Swine flu breakout

You’ve heard it all over the news. The virus, swine flu (or the H1N1 virus) has become a worldwide pandemic. People in countries such as Britain are wearing protective masks in public areas as the media provides constant coverage on infected people and death tolls.

President Obama has issued a national concern for protecting the country against this virus but says not to be alarmed. Customs agents have been checking those entering the U.S. by land and air. Obama says he is getting regular updates from agencies and the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control are keeping Americans informed.

However, controversy has formed over remarks made by Vice President Joe Biden. During an interview today on NBC’s The Today Show, Biden commented, “I would tell members of my family—and I have—I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now,” and specifically mentioned American subway systems.

These suggestions are nearly impossible for many workers in the nation who rely on public transportation to take them to and from work each day. The travel industry, particularly, is displeased with Biden’s comments and advises travelers to listen to medical experts.

Are Biden’s comments over-the-top or is he being more honest than other government and health officials by telling us this is bigger than we think? How does this breakout and its media coverage make you feel about the safety of you and your family’s health? Do you think the media is sensationalizing the swine flu or do you think this type of coverage is necessary?


Renèe N. Gibson
Institutional Advancement Intern

Send us your love notes!

In recognition of Global Love Day May 1st and as part of MPT’s Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, we invite our blog readers and MPT viewers to share their own stories of love!

Send us (outreach@mpt.org) your thoughts on love (around 200 words), and we’ll post it here on The Buzz to join in this international celebration of peace and love. Or, post your video story about love onto YouTube and send us your link. We’ll post it here with the other “love notes” on our blog!

Here’s our own first Global Love Day blog:

LOVE. Four letters that make up the most meaningful word in the world. I am only 21, so I would not say I am an expert (yet), but I do know a thing or two about love. When I was younger, I was told that love should be selfless and unconditional. I just thought it was something you say back to your mom and dad. But now that I’m an adult, I can now fully understand the meaning of love.

Selfless love is shown by way of sacrifice. This kind of love I am still working on, but have had much practice in my four-year relationship with my boyfriend. We go to separate schools now, so I feel that much of our relationship is based on sacrifice. Having to make time with both of our busy schedules. Having to sacrifice travel time (and split it equally) when we want to see each other. There is much that I am still learning about selfless love, but as of now, I feel that it is the most rewarding.

Unconditional love is something I get from my family; Mom, Dad, brother, aunts, uncles…This kind of love I put to the test with my parents when I was younger because my brother and I were always getting into trouble. I used to think, “Mom’s going to hate us after she finds out what we did!” But then I came to see that my family loves me no matter what, and that is truly a gift.


Krissy Leventis
Communications and Outreach Intern

Chesapeake Bay Week returns!

The Chesapeake Bay–the world's largest estuary—is approximately 200 miles long and runs north to south from the Susquehanna River to the Atlantic Ocean. The watershed includes parts of six states and is home to approximately 14 million people.

Most of us that in the watershed region have connections to the Chesapeake Bay, whether it’s memories of fishing, swimming, crabbing (or cracking open steaming hot crabs!), or even just a relaxing boat ride into the horizon. But imagine not being able to enjoy these activities because of pollutants infecting the waters and hurting creatures that call the Chesapeake Bay home. We need to help save the bay by being informed about what’s causing such harm to the water and animals—and what we can do to reverse that harm and stop it before it begins.

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the leading threat to the health of the Chesapeake Bay is excess nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, which destroys animal habitat and kills fish. Sources of these pollutants include agriculture, sewage treatment plants, run-off from urban and suburban areas and air pollution from automobiles, factories and power plants. Throw in sprawl and poor fishery management, and we have an even bigger problem on our hands.

So what can we do to help? There’s lots of ways we can keep our watershed healthy: use fewer hazardous materials, plant trees next to streams, carpool and recycle, just to name a few. Everything we do can affect the bay, so most importantly, we have to monitor what we do, use and how we dispose of it. The littlest things can help.

Beginning this Sunday through April 26th, MPT celebrates this important natural resource and highlights its most critical issues during its annual Chesapeake Bay Week. The only programming initiative of its kind, Chesapeake Bay Week is part of MPT's year-round, ongoing commitment to the bay and our environment.

Chesapeake Bay Week culminates with a Volunteer-a-thon to give viewers a chance to donate hours to help clean up the bay. Tune in Sunday, April 26 at 6 p.m. and donate some of your time to worthy bay organizations. You can donate online, too.

What are you going to do to help save the bay? What kinds of simple, everyday tips can you share with others on how to help the bay and the environment? What memories come to mind when you see or think about the Chesapeake Bay?

Check out what students at the Ruxton Country School in Owings Mills, Maryland, are doing to help clean up and appreciate the watershed region. Students, their families and staff have already donated 5,000 hours to our Volunteer-a-thon!




Krissy Leventis
Communications and Outreach Intern

What defines YOUR community?

Hello, my name is Peter Shea, and I’m a proud member of the MPT community.

I started working as a producer at the station on August 31st, 2006. I moved to Maryland just one day before I started my job here, and quickly felt at home. Prior to relocating to Maryland, I lived in Vancouver, Canada. Pleasant people, comfortable climate, lush landscapes, but, to be honest, I didn’t always feel comfortable as an American expat living amongst our “neighbours to the north.” I couldn’t quite figure out why I felt that way, either. Same language, same food, same traffic laws. What was missing? To this day I still don’t know the exact answer to that question. However, I do know that whatever piece that was missing I quickly found when I moved back to the States. I felt comfortable again. I felt a sense of community.

And then I started to wonder: What is this “community” thing?

Webster’s defines “community” as “a unified body of individuals.”

My mom defines “community” as “my friends and neighbors, even those jerks, the Andersons, who keep letting their dog loose to tear up my rhododendrons.”

They both can’t be correct, can they? Well, that’s what I’m going to try to find out. I’m currently beginning work on a new, on-going series for MPT called “Our Town.” The series is going to be a collection of hour-long documentaries showcasing different towns across Maryland, from the Eastern Shore to the western mountains.

But there’s a twist. Unlike a lot a historical documentaries on television, the “Our Town” series will explore different Maryland communities through the eyes—and camera lenses—of community members. I’ll be soliciting the involvement of a wide variety of each community’s populace: From the mayor to the bartender, the high school student to the chief of police, new residents and old residents and everyone in between.

After a participant is selected, he or she will be given a small digital camera and a week to collect footage that answers the question: “What is special about your community?” Will residents find their community to be “a unified body of individuals”? Or will they find it a collection of “friends and neighbors (who occasionally disregard local leash laws)”? Or will they tell us something else entirely?

I’m looking forward to finding out the answers to those questions, and maybe even shedding some light on what my own sense community is. I hope that you’re interested as well. Perhaps you’re so interested that you’d like to borrow a camera and find out the answer for yourself?

Well, if you happen to live in Chestertown, Maryland, you can! Chestertown is the first community explored in the “Our Town” series. You learn more about the “Our Town” project here.

Why Chestertown? Please stay tuned to find out… and how you can be involved. I'll be blogging here to tell you all about it!


Peter Shea
Associate Producer for On-Air Fundraising

Seeking Restoration

Only some of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina I saw while in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. I went to the city over spring break to do my share of the rebuilding. Every little bit helps.

I recently visited New Orleans, Louisiana, on an “alternative spring break” trip. I joined a group of 40 other students to perform community service as well as enjoy the city—and I had an equal share of both!

We helped a needy family living in the Gentilly area by painting their home. It was a rewarding experience to hear the family’s gratitude and see the smiles on their three young daughters’ faces as we completed our project.

We also went on a tour of the Ninth Ward, the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. It was saddening to see how many homes have not been touched since Katrina destroyed them. There are so many areas of New Orleans that remain completely annihilated.

Despite the devastation that hit New Orleans, the spirit of the city remains strong. We stayed in the French Quarter and the aura of this historic area is exactly what you would expect it to be—full of life and excitement. By the end of the week I was stuffed with delicious po’ boy sandwiches, crawfish and the infamous beignets from Café Du Monde.

Though I had a great time, I can’t help but sympathize with the many New Orleans residents who lost everything and are still without homes to this day.

How does it make you feel knowing that over three and half years later so many homes are still in ruins due to Hurricane Katrina? Do you think it is the government’s fault for not taking action or the citizens’ faults for not seeking help?


Renèe N. Gibson
Institutional Advancement Intern


More wreckage from Katrina. (above)

The house we helped paint (above and below). If you're in college, investigate if your school sponsors trips like these. They probably do!

William Donald Schaefer doc airs tonight!

That’s right! The documentary making waves (and headlines) across the state—Citizen Schaefer, a tribute to a legendary Maryland politician that broke the mold, former Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer—airs tonight on MPT at 9 p.m.

You can get the inside scoop on the documentary on WBAL Radio, WYPR and in Sunday’s Baltimore Sun. A fun extra? Short animated Schaefer cartoons (used in the documentary) by celebrated cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher (KAL). Check it out below and be sure to tune in tonight as we premiere Citizen Schaefer!

Baltimore: Arts leader!

Julia Kim Smith, “Anonymous Rage”

Baltimore has been gaining—and, in all likeliness, will continue to gain—a reputation of having one of the most vibrant, diverse and unique arts communities on the East Coast. Between having the “best music scene,” according to Rolling Stone, and great museums like the Walters and the Visionary Arts Museum, Baltimore has a lot going for it.

If you haven’t plugged into Baltimore’s local arts scene yet, MPT will give you a jump start tonight as the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance announces this year’s Baker Artist Awards winners live on ArtWorks.

There will be seven Baltimore’s Choice Prize winners (each prize is $1,000; these were voted online by the public) and three winners of a Mary Sawyers Baker prize, selected through a privately juried process, each totaling at least $25,000. It will be really exciting to watch these artists as they receive news of a lifetime.

The awards honor individual artists who live and work in Baltimore City and its five surrounding counties. Public participation in this year’s Baker Awards skyrocketed: More than 650 local artists nominated themselves by posting portfolios online, and more than 8,500 people registered to vote for their favorite artists on the awards’ website, which has been visited by art enthusiasts from all 50 states and more than 115 countries and territories throughout the world.

Among media represented by nominated artists are musical performance and performance art, painting and drawing, sculpture, video and film production and direction, animation, photography, spoken and written word, design, and handcraft.

The variety of artists in this competition is astounding, with artists working in every medium and method imaginable. All their works can be found at http://www.bakerartistawards.org/. There are more traditional arts, such as the oil paintings of Karen Warshal and the sculptures of Peggy Fowler, as well as more experimental and avant-garde pieces, such as the abstract paintings of Tara Russell or cutting-edge films like Sean Honey’s “Street Dream." Each artist has their own unique motivation and goals they hope to achieve through their artwork. In reading the different artist statements, we are able to dive into the mind of the artist and understand how they view art. Be sure to tune into tonight at 7:30 p.m. to get in on the action!


Jordan Weinberg
Institutional Advancement intern

Embryonic stem cell research: Yes or no?

President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Monday lifting George W. Bush’s legislation on embryonic stem research. While in office, former President Bush only permitted federal tax dollars spent on embryonic stem cell research to a small number of stem cell lines that were created before Aug. 9, 2001. He argued that the studies were harmful to human life.

Supporters of Bush’s policy agree that embryonic stem cell research is immoral because days-old embryos are destroyed for their stem cells, although, many of them are taken from fertility clinics and are destined for destruction.

Obama, however, stated that most Americans support this research because of the great possibilities it offers. He feels that the good outweighs the bad due to the amount of lives that could be saved through discoveries, and that Bush’s motives were more political than scientific. Obama also assured that the order would never permit human cloning.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan supports Obama in his decision stating that, “the research could lead to better treatment and possible cures to various diseases, from diabetes to paralysis.”

Do you agree that federal tax dollars should be utilized for embryonic stem cell research in hopes of discovering cures for diseases, or should we consider this a destruction of human life?


Renèe N. Gibson
Institutional Advancement Intern

Women on the front lines

When we talk about U.S. military engagement, the history we receive is typically one-sided with a very distinct gender bias. The idea that men fight wars and men win wars is part of our accepted culture. In American society, our culturally assigned gender roles create a huge amount of discomfort and debate regarding the issue of women serving in the military. When a girl’s first toy is a Barbie and a boy’s first toy is a G.I. Joe, is it any surprise that much of society doesn’t feel confident in a woman’s ability to serve in the military?

However you feel about this issue, it can’t be denied that women are crucial to our current military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, with women making up almost 15 percent of the force in Iraq. According to the Department of Defense, one in every seven American troops in Iraq is female.

As part of Women’s History Month, MPT recently aired “Lioness,” a 90-minute Independent Lens documentary that told the stories of five women who served in Iraq between September 2003 and August 2004.

They all part of Team Lioness, a group of female support soldiers who performed a range of different duties during their tours in Iraq. Major Kate Guttormsen and Captain Anastasia Breslow were involved in communications work, Specialist Shannon Morgan and Staff Sergeant Ranie Ruthig served as mechanics, and Specialist Rebecca Nava was a supply clerk. Under official U.S policy, these women are not allowed to serve in direct ground combat, however, they are tested daily in a war where the front line is a shadowy and uncertain concept.

Captain Anastasia Breslow writes about the danger she faced in her diary:

“The last raid I went on was truly dangerous. I remember after we set up and stayed at the checkpoint until dawn, the prayers had ended sometime ago. Then suddenly a man came over the loudspeaker again saying something. The last part I caught allah jihad something jihad something. Then all hell broke loose. About a hundred meters from us. I remember I was about to ask the marines I was with if they thought they heard the same jihad too. There was no time for that. We hopped into the truck and started zipping around the outskirts of the battle trying to block the enemy from escaping or reinforcing. I was dismounted and took a position. Stray bullets flew around but I didn’t see where they were coming from. The area was too saturated with marines to just fire blindly. It was good four hours of straight fighting. I saw my first dead boy that day. Three Iraqis actually.

I still can’t believe that I was in a firefight. Me, a female signal officer, someone expected to support from a desk was out there. Strangely, the only woman I was out there because I was a female. They needed a Lionness team so badly, and so many, that even as a support officer I was pulled in. I hope I don’t have to do them very often but I will never try to get out of it.”

Similarly the filmmakers, Meg McLagan and Daria Summers describe the problems with women not being recognized as combatants. They fear that women like Captain Breslow will be unable to move up the military hierarchy, and may not receive all the proper veterans benefits that they should be entitled to.

If you didn’t catch Lioness, check out the clips below:







How do you feel? Should women serve on the front lines of the U.S. military? Have you or do you know any women that have served or are serving in Iraq?


Jordan Weinberg
Institutional Advancement intern

Capital punishment: Yes or no?

After three decades of its reinstatement, the death penalty is once again up for debate in the state of Maryland. A bill to end capital punishment in Maryland was introduced by Senate Lisa Gladden. Governor Martin O’Malley is an avid supporter of this idea saying, “the death penalty is inhumane, biased, fraught with errors and isn't a deterrent.”

Much of the Senate is unsure about passing the bill. They voted in favor of two amendments on Tuesday: to prohibit the death penalty in cases where there is only eyewitness testimony, and to limit the use of the death penalty to murder cases where DNA or a confession or conclusive videotaped evidence is obtained. O’Malley has been advised that this may be the closest to repeal that Maryland will receive.

Just last year, the governor commissioned a study on capital punishment in Maryland, which recommended its abolishment due to biases in cost, the possibility of an innocent person being executed and disparities. But death penalty opponent Sen. Jamie Raskin, who was a member of this commission, said this information was somewhat overlooked by the Senate.

Many citizens believe that the death penalty is justified by the “eye for an eye” rationale. Others believe that it is no one’s right to take the life of another, while some feel that the death penalty is a “cop out” and life in prison is far worse punishment.

Where do you stand? Do you agree with Governor O’Malley’s plan to end capital punishment or do you feel it is a valuable source of our justice system?


Renèe N. Gibson
Institutional Advancement Intern