msm006's blog

This article headlines how the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity in Lincoln, Nebraska had to evacuate their fraternity house because of a leaky toilet.  The leak from the third floor had seeped into the wiring and resulted in a very serious fire hazard for the entire house.  The alarm system was affected and isn’t able to be reset, which was another important factor in evacuating the house.  The house This article is newsworthy because as it says in the article there was recently a fatal fire at another college in the same city and it shows the public how other college campuses are trying to keep their students safe.  This article is also relevant to me because my brother is a member of this fraternity and lives at the house that was evacuated.

http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/UNL-Fraternity-Evacuated-Following-Leaky-Toilet-170924961.html

Elwood Olsen Stadium is a great example of what Morningside College represents. It is the field for football, soccer, and track teams. The stands have been used as a workout for the basketball and wrestling teams. It is an also a place for the fine arts here at Morningside to be showcased since the MOB (Morningside Outdoor Band) plays at the games. Elwood brings together all of these different aspects as well as being a general meeting place for many current and former students.
It’s a Saturday morning and the field is calm, it is early morning and there is still dew on the ground. The stands empty, the sidelines, bare. Later on their will be numerous battles taking place and screaming fans to watch the as our Morningside athletes compete in soccer and then later on in football. As of right now however, there is just calm quiet as you can hear birds overhead. If autumn had a prototypical day this would be it. The weather just tells you it’s football season. The parking lot is filling up as parents and alumni come to cheer on their beloved Morningside Mustangs.
The game begins and I have made my move up to The Hill. The Hill is the hot spot for tailgating for Morningside Students. Junior Blayne Richards backs his truck, filled with a futon mattress and chairs to watch the game, and yells “Beautiful day for some tailgating!” The Hill is a steep hill that has a view of the field without having to actually go in the stadium. It has at times been referred to Cheapskate Hill because people not wanting to pay their way into the game can still enjoy it without having to pay to get in. The Hill is about as long as the field and the cars parked up there usually take advantage of all of that room available as cars line nearly the whole length.
There is drinking, laughing and conversation everywhere on the hill. I observe most of the people on the hill have no interest in the game and instead are focused mostly on the social aspect of The Hill. Until late in the game when a touchdown is scored on the corner of the field closest to The Hill and everyone present erupts in cheers as the scoring Morningside player runs towards The Hill and is subsequently flagged as he is nearly to the track while pointing up at his fellow classmates on The Hill.
The fans aren’t too upset with the penalty as the game is well in hand against the rival school of Northwestern. This penalty has only motivated the fans to start a chant about their feelings towards the Red Raider team from Orange City that went something along the lines of “Forget the Dutch.”
The game is now over; the hill is slowly clearing out. Senior Mike O’Neal who enjoyed the experience on the hill encourages everyone to pick up after the game so that everyone is allowed to continue the tradition of tailgating and watching the game from The Hill.

“This is the only one of these pencils I have ever sold,” muttered Jen Petsche as she rung up my pencil with the Morningside logo (30 cents each).  This single quote sums up the seemingly impossible mission I was sent on.  Jen, who has worked at the Morningside Book store since the start of the semester, had yet to sell a single pencil that I was sent to search for.  Luckily for me I just happened to bring my wallet and debit card with me to school today and was relieved to see when my card wasn’t declined and tax wasn’t included on my 30 cent purchase.

Although I felt ridiculous paying with my card for such a small amount, I felt even more ridiculous when she reassured me a freshman had used a credit card to buy a blue book earlier this week.  While she meant well with her remark, she actually made me, a fifth year senior, feel very young and clueless on my quest for my Morningside Pencil.

The pencil, solid maroon with the words Morningside Mustangs and the Mustang logo in white at the bottom, is currently useless to me because the end isn’t sharpened.  Looking back on my trip I should have asked to use a pencil sharpener before I returned with what may be the only pencil of it’s kind outside of the bookstore.

This article talks about parents Brandi and Russel Bellew, and how their failure to take their son to a hospital resulted in his death.   The parents are very religious and have taken a very literal approach to the New Testament that says the sick should be prayed over and anointed in oil.  Their son, Austin, was 16 years old and the autopsy said he had a burst appendix.   The parents are now going to be required by law to call a doctor if their other 6 children are ever sick for more than one day.  I was shocked to find out that the family received only probation in this case for what turned out to be the death of their child from a situation that could have been handled medically.

http://gma.yahoo.com/oregon-faith-healer-parents-probation-sons-death-193833596–abc-news-topstories.html

I have always struggled to convey details in my writing and focusing on the small things people want to know. I know what I saw, sometimes I just struggle to bring those same details to the attention of others.

A man currently imprisoned for a murder charge has now been charged with assault as well.  Arkanjelo M. Kot, is the man being charged in a murder committed in July of 2010.  His newest charge stems from an assault attempt on a corrections officer.  This article does a very good job of painting Kot in a negative light by not only stating these two incidents, and his previous affiliation with violence, but it also says he is going on his third lawyer after the other two withdrew from the case.

http://www.theindependent.com/news/local/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-jail-assault/article_9ae2d94e-fd47-11e1-804a-0019bb2963f4.html