Jasmine Fleming Posts

Hola tumblrverse. I'm Jasmine Fleming, the Online Editor for the University of North Alabama's campus newspaper, The Flor-Ala. I take national and international news and bring it home. For more online news, visit florala.net. 

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A Letter To Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church

A terrorist has attacked your place of worship, but you are strong enough to overcome.

A Letter To Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church

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Five Ways Small Town Life Prepares Us To Be Awesome Adults

Growing up in the middle of nowhere taught me important values.

Five Ways Small Town Life Prepares Us To Be Awesome Adults

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CMA Conference session - Social Media Tools

Last semester, I had the opportunity to go to the CMA fall conference in Philidelphia, PA. These are my notes from one of the most amazing sessions I went to.

In this session, taught by Andy Dehnart of realityblurred.com, gave a list of websites intended to help the digital side of any newspaper be successful. Here's the list:

What to write about.

Google Trends. Google Trends lets you see what people are talking, thinking, and writing about, as well as what they are searching and comparing. It's a great way to find story ideas.

Title Maker. Title maker lets you input a subject, and it generates Buzzfeed-like titles. When you put in a broad subject, those titles can generate interesting story ideas.

Latist.is. This site shows you links that are trending on twitter, and it's pretty awesome.

Klout. Klout also generates popular topics, but it finds the ones near you.

IFTTT. In the session, IFTTT was said to be an electronic personal assistant. You can set it to inform you when news related to any set topics occur. This is similar to Google Alerts.

Enhancing your work.

Canva. Canva lets you make design pages and is an alternative to InDesign.

Photovisi. This is lets you create photo collages from Instagram pictures. The speaker suggested putting multiple pictures into collages because photo galleries can be annoying or tedious.

PicMonkey. This is supposed to be an easier/more interactive version of Photovisi. It is supposed to work well with PhotoShop or PS files.

Easelly. You can use this site to make inforgraphics. There are really cool templates ready to use.

Recite. If you want to make a quote look awesome, use Recite. This can be a great tool to use when promoting a story. You can use a quote on an interesting template to spark a readers' interest.

Over. Over lets you easily add text to pictures.

Edit yourself.

After The Deadline. You can use this site to spell check, grammar check, and style check.

Hemingway App. You can use this to analyze style. It heavily analyzes context, which is important.

Post at the right time.

Buffer App. Buffer App lets you shcedule posts for your pages.

Tweriod. THIS IS THE ONE I CANNOT WAIT TO TRY OUT! You can see when the best time to tweet is, based off you and your followers' tweeting. 

CoSchedule. You can control when you post from your WordPress blog. I'm not entirely sure why you would want to, but if you sue WordPress, I suggest you try it out. 

Analyze what you're doing. (Note: the speaker said not to focus too much on this part.)

Bitly. Like goo.gl, you can get short links for social media posting with restrictive word counts. The details of the short links are a little more in-depth than Google's version. 

SEMrush. If you have a competitor, you can compare your news site to theirs. You can also compare your site to sites you wish to be like. (NOTE: I think there is a charge to use this site.)

ThinkUP. Another Facebook/Twitter analytics site. There's a 2 week free trial, followed by a $5 monthly charge. 

After he gave his master list of sites, the speaker gave general tips for social media and news sites.

1. Be purposeful in content in every step of the way. Make sure you do not post for the sake of posting. People should learn what you share.

2. Shut down automated fees when breaking news happens (like Tweet Deck or Facebook). It can be interpreted as insensitive if unrelated posts go out.

3. Look to see when your audience is active, and post to them then.

4. You should share other news sites at least once a week. It proves that you value your leaders and want them to know news as soon as possible, and being afraid to do so might make you seem insecure. The speaker suggested sharing breaking news from one site until you get your brief up.

There's so many great links, and I think can really help any news organization's online presence grow. 

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Facebook adds restrictions to page promotional posts

According to Business Insider, 83 percent of 18-29 year-olds are on Facebook, but their time spend on the site will soon include less promotional content.

Users will see less promotional posts from brands or companies on their News Feeds beginning January 2015, meaning less ad-like information for them to scroll through, the company announced Nov. 14.

“Many of Facebook’s users have become frustrated with both the quantity and the quality of the promotional posts being shoved at them on a regular basis,” said Trey Edwards, social media specialist and owner of Victory Political Social Media in Florence, Alabama. “Facebook has always done a great job of responding to its users’ feedback, and this is another great example of them doing so.”

According to hundreds of thousands of surveyed users, organic posts from companies that ask them to buy a product or install an app, enter a promotion or sweepstakes with no context and show them ad-like information in their posts seem too promotional, Facebook’s newsroom announced.

By using new volume and content controls for these posts, Facebook will allow users to see more of the information they want from the pages.

“The idea is to increase the relevance and quality of the overall stories – including page posts – people see in their News Feeds,” the company said. “This change is about giving people the best Facebook experience possible and being responsive to what they have told us.”

The company also said Facebook pages that normally post promotional content should expect distribution of those posts to decrease over time.

University of North Alabama sophomore Ashley Southard said social media users should expect to see promotional posts from companies they follow.

“You know what you’re getting into when you choose to follow a page,” she said. “Advertising through their pages is a way for companies to spread awareness themselves. If you don’t like what a company posts, you can always unfollow them.”

Although the company is taking a step in the right direction, promotional content should not be Facebook’s main concern, Edwards said. Facebook’s largest demographic, the 18 – 24 year-olds, is slowing leaving the sight, and Facebook should attempt to solve that issue, he said.

“The real problem Facebook is having is that it isn’t popular anymore, and it isn’t new or revolutionary,” he said.

Edwards said the millennial generation is very individualistic and puts a high value on exclusivity. Facebook has lost this characteristic, he said, since the days when a Harvard.edu address was required to sign up.

“Everybody is on Facebook,” Edwards said. “Therefore, the cool people don’t want to be.”

Veronica Lewis, a University of North Alabama student, disagrees.

“I think millennials still use Facebook, even if our parents are on it,” she said. “Facebook is still something people have for validation of their coolness. Even though we use it for business more than pleasure, it is still a necessity.”

Image courtesy of phys.org.

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By student Blogger Anna Kate Tippett

This May, I was lucky enough visit the United Kingdom with my grandmother. Our journey began in England and also took us to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales. The trip was incredible and filled with amazing experiences.

London, England...

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Check out the latest post on Campus Culture, the official blog of The Flor-Ala at UNA!

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Multiple rape cases in India make recent headlines

During this month, I have seen a lot of headlines concerning rapes that have occurred in India. The last three have been the most shocking, and I think they need to be addressed. Although there are many cases of rape here in the U.S., the difference between those cases and the many happening in India is the fact that the Indian cases involve governmental decisions allowing them to occur. That is why they are hugely problematic; a government that will not protect it's people is one that should be redesigned. 

The first story that caught my attention occurred in Swang Gulgulia Dhoura, India, where a thirteen-year-old female was raped as punishment for a crime committed by her brother. According to an article in the New York Times, the girl's brother went to the hut of a married woman who happened to be the daughter of the headman. Allegedly, the headman then gave permission to the woman's husband to rape the boy's sister as an eye-for-an-eye style punishment. The woman's husband was seen dragging the girl through the village by her hair, taking her to the nearby woods, and raping her, where he left her. No one stood up for the girl or tried to stop her attacker because they did not want punishments doled out to them as well. What's more, the article also says the girl was screaming at those around her to help her while she was being dragged away. 

One of the worst things about the case to me is that the girl was not considered her own person, only collateral damage to the crime of her male relative. It's as if she is considered property and not human; she did nothing wrong, and yet this disgusting crime that in no way should be considered a justifiable sentence for anyone was given to her. The article also lists cases where a woman was raped as punishment for the rapes of her male relatives and another woman was sentenced to multiple rapes after being caught having sex with a married man (although no punishment was listed for the man). 

The only good thing that comes from this story is that the larger governmental powers have stepped in and are investigating the case, and guards are now with the family. The government is saying this is not acceptable and are going to keep punishments like these from being handed down. There have also been gifts of food given to them to help them through this time. 

Another story that made headlines this week isn't about a recent case. Instead, this New York Times article focuses on the inhumanity of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. This act "gives blanket immunity from prosecution in civilian courts to Indian soldiers for all crimes, including rape." The articles questions the lack of response to a case over a decade ago where soldiers kidnapped and brutally raped a woman, and then disfigured her body so that a rape test could not be performed on her. The sad part is that no one has been charged for this, and because of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, no one ever will. Even though there have been protests and much opposition of the Act, there has been no move to amend or demolish it. 

The third case comes from Bangladore, India, where according to USA Today, a six-year-old girl was raped by a security guard and a gym teacher. There has been outrage over the fact that, even after it was formally reported, there have still been no arrests almost a week later. Although that might not seem like a long time, the family was promised arrests by the next day, and the date keeps getting pushed forward. People are frightened to take their kids to school because they don't know if they'll be safe, and they are angry that nothing is being done.

Although the last case was unlike the other two because it was actually considered illegal, the problem is that there is either inaction or action that comes to late for these women and girls in India. It makes me think about how here in the U.S., women are scared to even report rapes because they don't want to be shamed at the risk of no one being prosecuted or them somehow being blamed for crimes committed against them. It also makes me consider the 1 in 5 women who will be sexually assaulted in college, and the women who will report these assaults who will be given the run-around and no justice. We need to get out of this rape culture, both here and in other cultures where invading someone's body and destroying their world can not only be legal, but also used to compensate for the actions of others. 

Cover photo courtesy of Pakistan Today. Photo two courtesy of thestar.com.

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Washington begins legal sell of marijuana

                           As of Tuesday July 8, Washington became the second state to sell marijuana in stores where licensed individuals over the age of 21 can purchase marijuana recreationally. Although it's still illegal in the national government's book to buy, sell or cultivate marijuana, they have made it possible for each state to make the decision for themselves. 

Washington has a small number of stores throughout the state, and supplies were limited due to the emerging stores getting the OK to cultivate all too recently. Still, sales were successful and customers left satisfied -- except for one guy.

Mike Boyer, who was televised as being the first person to buy legal marijuana in Washington, was given a drug test the next day at work and fired. Later, Boyer was offered his job back because his employer, TrueBlue, claimed their policy only said you couldn't come to work high and since he had taken the day off, they wouldn't punish him for that. 

I'm glad that Boyer's employer revisited their policy and that so many people were able to successfully participate in the vision of this historic change in legislation. For the record, I am pro-legalization of marijuana, and I reached this decision after a story I wrote for The Flor-Ala. 

The story focused on Carly's law, the first marijuana law passed in the state of Alabama. Although it only focused on CBD oil and it's medical uses for epilepsy treatment, it was still the first law associated with marijuana to be passed in this state. One of the people I got to interview for the story was Mitch Earleywine, the chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana laws (NORML). After talking to Mr. Earleywine and exploring NORML's site, I realized how unfair criminalization of marijuana is and how it isn't as harmful as people like to think. Instead of telling you why marijuana isn't Satan, I encourage you to do your research and learn as much as you can about it before forming an opinion. I also hope, but am not holding my breath, for the state of Alabama to consider following in Washington's footsteps. 

Graphic courtesy of prevention-smart.org/. 

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Fast food giants fall to smaller chains, report says

As it's July Fourth, majority of us Americans will likely be chowing down on grilled burgers and ribs, potato salad, baked beans, and so on (or at least  I will be). Even for the next few days, leftovers can be enjoyed for breakfast lunch and dinner, and even for the return to work or summer classes on Monday. However, once we leave this delicious dream-like state,  we are faced with what can be a stark reality -- fast food. 

As a college student or a working adult (or a combination of the two), buying and consuming fast food can be a never-ending cycle of temporary satisfaction due to low prices and sudden disappointment caused by food quality. However, people are no longer standing idly by why they receive sub par food and poor customer service toppled with unsanitary environments. Restaurant giants such as McDonald's were recently put on notice by the June 2 findings of consumerreports.org's survey-decided rankings of fast food chains in the country separated categorically into burgers, sandwiches, chicken and burritos.

  According to the list, the burger category is topped by smaller and primarily southwestern chains, such as The Habit Burger Grill and In-N-Out Burger. More familiar chains, like McDonald's, Burger Kind and Sonic round off the back of the list. Similar trends of the underdogs winning out on customer satisfaction is seen on every other list as well. Sandwich giant Subway was second to last, while Portillo's Hot Dogs, serving Chicago-styled food, topped the list. In the chicken category, KFC was considered the least favorite, and Chick-fil-A rang supreme. Finally, with the burrito category, our all too familiar budgeting favorite, Taco Bell, came in last with Chipotle, or what I refer to as the Subway of Mexican Food, pulled out first place. 

I think the biggest conclusion that can be reached from this is that people are starting to care less about name brands and more about quality. Consumers are saying enough is enough when it comes to bland food, and just because it's cheap, doesn't mean it's edible. People are concerned now more than ever before financially, and no one wants to waste money on food they can get better elsewhere. 

I would also, however, like to point out that I don't believe these findings will mean much in the way of changing consumer habits in a large way. As long as students are struggling to pay tuition and adults are trying to make ends meet while making mortgage payments, the 89 cent taco will always provide a reprieve. I believe that fast food giants who received a less favorable position on these lists might make some visible changes by introducing new menu items or encouraging their staffs to make the food a little prettier, but they understand the struggles of millions of Americans to be financially stable and they know continuing to sell relatively cheap food is key. As a previous Chick-fil-A employee at UNA, I know that my fellow team members and myself were taught a lot of rules about courteousness and professionalism. I know that I was taught a step by step method to making beautiful sandwiches and salads, and I know that Chick-fil-A restaurants in general are leaders in customer service and delicious food. But I also know that I have sold a seven dollar combo many a  customer, and there are only so many times people can pay that much for their fast food. 

Logo compilation courtesy of www.reluctantchauffeur.com. Chart courtesy of consumerreports.org. 

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It's not news, but here's a little promotion for my university (and the honors program and The Flor-Ala)! 

*I would like to apologize for the accent. I never realized I had one.

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Supreme Court deems abortion clinic buffer zones unconstitutional

On Thursday, June 26, the Supreme Court put patient safety on the back burner when they ruled buffer zones for protesters at abortion clinics to be unconstitutional. According the ruling, buffer zones, such as the 35 feet buffer zones in Massachusetts, restrict protesters' first amendment rights. In case it's been a while since you studied U.S. history, here is what the first amendment says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances (law.cornell.edu). 

The buffer zones, which were put into place to protect clients at clinics from harassment or violence supposedly keep the people from assembling peacefully, although they were still allowed to assemble past the 35 feet limit. These laws came in response to the murder of two and injuries of 5 of both employees and visitors of abortion clinics in Boston in 1994. Although there have been other attacks on abortion clinics, this was the worst of it's kind to date. 

Although this ruling might seem grim, a silver lining might be visible in the fact that the Supreme Court seems to be in support of keeping the clinics safe by saying, according to a Huffington Post article, that "states should first use more narrow measures, such as having police officers instruct protesters to move aside and allow a patient to pass." Ironically, this article points our the decision was made from the Supreme Court's own buffer zone of 98 feet. 

I do appreciate the Supreme Court for providing alternative measures and encouraging the states to come up with more specific laws they can approve. It shows that they do want protective legislation for abortion clinics, and that is a starting point. Although it's not exactly a perfect decision, the Supreme Court is showing they are willing to work with the states that come up with better laws that aren't (supposedly) unconstitutional. 

I would also like to point out that here in the North Alabama area, as reported by The Flor-Ala's Life Editor Mari Williams, the only abortion clinic (located in Huntsville, Al) is set to surrender it's licence on June 30. Although the nearby communities will be losing a huge asset in terms of nearby medical facilities, and  although I also don't know whether there were established buffer zones for The Alabama Women’s Center for Reproductive Alternatives in Huntsville, I can say that I am glad they will not have the opportunity to be subjected to the cruelty and violence legislative changes like this can now allow to happen. 

Photo courtesy of k2radio.com. 

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10 posts!

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Aspiring model pays for plastic surgeries with student loans

"Wanna be on top?" This famous line opened what used to be one of the most popular TV shows in the country: America's next top model. Through it we saw the desperation some young woman have to become models by doing whatever it takes. An aspiring British model recently made headlines for doing just that – at the cost of her education (literally).

Katerina Christodoulou, a 21-year-old graduate at the University of Essex, took out 17,000 dollars in student loans while pursuing her degree in English. Instead of spending the money on it's intended purpose – tuition, room and board, school supplies or even food – Katerina spent her loans on extensive plastic surgery. She had work done on her stomach, thighs and breasts, and is considering a surgery to reduce the size of her nose. According to an article in New York Daily News, Katerina made the decision after having the thought, “why not make myself happy now,” rather than later in life.

I'll tell you why, Katerina: Because student loans aren't meant to make a student happy. They are intended for the sole purpose of helping a student graduate college who cannot produce the necessary funds on his or her own. Student loans are no joke, and the debt they can produce has drowned many college students already and will continue to do so for as long as student loans exist.

Luckily for Katerina, student loans don't work the same way in Britain as they do in the U.S. A student has to earn a yearly income of at least 21,000 dollars to even begin paying off loans. Whatever is not payed in 25 to 30 years, depending on the student's location, is no longer the responsibility of the student and becomes a burden to tax payers.

I honestly hope Katerina's modeling career takes off so she can pay off her nose – I mean loans. I hope she does not add more debt to her country simply to be “happy now.” I sincerely hope she makes better choices in life, like only buying things she can afford and using resources for their intended purposes. But with no negative repercussions for her actions, will she? One can only hope. 

Photo courtesy of nydaileynews.com. 

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Here's an interesting post by The Flor-Ala's Sports Editor Dustin Pollard on possible competition in the companies that keep the NBA hydrated! 

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Check out this post by The Flor-Ala's Life Editor Mari Williams on how to help others without leaving your seat!

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I think we've all seen a snippet of this story somewhere. Take the time to read it, if you please. It's a tearjerker, but having all the facts lets you know that something indeed has to be done so that no one reaches the level of desperation Shanesha Taylor was at to make such a painful decision with such a painful outcome. 

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College campuses create trend in new housing

Ah, dorm life. A student's experience in dorms, or residence halls, can either be delightful or disastrous. But amidst going to classes and studying, spending time with friends and family and being involved in activities, how much does the place where you sleep at night really matter?

Apparently a lot.

Colleges all over the country are creating new dorms in a current student housing boom with the hope of encouraging more students to consider attending their institutions. A total of 52 universities have opened or will open new housing between 2013 and 2014, and the goal is for them to be more modern than their predecessors. Unlike the horror stories told to students by their parents and grandparents of their dorm days, students now have higher expectations for their living conditions. WIFI, computer access and a clean place to shower are no longer exceptions, but norms.

Another reason for the housing boom, and a way campuses are getting more students in the dorms, is a live-on mandate, which usually requires all freshman to live in campus housing (with certain exceptions). The reason for this is because it provides more money for the universities while simultaneously providing an opportunity for students to experience housing for themselves. If students like their living conditions for their freshman year, they are probably more likely to continue living on campus in consecutive years.

The University of North Alabama, not to be left out of the trend, also has a plan to build two new residence halls – one to be completed by fall of 2015, and the other by spring 2016. At the completion of the first hall, a freshman live-on mandate will go into effect.

As a student who just finished my freshman year at UNA, and who took a very long time to decide where to go to college, I can honestly say I'm glad I didn't let the residence halls at UNA scare me away. When it came down to two universities for me, the other choice had private showers for each two conjoined rooms, and I really felt like that was necessary for me. After seeing the community showers in a tour at UNA, I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it.

Then I arrived on campus. I stayed in an all-female residence hall, and I was very pleased with where I lived. There were community showers, but they weren't bad at all, and I got to know our custodial staff, who kept the residence halls spotless, by name. I had WIFI, which was really awesome because I hadn't had that at home, as well as computers, a water machine and a pretty awesome movie room. I realized how glad I was that I didn't let the bathrooms scare me off, because I would have missed out on so much at UNA (like blogging for you as The Flor-Ala's online editor!).

My point is this: universities might be placing a large significance on campus housing, but it doesn't mean you have to. You go to college to get an education, not stay in a five star hotel. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have standards, but it does mean that you should have much higher priorities on what to consider when choosing a university. Pick the right school for you, and who knows – you might end up in one that is creating super new and modern housing for your freshman class. 

Residence Hall graphic courtesy of niu.edu. Money sign courtesy of moneysigns.net. Residence hall photo courtesy of florala.net. 

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You Don't Need To Be Blonde To Be Miss America, Folks

Twitter erupted in a flurry of indignation as Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, was crowned as this year's Miss America, with some of the milder Tweets claiming she didn't "represent American values," and others saying far worse. Her win has brought many stereotypes to the forefront of the discussion, particularly as the woman named "America's Choice" via an online vote before the pageant, Miss Kansas Theresa Vail, is a blonde, blue-eyed, tattooed member of the military who enjoys hunting.

The University of North Alabama just had six talented representatives in the Miss Alabama competition, vying for the chance to win the national crown in 2015. In retrospect, Miss America 2014 has just been crowned. This article, plus a BuzzFeed article that more accurately displays the sheer stupidity of too many "Americans", outlines the controversy she is facing - simply over the color of her skin.