Site

Live Blog: Student Speak Out Fall 2010

Writing on the Mall has your annual Student Speak Out live blog coverage tonight starting a bit before 7 PM.  We also have live streaming video, thanks to Marietta College’s student TV station, WCMO-15.  You can watch the video below, and read my text updates below that. Read more…

Monday Blahs: “Tweet It” Edition

Monday Blahs: Old Spice Meets Sesame Street

Remeber all of those Old Spice ads?  Some of them are still running today, but most live on in the online world of YouTube.  Well, the guys and gals over at Sesame Street decided to spoof the ads, and use Grover.  Check out the result below.

P.S. – Today feels like a Monday since we’re back to classes for the first time this week.  Hence the title.

Monday Blahs: Gymkhana Edition

Time to defeat the Monday Blahs!  This time with the aid of Ken Block.  If only I could to the things he does with his Ford Fiesta.  Except I don’t think my P.T. Cruiser has the same power.  Enjoy!

What You Missed Last Week

Here are all the stories we ran last week while you were all off in paradise:

• 98.5 Provides Diverse Listening Opportunities by Joe Dillon
• Forensics Team Adds Life to College by Allison Holton
• Marietta Gourmet Coffee Shop “Stoked” to Serve More College Students by Jen Emmert
• “Pioneer Pledge” to Replace College Creed by Dave Hood
• Career Center, Internships Help Find Your Passion by Chris Miller
• Resident Assistant Positions Growing Interest by Danielle Staub

Don't Bring Your Laptop to This Professor's Class

Saw this on Engadget and figured I’d share it with everybody.  The laptop is broken already, don’t worry.

Take Our Survey, Have a Chance to Win an iTunes Card

Want to win a $15 iTunes card? Head to the link to take a quick survey for Writing on the Mall. We want to know what kind of music you like to listen to for an upcoming article.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE SURVEY!

Only the first 100 entries are eligible for the drawing. Survey must be completed by February 8th at 2 AM EST. Valid e-mail address must be included for winner to receive the prize. Drawing will be held February 8th an Noon EST. One drawing entry per e-mail address. Winner will be contacted within one hour of the drawing. Winner has three days to respond, before another winner is drawn. This process will repeat until a winner is selected. Prize will be presented to winner via mail as a physical gift card. The prize is a $15 iTunes gift card. Writing on the Mall may use the information you provide to compile a list of Marietta College’s Top songs. Your name will not be connected to any song selected to be mentioned as part of the article. The winner’s name may be included in the article to show who won the prize. If you have any further questions, please e-mail patrick_h@writingonthemall.net

Writing on the Mall's Top 10 Most Read Stories of 2009

So, we’re doing two Top 10 lists here at Writing on the Mall.  Here’s the first, which is the Top 10 most read stories of 2009.  Here’s the list:

#10 – Follow-Up on the Death of Kean Weaver: Kean Weaver was a trustee for the college, who passed away in the Spring of 2009.  This article was mostly just a link to a story by the Marietta Times.

#9 -UPDATE: MC Student Faces Up To 10 Years for Alleged Stabbing: One of the bigger story lines this Fall was the case of Thomas Robison, who allegedly attempted to rob, then stabbed a Marietta resident.  He had followed the man from a downtown bar all the way up Pike St. to near where the man lived.  The man survived, but suffered injuries to his stomach and hand.  For those looking for an update, the case still hasn’t progressed much since he waived his preliminary hearing in October.  He faces felony charges with up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

#8 – Marietta College Campus Police Take Heat From Locals: What started out with a series of articles by the Marietta Times led to this article, which strayed off topic severely, and ended up not really going anywhere.  The Times series had been published as a precursor to Doo Dah Day, in which there are lots of violations and citations handed out.  Some questioned the need for basically having two police departments in one city.  The complains never really went anywhere.

Read more…

Gift Guide 2009

Writing on the Mall is presenting it’s first annual gift guide for Marietta College students.  Here are the things that WotM things you should want to bring back to campus for the spring. Read more…

Marietta College Needs To Dance For Charity

This has probably been one of the hardest things I’ve had to write for this site.  Not due to the subject matter, but due to the fact that I wanted to word this so that it may drive those who read it to action.  So please, if you don’t read another article this week, read this one.

Philanthropy is a major part of Marietta College’s beliefs.  We do Make a Difference Day, Community Service Day, Relay for Life, Up ’til Dawn, and many other individual organization related projects.  Without Marietta College, this city would find itself with many opportunities for service, but very few people to actually work them.

However, maybe we do too much for national efforts?  I mean, don’t get me wrong here…I enjoy Up ’til Dawn and Relay for Life…they are great causes.  However, I feel that now is the time to come together and create something new…something never seen before at Marietta College.  Something that would create a large-scale philanthropy event for the Spring semester, where we currently only have Community Service Day.  Something that has been established elsewhere and has proven immensely popular.  That event is the Dance Marathon.

THON, as it’s better known at Penn State, has been around since the early 70′s, and has since raised over $60 million dollars for the fight against pediatric cancer at a local hospital.  Money is raised all throughout the Fall and Winter by each of the participating groups.  Then in mid February, they hold a two day long dance party, celebrating the money they’ve raised and the children that they have helped over the years.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THON 2010′S PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

I’m not suggesting that we try to create an event that massive at Marietta College.  Not by a longshot.  Penn State is probably 30 to 40 times larger than us.  But if we were to take the idea of the dance marathon and have it contribute a local cause, it could be highly successful.  Have one Dance Marathon Fundraiser for each sport throughout the year, organize one or two cannings (walking around the town with cans asking for donations) a year, have side events to raise money, get organizations both on and off campus to participate, and get companies to support the cause and underwrite costs.  Then have a 12 hour dance marathon that started at, say, 2 PM on a Saturday afternoon and went until 2 AM at the Gathering Place (or Fenton Court if demand required).  Have a great DJ play music the entire time, make it fun, interactive, share stories from the charity we choose to support, and have a good time.

It would take a lot of support to get rolling, but if the campus could pull together for this one event and work in harmony, I think we could all do a lot of good for the community.

What do you think?  Let us know in the Comments section.