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Writing on the Mall Cares: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Writing on the Mall is proud to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by sporting a pink band across the top of our site. Your donations could find a cure for breast cancer. Remind friends to check monthly for lumps, and schedule mammograms as your doctor suggests. For more information, please visit Susan G. Komen For the Cure

Blog Action Day

Kind of a side-step from the Homecoming coverage, but today is Blog Action Day 2009 (check it out at www.blogactionday.org). This year’s topic is climate change, which Marietta College is helping to prevent with its new recycling program that was instituted this year, and its commitment to lower energy consumption.

If we all carpooled more and drove less, our impact on the earth would be much less. So next time you head to Wal-Mart, call some friends that are heading over there as well and save some gas. It’s that simple.

Drive Safely!

Today is the last day of classes prior to Fall Break, so many people are heading home today.  Please check the weather and check out your car before making the long haul.  With rain covering most of the state, remember to give yourself more room to stop and check tread wear to make sure you’re not driving on bald tires.

Computer Repair Complete

Sorry for the absence everybody.  My Macbook Pro needed a new motherboard and had to be sent back to the factory for repairs.  She’s good as new now, and Writing on the Mall is back to serve you!

Campus Security Improved at Parsons

An article hit the Marietta Times today about Marietta College’s security enhancements.  They were all put into place over the summer and include the following changes:

• Every hallway has a campus phone
• Every floor of every building has an emergency radio linked to the College’s and NOAA’s emergency alert systems
• Wooden doors have been replaced with metal doors
• Grab-resistant handles installed on doors
• Security screens installed on all first floor windows
• All Card readers are certified as working
• Card Reader placed on entrance to bathroom in a 4th street dorm

This hits me a little bit close to home because I can tell you a few things.  I live in a campus-owned Fraternity house.  And our house has not had security screens installed on the first floor windows.  We don’t have a card reader, metal doors (entrances or room doors), or an emergency call box installed.  We have emergency radios, but not much else.  Our house has had two TV’s stolen from it the past two summers, and every time we ask for security improvements we do not receive them.  The other houses have card reader access, but to not have security screens (as far as I know) or metal doors installed.  Sure, Parsons is safer (which is good, don’t get me wrong), but saying that all campus housing facilities have all of these safety measures is stretching the truth a bit.

Do I feel safe?  Absoultely.  Marietta (and the College) have very little crime to worry about.  However…it would be nice if they did install all safety measures at all campus housing.  Is the campus safer with all of these additions?  Of course it is.  I just would like to see all students protected equally.

New MC Website Brings New Direction

As in new content that will be updated throughout the year. The new Marietta College website will actually be somewhere that students will want to visit.  The site launched with six feature articles, including the following:

• Events celebrating the 175th anniversary of Marietta College
• A letter from the Student Senate President, Kyle Thauvette
• A connection piece featuring the importance of resident life at MC
• Matriculation piece welcoming the class of 2013
• Feature article on Jim Tracy, manager of the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball
• Pioneer Pride day announcement asking all members of the Long Blue Line to take a picture of themselves in their favorite MC shirt

The idea seems to be to incorporate the past, present, and future all into one nice package.  Visual appearance has improved greatly, with large images and prominently featured 175th anniversary logos.  Content is more easily accessed and easily added/updated.

According to a press release from Tom Perry, the Director of College Relations, we should expect anywhere from 4-8 articles a month, which should keep things fresh and interesting.

As a side note, we have been recognized by the college as a local news outlet, which is a huge step for us.  We will continue to provide a look at Marietta College from the student’s perspective.  Writing on the Mall is still a student owned and operated blog…just expanding our readership and promoting our wears.

Website Re-Designs

As you may have noticed when you visited Writing on the Mall today, we decided to jump over to a new look.  I think this theme is much better than the last one, as it has a wider area for articles and makes integration of other items easier.  This theme is the same used on Writing on the Mall’s up and coming sister site, MariettaSports.net.

Also, if you have a hankering to see the new Marietta College website, here’s a link to what it looks like.  It is much improved (in my opinion) from the old version of the site.  I am awaiting its official launch patiently.  The new website is the third and final part of the college’s web re-development.  MyMC (Student and Faculty portal site) was replaced with MyMarietta (I was a big fan of PioNet, but that’s just me), and WebCT was updated and integrated better with MyMarietta.

In all, the changes will benefit students (well, maybe all except using Zimbra, which is receiving a lot of complaints now that it is live), but time will tell the true benefit of all services.

Radio and TV Guides are Up!

Need help finding out what radio and TV stations are in the area?  There are guides for that now!

Click here for the Area Radio Guide, your resource for AM and FM stations in the Marietta area.  Also, there is a list of the best stations to tune your iPod, XM, or Sirius transmitter to if you have one.

Click here for the Area TV Guide, which lists all of the channels that students receive at Marietta College.  I will update the list once back on campus to let you know which digital channels also exist (if you have a digital tuner).

Enjoy these guides and more, which are coming down the pipeline!

CUB Events Added, Concerts Updated

CUB has graciously given us a heads up on the first half of their Fall programming line-up.

The biggest name of all the names is Blessid Union of Souls, which you may remember from their 90′s hits “I Believe” and “Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me)”.  The band is coming off of a 5 year hiatus and has moved in a new direction, but should still be a big hit for the campus crowd.

The usual Cedar Point trip is September 19th.

Also, I have updated the Concert listing page, so check out all those concerts that happen right before returning to campus.  Classes start August 24th.  (P.S. – there is a countdown clock here on the left side of the page).

No Posts Until Monday

Dear Readers,

I have been at the Stead Leadership Conference and Centennial Celebration for Lambda Chi Alpha since Wednesday.  Due to being away, I have not been able to post any news.  I will resume posting on Monday.

Regards,

Patrick