"We're Not Puppets"

Here's a story I wrote about The Johnsonian (Winthrop's Student Run Newspaper). It's pretty dramatic I'm not going to lie. haha

Johnsonian
Kathleen Brown

In a gray dimly lit hallway Christy Mullins, Editor in Chief of The Johnsonian, oversees a handful of the paper’s head staff.

“I’m the mommy,” said Mullins with a smile, "I hear all.”

Tyrannical, Mullins is not, but the growth and development that the paper has gone through since she assumed her position at the beginning of the year is impressive. Mullins was the catalyst that transformed The Johnsonian from its half page size to the current broadsheet style it is published in.

Mullins has also been working to instill a deeper network of communication between the editors and the many reporters, columnists, and photojournalists associated with the paper. The editor’s are trying very hard to make sure that the paper’s focus continues to be the completion of an unbiased source of news to the Winthrop student body.

By resisting the onslaught of clubs, restaurants, and organizations begging for free exposure, The Johnsonian is staying out of the lucrative side of things.

“We’re not a P.R. magazine,” said News Editor, Nicole Smith, “We’re here to tell the people what is going on.”

This philosophy can be very hard to maintain when the very news the staff of The Johnsonian release is exactly what get’s them into trouble. As student interest in the policies of the Winthrop administration grows Mullins and Smith especially are finding that information harder to obtain.

It seems that the people at the top would just as soon see the news stories reporters are uncovering stay covered up.

According to Mullins, the paper has not been able to maintain a good relationship with the administration since the beginning of the year.

Not surprisingly the administration’s temper tantrums started up about the time The Johnsonian started to release stories on Winthrop’s handling and mishandling of statewide budget cuts.

“I was called into one of the administrator’s offices and was basically yelled at,” said Mullins.

But, with the threat of censorship looming overhead the “little paper that could” kept rocking the boat and released an editorial exposing the administrations attempts to keep certain information out of the students’ hands.

“We’re not puppets,” explained Mullins, “there is no reason why the same print rights should not apply to us just because we are a college newspaper.”

Earnestly Ernest

I'm up reading my favorite author, Ernest Hemingway.

I know what someone is saying already, and you know what? Enough with all the bad mouthing- machismo and alcoholism jabs. Yeah, so what? All someone has to do is crack the spine of a Hemingway and you can practically taste the raw realness of his work.

Lately I've been reading through the most recently published compilation of his short stories, "The Finca Vigia Edition". Hemingway deals with the edgiest of human nature and somehow turns it into poetry. His short stories could be quickly categorized into war, death, sexuality, and more death. But as with all stereotyping if the reader refuses to look past these recurring things he will miss the unparalleled humor, prose, and fairness he puts into his character's and story lines.



If pressed to pick a favorite of his short story pieces I would probably choose "The Undefeated" or "Natural History of The Dead"

Undefeated is a classic "man vs. nature" scenario in which nature (a bull) overtakes man (Manuel a young matador). The short story reads like a tug-a-war game all the way through.

Manuel's persistent claim, "I was doing good" as he lays on the operating slowly fades away as the doctor puts him under saying "You were doing great."

The second story "Natural History of the Dead" mocks people's attempts to romanticize the carnage of war.

In a sarcastic request for a sequel to the ever popular "Familiar History of Birds" Hemingway writes, "Can we not hope to furnish the reader with a few rational and interesting facts about the dead? I hope so." You can practically see him smirk in between the lines.

Although the entire essay was meant to shock with graphic descriptions thrown cheerfully into a "naturalist article" Hemingway can still deliver amazing literary punches.

Take this epic line explaining how the smell of a battlefield can never be restored,

"...the other thing is gone as completely as when you have been in love; you remember things that happened, but the sensation cannot be recalled"

If you are a fan of sarcasm and all things Hemingway-esque I definitely urge you to spend a little time with Ernest.

Goodbye Sweet Anonymity

I guess I should start this thing off by letting everyone know that this is my first EVER blog entry. So hello blogdom goodbye sweet sweet anonymity.

The pros and cons I had in my head were extremely petty. Here's an example of how my list looked (I make lists non-stop. I'm talking boyfriend problems, Christmas presents, or groceries- it does not matter)

Pro: Who knows? Maybe some brilliant 30 something CEO just itching to employ an eager to please blogger will become a follower! And golly gee wouldn't that be swell?!
Con: Suppose, I come back after an amazing party, log into my good old blog, and ruin my good name in 10 slurring badly typed sentences!? And then my password is instantly erased from my memory therefore leaving those CEO prospects....wasted.

As you can see my "pro" column eventually told my "con" column to stop shuffling its feet and get a little backbone for god's sake.

And also Mr. Timbs basically said "blog or die".

So here I am alive and no longer a blog-virgin.