Slippery Rock University Homecoming Parade 2014

The Physical Education Department, an on campus fraternity, and a fire truck from the Slippery Rock Fire Department stroll through the downtown streets of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania during Homecoming 2014.

Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Kappa Psi and Dance Express promote their student organizations to the public of Slippery Rock during Homecoming 2014.

A circus actor blowing fire, a military bus, and the University Program Board float stroll through the streets of downtown Slippery Rock during Homecoming 2014. 

University Program Board's Director of Media Relations Jake Miller, Junior, 20, discusses how important the Slippery Rock University Homecoming parade is to the town of Slippery Rock.

University Program Board's Director of Media Relations Jake Miller, Junior, 20, comments on the stepping stone Slippery Rock University has made with its 125 years of existence.

UPB brings in Jimmy Tatro to entertain the students of Slippery Rock University

Should Physician-Assisted Suicide be Legal?

The controversial issue of physician-assisted suicide, also referred to as Euthanasia, has been discussed and debated for a long period of time. The big question many professionals and public groups have is whether it should be legal or not. An article published by LiveScience points out that professionals are divided in their opinion of whether it should be legal or not.

The fact that many are divided in there opinion infers that there are strong viewpoints from both sides of the argument. Weighing the pros and cons of physician-assisted suicide can help understand the topic better.

Many scholars have done research on the topic and results vary, however a scholarly article posted in The New England Journal of Medicine presents results that show less than 20 percent of physicians in Massachusetts prefer a ban of the practice. Many want it legalized or to have no law at all according to the article.

Why should it be legal? Before taking this into account, we must be aware that each situation dealing with assisted suicide is a unique case and has its own circumstances. The statistics and articles presented are only from averages and taken from society as a whole.

The people and professionals who say the practice should be legal usually use the "ending suffering" line. Many patients who must go through physician-assisted suicide are dealing with painful illnesses and side effects that many question if they are worth suffering for. This is absolutely an idea that must be taken into consideration when dealing with this issue.

Other professionals and people in favor of assisted suicide agree on some of these other underlying issues:

• Right to Life- People can choose the way they want to live their life and when they wish to die as long as it does not interfere with another's well-being. 
• Abortion is legal- If people can stop the creation of a child then it is hypocritical to say we can not choose to be lethally injected by a medicinal practice.
• Terminal illness- Someone has an incurable disease that will kill them eventually anyway.
• Burdens on caregivers- Some people who are taking care of a patient who has severe illness or disease do not have the financial stability to support them nor the time to give to them to prolong a process that may be not worth prolonging.

Why should it be illegal? Like I stated before, the facts provided in this blog are purely collective and do not pertain to any one situation. These are not my opinions, but are the opinions that have been researched by professionals of those with a strong opinion on the topics. 

Many say the practice should be illegal because they stand by the ethics of the issue. They say it is simply wrong to help someone kill themselves. Research also shows that many of the patients facing this situation have mental disabilities, so the people against the practice will argue that they are not capable of making rational decisions.

Other professionals and people who are not in favor of assisted suicide agree on some of these other underlying issues:

• Religion- We don't have the right to choose who lives or dies; that is up to God.
• Depression Among Patients- People claim that many patients who want assisted suicide have a depression that may not be diagnosed.
• Prejudice towards disabilities- People simply do not like people with disabilities and claim that physician-assisted suicide may be the cause of internal emotions people have towards others.   

Home Opener

Some Background 

My name is Ryan Hreczkosiej and I am a Public Relations major here at Slippery Rock University. I am graduating in December of 2015. I have a knack for writing in the realm of sports and news and love digital design using Adobe Creative Suite programs. I enjoy interacting with people on both personal levels and professional, and work well with groups with similar interests as well as differentiated interests. My goal is to be an account executive or public relations specialist for a professional sports team as well as start my own clothing business. Everyday I try to be better than I was yesterday and each step I take, I make sure it takes me to a place I want to be in the future. I fail plenty of times but at the end of the day I know that every mountain has it's valley, and the only way to grow emotionally, physically and mentally is by stepping out of your comfort zone and learning each and every day how to be better at what you desire most.

A lowering sunset on the bay of Downtown Disney in Orlando, FL

Beyond my passion for assembling words, I enjoy photography. Every picture tells a story and photography is just another way to tell mine. Not only can I tell my story through photography, but also give insight on someone else's, and use the images produced to make a more vibrant picture of someone, something or some place. Pictures give us an outlook on the world through a particular perspective, and can open someone's mind to new ideas that can change things forever. They inspire, promote and do so many things to help create positive mindsets throughout the world. When they say a picture is "worth a thousand words", they weren't lying. That is exactly what I try to do with each and every photo I take.

Why I'm Here

I am interested in the New Media Journalism class because as stated earlier, I love to write. Beyond that, media journalism is a rising phenomena in the world we live in today. It is exceptionally important in the field of communications, specifically PR. I have been using social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter for nearly six years. It is amazing seeing the progression of both from when I started using them to where they are now. Witnessing these results clearly indicates how important they are becoming to not only understand, but to use in an effective way.

Useful Media Outlets

NBC News is a traditional media outlet that has evolved into one of the United States' primary sources of any important news or information. The company has been involved with news and sports broadcast television networking as well as radio networking before anyone knew the internet would ever exist, and ever since has been a popular choice for the biggest stages. Major sporting events, political events, and so much more have been presented to the United States through NBC for decades. As a huge sports fan, NBC never fails when broadcasting a big game. When I need information for recent news and big stories, NBC is always my destination. 

Buzzfeed is a new-media outlet that has been a growing phenomena as of late. Buzzfeed works as an online news site for big stories around the world, mostly relating to pop culture and what the younger generations are interested in. Much of the material posted is targeted towards teenagers and younger adults. Buzzfeed also provides insight to current events, both domestic and international, and can be a great "on-the-run" source of information.