January 31, 2005: Headlines: COS - Ivory Coast: Journalism: Mary Washington College: Austin Merrill volunteered for the Peace Corps and lived in Ivory Coast for two years working to help improve water/sanitation conditions
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January 31, 2005: Headlines: COS - Ivory Coast: Journalism: Mary Washington College: Austin Merrill volunteered for the Peace Corps and lived in Ivory Coast for two years working to help improve water/sanitation conditions
Austin Merrill volunteered for the Peace Corps and lived in Ivory Coast for two years working to help improve water/sanitation conditions
Austin Merrill volunteered for the Peace Corps and lived in Ivory Coast for two years working to help improve water/sanitation conditions
Austin Merrill, History '91
Since his graduation in 1991, Austin Merrill has had a varied and interesting career—a testimony both to his own talents and to the breadth of competencies provided by majoring in history.
Immediately upon graduation Austin was hired by MWC’s Admissions Office, where he spent four years as an assistant dean.
After that he volunteered for the Peace Corps and lived in Ivory Coast for two years working to help improve water/sanitation conditions. In the process he received what he calls “a crash course in the lasting effects of Western Europe’s colonization of West Africa.”
Upon completing his Peace Corps service, Austin began graduate work at Columbia University, where in May of 1999 he received a Master in International Affairs degree. While at Columbia he was selected as editor-in-chief of the school’s prestigious Journal of International Affairs. One of the issues was entitled “Seeking International Justice: The Role of Institutions,” for which he went to Atlanta to interview Jimmy Carter. In 1999 the Columbia Journalism Review published his article, “ Witness for the Prosecution,” which examined whether journalists should testify before war-crimes tribunals concerning atrocities they have covered.
Deciding to stay in New York, he worked for a year as associate producer for a documentary film company. One of the projects he worked on was the feature-length film, “Well-Founded Fear,” which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, aired on PBS and CNN, and won the grand prize at New York City’s docfest 2000.
Austin’s interest in both writing and the theater was demonstrated in his co-adaptation of James Agee’s novel A Death in the Family into a play—and then played the lead role in a production of it. He is currently working as a freelance writer and editor and as a researcher at Vanity Fair. [See his article on MWC graduates in the Peace Corps in the winter issue of MWC Today.]
Reflecting on his years at Mary Washington, Austin says, “I entered college thinking I’d be a math major—that had been my strength in high school—but I’ve always been glad I chose history instead. It is, perhaps, naïve to think that we can look back and understand the decisions and actions of people in times of exploration, war, or political and social upheaval….But our naivete should be seen as a refreshing source of energy that keeps us curious…. That’s what I got out of studying history, and it’s what keeps me going today.”
When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:
| Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." |
| Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help? |
| The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005. |
| Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia." |
| Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors. |
| The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn. |
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Story Source: Mary Washington College
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ivory Coast; Journalism
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By michaelaforesha (68.11.246.13) on Thursday, September 26, 2013 - 12:28 pm: Edit Post |
do you have a story about Africa and have three witness stories