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Articles in COM 451 Advanced Reporting

Boy Scouts moves vote on gay ban
February 15, 2013 – 5:42 pm | No Comment
boy_scout_logo

By Tiffanie Reynolds | gargoyle@flagler.edu

On the last day of a three day private meeting, the board members of Boy Scouts of America decided to not vote on lifting a ban on gay scouts and leaders, moving the vote to the national meeting in May.

A difference between faiths: politically irrelevant
May 8, 2012 – 3:29 pm | 7 Comments
A difference between faiths: politically irrelevant

By Lauren Ely | gargoyle@flagler.edu

It’s 7 a.m. on a Sunday. Why is my alarm going off? I reach over to hit snooze when I remember that I have to go to church this morning, and my stomach starts to knot like it does before I give a speech in front of a class.

A look into the world of local TV news
May 8, 2012 – 3:22 pm | No Comment
A look into the world of local TV news

By Adam Hunt | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Growing up in England, local TV news was never on my radar. As Britain would comfortably fit inside Florida, there just isn’t a market for it in a country so small.
Instead, I was served national news on a daily basis by the BBC or Sky. Prim and polished anchors with non-regional accents were commonplace and hardly a Doppler radar could be seen.

Charles Murray’s ‘Coming Apart’ doesn’t hold together
May 8, 2012 – 3:10 pm | One Comment
Charles Murray’s ‘Coming Apart’ doesn’t hold together

By Alex Galbraith | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Ah, the ‘50s. Squeaky-clean, patriotic American men came home to find their pipe and slippers set out by their dutiful and doting wives. Their 2.5 children would be in the “parlor” working hard on today’s batch of homework and making themselves some Ovaltine, labels out. Monday morning brought the grind and Sunday morning brought church. We were, in short, a country made up of Cleavers.

Racism in St. Augustine: not just a thing of the past
April 26, 2012 – 3:30 pm | 2 Comments
Racism in St. Augustine: not just a thing of the past

By Zach Gray | gargoyle@flagler.edu

St. Augustine’s reputation as a sleepy tourist town has rarely been questioned.

Trolleys roll by with a calm and tranquility, telling stories of how Henry Flagler and his lucrative railroad industry spearheaded the community’s economic growth.
During the era of Jim Crow, things weren’t much different. A hushed little fishing town, hugging the beautiful Florida coastline, was a serene paradise.

Stand Your Ground legalizes murder
April 26, 2012 – 3:01 pm | One Comment
Stand Your Ground legalizes murder

By Lauren Ely | gargoyle@flagler.edu

The state of Florida may legally allow murderers to walk the streets.

Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law has come under scrutiny in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting. The law says that when threatened, people do not have to retreat and may use deadly force in self-defense. However, in the Martin case, many believe the law is protecting a man who doesn’t deserve it.

Career advancement still tough for many local African-Americans
April 4, 2012 – 4:02 pm | 2 Comments
Career advancement still tough for many local African-Americans

By Adam Hunt | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Success has never come easy for Kai Walker.

As an African-American, the 47-year-old financial advisor is very much a minority in the banking industry.

St. Augustine parents, teachers agree: poor students need encouragement
March 15, 2012 – 8:57 am | No Comment
St. Augustine parents, teachers agree: poor students need encouragement

By Lauren Ely | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Now that The Webster School has cut its free tutoring service, Tanise Bunker isn’t sure how she can provide help for her daughter Julianna to pass the third grade.

Intelligent women more attractive say surveys, local men
March 14, 2012 – 4:32 pm | No Comment
Intelligent women more attractive say surveys, local men

By Alex Galbraith | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Ladies, if you’re looking to snag a mate forget about the cookbooks and pick up a textbook.

The idea that an educated woman has a hard time finding a potential life-partner, that men will find her intelligence threatening, is no more according to recent sociological surveys.

In fact, intelligence has risen to the 4th most-desirable trait that a man looks for while scoping out a spouse, according to a 2008 survey by sociologist Christine Whelan of the University of Pittsburgh.

And local men couldn’t agree more.

Population growth linked to potential for consumptive use of reclaimed water
March 12, 2012 – 4:36 pm | No Comment
Population growth linked to potential for consumptive use of reclaimed water

By Zach Gray | gargoyle@flagler.edu

St. Augustine resident Michael Shirley is no stranger to stringent water conservation efforts.

Originally from an arid part of west Texas, Shirley understands that water is a finite resource. What he does not understand is what he considers to be wasteful habits by many in St. Augustine.

“Back home, people were so conscious about their usage,” he said. “Here in St. Augustine, people have their sprinklers on when it’s raining.”
Shirley is not alone.

Local students still hooked on college rankings
February 22, 2012 – 5:57 pm | No Comment
Flagler student David Espinosa

By Adam Hunt | gargoyle@flagler.edu

It was the first thing David Espinosa looked at when choosing a college.

The 19-year-old Flagler College student never doubted the validity of the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings.

“The rankings were very important to me,” he said. “When I received my SAT results I used them to find schools that would accept me. I naturally trusted what I read.”