Maks leads public behind minds of journalists

Many citizens are unaware of how they get their news and what a journalist goes through in order to break it. This past Tuesday, Patrick Maks, professional sports journalist, takes us behind the closed doors of journalism in an exclusive interview.

Maks graduated Olentangy Liberty High School in 2009 then attended Ohio State University. He currently writes the Eleven Warriors blog and is a contributor for the New York Times. 

Maks explained that he writes about OSU football because of his ability in some ways, but because of his interest in others. Originally he planned to write about art and culture, but living in an area where people are so enthusiastic about OSU football made it easier to write about. Now, he is happy he stuck with sports because he enjoys it.

A recent story was released by Maks that included an interview with Urban Meyer, OSU football coach. When asked how journalists handle interviewing a person with such prominence, Maks replied, "Journalists need to be able to listen and also be assertive when asking questions. In an interview, you have to be listening carefully and pick up on any body gestures even though you may have a dozen more questions buzzing in your head." He explained that although it seems as though journalists are constantly throwing questions at an interviewee, it is more important for them to be listening and understanding.

Maks continued to discuss the use of interviews in his writing and brought up how deadlines are incorporated into the schedule of a journalist.  He stated that, "Sometimes there's deadlines and I have to finish three to seven stories in one day.  Other times I have weeks to research a story." Three to seven stories leaves plenty of space for error, explaining why journalists often misreport a story from lack of fact checking.

The lack of fact checking is becoming more and more common in journalism today. In the rush to tell the news, journalists regularly make mistakes. And how do they get the information so fast? Social Media.

Maks talked about Twitter specifically, and its role in journalism today. He explained that, "Twitter is the best and worst thing that has happened to journalism. I must say I use it all the time. It's quick and easy when you can just scroll through your phone to find news." Although it's filled with news that may not be trustworthy, it opens up a new world of news sources with possible stories and opinions.

With Twitter being both a pro and con to journalism, Maks was asked what the biggest drawback to being a journalist was. He said, "The biggest drawback would have to be lack of sleep. Like one time I went 55 hours, almost three days, without any sleep. It's funny because I'll start to look at something that shouldn't be moving and then see it spinning in my head."

The public may believe that spreading the news is easy, but thanks to Patrick Maks, we can realize that being a journalist is more complex than everyone thinks.

Infant teaches students respect in new bully prevention program

Bullying prevention and respect are two lessons taught in most elementary and middle schools around the world. However, it is never something that goes away. Mary Gordon, founder and educator of the Roots of Empathy program, claims that she has found a solution.

During a Roots of Empathy session, children between the ages of five and 12 take lessons from a newborn baby by interacting with them. An instructor asks the class why the infant is crying, why he or she is frustrated, why he or she is smiling, and what a student could do to solve the problem.

Roots of Empathy launched in Canada and has spread around the world to other parts of North America and Europe, including countries such as England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The program increases emotional intelligence, understanding and empathy towards classmates, and less bullying and aggression between children and young adults. Gordon states that the mission of the sessions are, "to build caring, peaceful, and civil societies through the development of empathy in children and adults."

An instructor introduces a baby to a class at the beginning of the school year when the infant is two-four months old. Throughout the school year, students witness and become interested in the brain development of the baby from multiple sessions.

Research shows that 80% of students taking part in the Roots of Empathy program show an increase of peer acceptance. Every two in three students show an increase of pro-social behavior traits. Teachers see a drastic decrease in bullying levels as well.

Juliet Uzur, a fifth grade teacher, says that, “they [students] are more vocal about how they feel… we had one session talking about grief, and a boy who used to get really angry in class opened up. He shared with us that his grandfather had killed himself. The other children were very respectful. At this age, children can be quite selfish, but I see random little acts of kindness that they never used to show. They have become a bit more caring towards each other. It has been really nice.”

Roots of Empathy is a growingly popular program known to prevent bullying and promote respect. As one of the major stepping stones toward a bully free community, the program continues to make the world a kinder place.

Fifth grade students interact with Sienna, a newborn baby, in the Roots of Empathy program