2/23/2009

Tom's Favorite Movies

In light of tonight's Academy Awards ceremonies, I decided to compile a list of my favorite movies, or at least the top 30 of them, to express my cinematic interests to the world. Most of them are big-time award winners and no-brainers, but I usually like a movie for its camera work, thoroughness, music, realism, emotion and sometimes, historical significance. That being said, my favorite comedies also make the list.

01. Saving Private Ryan
02. Gladiator
03. The Departed
04. The Last Samurai
05. Jurassic Park
06. Braveheart
07. Titanic
08. Crash
09. The Dark Knight
10. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
11. The Lion King
12. The Legend of the Drunken Master
13. Hannibal
14. Munich
15. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
16. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
17. American Beauty
18. Forrest Gump
19. The Producers
20. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
22. Full Metal Jacket
23. The Godfather
24. Lucky # Sleven
25. Road Trip
26. Pearl Harbor
27. Guys and Dolls
28. Spaceballs
29. Super Troopers
30. Star Trek: Generations

-TB

2/22/2009

National Federation of Music Clubs Festival

CARBONDALE--Nearly 270 young musicians made their way to Southern Illinois University Carbondale's campus this weekend to perform, not in competition, but to improve their skills and further promote their interest in music.

The National Federation of Music Clubs Festival gives young Southern Illinois musicians a chance to perform two or three pieces they have practiced in a group recital setting and be evaluated by judges on their performance.

"It's pretty much an evaluation, not only for the kids, but for the teachers to know how they are doing," said Rosa Muir, Chairperson for the event.

Students from as far away as Harrisburg and Salem are participating in the event, which runs through Sunday afternoon and includes performances in instruments from violin and vocals to trumpets and trombones.

While students receive points and awards based on their performances, the Morning Etude Club, a local group of music instructors responsible
for guiding the festival, stresses the fact that the event is not a competition, but an opportunity to perform and receive evaluation.

Many students return to the festival year after year, building up points received from their past performances and moving up in difficulty level as their skills and instruction develop. By the end of high school, the musicans can accumulate several 'gold cup' trophies to ornament their college résumés.

The NFMC festival is a national event, involving the performances of hundreds of thousands of musicians across the country this month, and is "designed to promote study, stimulate interest in American and world music literature, and encourage each participant to reach a high standard of musical achievement."

Karen Price, a Murphysboro resident, has two daughters performing in the festival this year, one for the first time.

"It opens a lot of doors, builds their self esteem, and builds their self confidence, I think. Also, they grow in a love for different types of music," Price said.


-TB

2/15/2009

Tom on a Garbage Truck

Photo by Adriane Matkovich
In our pursuit to cover all things campus on Saturday, Adriane and I followed a garbage truck driven Justin Kerley, of Carbondale. I think at first he thought we were retarded, but he eventually warmed up to us and let me ride on the back of the truck while he was picking up dumpsters at SIUC's Thompson Point.

-TB

2/11/2009

A Short Philosophy of Media Ethics

Photo by Matt Rourke-AP-News Photographer Magazine, October 2008

In a liberal, democratic society, people in the media and news organizations should have a right to know everything their government does. The freedom of the press described in the first amendment constitutes an agreement of trust the American government has made with its people and to deny the right of information to any person under its control is a breach of constitutional contract. The news media should seek and report on anything the general public should know and the information should be given to them without conflict. Elected officials, military personnel and police should not have the right or even the desire to withhold the substance of their doings. After all, they are public servants. Their jobs are to serve the communities, states and country they govern and protect. Too often are members of the media shrugged away by police and officials, only addressed in hastened press conferences, public releases and phone calls when the “public servant” finds it convenient. Just as the people have a right to know what's going on in their government, the government should not have the right to keep information from them. The idea of free press is separate, however, from the right to privacy. Any American can retain information regarding personal matters or happenings on private property, but that does not abolish the press' right to ask. The distinction between the two forms of information is important because people of authority will often confuse the two when trying to avoid the media. For example, several news photographers were sprayed with pepper spray and arrested while photographing protesters outside the Republican National Convention held in St. Paul, Minn., in 2008. As many as 50 of the 800 people arrested during the protests were there covering the event for daily newspapers or television stations. As journalists were being arrested for simply doing their jobs, St. Paul police public information director Tom Walsh told a Reuters reporter, “At some point even a journalist has to recognize that they are in violation of the law and they have to make a decision—are they going to get arrested or are they going to cover it from a distance?” (News Photographer). Director Walsh's interpretation of the freedom of the press at best is skewed by his desire to keep the streets of St. Paul safe. The St. Paul police obviously did not understand the press' right to cover what was happening. Arresting a journalist for covering an event on public property is unconstitutional and police officers who assault and mistreat journalists should be taken to court for their actions.

The moral connections between the wider society and the functioning of the news media aren't always apparent to the general public, but they are something every good journalist considers in his training and throughout his career. The morality of the media is much like the morality of humanity. The media, however, are in a much more interesting position to display ethical decisions because their decisions are communicated in mass. The effects on society of an immoral news medium can be much greater than those of an immoral person. This is why journalists must be extra careful in seeing that their publications are truthful. The basis of journalism is telling the truth. Newspapers and other media do not lie to their audiences just as university faculty do not lie to their students. Being untruthful only lowers the profession's credibility and worse, infects one's character. It is important for the media to be as universally indiscriminate as possible in their work. Capitalist society tends to encourage a cutthroat style of business in which competitive proprietors will do whatever necessary to make the most profit possible. They will block, attack and devour each other until one remains to reap the rewards of the total population. The media are businesses as well, but they must not pick sides and promote coverage depending on where the most advertising revenue lies. Although it is costly and will not bring in the most profit, being fair, truthful and unbiased is the right thing to do. When money and obsession for wealth control the man or the medium, it no longer serves its purpose. Plato said it best in his collection of dialogues, The Republic, while quoting Socrates: “There can be no doubt that the love of wealth and the spirit of moderation cannot exist together in citizens of the same State to any considerable extent; one or the other will be disregarded.” (Republic). In the same way the man must choose his rewards, so shall the news medium.

A society that aspires to be democratic in nature includes values that promote fair treatment of all, with representation for all in its government. It does not favor an elite minority or mistreat many for the advancement of few. It provides just punishment for assailants of liberty, acts to end suffering of its people and seeks to improve quality of life for all under its control. The role the news media play in a socio-political system is one of connection. The media inform the people of what is happening in their society. They bridge the gap between the person and the people. They support the idea that everyone has a right to know what everyone needs to know. Media are a necessity to creating a society in which people feel that their government acts in their interest. Media expose wrongdoings, threats and problems so that people are aware of what can harm them and their society. This is why the American constitution, in its amended state, provides protection of the press. If there was no protection of the press and the federal and state governments were free to legislate against the publication and acquirement of information, then the connection would be broken and the people would not know whether their government was acting in their interest or not. Although the United States has had “freedom of the press” since the Bill of Rights' ratification in 1791, the news media have not always received the legal representation they are promised. In fact, Freedom House, an organization that monitors the world's press liberty, printed a report in 2008 that showed a slight moral decline in 2007 in American practice, stating “...there were continuing problems in the legal sphere, particularly concerning cases in which the authorities tried to compel journalists to reveal confidential sources or provide access to research material in the course of criminal investigations.” (Freedomhouse). Authorities demanding source and research information from the media is an infringement of the U.S. Constitution's first amendment. When regulations, restrictions, and limitations are forced upon the media by the government, the purpose of the press' freedom is not served.

Moral statements that guide the virtuous man do the same for the mass communicator. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is cliché, but serves as a moral basis for how a good journalist regards his audience. He would not be untruthful to them because he would not want them to be untruthful to him. He would not insult them in his work because he would not want to be insulted. Nor would he hide information, embarrass his subjects or change the meaning of a source's words. A good journalist earns his rewards and does not cheat or steal for them. A strong work ethic makes a journalist take pride in what he does and devote himself entirely to producing an excellent product. In turn, hard work from the journalist also earns him respect and admiration from his audience and builds a foundation for healthy, open relationships that allow him to get the best out of the people he documents. In judging media performance, one should look for a strong bond of trust between a news medium and its audience. Also, media should provide equal reporting over their coverage areas and never publish a story that is one-sided. Anyone who is trained to work for news media knows there is a defined moral and ethical practice to which they must adhere to if they plan on being respected or trusted as journalists. For news photographers, a big concern is image manipulation, which has been around as long as photography has. It is unethical to change the content of a photograph. Period. Changing the content of an image is the same as lying in a written story and it discredits the photographer, the publication and the profession. “What I am most concerned about is that there is a perception that viewers have come to accept the manipulation and don't believe what they see anyway,” said Kenny Irby, the visual journalism group leader at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Guide).

Most of all, journalism is a public service. It informs people, it brings them together and it gives them new points of view. No matter how wrapped up the news media can be in money concerns, subscription problems or advertising droughts, what matters most is the people and doing what is best for them. They are the reason journalism exists. They are the unending whirlwind of possibilities that journalists must come to know, respect and describe. If a news medium cannot survive without being untrue to its audience, then the news medium should not survive.

Bibliography

AP Guide. “The Associated Press Guide to Photojournalism” Second Edition. Brian Horton 2001. P. 39. McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Freedomhouse. “Press Freedom in 2007: A Year of Global Decline” Karin Deutsch Karlekar. Freedomhouse.org. 2007. Consulted February 9, 2009.

News Photographer. “You Are All Under Arrest” Donald R. Winslow. News Photographer Magazine. October 2008. P. 31. The National Press Photographers Association.

Republic. “Republic” Plato. 380-350 B.C.E. Barnes & Noble Classics. 2004. P. 272

2/04/2009

Shawnee Hills Agape Folk School - Cobden, Ill.

I took my first trip down to the Shawnee Hills Agape Folk School this morning. It's a small, Christian K-12 private school located in Cobden, Ill., that I've been wanting to do a story on since I learned of it early last semester. This semester, I plan to do a picture story on it for Phil Greer's Picture Story class, as well as a multimedia project involving video, slide shows, and Flash animation. In the end, I would love to have a video or slide show for each of the students, 17 altogether, and arrange them with a main slide show all in a Flash project. I may just feature a few of the students in videos if some of them don't work out too well. I'll probably visit the school at least once a week from now on, but this time I just introduced myself and got a feel for how the classes and activities worked.

The kids are great. Some of them even came up to me and introduced themselves all politely and said it was a pleasure to meet me. Each one of them has a different story as to why they are there. Many of them have had problems in public schools, such as with learning disabilities or behavioral issues. I think, for the most part, their parents just want them to have an education with the inclusion of God and the teachings of The Bible, which is definitely what they get.

They begin every school day with devotions, which is bible study and prayer, and the students themselves often help with teaching scriptures to the other kids. This morning they talked about David and Goliath and discussed the things that are Goliaths in their lives. One girl told the teacher, Jill, who happens to be my Aunt Debbie's sister, that the Goliath in her life would be how her mom and dad fight. Most of the kids agreed that a Goliath for all of them is getting more kids to come to SHAF, so that they can learn about God, too.

This is one of the kids that has already caught my attention. His name is Johnathon and he has bright blue eyes and a face like he should be some kind of child actor. He's very quiet and apparently sensitive, but something I learned about him is that he loves the ocean. He is constantly drawing fish, sharks, dolphins, rays, barracuda, squid, octopus, starfish, seahorses, coral, etc., and he knows the name of every kind of sea life there is. A 5 year old. Jill says he wants to be an oceanographer and she has a collection of sea animals he's drawn, colored and cut out and she's amazed by the detail he includes in his creatures.

Here are some numbers regarding the school's operation. 17 students. 3 teachers. Class 4 days a week (Mon-Thu). Class 8am to 3:45pm. $2,000 yearly tuition. 13 grade levels. 5-6 students per class. 2 pledges of allegiance (American and Christian flags). 1 God.

This little guy's name is August and he wanted me to get a picture of his polar bear folder. He's a kindergartner with a lot of energy, but he needs a little help devoting that energy to learning letters and numbers.

The school offers the kids a chance to learn many extra talents, such as piano lessons (like today), sewing, breadmaking, gardening, art, music and quilting, among other things. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, the kids at SHAF won first prize in a national quilting contest held by the National Quilters' Association in Paducah, Ky. They beat over 60 other schools.

They are divided into three classes: Kindergarten, 1st through 4th grades, and 5th grade up (about 5-6 kids in each). The school uses a challenging curriculum, but the education is completely individualized. So, one 11-year-old may be working the 7th grade, while another 11-year-old might be working on the 5th grade. In theory, a child could complete all the grades and graduate with a high school diploma long before reaching typical high school senior age. Bonnie holds that the material is challenging, however, so I'm sure it would be a lot of work to graduate early.

I'll probably post on SHAF School every week as I continue to produce pictures and video from my visits. I scheduled my next visit for Monday, when I'm gonna focus mainly on a video interview with the school's founder, administrator and teacher, Bonnie Vines.

-TB

2/02/2009

Super Bowl XLIII

THOMAS BARKER / THE SOUTHERN
Jeramie Stewart, of Carbondale, stands up and waves his 'terrible towel' while watching Super Bowl XLIII with friends and cheering for the Pittsburg Steelers on Sunday at Pinch Penny Pub and Liquors. Stewart was serving the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq during Pittsburg's Super Bowl victory three years ago and was excited to get to see his team victorious this time around.

1/31/2009

Environmental Portrait #1

We have to turn in our first environmental portrait this week in Intermediate Photojournalism, so I decided to head back to Jeff Martin, owner of a company called True Adventures, LTD., that builds a life-size, Dungeons & Dragons-esque dungeon that attracts nearly 3,000 adventurers each year at GenCon, a gaming convention held in Indianapolis, Ind. This year, the True Dungeon is coming to Southern Illinois in addition to Indy, and Jeff, along with hundreds of volunteers, will work hard every weekend building the experience in a rented warehouse located in Herrin, Ill. Right now, the crew is working on building the wooden frames for the walls, but they have already set up a multicolored puzzle, which I must say, emits a great light for interesting photographs.

Martin and helper Warren Snider liken the puzzle to Sudoku, only much more complicated, and built the puzzle themselves. I lit Jeff with a single strobe from the camera's left side with a fancy diffuser I made out of a piece of paper I ripped out of my pocket notebook. The text on the photo is just for added effect, so it looks like some kinda fancy magazine spread, so I probably won't turn it into Professor Mark Dolan with that stuff on it. It was kinda difficult to balance out the exposure to include both the glow from the table, and the 128th-power strobe.

I also shot an SIU track and field meet today at the Rec Center, and a Science Center of Southern Illinois 15th Birthday Bash with a bunch of little science activities at the University Mall.

THOMAS BARKER / THE SOUTHERN

Noah Kippenbrock, 11, of Carbondale, tries to hold on to friend Austin Helfrich, 12, of Murphsyboro, as he slides down a mound of plowed snow Friday in the Dick's Sporting Goods parking lot. Days after last week's winter storm, many area parking lots still haven't been cleared of snow and ice.

-TB