It was the summer of 1987 and Phillip Macri was riding high. At 5'9" and 135 pounds, he was not a big guy. But at New Castle High School, he was Big Man On Campus. He was a popular, three sport athlete. He was starting second baseman on the baseball team and a member of the cross country team. Basketball, however, was where he excelled the most. He was a scrappy, tenacious point guard that helped lead New Castle to the playoffs the previous two years and had them poised to make a run at a district title in the 1987-88 season, which would be his senior season.
Born on December 13, 1969, all Phillip wanted to do growing up was play sports. His playing career came to an end on August 28, 1987. That is the day that his life was changed forever. He was in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he and a bunch of friends were participating in a softball tournament. It was a week before his senior year in high school was about to begin and he was having the time of his life. It was their last day in town, so they decided to go to the beach one last time before heading north to make the journey back to New Castle, Pennsylvania. They were just getting ready to leave the beach when Macri decided to take one last dip in the water. He took a running start from the shore and ran full steam into the ocean. He dove into a wave just like he had done dozens of times previously. But this time things were different. The wave flipped him upside down and he came crashing down on the bottom of the ocean head first. The impact snapped a vertebrae in his neck, paralyzing him instantly. If it was not for the actions of a heroic bystander, Macri would have lost his life that day. He was dragged from the water that day by a woman, who disappeared from the scene shortly afterwards.
After spending a few months in the hospital in Virginia, he was flown back to Pittsburgh to begin his rehab close to home. A few weeks later, he was able to return home and actually graduated from high school with his senior class in June of 1988.
After taking a few years off of school after high school, Macri attended Westminster College and received a degree in business. He has always wanted to be involved in sports. And since his playing days were cut short, he opened up his own sporting goods store, Macri's Sports, in 2001. He is still owner/operator of Macri's in New Castle, Pa.
His story doesn't end there, however. In 1993, his story was featured on an episode of Unsolved Mysteries, as he wanted to find the woman who pulled him out of the water and saved his life. Remarkably, Linda Potts from Loraine, Ohio was watching the telecast and phoned the show saying that she was the one that pulled him to safety. The show set up a meeting between the two of them, and they remain good friends to this day.
I was 13 years old when he was injured and I remember the day that I found out about his injury. I was devastated. I was a huge high school sports fan, and this news was hard to take for me. After everything that he has been through, I greatly admire his strength and courage to make it through this situation and become successful in life.
My camera was acting up and my photos and videos were lost. Not sure what happened. But here is my story and timeline.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Phillip Macri
I plan on doing my web biography on Phillip Macri. Phillip is a resident of my hometown, New Castle, PA. He was a multi-sport star (baseball, basketball, track) for New Castle High School in the mid 1980's. During the summer of 1987, while in Virginia Beach, VA, his life changed forever. It was the summer before his senior year and he was down there participating in a softball tournament. While at the beach, he dove into a wave, got flipped upside down, and hit his head on the bottom of the ocean. He broke his neck and was immediately paralyzed, and would have lost his life if not for a complete stranger who pulled him out of the water. Even though he was now confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he didn't let this incident ruin his life. After his stay in the hospital, he returned to school and graduated, got a college degree, and now owns his own sporting goods store in New Castle. He has overcome a lot of tragedy in his life to become a successful businessman and successful member of the community.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
SRU Flute Ensemble
Flute Ensemble Shines at Swope
On Saturday, November 21, 2015, I attended the Flute Ensemble at Swope Music Hall at Slippery Rock University. They played a variety of types of music, including a Christmas carol ("In the Bleak Midwinter") and a Japanese folk song ("Itsuki-no-Komori-uta"). They are under the direction of Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich, who has performed with various groups and artists all over the country. The Ensemble has also been invited to play all over the country. Last week's concert also featured three members of the SRU Dance Department, led by Ursula Payne. The Ensemble featured solos by the four seniors in the group. They did an excellent job and was well worth seeing.
On Saturday, November 21, 2015, I attended the Flute Ensemble at Swope Music Hall at Slippery Rock University. They played a variety of types of music, including a Christmas carol ("In the Bleak Midwinter") and a Japanese folk song ("Itsuki-no-Komori-uta"). They are under the direction of Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich, who has performed with various groups and artists all over the country. The Ensemble has also been invited to play all over the country. Last week's concert also featured three members of the SRU Dance Department, led by Ursula Payne. The Ensemble featured solos by the four seniors in the group. They did an excellent job and was well worth seeing.
Monday, November 16, 2015
Flute ensemble
For my next project in New Media Journalism, I plan on covering the Slippery Rock University flute ensemble concert. The flute ensemble is a collection of about thirteen flute players from Slippery Rock University. They are directed by Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich, who has performed regularly with the Florida Grand Opera and Florida Sunshine Pops, as well as numerous top artists such as George Benson and Pharrell Williams. They are performing on Saturday, November 21, 2015 in Swope Music Hall at 7:30 pm. The Department of Dance is also joining in on this performance. The ensemble has made a pretty good name for itself in recent years. They have frequently travelled to attend the National Flute Association Convention, and have been invited to perform in this associations conventions in Kansas City, Columbus, and Pittsburgh, as well as numerous state conferences. This is newsworthy for SRU students because it is a group made up of Slippery Rock University students. I plan on getting an interview with Dr. Eisenreich to talk about the ensemble.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Inmetco fire
ELLWOOD CITY, PA, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 11:45 AM---On Sunday, November 8, 2015, shortly before 9:00 in the morning, the city of Ellwood City, PA became engulfed in smoke. The International Metals Reclamation Company, Inc. (INMETCO) plant went up in flames, as firefighters from several different areas battled to contain the fire. According to INMETCO's website, the company is "a leading recycler of metal-bearing wastes in North America" that recycles "thousands of tons of nickel, chromium, iron, molybdenum and cadmium bearing wastes annually."
According to WPXI.com, the fire began in an area of the plant where there was lithium, liquid cadmium, and lead acid. It was contained around 10:40 am, but rekindled around 8:30 pm, when crews were called back out to extinguish the fire again. The building was destroyed.
WPXI.com reported that four fire fighters suffered chemical burns to their hands, according to the fire chief. Two of them were treated and returned to the fire scene, while the other two remained hospitalized, but are not seriously injured.
Smoke could be seen in the sky for miles around on Sunday morning. Medical officials said that there is no public health hazard and no evacuations are needed at this time. However, nearby residents are asked to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed until the smoke clears.
Even though I missed the actual fire, I believe that this still qualifies as a breaking news story. I was there about 27 hours after the fire began and smoke was still billowing above the plant. The smell of smoke was in the air for miles even before I got to the site. I was not able to get very close to the actual plant, so all of my videos and photos are a little distance away. I stood at the entrance of the parking lot leading to the plant. The reason that I couldn't get much closer was that the whole complex had a chain link fence surrounding it that had barbed wire at the top to prevent people from climbing the fence. It was sort of like a prison, except instead of keeping people in, they want to keep people out.
When I was there, a news crew from WBKN in Youngstown was also there filming. This continues to be a breaking news story, because the threat may not be over. Just like the fire rekindled hours after it was contained, as long as it is still smoking, the possibility remains that the same thing could happen again. And with the potentially dangerous chemicals located in the plant, public safety continues to be a concern.
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According to WPXI.com, the fire began in an area of the plant where there was lithium, liquid cadmium, and lead acid. It was contained around 10:40 am, but rekindled around 8:30 pm, when crews were called back out to extinguish the fire again. The building was destroyed.
WPXI.com reported that four fire fighters suffered chemical burns to their hands, according to the fire chief. Two of them were treated and returned to the fire scene, while the other two remained hospitalized, but are not seriously injured.
Smoke could be seen in the sky for miles around on Sunday morning. Medical officials said that there is no public health hazard and no evacuations are needed at this time. However, nearby residents are asked to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed until the smoke clears.
Even though I missed the actual fire, I believe that this still qualifies as a breaking news story. I was there about 27 hours after the fire began and smoke was still billowing above the plant. The smell of smoke was in the air for miles even before I got to the site. I was not able to get very close to the actual plant, so all of my videos and photos are a little distance away. I stood at the entrance of the parking lot leading to the plant. The reason that I couldn't get much closer was that the whole complex had a chain link fence surrounding it that had barbed wire at the top to prevent people from climbing the fence. It was sort of like a prison, except instead of keeping people in, they want to keep people out.
When I was there, a news crew from WBKN in Youngstown was also there filming. This continues to be a breaking news story, because the threat may not be over. Just like the fire rekindled hours after it was contained, as long as it is still smoking, the possibility remains that the same thing could happen again. And with the potentially dangerous chemicals located in the plant, public safety continues to be a concern.
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| INMETCO recycling plant in Ellwood City, PA |
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| Smoke still billows above the recycling plant more than 24 hours after the fire |
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| The fence that surround INMETCO |
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Tuesday, October 27, 2015
North Street Bridge opening
I went to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the North Street Bridge and a portion of Croton Ave (route 108). Many city and county officials were on hand to commemorate the occasion. The New Castle Junior High cross country team and the elementary New Castle Running Club took part in the ceremony, as they ran across the bridge after the ribbon was cut to be the first ones on the new bridge. The hotspots on my picture are in the shape of NC (for New Castle)
Monday, October 19, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
SRU Homecoming Parade Route
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I went to the SRU Homecoming Parade and mapped out its route. Among the participants in the parade were the SRU Marching Band, the Slippery Rock High School Marching Band and the Moniteau High School Marching Band, as well as various floats and other organizations from around the Slippery Rock area.
I went to the SRU Homecoming Parade and mapped out its route. Among the participants in the parade were the SRU Marching Band, the Slippery Rock High School Marching Band and the Moniteau High School Marching Band, as well as various floats and other organizations from around the Slippery Rock area.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Monday, September 21, 2015
Jack Hanna comes to SRU
On Wednesday, September 19, 2015, Jack Hanna came to Morrow Field House at Slippery Rock University with some of his rare and exotic animals. These are some pictures from his show.
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| Jack Hanna enters the stage for his show at SRU |
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| The show is about to begin |
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| The crowd is filtering in for the Jack Hanna show |
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| This is an anteater that Jack Hanna brought to SRU |
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| A lemur looks up at his handler |
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| Jack Hanna and his team showing a sloth at SRU |
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| This is my cat Izze wearing a bow |
Monday, September 14, 2015
Creationism: the age old debate
The idea of creationism has been argued amongst people for thousands of years. It is the belief that the universe and all living organisms originate from specific acts of divine creation, as in the biblical account, rather than by natural processes such as evolution. Evolution is the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
A big debate concerning creationism is whether it should be taught to children in schools. There are good arguments on both sides of this debate. One reason people argue for it is that creationism is a legitimate belief system held in this country, and the world for that matter. Children should be given all the information and beliefs about how the world was started and then they can make an informed decision of what they believe.
Another argument for creationism to be taught in schools is that it is part of our history. Creationism dominated people's thinking for many, many years. To deny today's children of learning about it, denies them a chance to learn about an integral part in our history.
The big reason that people cite not to teach creationism in schools is the separation of church and state. Many people believe that religion should be kept out of the schools. A lot of people either don't believe in religion or have varying religious beliefs, so by teaching creationism in schools could violate their freedom of religion granted to all Americans in the First Amendment.
Another reason to not teach creationism in school is that there is no concrete scientific fact of its truthfulness. Educators tend to teach what they can prove, and some would argue that there is more evidence to support evolution than there is creationism.
Whatever your viewpoint on this subject is, one thing remains true: this debate will continue to go on for generations to come.
A big debate concerning creationism is whether it should be taught to children in schools. There are good arguments on both sides of this debate. One reason people argue for it is that creationism is a legitimate belief system held in this country, and the world for that matter. Children should be given all the information and beliefs about how the world was started and then they can make an informed decision of what they believe.
Another argument for creationism to be taught in schools is that it is part of our history. Creationism dominated people's thinking for many, many years. To deny today's children of learning about it, denies them a chance to learn about an integral part in our history.
The big reason that people cite not to teach creationism in schools is the separation of church and state. Many people believe that religion should be kept out of the schools. A lot of people either don't believe in religion or have varying religious beliefs, so by teaching creationism in schools could violate their freedom of religion granted to all Americans in the First Amendment.
Another reason to not teach creationism in school is that there is no concrete scientific fact of its truthfulness. Educators tend to teach what they can prove, and some would argue that there is more evidence to support evolution than there is creationism.
Whatever your viewpoint on this subject is, one thing remains true: this debate will continue to go on for generations to come.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
My 1st blog
My name is Doug Gilghrist. I am not the traditional college student. In fact I am about twice the age of most of my classmates. Last year, at the age of 40, I decided to go back to school, at Slippery Rock University, and pursue a career in sports journalism. I have always been interested in becoming a sports broadcaster, specifically baseball. I also love writing about sports. I am currently a writer for SRU's school newspaper, the Rocket.
I am relatively new to all this new media technology. I have had a Facebook account for a few years, but that has pretty much been the extent of my social media experience. I have recently gotten a Twitter account set up, but haven't used it much so far. I am interested in learning more about the different technology, because I know in my new career as a journalist, I will need to have this knowledge. This is actually the first time that I have even attempted writing a blog, so hopefully this goes well.
A traditional media outlet that I visit often is ESPN. As a sports fanatic, I like to check up on the latest sports scores, as well as be informed of the latest stories and news in the world of sports. A new media outlet that I like to visit is Yahoo! Sports. They sometimes have different coverage than ESPN, so it's nice to get another viewpoint on the world of sports.
This completes my first ever blog post. I will be posting more throughout the semester, so I hope everyone comes back for more.
I am relatively new to all this new media technology. I have had a Facebook account for a few years, but that has pretty much been the extent of my social media experience. I have recently gotten a Twitter account set up, but haven't used it much so far. I am interested in learning more about the different technology, because I know in my new career as a journalist, I will need to have this knowledge. This is actually the first time that I have even attempted writing a blog, so hopefully this goes well.
A traditional media outlet that I visit often is ESPN. As a sports fanatic, I like to check up on the latest sports scores, as well as be informed of the latest stories and news in the world of sports. A new media outlet that I like to visit is Yahoo! Sports. They sometimes have different coverage than ESPN, so it's nice to get another viewpoint on the world of sports.
This completes my first ever blog post. I will be posting more throughout the semester, so I hope everyone comes back for more.
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