The students in this program are currently studying abroad in a variety of countries. Some are in Syria. Some are in South Africa. While others are in Brazil. Each and every article they have written are extremely interesting. Maybe I just like them because they are my peers but I honestly think the stories are good. I wish I was one of those correspondents.

I have always loved to travel. Actually I like the idea of traveling more than anything because I have never been out of the United States before. Since becoming a journalism major I have wanted to be a foreign correspondent. I had imagined myself in a place like the Middle East on camera with my bullet-proof vest on. However, since coming to UMass I have found a new passion in Latin America. I would love to be stationed somewhere like Chile or Nicaragua. I think that being a foreign correspondent would be such a thrilling and constantly evolving life and it is something that I would really love to pursue.

Villalobos asks “what is being done to reduce Springfield’s crime?” Villalobos has become extremely involved in reducing crime caused by gang violence in Springfield. It is so amazing, not to mention refreshing, to see a member of the community, a youth no less, to be reaching out to stop terrible crimes from occurring.

Villalobos began a group of Facebook named “Enough Violence in Springfield.” In this day and age, Facebook groups are the easiest and most efficient way to reach out to a group of people. The group is brand new yet it already has over 5,000 members. The description of the group reads as follows:

This is a group where every concerned citizen in Springfield can write their frustrations over the recent outbreak of violence in the city. Leave your thoughts and I’ll be sure to address them to those who should be informed. We need to act upon this NOW! We can’t continue to lose our close loved ones. Especially those that are innocent. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Honestly, we are lucky that we have the resources now to get messages out to a broad community of people. Many members in the group are residents in Springfield, however some are UMass students (including myself) and some from as far as California. I think when people are concerned about an issue, they come together fast. New media such as networking sites like Facebook allow us to do so. If you think about it would James Villalobos, a 14-year-old student who doesn’t even have his license yet, be able to publicly discuss gang violence? The answer is no. But now, in less than three months James has organized a group exceeding 5,000 in numbers and I believe he will go much further.

Maybe it is my own fault for taking on so much but I figure if I don’t do it now, while I am young and have the energy, when will I be able to do it? Being so involved comes with consequences. Some things have to go on the backburner. I’m not saying I neglect my classes sometimes (I am a smart student by the way in the Commonwealth College) but I do try and set my priorities straight.

I have always been a big believer in the idea that one doesn’t gain knowledge by just doing well in classes. Rather it is how you apply your learned knowledge to your actions. For me personally, my education has developed outside of the classroom. I have become more knowledgeable by working with youth in Holyoke than I have sitting around reading Bell Hooks all day. Granted, those theories help, but it is how I apply them and see how they actually work that makes them so significant.

So no Prof. So-and-so your class is not the most important hour of my day. I would much rather be in Holyoke with the youth.

With the recession still looming, many low-income students of color have found it hard to go to the schools they want to go to. Many turn to public universities instead of private because of lower costs and possibly a better chance at financial aid. However, this can be hard too because the hit that the state has taken during the recession is directly reflected upon the public universities in that state. Professors are being laid off due to budget cuts and the Chronicle found that especially Professors of color have been laid off.

The Chronicle also alleges that diversity programs have had to bear especially large budget cuts. They say that the Faculty and Financial Aid receive first priority and everything else is on “the chopping block.” While I understand that faculty need to receive salaries and financial aid is extremely important to any student enrolled in a university, I think that diversity programs should be next in line. It is crucial to have a diverse campus community. However, with the recession this has been nearly impossible because of the rising costs of attending a private, even public, university. It is important to give every education-seeking student an equal right to their education. I believe that those students will be able to go on an succeed in their careers and thus create a more diverse workforce that actually represents the diversity of the population of the United States.

The next few years will show whether a university’s commitment to diversity is real or whether it’s something that is done just for the rhetoric.

Daryl G. Smith, professor at Claremont Graduate University

In recent months I have had my own encounters with gangs  (which will remain unmentioned for safety purposes) in the Holyoke and Springfield area. While some journalists claim that gang violence in Boston has gone down, little do they know that those gangs retreat to marginalized cities such as Springfield and Holyoke to start up a new section. What is even more horrifying is the average age of gang members in the national gangs. These gangs are recuiting youth as young as 12 years old to do their dirty work.

And courts are ordering more gang members arrested on charges like gun possession to be relocated outside the city and equipped with global-positioning system devices so they cannot return.

While gangs in the United States may not use such gruesome weapons as those in Guatemala, they use something even more powerful. They use scare tactics that force young kids into a dismal life of crime and drugs. I will say that Boston police have down an outstanding job of cracking down on gang violence in the city. However, the focus now needs to turn to Springfield and Holyoke.

I especially feel strongly about Holyoke because I work there and have seen first hand the disregard for funding of the city. I think that Holyoke has been ignored for far too long and the result is increased violence in the community. Holyoke is a vibrant community and there is a sense of camaraderie amongst the residents. However, when violence persists and nothing is done to solve it, the affects can be deteriotorious.

The media are going rogue… They just can’t help themselves. Journalists are addicted to Sarah Palin. Some love to hate her, some love to love her, all love to dissect or defend her.

- Howard Kurtz, Washington Post

I completely agree with Kurtz in this story. We all love to hate her. I can’t help it myself, whenever I see a new story on Palin I am quick to read it. She is like bad reality television, you can’t look away. But what is this doing for our society? I think Kurtz leaves out this critical question because it is hard to address. Are we moving more towards a society that is controversy-driven? Or, have we already assumed that position?

I don’t like the way this article is set up. I guess it works to give context to readers that may not be oh so devoted to the following of Palin, but I don’t see the journalistic skill in quoting directly from other blogs. This could be an indicator to where journalism is going. Professional journalists, including ones at the caliber of Kurtz, are now looking to blogs for information, especially for opinion. Who knows, maybe the Washington Post will quote my blog some day.

The photos are rich with color, religious relics and anticipation on the faces of the pilgrims. Going into the pilgrimage with an Americanized opinion of the pilgrimage, he quickly realized he was the oddity, being the “tallest, whitest pilgrim carrying big camera and large backpack with all sorts of crap hanging off of it.”

I like how the photojournalist explained his photo essay in words. I think there is an inherent relationship between words and images. They go hand-in-hand. Sometimes it is impossible to explain deep emotions, such as those of faith, in simple words. Capturing that emotion in an image is more effective. In this case, the photojournalist made the effort to capture both, in words and image.

Since the start of the war in Iraq 75 soldiers have committed suicide at Fort Hood alone. Divorce, depression and violence are a recurring theme among the soldiers that move through Fort Hood. It seems though that the Army is doing more to help these suffering soldiers than just forcing them to suck it up. The issue is, most of the soldiers do not have any means of dealing with these extreme emotions. Also, it is viewed as a sign of weakness to mourn. But how can these soldiers not be affected by this extreme violence by one of their own?

Sending a message that to hurt is human, to seek help divine, they hope to draw returning warriors into networks of support. It is too early to know whether the programs will succeed.

At the post, a new Spiritual Fitness center has been established to help the soldiers recover. However, many have stated that the military’s macho culture is an obstacle in  the recovery process. The issue is stigma, judgment and feeling like less of a person if you seek help, said psychiatrist Adam Borah. The sustained combat does allow time for healing and most soldiers refuse to deal with it anyways.

Mexico could lose as many as 735,000 jobs this year and its economy may decline 7.5 percent, government economists predict, making the country one of the worst affected by the global recession.

While this may be true, the cost of living in the United States is much higher than in Mexico. Migrant workers have to worry about paying for rent, food and other necessities. Whereas, in the case of one Mexican resident, Sirenia Avendano, who owns her home and the land it is situated on, she does not have to worry about rent or food. Avendano is able to produce her own food and she owns the house. Her two sons living in Florida however, are having trouble make ends meet.

Evidently, many migrant workers are beginning to move back to their homeland. While there has yet to be a mass exodus, many have not been able to find work and therefore have left. The situation is complicated by the fact that many of these migrants are not citizens, making it even more difficult to find work.

The article was very well structured and provided insight from migrant workers’ families as well as the banks in Mexico. These types of interest me mostly because I would love to be a foreign correspondent and write features about issues affecting the people of various areas. My certificate is in Latin American Studies and I find the issues affecting immigrants and their families back home extrememly interesting. This article offers a new perspective on the recession- that it not only affects the American economy, but economies abroad. In America, we tend to think of ourselves and our own well-being first and foremost. But, it is important, if not neccessary, to think about how our own actions affect our neighboring countries and countries overseas. We also need to look at how this recession is inherently linked to globalization. What can we do to make an improvement? I think this article could have done more to offer a solution. Maybe though, no such solution has materialized. We may just all have to wait this one out.