United Way to make changes

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United Way article

September 30, 2010

By Courtney Williamson

            The United Way of the River Cities is making changes for the better, two representatives said Tuesday.

            Professor Burnis Morris’ JMC 201 class at Marshall University invited representatives to give a presentation on the United Way and its objectives.  

Laura Gilliam, executive director, said, “The United Way of the River Cities wants to transition from the ‘transactional’ approach to addressing the root problems in the community and prevent crisis in the future.”

The work now focuses on ensuring a safety-net of services, while also remembering the “No money, no mission” idea.

“United Way measures success by how many lives are improved in the area,” Gilliam said.

Last year, $1.4 million in fundraising went towards various organizations in hopes of impacting citizens.

This year, a new goal was been set.

“We want to see an increase of 15 percent in donors and measure success that way,” Cassey Bowden, director of resource development and marketing, said.

The United Way is looking to raise $1.25 million to address issues regarding drop-out rates, childhood obesity and substance abuse.

“It’s not about the money; we want lives to change for the better,” Bowden said.

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Assignment Critique

When looking over the article written about a classmate, I was embarrassed by my silly errors. Things like capitalization and poor word usage were simple mistakes that could have been avoided. One problem I had never had was when I used direct quotations around a routine phrase. Ultimately, the lapses made were somewhat minor and could be fixed. Maybe next time I will pay more attention and fine-tune all details.

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Speculations have emerged that West Virginia University has rented the recreation center for the contest between both teams. Thought to be rumored, students did some digging to find answers. Phone calls were made to both campus administrations and no accounts have been reported. This is a good example of how rumor control can spiral out of hand. Had word gotten out that rumors were true, chaos could have developed. Searching for clarifications is an important act; regardless of whether you are a journalist or not.

Cellular Malfunction

Due to a cell phone technicality and a late start to his day, Jim Furyk is ineligible to play at the Barclays. A strong and respectable player, Furyk got the short end of the stick. Regulations disqualified him; however, I do not feel it is fair. Rules may be rules, but the sixth-ranked player in the world can oversleep too. Furyk recalled being late for one other tournament where an alternate filled in. This was not the case this time. Luckily, the situation should just knock him a few positions in the standings and only prohibits him from playing in one of the four FedEx Cub playoff events. I applaud Furyk and his professional attitude when commenting the fiasco and look forward to seeing the results. I think it is safe to say several golfers will be purchasing back-up batteries and chargers for the future; Furyk included.