“The Mountaineer”
On May 28, 2010, I graduated from Shady Spring High School along with 206 of my peers. I had the honor of giving a speech to my class during graduation—a speech that focused on the many wonderful qualities of mountaineers and the splendor of the Great State of West Virginia. Below is the speech that I gave and a copy of my original script.
The Mountaineer – Salutatorian Speech Script
View Register-Herald article: Shady Spring seniors take next step
A Farewell to the WV Partnership
For the past couple of years, I have had the pleasure of serving on the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being. The WV Partnership is “A Statewide Alliance Working to Address Substance Abuse and Related Issues in West Virginia.“ I served in the capacity as a state high school student and was able to give perspective from a student’s point of view on issues involving substance abuse. Below was my letter of resignation that I gave at the second quarterly meeting of the WV Partnership:
Friday, July 16, 2010
Christian A. Martine
283 Far Country Drive
Daniels, WV 25832-9008
VIA HAND DELIVERY
Mr. Mike Lacy, Chair
WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being
Dear Mr. Lacy:
Pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order Number 8-04, I hereby notify you that I have graduated from Shady Spring High School and therefore no longer qualify to serve as a “representative currently a student at a State high school” on the West Virginia Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being.
Serving on the West Virginia Partnership has been an honor and a privilege during my tenure. I am proud to be a part of a group whose mission is as noble as it is essential to the continuity of the quality of life in our great State.
Through the joint cooperation of state and local leaders, the West Virginia Partnership has been and will continue to be a resource in the fight against substance abuse. I hope that I have been of service to the Governor and to the West Virginia Partnership by bringing the point of view of a student and youth activist striving for a healthier and safer life for West Virginians.
Thank you for being a wonderful facilitator to the West Virginia Partnership. I wish you and all members a blessed career of service. With kindest personal regards, I am
Very truly yours,
Christian A. Martine
cc: The Honorable Joe Manchin, III
Governor
Social In-Security
For many years, the Social Security Administration has been in need of reform. The most notorious part of the Social Security Administration is that of which insures that senior citizens will not be without some means of income when they reach retirement; however, the short-term projections of Social Security places it on the liabilities of the national budget.
How did this happen? The simplest way to look at the problem is to realize that more people are drawing from the coffers of Social Security than are depositing.
As an 18-year-old who is entering college, I am very concerned about the continuity of this program. Every month, I deposit money into a Roth IRA that is the foundation of my long-term savings. I would be much happier giving money to a privately funded retirement fund than a government program that is predicted to fail long before I ever reach retirement age.
Although serious problems are not projected until 2042, I expect the government to fulfill their contracts with each of those citizens who have paid into Social Security (for a few years or a lifetime) and for as long as the program is compulsory for all Americans. In the future, I hope that the Social Security Administration gives citizens the option to put at least some money, that would otherwise go into Social Security, into private funds.
National Do Not Call Registry
Many years ago, companies found that calling consumers at home to sell products and services was easy and inexpensive. Many consumers began to complain about harassing and frequent phone calls from telemarketers, yet had little protection from phone soliciting. The National Do Not Call Registry was formed to give consumers the choice of whether to receive telemarketing calls.
In March 11, 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003 which led to the formation of the Do Not Call Registry. Through this legislation and the supplemental Do-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, anyone may submit their home or mobile phone numbers for free to the Do Not Call Registry. By law, telemarketers covered by the registry have up to 31 days to stop calling numbers entered on the registry.
There are two ways to enter your phone numbers into the Do Not Call Registry:
- The first and original way is to call 1-888-382-1222.
- The second and most recent way is to visit www.donotcall.gov.
By using one of the two methods listed above, you will never hear from most telemarketers ever again. For more information, visit www.donotcall.gov.
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.
