For the final third of the semester (weeks 11-15), you will be maintaining focused group blogs. In preparation, and to identify similar interests, each of you will propose a group blog concept and a list of potential stories. I’ll use these to determine group assignments, which we’ll go over next week. You’ll be reading through some group blogs on the sidebar for next week’s read and respond, so you might want to get a head start on those now.
Post a comment (to this post) with a pitch for a group blog concept by 10 a.m. Wednesday, February 24. This must contain the following:
- A one-paragraph description of a group blog concept focused on some aspect of Morgantown life (no activities calendar blogs!). Other regions (e.g., West Virginia; other cities) can also be your focus as long as you’re able to cover them.
- At least FIVE story ideas. Use complete sentences and address why this story matters. For example: “A few years back, downtown Morgantown saw an explosion of eCigarette shops, but today many of these have closed. Is vaping on its way out?”
In addition, read through the comments by 11:59 p.m. Friday, February 26. Post at least one comment to a description that you’d be interested in contributing to, and let them creator know what you’d bring to the table.
aaaaaargh
Interactive Journalism 
I would like to do stories about alternative subcultures in Morgantown. This could include things like the indie music scene, the gay community, local performers, gamers, hippie culture and more. We could also compare these populations and scenes with other college towns or other towns in the state.
Story Ideas:
1. The secret life of drag queens at Vice Versa
2. How is the music landscape changing in Morgantown?
3. Something about farmer’s markets, buying local and the small business community
4. Where to shop and things to do if you’re a hippie coming to Morgantown
5. Growing up gay in West Virginia
I think the secret life of drag queens would be really interesting. I have never been to Vice but I heard it’s a lot of fun. I am sure the drag queens have some crazy stories.
I LOVE THE VICE VERSA IDEA. I love going to Vice on Thursdays and watching the shows, and I’ve had the joy of meeting a few of the ‘queens outside of their attire. I think this would be an absolute blast. How could we span it over a few weeks? Feature someone different each week? Discuss their struggles? Goals?
As Emily and Angie already said, the secret life of drag queens would be a really cool story idea. I like the idea of focusing on alternative subcultures in Morgantown. There’s so much to do In Morgantown, but not everyone knows what options we have. I would like to contribute to this idea because I like to see everything Morgantown has to offer. This would give me an excuse to try new things around town and give me the chance to write about them.
Ashley, I love the concept for your group blog! I think there is a lot of potential for expanding on each of these topics in many ways. I grew up in Morgantown, and because of that I do have relationships with people who fit in just about every one of the categories… My best friend just came out this year as gay after denying it for years (partially because of WV’s attitude towards LBGT). I also have been working on a story about HB-4012 an “anti-LBGT” bill depending on who you ask.. for a different class, and think doing some coverage on the bill and how it perpetuates stereotypes in WV and effects not only the LBGT community but also all minorities in the state would be great for this blog. Another aspect in which I would be able to contribute is the hippie culture stories… I live in South Park (hippie haven) and am friends and familiar with many people who would put themselves into that category, as well as people who own and work at the new music venue, Mainstage, which attracts much of that crowd, and is really exploding in popularity and gaining attention from a lot of bigger named artists. I think doing a story on the venue and people it attracts would be great for this blog because of the recent explosion in growth and alternative crowns it attracts..Mainstage provides Morgantown with something unlike it has ever had before and an opportunity for people who are not a part of the culture to experience and learn about it.
I am all about discovering diversity in Morgantown so I love your idea. I think that getting information into drag queens would be the most fun. We could also talk to the LGBTQ organizations at WVU. Also finding out more about hippies would be could. We could maybe even debunk some stereotypes and myths about the hippie culture in Morgantown.
I would like to do stories on the the uniqueness of Morgantown’s school spirit, and sports related stories of Morgantown. This can include anything from nightlife, athletic events (of all kinds – not just the money-maker sports). Most of all, I’d like to capture what makes Morgantown so special in the minds of it’s students.
Story Ideas;
1.) Student attendance at sporting events and how it varies
2.) The changing landscape of the party scene in Morgantown and at WVU in the last 5 years
3.) The best places to watch a game in Morgantown/ the best views in Morgantown
4.) Gordon Gee and his relationship with the student body (how that is unique to WVU)
5.) Eats unique to Morgantown (i.e. Dirty Bird) and other hidden gems like the MET pool hall.
Forgot to include why it matters;
1.) Are WVU student who are actually there to watch the game in the minority?
2.) Has WVU overcome their party school reputation?
3.) Where is the best place to celebrate WVU athletics?
4.) Does any university have a president like Gordon Gee? (He’s a 72 year old man who can be seen regularly at downtown bars and clubs in Morgantown with a smile on his face)
5.) Aside from pepperoni rolls, there really is no trademark food for WV. What are some of the best eats Morgantown has to offer and why they are unique?
I’d be interested in doing a group blog about different businesses and infrastructure around the Morgantown and how they affect the economy (and vice versa). Morgantown is a college town so businesses operate a little differently, which would be cool to explore. I’m already the business reporter for the DA, so I have close knowledge of the subject matter.
Story Ideas:
1.Are things different for Morgantown businesses since they’re in a college town? How does it affect your business standards when half of your customer base leaves town every summer?
2.How will the new tobacco tax affect the town’s different vape shops? Contrary to the OP’s example idea, vape shops aren’t going out of style, but possibly could if they’re still included in the tobacco tax bill when it passes. This could basically kill all of the state’s vape shops, losing the state money and labelling Governor Tomblin a small business and job killer.
3.Why do so many restaurants pass through Morgantown? Take the place on the corner across the street from Pita Pit on High Street, for example. That location has been like 4 different restaurants since I became a student here. Same goes for the place beside Elegant Alley Cat. What makes it so hard to operate a new restaurant in downtown Morgantown?
4.What do local business owners think about the new user fee that all Morgantown employees have to pay each week? Are the resulting funds being used properly by the city?
5.How have local businesses been affected by the recent rise of big business in the area and WVU’s private-public partnerships with places like Sheetz, IHOP, etc. Is it killing local business or stimulating the town’s economy?
I would like to check out the restaurant locations in Morgantown. There is another restaurant going up on the other corner where Rusted Musket is and it’s going to be an Indian place, I think. Last year a pizza place opened there and I thought it was going to do well for its location, but ended up closing down after a year.
My landlord is an entrepreneur and he won’t eat at corporate places because he wants to support other entrepreneurs. I think it would be interesting if a lot of the owners were that way. Or finding out why they wanted to start on High Street or wherever their location is.
John Mark,
I like the ideas you propose and I think that my focus on growth (traffic, infrastructure, etc.) in Morgantown would be a good fit with your focus on Business and Development.
I don’t really have just one topic to narrow in on but I would like to stick to what I am blogging about right now (brands and lifestyles) or doing something related to sports and fitness. In Morgantown, I would explore restaurants, stores, gyms, or activities.
Story ideas:
How corporate businesses survive compared to entrepreneurs in Morgantown. Find out why they wanted to start here in Morgantown? Why did they choose that location? What days are their busiest? What bring a lot of people in?
Students at WVU have a lot of school spirit, so why not show them that there are different sports other than the D1 level sports. Find out how the intramural teams get the word out about their events or attract to new players. I remember when I was a freshman and half the intramural sports we have I didn’t even know about.
The recreation center has new classes that are on dry land and in the pool. Find out which has the largest and smallest crowds. What age levels are attracted to different classes the most? What instructors have to do to become an instructor at the rec?
College kids like to save money and drink and eat a lot, so why not expand away from High Street and find different restaurants with fun happy hour specials. See if the bar wants students or prefers an older crowd. Do they get college kids or not so much since they would have to get a taxi?
Find different activities that the city provides for people fitness wise other than at the recreation center. The recreation center can be expensive but it seems to be the only gym really around Morgantown. What are other people doing to be active?
I love these ideas. These are the areas of emphasis that interest me the most and I believe we could include different perspectives for example how/why certain places became popular. “Pizza Al’s” most popular on game days, especially when the crowd is leaving the stadium and is going to continue the tailgate or party at their house!
I really like the lifestyle/brands idea. Focusing on different types of restaurants and shops around Morgantown would be pretty cool. I like to explore new stores and restaurants and see what Morgantown has to offer, so I would definitely be interested in contributing to this idea and checking out new places.
i like your idea. I would love to look into the health culture of Morgantown considering WV is the second most obese state. I think that the state is taking more action into health program so it would be great to see what people are doing on a personal level. We could also do something with the health organizations at WVU and their new Fruved program that I’m a mentor for. Their whole goal is to promote healthy habits staring with college students and work down the chain until health is promoted in grade schools.
I would like to do a group blog that is focused on the arts and entertainment scene in Morgantown. This would be a great way to look into some of the activities that are offered here on campus and this blog could be helpful for perspective students also. The blog could include particular options for entertainment that is offered here at WVU (like the bowling alley in the lair, the arcade, various entertainment options around the area), clubs/student orgs and the details of the events they may be hosting along with other art and entertainment options around Morgantown.
Story Ideas:
1. A blog post about the new Art Museum in Morgantown and how it has brought art to the area and the college – This story is important because not only is it a new addition to the university, but how does it affect the art culture here at WVU and in Morgantown?
2. How Mountaineer week came about and what it offers students throughout the week? – Mountaineer Week is a big event here at WVU that offers a lot of different activities for students to partake in, such as the PRT Cram and the vendors outside of the lair. This could provide perspective students with a look into one of the unique events that WVU offers
3. Maybe a blog post looking at the SGA candidates and how SGA can be a good option for students – The race for SGA just started within this week, so this particular story is relevant and offers students with information into another aspect of student life. This could be beneficial to those students who may be interested in SGA or want to get involved in some manner.
4. WVU Up All Night – Up all night offers a wide variety of activities for students to partake in if they don’t feel like going out on the weekends. This blog post could provide a different side of WVU entertainment that shows that we offer other forms of entertainment besides partying every weekend
5. Concerts in Morgantown and the lack of big name performers – I’ve recently noticed that a lot of big names hardly come to Morgantown to put on concerts, and if they do, the venue is usually at places like Schmitt’s Salon. Why aren’t big name artists coming to WVU to put on concerts, but are seen at other universities?
This could be fun. I like the UpAllNight idea, which could include maybe how it’s changed and/or is still changing.
I like the arts and entertainment focus of your group blog idea! I think we could really dive into uncovering the issues and lack of big-name artists and such, and also expand and look at it from a big picture standpoint. There are endless opportunities with entertainment and the arts. I like how you mentioned the art museum, because there are also so many events going on in the CAC and local theaters that we could talk about. This is very similar to my current blog, so I’m definitely interested!
-Patrick J. Clarke
I would like to get involved in this blog, Up all night is a very cool and interesting thing. Its actually very fun too I went the other day to lazer tag it would be fun to write about that. I also am really interested in the music scene on campus, but I honestly think the music scene is growing a lot and we are getting big names. It would be great to write about that as well.
I think that looking into the art culture would be fantastic especially with the new art museum open. I like the Up All Night idea because I used to be an intern for them so I know all of the work they put into promoting the arts of Morgantown into the program for students. Also the idea of finding out why big names don’t come to Morgantown often is very interesting. I would love to know the reason why myself.
I would like create a group blog about the music scene within Morgantown. I would have it focussed around the changing times within morgantown, and how the music scene here has slowly started started to grow since I was a freshman. We would be able to talk to many students about how they think the scene has changed and how much it has grown in the past several years.
Story Ideas:
1. Discuss how Bar 123 got its popularity amongst the students and slowly was able to attract bigger names to come into their small bar and play shows, and how that was all impacted by students.
2. Talk about how Maine Stage has gotten increasing popular even though that it has only been open for this year, and how they have managed to gain a very large support group and has been able to get huge names to come to the bar and play shows.
3. One story about how the culture could be shifting from something that is focussed around downtown bars and clubs to a live music scene.
4. A story about what type of music would people really like in Morgantown, weather it would be centered around rap music, jam band music, edm, or country music.
5. Something about how the big success of Maine Stage could lead to more bars turning into a music venue, this would be because many of their shows have sold out this year, and how they are even selling out weeks in advance.
Well since we basically have the same idea for a group blog, I am a big fan of these ideas! We’ve got a thriving scene that just keeps getting better. I know a lot of people involved with 123, so we could totally get the hook up and talk to them about some stuff.
I’ve got a similar idea! I know some people who work as promoters at Mainstage so we could see if we can talk to them
I would like to be involved in a group blog that centers on the growth of Morgantown/Monongalia County. When I was at WVU for my undergraduate degree Morgantown was a sleepy college town. It is not that anymore, but it is also not yet the city it is trying to be. How is growing going to be done in a wise manner that benefits the most and negatively impacts the least?
-1. One example is the ever growing traffic problems here. Beechurst Avenue should be two lanes of traffic in each direction with a turning lane in the middle (5 lanes total), why is that not yet reality? The State of West Virginia, WVU, Monongalia County, and Morgantown all need to work together to improve the roads around here.
-2. What is the future of the PRT? Its current configuration will not be able to be the only transportation solution to move students, faculty, and staff between: the Medical Campus, Evansdale Campus, Downtown Campus, and Downtown Morgantown.
-3. What is the future of student housing? The university is continuing to increase its portfolio of rental properties, more and more large (privately owned) apartment buildings are going up all of the time, and what about all of the old “coal company” houses that have been the backbone of the rental market at WVU for decades.
-4. The restaurant scene continues to go in the direction of corporate, chain places located at exits along I-79 and I-68. Is there any room for local places (that don’t specialize in chili dogs)? What is the future of eating out around here?
-5. How can North-Central West Virginia (Monongalia, Marion, and Harrison Counties) and the Eastern Panhandle (Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties) coexist in a state (legislature) where every other region is in deep recession and overall decline? The rest of the state relied on coal for decades and now it is withering on the vine, meanwhile the two aforementioned regions are growing at record rates.
Monongalia County Commission President Tom Bloom and Morgantown Mayor Jennifer Selin would seem like two people who would have a lot to say about these matters.
I like this idea a lot, especially how you said Morgantown isn’t yet the city it’s trying to be. I like this idea because it deals with real issues and could potentially have an impact on the future of the city.
I like this idea, and I definitely think it’s a hot topic in Morgantown. The university and the city itself has changed so much just in the four years I’ve been here. I think something to add and explore with this topic is the culture change away from the “party scene” here at WVU, and how that is leading to growth and development of the university.
I would like to visit places in Morgantown that coordinate with upcoming trends in the US. This would be a great way to keep residents updated on the new places in Morgantown. It would also be a great way to see how Morgantown is changing into a “mini city” as some like to call it.
Story Ideas:
1. How yoga benefits your health mentally and physically. (Visit Power Yoga)
2. The art of microbreweries and how craft beer is taking over the world of beer. (visit Chestnut Brew Works)
3. Can drinking wine and painting be my new hobby? (visit DaVinci and Dessert)
4. Finally a great hangout spot for the older crowd downtown! (visit Apothecary)
5. Unique food and local beer. What makes this pairing so successful? (visit Iron Horse)
I like the idea of tourist destinations in Morgantown! I think a lot of people see Morgantown just for the University and not the other awesome spots in town! Morgantown is a great up and coming small city with a lot of unique opportunities for everyone.
I really like the idea of looking at all different things in Morgantown. I think “mini city” can be something really cool and finding what doesn’t seem to get advertised but gets good crowds. I have been here for 4 years and I still haven’t been to some restaurants or cool places that I hear about but just never have gone to.
West Virginia University is filled with students from all over the country. Most of us aren’t from here, and I feel that a lot of WVU students don’t take advantage of what this beautiful state has to offer. My idea for a group blog is “West Virginia’s Hidden Treasures”, which will be all about the local areas around the state that not everyone knows about. Not only are there awesome places in Morgantown to explore, but there are tons of other places all over the state. State parks, little coffee shops and bars, as well as other tourist destinations throughout West Virginia that will inspire not only students, but people all over WV to explore the Wild n’ Wonderful.
Story Ideas:
1. Berkeley Springs WV- I have a few friends from Berkeley Springs, and though it is a small town, Berkeley Springs is famous for having the world’s best water. There is a beautiful castle in town that can be toured, as well as the famous Hot Springs Spa. Though the town is in the middle of nowhere, it has a lot to offer!
2. The New River Gorge- The New River Gorge is an awesome attraction for the adventure seeker in everyone. Recreational opportunities like hiking, zip-lining, camping, and biking. But its most famous for the whitewater rafting activities. It’s located at Bluestone State Park and is a picture perfect summer escape.
3. Morgantown- While most of us think we know all about the town we live in, there is actually a lot more in Morgantown that not everyone takes advantage of. Dorsey’s Knobb Park is one of my favorite places in town- it’s a tiny park that has a disc golf course, and the coolest part is that there are animals there (a longhorn and a mountain goat). The waterfalls right outside town is another awesome summer day trip, located in Preston county on Rt 7, only about 20 minutes from town, the waterfalls are a beautiful place to hike or even go for a swim. Another awesome place in Morgantown is the Rail Trail on Beechurst. Not everyone has been there and the trail extends for over 20 miles- it’s pretty awesome.
4. Harper’s Ferry- Visitors go to Harpers Ferry to enjoy the history of the town. There are live history exhibits and opportunities to meet Civil War era characters. There is also the beautiful St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, where tourists take the hike on the Appalachian Trail for amazing views of the town and river.
5. The Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum- The structure offered shelter for the mentally ill in the 1800’s and is one of the largest hand cut stone buildings in the Western Hemisphere. The asylum has been subject to many paranormal investigations and offers ghost hunts and tours year round.
I really like this idea. It actually helped me find my own idea for a group blog. I thought about doing something on students and professors that are from out of state or country and profiling them on why they chose WVU, what they think of it so far, etc. I also thought about including a list of Hidden Treasures for those students we profile so the out of state students/professors could explore WV.
I LOVE this idea!! There are so many beautiful places in WV that people don’t realize. A few other examples are Blackwater Falls, Dolly Sods, and Seneca Rocks. When I was in the 6th grade we did a “WV trip” and did a few day tour to these areas and more, and it was so so cool! I’d love to contribute to this as a native of WV who would still love to learn more about where I grew up.
This is a neat idea! I love traveling and site seeing. I think this would take a lot of time to travel around and maybe take pictures and discover these places. It would make the blogs way more authentic if the writers of the blog actually travelled to those sites to interview or experience the spots. It could even be like, “follow us around the state and find out where we’ll be writing from this week!” I think there are a lot of opportunities with this.
I love this blog idea. I have lived in West Virginia my entire life, and I love our state. There are so many incredibly interesting places to go to around here. My favorite being Spruce Knob the highest mountain in WV, and Hawks nest. We have a beautiful state and people need to be made aware of that.
I really like this idea. I think that West Virginia doesn’t get enough credit for all of the cool places and things we have to explore and do. Something else that could tie into this idea is featuring popular West Virginia businesses, like Pies and Pints (even though they’ve spread to Ohio and Kentucky, they started in Fayetteville), or you could highlight unique West Virginia fairs and festivals, like the ramp festival in Richwood.
I think a blog about the music scene here in Morgantown would be really interesting. While 123 has a pretty great crowd of regulars, I think a lot of people don’t know a lot of the talent that comes there. I’ve seen a lot of big names there in my 4 years in the Mo. Mainstage has also gotten a ton of big name acts lately since their transformation from Chic n Bones.
-A lot of people think 123 and Mainstage are trying to compete, but I think they can exist side by side so that would be an interesting topic to touch on.
-I also think it would be cool to talk to the folks who work at 123 and Mainstage and see how they get such great talent there since we are a pretty small (compared to places like Seattle and Chicago).
-Another thing I think not a lot of people know about is a weekly live show in the Gluck theater put on by u92. They get a local band to perform live so talking about that could be neat.
-I’ve also heard a lot about Schmitt’s Saloon, so finding out about how their business does is important considering their location (by Pierpont). Do they get fewer big name acts than 123 and Mainstage because of where their bar is? Do mostly locals go there?
-DJs seem to be popping up from all over the place recently (including this video because it’s hilarious/relevant and also I feel like Fred and Carrie in this skit: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xoejjb_portlandia-everyone-is-a-dj_fun). Exploring why, how they choose venues, and how their performances differ from other acts could be interesting to explore.
We could definitely try to link up with musicians from different venues and interview them before/after their shows. If bands like RHCP and The White Stripes have been through Morgantown what new and upcoming bands could we potentially find.
An idea that I think really hits home with a lot of WVU students is the issue of parking here at WVU and why the University insists on building more student housing but doing nothing regarding where all these new students are going to park. While it may be tough to turn this into a multi-story blog, I think it’s something we could really work with.
We could write issues-features that draw attention to stories such as:
-1. WVU hosts 30,000 students undergrad and grad. I think it would be interesting to assess how many parking spaces there are total versus how many estimated commuters we have. A good majority of the students at WVU do not live within walking distance and are forced to drive each day, myself included. This adds stress to your mornings and often causes students to be late for class. But why? It’s an issue that can be and needs to be addressed more head on than it has before. Letters have been written to WVU and the DA has done op-ed pieces. But maybe it would be harder to ignore an entire project dedicated to pointing out this issue, and it could even end up helping future students if we are heard. I know this is a blog I’d share on all my social media sites, as would the majority of my friends and followers.
-2. While I, and literally every student at WVU, feel much, MUCH more could be done, we could dedicate a story to the efforts that WVU has made to make parking easier. Roughly 400 spaces were added to the Evansdale campus, and while that still isn’t enough, it is a start. We could dive into this and other various projects the University has already completed or at least begun. They have updated the pay stations, particularly the one beside Vandalia that used to only accept dollars and coins. It’s a start. But it’s not enough.
-3. I have heard rumors that WVU purchased Bent Willey’s with the intent to turn it into a parking garage.I think this is certainly something worth looking into.
-4. It might be helpful (depending on how interested you are) to even write a helpful piece for freshman or upcoming commuter students about tips we have learned. As a senior who has commuted for three of her four years, I have gained some insight and little tricks. Backroads, quicker routes, the best lots, the cheapest lots. We could potentially help to ease some of the stress of our younger and less experienced peers.
-5. While tuition continues to increase (and clearly isn’t going towards this parking situation as much as it could), the price to pay to park has also increased. Why does it need to be so expensive? Is there a reason I need to pay $8/day to attend class? When I am already paying for each of my classes? And my books? The money is going to the University for each of those aforementioned costs, so why do they need to squeeze even more out of us? I understand needing to pay per hour to make sure students don’t leave their cars overnight, but paying over a dollar for every hour – when half of our classes are an hour fifteen, thus causing us to have to pay for an additional 45 minutes that we may not even be parked, is absurd.
-6. An additional story topic could include other options for students, which are also kind of an issue: permit parking lots. And they are, in a word, EXPENSIVE. I used to pay $90/month for my spot downtown. My brother pays $3-400/semester over by the hospital. It’s insane. This could even tie in to my story idea #5 – permit parking is too expensive for many students, but when you do the math, the paid lots genuinely aren’t a lot better. Something really needs to change.
Obviously this topic infuriates me, and I know I’m not the only one. I think it’s something people would really be interested in getting behind; it’s an issue that we must continue to bring awareness towards if we really want to see a change come about.
I like the ideas you propose and I think that my focus on growth (traffic, infrastructure, etc.) in Morgantown would be a good fit with your focus on Parking. These are the issues a place that is growing must deal with..
I completely agree with you, I think they do tie in together really well
I think it would be cool to do a group blog on health, food, and fitness opportunities here in Morgantown. This would include mental and physical health. College is infamous for students gaining the “Freshman 15,” so I would like to see how West Virginia University compares to other colleges and universities. I would also like to focus on health, food and fitness opportunities in the Morgantown area. There are a lot of cheap places where people can work out and a growing number of healthy food options around town. This is a broad topic, but we could tailor it specifically to what WVU and Morgantown has to offer in the realm of healthy lifestyle choices.
1. The Morgantown area has many free and relatively cheap places to work out and focus on fitness. (Power Yoga Morgantown, the Rec Center, Cooper’s Rock, Planet Fitness, the hills around campus in general.)
2. While many students opt for Casa pizza or Rusted Musket, Morgantown has a surprising number of healthy food and drink options on campus and around town.
3. Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet everyone knows what the Rec center has to offer and not many people know what the Carruth Center has to offer.
4. The Rec Center has a million different machines and many classes offered to students. Do you know which ones are the best for your personal fitness goals?
5. How does going out every weekend affect your body and mind during the rest of the week?
I love this idea!!! WVU/Morgantown offers many amenities and places that lots of people have no idea about! Over the summer I went to this little restaurant hidden down beside the entrance to Vice. I had NO idea it even existed, and it was delicious! Little hidden gems like this deserve to be advertised and discussed more!
When I am in Morgantown I feel like fast food is what stands out in our city. I would be interested in finding the healthy places and expanding my knowledge further than the rec center. I think this could help out a lot of people and freshman coming in. I really like the ideas that you have.
I have been trying to think of a blog idea since Monday’s class and I’ve been having some trouble. But after reading some of these posts it did spark an idea. There are a lot of students from outside of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, and Virginia, such as California, Utah, North Carolina, and not to mention the international students. I thought about maybe focusing on those students and why they chose WVU, what they think about it so far, how it differs from their hometown, etc. We could focus on a different student, state, country, for each post.
Some story ideas are:
1. Pick a state that is not close to WV and try to find students from that state and do a profile on them.
2. Pick a student from another country and do a profile on them.
3. Maybe since we just learned about data, we could make some kind of map, graph, whatnot about how many students come from each state.
4. Pick a professor from a faraway state or country and profile them.
5. Provide things to do within the city and state for out-of-state students. Like the Hidden Treasures of WV thing Sarah Edmiston suggested.
I’d be interested in doing a group blog on the unique sports culture of WVU and the Morgantown area, that goes beyond just wins and losses on the playing field
Some story ideas:
1. A story on the Mountaineer Maniacs and their popular Musings that were featured on ESPN during the Iowa State game
2. The shrinking student section at the WVU Coliseum and how that’s affected home-court advantage
3. The Morgantown vs. University high school rivalry
4. Athletes from the Morgantown area who now play for WVU teams
5. The Hot Rod Hundley statue
I think we have pretty similar ideas/focuses – we want to highlight the uniqueness of WVU, particularly in the sports culture. I really like the story idea of the shrinking home-court advantage. That’s something we could take to the next level, because I believe there is a similar trend in NCAA football and the NFL.
I also like the Hot Rud Hundley statue idea because obviously he was from a different era, and not many people know his story and why he was only the 2nd player to have their number retired in WVU basketball history.
Similar to the “Morgantown Problems” blog from 2013, I want to continue that trend of pointing out the issues that college students face around the Morgantown area. I would call is something like “College Crisis'” or “Campus Catastrophes” – somewhere along those lines. The idea sparked after a friend of mine was wanting to buy food on meal plan in Evansdale Crossing today, but the system was down. She wasn’t able to eat because they weren’t accepting meal plan, so she had to hold off on eating lunch until all of her classes ended. There have also been many issues with transportation around campus, not to mention all of the paid parking lots that recently went into effect.
A few story ideas:
1. Evansdale Crossing cutting down on meal plan portion sizes.
2. PRT stops running at 8:00pm every night due to “system updates” – how students manage to get around campus.
3. SGA campaign season is here. A story on how to avoid extreme campaigners! (I realize that elections will probably be over by the time group blogs start.)
4. Out of money? Learn how to budget for the future! Tips and testimonials on how students with little money budget and save up. S/O to Sarah Edmiston on the college minimalism topic.
5. Health issues and the lack of/limited options to be healthy.
-Patrick J. Clarke
Patrick,
I like the ideas you propose and I think that my focus on growth (traffic, infrastructure, etc.) in Morgantown would be a good fit with your focus on Morgantown Problems.
Yes I agree! With growth and change come many problems, so they could definitely intertwine.
Patrick,
I really like all of the ideas you proposed in your post. As students here at WVU, we all encounter “struggles” that could be interesting to highlight. With so many students here on campus, the blog would be able to offer many different perspectives.
Another thing that could be highlighted on the blog is that lack of parking. This has become such a huge issue, and I know for me personally, I have just gotten to the point where I would rather walk downtown as opposed to drive and park. In addition to the parking problem, maybe the pricing of parking lots, either meters or to actually pay for a sticker for a lot, could be addressed also.
All in all, this blog is such a cool idea and I feel it would provide a lot of useful information for students around Morgantown. Possibly even those perspective students may encounter the blog and want to know more also.
It didn’t even cross my mind that prospective students could see the blog. We could even tailor a few blogs towards new and searching students. Thanks!
I really like this! We could even tie mine in with your’s. I suggested doing a whole blog series on the tremendous parking issues students face, but that could become a segment of your blog dealing with Morgantown / WVU issues as a whole. SGA campaigners drive me up a wall, I’m constantly out of money and trying to budget it, I always complain that there isn’t a Subway in the Lair, and the PRT sucks – so if I’m not a good candidate to help you write this blog, I’m certainly a great candidate to read about it!
Haha, yes! We could totally collaborate! Thanks for the input!
I would like to do a group blog focused on the college student in Morgantown. As a large part of Morgantown’s population, college students face a lot of the same day to day problems and have the same interests…. Topics would range from fun things like where really has the best happy hour deals, things to do without spending any money, and other college survival necessitates.
Story ideas
1) A profile of happy hours in Morgantown (could be a series) which ones are really worth your money and experience…. There are some rip offs.
2) things to do in Morgantown that people who are not from here may not know about and also cost little or no money…not a calendar of events but more like an “insiders guide”
3) articles like “how much sleep you really need in college and how to get ur” … We all know sleep is precious.
4) Another idea would be dorm horror stories…. I know I have a few of my own and it would be interesting to interview people about similar experiences
5) “Things I wish I knew about WVU as a freshman” this could also be a series
For this blog I would like to explore hidden “hot spots” in Morgantown. I would go to different places like cafes, restaurants, gym (the place where you can rent out camping gear/skiing/snowboarding equipment), activity taking part in town.
1. How has the business been shaped after opening in a college town? Was this the type of business you thought you were launching when you first opened in (x year)?
2. How much use do these objects get rented out from the students here at Morgantown? Are the people renting out this equipment only students? What is the biggest time of the year for rentals? How far/where have people traveled to with this equipment?
3. Is your exclusivity something you enjoy? Do you like being a secret “hot spot” that people love stumbling upon?
4. What are your busiest days of the year for your cafe/restaurant? Who brings you the most business? Do you offer specials targeted towards college students to keep them coming in? What do you think brings the people in? Is it the people? The ambiance? The food/drink?
5. When it’s nice outside, are people still using the Rec as much or are they doing more outside activities? Perhaps the same activities they do at the Rec except for outside (during nicer parts of the season.) What events are hit by many college students? 5k? Other fitness activities? I would like to explore some other options for people (not just students, but all people in Morgantown) to take part in.
One additional idea I had as an after thought would be “Get-Away’s in Pittsburgh.” I am from Pittsburgh and I would love to make a blog about great places to visit in the city for a weekend away. (Since it is only a little more than an hour away) I would love to act as a “travel guide” and suggest places for every type of activity Pittsburgh has to offer. I would feature a different one per blog. So if you’re a “foodie” I would list and explain the types of foods/specials and ambiance that certain place has to offer.
If you’re an adventurous, I would do the same type of idea. I would talk about some events or places the city has to offer and the types of crowds it tends to draw in.
In addition to some of the things you mentioned covering, I think it would be cool to also do a feature of some of the outdoor options available to students around W. Va. I know the Arden Falls and Blue Hole are two popular spots during the summer and other warm months. It would be cool to dive deeper into areas such as those and let others know what outdoor “hidden gems” that W.Va. has to offer. I know me personally, I didn’t know about Blue Hole of Arden Falls until this past fall, so it would be beneficial for students and prospective students to see what all W.Va. has to offer!
I think this is a cool idea. I love going places and discovering new spots to go, so I think it would be neat to tell stories about the places that people don’t know about around Morgantown. Also, we could even rediscover the places that everyone goes to all the time, but develop stories about them and maybe tell the history. I am also from Pittsburgh, so I think I would be a great contribution to this blog. It would be fun to talk about get-away’s to Pittsburgh. We could also talk about get-away’s to other close cities like D.C. and places in Ohio and Maryland.
I really like this idea, and I think it would be extremely useful for students. Although I think there’s a lot to do in Morgantown and the surrounding area, my friends and I tend to get into a rut and continue to go eat at the same places and do the same things. It would be nice to have a blog highlighting affordable activities and cool local restaurants to have a bit of inspiration on things to do. This idea could also tie in with a lot of the other blog ideas by telling about cool places in West Virginia to visit on the weekends.
A photograph recently surfaced on a blog called The City of Morgantown of the Red Hot Chili Peppers playing in what was then known as the Underground Railroad Nightclub in the late 80’s or early 90’s. The club/bar has since been named 123 Pleasant St. but it was really cool to see a band with that much recognition making a stop in Morgantown. Leon Russell played a show at MainStage (which I missed because I had work…. ) – but point being, there’s still an incredible music scene of both old and new here in Morgantown.
1. Profile different music venues, such as MainStage, 123..
2. Go to and report from up coming events and write stories on the bands/musicians that perform.. maybe even interview some of em.
3. Dig into the history of who’s been through Morgantown, I’m sure we’d be able to find some interesting and noteworthy names.
4. Cover some of the musical interests that students exhibit in Morgantown nowadays.
5. Cover the competition between venues, what they’re doing to beat out their competitors (MainStage VS. 123)
123 has pulled in some pretty big names in the past. I knew The White Stripes had been here but I had no idea RHCP had too. That’s rad. You’ve got a lot of good story ideas too. I think doing a history of 123 would be really cool.
http://thecityofmorgantown.com/post/44798953881/thats-the-red-hot-chili-peppers-playing-at-what : heres the link to the photograph
so freakin cool
For the group blogs, I’d like to continue in the focus of my personal blog and look at politics. This could be in Morgantown or the whole state of West Virginia. It could focus on upcoming elections or just WV government and politics in general.
Story ideas:
Why do West Virginians support Donald Trump so much?
What does the new concealed carry law mean for West Virginians?
WVU student is running for WV House of Delegates for Monongalia county
How will the Right to Work Bill affect WV?
Kaitlyn,
I am always down for some politics. I think growth and development (my proposal) fits well with local/state politics. I am fascinated why West Virginians feel Donald Trump is going to make their lives better.
As the A&E editor at the Daily Athenaeum, writing about lifestyle and local entertainment is something that I am passionate about. For the group blog, I’d like to write something about Morgantown’s local restaurant and entertainment scene. Topics can range from restaurant features to concert/festival previews.
Story Ideas:
1. Feature on oldest restaurants in Morgantown
2. Feature on local breweries
3. Cover some of the local concert that frequent (Schmitt’s, Mainstage, 123 , etc.
4. Cover big events such as Mountain Stage, Mountain Fest etc.
5. Feature on new stores opening in town (Ulta, new boutiques, etc.)
I also had an eccentric idea to do something on the homeless population in Morgantown. Not many people stop and speak with the people that sit out along high street, but in my experience many are friendly and have an interesting story to tell. The posts for the blog would be features on a new person. Through in-depth interviews, we can report on a person’s background, their passions and some context about the current state of their life.