growing up along the outskirts of the southeastern North Carolina town of Chadbourn, I spent much of my time with my paternal grandparents, John “Milton” and Laura “Eugenia” Blake. Milton was raised in Chadbourn and my grandmother, also known as Genie, was raised in Chinquapin, N.C. Their home, hidden among dogwood and longleaf pine trees, has always reminded me of something you’d read about in a storybook. Like my grandmother’s nightgown, each brick in the two-story home cannot conceal its age, but every imperfection adds to its charm. Visiting my grandparents often served as my respite from my home just across the pasture dotted by my grandfather’s Hackney horses. While every inch of the property has an interesting story to go along with it, those are stories for another time. Today, I want to focus on the inside of their home, as it shaped me in ways I am just beginning to realize. Opening the back door of the home, the remnants of a decadent southern meal hit your nostrils with great intensity. The comforting scent of my grandmother’s homemade biscuits, fresh vegetables like collards or field peas and fried chicken seem to always linger well after our meals. The stacks of magazines and books signal that you are in the home of two people that greatly value learning. The trinkets from their travels across the country and Europe add another layer and keep your eyes busy trying to absorb everything. One of my favorite rooms in the house used to appear quite fantastical to me as a child. It’s an old recreation room that is so packed full of my grandparents things that you can barely move. My grandmother’s organ is in one corner. Beside it, homemade pickles sit on shelves in Mason jars filled with brine. You might spot the glittery motorcycle helmet or snare drum belonging to my uncle or my grandfather’s U.S. Navy Seabees uniform pressed in a frame. The hundreds of books lining the walls of the room are the room’s most overwhelming feature. My grandmother is a retired educator, so many of the books are about teaching or old textbooks in almost any subject. Classics, cookbooks and children’s books line shelves that go up and meet the ceiling. This one room represents achievement, and it reinforces the importance of knowledge. Walking down the hall to the formal living room as a child, I would stand and stare at the pretty pieces of paper framed behind a “Carolina blue” mat. As I learned to read, I realized my grandmother attended the same college as my mother and father—the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A huge record player with built-in speakers sits on the opposite wall. My grandmother and I would play The Sound of Music album on repeat. The University’s Clef-Hangers, an all-male a cappella group, also wafted down the hallway many days. Entering the formal living room, the floor is covered by a large burgundy Oriental rug. All of the furniture is antique, passed down from my grandmother and grandfather’s families. My grandmother’s piano sits in a corner along with stacks of sheet music. The room is where my love for music originated. As a baby, I would sit on my grandmother’s lap while she played the “pee-no.” Be it Christmas music, classical or a show tune, I loved it all. I also remember sitting beside her on the piano bench as a child with my tiny hands on top of her long, spindly fingers as she played. Unfortunately, I never learned how to play the piano beyond a few basic songs and my hands remain abnormally small. An oil painting hangs on the wall near the piano. A striking young woman sporting a black robe and cap with a gold tassel stares off to the right. My grandfather caught me staring at it one day, and he whispered to me that it was my grandmother. I was stunned by the fact that my grandmother was in a painting. “THAT’S my grandma? Why is she wearing that outfit?” I asked. “She graduated from UNC, and now she is a doctor,” he explained. I knew she wasn’t a medical doctor, so I started putting together all of the evidence. The papers in the hallways suddenly became her diplomas. Even though I thought it many times before, I finally had proof that Genie Blake was the greatest grandmother in the world. After earning my bachelor’s degree from UNC, fulfilling a goal set early in my childhood, I have often wondered how I would have turned out had I lived far away from my grandparents. Don’t get me wrong; my parents are great. I love and respect them tremendously. I just don’t know that I would have pushed myself so hard in school had it not been for my grandmother’s many academic achievements. I likely would have lacked focus and purpose like many other children in our small town. I probably have quit band in high school when it became “uncool.” Instead, I used memories from my childhood and the success my grandmother achieved to drive my own success. I cannot say “thank you” enough.

Milton and Genie Blake continue to live in their two-story brick home in Chadbourn, filled with many artifacts and, of course, homemade pickles.

#Chadbourn #North Carolina #UNC #Childhood #Growing Up #The South #Tar Heel

A Cheap Cliche

Yes, I drank the Kool-Aid. I believed you were the cat’s meow. They told me all that glitters is not gold. Well, it’s clear as a bell to me now. So, you’ve got an axe to grind. Surprise! You’re chip off the old block who’s too busy to take stock of the fact that this fight is dumber than a box of rocks.

With words that cut like a knife you’ve dug yourself into a hole. You crossed the line! Is your heart as black as coal?

But thanks for reminding me that loose lips sink ships that pass in the night. Just save the drama for your mama because two wrongs don’t make a right.

You took your gloves off and claimed that I don’t know you from Adam. Touché! If your actions start to take a toll on you remember It boils down to a friendship annihilated by a cheap cliché.

Author's Note: This poem works much more efficiently when performed as a classic country song.

#cliches

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