Aberdeen|News|
Valentine's Day Gift Ideas that Give Back
There are lots of gift ideas beyond the usual boxes of chocolates, cheesy cards and flowers.

<strong>Email:</strong> matt.markowitz@patch.com
<strong>Phone:</strong> (443) 794.3405
<strong>Hometown:</strong> Gaithersburg, MD
<strong>Birthday:</strong> July 18, 1989
<strong>Bio</strong>
I was born in Atlanta. My family and I moved to Maryland when I was three weeks old. I've resided in many cities in the Free State including, Columbia, Laurel, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Towson and Baltimore. I attended college at Towson University and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in mass communication in 2011. I minored in electronic media and film, which sparked my interest in broadcast and online media. I joined Aberdeen Patch as a freelance writer in June 2011 and became the associate editor in October 2011.
During my college years, I interned for WBFF-TV FOX 45 in Baltimore and 60 Minutes in Washington, D.C. I wrote for the arts section of the bi-weekly campus newspaper, The Towerlight, and served as president of the Towson University television station, WMJF-TV. During one semester, I was the co-editor for an online magazine of stories about homelessness in Baltimore. I received a Senatorial State Scholarship and was an MCCS Outstanding Senior honoree.
In my free time, I love reading fiction and magazine writing. I'm an avid film watcher and try to go to the movies as much as possible. The Baltimore Ravens is my favorite team of any sport, and I seldom miss watching at least part of every game.
<strong>Your Beliefs</strong>
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.
<strong>Politics</strong>
I am a registered Democrat, but that's probably from watching too much Real Time with Bill Maher in college. I think that there are Republican and Democratic politicians, especially in Maryland and Harford County, that are doing great work and making a positive difference. Too many politicians at a national level seem to be distant from the everyday lives of people, and that's why I like to cover news at a local level.
<strong>Religion</strong>
My father is Jewish and my mother had a Catholic upbringing, so I have a mixed religious background - I had a Bar Mitzvah, yet celebrated Christmas every year. Nowadays, I'm more spiritual than religious, but I respect all values and beliefs of people who want to do good in society.
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There are lots of gift ideas beyond the usual boxes of chocolates, cheesy cards and flowers.

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