As is evident in the amount of time between my last post (on August 29th) and this post (on December 31st), Fall 2008 was an incredibly busy time for me.
On the eve of the new year, I can't help but reflect on 2008. One of the biggest skills I learned to master this year was time management. Somehow I managed being the president of my sorority chapter, being managing editor of my school's life and style magazine for women, editor-in-chief of a newsletter, and an intern for Rivals.com. I also worked, was a member of various clubs on campus, and of course stayed focused academically, ending the semester with a 3.72 GPA. And still managed to maintain a social and personal life. So I think it's safe to say I've got the whole time management thing down.
But mastering this level of high-stress time management also comes with mastering balance, which I think I struggled with more so than the actual management of time. Balancing between each aspect of my life and allotting the right amount of time and attention to each and prioritizing got difficult at times. I often had complaints from family members that I didn't call them enough or from friends that I didn't have time for them. But at the end of the day, I knew that I was making the right decisions and doing what was best for me. And I believe it paid off.
Earlier this month I found out I was selected as a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Intern. Anybody who is in the realm of communications knows that this is the most competitive and most prestigious internship in copy editing there is. I was placed at the San Francisco Chronicle, so after a two-week training session at the University of Texas in May, after graduation I will be heading out to San Francisco. A move to the West Coast is daunting yet exciting, but the fact that not only was I chosen but I was placed at a large, award-winning newspaper gives me an describable sense of self-pride, and I can't help but be hopeful that this internship will open a lot of doors for me.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Fresh Meat
So it's the back to school time of the year and I am getting settled in and back to my routine of Penn State life. It always amazes me how strong my affinity for this campus is- I never truly realize it until I've been gone for a long amount of time and then I come back.
There's a lot of adjustments for me this semester, however -- I've made a complete circle and after living in an apartment for two years, I am now living in a freshman dorm as a senior. Yes, I know. It seems completely bizarre. Trust me, if I had a penny for how many puzzled looks I get when I tell people where I am living and that no, I'm not an RA, I'd be millionaire.
But the way it works on Penn State's campus is that there are no sorority houses, so some sororities have suites located in the dorms (which consist of a small living area, kitchen, and bathroom) and in order to keep these suites, they must have a certain percentage of their members residing in the dorm on the sorority floor. So, as president of my chapter this year, here I am, back in a dorm room. It's actually not so bad -- I love being around my sorority sisters and being back on campus -- really, it's just the whole community showers thing. Taking a shower in the dark shadows while wearing shower shoes and trying not to touch the walls isn't exactly my favorite way to get clean.
But being in a freshman dorm as a senior has its interesting moments that allow me to observe, reflect, and yes, laugh. Tonight I saw all of these nervous girls, putting on the most low-cut shirt that they own and giggling with their friends as they head out for their first night as a college student. And, of course, coming back a few hours later teetering on their 4-inch heels with their hair in lopsided buns and makeup running down their faces. Pure comedy.
But I can remember what it felt like to be them, to want to fit in and find yourself and live the famed crazy college life. It's crazy how fast time flies. Just yesterday I was a freshman and now, it's time to start applying for jobs and heading into the real world. Which reminds me, I should pause from blogging -- I have a few applications to finish filling out...
There's a lot of adjustments for me this semester, however -- I've made a complete circle and after living in an apartment for two years, I am now living in a freshman dorm as a senior. Yes, I know. It seems completely bizarre. Trust me, if I had a penny for how many puzzled looks I get when I tell people where I am living and that no, I'm not an RA, I'd be millionaire.
But the way it works on Penn State's campus is that there are no sorority houses, so some sororities have suites located in the dorms (which consist of a small living area, kitchen, and bathroom) and in order to keep these suites, they must have a certain percentage of their members residing in the dorm on the sorority floor. So, as president of my chapter this year, here I am, back in a dorm room. It's actually not so bad -- I love being around my sorority sisters and being back on campus -- really, it's just the whole community showers thing. Taking a shower in the dark shadows while wearing shower shoes and trying not to touch the walls isn't exactly my favorite way to get clean.
But being in a freshman dorm as a senior has its interesting moments that allow me to observe, reflect, and yes, laugh. Tonight I saw all of these nervous girls, putting on the most low-cut shirt that they own and giggling with their friends as they head out for their first night as a college student. And, of course, coming back a few hours later teetering on their 4-inch heels with their hair in lopsided buns and makeup running down their faces. Pure comedy.
But I can remember what it felt like to be them, to want to fit in and find yourself and live the famed crazy college life. It's crazy how fast time flies. Just yesterday I was a freshman and now, it's time to start applying for jobs and heading into the real world. Which reminds me, I should pause from blogging -- I have a few applications to finish filling out...
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Friendly Island
Upon my return from a week-long family trip to the island of Saint Maarten, I felt refreshed and renewed. But, (as I always do- my habit of constant reflection is a gift and a curse, more of a curse in this case) I found myself reflecting on the irony of the experience.
The island is gorgeous, with sparkling Caribbean waters and handsome sunsets. Colorful houses elevated on lush green hills and our sprawling resorts made me feel nothing less than blissful upon arrival. But the irony to me was in the fact that the island seems to only be paradise for the visitor, not the resident.
After speaking with various locals, the steadily decreasing economy -- much like here in the US -- has taken a considerable toll on St. Maarten residents. With gas at around $5.80 a gallon and numerous homeless islanders roaming the streets alongside homeless animals, it doesn't take much to notice the poverty level of the island -- but, of course, the visitor is conveniently distracted by the tropical breeze.
After first pondering the irony of my "vacation" I tried superficially inject the question into my mind of how can anybody be miserable in such a beautiful place? But the reality is that the majority of destinations that serve as utopian getaways for the middle and upper class of another land are drowning in issues of poverty, crime, and misfortune.
Don't get me wrong -- I thoroughly enjoyed my trip where I spent my 21st birthday. A trip parasailing showed me the true depth of the physical beauty of the island that left me in awe. But for the remainder of my trip, despite my best efforts to just relax and enjoy myself, inevitable guilt continued to creep into my physque as I laid sipping pina coladas and enjoying the high life in what should be somebody's else's paradise.
Perhaps I'm crazy and should just accept that this is the way of the world. Or, as I can hope, maybe there's somebody out there from another country with a similar secret overly active social conscience who feels tinges of guilt as they walk past homeless men on their way to a Broadway Show in New York City. Someone's arcadia is always someone else's abyss.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
A Media Love Affair
This video gave me a good laugh this morning. Americans can't stop talking about Obama and his...gray hair??
It goes to show how much scrutiny is involved in this campaign. The fact that on his 47th birthday people are actually speculating whether he is dying his hair gray on purpose to make himself look older and wiser was pretty hilarious to me. What do people expect- after months upon months of fighting in one of the most grueling democratic candidacy races in recent history, and now on to the race for presidency- that's enough to age anybody.
Even when your competitor is a 71-year-old man. John McCain sure has been making an attempt to give Obama a few more grays recently, with his campaign taking a negative turn- although his camp has stated that they do not see the recent ads as negative but rather "entertaining." But I mean, really, comparing him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Personally, I'm not entertained in the least.
McCain's recent statements about the amount of media attention that's been given to Obama honestly sounds like whining. McCain wrote in an e-mail message to campaign supporters: "It's pretty obvious that the media has a bizarre fascination with Barack Obama. Some may even say it's a love affair." Um, sound like a 2-year-old jealousy tantrum to anyone else? I guess somebody's upset about the fact that people are paying more attention to Obama's gray hairs and not his.
Perhaps I'm a bit less sensitive to McCain's feelings about media attention on Obama because in the midst of all this hoopla, he declined invitations to appear at the UNITY Journalism Conference twice because of "scheduling conflicts." An event featured at a conference full of minority journalists that was broadcast live on CNN, a highly respected media outlet. In other words, the perfect opportunity to be in some of the so-called media spotlight he feels he is never granted and only his competitor is receiving, but he couldn't find the time in his schedule between working on the media-loves-Obama-ads to appear. Hmmm.
Beyond my personal political views or who I plan to vote for, this turn in the campaign worries me because it reflects the quality of one of the presidential candidates as a person. I sincerely hope that McCain's campaign doesn't continue down this route because inevitably it will become sleazy- and during a time when this country desperately needs change, a sleazy presidential race is the last thing any American wants to witness.
It goes to show how much scrutiny is involved in this campaign. The fact that on his 47th birthday people are actually speculating whether he is dying his hair gray on purpose to make himself look older and wiser was pretty hilarious to me. What do people expect- after months upon months of fighting in one of the most grueling democratic candidacy races in recent history, and now on to the race for presidency- that's enough to age anybody.
Even when your competitor is a 71-year-old man. John McCain sure has been making an attempt to give Obama a few more grays recently, with his campaign taking a negative turn- although his camp has stated that they do not see the recent ads as negative but rather "entertaining." But I mean, really, comparing him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? Personally, I'm not entertained in the least.
McCain's recent statements about the amount of media attention that's been given to Obama honestly sounds like whining. McCain wrote in an e-mail message to campaign supporters: "It's pretty obvious that the media has a bizarre fascination with Barack Obama. Some may even say it's a love affair." Um, sound like a 2-year-old jealousy tantrum to anyone else? I guess somebody's upset about the fact that people are paying more attention to Obama's gray hairs and not his.
Perhaps I'm a bit less sensitive to McCain's feelings about media attention on Obama because in the midst of all this hoopla, he declined invitations to appear at the UNITY Journalism Conference twice because of "scheduling conflicts." An event featured at a conference full of minority journalists that was broadcast live on CNN, a highly respected media outlet. In other words, the perfect opportunity to be in some of the so-called media spotlight he feels he is never granted and only his competitor is receiving, but he couldn't find the time in his schedule between working on the media-loves-Obama-ads to appear. Hmmm.
Beyond my personal political views or who I plan to vote for, this turn in the campaign worries me because it reflects the quality of one of the presidential candidates as a person. I sincerely hope that McCain's campaign doesn't continue down this route because inevitably it will become sleazy- and during a time when this country desperately needs change, a sleazy presidential race is the last thing any American wants to witness.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Million Dollar Babies
When I walked into the local grocery store today scanning the magazine section to see which of my usual picks I hadn't already picked up, I couldn't help but to shake my head. I realized that the American people have a serious problem, a problem we need help with. And no, it's not the impending deficit and the horrible economy, but it's a serious problem along the psychological level.
America is obsessed with celebrities' babies.
Now, don't get me wrong. This is nothing new- people have always loved to see the little darlings that the celebrities we've watched and grown up with pop out. And I'll be the first to admit that I ooh'ed and ahh'ed at People Magazine's first photos of J.Lo and Marc Anthony's twins. But seeing today that the main headlines of every major magazine and even many newspapers are consumed by Jamie Lynn Spear's baby, the birth of Brad and Angelina's twins, and Mathew McConaughey's newborn, I realized the problem is getting increasingly worse.
The first place that people point their fingers at is the media. Now, on the one hand, of course some of the blame should be placed there. Halle Berry had every right to be outraged at paparazzi going to unnecessary lengths (taking pictures through trees of her, her mother and her daughter in her private backyard) to obtain the first pictures of baby Nahla. The actress even acknowledged the fact that she has to accept media attention as a public figure, but her daughter is not a public figure and she plans to do whatever she can to keep her out of the public eye.
So, of course, the paparazzi have once again gone too far and intruded on somebody's life on a level that was crossing the line. What people seem to forget, however, is that the blame cannot be entirely placed on the media. These magazines are businesses, and in order to stay afloat in an industry that is in crisis, they must write about and publish pictures of what is going to sell. So when People or OK! Magazines spend millions of dollars on the first pictures of Jane Doe's baby, it's not because they are malicious entities that want to expose and ruin the lives of celebrity children. It's because that's what the American people have proven they want to see and will spend money on.
Perhaps it's because the gas prices are so high that people don't even want to drive their cars anywhere so they choose to sit at home instead and gush over the adorable babies of the stars. Babies have a way of cheering people up, of making them smile- something people surely need when the economic state of their country is plummeting by the minute.
But when does it get out of control? When the pregnancy of a 16-year-old Disney channel star is glamorized? When paparazzi completely invade the privacy of a mother and grandmother who are trying to enjoy an afternoon in their own backyard? How about when the headlines go as far as to label the life of a 2-year-old who can barely speak as "lonely?"
So the clear diagnosis is that America does, in fact, have a serious problem. But the question that remains is how do we treat it? What can be prescribed to put on the covers to cure the obsession relieve these innocent children of the media frenzy? Obviously putting something of more depth on these covers is out of the question, because if the readers of US Weekly and OK! wanted to read something a little deeper, they'd be picking up Time or Newsweek instead.
So, the answer is WE NEED MORE SCANDAL! Bring on the A-Rod/Madonna love affairs so we can leave the $3 million dollar babies behind. Now that's a dignified read.
America is obsessed with celebrities' babies.
Now, don't get me wrong. This is nothing new- people have always loved to see the little darlings that the celebrities we've watched and grown up with pop out. And I'll be the first to admit that I ooh'ed and ahh'ed at People Magazine's first photos of J.Lo and Marc Anthony's twins. But seeing today that the main headlines of every major magazine and even many newspapers are consumed by Jamie Lynn Spear's baby, the birth of Brad and Angelina's twins, and Mathew McConaughey's newborn, I realized the problem is getting increasingly worse.
The first place that people point their fingers at is the media. Now, on the one hand, of course some of the blame should be placed there. Halle Berry had every right to be outraged at paparazzi going to unnecessary lengths (taking pictures through trees of her, her mother and her daughter in her private backyard) to obtain the first pictures of baby Nahla. The actress even acknowledged the fact that she has to accept media attention as a public figure, but her daughter is not a public figure and she plans to do whatever she can to keep her out of the public eye.
So, of course, the paparazzi have once again gone too far and intruded on somebody's life on a level that was crossing the line. What people seem to forget, however, is that the blame cannot be entirely placed on the media. These magazines are businesses, and in order to stay afloat in an industry that is in crisis, they must write about and publish pictures of what is going to sell. So when People or OK! Magazines spend millions of dollars on the first pictures of Jane Doe's baby, it's not because they are malicious entities that want to expose and ruin the lives of celebrity children. It's because that's what the American people have proven they want to see and will spend money on.
Perhaps it's because the gas prices are so high that people don't even want to drive their cars anywhere so they choose to sit at home instead and gush over the adorable babies of the stars. Babies have a way of cheering people up, of making them smile- something people surely need when the economic state of their country is plummeting by the minute.
But when does it get out of control? When the pregnancy of a 16-year-old Disney channel star is glamorized? When paparazzi completely invade the privacy of a mother and grandmother who are trying to enjoy an afternoon in their own backyard? How about when the headlines go as far as to label the life of a 2-year-old who can barely speak as "lonely?"
So the clear diagnosis is that America does, in fact, have a serious problem. But the question that remains is how do we treat it? What can be prescribed to put on the covers to cure the obsession relieve these innocent children of the media frenzy? Obviously putting something of more depth on these covers is out of the question, because if the readers of US Weekly and OK! wanted to read something a little deeper, they'd be picking up Time or Newsweek instead.
So, the answer is WE NEED MORE SCANDAL! Bring on the A-Rod/Madonna love affairs so we can leave the $3 million dollar babies behind. Now that's a dignified read.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Where Will All The Newspapers Go?
After a weekend in the Windy City at the UNITY Journalism Conference I discovered that I'm not alone. I'm not alone in still holding on to the hope that as journalists we really can change the world, and that the power of the printed word actually does make a difference.
Yet while I'm not alone, all these journalists (including myself) who still hold on to the romantic idea of newspapers and coffee on a Sunday morning have had to wrap their brains around one word: digital. I've had to erase the image out of my head of people around the country reading my work on the cover of a black and white newspaper and replace it with the image of thousands of readers clicking on the podcast that accompanies my article on the main website of a large publication.
While that image doesn't exactly coincide with what I'd always imagined my future work as a journalist would be, the thought of digital change in the world of journalism is actually exciting. I myself am a victim of the digital world, as a blogger, serial text-messager and faithful reader of CNN.com. So in actuality, the print and broadcast world becoming internet based coincides with my lifestyle. As I head towards a career I can apply the skills I already use in my everyday life towards my professional skills.
What's truly troubling, however, about this move into a digital world is where will all the newspapers go? And, an even more troubling question from a journalist's perspective, where will all the reporters go? According to www.disassociated.com, as of July 7th more than 6,000 journalists have been laid off in the past year, a staggering number that has continued to increase each week since.
The phenomenon that is occurring at these publications is the older, more seasoned newspaper veterans that don't have as much digital knowledge are being laid-off and replaced with younger reporters like myself who already know how to accompany their story with an innovative and creative video complete with special effects. While of course my own professional self-interest comes first and foremost, a large part of me is saddened at the thought of the talented journalists whose work once inspired me to enter the field now laid-off trying to find freelance work anywhere they can. As someone who truly cares about the power of the word, it is truly disheartening to think of all the powerful words lost because of these layoffs and cutbacks.
So if I want a place in this new world of digital media, it's goodbye old world, hello new age. In my job search during my dwindling months as a college student, the objective will be to market myself as a tech-savvy, digitally capable journalist who is flexible in this age of change and knows how to edit, shoot, podcast and blog. I'll save the newspapers for my Sunday mornings.
Now, let me finish reading this article on CNN.com about the projected $490 billion deficit for 2009...
Yet while I'm not alone, all these journalists (including myself) who still hold on to the romantic idea of newspapers and coffee on a Sunday morning have had to wrap their brains around one word: digital. I've had to erase the image out of my head of people around the country reading my work on the cover of a black and white newspaper and replace it with the image of thousands of readers clicking on the podcast that accompanies my article on the main website of a large publication.
While that image doesn't exactly coincide with what I'd always imagined my future work as a journalist would be, the thought of digital change in the world of journalism is actually exciting. I myself am a victim of the digital world, as a blogger, serial text-messager and faithful reader of CNN.com. So in actuality, the print and broadcast world becoming internet based coincides with my lifestyle. As I head towards a career I can apply the skills I already use in my everyday life towards my professional skills.
What's truly troubling, however, about this move into a digital world is where will all the newspapers go? And, an even more troubling question from a journalist's perspective, where will all the reporters go? According to www.disassociated.com, as of July 7th more than 6,000 journalists have been laid off in the past year, a staggering number that has continued to increase each week since.
The phenomenon that is occurring at these publications is the older, more seasoned newspaper veterans that don't have as much digital knowledge are being laid-off and replaced with younger reporters like myself who already know how to accompany their story with an innovative and creative video complete with special effects. While of course my own professional self-interest comes first and foremost, a large part of me is saddened at the thought of the talented journalists whose work once inspired me to enter the field now laid-off trying to find freelance work anywhere they can. As someone who truly cares about the power of the word, it is truly disheartening to think of all the powerful words lost because of these layoffs and cutbacks.
So if I want a place in this new world of digital media, it's goodbye old world, hello new age. In my job search during my dwindling months as a college student, the objective will be to market myself as a tech-savvy, digitally capable journalist who is flexible in this age of change and knows how to edit, shoot, podcast and blog. I'll save the newspapers for my Sunday mornings.
Now, let me finish reading this article on CNN.com about the projected $490 billion deficit for 2009...
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