The Storyteller

Journalists have one of the most rewarding careers out there: they are able to tell stories. I believe people genuinely like having their stories told, and we are their storytellers. Journalists have the ability to reach readers from all walks of life and change the course of thought and/or history, whether it be a social or political change.

I don’t think the field will ever go away, despite a world of increasing technological advances. In serious journalism, telling stories well matters --- and always will. Journalists’ work can be tedious and tiring, and it can often go underestimated. That just adds to my respect for the field. 

I have learned how important it is to be a good listener and look at the world around you in a more critical way. A journalist can become that voice for the masses, but only if he/she digs deeper beyond the typical, surface-based story.

A few weeks ago, Gwen Ifill told her Wittenberg audience, “Most of us got into journalism to save the world – but, we became to realize the world needed to save us.” 

How the Economy is Affecting the Millennial Generation

Policy issue areas for the college-aged (Millennial) generation:

1. The National Budget
2. Growing National Debt
3. Entitlement Programs
4. Great Recession

General Background Information:

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Millennials face unemployment rates above 25% and are still searching for the return on educational investments
• Fully 55% of those ages 18 to 24 say young adults are having the toughest time in today’s economy
  • Great Recession had a more severe impact on the earnings of young adults than that any other age group
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates that entitlement spending (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid) will go from 10.4% to 16.5% of the economy in the next 25 years – a growing proportion that is growing rapidly with the aging baby boomers and advances in life expectancies for the over-65 age set

The Economy

“Strong majorities of all adults say it’s harder for today’s young people than it was for their parents to find a job (82%); save for the future (75%); pay for college (71%); or buy a home (69%). In some cases, middle-aged and older adults are even more likely than their younger counterparts to say today’s young people have it harder.”
– PEW Research, “Young, Underemployed and Optimistic (2012)

Source: HERE

The fact of the matter is, in economic terms, young people have it harder than their parents did.

There is an intense anxiety among Millennials about the economy; from ability to meet current bills/finance obligations, affording a place to live, ability to pay for college (including paying of student loans), and finding a job – or career.

Problems young Americans face in association with the economy:

• Go back to school because of the tough economy/job market (increase in student debt)
• Fewer young adults on the job market today because of increased high school and college enrollment
• Shifting societal norms about when “adulthood” begins (getting married and having children later due to concerns about financial stability)
• Taking a job one doesn’t want just to pay the bills
• Taking an unpaid job to gain work experience
• Affects coming-of-age decisions
• Move back in with parents after living independently to save
• Concern over if enough money will be made to support life one wants to live
• Drop in weekly earnings
• Decline in youthful optimism

Goals Based Upon Policy Areas:

1. Cut government spending and either keep taxes at the current rates or cut them (depending on the situation) to have private sector expand more than the public sector
2. Reform entitlement programs – they comprise 60% of spending and are on track to increase
3. Social Security is the most important thing that bipartisan Senators could address for it directly affects the deficit
4. Enforce a simpler tax code with fewer loopholes that taxes a broader range of income at lower rates that could encourage investment and hasten economic growth – this appeals to both the left and right

All in all, the Great Recession has affected wages, retirement savings (Social Security), homes values, debt, etc – but public attitudes about future earning potential have remained remarkably stable, possibly indicating that optimism is related more to the stage of life than to the dynamics of the national economy. 

 

That State Up North

Thanksgiving is always an interesting time at the Greiwe(Bayer) household. Normal families usually look forward to spending time with each other, but my family becomes divided every Thanksgiving break.

It's because my mom's side of the family has huge issues: they're all Michigan fans.

Even if you're not from Ohio, you know the importance of "The Game," the greatest rivalry in college football...and maybe greatest rivalry, period.

My dad, brother and I are all big OSU fans while my mom is from Detroilet (aka Detroit). Six of her relatives have gone or are going to U of M right now. There's a lot of trash talk in our family, I'll say that, and some comments are not appropriate to write in this blog post.

My dad and aunt have started the tradition of making bets on the game. For 7 out of the past 8 years, it's  been pretty entertaining. Let me recap some of these:
-When I was little, my dad had to wear a Michigan speedo. Apparently it was an ugly site for all.
-The loser had to wear the other team's apparel, and that year OSU lost...so my dad wore it, like a good sport. Just inside out.
-My aunt had to die her hair red.
-My uncle had to wear a Buckeye football helmet and matching jockstrap...with Buckeyes on the jockstrap, of course.
-My aunt had to eat her Thanksgiving meal without silverware.

Now, these have all been pretty funny... but usually now my dad and aunt/uncle just bet with a case of  beer (which gets consumed pretty fast in my family).

Since the game fell on a Saturday this break, we didn't get to brag about winning. Needless to say, I'm exciting for Christmas break when we get to see them wearing our jerseys and to receive our beer.

Since we've been little, my dad has trained my brother Clay and I to cough whenever we cross the border into Michigan.

There's another long-standing tradition in the Greiwe household that at about approximately 8 a.m. on the day of "The Game" my dad blares the OSU fight song to wake us all up....and then he lets the whole freaking CD of the OSU marching band play. No matter how early it is, it still gets me excited to spend the day watching the game with him and I look forward to this unique tradition of Jamie's.

When I was little, he used to make me get out of bed and march script Ohio around the living room...but I'm older now, and he knows better.

And to close this, I will tell how my cousin (who attended that joke of a school Up North) replied to my  text to her after the game on Saturday:

Me: "O-H!"
Her: "F U"

Multi-Party Systems: Better?

This blog is in reaction to Erin Harte’s blog titled RAWR.

Some people are frustrated by others not realizing there are other options for candidates out there, but I would argue that people who do realize that (like me, a political science major) also realize that our system makes it so that a third-party candidate has a next-to-no chance of getting elected.  

Some people (note: most of my friends) said they didn't like either Romney or Obama - and that includes myself; I voted for Gary Johnson. I usually don't go around announcing who I voted for, but I will say this: I knew by voting for Gary Johnson, my vote would essentially be a wash. I didn’t feel right voting for either candidate because I didn’t agree with their policies, and I didn’t want to say I helped vote in someone that was the shiner of two turds.

Our system favors a two-party system in a "first past the post" election schema. Meaning, the first candidate to reach 270 electoral votes wins – thus, it’s a "winner take all" system.

This is different from a multi-party system a lot of European countries have. Essentially each voter has "more of a say" because they vote for a direct percentage of representatives in their version of congress. Meaning if 85% of voters voted for party Z, party Z would have 85% of seats in congress. The remaining 15% would be divvied up among the other parties based on the exact percentage of votes cast in their favor. 

An advantage of a multi-party system is that there is a more diverse representation so people can find parties that are more aligned with their political ideologies, rather than the predominant two we have in the U.S.

This also pretty much assures rule won’t come from a single party, in which the regime could turn more authoritarian and it’s harder for legislation to pass through – and depending on your perspective, that can be an advantage or disadvantage.

However, this system does come with some disadvantages. It can be more complex for voters – they have to really think about their alignment, but again, that could be seen as an advantage. Having too many parties can greatly divide congress, creating so many agendas that nothing would ever get done – potentially even worse than the gridlock in Congress now.

In the U.S., I think the two party system really divides people on not what they agree on, but what they disagree on. You’ll often hear about what people don’t like about the other party. It’s easy to garner support for a certain party by making oppositional claims about the other party – which is exactly what I think happened in this past presidential election.

Which system is better? You tell me.

Departmental Cuts: Something Has to Give

Rumors run rampant, especially at Wittenberg. A big rumor going around campus right now is that the board already made the decision of which programs to cut, and the open forums are just a formality.

Wittenberg isn't the only school in financial trouble, and Wittenberg students certaintly aren't the only ones effected by increasing tuition costs. Evidence of the election shows that these are not just concerns in the Witt bubble. This is a real life problem and we need a real-time solution.

Cutting some academic programs is not a thing the board would like to boast about. Is it better to ride this probelm out, or do something about it in order to ensure this school has financial stability in the near future? I would argue the latter.While this may make me seem like a bad guy, this issue is not a matter of if the programs will but cut, but rather what programs will be cut.

It's easy to get caught up in a cloud of emotion and maybe even irrationality, especially if it's a program a student is in and feels passionately about. However, the board ensured us the cuts would be grandfathered in. Alumni probably want to see their programs continue and flourish, but they also want to see their school flourish as well. And, in order for this to happen, cuts have to be made -- whether we like it or not.

I think it's great Wittenberg is allowing open forums and students are mobilizing to gather support for the programs in consideration, and I do not think this it's a lost cause to make your voice heard. I urge students to keep it professional and respectful when they attend these forums and/or if they write letters -- as we have seen on social media, arguments written in a fit of rage will just turn people off. Don't bash other programs and don't point fingers -- just be persuasive and tell your story about why a particular is important to you and why you think it shouldn't be cut.

This is a tough decision and we need to look at it from both sides. It is easy and popular to default to a "save the arts" mentality. I can't stress the importance of my liberal arts education enough. But the fact remains that something has to give. Should it be the departments that are efficient and serve a great number of students? No.

Forward. Really, Let's Move Forward.

Just when you thought you had your fill of people posting their political views on social media outlets, last night brought about a new wave of bitching. Yes, bitching.

The blatant disrespect, coming from both sides, is astonishing to me. We have our fair share of problems in this country, sure, but is there really any other place you'd rather live and raise your family?

Some people are threatening to "move to Canada or Australia" -- do they realize there is universal healthcare in both of those countries? I feel that a lot of the people posting are misinformed; they don't research the facts and complain for the sake of complaining. 

Social media can be good -- look at what it did for the Arab Spring. Arguably, it helped unshackle the bonds of some non-democratic regimes. Yet it's bad when people use the outlets to vent their frustrations because they can type it out and thus not say it to anyone's face, avoiding verbal repercussions. 

I myself am boycotting social media for the next couple days. I wish people would rise above and realize that we can't even agree on what the problems are in this country.Those that complain about bipartisan politics are adding fuel to the fire when they, in a fit of emotions,  type out blanket statements about the other side.

If we can't overcome our own petty differences, how can we expect Washington to? We are not setting a good example for them if we don't handle the election results with maturity.

Ohio: You'll Stop Caring About Us Tomorrow

Ohioans, brace yourselves: today is the last day of election propaganda. As perhaps the pivotal swing state in this 2012 election (and in most presidential elections), all eyes are on us.

Tomorrow the country will decide who will be our next president, and by the country I mean the United States of Flohiowa.

If you're like me, I know you're probably sick of all the political ads, robo-calls, campaign signs, and social media posts. In Ohio, I would argue we're targeted moreso than any other state in the nation --which can be, quite frankly, draining.

Instead of seeing this as a bad thing (aside from the negative ads and mud-slinging commercials) I think we should view ourselves as almost lucky. 

President Obama came to Springfield, OH last week to campaign -- a place no one generally thinks twice about. Governor Mitt Romney visited Defiance, OH, my hometown of 17,000 on his campaign trail -- a place no one thinks once about.

People in Ohio are getting to witness history-in-the-making first hand and we should feel privileged to have had so many opportunities to see the presidential candidates.

One Ohioan took her family to see Mitt Romney and she said this:

"Living here in Ohio has afforded my kids the opportunity to see our whole political process in action. I hope that no matter whom they decide to vote for when they get older, they understand the process and the importance of becoming involved in the issues that affect our country."

Plus, with the nation's eyes on us, it's like being the prettiest girl at the dance.