Week 2: Haiti & the Massachusetts Senate Seat

This week has been packed with news and current events, the most major being the earthquake in Haiti that has killed more than 72,000 and has left the country in shambles. It has been so frustrating to watch the coverage, as reporters constantly talk about how much money and how many supplies have been donated, yet somehow the aid just isn’t getting to the people in a timely fashion. It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch the videos of little children not getting the medical care they need, families sleeping on the streets near the bodies of the dead, and gangs running around looting with machetes. I am proud of how many people have stepped up to help this country in need, but we will have to see how the next couple of weeks pan out, since this is one of the most horrific disasters in recent history.

In U.S. news, it was just announced in the last hour that the underdog in the Massachusetts Senate race (Republican Scott Brown) has beat opponent Martha Coakley (a Democrat). He will be taking the seat that had been the late Ted Kennedy’s since the 1960′s. This is HUGE because now the Democrats do not have their 60-seat filibuster-proof majority. Everyone thought that Coakley would be a shoo-in for the seat, which may have been one reason she seemed to slack off a bit in campaigning. There hasn’t been a republican senator in their state since 1972! But this surprising turn of events is a major wake-up call for Obama and his current agenda… obviously, the people aren’t happy and they are trying to find a way to change Washington. We’ll have to see how this election influences the Health Care debate and other important issues that are being decided on now.

Introduction

I had a really hard time coming up with a topic for a blog – There are so many things that I could write about, but I had no idea where to start! That’s kind of how I am with everything else in life, writing included… I always struggle at the beginning because I never know how to start.

So I tried to start with the basics: Who am I? What am I interested in? What do I know a lot about? Well, my name is Mallory Verner and I am a senior at the University of Georgia. I am majoring in both Marketing and Telecommunication Arts and have spent the past four years being very involved in my sorority. I currently work two jobs, one nannying and one bartending, which is quite the combination! And though I’m sure blogs about these jobs would be entertaining, I was not too sure that those topics would be the best choice for a classroom blog!

And what do I want to do with my life after graduation in December? I really don’t know. The one thing I have always wanted to do, though: Work for CNN. I am a complete news junkie. I watch CNN religiously like some people watch “Grey’s Anatomy” or “Lost.” I probably spend at least three hours a day with the TV news on, and I probably check CNN.com about ten times a day. I just love knowing what’s going on in the world and I think Nancy Grace is my number one idol.

So, because one day I would love to work in the Marketing department of CNN (combining both my majors in one of the only ways I know how), I creating a blog that deals with recent events, news stories, and my opinions and views concerning what I have seen or read. I know not everyone will agree with everything I write, but hopefully I can start discussions that will help to open people’s minds and inform them of what is really going on in our world. And reading the comments after each posting will just enable me to spend even more time doing what I love – reading about politics, crime, world events, and the like!