Monthly Archives: June 2010
Frozen T-Shirt Control 101
As a member of the West Virginia SADD Student Leadership Council, we have retreats to plan out the annual conference. This year, our retreat is at Pipestem Resort State Park. It’s now day 2 of our leadership retreat.
Pipestem has many activities, but you would never guess just which activity caused the yellow caution tape to be placed where a window was at one time. Believe it or not, it was not ping pong. Our council was participating in an icebreaker that of which a small group must open a t-shirt that has been dipped in water and frozen. It is each group’s goal to open the frozen t-shirt in the shortest amount of time and have one of the group members wear it.
Everything was going alright until a t-shirt was placed in a bag and slung against a stone wall. I first thought that is was a great idea since much of the ice would break off. The only unforseen problem was that the bag had a hole in it. I happened to turn around at just the moment that the t-shirt released from the confines of the bag and went through the glass window. Although the young lady that broke the glass didn’t find the whole ordeal amusing, the rest of us are left with a nice memory of trying to explain to a security guard that “a frozen t-shirt when through the window.”
Computer Security: A Second Opinion
Viruses, malware, spyware, and other computer vulnerabilities can wreak havic on a computer and its owner. Even when one has armored a computer with anti-virus software, vulnerabilities may still exhist.
Every few months, I always seek a second opinion to see if my computer is really clear of malware. The main reason for seeking a second opinion is the fact that some sneaky viruses can hide themselves from an installed computer security program.
When it comes to these second opinions, I often seek online virus scanners. It is very important when selecting a online virus scanner; however, because hackers use this popular means of testing computers to their advantage. In fact, some sites claiming to have a “free online virus scanner” may actually place viruses on your computer and force you to buy their remedy to remove them.
The online virus scanner that I have used most commonly is Trend Micro’s HouseCall. Other safe online scanners include, but are not limited to Kapersky Online Scanner and Norton Security Scan. Although these scanners may not catch every threat, they are great to crosscheck your current security software. When you do finally settle on an online virus scanner, be sure to research the web site and company to insure that they have a good track record. Be safe out there!
Christian Martine Named Sports P.A. Announcer of the Year
A graduating high school senior in West Virginia, who is already handling announcer duties for state basketball playoffs, has been named the 2009-2010 P.A. Student Announcer of the Year by the National Association of Sports Public Address Announcers (NASPAA). The NASPAA P.A. Announcer of the Year Awards Program provides high schools and colleges the opportunity to pay tribute to their P.A. announcers.
Besides announcing boys and girls basketball for Shady Spring High School, Martine has also announced West Virginia boys basketball state playoffs for the past three years. He has received NASPAA P.A. announcing certification.
“I was ecstatic and felt deeply honored when I heard that I was selected for the award,” remarked Martine. “It’s wonderful to receive such a great honor for doing something that I love.”
“Christian is determined to be non-biased and promote good sportsmanship,” said Deanna Wood, Martine’s athletic director for Shady Spring (WV) High School. “He carefully prepares for each event and works with coaches to make sure he correctly pronounces each player’s name.”
“This year’s award recipient has distinguished himself by the quality of his announcing and his professionalism,” commented Brad Rumble, NASPAA Executive Director. “The NASPAA is delighted to be in a position to recognize Christian. He truly represents the best in P.A. announcing.”
The NASPAA is a professional association for sports public address announces with a mission to raise the level of professionalism of announcing. The awards program is sponsored by Clell Wade Coaches Directory and Balfour.
Click here to view the press release.
View soundbites on the NASPAA Web site or here.
Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
For the past few days, a couple of beautiful birds have been around my house. When I pulled in the driveway this evening, I happened to see the two birds on the same tree I had seen them countless other times. I took a quick picture and later discovered that it was a pileated woodpecker.
I have never taken a special interest in birds, but these were some beauties. Here are some fun facts about the pileated woodpecker:
- The pileated woodpecker is found throughout much of Canada and many parts of the United States, including West Virginia.
- The pileated woodpecker claims territory by drumming on trees.
- A group of pileated woodpecker is called a “crest.”
- The pileated woodpecker drums to find ants and drum extra holes in case they need to make a quick escape from a predator.
Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster: Day 49
Day 49 of the BP Oil Spill if the epicenter was Beckley, West Virginia
Visualizing natural disasters that do not directly affect us can be difficult. Someone once told me that watching a flood on television does not compare to actually seeing the flood on sight. This is very true. I had the opportunity to see first hand the Mullens, West Virginia flood of 2001. It was almost surreal to see the damage that nature can cause.
The BP Oil Disaster is a bit different; however, mainly because it is not a natural disaster, yet the soruce of distraction is native to Earth. The media is doing a great job of filming each state’s “Ground Zero” as oil reaches their coastlines. Nevertheless, it can never hurt to see how a tragedy of this proportion would affect our own homes. Above is a picture of where the oil would be located if the epicenter was in the heart of Beckley, West Virginia.
When I first saw this picture, I was awed that the oil spill is about the size of West Virginia. To me, all that I can ponder is why the source of this disaster has not been alleviated.
If you would like to see how the BP Oil Disaster would look if it was over your town, visit www.ifitwasmyhome.com. You may even want to check to see how Beckley would look as the spill progresses.
“Christian Martine, Reporting” – High School Senior Project
To top off my senior year, I was required to complete a senior project. The project had to be in a field that I have little to no experience, but have a great interest. I chose television broadcast journalism. Working alongside WVNS-TV news anchor Martin Staunton, I gained a greater knowledge of the many steps one must take to report the news.
I presented my product, a packaged news story, and the steps needed to complete the product to a panel of my peers and local community members. Below is a video of the presentation I gave:
Check out the H1N1 story broadcast-quality, the bloopers, and the slides from the PowerPoint presentation below:
Christian Martine, Reporting – H.S. Senior Project PowerPoint Presentation Slides
