#callan sheridan

[thepauwwow]

‘Fake’ News Gets Real

BY CALLAN SHERIDAN

In 2009 Time Magazine conducted an online poll to determine America’s Most Trusted Newscaster, post-Walter Cronkite era. Candidates included news anchors like Brian Williams, Katie Couric, and Charlie Gibson. The winner?

Jon Stewart.

Since taking over The Daily Show in 1999, Jon Stewart has pioneered a mainstreamed mix of entertainment, journalism, and political news that still influences media to this day.

Beyond The Daily Show, “satirical news” or “fake news” has become a news medium that viewers, particularly millennials, find appealing.

“More recently [I get my new from] satirical [sources]” said junior Kaitlyn Sitton. “When I was younger I thought CNN was the best, because you’re always taught that CNN and those ones are the big political ones, and then I kind of found out about big business and how some of those networks are owned by certain people and they can kind of monitor what their shows put out, so I didn’t really trust those sources anymore.”

Many Americans seem to be supporting this line of thinking. According to Neilson estimates, The Colbert Report ended its ten year run with a series-high 2.48 million viewers. When Trevor Noah took over The Daily Show on September 28, 2015, he hosted a respectable 1.02 million viewers in his first week, according to deadline.com.

This trend of getting real news from satirical sources appears to have beneficial results.

In a study done by the Pew Research Center measuring knowledge levels based on news source, it was found that 54% of regular viewers of The Daily Show and Colbert Report have high level of knowledge compared to 41% of CNN viewers and 35% of Fox News Channel viewers.

Communications Department Chair Cynthia Walker defends so-called “satirical news” with having legitimate qualities.

“Jon Stewart did something that I think the mainstream journalist has stopped doing” said Walker. “He would take a clip of somebody saying one thing, and then go back and find the clip of them saying something opposite and put them side by side.”

The investigative quality of some “satirical news” shows puts mainstream news outlet to shame.

“John Oliver really is an education” declares Walker, referring to the host of Last Week Tonight. “It’s a news education and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.”

Sitton admits that she will usually trust these news sources.

“It influences [my opinion] a lot if they back it up” says Sitton. “It influence me a lot but that’s only because I think they present valid arguments.”

Walker attributes the rise of “satirical news” to a blurring of lines between news and entertainment.

“In my day,” states Walker, “news was here and entertainment was here…you didn’t have the mix. So the lines between news and entertainment [have] blurred, and so it’s not surprising that satire would be in there too. I think that we do like being more entertained these days.”

In today’s multi-media format, the way news is accessed is more diverse than ever. This is how “fake news” has become the new “real news.”

[thepauwwow]

Pope’s Historic Visit

BY CALLAN SHERIDAN

Almost two years ago, Father Rocco Danzi sat in a meeting with his cell phone on the table. Before the meeting began, Fr. Rocco had heard that white smoke had emerged from the Vatican in Rome, announcing the selection of a new pope. The name of the new pope remained a mystery. Suddenly, his cell phone nearly jumped off the table as it began to continuously vibrate. Assuming there must be some emergency, Fr. Rocco picked up his phone and scanned over the multitude of messages. “It’s a Jesuit!” they read. “He’s a Jesuit!”

        The Jesuit in question was newly elected pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Now known to the world as Pope Francis, he has taken the Catholic religion, as well as world issues, by storm. Pope Francis’ visit to the United States marks a special and historic occasion for the nation as a whole, and particularly for the Jesuit community of Saint Peter’s University.

        “It’s an amazing moment,” says Fr. Rocco, “because he represents so many of those values that we [Jesuits] put forth.”

        Pope Francis has taken many of these Jesuit values and applied them to problems the world and the United States faces including climate change, social justice, and poverty.

        In fact, Pope Francis is blazing a trail in this aspect of social, economic, and political problems. He is the first pope to address a joint session of Congress and also addressed the United Nation during his visit to New York.

        Many Saint Peter’s students are intrigued as to how the Pope will tackle these difficult issues.

“I’m excited to see and hear what he’s going to be talking about during the trip, what issues he’s going to address,” says Junior Nicholas Chciuk. “I know he’s big on climate change and poverty, so I want to see what he’s going to say about that - whether it’s controversial – and how much of a hardliner he’s going to be.”

Senior and Student Government Association President Michelle Perez is also excited by the pope’s visit and itinerary. “He’s the first Jesuit pope to actually come to the United States and address an issue like climate change.”

Perez believes Pope Francis’ visit may hold a larger meaning in the political realm.

“It’s almost as if… it’s a return favor for the moment the president went to visit him in the Vatican. It’s a symbol of what can happen when leaders from different realms come together to have a conversation, a constructive conversation.”

Just as the papal visit holds political significance, it is also a special moment for the Saint Peter’s community, as a Jesuit university, to hold its head up high.

“This idea that he [Pope Francis] puts forth is what we’re all about at Saint Peter’s, and every Jesuit University across the globe,” claims Fr. Rocco. “It’s a faith that does justice, its women and men for others, it’s having those tough conversations at times but those conversations are always around love and mercy and service.”

If only Pope Francis could make a pit stop in Jersey City.

“He’s not coming here, so that’s a little disappointing,” jokes Chciuk, “but I’m sure he’ll help bolster the image of the Jesuits here in America, and especially here in Saint Peter’s. I think it will raise their prestige a little bit.”

To mark this occasion and Pope Francis’ special connection to Saint Peter’s, the university had planned a series of events for students to participate in.

“There’s going to be many opportunities for students to participate [in his visit]”, said Perez.

Those activities included a screening of the Papal address to Congress in the Duncan Skyroom on Thursday, September 24th, a memorial walk and prayer service to Liberty State Park in honor of the Pope’s visit to the 9/11 memorial on Friday, September 25th, and a reflection and discussion on the pope’s call to love, along with a live streaming of the final Papal mass in Philadelphia on Sunday, September 27th.

"Pope Francis’ visit, and all that he represents, gives us a little boost,” said Fr. Rocco. “[It’s kind of a] jump-start, and also an affirmation that this is what it’s about for us. These are the most important things, all that he puts forth.”

“There’s goodness; there’s such goodness in this country,” assures Fr. Rocco. “There’s hope.”

[thepauwwow]

I Side With...Donald Trump?

By Callan Sheridan

The presidential primaries are fast approaching. However, with a current field of over 20 announced candidates and a growing trend of disinterest among millennials, it may be hard for the youth vote to keep up. Some political activists are trying to buck this trend with an online quiz that tells millennials just who to vote for.

iSideWith.com is a website that offers the tech savvy group of voters known as millennials, a chance to get a clear-cut answer of which candidate they most align with. Junior Camy Santacruz admits that her knowledge of the political race is limited. “[It’s really] just what I hear on social media. I don’t know a lot of specifics.”

The quiz takes about ten to fifteen minutes, and asks basic policy and ideological questions on several topics including:

Social

Environmental

Domestic Policy

Health Care

Education

Foreign Policy

Immigration

Additionally, there is a “learn more” button that test takers can click on to read a short background or summary of a particular issue or policy. When taking the test, users can select “yes,” “no,” or the “other stances” option, which then offers even more options for answering. They can also adjust the priority of a particular issue, by moving the “how important is this to you” bar.

According to the quiz website, the results are formed by matching the test takers’ answers to a candidates’ based on a “variable percentage scale.” This basically takes into account how passionate a candidate is on an issue, how firm they are on their stance, how long they have had this position, etc. For partisan skeptics, the creators (Taylor Peck and Nick Boutelier) assure that they are “not affiliated with any candidate, political party, corporate sponsors, investors, or interest groups.”

While this quiz obviously cannot determine how a reader stands on issues, it does serve as an uncomplicated starting point for millennials looking to get involved in the political sphere. “I need to do a lot more learning,” said sophomore Cian Kneeshaw after taking the quiz. “But I think just from the quiz I’ve learned more, and it made me more aware of some issues and the candidates.”

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, only 19.9% of 18-to-29-year olds cast ballots in the 2014 elections. This is the lowest rate of youth voter turnout recorded in the US Census voting survey in the past 40 years.

But maybe with the help of sites like iSideWith.com, more young voters will do their research on the presidential candidates and hold a stake in the 2016 elections - and their future.

[thepauwwow]

First Step: Career Fair

BY CALLAN SHERIDAN

Suits and high heels are not the traditional attire for a basketball court, but that was the case last Thursday as the professional world welcomed Saint Peter’s University students.

Handshakes were abound in the Yanitelli Recreational Life Center as Career Services hosted its 31st Annual Spring Career Fair. Over 70 employers were present to see what Saint Peter’s students had to offer, the largest number to date, according to Director of Career Services Crescenzo Fonzo.

“This is the biggest career fair of all. This is the biggest career fair in record of the school,” Fonzo said.

Members of Delta Sigma Pi, Saint Peter’s University’s professional business fraternity, greeted students as they came in the doors. “What we do is every career fair we help people sign in, we walk around, talk with recruiters, and also we just help students in need, you know, give them little tips, how to succeed,” explained member Charles Weening.

The fair was bustling as early as 10:00 a.m., and a steady stream of chatter and laughter filled the gym. Students walked up and down aisles lined with employers’ tables. Some ambled with the added support of a fellow student at their side while others boldly walked alone, resumes in hand.

Tammy Wright, human resources manager of SLG Marketing, Inc., applauded Saint Peter’s students on their enthusiasm, “They’re very excited. I like that. If they want something, they’ll come. We had a few that came straight here. This is what I want.”

Sara Han of The Hertz Corporation saw similar qualities in students, “They seem eager, they’re all very nice, and they have their resume prepared.”

The career fair is an important step for students whose time at Saint Peter’s is coming to a close. “The job is not going to come to you. You have to pursue it,” says Fonzo, “getting to know [employers] and having them getting to know you really makes a difference. A personal connection. We have too many virtual connections. Virtual connections only go to a certain extent.”

Students agree that a personal connection is key in finding a job. Sophomore Javier Lua came to the fair for that exact reason, “Just to see people, just to meet other people. I mean, I’m really not looking for a job right now, but it’s good to just know other people. Networking.”

Senior Lucy Onchonga also realizes the importance of the career fair in getting hired after school. “[The job market is] tough, but you have to do what you have to do. This is the starting point, here, the career fair.”

The job outlook, while certainly not as foreboding as it was five years ago, always remains a tough market to crack. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 6, 2015, the national unemployment rate was 5.5 percent (compared to an unemployment rate of 9.6 percent in 2010), with 732,000 discouraged workers. In New Jersey specifically, the unemployment rate for February 2015 was 6.4 percent. “This economy is tough,” says Fonzo, “[But] there's always hope. Don't put pressure on yourself. Just keep going, create opportunities, and network, and that'll give you momentum to put effort into it.”

Fonzo stressed the seriousness and practicality of the Saint Peter’s career fair, “About 90 to 95 percent [of the employers] are hiring. They're not here for show. Employers do hire our students.”

Fonzo and all the coordinators of the career fair truly want Saint Peter’s students to succeed. “Prepare and really get the most out of it,” he advises, “Meet a lot of people because this is the place where everybody is in one place.”

The employers want students (and potential employees) to succeed as well. “Don’t ever have anyone tell you that you can’t do anything,” says Wright, “Always believe in yourself, and just go for it.”