Autobiography

    Blake Potter, 19, from Jacksboro Tenn. is a sophomore baseball player at the University of the Cumberlands. He is a communication major with a minor in journalism. He is also looking to get his masters in communication.         

            Blake’s family history can be to be traced back to a cousin named Jessie James. With a wild relative like that it’s only right that he likes movies like “The Fighter” and “The Taking of Pelham 123." Although train robbing is out of the question, writing about them is a different story. Blake is taking journalism to enhance his writing skills and become a better journalist.

            Becoming a sports broadcaster or sports reporter is a dream he has had recently and is willing to work hard to acheive it. Studying these things makes it only fitting that his favorite magazine is ESPN because of its sports coverage.

            Two books that changed the way he saw the world were “Beyond Belief” by Josh Hamilton and “Mind Gym” by David Casstevens, both motivational books about athletes. Music is also something that Blake enjoys and the latest songs he downloaded are “Right Above It” and “ 6 foot 7 foot by Lil Wayne, and “Mojo So Dope” by Kid Cudi.

            At Campbell County High School on November 8, 2005, a boy brought a gun to school and shot three principles killing one. Blake was a freshman in high school at Campbell County. Blake knew all three principles rather well and took the event hard along with everyone else in the county. During these hard times the community came together and showed him that the power of love can heal alot of hurt.

David Gilkey

       My final photograph shows a handful of Marines stationed in Mian Poshteh, Afghanistan trying to catch dinner with a string and basket. The Marines are trying to capture a wild chicken that they can cook and eat for dinner to break away from the routine military issued food for dinner. The men actually were successful in their efforts as they caught and ate a chicken that night for dinner. The Marines were photographed by David Gilkey, a photographer for NPR.

       I found David Gilkey's photo with the Marines on the Best of Photojournalism 2010 website, where he received honorable mention in the international picture story album for the photos he captured that previous year. Gilkey photographs many different areas of photojournalism, but war is a main subject of his along with controversial issues that go on. Gilkey took this picture of the Marines and captured a lot of things within the photo, like although the men are at war they still seem to have a humorous side as they try catch their main course.

       This photo has a couple of different news values such as Impact, Bizarreness, Timeliness, and Proximity. The impact the photo has is the fact that these men are actually trying to catch a wild chicken for a decent meal other that the Ready to Eat Meals issued by the government. This picture is also very bizarre as you would think the men may just use a gun to kill the chicken, and the fact that the men are hiding behind the door using an old hunting technique to catch a chicken blows my mind. Timeliness comes into play as we realize that our troops are still over in foreign lands fighting a war for our freedom and seeing how they eat is saddening to me. Finally proximity grabs your attention as you realize that those men are U.S. troops and the connection you have with them by being an American pulls at your heart hoping that they come home safely.

Right Whales

       Brian Skerry is the photojournalist credited for the picture titled “Right Whales”. I got this photograph from Mr. Skerry's personal website along with some facts about his career. This photograph shows Mr. Skerry's partner Maruicio Handler diving off the coast of the Auckland Islands in New Zealand extremely close to a right whale on the ocean's floor. The photo first showed in the Oct issue of National Geographic Magazine in 2008. This picture is an unusual one as the whale was said to have looked at them with much curiosity and swam by multiple times for a closer look.

       Brian Skerry began photo journalistic career in 1998 with National Geographic Magazine and has taken a wide variety of photos for the magazine since his arrival. Skerry is a very skilled underwater photographer as he uses the rays of light to capture different color effects in the water. Skerry also brings to light a lot of sea and ocean issues with his photos as he says photojournalism can be a powerful instrument in the improvement of our oceans.

       The news values in this photograph are bizarreness and impact. This photo is very bizarre because very seldom are we able to see a picture of a whale and man so close interacting undrwater in the whales natural habitat. The man in the photo seems to be unaffected by the size of the animal as it curiously swims around him to get a better look. This photo also has the value of impact. It is an amazing sight to see a man at the oceans floor interacting with a fully grown whale and to see the beauty that this picture captures is breathtaking.

Rina Castelnuovo

       The third photo I have is one taken by Rina Castelnuovo and is of a Palestinian man wearing a mask staring at an Israeli solider behind a fence. The man is protesting a separation barrier being built by the Israeli government to divide Palestinians and Israelis. The man stands there confident and brave knowing that in previous cases people have been shot for coming to close to the white wall that you see in the picture.

       Rina Castelnuovo, who was born in Israel in 1956, recently won the Best of Photojournalism 2010 Still Photos for her album found on the Best of Photojournalism website. She is a freelance photojournalist for the Associated Press and takes many picture about war along with its crisis and struggle.

       This photograph gives me only a few news values, but the ones it does are very strong. Impact, knowing the background of the story the man in the mask is very brave as he protests towards the Israeli government. Bizarreness, because when we as Americans see a man wearing a mask like this we always assume he is a bad guy, and seeing how calm both men seem to look is unsettling to me. Conflict is definitely in play here as the whole photo is depicted around controversy and hate as the man protests the way he feels. Finally, Currency because these things are still going on and people in other countries fight for their freedom every single day whether secretly or openly like the masked man above.

The Catch

       My second photograph is one that is a memory remember by sports fans still to this day and it is “The Catch” by Walter Iooss Jr. The photo was taken by Mr. Iooss during the 1982 NFC Championship Game on January 10 as Dwight Clark catches a touchdown pass from Joe Montana in the fourth quarter. This photo lives on still to this day as one of the best football plays to ever have happened and the picture by Walter Iooss Jr gives it all the justice it deserves. I recieved this photo from Mr. Iooss's personal website and through his album titled football.

       Walter Iooss Jr has worked for Sports Illustrated since 1961 and has taken many famous pictures during his time with the magazine. The photo first appeared in the January issue of Sports Illustrated and propelled Iooss to a higher level of respect in the photography world. Mr. Iooss has since taken many famous photos, but none have ever held the same honor as “The Catch.”

       I see in this photo Impact, because of all the sports fans that have saw this photograph and understood its meaning to the game of football. Prominence, because of who threw the pass (Joe Montana) and the cities that were playing at the time being major U.S. sports cities. Conflict, because of the drama it caused when the 49ers scored and took the lead and Bizarreness because the catch was a miraculous play and seeing a huge play in a late game situation is a rarity.

Searching for survivors

       My first photograph is by the photographer James Nachtwey. Nachtwey is an American photojournalist for Time and has worked there since 1984. He has won many awards including the Robert Capa Gold Medal 5 times and the Common Wealth Award to name a few. He mostly concentrates his images through black and white photography giving his pictures more substance.

        The photo I chose is called “Searching for survivors” and is from the 9-11 album off of his personal web site http://www.jamesnachtwey.com/ . The photo was taken on the morning of Sept 11, 2001 in New York City. After the terrorist attacks of 9-11 Nachtwey grabbed his camera and began taking pictures to tell the story of the tragedy that unfolded. The picture shows 3 people walking through the debris of the city searching for survivors like the title explains. The picture really captures what the people of New York went through.

       This photo holds true to all the news values in my eyes. Impact, because of the effect it had on the American people and this photo shows the struggle of our brothers and sisters. Timeliness, Bin Laden was actually seized by U.S. Government tonight so this is a huge testimony for all of the people who lost loved ones in the attack. Prominence, New York City is one of America's greatest cities and for it to be attacked is a major issue in the U.S. Proximity, the attack happened on our own land making the severity of the event that much more substantial. Bizarreness, because things of that magnitude do not happen everyday. Conflict, because of all the war and controversy that followed after the event and finally Currency, because of the time it happened to our country and how the consequences that followed still effect us to this day.

Gulf spill one year anniversary mark

       April 20 Today marks the one year anniversary of the British Petroleum oil spill in the gulf, and while many people think things are beginning to look better, sadly improvements are taking a long time.

365 days. That's a year, so surely most of this hoopla and mumbo jumbo about the clean up is gone right? Wrong. Thousands of people are still out of work and effected by the BP spill everyday. Fisherman everywhere are out of work. From crab to catfish the fishing market is so bad no one will buy the fish. But do you blame them?

       When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig burst and began spewing oil into the Gulf millions of gallons infected the waters in the Atlantic Ocean, but just how much? 206 million gallons of oil spread its way across the ocean and traveled along with the current to many beaches ruining each communities chances of drawing a crowd for the summer season.

       The sheets of oil then started to show up on the wildlife. Seals, fish, and birds alike all were observed and photographed as the oil inhabited their homes and ruined many animal's health. Actually 2,079 birds and at least 456 sea turtles have been treated in facilities set up for helping animals in the Gulf according to National Geographic, but those are just the ones that have been rescued. How many animals lost their lives due to the fact that someone overlooked inspection criteria on the rig.

       The worst part of the oil spill was the 11 people that lost their lives in the bursting fire from the Deepwater Horizon rig. “The Best Year in Safety” is what the Transocean drilling company passed out bonuses to top executives for the year of the spill, so the question remains did they company rally cut corners in safety? Transocean's CEO made $5.8 million his year which was a 34% increase in his pay, and that bonus weighs out to $374,000 increase in pay after this year. Why do these CEO's get to keep the money when people's loved ones passed away. Should it not be ethical to help pay for these people's funeral cost or help their families more? Guess not.

       After the spill BP addressed the public and set up its four points plan. First, they pose to be transparent in what the US government and US people want to do. Second, they will meet the economic responsibilities of those infected. Third, they will in full make good about the environmental effects of the spill. Finally, they will participate in a safe Gulf of Mexico Oil Industry.

       To be transparent means to have light pass through, or to have a very obvious plan. So what is the plan? Well no one really knows, because the statements and promises made through commercials and media coverup have never been kept. Meeting the needs of economically troubled people who were hurt during the spill is another goal, but people all over think that phase is also over. After affected people received their settlement checks no other money came in. So if those people only receive money for a couple months and now do not have a job how did BP really help?

       BP does a lot to coverup the spill more than anything, but maybe instead of media propaganda used to cover the spill BP should use the money to help restore the Gulf or the people and animals effected. So Happy one year anniversary British Petroleum thanks for everything you do and unfortunately keep doing.

Baseball team has successful kids camp

Williamsburg, Ky- The University of the Cumberlands baseball team hosted a kids baseball camp at Doyle Buhl stadium  on Sunday, Feburary 14. Players and coaches participated in helping local kids get a jump ahead on future skills for helping their basbeall talents.

more than fifty boys attended the camp and were divided into different stations along with team coaches depending on the age group. University of the Cumberlands sophomore infielder Blake Potter said, "It was a good chance for the kids to come out and hopefully have a good time."

Kids were shown the proper techniques for hitting from Head Coach Brad Shelton, then took part in honing their skills as they participated in numerous stations around the baseball field.

Team coach Jake Martin said, "It can show you alot about being a kid again. I can remember being their age and looking up to people i just hope that these kid had as much fun as i did helping out."

Farragut enters year with high hopes

The nights in Knoxville are beginning to get warmeTSSAA state championship . The chilly air of late February has finally started to fade, bringing with it another opportunity. An opportunity to be great one more time has presented itself to the most decorated high school baseball team the country has been able to watch in the past six years. Four out of the last six state championships have been won by the Farragut Admirals Baseball team and building a dynasty is what many from around Knoxville believe is going on. Three years in a row now Farragut High School has won the and all focus is on number four.

                Opportunity knocks. Eight seniors and a boatload of juniors, that's what the Admirals have this year and each one knows what that means, another title run. Eight young men in west Knoxville have achieved nothing but the best. As seniors they have won a state championship since their freshman year and possibly making it number four would leave them as the most successful Farragut seniors to play the game.

The Admiral’s senior class has a lot to up hold before reaching the coveted title of greatest Tennessee High School baseball class of all time. Ten players from that west Knoxville program have been drafted into the Major Leagues within the ten years, and fifteen more have received Division 1 scholarships from schools to advance their baseball careers. Knock. Knock. Knock.

 The most prestigious baseball program since Lakeland High School in Fl. in the early 2000s begins the year with two of those seniors being Aflac All-Americans. Catcher Nicky Delmonico and Pitcher Philip Pfeifer, two of the highest-rated high school prospects in the country, start their senior year up on top. Baseball America has Farragut ranked number two in the nation as the season begins and climbing one spot is a major goal for the Admirals this spring.

Beginning late into the first semester of school the reigning champs start the work to prepare them for the championship push they strive for. Clinton High School Head Baseball Coach Casey Taylor understands the challenges his team faces as region foe Farragut looks to capture the crown again. “They are possibly the best high school team in the nation and rightfully so. For high school kids to play at the level they play is amazing.” As sophomores both were vital parts in helping the Admirals set state and national records for home runs in a year and most run rules in a season (meaning the game was stopped because the Admirals were winning the game by too many runs).

                During the TSSAA state championships in Murfreesboro last year both All-Americans helped propel Farragut to the title game where each stepped up their play and showed why they actually are two of the highest rated prizes college coaches can get their hands on. Delmonico, who was the state tournament MVP, led the Admirals at the plate hitting .457 throughout the tournament including a walk off home run in the championship game to win the title. On the other side of the picture Pfeifer led the Admirals in pitching and didn’t back down to a single hitter. Pfeifer went 3-0 in the state tournament including a spotless 2-1 championship performance that lifted Farragut past championship contender Houston.

                Nothing less than a state championship will be a successful year for the Admirals and that is the way it has been for the past couple of years. Former Admiral Sam Thomas said, “Every year we began training for the season, it was the only thing everyone talked about. It’s something everyone at Farragut expects now year in and year out.”

                With the Admirals pumping out more MLB prospects than your average high school showcase, destiny seems to wait for the Admirals every year in Murfreesboro and this one seems to be no different. The opportunity to be great calls, so can these young men finish what they started?