July 2010
1 post
Long overdue internship announcement
Since May, I have been interning at The Gainesville Sun. I interviewed with one of the editors twice at the college’s job fair and heard I was accepted in May. I was thrilled! It’s been an amazing experience and I have so much to write about.
I periodically send an internship report about how things are going to the dean of the college. I’ll be posting them here.
Internship...
May 2010
1 post
The Storytellers' Summit
I walked into the newsroom today ready to write.
Ready to make words sing and dance and twist and shout. Ready to meet new people and hand out business cards at restaurants, hair salons and to strangers on benches. Ready to write and edit until the grammar is immaculate, the cadence is beautiful, the rhythm is perfect. Ready to weave stories from daily encounters and a lifetime of stored...
December 2009
1 post
Busy Busy Busy
The curtain is about to close on the fall semester and I can hardly figure out where the time has gone.
This project, my personal Web site, which is like a portfolio, took up a great chunk of time and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.
Peek into my cyber portal for a while while I write a 2000 word article for my health writing class, create another Web site and complete a massive project...
November 2009
1 post
October 2009
2 posts
Internet Endeavors Part 2
Revised Proposal
I decided that my Web site on relaxation will target college students. I am very familiar with the life of a constantly busy college student and I am going to focus on that type of lifestyle.
I plan on conducting interviews on a therapist who can inform me about stress and the importance of relaxation as a means of reducing stress. I also want to talk to a medical professional...
Internet Endeavors Part 1
In my Communications on the Internet class, I just made a personal Web site. It took hours of hand-coding and I am proud of how it turned out. I’ll post the link soon. For my final project in the course, I will be making another Web site on a topic that is explanatory journalism. I need to record my development of my project and I figured this blog was a great place to do it.
The series...
August 2009
3 posts
The multimedia craze in journalism
It’s been the talk of the journalism world recently. People have been in a frenzy discussing the future of the industry. Will print newspapers one day fade into oblivion? In the age of online journalism, iPhone news applications, Twitter, Digg, and the plethora of media outlets and ways of spreading news, what will become of traditional journalism? These are all questions we face. I am...
Life during Reporting
The first day, I inspected the area surrounding my computer. Knowing I would be spending a significant amount of time in that exact spot, it had to be perfect. I adjusted the screen a millimeter or two, checked the keyboard for dust and made sure my chair was comfortable.
I was ready.
That was the day I began my journey into the depths of reporting. It was the class journalism students were...
The start of a new season.
And no, I’m not just talking about another round of Gator football.
I’m referring to a brand new semester—a new season in my career, my education and my life.
I love new beginnings. I love knowing that children around the state have stocked their JanSports with shiny new school supplies and have started to to jot down, earnestly for now, their homework assignments in a new...
July 2009
1 post
Summer
This summer I am back in my parent’s nest; living off their food and reaping the benefits of free rent. I am also hard at work though.
I work summers at a very fun seasonal job. With the economy the way it is, a couple of my friends haven’t been able to even find a job to last them for the three month hiatus from school.
I should have been blogging much more frequently but I have...
April 2009
7 posts
Finals
I have been away because of finals.
But I have archived several articles I would like to share at a later date.
On a joyful note, I am done with my reporting class and my multimedia class!
Here is my final project, my first video on YouTube.
Stay tuned for more later.
“Wear your seat belt!”
– Mike Foley. He likes to shout these words of wisdom after he wraps up the lecture.
Politics and Psychologists
Article of the Day:
So I am not extremely into reading politics.
And I found a great solution today. “The Washington Post” posted a summary of political events from Routers.
The article offers a graf on each highlight in U.S. politics. The information is not too dense but still keeps people in the know about what’s going on in Washington, DC.
Check it out here.
Interview...
“Gary Robinson died hungry.”
– One of my favorite leads by Edna Buchanen, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and lead queen.
"The Choice" an awesome pick for students
Today’s feature is a blog I stumbled upon in “The New York Times.”
It covers topics relevant to students and parents on the prowl for college admission.
Information on financial aid and saving for college. Blogs from students sharing their experiences. An opportunity to ask question of a college counselor. This site has a plethora of resources I wish I was exposed to a few...
“If you are meant to be a writer, you will be. Nothing can stop a writer from...”
– Jim Murray
Article of the day
I am instituting a new feature where I will post a news article each day that I enjoyed.
Today’s is “American parents find ways to curb cost of kids”.
Extracurricular activities have certainly become an extravagance lately with the way the economy is going.
I wonder how the economy will affect parents’ decisions for their children this summer. Camps are expensive and...
March 2009
1 post
Some random updates
Last week I covered National Eating Disorders Awareness Week on campus.
I heard some awesome speakers and attended a beautiful light ceremony. It was definitely one of my favorite events I have ever covered.
My article was published in Newsies and I will post the link soon.
Tomorrow I have a reporting test, then a Relay for Life fundraiser, and Friday I go home for spring break.
I am very...
February 2009
3 posts
PR Work
My Temporary Clients team and I have been working furiously on a campaign. Our client is UF’s Office of Institutional Planning and Research.
We have been meeting each week working on the campaign, drafting a proposal, a budget, and doing research.
Last night, we spent a few hours at a PhotoShop workshop, learning a few skills and working on a logo.
I can’t talk about the details,...
“When a dog bites a man, that is not news. But when a man bites a dog, that IS...”
– Charles Dana, New York Sun editor
I'm back!
Sorry it has been about two months since I last posted.
During those months, I enjoyed a relaxing winter break, started the spring semester, and ran in the streets in Gator fashion (well, more peacefully than some) when our football team won the SEC National Championship! Great fun and a testament to why I attend this school and why I love it.
This semester I am taking reporting, the class that...
November 2008
4 posts
News and blogs
These are some of my favorite news sites or blogs.
The New York Times—This renowned newspaper speaks for itself.
The Independent Florida Alligator—The daily newspaper covering UF, Santa Fe College, and Gainesville.
ABC News on Campus—Students at colleges around the nation speak up.
Newsies—An online magazine created by UF students.
Ed’s Blog—The blog of the...
Missing: Flash Drive
The other day i had a dream that I lost my flash key. When I woke up, I checked my wallet and it was gone.
The toolbox for journalists include a pen, a notebook, a computer, a flash key, and a voice recorder (which isn’t essential).
A flash drive is the tool that is priceless. The little device is one of my favorite products of the technologically advanced world we live in.
I can...
A shout out for "Newsies"
As a freshman at UF, I was lost among a sea of journalism majors. My Introduction to Journalism class had about 300 students in it.
I kept hearing the same words over and over again. I was encouraged to practice writing, to gain experience, and to get published.
But how? I knew about the award winning newspaper, The Independent Florida Alligator, but I knew my experience working on a high school...
Fact Error: Lilly Willow Petunia
Lilly Willow Petunia is a name I will never forget.
In my rigorous Writing for Mass Communication class, the lab instructor takes off 50 points for a fact error in an article. A grammatical mistake or AP style error is worth five points. And when it comes to content, points are taken off for boring leads and awkward sentences.
I read my article over and over, checking every possible fact error...
October 2008
11 posts
Alpha PRoductions
Public Relations is a field that has interested me for a while. So I am currently in Introduction to PR.
I’m not sure where I’m headed exactly—I do know I love the world of communications though!
This semester I joined PRSSA, the Public Relations Student Society of America, which allows me to delve into the career and learn more about it. PRSSA hosts speakers and events.
PRSSA...
Sources that make me smile
Today I recieved an e-mail that did not frustrate me. It did not remind me of all the things I need to do. Instead, it made me happy.
Yesterday I recieved a response from a professor whom I contacted for my nutrition article. He said he would be happy to meet with me. I was glad he offered to help, albeit the night before my article was due.
So I e-mailed him back with a quick “thank...
Sweet success
Today I turned in my nutrition article.
In the past few days, I interviewed another nutritionist and two students.
In my Writing for Mass Communication class, I used a content management system to upload and publish my article.
Here is the link: http://web2100.jou.ufl.edu/index.php?id=781
Fast Food Frenzy
I may use this picture for my nutrition article.
One step forward
As I strolled into the elevator at the infirmary, I noticed a sign that informed me of the number of calories I could shed by taking the stairs instead.
Too late.
Today, I conducted my interview with Lisa Roth, a nutritionist. She was very helpful and answered my questions thoroughly. She was friendly and we developed a good rapport.
The interview lasted 30 minutes, though it was supposed to...
The right place at the right time
I like taking pictures. But until recently, I had never taken a picture that I would deem worthy of being considered photojournalism.
For an article I wrote in my journalism class, I had to find a picture that had to do with bike riders on campus.
I actually found this shot by accident. I had just finished having a picnic on the north lawn in front of the J. Wayne Reitz Union when I decided to...
Deadline dismay
Deadline is Tuesday and the days are shedding as quickly as the autumn leaves.
Trying to get in contact with people I would like to interview has become frustrating.
I am working on a story about nutrition and how students can eat healthier, especially during stressful midterm weeks.
So far, I have e-mailed two potential sources without receiving a response, contacted two professors who were not...
Welcome to my blog
Hello readers. To give you a brief introduction, I am a second year journalism student at an amazing school. If you can’t tell from my color scheme, I’m a proud University of Florida Gator!
This blog will highlight my search for stories and my experiences reporting and interviewing. I will occasionally add in some posts about events on campus or in the community that pique my...