The Intern Suite

Why Early Voting (After Doing Your Research) Counts

The saying "don't wait until the last minute" easily applies to early voting. Why? Simply because you never know what can happen on Election Day. You can get caught up at work, the baby sitter is not available, bad weather, you're too tired, you become sick, traffic -- any excuse in the book can cause you not make it to the polls. Taking advantage of early or advanced voting gives you breathing room and a sense of accomplishment. While everyone else is rushing to the polls during their lunch break, you can pat yourself for checking it off your to do list early.

Now, before you proudly go vote, I would suggest researching each candidate that will be on your ballot. I went to http://mvp.sos.state.ga.us/ to view all who would be on the ballot. The “My Voters Page” or MVP  is a section on the website that caters to your voter information. Simply type in your information and your voter registration information will come up. Once that is open, you can click on “Sample Ballot” and you’ll be able to see all of the candidates who will be on the actual ballot. I researched each candidate’s background, their social media updates, and their platforms.  

Yes, there is a little background research that takes place, but it will help you become more aware of each candidate. I used to be the "eeny-meeny-miny-mo" voter when I first started voting. I didn't know who to vote for -- so I randomly chose. If I recalled hearing a particular name or campaign sign, that's who I picked. That's a very immature way to vote, and our freedom fighters wouldn't be fond of that. I know I'm not the only one that has done that. Nevertheless, it’s not right, and we as voters need to be responsible for how and why we vote.

Early voting started on October 15th, and this is a great opportunity to start looking into each candidate and take advantage of early voting.

Social Networks Fueling Narcissistic Behaviors?

kaneisha Montague; Editorial Intern

 

Universities of Kentucky, Georgia and Deusto’s departments of psychology researched the narcissism aspect of social networks. Narcissim is a personality trait marked by self-promotion, vanity, and grandiosity. Personality and Individual Differences’ study, ‘Narcissism and Implicit Attention Seeking: Evidence from linguistic analyses of social networking and online presentation’, examines how narcissism relates to how people communicate information about themselves online. Researchers expected that narcissists would communicate in ways that drew attention to themselves.

 Narcissistic People have elevated levels of

• Intelligence
• power
• dominance

 Researchers found that in terms of the five-factor model (FFM), narcissists score highly on extraversion and low on agreeableness, making their use of social networks a method of promoting themselves to others. Research also proved that narcissists regulate their esteem through communication patterns

•  brag about their accomplishments in conversation
• use more first-person singular pronouns during impromptu monologues

 Because pronouns offer rich information regarding how people relate to others, especially how people distinguish themselves from others, using first person singular pronouns indicates tactics narcissists use to draw attention.

 To collect this data, researchers used the quantity of first-person singular pronouns as a proxy for psychological self importance. The prior, examines how narcissists who have used relatively few words that relate to themselves, communicate in virtual environments.

 The Personality and Individual Differences’ study states that “how people communicate in virtual environments depends on many factors.” Their current research suggests that narcissists regulate themselves during virtual communications in a manner that may draw attention to themselves. By understanding how word use can impel or inhibit attention-seeking behaviors during online communication, their current findings can equip researchers with crucial information regarding how people regulate their online interactions with others and, potentially, how those interactions can be improved.

Researchers lastly remark that words are among the most frequently used commodities in human life. Yet, people often ignore how the words they use relate to their chronic motivations, emotions, and situations they encounter.

 With the previous being said, what is to be said about new social networks on the horizon or those that have recently transitioned into being heavy trafficked networks, i.e.; Instagram? Instagram has taken the ‘photo-obsessed’ aspect of both Facebook and Twitter, and created a network singularly for the promotion of personal photos. Narcissistic as well or simply innovative?

Will Blackberry 10 Save RIM?

By Kelli Bennett, Editorial Intern

(photo via http://gamingedge.co.uk)

Dedicated BlackBerry fans may be receiving a late Christmas present reported Frank Boulben, Research In Motion’s new chief marketing officer. He announced to a group of investors that RIM plans to release the first of its new BlackBerry 10 smartphones globally in January. With strong emphasis on the word “plan,” RIM hopes the January relaease will prevent the company’s shares from tumbling any further. According to The Washington Post, RIM fell 2 percent to $7.52 on Tuesday, July 10 at 10:55 a.m. in New York. The stock has dropped about 95 percent from its mid-2008 high.

While skeptics believe RIM does not have a concrete plan or project on the Blackberry, Boulben credits the withholding of information to the competitive market. “"It's a competitive industry, and we have to be careful what we tell the public and when," he said.

Whatever the reason, I am very curious and anxious to see the BlackBerry 10. I loved my BlackBerry, especially the BlackBerry Messenger aspect, which is expected to be an improved version in BlackBerry 10. Other improvements include social networking tools and video chat capabilities. It’s hard for me to believe that any new smartphone can take attention away from the coveted iPhone; but we’ll see.

Insured? Uninsured? How Will Obamacare Affect You?

By Kelli Bennett, Editorial Intern

It’s official; the US Supreme Court approved Obamacare on Thursday, June 28^th. 

In the midst of the continued debates many Americans are still confused on the direct effect it will have on them.  Read below the law's break down provided by cnn.com.

The uninsured

The individual mandate is still in place. Americans are required to have or buy health insurance beginning in 2014 or face a penalty.

According to CNN, in 2014, the penalty will be $285 per family or 1% of income, whichever is greater. By 2016, it goes up to $2,085 per family or 2.5% of income.

The insured

Insured Americans may be avoiding a spike in premiums that could have resulted if the high court had tossed out the individual mandate but left other requirements on insurers in place.

Young adults

The law requires insurers to cover the children of those they insure up to age 26.

People with pre-existing conditions

The law also established that children under the age of 19 could no longer have limited benefits or be denied benefits because they had a pre-existing condition.

Starting in 2014, the law makes it illegal for any health insurance plan to use pre-existing conditions to exclude, limit or set unrealistic rates on coverage.

Small business owners

As of 2014, under the law, small firms with more than 50 full-time employees would have to provide coverage or face expensive fines.

All Americans, in lesser known ways

The massive health care law requires doctors to report perks they get from medical supply companies; demands more breastfeeding rooms; requires all chain restaurants to list calories under every menu item, along with other provisions. 

I found CNN’s live court blog very informative; visit the site for more details.

Google and the Nexus 7

 

Image credit Google

By Clarissa Williams, Editorial Intern 

Another tablet has hit the market, but it’s not from Apple, Kindle, or Blackberry; this time it’s from Google. Google’s Nexus 7 is the new hot toy on the market. While it has yet to make its debut, it is sure to be some competition for the iPad, Kindle, and Blackberry Playbook.

Google’s 7” tablet is thin, light and portable and brings you the best of Google in a smaller more condensed form. The Nexus 7 will feature 600,000 apps and games, over 4 million ebooks to choose from, full HD access to hit movies and TV shows, up to 20,000 free songs, and the speed and ease of Google Chrome.

Available for only $199 on pre-order, the Nexus 7 appears to be the new gadget that might turn heads. Who knows, people may be trading in their iPad’s for a Nexus 7. 

 

Kinky, Curly, Coily: Natural Hair and the Workplace

  By Clarissa Williams, Editorial Intern 

Natural hair appears to be the new “hair fad” that has hit the streets today. Numerous African-American women today are letting go of the so called, “creamy crack”, and going back to their roots; literally. While the natural hair look is acceptable for a night out, a quick trip to the grocery store, or just an everyday look, many people are still wondering if it is acceptable in the workplace. Before natural hair became what it is today, it was not as appreciated or accepted in the office. The big hair or the small coily tresses were and still are often questioned and sometimes looked down upon in a work environment. This could be due to the fact that big natural hair is, to many, unprofessional. When being interviewed for a job, many natural African-American women, either straighten their hair or wear it in a bun; thus taming the natural look. Several people see this as conforming to what is “acceptable”, while others view it as something that is necessary in order to get their foot in the door. Nonetheless, whether natural hair is being tamed in the office or able to run wild, it shouldn’t take away from the skills and knowledge of the employee.  

As times change and natural hair becomes the more prominent style for black women, it should become more recognized and accepted in the street as well as in the office over time. When the workplace does wholeheartedly embrace natural hair, they will also be embracing and recognizing a different kind of diversity. In the meantime, don’t be afraid to rock that fro, the time for naturals is here.  

 

Ads Gone Too Far?

By Imani Edison, Editorial Intern

Over the past few years more and more insensitive advertisements have been surfacing. Although society often overlooks these ads as just a clever way to sell products, it seems that companies target specific audiences disregarding how offensive the ad may be towards a certain race, gender or religion. It makes me wonder what the diversity is of their marketing teams. And that many companies have underlying biases about society at-large. Here are just some of the controversial ads floating around in the media today:

Burger King 'Back Got Back' Commerical 2009: Burger King decided to use the popular kids' icon SpongeBob Sqaurepants to be the face of its ad to promote the new BK Kids Meal. In addition to that, the commerical featured provocative women gyrating to the 1992 Sir Mix-A-Lot "Baby Got Back" tune with the king rapping lyrics like "I like square butts and I cannot lie" and "Sponge Bob, I wanna get witch-ya, 'cuz you're making me rich-ah". Altough the product is targeted toward younger children, the company combined sex with innocence which is not a good mix.

(http://parentingforpeace.blogspot.com)

'We Speak English" Ad 2010:  Tim James was running for the position of Alabama governor when he proclaimed that if elected he would  put the drivers license exam in English only. He also states "This is Alabama; we speak English. If you want to live here, learn it." First of all, America is the world's most famous "melting pot." It is home to all kinds of races and nationalities; having said that, we do not lack diversity. So for someone trying to represent a state that is a part of our diverse country to say something like that is blatantly insensitive.

"Re-civilized" NIVEA FOR MEN 2011: This ad is of a low cut, groomed black male holding a head of his former self with an afro and beard about to toss it across a football stadium as seen in the picture below.The slogan for this ad is “Re-civilize Yourself.” It is symbolizing an African-American male who has to have a clean, low cut and minimal facial hair to be considered “civilized.”  The symbolism: A stripping away the African-American culture in order to fit in with the ideal American look for black males.

(www.huffingtonpost.com)

Adidas JS Roundhouse Mids 'Slave' Shackle Trainers 2012: The popular shoe brand Adidas stooped to a new low with its new shoe. These are regular Adidas sneakers but with shackles at the top to strap on to your leg as shown in the picture.The slogan for the product is: "Got a sneaker game so hot you lock your kicks to your ankles.” Some may argue that this just a clever gimmick for people to buy the shoes but this product is obviously slurring African Americans. Not to mention they even put slave in the product name. These shoes caused enough a stir that the company immediately stalled their promotion and release. 

(www.latimes.com)

What are your thoughts on these marketing tactics?

Sex Offenders Must Report Convictions to Facebook

By Kelli Bennett, Editorial Intern

Louisiana has quickly made its way to the top my “Favorite States” list; not because of Bourbon Street or the mouth-watering jambalaya but because of the new law Louisiana passed requiring sex offenders and child predators to state their criminal history of social networks. 

Find below the law’s exact verbiage:

"Shall include in his profile for the networking website an indication that he is a sex offender or child predator and shall include notice of the crime for which he was convicted, the jurisdiction of conviction, a description of his physical characteristics... and his residential address."

A blessing to parents residing in Louisiana, it’s time for other states to get on board.  CNN reports that this new requirement will go into effect August 1. 

Though social networks have worked to remove sex offenders, it is impossible for administrators to catch every registered sex offender.  Now, this new Louisiana Law will catch those who’ve slipped through the network’s fingers and prevent any electronic betrayal in the future.    

As you can tell, I believe this is a great move towards child safety.  I was a fan of the sex offender database though it was frightening to see the number of sex offenders living in surrounding areas; it is an inevitable truth we have to accept. 

Hopefully more states will follow in Louisiana’s footsteps.    

Imani Edison: 2012 Editorial Intern

By Imani Edison, Editorial Intern

   My name is Imani Edison and I am an intern for Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine. This is indeed my first internship, so I really did not know what to expect. I am also a high school senior at Westlake High School. I am a part of the school’s journalism program because my passion is writing, but my ultimate goal is broadcast journalism. Having said that, I landed this internship to learn some of the do’s and don’ts of the journalism world.

My day first working with Atlanta Tribune was very welcoming. I did not feel any nervous jitters towards coming here. I knew exactly what I had to do when given an assignment and the people around me were very friendly.  Fortunately, I work quickly therefore I finished the tasks that were given to me quickly but accurately. The tasks my supervisor assigned to me really gave me great experience to take to the next step of my career. Some were more challenging than others, but I completed them. Throughout the following week, I started to open up more because I was getting use to the environment. This also gave me experience with my networking skills.

Since Atlanta Tribune has been a strong, striving magazine for more than 20 years now, my experience working here also taught me hard work does pays off. Everyone in this office works really hard to make deadlines and publish the unique magazine the readers enjoy today. So I will take this internship experience and everything Atlanta Tribune taught me and mark this as my starting point to a great career.

 

Business, Innovation and the Younger Generation of Atlanta Fashion

 

By Kaneisha Montague, Editorial Intern

Atlanta is Home of the Braves and the headquarters of the Coca Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, The Home Depot, UPS, and Delta Airlines, to name a few. Atlanta is also known for being the center of black wealth and also for its importance in the Civil Rights Movement.

Is Atlanta on the verge of being pinned the next new fashion capital? 

The Atlanta fashion scene has been simmering beneath the hype of many other popular cities, like New York; but with the rise of many new fashion moguls, that silent simmer will very soon be a thunderous burst of pure surfacing talent.

What is also unique about Atlanta is the amount of talented and fashionable youth. The business of fashion no longer only applies solely to those of the older generations. The younger generation here has started to make their mark, not only as fashion designers, but ones with a knack for entrepreneurship.

Most recently, the website launch of The Gentleman's Table showcased its talents to the world. In 2011, LaDavion Smith, Sage Guillory and Justin McIntyre started a fashion blog and clothing line that embodied their own daily inspirations, style and outlook on fashion. The name, The Gentleman's Table, essentially "comes from their own distinguished manner and their desire to encourage every man world wide to be a gentleman," says 19-year-old McIntyre. Their style slogan is, "A gentleman is one that lets his style and personality reflect his character."

Popular cities such as New york, Miami, and Philadelphia, to name a few, have been major avenues for fashion. Young fashion designers of these major cities, i.e; Street Etiquette of Bronx, New York and Kings Rule Together (K.R.T) of Philadelphia, have paved an inspirational road for young Atlanta-based designers to thrive. 

The city of Atlanta will very soon be amongst the list of fashion capitals. Business and entrepreneurship knows no age and neither does talent.

***Check out our June 2012 issue "Runway South: The Making of a Fashion Capital" for more information on Atlanta's bubbling fashion scene.