Is Facebook A Friend Or Foe of the Class Reunion?

This summer my alma mater will celebrate the graduating class of 1985; I will have my 25th high school reunion. I attended The Buffalo Seminary, a small, private school for girls. There were approximately 30 girls in my graduating class and 120 enrolled girls that year. It was a small school indeed!

The utterance of “high school reunion”  can often result in an assortment of emotions and memories, particularly with such a milestone event like the 25th anniversary class reunion. A few weeks ago the class leader assigned to organize our upcoming reunion asked me if I would help her plan and the event. I said yes. My situation may be unique; our school has always fostered an environment that encouraged the girls to nurture and value friendships long after we departed from the school’s hallowed hallways. I also liked the girls in my class and I enjoyed high school so the thought of attending my reunion does not induce nausea or anxiety as it might for some people. Besides, Facebook has allowed me to network and reconnect with alumnae, faculty and staff.

Nonetheless, I began to wonder, how has Facebook impacted the American custom of the “class reunion”?

The emergence of Facebook has made reminiscing with classmates about the “good old days” immediate and convenient. Many people have “friended” former classmates and alumni on Facebook. Status updates, wall posts and photo uploads allow people to keep in touch and stay abreast of the personal lives of former school pals. Let’s face it, some of us read about the professional and familial comings and goings of old classmates on a daily basis. Not only do you know their career paths and family statuses, in some instances you have likely read about daily culinary experiences as well as the language and physical developments of their children.

It is no longer necessary to wait until the class reunion to ask, “So, what have you been up to since graduation?” If you are on Facebook, you probably already know.  Has the practicality of Facebeook diminished the need or desire for a class reunion?

The social networking site has certainly simplified the task of finding a schoolmate.  Digitized photos can be fun or humiliating to look at. Today you may have have less hair, grayer hair, or a few wrinkles. Hopefully your skin has cleared up, you still have your own teeth and if you can still wear any clothing item from your senior year you deserve a medal.  Nonetheless, Facebook has spawned new life to the 20th century Baby Boomer and Generation X graduating high school classes.

So, are you more or less inclined to attend your high school class reunion in spite of the Facebook virtual reality of “Class of 19??”

Life on the “E” List: The Perils of the Ellicott Vacancy

Brian Davis resigned as Ellicott District Council-member and as a result quite a few people are vying for the appointment to the Ellicott district council vacancy  Mr. Davis resigned on Wednesday, November 18th and by Thursday, November 19th, The Buffalo News printed an article with a putative list of hopefuls. The vacancy posted on the City of Buffalo website on November 20th.  Speculations grew with such rapidity that news stories and blogposts about the list potential candidates evolved like a chain of events in an episode of “24.”

Once the dust quickly settled, I began to think about the role of accountability within the framework of the vacancy. Accountability and transparency have become commonplace buzzwords. In fact, the maxim “accountability” was part of Mr. Kearns campaign acronym, C.H.A.N.G.E. It could be considered one of the top political catchwords of a 21st century politician.

Several questions came to mind as I began to think about the Queen City’s latest political matter in question:

•    Now that the Ellicott seat is vacant, what is the process for appointment in the event of a vacancy?
•    What are the procedures that will provide accountability?
•    What are the job and education requirements for a Council-member?
•    Is a college degree required?
•    What is the time frame condition which satisfies the residency requirement?
•    Who validates the residency requirement of each applicant?
•    Once the applicants request letters, resumés and residencies are verified the list will be made public on the City of Buffalo website, right?

Surely such provisos were considered when the resolution was introduced and codified into law, right?

Uh, well…no.

The city charter Article 3-6, titled Vacancies in the Common Council addresses the conditions related to such an occurrence. In 2006 South District Council-member Michael Kearns introduced a resolution requiring future Council candidates to submit a resumé and a letter of request for the appointment in the event of a vacancy in the Common Council. This resolution was voted upon and the city charter was amended in December of 2006.

Two weeks have passed since the Ellicott district council vacancy was posted. Today, Friday December 4th is the final day letters of interest and corresponding resumés can be received by the City Clerk.

The detailed job requirements including the residency requirement were not included in the official letter posted by the City Clerk but Article 3 of the city charter is mentioned in the letter. You would need to look up what exactly Article 3 pertains to yourself.  If you want to know the names of the submissions you must call the city clerk’s office or Franczyk’s office.

What about life on the “E” list? Where did the list of names originate? Let’s explore. Who thought allowing a presumptive list of candidates to be released to the media BEFORE receipt of the letters, resumés and residency requirement were verified was an act of accountability? Perhaps this tidbit of info would have helped Choco-Logo owner Dan Johnson before he decided to throw his hat in the ring only to remove it because he was residentially ineligible.

However providing the media with a list of valid candidates or news sources verifying facts, probably wouldn’t have provided The Buffalo News and other online news outlets anything to report on and might have prevented the Council-majority from behaving like Common Council illuminati.

None of the answers to my questions were publicized. It troubles me to think of the possibility they were not examined by leaders on the council. That has to account for something, right? Well, there is always the next episode. Stay tuned.

African-Americans and Cancer by Genetic Design

Did you know that prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men. Did you know that the Prostate Specific Antigen test, commonly referred to as the PSA test was invented in Buffalo by a team of researchers led by Dr. T. Ming Chu at Roswell Park Cancer Institute?

African-American males are more likely to get prostate cancer earlier than White males and are twice as likely to die from the disease. There are different schools of thought when it comes to types of treatment. The Buffalo News reported a story about a therapy debate which revolves around cost, referring physician, treatment type and treatment facility.

The uncertainty surrounding the African-American male and morbidity of prostate cancer, perplexity about treatment options and the possibility of a fatal prognosis can weigh heavy on a brother.

The scientific research of Dr. Georgia Dunston and Dr. Chiledum Ahaghotou has provided some clarity as to why Black men succumb to the disease at a greater rate. The doctors are leaders for the National Cooperative Study of Hereditary Prostate Cancer in African Americans.

The study has provided incremental and valuable insight regarding a genetic inclination to prostate cancer in African-American men.

The racial disparity of affordable and accessible health care is further complicated by genetic tendencies toward certain cancers for minority men and women.

African-American women tend to have a more aggressive diagnosis although White women have increased incidences.

Minority men and women must unite and encourage each other to utilize health education resources including prevention and early detection tools for diseases we are more susceptible to by design. Our design doesn’t have to be deadly. We must educate ourselves and advocate for health care reform.

Let us help us.

How To Be A Good Buffalo News Online Reader Commenter

At the online journalism panel discussion, an audience member asked Brian Connolly, Web Editor for The Buffalo News, what is the Buffalo News doing to manage racially incendiary comments posted by readers?

That was a good question. Mr. Connolly acknowledged the reader comment policy outlining guidelines posted beneath each article, the availability for readers to “flag” comments that are inappropriate and the presence of news staff responsible for swift deletion of inappropriate material.

The Buffalo News is doing its very best to monitor inappropriate responses.

Reader comment moderation is a challenge online news and bloggers are continuously faced with. Each online outlet regulates the comments of its readers but no one follows a universal set of rules. For the most part, comment moderation is determined at the discretion of the online news outlet and blogger.

With that being said, I think a few tips on “How to Be A Good Buffalo News Online Reader Commenter ” are necessary. I’m not kidding.

The framework of online newspapers, webzines and blogs promotes social exchange and discourse. I am an enthusiastic advocate for community cyber activism, blogging and new media usage.

I am not an advocate for cyber user/comment thuggery.

Before you can write you have to learn to read and comprehend.

Here are a few tips for The Buffalo News Online Reader Commenter.

1. Please read the article carefully. Look up words you don’t understand.

2. Keep the dictionary window open at all times. Also, use spell check.

3. Don’t write in slang or what you perceive to be “street talk” or ‘hood speak.

4. Please make a point; add something to the conversation not just a snarky response. Seriously, don’t just post a wise-ass comment. Save it for open mic at the comedy club.

5. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on President Obama, Mayor Brown, Black people or the East Side of Buffalo.

Dear Buffalo News, please forward this to Albert. Thanks.

The Internet Learns a Few New Languages

Email, social networking and chat applications allow web consumers to exchange information with family friends and business people all over the world.

General public access to the Internet has been around for 40 years; the Internet celebrated it’s 40th birthday On October 29, 2009.

W.B. Pitkin said “Life begins at forty.” Well that certainly seems to to be true for the Internet. On November 16, 2009 ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) will launch the process for Internationalized Domain Names (IDN). The Fast Track process will allow countries and nations to integrate the name and  characters of their national language into domain names. At present, the Internet endings are based on Latin characters. This opportunity will broaden Internet access for the global community.

posted with vodpod

In October, Twitter announced that it will give the present of language support to F.I.G.S the acronym for French, Italian, German and Spanish languages.

This is an exciting time! Multiple language support will spark a romance with the Internet for newbies and rekindle the flame for others. Internationalizing languages on the Internet will also provide students and adults opportunities to develop language skills enabling them to compete in a global workplace.

The World Wide Web is wooing the globe! Isn’t it romantic?