KellyBell

2005-10-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

TITLE

2005-09-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

Cars pull in and out of the tight parking lot; it’s hard to find a parking space. Pigeons hover in the shadows of the highway beams. People departing the market carry arms full of bright flowers and fresh produce. There is a constant hum from the zooming cars on the highway above. A man strolls by with his wide-eyed baby on his chest. The small circular area is packed with people of different ages, ethnicity, and economic levels. The air is crisp and the sun shines high on a beautiful Sunday morning at the Baltimore City Farmers Market. Voices and laughter dim the sounds from the highway above. Merchants sample freshly sliced apples, pears, and peaches from the vendors.

There are unique food vendors including, The Mushroom Stand, Gracie’s Gotcha Ginger, and The Baltimore Dog Bakery.
Turning the corner, a long line of people projects into the path. Customer’s wait patiently in line at the Mushroom stand operated by Ferial Welsh. "See you again next weekend, " she says to a weekly customer purchasing the famous Oyster Fritters. Welsh attends the Baltimore City Farmers Market every Sunday and has been doing so for ten years. In addition she attends a half dozen other markets throughout the state.

An organic cook, Welsh formed a relationship with the owners of an organic mushroom farm in Pennsylvania. The fifth generation farm cultivates rare mushrooms that are not often found at grocery stores. With this knowledge and in hopes of preventing wasted food, Welsh decided to partner with the farm and travel to farmers markets throughout the state. "These mushrooms are so rare and expensive, that if they are not sold so much goes to waste," she comments in her thick foreign accent. With the long line at the stand continuously growing, it does not appear as if any will go to waste.
Each type of mushroom varies in color and texture. The exotic mushrooms are expensive for instance; one small body of Chanterelles cost $20.00. In addition to exotic mushrooms the Mushroom stand sells prepared foods such as Mushroom Sandwiches, Mushroom Chili, and Oyster Fritters.

The portabello sandwich and oyster fritters seem to the favorites of those in line. The early morning hour does not stop customers from purchasing the oyster fritters, which are blue oyster mushrooms dipped and fried in beer batter, smothered in hot sauce and feta cheese. A person walking by stops to question a customer eating the portobello sandwich. " See that’s what makes this worth it, when people see others with the food, and then come to purchase it themselves " Welsh states delightedly. Welsh’s friendly and welcoming personality and excellent food has enabled her to meet many people and to share her love of organic food, especially mushrooms.

The crowds continue to build as the morning progresses, the large amount of people make it hard to navigate. Different hues of bright pink, orange and yellow Gerber daisies are sold for pennies as compared to purchasing at store. A woman purchases a huge bunch of tall sunflowers.

Towards the entrance of the market sits a small yet unique stand with barely any customers. An animated sign decorates the stand stating, " Special Treats for Special Friends ".The Baltimore Dog Bakery sells organic treats for man’s best friend. The dog biscuits are all natural and made with no preservatives. Flavors of the biscuits include Apple Cinnamon, Carrot, and the most popular flavor Peanut Butter. For those who love to treat their special animals a small bag of the biscuits costs $4.95. Chris Smith operates the stand states, " The products are produced in a small bakery space and primarily sold in boutiques and stores." The Baltimore Dog Bakery only attends the downtown farmers market.

Clashing forms of music fill the air. The captivating sounds of the steel drums carry over the other forms of music. Two teenage girls, wearing Trinidad t-shirts play the steel drums while swaying their hips to the beat. They accompany a bright and elaborate booth, Gracie’s Gotcha Ginger. Gracie’s Gotcha Ginger sells ginger products including but not limited to Jammin Ginger Chutney, Ginger Lemon Drink Mix, and their most popular item Sweet Fire Hot Ginger Sauce.

Wayne Farrell, the owner of the company, dances to his native music while engaging with customers. Farrell, a native of Trinidad, originally developed the recipes in his home country. Farrell was knowledgeable about Ginger’s healing nature. His first recipe was created to enhance his energy as a biker. In addition, ginger is soothing to muscle pain, sore throat, it can even relieve stomach pains including nausea and motion sickness.

Farrell has been in the United States for sixteen years, and has been selling his product at the Baltimore City Farmer’s Market for five of those years. The company named after Farrell’s daughter Gracie has been extremely successful and attends numerous markets and events including those in Washington D.C. Farrell is proud of his entrepreneurial spirit and his company’s success. He smiles as he hands out business cards to interested customers. " I love meeting people, and sharing my love of ginger with them." He comments. " Try the sweet fire hot sauce, you won’t be disappointed!"

The Mushroom Stand, The Baltimore Dog Bakery, and Gracies Gotcha Ginger are unique companies selling natural products to enhance the lives of their customers. Each company promotes a healthy standing of living as well as a love of food and of people. Leaving the Market, the sounds of a saxophone fill the underpass of the highway. An old man in weathered clothes plays for money as the pigeon’s dance around him.

2005-09-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

With the development of technological advancements in today’s society, there has been a corresponding development in the media. Today people are able to access news on their cell phones. In the American public, there is a large demand to receive news instantaneously.

In events such as Hurricane Katrina, each media venue competes to be the premiere network, or the one to expose the story first. In some cases, setting aside what is ethically acceptable. The networks debate on what is appropriate to air, while also keeping in mind shock factor and what will create buzz.

In most media outlets, it is easy to decipher the political affiliation of the network based on the coverage of the event. The events of Hurricane Katrina have deeply struck our nation and journalists have expressed their personal and political opinions and even anger. It is understandable that journalists have not remained objective and that their feelings have been exposed, it is only human nature. In this situation, it seems almost impossible to remain neutral.
What is most important is that reporters not let their political opinions and anger hamper the common goal of aiding the people in need. What can be commonly agreed upon is that there is a horrific situation, which in which many people are in desperate need of help. It can be debated weather the amount of negativity and anger in the media is fueling the American people to make change and help, or weather it has become disabling.

2005-09-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

It was the weekly Wednesday afternoon assembly at Mt. Washington Elementary School. The fourth graders had been preparing for weeks for the dramatic reading contest. I heard the vice principal call my name, " Kelly Macko, Mrs. Argentine’s fourth grade class."
I walked up the stairs to the stage, wearing my corduroy pants and floral turtleneck. I reached for the tall microphone, pulled it down to the correct height and recited Shel Silverstein’s "Sick". "I cannot go to school today," Said little Peggy Ann McKay. "I have the measles and the mumps, A gash, a rash and purple bumps."
I was not nervous, I was a natural performer. The crowd and my fellow classmates applauded and by the end of the assembly I had won second place in the contest.
Like Peggy Ann McKay I have always had a love hate relationship with school. As an extrovert, I love being around people, I love the opportunities and experiences that school has provided, however, there are aspects of school that I hate such as waking up early, math classes and deadlines.
I have always had difficulty understanding math. After a long day at elementary school, my mother would pick me up and take me my tutor’s house to for my hour math session. I could not grasp the concept of long division. This obstacle with math continued in my middle school and high school years.
Summer before my junior year in high School I spent August mornings in math prep classes for the Standardized Assessment Tests. My battle with math has continued through middle school, high school and now in college, as I have left my only math class, statistics, for my last semester of senior year.
I have procrastinated in taking Statistics, and procrastination has been a steady theme throughout my school years. My procrastination of schoolwork has lead to high levels of stress and emotional break downs aspects of school that I despise. I remember my senior year of high school; the senior term paper was due the same week as college applications.
At around 2:30 a.m. my mind was starting to become mush. The fifteen page critical analysis of F. Scott Fitzgerald was due that morning. I took a quick break with a friend to grab some mountain dew, and with a little refreshment was able to complete the paper by 6 a.m. that morning. There have been similar incidents in college, when you are up so late at night that your stomach starts to feel nauseous. Math and procrastination have both lead to increased stress in my life, and have been the reasons for my aversion of school.
However, there are other aspects of school, which have led to me furthering my education including my love of knowledge, interaction with people, and extracurricular experiences.
Without attending school, I would never have been able to meet my wonderful friends and teachers. Throughout my education, I have been able to create and sustain a variety of friendships, some that I will have forever. I met my best friend in Orientation for middle school, and we have been friends ever since. Through these relationships I have learned and grown to become the person that I am today.
My love of the spotlight continued from elementary and middle school into high school. My outgoing personality, friendly disposition, and creativity helped me to be elected as one of the senior officials of the Student Government Association. My role in the association was to increase spirit in the school. I loved organizing events such as wacky dance assemblies or crazy hair contests. Through this position I was able to become more involved in my school community. I gained valuable public speaking and leadership skills, which prepared me for college.
My creativity has also been a constant theme throughout my school years. Through a friend at Villa Julie, I was able to interview with Baltimore Magazine. I was hired as an intern and then part time employee for the marketing department. I assisted in the production of special events including the Best of Baltimore Party held at Power Plant Live and the Hottest Singles Party at the Walters Art Gallery.
My knowledge from school helped to prepare me for my internship. This extracurricular experience allowed me to examine possible career paths, and learn about the business world. These creative opportunities were all possible through my education.
Throughout my school years, I have loved getting to know people and participating in various activities. Most importantly, I have been able to prepare myself for the future including graduating from college. Even though I appreciate school and the experiences that I have had, I still have inkling to get out of school soon as possible. Sometimes even making excuses like Peggy Ann McKay in Shel Silverstein’s, "Sick".