Final Project-Christmas around the world!

Christmas is a holiday celebrated annually marking the birth of Jesus Christ hence the name “Christmas”.

 It is celebrated both religiously and culturally around the world. Originated from the Christian religion, it is usually distinguished on Dec 25^th with exceptions of other cultures.

 In this festive season, the spirit of giving, forgiveness and happiness are some of the values that people try to embody during this holiday. Santa clause otherwise known to some as the fat man in red, reign deers’ and the Christmas tree are the ultimate symbols of the Christmas holiday.

Having family and friends from around the world, my partner Kaitlyn and I were able to learn and share similar traditions that are carried throughout this holiday. From Eastern Africa Kenya to all the way in the U.K, not forgetting Taiwan and China in Asia our family and friends shared with us pics of the Christmas festivities from their current location that you will see on our graphic map.

In most African countries, most families celebrate Christmas holidays by having family reunions to party and have a full on feast.  For those who are Christians, Some will do attend church on the day of Christmas. Gift giving and wrapping is also participated but isn’t as huge compared to America and Europe. ‘Kwanzaa’ is not celebrated in Africa as it is a Black American Holiday.

In China since there are very few Christians, not many celebrate or know what Christmas is. In major cities you will find Christmas Trees, lights and other decorations. But many might not know the meaning or the values of this holiday. Giving apples is a popular tradition on Christmas and Christmas Eve. Stores sell the apples wrapped in different color gift wrappers.

In the U.K Christmas is a huge holiday. Different countries might have one or two slightly different beliefs but all in all it’s the same Theory. In Scotland, On Christmas day, people sometimes make big bonfires and dance around them to the playing of bagpipes. In Ireland, Christmas tends to be more religious than fun with the lighting of candles.

In Latin America, where most people are Catholics there are a lot of church bells ringing to call families to Mass during Christmas Eve.  The Christmas season is usually in the summer time compared to Europe and America where the season is usually winter. In the Middle East Christmas is not common due to the high population who are Muslims. Although the decorations are still put up due to tourism.

Christmas around the world map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=ziiRXcmFxzfw.kg-o0NOutfpM


Santa around the world.
https://www.mystorybook.com/books/6478/

Final project proposal

For our final project Victor Mwangi and I have decided to once again work together, this time focusing on different ways Christmas is celebrated around the world.

We will ask our friends from different parts of the world to send in photographs of their Christmas decorations or celebrations. We will create a slideshow out of these photographs from different areas in the world. (We will attempt to use videolicious for that but depending on the length we may not be able to.)

We will also use an interactive map to show what places celebrate Christmas the most, since Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays it'll be interesting to see the different percentages.

Finally, our project will include a write up with why different cultures celebrate this renown holiday each differently and different ways how they do it.

The Mustard Seed Soup Kitchen- A home away from home.

The Mustard Seed is not only a homely environment but a safe, accepting and a judgment free zone that many locals of St Johnsbury come to every other day for a fresh hot meal. Serving different meals ranging from thanksgiving dishes to shepherd’s pie the quality of the food can be compared to that of a restaurant.

My partner Kaitlyn Manktelow and I got a chance to visit this safe haven that has been running for over 4 years. Located in the middle of the St Johnsbury town in VT, one would never presume that it’s a soup kitchen from the outside look of it. The Mustard Seed is not your regular soup kitchen. Right from when we walked in, one could feel the sense of community and love.

The name “mustard seed” originated from the Bible symbolizing growth and development from a tiny seed just like a plant. Christian missionary Frank Rothe, who’s the founder and still runs the kitchen, decided to open this establishment not having any financial support but just faith hence naming this organization “Mustard Seed”.  Strictly a Christian nonprofit organization, it is involved with the churches around the community.

The Mustard Seed is strictly run by volunteers and well-wishers. Apart from donations and support from the Vermont Food Bank, the soup kitchen is funded by the thrift store that’s right across the street from it. Without any home shelter around the area, the mustard seed is the only thing that’s closest to an accommodation that the homeless can come and get any type of help. Most volunteers like Lenny and Eugene happened to have benefited from mustard seed before they decided to devote their life to it.

Eugene started out with Rothe when he first opened the kitchen and was dealing with drugs and alcohol at the time. Since then he has now sobered up and found his way. With all that he has gone through, he uses his story as a testimony to others dealing with the same issues who have walked through the doors of the mustard seed. When asked he said his role was basically being cheerful. Promoting love, peace and respect to those who come and get a fresh hot meal in the kitchen.

Lenny who is now the supervisor and the head cook says he fell in love with the mustard seed when he chose the soup kitchen to be the place where he would do his community hours. Ever since then he couldn't imagine a better place to serve and give back to the community.

Many like Eugene and Lenny add to what makes the mustard seed a safe haven.

CNN iReport topic

For the CNN ireport assignment, my partner Victor Mwangi and I are going to go to the soup kitchen the mustard seed in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont.
For the audio sounds we will interview one of the volunteers at the soup kitchen and if we can find someone who eats at the soup kitchen and is willing to be interviewed then we will interview them as well.
The visual aspects we will use for this project will contain footage from outside the soup kitchen, preparing the food and the consuming of the food.
This project will primarily focus on the volunteers at the Mustard Seed, why they do what they do, what it takes and how it impacts the Saint Johnsbury community.

member responsibilities:
Getting in touch with the volunteers and setting up a interview: Kaitlyn Manktelow
Taking pictures: Kaitlyn Manktelow and Victor Mwangi
Interviewing the volunteers: Kaitlyn Manktelow and Victor Mwangi
Editing the interview: Kaitlyn Manktelow and Victor Mwangi

Critiquing CNN iReport

I think the idea of CNN iReport is a really good one, however, I was confused by the website at first; the website should have had an about section right when you go onto the website to explain it better, and a way to help a user navigate through the website better.

 Despite my initial misgivings after realizing what iReport was the more it began to grow on me. For those that do not know, CNN iReport is basically a citizen journalism website. Citizens are encouraged to take videos and pictures of news events and breaking news and to upload it on the website, similar to WikiLeaks. I believe that the website is a unique way to get information, news and facts from eyewitnesses.

 However, being a journalism student also causes me to be wary of this website because, since this website is geared towards everyday citizens there are less limits, less boundaries, less rules and less obligation. Unlike journalists, these citizens can post what they like as long as they claim it to be true. Though the website does have editors on it monitoring and promoting the stories it is something that needs to be kept an eye on.

 Despite my one concern with citizens becoming journalists without the proper preparation, I do believe that CNN's iReport is a unique way to get the audience involved as well as getting more news from around the world. iReport is also a more creative way to spread information than a news paper, it is quicker, more appealing and more interesting appealing to the viewers.

 If there was a typhoon in India and millions are losing their homes each minute a video uploaded from and India native standing on his flooded home would be of greater interest than a print story.

 Almost everything has a flaw in it but all in all this website is a great resource which I know I will be using throughout my career as a journalist and highly recommend it to anyone!

 www.ireport.cnn.com

"Art is my drug"

Dorian McGowan, is a small man from a small town but as anyone can see, his artistic talent is anything but small.

He is a former professor at Lyndon State College, but now retired, he spends most of his days drawing portraits of students, staff and faculty members and even town residence. In addition to this, he continues to pursue his passions at home where he has his own art gallery, full of his own collection as well as his sons.

While others might have a passion for music, culture and science, McGowan believes art is a form of therapy for him. “A drawing a day keeps the doctor away.” Perhaps this is how he has reached the aged of eighty-one and still continues to pursue his passions in the art.

  Born and raised in Vermont he always knew he wanted to be an artist from a young age. He describes how his first painting was when he used the poop from his diaper and then smeared it on the wall, only to prove his mother right when she said all those years ago, “Oh God I have an artist on my hand!”

McGowan’s grandmother played a big role in nurturing his talent. From a young age she would encourage him to sit on her lap and draw with him. Being paralyzed from the waist down, McGowan found himself spending much time sitting beside her drawing, which he continued to do so even after her death.

Having gone to a catholic school, Dorian McGowan shocked his teachers when he told them that art was his passion and that’s what he wanted to study when he went to college. The nuns of his high school believed that McGowan was only pursuing this career goal as a way to see naked women, and while that may have played a minor part in it, he was set on his belief that he did not want to be a priest.

 After making this firm decision and writing to his inspiration Norman Rockwell, his decision was made when he applied to Pratt University. Passing the drawing exam heightened his confidence that art was his future. Moving to Brooklyn, NY was a huge risk that paid off.

While getting his education, little did McGowan know that that’s the same place he would meet his lovely wife. To perfect his artisan talent and also make a living, McGowan taught at a high school in New York before moving back to Vermont where he taught at Lyndon state College.

Dorian’s passion for art was passed down to his four children who are now grown and earn a living by being artists. Apart from drawing, painting and sculpting, building of stone walls is one of the many talents that McGowan has been able to express all over his property.

Never a seeker of fame Dorian McGowan is grateful and takes pride in all that he has accomplished. Raising a beautiful family and having a successful career.  

Dorian McGowan interview synopsis

For our group project, Victor Mwangi and Kaitlyn Manktelow are planning on interviewing Dorian McGowan. Dorian McGowan is a former professor at Lyndon State College and an amazing artist. During this interview they hope to gain more insight onto the incredible life that Dorian has lived so far from conversing with Norman Rockwell to sketching amazingly accurate portraits on a daily basis. They plan on going to his house and taking pictures of his gallery and his art work. While at his gallery they will be using a digital voice recorder to record his story and a digital camera to document his work. The intended audience for the project is student and faculty at Lyndon State College as well as those living in the Caledonia area. Dorian McGowan is a well-known name around the surrounding area, learning more about him will provide great interest to many people. The fact that he has done so much in his life and accomplished a great deal many of things is what makes this such an interesting story. To hear the story behind his art work and to know more about his accomplishments, his greatest moments, his lowest and what makes his art so dramatic and emotional to look at. The crew members of this project are: Kaitlyn Manktelow Victor Mwangi Both crew members plan on interviewing Dorian and taking pictures of his gallery, his work and the artist himself. Then both crew members will participate in creating the audio slideshow containing the interview as a voice over and the pictures taken during the interview.

Fish of the Sea

Redone wildlife population

Much of the New England part of the United States contains valuable wildlife animals such as the deer, moose and bear populations. Hunting season throughout the New England region helps to regulate the population of these animals.

However, according to Maine’s moose biologist; Lee Kantar, ticks are being found on dead moose after bleeding them dry. Due to this dramatic decrease in the moose population, last year Maine reduced their moose hunting permits by 1000 people.


 Vermont as well has seen a significant drop in their moose population as well, forcing the state to reduce their hunting permits as well. As of January 2014, New Hampshire began a four monitoring of 80-90 moose to determine just how rapid the moose population has and still is declining.


 When one of the collared moose dies, the collar stops transmitting information which allows the scientists and biologists to determine the exact cause of death of each moose. The moose population in Vermont has decreased by nearly a half of what it was less than a decade ago in 2005 while the population in New Hampshire has shrunk more than 3,000.

While the moose population may currently be going down in some areas of New England, the bear and deer population appear to be on the rise. During the 20th century the deer population was down to several hundred in Massachusetts; now, however the population of the white-tailed deer tops 85,000. Despite the increase of the deer population in Vermont, the number of hunters in the state has declined 24.4 percent since the 1980’s.


 Maine’s annual bear hunt began in August which the state hopes will reduce the growing population of bears. It has been determined by Maine officials that the hunters will need to kill between 3,500 to 4,500 bears annually to control the population; that is, between five hundred to a thousand five hundred more than the past decade’s average.

In spite of the rapidly increasing population of bears, there has been a push by the Humane society in Maine to ban certain types of bear hunting making it illegal to bait, trap and hunting the bears with dogs. Those pulling for this law to pass believe that the baiting, trapping and dogs are an unethical way to hunt the bears.  If this effort succeeds, the already increasing bear population will continue to increase at alarming numbers, forcing Maine to reconsider a new way to regulate the population.



The growth in the population may be related to the increase of forest land within the New England region with the decline of farming in the New England region, particularly New Hampshire; the unused farm land becomes overgrown with forestation. The overgrown farmland creates more habitats for the herd animals causing a population growth. r datawrapper.de/chart/GExnm/edit

Audio slide shows and photo galleries

The audio slide show I chose was about well known art that many know and loved but was banned by the government. I think the audio and the pictures did a great way of conveying a story I never knew existed until I saw it. I believe this is a great tool to use; it is a great way to educate, inform and impact an audience emotionally.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29618289

For my photo gallery I choose a visual story on the battle of the Bogside in Ireland in 1969. I think that despite not having the audio, the pictures were able to speak for themselves. I think this is also a great tool, the picture of the spray painted words "We want peace" is so impacting. In this case, these pictures speak a thousand words and more. This is a great way to tell and show a piece of history in a simple and dramatic way.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-29657076

Wildlife population throughout New England

Much of the New England part of the United States contains valuable wildlife animals such as the deer, moose and bear populations. Hunting season throughout the New England region helps to regulate the population of these animals.

However, according to Maine’s moose biologist; Lee Kantar, ticks are being found on dead moose after bleeding them dry. Due to this dramatic decrease in the moose population, last year Maine reduced their moose hunting permits by 1000 people.

 Vermont as well has seen a significant drop in their moose population as well forcing the state to reduce their hunting permits as well. As of January 2014, New Hampshire began a four monitoring of 80-90 moose to determine just how rapid the moose population has and still is declining.

 When one of the collared moose dies, the collar stops transmitting information which allows the scientists and biologists to determine the exact cause of death of each moose. The moose population in Vermont has decreased by nearly a half of what it was less than a decade ago in 2005 while the population in New Hampshire has shrunk more than 3,000.

While the moose population may currently be going down in some areas of New England, the bear and deer population appear to be on the rise. During the 20^th century the deer population was down to several hundred in Massachusetts; now however the population of the white-tailed deer tops 85,000. Despite the increase of the deer population in Vermont, the number of hunters in the state has declined 24.4 percent since the 1980’s.

 Maine’s annual bear hunt began in August which the state hopes will reduce the growing population of bears. It has been determined by Maine officials that the hunters will need to kill between 3,500 to 4,500 bears annually to control the population; that is between five hundred to a thousand five hundred more than the past decade’s average. 

In spite of the rapid increasing population of bears, there has been a push by the Humane society in Maine to ban certain types of bear hunting making it illegal to bait, trap and hunting the bears with dogs. Those pulling for this law to pass believe that the baiting, trapping and dogs are an unethical way to hunt the bears.  If this effort succeeds, the already increasing bear population will continue to increase at alarming numbers, forcing Maine to reconsider a new way to regulate the population.

The growth in the population may be related to the increase of forest land within the New England region with the decline of farming in the New England region, particularly New Hampshire; the unused farm land becomes overgrown with forestation. The over grown farm land creates more habitats for the herd animals causing a population growth.

http://cf.datawrapper.de/ltO7V/1/

Data visualization

http://flowingdata.com/2014/06/24/burger-place-geography/
This week I decided to use flowingdata to find a news story and to critique it.


The story I found talks about the different fast food burger places in the United States. I thought this was a great thing to do because it shows the amount of fast food chains on the map of the United States.


I think this can cause people to rethink the amount of fast food we allow in our lives.
Another good thing this website did was show all the fast food chains in this country. With the growing problem of obesity I think this chart can really get across to people.
I think it was also interesting to see based on their geographical settings which type of fast food people in the USA like and how it differs across the country.

I believe this map was better than a chart because it really shows how over run this country is with fast food.

It shows the numerical amount in different maps below just this one and it also shows the growth of the food chains in the country

I believe that the only thing that could make it better would have been to show different countries not just the United States for a greater emphasis. Over all though, this website definetely gets it's pint across and I believe it did a great job

Kaitlyn and Victor's college dating podcast

COLLEGE RELATIONSHIPS! To some, having a relationship in college has either been a huge success while to others, they just happen to fail miserably during the four years at college. 1/3 of college seniors have been on fewer than two dates. Does this surprise you? What about the fact that 32.5 percent of college relationships are long distance. Dating in college is nothing like what the movies and tv shows make it appear as. Scientists, professors and psychologists including Charlotte Lieberman, a recent Harvard grad, takes on what's wrong with love on campus. We all know that college is the place where you get to find yourself and make all the mistakes when it comes to relationships, before you find you special one in life. No matter the relationship status we are in individually, we all have a word or two that we can share on the topic of relationships. Hook ups, friend with benefits, open relationships, long distance relationship are what seems to be the trend, especially in the generation of today. It’s even harder now to find your soul mate with this new rules. Welcome to college relationships. If you are interested in learning more about studies and statistics found about: http://www.campusexplorer.com/college-advice-tips/E6F6928C/7-Surprising-College-Dating-Statistics/ http://www.loveisrespect.org/43-college-women-experience-violence-and-abusive-dating-behaviors http://www.seventeen.com/college/advice/college-dating-truth-nov05

Dating in college-The good, the bad and all the ugly

Dating in college……to many it’s a huge deal. In so many movies college is where the girl finds this too good to be real prince charming who comes out of nowhere, sweeps her off her feet and carries her into the sunset. Or it’s where the boy who was always in the shadows in high school catches the eye of the most beautiful, perfect girl who ends up falling deeply, and utterly in love with him. Sounds perfect right? Wrong. While many college relationships are great they are the furthest thing from perfect. Kaitlyn Manktelow and Victor Mwangi are going to talk about the ups, the downs and all the twist and turns of dating in college. They will be joined by Zach Perry who will talk about handling long distance relationships within the college scene. Just in case you don’t take their words to heart, they will also include some findings by Scientists, professors and psychologists including Charlotte Lieberman, a recent Harvard grad, who takes on what's wrong with love on campus in this century. Stay on the lookout for their upcoming podcast because it is definitely something you will not want to miss!​

Counting to Chinese AND Czech! Victor and Kaitlyn style

Critiquing Podcasts!!!!

The first podcast I decided to listen to is called “Things you should know”, and the episode I listened to was called how the Ouija board works.

 The first thing I found that I liked about this podcast was that the tones of the two hosts were very conversational. Listening to them was great because I was learning so much random but interesting stuff but it wasn’t boring. They not only just speak of the Ouija board but the past of it and the correlation to Egypt. 

Another thing I very much enjoy about this podcast is there are so many different options to choose from alongside “how the Ouija board works”, there was also other topics such as “How temper tantrums work”, “Who killed JFK” and “How Pet Psychics work”. It was actually hard for me to choose just one topic because they all sounded good and it allows the listener to listen to a topic they want to listen to not just what is available. Because of the many choices I was given, I downloaded more than just this one episode on my android phone with the app “podcast republic”.

 I also like how they give out additional information such as sites and museums I can go to if I wanted to learn more about the Ouija board. I also like how they broke down the science of the Ouija board, sometimes they did get a bit off topic or went on a ramble and that was the only thing that I found I disliked about the podcast.

 However, over all it was a great episode and I can now say I am practically an expert on all things Ouija thanks to this forty minute podcast. I do believe I will listen to the podcast again because it was interesting and fun to listen to and I gained a lot of valuable information without having to do any work.

Then I decided to listen to the podcast, “Stuff mom never told you” with the episode, “Is modest hottest?” also on my android app. 


Right off the bat they brought in viewer’s statements, they asked the question on is dressing modest more beautiful than dressing skimpy on their Facebook page. The fact that they brought in the audience’s opinions makes me feel as though they have a more opening personality that makes me want to listen to them.

 I also like how they brought up more topics than just clothing, they spoke of childhood and how that can affect one’s decision on what to wear, as well as what was considered appropriate back in history.  What I really liked is how I got to hear other people’s opinions on a matter that affects me as a woman but as well as learning about things in history I would have never known. For example, in history in some countries, if a woman had long hair she was basically considered a whore but in the United States if a woman wears short shorts she is considered one. I thought it was so interesting to hear how things change throughout time and region. 

I can’t really find anything I didn’t like about this podcast, perhaps at time they could have been a bit flighty and hoping around on topics but even that I didn’t mind. I think this podcast is definitely something I will listen to again and it is something I’d recommend to any female who perhaps doesn’t want to ask certain questions or maybe just want to hear other woman’s point of view. A great podcast that I loved listening to! 

               Amber Alert for Missing boy of Sunderland, VT

    **********Notice: This is not a true story, it is used purely for educational purposes*****

            Amber alert released for missing 12 year old boy of Sunderland, Vermont.

            12 year old, Zachary Lee went missing at about 4:46 this afternoon after being dropped off at his foster home.

            Authorities are worried about Lee, who recently from France has only been here since August 29, 2014 and is not familiar with the area.

            Zachary’s biological mother, Patricia Kane, age 49 who has been extremely unstable since Lee’s arrival in the U.S is a suspect. Based on documented reports, Kane has made such attempts while Lee was in the custody of the Republic of France.

            Zachary Lee is described as being a 12 year old white male, 5’0” weighting 95 lbs.; he has brown eyes, shoulder length brown hair and speaks with a French accent. He was last seen in jeans, a light colored sweater, a black puffy coat and blue and black sneakers.

            Patricia Kane is a 49 year old, white female weighing 125 lbs and a height of 6’0”. Kane has white or blonde hair that may have been dyed, brown eyes as well as a French accent; her whereabouts are currently unknown.

Zachary Lee’s disappearance does not seem to be correlated with the disappearance of 16 year old Brooke Avery of Barre, Vermont. Avery who has been missing since September of 2011, her information can be found here, http://familyforthemissing.blogspot.com/2011/09/missing-brooke-avery.html

            Law enforcement urge anyone with information regarding Lee’s disappearance to please submit an anonymous to www.vtips.info<http://www.vtips.info/> or by texting “CRIMES” (274637) with Keyword:VTIPS, or call 802-442-5421.

Viewing www.thesartorialist.com

I decided to check out the blog, http://www.thesartorialist.com/ for a variety of reasons. First reason is that it is a well-known blog full of witty humor that captures the reader’s attention. However, despite its fame and popularity, the blog isn’t very appealing to the eyes of the readers. I believe that appearance isn’t nearly as important as content but I do believe it plays a prominent role in this type of industry. If I were to contact the blogger I’d advise changing the format to make it more appealing. Despite the unappealing background, I do enjoy how the website is set up as well as the information it provides. This blog provides good information with nicely shot photographs and an easy to use website, with only one downsize being the appearance it is still a well done blog. I will definitely be viewing this blog again and I encourage others to check it out if they have time!

Stories behind every face

What is the story behind every face?
It is my firm belief that everyone has a story to share, wisdom to give and memories to relive. Because of this thought process I have decided to discover the unknown stories behind different people. Each week I will find a person I do not know or vaguely know and will discover what they have to say, absorb what wisdom they have to give and relish in the stories they choose to share