George Clooney Arrested During Protest of Sudanese Government

George Clooney was handcuffed and taken away by the US Secret Service van at approximately 8:45am PST, along with his father Nick, for protesting in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C.

According to an article by the Telegraph, “The group of activists had been given three verbal warnings not to cross a police line as they gathered outside the embassy. Others at the prostest included Martin Luther King III. They blame the government of Sudan for attacks that have killed civilians there.” Read more of this post

Michele Bachmann, Stop. Just stop.

AP Photo

Well, it’s recently come to my attention — for the zillionth time — how much Michele Bachmann needs to simply just shut up about the topic of gay marriage. Seriously, Michele, you do not make sense, and it’s time to take a tip from Herman Cain. Drop out, please.

She recently made comments at an Iowa town hall meeting on the topic, getting bombarded with questions from kids, who know their stuff. She said to one girl: “They can get married, but they abide by the same law as everyone else. They can marry a man if they’re a woman. Or they can marry a woman if they’re a man.”

Michele, this doesn’t make sense.

Gay marriage doesn’t work that way, nor should anyone only have the option to marry or not marry another person based on their sex.

Furthermore, calling Iowa to repeal the passage the ’09 declaration that same-sex marriage in the state would be allowed is none of your business. It’s constitutional, and that’s that.

On the subject, she said: “Marriage, historically, for all human history has been between a man and a woman. It hasn’t been the same-sex marriage And remember that in Iowa, it was judges that made the decision — not the legislature, which are the people’s representatives, and certainly, not the people.”

Well, Michele, maybe you need to hear the heartfelt words of Zach Wahls. He knows a little bit more about the benefits of being the son of gay parents. Just a little.

Anyway, I needed to get this off my chest. The woman is crazy, and she shouldn’t be espousing these ill-informed beliefs. Hell, even other Republicans think she — and all the other presidential candidates — are crazy.

And so, sure, I’m a proponent of free speech — I am a journalist after all. But this stuff? No, it doesn’t make sense.

Thanks, Michele, for sharing. But, yeah…shut up.

Excerpt of “That Time I Tried Out for the Oxford Blues”

Look at that wicked forehand and those Murray-esque features! Photo: Daniel Csete.

It’s not any tennis fan who can say that he’s traveled from working the site of the greatest tournament in North America, the US Open, to the courts used by the Oxford University Blues within the span of, oh, about a month. Needless to say, I can. (Hooray, me, right?) Okay, so maybe it isn’t  the most ground-breaking of accomplishments in one’s life, but I’m certainly going to get as much out of the experience. That is, of course, why I’m selecting to write about it when I probably should be reading “Reinventing Film Studies,” or even “The Merchant of Venice” for an upcoming tutorial. Relax, I have a week until my next!

To read this post in its entirety, click here.

How Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez Paid for My Dinner

The receipt signed by Selena Gomez. Photo: Bridger Maxwell

Okay, so before, you tell me that this story is made up, check out the receipt with Selena Gomez’s autograph above. Yes, it’s hers.

Anyway, back to the story.

After having just tried — and failed — to win tickets to see Wicked, I go to a nearby Thai Restaurant, the Siam Inn, with the awesome, Bridger Maxwell. By the way, I totally take credit for selecting the restaurant. Sorry, man!

We step inside and are led to the back. I accidentally take the wrong seat — meaning not sitting all the way against the wall –, which turns out to be that much closer to two of the biggest celebrities currently tugging at the heartstrings of pre-teens and teens (and adults) world-wide. Go figure.

Minutes pass, and we attempt to figure out what to eat — I end up selecting a delicious salmon and mango salad — when a large party gets seated to my left. I don’t notice who it is, or pay them any attention. Suddenly, I receive a text from Bridger: “We are sitting next to Bieber.” I look up and scoff. What? You must mean some impersonator, right? But, no. I look over shyly, and instantly recognize the hair. The voice. The diamond stud earrings.

That’s him alright.

A few minutes in stunned silence, combined with a ridiculous amount of giddy texting to friends and family, go by. Then, the realization: Wow, he’s sitting next to Selena Gomez. How cute, right?

It’s even more difficult to concentrate on holding a conversation. My journalistic brain turns on instead, prompting ideas about how to capture this scene in writing and what questions to ask. No, that’s not socially acceptable at all. Oops.

I force myself to stop focusing on these thoughts and start listening to what they’re saying. For some reason, everything the young couple says suddenly becomes the most important thing in the world.

Here’s what I learn: Justin has his heart set on Orange Chicken. Sorry, Biebs, this isn’t a Chinese Restaurant. But who can blame him? It’s good from what I can recall (I’ve been a vegetarian for four years now), but not at all Thai, or Chinese for that matter.

Speaking of vegetarianism, Justin doesn’t seem too keen about the whole idea when a man sitting at the table — a bodyguard presumably — brings up the topic. At the same time, Justin assures the table that he has, in fact, tried being one for about a month. Who knew? Justin’s point, why not get the protein from the real stuff? The kid’s a carnivore. Okay, I can dig it.

The food arrives, eating commences at both tables, along with the eavesdropping, etc., etc. Bridger wants very badly to ask for a photograph of Selena for his cousins. I leave for a minute to use the restroom, he asks, and gets turned down. “We’re eating dinner,” Justin allegedly says. It’s understandable.

Upon my return, it’s time to pick up the check. We’re patiently waiting for it, taking in the scene, when one of the women sitting at the celebrity table — not sure who she was, sorry! — leaves the table. She soon comes back with a receipt in hand.

The woman stops by Selena, who signs it. Not thinking much of it, we decide it’s probably getting autographed for a starstruck waiter. Instead, the woman places the receipt on our table, thanks us for being fans, and lets us know the check has been paid. (See above for the signed receipt).

Yup, Selena Gomez just bought us dinner.

Thanking them profusely, we begin to leave when Justin stops us momentarily. “Have a good one,” he says.

And that, my newfound Twitter followers, is the story of how Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber paid for my dinner.

Career Changer: Breaking into Photography, Finally!

Photo: Benjamin Snyder. Here's an awesome lantern and palm tree combination found at the Wyndham Resort.

Photo: Benjamin Snyder. Ah, the wonderful world of Disney. The castle of the Magic Kingdon stands proud in all its elegance and timeless glory.

Photo: Benjamin Snyder. A colorful way to end a fantastic day at Disney World with the family. On the ferry back to the parking lot, a rainbow appeared. Sadly, there was no pot of gold to be found.

Guess who’s finally banking the photo credits?

Well, it’s official. I’m finally taking my journalism career to the next step. Yes, that’s correct, I am no longer simply relying on my writing ability. Now, I am proud to say that I’ve taken the first steps toward breaking into the field of photography. Okay, so I have a long, long way to go until I can call myself a photographer (check out my friend Billie Weiss’ awesome stuff here). But, hey, it’s a start!

My uncle was kind enough to help me out in buying a Canon EOS 60D, and I cannot thank him enough for his generosity. What an awesome camera it’s been these last few days! It makes even an amateur like me feel like I have the power to take great photos. Video, too, once I figure out how (and when) to use it.

Anyway, it’s been a great adventure so far, and I can’t wait to continue to learn from my dad, my friends, and myself as I explore the wonderful world of images. Multimedia journalism, here I come!

For more of my work, check out my photography portfolio here.

PODCAST: Sally Baum Honored as Coaching Staff of the Year

Please click below to hear a recent podcast I put together for my Writing & Producing for New Media Class highlighting Goucher College Women’s Tennis Coach Sally Baum and her team’s success this year.

For the Women’s Tennis Team, the victory proved especially powerful, especially given their second-to-last place performance last year. Going along with their semifinal showing in the Landmark Conference play-offs, four members of the team made First Team All-Conference, a distinction given to only the strongest players.

Those interviewed for this piece include captain and senior Jacqui Lamer as well as Athletic Director Geoff Miller. I also had the chance to speak with Coach Baum for a profile I wrote of her in The Quindecim, and her son and captain of the Men’s Tennis Team, Steve Baum. For the sake of keeping my podcast below three minutes, however, I had to leave out these highly interesting interviews.

Working on this project was a challenge. This challenge was extremely welcome, especially because I selected a topic about which I am very passionate. Additionally, the chance to use Garage Band and develop skills in new media are always welcome given my plans to break into the field upon graduation.

For more Goucher College tennis news, please see posts I wrote below, or visit my other blog, Tenaciously Tennis.

Despite Losses to Scranton, Goucher Men’s Lacrosse and Women’s Tennis Inspire Future Success

(Photo: Benjamin Snyder) Here's a shot I took from my Blackberry after Goucher College Men's Lacrosse team lost to the Scranton, 12-8. Despite failing to reclaim the championship, they've proven to be an inspiration for Goucher athletics.

While both Goucher College’s Men’s Lacrosse and Women’s Tennis teams lost to the University of Scranton Royals in their respective conference playoff matches in the Landmark Conference, a new and thrilling trend in my school’s athletics program is emerging.

I had the chance to get Athletic Director Geoff Miller’s ideas about the new direction of Goucher sports (of which I am a proud member). He said, “We had a great spring, not necessarily a great year overall.  We need to get more consistent, and have all of our teams in the top four and fighting for conference championships.  This only happens when you recruit better players and teach the current players how to play and train at a much higher level.  The table is set for success for next year.  Many of our teams has young talent.  Now those youngsters need to step up and be mentally tough and perform.”

The idea that these two teams have accomplished so much, along with numerous others from Women’s Lacrosse to Equestrian, makes me proud to be a Gopher. Although I’ll be abroad next year, it’ll be great to see how Goucher’s sports program involves going forward, especially after so much success this season.

Excerpt of ‘A Family Affair: What I Enjoy Most About Tennis’

Here’s an excerpt of a recent post I wrote for my blog Tenaciously Tennis about my love of the sport with its strong connection to family.

Photo: Paul (from Emma Sicalowski’s camera) You can see me on the right with the cool transition lenses, repping my team in a Goucher tennis t-shirt.

Capping off a fantastic season with Goucher tennis this year, the men’s and women’s teams came together on a sunny day to play the annual mixed doubles tournament. Although hampered a little for those invested in the Men’s Lacrosse final, which ended in a 12-8 defeat by the University of Scranton Royals, getting back to the court allowed for a welcome dose of carefree fun.

To read this post in its entirety, click here.

Excerpt of ‘On-Court Revelation: The Beauty of Competing in College’

Check out a post I wrote for my blog Tenaciously Tennis reflecting on competing on Goucher College’s Men’s Varsity Tennis Team and my time in high school.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, especially with the craziness that the end-of-semester brings. Every night, it’s a pile of work to come back to after a day of class, endless meetings, hours of research in the library with iced Athenaeums to keep me sane, articles to write for The Quindecim, along with whatever else comes with the job description of being an involved, full-time college student.

Despite the craziness, it’s all good. In fact, I probably couldn’t ask for a better college experience with a better group of people helping me through everything. I realize, however, that this wouldn’t be enough, nor nearly as fulfilling without being a student-athlete.

To read this post in its entirety, click here.

David Sanger Discusses Social Media at Goucher College

The New York Times’ David E. Sanger recently spoke at Goucher College for a lecture about foreign policy under the presidency of Barack Obama, especially in light of the recent uprisings in Egypt and Libya. As the Visiting Scholar of the Roxana Cannon Arsht Center for Ethics and Leadership, The New York Times chief Washington correspondent discussed United States involvement in the current conflicts. Additionally, he spoke about his work on the WikiLeaks story, including the effects that the release of the documents had on US diplomacy.

Despite the various topics he touched upon during the lecture, however, Sanger seemed most energized by a discussion of social media’s importance in today’s world. Calling it a “double-edged sword,” he talked about the implications for these forms of technology, such as Twitter and Facebook, especially for the purposes of beginning a revolution. In Egypt, for instance, a Facebook group initiated a meeting in Tahrir Square, allowing for a “flash mob” to gather. According to Sanger, this probably would not have been possible otherwise.

While Facebook can be conceived “a great friend,” he noted that “social media is also a huge weapon for the forces of repression,” citing recent activity in China. In February, for example, the New York Times wrote, “Skittish domestic security officials responded with a mass show of force across China on Sunday after anonymous calls for protesters to stage a Chinese ‘Jasmine Revolution’ went out over social media and microblogging outlets.” Moreover, this has been cause for concern in the past when, last year, on “the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square democracy movement…, China’s government censors have begun to block access to many Internet services, including Twitter and Flickr.”

Paralleling these two examples, therefore, shows the intense power behind social media, and the fact that it can no longer be ignored. It is here to stay, and it has claimed its right as a force to be reckoned with as the people strive to have their voices heard.

For more, check out a recent editorial in The Quindecim about the power of social media here.

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