I graduate today. And then I'm not in school. Nothing much has changed to my plan, still going to come back and continue my internship, still looking forward to a life free of looming deadlines. But that's not really what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is the expectation of walking that stage.
It's a pretty big dream, growing up. Walking up those stairs to look at a multitude of important people. You walk, one foot in front of the other, and the biggest cognition filling your mind is "God I hope I don't trip,". because really, that's what we all fear most. People talk in hushed whispers about the guy a friend saw at another guy's graduation who fell on his face in front of everyone. I don't want to be him. So I'm going to concentrate so much on not tripping on my own feet that I imagine it's going to resemble a duck.
Then of course you have to run the gamut of choreographed handshakes, handoffs, and more handshakes. It's the Dean. stop, pose for the pic shaking his hand while simultaneously taking your diploma (cover), but crisscross, because he wants to shake your right hand, and hand it off to your left. Then you've got to whisk by him, pay give a quick hello to Lynda, and then be on your way down the stairs. Only then, with that less fear fading, do I think it's going to seem real.
And why is the Dean the one who is going to give me my diploma (cover)? It seems to me that Lynda should be giving me that $60,000 diploma (cover), sense I've interacted with her on nearly a daily basis. What has the Dean ever done for me? I don't remember him teaching any classes, or showing me anything in a lab. Ever. Still, I suppose traditions are around for a reason, even if we don't know them.
I'll have to be disappointed about my fans, too. Half of my family decided not to show up. Oh, the immediate family is here, but the supposedly tight knight side of my father's family were suddenly too busy to come to Missouri. I should still have an impressive cheering section though. Look for the giant crowd of people. That's them.
Well, that's about it. I'm off now to finish a few things. Time stops for no man. If you're at the graduation ceremony, look for me. I'm the one in the cap and gown.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The project that never ended
I was hoping that after the big presentation, this capstone project would just suddenly stop happening. I was wrong. It limps on, in a noble fashion, thought it knows it's finished. There's a proposal meeting on Monday, which I'm not sure the format of. I don't know if we'll be standing giving a formal presentation, or if we're just going to have a dialogue with professors. Also, Kathryn Reed is looking for us. I understand she wants some sort of private session where she can pick our brains and see how much we might have to offer the Missourian in terms mobile journalism. It just seems to me like I can't ever be done with this.
The brown bag went well, though. 5 minutes late, a decent amount of people turned up and we started in on our presentation. I did the worst of everyone, getting flustered and nervous. I would be doing fine, and the look at Clyde Bentley or Kent Collins and see their faces and just start having minor freakouts, because they looked so bored. It helped to then look at Keith Pollite, who maintained a smile on his face for the entire presentation.
Anyhow, I'll be glad to wash my hands of this and just be over. I'll admit that the last bit of this class has been interesting, translating the work into useful information and giving it to others. It's much more up my alley than the first bit was (well, except maybe for the writing parts). I'm a bit upset I suppose over the fact that we (as a team) feel like we didn't necessarily receive all that much help from Will, and yet he's the one with the name in bold across the top of the page, with the notoriety in the journalism circles. Our work has become "Will's project", when we felt all along like it was definitely our project. In fact, our names are so small and out of the way that it takes a couple minutes to find it anywhere.
But, it's not worth worrying about.
The brown bag went well, though. 5 minutes late, a decent amount of people turned up and we started in on our presentation. I did the worst of everyone, getting flustered and nervous. I would be doing fine, and the look at Clyde Bentley or Kent Collins and see their faces and just start having minor freakouts, because they looked so bored. It helped to then look at Keith Pollite, who maintained a smile on his face for the entire presentation.
Anyhow, I'll be glad to wash my hands of this and just be over. I'll admit that the last bit of this class has been interesting, translating the work into useful information and giving it to others. It's much more up my alley than the first bit was (well, except maybe for the writing parts). I'm a bit upset I suppose over the fact that we (as a team) feel like we didn't necessarily receive all that much help from Will, and yet he's the one with the name in bold across the top of the page, with the notoriety in the journalism circles. Our work has become "Will's project", when we felt all along like it was definitely our project. In fact, our names are so small and out of the way that it takes a couple minutes to find it anywhere.
But, it's not worth worrying about.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Ending leads to Beginning
My student career is coming to a close. The end of an era, in some ways. I can't remember a time when I wasn't in school. Maybe it will be like the matrix, when Neo wakes up. I'll pull a big cord out of my gastrointestinal system, get flushed down a huge pipe, be caught up in a blockbuster, graphically groundbreaking movie. Or, maybe none of that will happen.
Barring allusions to an early 2000s runaway hit movie, my plan is actually not to go anywhere. I'm simply going to transition from school, work and internship to internship and work. No school. Although maybe I'll pop in here and there to help out around the place. It's just become so evident to me how much I don't want to be a journalist. Photographer yes, journalist no. I don't want to rely on some person to give a note to their boss saying I need to talk to them. I can't live my life that way.
But that's alright, because I've got a good thing going with Study Abroad. I've got my internship set up, and John, and there is een the possibility (though unlikely) that I could get paid minimum wage. I'm going to get a job, pay for my own groceries, gas, rent and utilities, and generally be self-sufficient. Another first in my lifetime.
Either way, I'm choosing not to see that stage as a gallows. I'm going to walk across it. I'm going to shake the Dean's hand. I'm going to receive a case that does not contain a diploma, but is instead a symbol that I'll be getting one in the near future. Then I'm going to walk down the stairs at the other end, right into the the rabbit hole. And I'm going to see how far it goes.
Barring allusions to an early 2000s runaway hit movie, my plan is actually not to go anywhere. I'm simply going to transition from school, work and internship to internship and work. No school. Although maybe I'll pop in here and there to help out around the place. It's just become so evident to me how much I don't want to be a journalist. Photographer yes, journalist no. I don't want to rely on some person to give a note to their boss saying I need to talk to them. I can't live my life that way.
But that's alright, because I've got a good thing going with Study Abroad. I've got my internship set up, and John, and there is een the possibility (though unlikely) that I could get paid minimum wage. I'm going to get a job, pay for my own groceries, gas, rent and utilities, and generally be self-sufficient. Another first in my lifetime.
Either way, I'm choosing not to see that stage as a gallows. I'm going to walk across it. I'm going to shake the Dean's hand. I'm going to receive a case that does not contain a diploma, but is instead a symbol that I'll be getting one in the near future. Then I'm going to walk down the stairs at the other end, right into the the rabbit hole. And I'm going to see how far it goes.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Month of Mobile Journalism pt. 4
The Juice Bar Solar Charger holds a ton of power, holds it for a long time, and gives it out quickly. However, for all the good that it does, there are some negatives that go along with this particular charger that make me wary to suggest it to anyone.
Like several other external batteries we’ve tested, the Juice Bar charges via USB cord. It’s not a quick charge, but it’s not entirely too slow. Just don’t expect to have a full battery in an hour or two. You’ll need probably 4 hours of solid charging to get every bit out of this thing, which can be a long time to drain your computer, if that’s what you’re connecting to for charging purposes. It also has a solar panel on the top of the device. Like every other solar charger, it’s slow. However, it’s another way to charge, and it does make the power you put into your mobile device last longer, if you’re using your phone in sunlight.
Once it’s fully charged, however, the battery will keep filling up your phone for well over two hours of use. When I used it, my phone sat idle for only a few minutes, and it still took my iPhone from 20% battery to full.
Now we get into the drawbacks. Like many other devices we’ve tested, this is an external battery that has to be toted along with the mobile device. It’s attached via cable, giving you a little more leeway, but your phone is still tethered to the Juice Bar. Luckily, it’s slim and lightweight, otherwise this would be a serious issue. However, this isn’t my biggest problem with the Juice Bar. This battery, when it’s being used, gets hot. I’m not talking like, put it in your gloves in the winter to keep your hands warm hot, I’m talking painful to keep your skin on it hot. Which means you’ve got to be careful where you put it while using it. You can’t leave it on something vulnerable to heat, and you definitely don’t want to have it in your pocket where you might accidentally put your hand only to get a little bit of a shock. Trust me on that one.
In all, this battery isn’t bad. If you can figure out a way to insulate the battery so you don’t burn yourself and also a way to charge while still being able to effectively use your phone (because of the connection), then this battery is great. Having a solar panel to accentuate your charging capabilities and expand the category of areas where you can use this device is also a bonus. But I feel like there are better choices for you to purchase.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Month of Mobile Journalism pt. 3
The SmartLens 2 in 1 lens is a fun little gimmick of a device. It probably works better with a 4G or droid, where the curve of the phone doesn’t interfere with the camera. On a 3G, though, it actually worked surprisingly well for me.
The only real negative to using this lens is that you’re going to have to apply a magnetic ring to the back of your phone using the adhesive already on the ring. I haven’t attempted to take it off, yet, because I don’t know that the glue is sticky enough to put it back on, and the lens only comes with one ring. Moral of the story is, attach it to something you want to use long-term.
After that, you don’t have to worry about the lens NOT working, which is maybe not a great way to look at it. I didn’t notice a huge improvement in quality by using it, but at the same time, it didn’t hurt. It doesn’t bend the picture like the wider angle on the Bubo does, and the macro lens is decent. Sometimes it won’t work, and it’ll just be fuzzy, but if you can get close enough (often nearly touching) then you might be able to get some cool details.
The best part is, this thing is incredibly easy to put on and take off. So, attach the magnetic ring, put the lens in your pocket, and head out.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Month of Mobile Journalism pt. 2
Hipstamatic is my personal least favorite application, which is odd because as far as features for photography (NOT editing) go, versatile barely describes it. Part of the reason I’m so negative is because it takes a lot of getting used to, you really can’t jump into it and go. Also, it comes with a pretty bare shelf of features for the money you invested in the application’s purchase. How do I get more features, you ask? A dollar at a time, I say.
Open the app and it may take you a moment to orient yourself. You can click the flash to activate the camera’s “flash”, and it will make the charging noise and take a moment to get set (you can shoot while it charges, the charge is just for aesthetic appearance). The slat on the left will tell you what film you’re using, and you can view your pictures buy tapping on the bottom left.
To get into the meat of this thing, hit the arrow in the bottom right corner. If you’re a photographer, it’ll take you a moment to realize you’re in familiar territory. If you’re not, make sure you play with this application for several minutes to figure it out. You can select different films, and by tapping the film you can see the effect it will have. Same for flashes, and then for lenses. Want more choices? Go buy them, cause they don’t come free. On this screen, you can also change the quality of your pictures by adjusting the lever in the center of the main screen. Once you’ve mixed and matched to take the desired style of picture (good luck if you don’t have any training, here), go back to the camera taking screen and get after it.
Hipstamatic looks the best. It does. It’s got this old timey, film and dark room feel to it, and in theory having the ability to choose all the aspects of your picture taking process would be awesome. And if you know what you’re doing and have experience with these tools, then I would imagine it’s intriguing. But it’s just too complicated for a lot of journalists to take this into the field without any experience using it. You’re not going to get an image you can use for news, most likely, because all the “equipment” it comes with will cause all different tints. And even though it’s only a dollar each, to spend the money to figure out what does and does not work costs too much cash and time.
There are two details about this program I DID really like. Your photos can be grouped into “stacks” for easy organization. Not a big deal, but it’s often overlooked in photo programs, and it’s something that makes life easier. Second, Hipstamatic hosts contests, and you can submit your photos to these contests. Not something you would normally do while out in the field, but I’m sure photographers would enjoy the ability to submit their work. I can see this particular feature carrying this application, especially if photographers and Synthetic Corp. (makers of Hipstamatic) take it seriously.
Simply put, Hipstamatic is a cool idea, and has a lot to offer to the feature writers and artists of this world who know how to work a camera. If you don’t fit that criteria, steer clear.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Month of Mobile Journalism pt. 1
CameraBag is an extremely easy to use photo application for the iPhone. It uses the built-in camera on the phone to take pictures, so you don’t need any extra equipment (although lenses and flashes wouldn’t hurt), and it’s pretty cheap to buy.
The specialty of this application is to put filters on the pictures you take. There are several different ones, although some, like color cross, I can’t see anybody using for professional reasons, and others look very much the same. But there are enough different, useful filters that this application deserves a download and a look.
CameraBag doesn’t require that you use the application to take the pictures, and in fact the application works better if you just take the pictures and put them on your camera roll. If you have it open when you’re shooting, each picture will open on the camera, and before you take another, you will have to click on the phone to open our camera back up. Instead, you can go out and take your pictures, then upload them to CameraBag.
Either way, once you have your picture, it’s a simple process of flicking the screen from side to side to see which filter works best for what you’re using. Helga has ended up being my favorite, but really the story would warrant the filter, if you use one at all. Once you’ve chosen, you just have to tap the save button and your picture will be saved to your camera roll, so that you can text, email or upload it like any other picture you take.
In all, the application is a pretty neat little deal. It’s certainly something you wouldn’t use every time you go into the field, but if you were working on a story that was a bit more featurey than normal, I could certainly see it coming in handy. If you do use it, it’s simple and quick, and getting the pictures off your phone is virtually effortless.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Month of October becomes unbearable
Hello everyone. I know I originally said that I was going to use this blog to talk about my education abroad internship and experience. And I want to. The truth of the matter, though, is that I severely underestimated this semester in terms of workload and time consumption. As such, I'm going to have to devote the majority of my time next month to working on my capstone project so that I can graduate. That's not to say that I'm not going to be continuing with my internship, I am, but it's going to be in a mitigated role. It will consist more of sitting in on advisement appointments and helping the guys organize the students by making spreadsheets for them, because that's really all I have time for.
In that light, I thought it might be interesting for some of you to see what all I'm doing with my Mobile Journalism Tools capstone project. Essentially, we're testing out tons of equipment, writing reviews for them, and them putting them online. Each week I'll be posting a review I've done, so that you can get a feel for how we do it here at Mizzou. I'm going to call it Month of Mobile Journalism. I hope that you enjoy!
As far as the internship is concerned, I'm learning lots. There's just so much to wrap my head around, and it seems like they work at 100 miles an hour every second of every day. Still, they laugh a lot, and the atmosphere is light, so I can't complain really. Just looking forward to helping out with some of the big orientations. I feel like that's going to be the most useful. I wish I could go to NAFSA this year, but I doubt I could swing missing three days of school for an education abroad conference. Sad days. Still haven't told the parents really about my future change of plans. I'm sure that's going to be a fun conversation.
Yay, glad I'm thinking about that now...
In that light, I thought it might be interesting for some of you to see what all I'm doing with my Mobile Journalism Tools capstone project. Essentially, we're testing out tons of equipment, writing reviews for them, and them putting them online. Each week I'll be posting a review I've done, so that you can get a feel for how we do it here at Mizzou. I'm going to call it Month of Mobile Journalism. I hope that you enjoy!
As far as the internship is concerned, I'm learning lots. There's just so much to wrap my head around, and it seems like they work at 100 miles an hour every second of every day. Still, they laugh a lot, and the atmosphere is light, so I can't complain really. Just looking forward to helping out with some of the big orientations. I feel like that's going to be the most useful. I wish I could go to NAFSA this year, but I doubt I could swing missing three days of school for an education abroad conference. Sad days. Still haven't told the parents really about my future change of plans. I'm sure that's going to be a fun conversation.
Yay, glad I'm thinking about that now...
Monday, October 25, 2010
Internship heats up
Things are really starting to get interesting. I'm noticing more and more how much they need me over there in that office. It's not that I'm just doing menial labor, like they can't think of anything for me to do, so they just set me to a random task. This is stuff they would have to be doing, and frankly, I'm not sure when they would find time to do it. No, I'm taking a lot of heat off of them.
But that's not the interesting part. I contacted the ISC to discuss the Health and Safety Orientation, and I discovered that they would rather just pass the materials to me and let me go. So I'm going to be giving this presentation mostly on my own. It's a little bit nerve-wracking, because this is a pretty important orientation, but it's also very, very exciting. I'm taking the lead on this, and nobody seems to doubt or mind that I'm going after it. I just hope that I'll be able to manage it.
Something that's been on my mind, and I've suddenly started discussing it with other people. I think I may stay an extra semester. John and Kip have told me that they will continue letting me work with them. And I could work full time to put some money in my bank for when I do go. But I DO need to go. I don't enjoy pushing this date back, because a little part of me is afraid that now, it's going to keep getting pushed, but I have to believe I'm going to go. If I don't, I know in 20 years it will be the single greatest regret of my life.
But that's not the interesting part. I contacted the ISC to discuss the Health and Safety Orientation, and I discovered that they would rather just pass the materials to me and let me go. So I'm going to be giving this presentation mostly on my own. It's a little bit nerve-wracking, because this is a pretty important orientation, but it's also very, very exciting. I'm taking the lead on this, and nobody seems to doubt or mind that I'm going after it. I just hope that I'll be able to manage it.
Something that's been on my mind, and I've suddenly started discussing it with other people. I think I may stay an extra semester. John and Kip have told me that they will continue letting me work with them. And I could work full time to put some money in my bank for when I do go. But I DO need to go. I don't enjoy pushing this date back, because a little part of me is afraid that now, it's going to keep getting pushed, but I have to believe I'm going to go. If I don't, I know in 20 years it will be the single greatest regret of my life.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Parent Visits
Not much on the internship front this week again (I'm promised that things get more interesting next week) so I'm going to blog about something else instead. Parent's Weekend!
It's a little bit of a tradition for my parents to come visit me on Parent's Weekend. I know that usually it's just the freshmen that have anyone come visit them, but it also has to be said that most students here get the opportunity to go home more than twice a semester. There have been some semesters where I only had the chance to go home once. So this is their chance to get out of the city for a weekend and see me.
Lame as it may be, I quite enjoy it when they come up. We always go out to eat as soon as they get here, we always go to the comedian the school has lined up. And we always go to the football game, which is always a blow-out over a no name school (although Miami-Ohio is slightly more memorable than some past games).
This year, my aunt and older brother traveled with them (it was the first time my brother had ever been up here) and my cousin and her two kids came over to see me as well for the game and dinner afterword. It was, in a word, lovely. And it made me remember why I live such a charmed life.
My family is amazing. There are over 50 family members (that I can name and see at least somewhat regularly) who live within 20-30 minutes of my house in Dallas (with the exception of my grandma, aunt and cousin, who live 2 hours away in East Texas). We're all very tight, we have massive family game nights, we look out for each others' kids, we have big garage sales, we help each other move in to new houses. It's something I've always missed since I moved to Missouri. It's quite difficult to leave such a tight-knit community and travel "afar". But looking from the outside, I've seen what I had. The best thing I can compare it to is realizing I loved my home state. It was only after I got to Missouri I realized Texas was the best state in the Union (I may be a bit biased).
And, with the realization that it's still such a heavy toll to live so far away comes another, more grievous one. I'm planning on moving to New Zealand in less than a year. Probably about half a year. There aren't any spring and summer breaks in the real world. There won't be any going home to visit. It's going to be one of the harder things I think I'll ever have to do in my entire life, to live so far away from that connection for so long. Skype is a wonderful tool, but it's still artificial, and I doubt that anyone can disagree with me when I say that face to face contact contains so much more in the way of communication and emotion.
When I leave, I'll be opening a gulf between myself and my family. Not one of anger or dissapointment, but literally a gulf. Of all the things weighing on my mind about my decision, that is the greatest. And it's the one I'm the least decided on. Good thing I have all the time in the world to work it out...
It's a little bit of a tradition for my parents to come visit me on Parent's Weekend. I know that usually it's just the freshmen that have anyone come visit them, but it also has to be said that most students here get the opportunity to go home more than twice a semester. There have been some semesters where I only had the chance to go home once. So this is their chance to get out of the city for a weekend and see me.
Lame as it may be, I quite enjoy it when they come up. We always go out to eat as soon as they get here, we always go to the comedian the school has lined up. And we always go to the football game, which is always a blow-out over a no name school (although Miami-Ohio is slightly more memorable than some past games).
This year, my aunt and older brother traveled with them (it was the first time my brother had ever been up here) and my cousin and her two kids came over to see me as well for the game and dinner afterword. It was, in a word, lovely. And it made me remember why I live such a charmed life.
My family is amazing. There are over 50 family members (that I can name and see at least somewhat regularly) who live within 20-30 minutes of my house in Dallas (with the exception of my grandma, aunt and cousin, who live 2 hours away in East Texas). We're all very tight, we have massive family game nights, we look out for each others' kids, we have big garage sales, we help each other move in to new houses. It's something I've always missed since I moved to Missouri. It's quite difficult to leave such a tight-knit community and travel "afar". But looking from the outside, I've seen what I had. The best thing I can compare it to is realizing I loved my home state. It was only after I got to Missouri I realized Texas was the best state in the Union (I may be a bit biased).
And, with the realization that it's still such a heavy toll to live so far away comes another, more grievous one. I'm planning on moving to New Zealand in less than a year. Probably about half a year. There aren't any spring and summer breaks in the real world. There won't be any going home to visit. It's going to be one of the harder things I think I'll ever have to do in my entire life, to live so far away from that connection for so long. Skype is a wonderful tool, but it's still artificial, and I doubt that anyone can disagree with me when I say that face to face contact contains so much more in the way of communication and emotion.
When I leave, I'll be opening a gulf between myself and my family. Not one of anger or dissapointment, but literally a gulf. Of all the things weighing on my mind about my decision, that is the greatest. And it's the one I'm the least decided on. Good thing I have all the time in the world to work it out...
Friday, September 17, 2010
reality
I'm going to take a little break from writing about my internship to discuss something somewhat related.
I've been working two jobs this semester, and I worked over the summer. The point of adding these hours of work is to build enough capital that I can present the New Zealand government with bank statements that prove I have the capability to support myself when I come overseas. From talking to the embassy, I was given the impression I would need about 4,200 dollars.
Four weeks into the semester, I'm actually on track to be close. Luckily for me, my birthday is in late November, I'm graduating in December, and I have a very large, fairly generous family, which means that I'll be getting one last big monetary push. All of this amounts to the fact that I think I can actually accomplish the impossible, which is to build enough money to go overseas.
I think until now, telling everyone I'm moving back to New Zealand was more of just a case of telling people something enough times that I actually started to believe it too. But it seemed like there were so any obstacles that, if I took the time to really think about it, I didn't honestly believe it. Here I am now, though, set to graduate, with a real opportunity to go, and enough money to do it. Which means I actually have to make a choice.
I could stay in Columbia, which would mean I wouldn't have to find a subleaser for the spring semester. I could continue working the TA lab, and get about 20 hours a week, plus work one or two other jobs. My parents would continue paying for the apartment until the end of that semester, and I could continue my internship for another semester. And on paper, that probably looks like the better way to go.
But on the other hand, I could go now. I could go, and I could really reach for the stars. If everything works out, then I make my parents spend less money, and I get to the end goal faster than before. But that course of action has a far greater risk, which is that i don't get a permanent job, I get shipped back tothe US, and I'm stuck here.
So what do I do, take the safe route, or really shoot for the moon...
I've been working two jobs this semester, and I worked over the summer. The point of adding these hours of work is to build enough capital that I can present the New Zealand government with bank statements that prove I have the capability to support myself when I come overseas. From talking to the embassy, I was given the impression I would need about 4,200 dollars.
Four weeks into the semester, I'm actually on track to be close. Luckily for me, my birthday is in late November, I'm graduating in December, and I have a very large, fairly generous family, which means that I'll be getting one last big monetary push. All of this amounts to the fact that I think I can actually accomplish the impossible, which is to build enough money to go overseas.
I think until now, telling everyone I'm moving back to New Zealand was more of just a case of telling people something enough times that I actually started to believe it too. But it seemed like there were so any obstacles that, if I took the time to really think about it, I didn't honestly believe it. Here I am now, though, set to graduate, with a real opportunity to go, and enough money to do it. Which means I actually have to make a choice.
I could stay in Columbia, which would mean I wouldn't have to find a subleaser for the spring semester. I could continue working the TA lab, and get about 20 hours a week, plus work one or two other jobs. My parents would continue paying for the apartment until the end of that semester, and I could continue my internship for another semester. And on paper, that probably looks like the better way to go.
But on the other hand, I could go now. I could go, and I could really reach for the stars. If everything works out, then I make my parents spend less money, and I get to the end goal faster than before. But that course of action has a far greater risk, which is that i don't get a permanent job, I get shipped back tothe US, and I'm stuck here.
So what do I do, take the safe route, or really shoot for the moon...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Networking
I've spoken before about the importance of networking for anyone working in education abroad. This past week I had the opportunity to experience it first hand.
A friend I had met while overseas who attends the University of Northern Iowa contacted me to let me know that a teacher we had bother had was at her university. More importantly, he was there promoting Auckland University of Technology.
What's important here is that he is a well known proponent of both the Maori people as well as a promotional man for AUT. But someho, Mizzou hadn't heard that he was going to be in the US this week. I should have remembered from my own class with him that he does this once a year, but I had flat out forgotten.
Of course I whipped out the trusty iPhone and immediately oppened facebook. No, I didn't call him. No I didn't scramble to find a computer and email him. Instead I facebook messaged him from my mobile phone. I suppose the convergence journalist in me *cough capstone team cough* coming out.
First I contact him telling him I hadn't known he was in the US, but that he should make a trip to Mizzou to give a brown bag lunch. Then I took the idea to my bosses once I'd made contact and proposed the idea to them. Of course they loved it, especially since it's so hard to get people from such a remote place in the world to visit the Midwest. I felt a certain thrill as it started coming together, as the plan formed in my head. This is what this job is all about, and here I am in the thick of it. It was all the ruch of sprinting out on assignment as a journalist without any of that technical stuff like reporting. I suppose as I get better at this job, I'll do more reporting than I am now, researching schools, interviewing possible allies, that sort of thing. But right now, just tasting it, it was a prety fun experience.
Now to sit back and see if he responds and comes here. I suppose it would be a job well done if I manage to bring such a big name to Mizzou.
A friend I had met while overseas who attends the University of Northern Iowa contacted me to let me know that a teacher we had bother had was at her university. More importantly, he was there promoting Auckland University of Technology.
What's important here is that he is a well known proponent of both the Maori people as well as a promotional man for AUT. But someho, Mizzou hadn't heard that he was going to be in the US this week. I should have remembered from my own class with him that he does this once a year, but I had flat out forgotten.
Of course I whipped out the trusty iPhone and immediately oppened facebook. No, I didn't call him. No I didn't scramble to find a computer and email him. Instead I facebook messaged him from my mobile phone. I suppose the convergence journalist in me *cough capstone team cough* coming out.
First I contact him telling him I hadn't known he was in the US, but that he should make a trip to Mizzou to give a brown bag lunch. Then I took the idea to my bosses once I'd made contact and proposed the idea to them. Of course they loved it, especially since it's so hard to get people from such a remote place in the world to visit the Midwest. I felt a certain thrill as it started coming together, as the plan formed in my head. This is what this job is all about, and here I am in the thick of it. It was all the ruch of sprinting out on assignment as a journalist without any of that technical stuff like reporting. I suppose as I get better at this job, I'll do more reporting than I am now, researching schools, interviewing possible allies, that sort of thing. But right now, just tasting it, it was a prety fun experience.
Now to sit back and see if he responds and comes here. I suppose it would be a job well done if I manage to bring such a big name to Mizzou.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Meat and Greet
The week went by unnaturally slowly, and I was called in for all sorts of menial tasks to the Study Abroad Office. I sat in on some advisement, worked out changes to fliers they needed, and now I'm in charge of sussing out a google calendar for the office. They were going to teach me how to fill out Chinese Visa Applications, which would have been a valuable experience, but the program start date hadn't been completely negotiated yet, so that was a no go.
However, I understand that sometimes, things start out slowly. I discovered I will be having actual hours in the office instead of a sort of freelance relationship I had been operating under, which makes me feel better. And talking to John, it appears that we are approaching the part of the "season" where promotion becomes the main priority. I expressed my interest in learning as much as I could about that, because I understand it's the most important part of the job. He promised me I would learn more than enough.
Even knowing all that, the week had been draining and a little bit disheartening. I felt like it was a week of this semester-long internship that hadn't really taught me much about a real world job. I was beginning to wonder why I was even wanting to do this, getting that little niggling voice in the back of my mind, the one that I got about my last career path. And then I went to the study abroad barbecue.
The barbecue today was set up and planned out to allow students from overseas and students who had gone overseas and returned to meet and catch up and just have a free lunch. I turned up with a football, and by the end of the lunch, we had a full game going on. A Bulgarian girl complained too much about us playing touch football because she felt like it limited her from gaining further yardage, and demanded we play tackle football. She was competitive to say the least.
Teaching all these foreign people American football, and telling them about restaurants they need to go to, and having them share their culture with me, it reminded me why I'm doing this. Maybe I'm not flying to Paris to meet the Director of Administrations for some University, maybe I'm not eating lunch with the dean of the journalism school in Australia tomorrow. But I'm making a REAL difference in people's lives, and I'm helping students here go out and have a unique experience. Today helped to cement, at least for the near future, the reality that I am doing something I love, and this is what I want.
However, I understand that sometimes, things start out slowly. I discovered I will be having actual hours in the office instead of a sort of freelance relationship I had been operating under, which makes me feel better. And talking to John, it appears that we are approaching the part of the "season" where promotion becomes the main priority. I expressed my interest in learning as much as I could about that, because I understand it's the most important part of the job. He promised me I would learn more than enough.
Even knowing all that, the week had been draining and a little bit disheartening. I felt like it was a week of this semester-long internship that hadn't really taught me much about a real world job. I was beginning to wonder why I was even wanting to do this, getting that little niggling voice in the back of my mind, the one that I got about my last career path. And then I went to the study abroad barbecue.
The barbecue today was set up and planned out to allow students from overseas and students who had gone overseas and returned to meet and catch up and just have a free lunch. I turned up with a football, and by the end of the lunch, we had a full game going on. A Bulgarian girl complained too much about us playing touch football because she felt like it limited her from gaining further yardage, and demanded we play tackle football. She was competitive to say the least.
Teaching all these foreign people American football, and telling them about restaurants they need to go to, and having them share their culture with me, it reminded me why I'm doing this. Maybe I'm not flying to Paris to meet the Director of Administrations for some University, maybe I'm not eating lunch with the dean of the journalism school in Australia tomorrow. But I'm making a REAL difference in people's lives, and I'm helping students here go out and have a unique experience. Today helped to cement, at least for the near future, the reality that I am doing something I love, and this is what I want.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Walking Down a Different Road
So I've finally quit twiddling my thumbs and hoping my wishes come true and silently pleading for something to happen. I've taken a step, a definite, resounding step, in a direction I know I want to go in. I'm interning now with John to learn all about education abroad. Well, probably not "all about", I do only have a semester after all. But still, it feels good to start something that gives me hope that I'll enjoy life after graduation.
Not quite sure how I'll break it to my parents yet that I'm not exactly actively pursuing the career they spent so much money to help me learn, but I can take a certain amount of solace in the knowledge that it's not really a complete waste. In fact, calling it a minor waste may even be going to far. The more I talk with John and Kip and get a chance to take off my rosy colored glasses and get a real view of the beast that is international admissions and exchange, the more I realize that you very nearly have to BE a journalist if you want your program to thrive.
I have to research where in the market things are heating up, what fields are a hotbed for the program I'm sending students abroad in. I have to know how to col call people and interview them, make partnerships. I have to understand how to sell my bran, how to promote it, how to put the word out. Maybe Strategic Communications would have been more useful, but at least with convergence I know how to present all these things in a fashion that might be more useful in the near future.
At least, I'm telling myself all this is useful. If I'm being honest, I haven't actually done much yet in the way of learning. Aside from getting a feel for what I'm about to undertake. I have been keeping my ears open, something I habitually do because of my major, and I'm getting a feel for the flavor of what this new world will entail. I've worked to bring in students and see what it's like to help people get settled here, but really, that's not the beginning or middle of the job, or necessarily the end. That's the bonus, seeing things come together. What I want to learn is all the nitty-gritty. And I'm optimistic that I will.
Finally I get excited about the work I'll be doing, something that hasn't happened since freshmen year. I'm looking forward to the possibilities that are opening in front of me. Am I giving up everything I already know? No. Perhaps foolishly I keep telling myself that I'll be doing photography on the side, because that's one passion Karen introduced me to that I'm just never willing to give up. But now I can try and find a way to use all these skills that I enjoy and am enthused about, rather than looking ahead and grimacing at the stressful future I see on the horizon.
Education Abroad, get ready for a journalist to take to the streets.
Not quite sure how I'll break it to my parents yet that I'm not exactly actively pursuing the career they spent so much money to help me learn, but I can take a certain amount of solace in the knowledge that it's not really a complete waste. In fact, calling it a minor waste may even be going to far. The more I talk with John and Kip and get a chance to take off my rosy colored glasses and get a real view of the beast that is international admissions and exchange, the more I realize that you very nearly have to BE a journalist if you want your program to thrive.
I have to research where in the market things are heating up, what fields are a hotbed for the program I'm sending students abroad in. I have to know how to col call people and interview them, make partnerships. I have to understand how to sell my bran, how to promote it, how to put the word out. Maybe Strategic Communications would have been more useful, but at least with convergence I know how to present all these things in a fashion that might be more useful in the near future.
At least, I'm telling myself all this is useful. If I'm being honest, I haven't actually done much yet in the way of learning. Aside from getting a feel for what I'm about to undertake. I have been keeping my ears open, something I habitually do because of my major, and I'm getting a feel for the flavor of what this new world will entail. I've worked to bring in students and see what it's like to help people get settled here, but really, that's not the beginning or middle of the job, or necessarily the end. That's the bonus, seeing things come together. What I want to learn is all the nitty-gritty. And I'm optimistic that I will.
Finally I get excited about the work I'll be doing, something that hasn't happened since freshmen year. I'm looking forward to the possibilities that are opening in front of me. Am I giving up everything I already know? No. Perhaps foolishly I keep telling myself that I'll be doing photography on the side, because that's one passion Karen introduced me to that I'm just never willing to give up. But now I can try and find a way to use all these skills that I enjoy and am enthused about, rather than looking ahead and grimacing at the stressful future I see on the horizon.
Education Abroad, get ready for a journalist to take to the streets.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
End of the Season
With the end of the Rugby season at hand, I started thinking about who all would be leaving the team, and what positions they would be vacating. There were only 6 seniors graduating (well, 5 plus Eric Wright, who technically already graduated, and Mike McMillon, who will graduate next December), so I decided it was a small enough amount that I could do miniature profiles on each senior, where they are going, and say who would be replacing them.
It took some doing to get them to all talk to me, because it's finals week and they had a lot of things to do. However, after a lot of work, I was able to sit down with them and get them to talk a bit about what their plans were. I found it interesting to see what each person had planned. There were a lot of different answers to that question.
I was also able to find who the most likely candidates were to take their positions. In some cases, like Wright and Hojnowski, I was able to find out who would take their place on the team as well as in the "coaching staff" (head coach and forwards captain respectively). However, in Ryan Becks case, the president of the team and a fullback, there was no clear hear to either spot. There was the same problem with McMillon for his place as a fullback. This was because those two rotated in the position, and not many other players have played the spot.
I found it interesting to talk to the players. These guys were basically the players most comfortbale talking to me. I wonder if that was a result of their age or not. I was thinking about covering the team next year on my own time, and I still might give it a shot, but having to make all new relationships with the team might be a bit more than I want to volunteer the time for, especially when I'm not getting paid or credit. I suppose that might be to lessons learned right there. When it comes to sports reporting, every year some new bonds have to be forged with the team, and respect and trust have to be earned every year. And two, sometimes doing what you enjoy isn't worth the time when you aren't getting paid. It's a sad lesson, but never the less true, and something that may need to be painfully learned next year...
It took some doing to get them to all talk to me, because it's finals week and they had a lot of things to do. However, after a lot of work, I was able to sit down with them and get them to talk a bit about what their plans were. I found it interesting to see what each person had planned. There were a lot of different answers to that question.
I was also able to find who the most likely candidates were to take their positions. In some cases, like Wright and Hojnowski, I was able to find out who would take their place on the team as well as in the "coaching staff" (head coach and forwards captain respectively). However, in Ryan Becks case, the president of the team and a fullback, there was no clear hear to either spot. There was the same problem with McMillon for his place as a fullback. This was because those two rotated in the position, and not many other players have played the spot.
I found it interesting to talk to the players. These guys were basically the players most comfortbale talking to me. I wonder if that was a result of their age or not. I was thinking about covering the team next year on my own time, and I still might give it a shot, but having to make all new relationships with the team might be a bit more than I want to volunteer the time for, especially when I'm not getting paid or credit. I suppose that might be to lessons learned right there. When it comes to sports reporting, every year some new bonds have to be forged with the team, and respect and trust have to be earned every year. And two, sometimes doing what you enjoy isn't worth the time when you aren't getting paid. It's a sad lesson, but never the less true, and something that may need to be painfully learned next year...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Injuries
This was a blog I had been looking forward to doing for KMOV. I sent out, sort of on a hunch/whim, an email to the team, asking for them to reply with their name and a list of all their injuries they had sustained while playing rugby. I was surprised with the amount of replies I got back, because I'm not sued to people responding to emails.
I was pretty shocked by the amount of severe injuries. I sort of assumed everyone would say concussions and sprains, but there were several pretty bad injuries. It was amazing, frankly.
At first, I wanted to turn it into some kind of infographic, thinking it would look good and convey all the information. But after talking to Jim, he sort of convinced me that maybe a long
form narrative would be a better way to tell the story. So that is what I did. I tried to list in order of severity the injuries, giving names for people who had the bad ones. I sort of tried to make it read well with my own opinion on some things, and my thoughts and shock toward some of the injuries. I think that it gets the point across, this is an incredibly dangerous sport.
I was also fortunate in that a couple of the players reported not having any injuries. I added that into the story, and I feel like it gave it an extra dimension, which I liked. I do wich I had had more pictures, but I didn't feel comfortable reusing pics I had taken and posted already, so I went with a picture of Tim Brown getting his hand looked at at Ruggerfest. I think that that worked out alright.
I was pretty shocked by the amount of severe injuries. I sort of assumed everyone would say concussions and sprains, but there were several pretty bad injuries. It was amazing, frankly.
At first, I wanted to turn it into some kind of infographic, thinking it would look good and convey all the information. But after talking to Jim, he sort of convinced me that maybe a long
form narrative would be a better way to tell the story. So that is what I did. I tried to list in order of severity the injuries, giving names for people who had the bad ones. I sort of tried to make it read well with my own opinion on some things, and my thoughts and shock toward some of the injuries. I think that it gets the point across, this is an incredibly dangerous sport.I was also fortunate in that a couple of the players reported not having any injuries. I added that into the story, and I feel like it gave it an extra dimension, which I liked. I do wich I had had more pictures, but I didn't feel comfortable reusing pics I had taken and posted already, so I went with a picture of Tim Brown getting his hand looked at at Ruggerfest. I think that that worked out alright.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Truman Game
The first home game I had the opportunity to attend. Not much was different from Ruggerfest. There were a couple things that I learned from the last game, like keeping the stats myself WHEN THEY HAPPEN. When I was at Ruggerfest, I didn't think to do that, I was too worried about the pictures and audio. Then I discovered how hard it is to get stats like that after the fact. Plus, it really helps the flow of the game report when you know who scored when. So I had my little notebook with me, and stopped what I was doing and recorded the scores and names of people.
I also had a better idea of when things were going to happen and where, so I was able to position myself around the pitch more. Then I got a fun surprise. Eric Wright, the head coach, told me the refs don't mind if I wonder out on the field, as long as I stay out of the way. And the players for both teams didn't seem to mind either. So I had a much better position to take pictures from, though I quickly backed away when action flowed my way. I'm not too worried about getting hit or anything, but conversely, those guys aren't too worried about hitting my camera...
The sun was a nice out that day, and I had some pretty good pictures. Plus, I think I was able to write up a better report of the game and how everything went than I was last time. At the end, they asked me if I wanted to play in the third half, which is like a scrimmage after the game. If I could go back in time, I would have worn shorts and a shirt I didn't care about so that I could, because I think that would have been an interesting perspective to write from, but I was in jeans and a polo, so it was a no go.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Ruggerfest
I'm still recovering from last weekend. I drove to and from St. Louis twice, both times early in the morning going, afternoon coming back. The sun decided to shine like it hasn't in a long time, and I didn't think to bring sunblock, so I'm crisped. And I made a huge judgment error in only checking out the Mirantz for Saturday and not Sunday as well.
But covering Ruggerfest was amazing.
I got there, and I don't know what it was, maybe that this is the fourth week they've seen me around, maybe it was that I made the effort to wake up and get there before the game started, or even get there at all. But the team completely accepted me. They clapped my hand when I got there, chatted and joked with me. None of them was bothered by the recording equipment I was using, nobody tried to stage anything or hold back. I had free reign on the sideline with my camera. It was like a whole other world.
I have never had a reporting experience where people stopped looking at me as a reporter and just treated me as another guy out on the field. It's like I had become a part of their team. And even better, I was really, really pleased with my pictures I took. I wish I had taken more, is my only wish, and I took nearly 700 pictures between the 2 days. I didn't have problems with the lighting, put myself on the correct side of the field to account for the sun, got low, got high, ran ahead of plays to get them coming at me. It was the best I've done as a photographer in a long, long time.
I did have some difficulty getting audio while simultaneously taking pictures. There were several times I would be recording something and think, "Oh, I should shoot this," and by the time I had my camera up to shoot it was over. And Vice Versa. But in all, I was very, very pleased with how it went. And I learned a lot about the game to boot.
I look forward to blogging about the games. It will be the first time I've ever reported on an actual game, and it will be challenging, but I think I'll have fun.
I will post the video when I have finished it.
Yet again, the blog has cropped the edges. My apologies.
But covering Ruggerfest was amazing.
I got there, and I don't know what it was, maybe that this is the fourth week they've seen me around, maybe it was that I made the effort to wake up and get there before the game started, or even get there at all. But the team completely accepted me. They clapped my hand when I got there, chatted and joked with me. None of them was bothered by the recording equipment I was using, nobody tried to stage anything or hold back. I had free reign on the sideline with my camera. It was like a whole other world.
I have never had a reporting experience where people stopped looking at me as a reporter and just treated me as another guy out on the field. It's like I had become a part of their team. And even better, I was really, really pleased with my pictures I took. I wish I had taken more, is my only wish, and I took nearly 700 pictures between the 2 days. I didn't have problems with the lighting, put myself on the correct side of the field to account for the sun, got low, got high, ran ahead of plays to get them coming at me. It was the best I've done as a photographer in a long, long time.
I did have some difficulty getting audio while simultaneously taking pictures. There were several times I would be recording something and think, "Oh, I should shoot this," and by the time I had my camera up to shoot it was over. And Vice Versa. But in all, I was very, very pleased with how it went. And I learned a lot about the game to boot.
I look forward to blogging about the games. It will be the first time I've ever reported on an actual game, and it will be challenging, but I think I'll have fun.
I will post the video when I have finished it.
Yet again, the blog has cropped the edges. My apologies.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Practice Three, Video
This will probably be the last practice I cover, because Ruggerfest and the Truman game are the next two weeks, and then they are finished practicing. On a whim, sort of, I decided to take a video camera to this practice. I had the notion that I would break all the rules (and tried to) and give an idea of what practice is like.
The problem is, there is a very good reason that the professors demand we used tripods. I ran next to the players and through the players and everything else, and though I was willing to accept a certain amount of shake, it was just too shaky. So I switched it up, and tried running with the players, but trying to get ahead of them, and then stopping, turning around, and trying to capture up close the players getting tackled. I had some success with that.
Then I tried to get shots of them kicking, and they had this fitness test that I shot that I felt I edited together pretty well. The problem with what I shot, and how the video will turn out, I think, is that there just isn't enough interview and voice in it. I felt I managed to get a pretty decent feeling of the flow of practice, though. Tried to remember my basics, like exit frames and getting space before and after the event I wanted. Got low on the ground and shot between legs. They even let me get on the sled, and I held the camera down low pointed up so that you could see inside the scrum. In all, it was probably the most fun I've had with a video camera in a long time.
I will post the video when I finished editing it.
My apologies, the blog is cropping the sides of this video.
The problem is, there is a very good reason that the professors demand we used tripods. I ran next to the players and through the players and everything else, and though I was willing to accept a certain amount of shake, it was just too shaky. So I switched it up, and tried running with the players, but trying to get ahead of them, and then stopping, turning around, and trying to capture up close the players getting tackled. I had some success with that.
Then I tried to get shots of them kicking, and they had this fitness test that I shot that I felt I edited together pretty well. The problem with what I shot, and how the video will turn out, I think, is that there just isn't enough interview and voice in it. I felt I managed to get a pretty decent feeling of the flow of practice, though. Tried to remember my basics, like exit frames and getting space before and after the event I wanted. Got low on the ground and shot between legs. They even let me get on the sled, and I held the camera down low pointed up so that you could see inside the scrum. In all, it was probably the most fun I've had with a video camera in a long time.
I will post the video when I finished editing it.
My apologies, the blog is cropping the sides of this video.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Second Practice
The second practice went significantly better than the first. I think probably because the "head coach" attended this one. He's a player who has already graduated, but is still eligible to play, and will be leaving after this semester, name of Eric wright.
He's very approachable. Willing to explain positions or plays or what each part of practice is for. He's very natural around me, doesn't try to clean up his speech, doesn't try to talk up his team. It's actually a lot of fun talking to him. I think the other players saw how he was acting around me and took his lead, so everyone seemed more comfortable on the field. Some players even came up and talked to me.
Now I'm beginning to wonder how practices should be covered. I'm afraid I don't know enough about the game to be able to tell if someone had a good practice or not. I read Dave Matter for my Missouri Football needs, and he tends to pick a player or a position to report on, but I feel like that is because everyone else is reporting on the team as a whole. He has the ability to go into detail. But I'm just starting to cover this team, and I'm worried I wil miss something. So I just tried to cover the mood and atmosphere of the team, as well as give an idea of what I learned, because part of the blogging was to try and explain parts of teh game to give readers an idea of how easy or hard it is to get into the game.
On a more technical aspect, I took a couple more risks this time. I laid down in front of people who were kicking, walked out on the field in the middle of scrimmage and let them run by me as I took pictures. Just things I would not have tried last week. Even if I'm not positive what I'm covering, I am definitely feeling more and more confident in what I'm doing out there with the team.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sports coverage
I set out yesterday to cover a sports team as a "beat" for the first time yesterday. I wasn't really sure what to expect, or what to do. It's interesting, I spend a lot of time reading sports columnists and team beat reporters, but when it was me out there, I was completely lost.
I had spoken to a few people on the rugby team already, so they knew I was coming out, but they didn't really know me or what I was doing. and they weren't the first players to get to the pitch. So it was me, trying to seem unobtrusive, but at the same time trying to act as though I belonged. quite an odd feeling.
Eventually, word spread around of who I was, and nobody had a complaint about me being there. Luckily, no players tried to monitor what they said or how they acted around me. A few goofed around or tried to pose for images, which I took and then just didn't use. No sense in ostracizing them. Only one player, Phil Hojnowski, seemed comfortable enough to really talk to me, and even then it took all practice for him to open up
On the plus side, I had the freedom to wonder all over the pitch and talk to anyone I wanted, or take pictures from any angle. That worked out pretty well, though I wasn't yet comfortable enough to ask to do things like get on the sled.
My plan is to just try and make myself a normal part of practice, so that the team forgets I'm there and starts talking to me. I'm not sure how long that will take, but I think it's probably a necessary step, especially since this team is not used to any kind of press coverage, like basketball and football players are. However, I did learn a lot in my first day of sports reporting, and I think I did a decent job of taking pictures as well.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Another Clash with Photo
Learned another valuable lesson for the workplace this week, which is communication.
I got thrown under the bus a bit, though I still claim responsibility. When I got to the newsroom, and Andrew informed me that we were going to send Stevie to Hickman to cover a jazz musician who was teaching a small class to do a photo slideshow. It sounded nice, and I was all for it, so I went into the budget with that to pitch.
When asked if Convergence had anything, I said we had a reporter headed to Hickman. At which point the photo editor glared at me and very loudly said "What?!"
To be honest, I was slightly taken aback. And then I made the connection. Nobody had thought to ask if we already had a photographer on the story. It ended up not being a big deal, Stevie just focused on capturing audio, but I looked like a fool in the budget meeting, and the photo editor was pretty steamed up of the rest of the day toward me.
In the end, it worked out pretty well, Stevie got back with some decent audio, even if her segments with words in them instead of music had a faint audio tone, because she had her speaker level set too high. But the end product was nice, and it was a good way to end my shifts with the Missourian. Plus, lesson learned. Ask and make sure nobody else is doing it before you send a reporter into the field.
I got thrown under the bus a bit, though I still claim responsibility. When I got to the newsroom, and Andrew informed me that we were going to send Stevie to Hickman to cover a jazz musician who was teaching a small class to do a photo slideshow. It sounded nice, and I was all for it, so I went into the budget with that to pitch.
When asked if Convergence had anything, I said we had a reporter headed to Hickman. At which point the photo editor glared at me and very loudly said "What?!"
To be honest, I was slightly taken aback. And then I made the connection. Nobody had thought to ask if we already had a photographer on the story. It ended up not being a big deal, Stevie just focused on capturing audio, but I looked like a fool in the budget meeting, and the photo editor was pretty steamed up of the rest of the day toward me.
In the end, it worked out pretty well, Stevie got back with some decent audio, even if her segments with words in them instead of music had a faint audio tone, because she had her speaker level set too high. But the end product was nice, and it was a good way to end my shifts with the Missourian. Plus, lesson learned. Ask and make sure nobody else is doing it before you send a reporter into the field.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Live Stream
I walked into the newsroom last Monday dreading what assignment I was going to have, because I knew I wouldn't have a reporter. My attitude quickly changed. Upon hearing that we would be live streaming the town hall meeting, I got pretty razzed up. It's not every day you get an opportunity like that, after all.
The problem was, none of use really knew what we were doing. We did a little research, a little asking around, told the editors and everyone else we would make it work, found the video camera, and headed to test everything and figure out how to work the program with about 20 minutes between leaving the Missourian and having to leave for the town hall meeting.
Those were some tense 20 minutes. At first we couldn't figure out how to make things work, and then we couldn't get the camera to work. Then more things went wrong with the audio. Finally, with everything appearing to work and not a moment too soon, we headed for the Black Culture Center.
They didn't let us set up where they told us we could. We were off tot he side. Then there were more difficulties getting the thing working again. Turns out, the DV input for the camera is way loose from people jamming the cable into too hard, so I had to hold the wire in, because the weight of the hanging cable was enough to pull it out so that we lost the feed. At times, when I was panning with one hand, and zooming with the other, I was holding the firewire cable with my teeth. I was manually adjusting audio constantly, because although we were plugged into the audio system at the Center, many people weren't using the microphones.
But eventually, it was over. We had lost the feed a couple times, we had problems with audio, and there were a few complaints. But really, I've rarely felt better and more uplifted after an assignment. It's nights like that that make me stay in this major. My heart was literally singing with the thrill of what Andrew and I accomplished. Yes, it wasn't perfect, there were a lot of things that could have been improved, not least of which was getting a better camera. But I felt like I did some good that night, and the numbers said that a massive amount of people logged on to watch our feed.
We made a tangible difference, and it was a wonderful, wonderful feeling.
The problem was, none of use really knew what we were doing. We did a little research, a little asking around, told the editors and everyone else we would make it work, found the video camera, and headed to test everything and figure out how to work the program with about 20 minutes between leaving the Missourian and having to leave for the town hall meeting.
Those were some tense 20 minutes. At first we couldn't figure out how to make things work, and then we couldn't get the camera to work. Then more things went wrong with the audio. Finally, with everything appearing to work and not a moment too soon, we headed for the Black Culture Center.
They didn't let us set up where they told us we could. We were off tot he side. Then there were more difficulties getting the thing working again. Turns out, the DV input for the camera is way loose from people jamming the cable into too hard, so I had to hold the wire in, because the weight of the hanging cable was enough to pull it out so that we lost the feed. At times, when I was panning with one hand, and zooming with the other, I was holding the firewire cable with my teeth. I was manually adjusting audio constantly, because although we were plugged into the audio system at the Center, many people weren't using the microphones.
But eventually, it was over. We had lost the feed a couple times, we had problems with audio, and there were a few complaints. But really, I've rarely felt better and more uplifted after an assignment. It's nights like that that make me stay in this major. My heart was literally singing with the thrill of what Andrew and I accomplished. Yes, it wasn't perfect, there were a lot of things that could have been improved, not least of which was getting a better camera. But I felt like I did some good that night, and the numbers said that a massive amount of people logged on to watch our feed.
We made a tangible difference, and it was a wonderful, wonderful feeling.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Deaf Don't Have It So Bad
The world, as a whole, seems to be very interested in smaller, thinner, sleeker things. Phones, cars, cameras, emissions, computers, independent thought. These are only some of the things that have jumped ship to join the downsize list. It seems now the only big things the world condones are boobs and shoes. And even then, it's go big or go home.
But then headphones said they'd had enough.
Now, there's a time and a place for small headphones. The gym, for instance. A boring class. a funeral. But sometimes you just need a big-ass set of headphones. I, too, have subscribed to this philosophy. And so I obtained a pair. Today, I tested them.
I wore nothing special. Black beanie, blue hoody, black track pants, black, inconspicuous shoes. With roaring headphones. White and black, bulky, shining plastic, huge headband, and skulls. Ah, the skulls. I put them on, and something changed, as I walked down the sidewalk. Students streamed past on either side, but it was as if I had joined the ranks of the handicapped. People immediately assessed the situation, assumed I was hearing impaired, and corrected their path to allow me a straight shot through the throng. I walked for 10 minutes without sidestepping once.
And the looks, ah the looks. Everyone questioned the headphones, because they themselves posessed only their small ones. "What is he doing?" "I have the right fashion, don't I?" "Oh no, should I have a pair of those?" "He looks ridiculous, doesn't he know anything?"
But not a single person said a thing to me. Perhaps because they all assumed I could not hear had they said something anyhow. And that would normally be true. But I can't help but wonder what would have transpired had they known the truth. I forgot to charge my iPod the night before, there was no music.
But then headphones said they'd had enough.
Now, there's a time and a place for small headphones. The gym, for instance. A boring class. a funeral. But sometimes you just need a big-ass set of headphones. I, too, have subscribed to this philosophy. And so I obtained a pair. Today, I tested them.
I wore nothing special. Black beanie, blue hoody, black track pants, black, inconspicuous shoes. With roaring headphones. White and black, bulky, shining plastic, huge headband, and skulls. Ah, the skulls. I put them on, and something changed, as I walked down the sidewalk. Students streamed past on either side, but it was as if I had joined the ranks of the handicapped. People immediately assessed the situation, assumed I was hearing impaired, and corrected their path to allow me a straight shot through the throng. I walked for 10 minutes without sidestepping once.
And the looks, ah the looks. Everyone questioned the headphones, because they themselves posessed only their small ones. "What is he doing?" "I have the right fashion, don't I?" "Oh no, should I have a pair of those?" "He looks ridiculous, doesn't he know anything?"
But not a single person said a thing to me. Perhaps because they all assumed I could not hear had they said something anyhow. And that would normally be true. But I can't help but wonder what would have transpired had they known the truth. I forgot to charge my iPod the night before, there was no music.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Plunging
I was asked to go out last weekend and take pictures of the polar bear plunge. For once this semester, I was excited about my assignment. I had mentioned to Andrew and John last week that that would be a really fun event to go and just capture audio for a photo-slideshow. Well, apparently, one of them was listening. I was asked to go capture audio, and possibly take pictures if the staff photographer had to leave early. I would have been fine doing it, but I ended up only capturing audio.
I felt like I did a fairly good job. The only real problem I ran into was that they were moving the media to the side, out of the way. This meant it was incredibly difficult to capture the sound of bodies running into cold water. I could turn my volume way up, but then all the sounds near me were way over-modulated. I settled for sneaking as close to the water as I could. I also really took the time to think of possible nat sound. I got teeth chattering, people squelching through mud, chanting, breathing as people ran to get clothes to put on, inspirational speeches from team captains. It was genuinely a lot of fun.
I also had a new experience, when I was out recording sound. The reporters sent from other media outlets, like KOMU, and KBIA, and the Tribune, I knew. It was a weird feeling walking around a huge group of people, with competing journalists all around, but being able to just walk up and talk to them. I suppose this is an industry standard I should get used to.
When I got back is when the trouble started. There is definitely problems in how the convergence desk works with the photo department. It wasalright at first, they just set me to the task of editing my audio, which I gladly did. However, because their photographer was on assignment elsewhere after the plunge, they couldn't give me an accurate estimate of how long the should be. Luckily, I had vaguely discussed it with the photographer before capturing, so I sort of knew. Then when I finished, I had to wait around for over an hour for the photog to get back. I used the time to tweak little things with the audio, like really getting the fades right and things like that.
Then when he did get back, he wanted huge swathes of audio restructured. I... dislike... how the work that I do can be discounted and changed on the whim of the photographer. I understand that the visuals he had he would like to put a certain way, but my audio also works best a certain way. I definitely prefer doing both portions so that I have final say.
Eventually, though, we hashed out the slideshow. I learned a little bit, as I always do when I report int he field, about technical things, like how to capture far off sounds, and working crowds. But even more so, I learned a valuable lesson. I really dislike working with people who don't have a background in alternative medias. I guess that means real life should get interesting.
I felt like I did a fairly good job. The only real problem I ran into was that they were moving the media to the side, out of the way. This meant it was incredibly difficult to capture the sound of bodies running into cold water. I could turn my volume way up, but then all the sounds near me were way over-modulated. I settled for sneaking as close to the water as I could. I also really took the time to think of possible nat sound. I got teeth chattering, people squelching through mud, chanting, breathing as people ran to get clothes to put on, inspirational speeches from team captains. It was genuinely a lot of fun.
I also had a new experience, when I was out recording sound. The reporters sent from other media outlets, like KOMU, and KBIA, and the Tribune, I knew. It was a weird feeling walking around a huge group of people, with competing journalists all around, but being able to just walk up and talk to them. I suppose this is an industry standard I should get used to.
When I got back is when the trouble started. There is definitely problems in how the convergence desk works with the photo department. It wasalright at first, they just set me to the task of editing my audio, which I gladly did. However, because their photographer was on assignment elsewhere after the plunge, they couldn't give me an accurate estimate of how long the should be. Luckily, I had vaguely discussed it with the photographer before capturing, so I sort of knew. Then when I finished, I had to wait around for over an hour for the photog to get back. I used the time to tweak little things with the audio, like really getting the fades right and things like that.
Then when he did get back, he wanted huge swathes of audio restructured. I... dislike... how the work that I do can be discounted and changed on the whim of the photographer. I understand that the visuals he had he would like to put a certain way, but my audio also works best a certain way. I definitely prefer doing both portions so that I have final say.
Eventually, though, we hashed out the slideshow. I learned a little bit, as I always do when I report int he field, about technical things, like how to capture far off sounds, and working crowds. But even more so, I learned a valuable lesson. I really dislike working with people who don't have a background in alternative medias. I guess that means real life should get interesting.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
facial hair
It has come to that point in the winter when the average person starts recalling hot summer days with nostalgic, altogether too graphic descriptions of pouring sweat. When the remembrance of a heat haze drifting upwards of the white-hot cement brings a smile to the lips. When pit-stains were in fashion. The icy wind whipping at the face forces a connection with days when people began making up new gods to pray to for a warm breeze. The silent, cold nights make a man long for the stifling warmth of a bedroom less the air-conditioning to save on electricity.
It is at this point that the male gender is forced to make a decision in his life. Let the facial hair grow, or cut if off. Now, this might seem like a simple choice. Either look ragged, or look clean cut. Some people can pull off a rockin’ beard, but most of us just look silly. But there are some hidden cons to be found in looking foolish.
For one, if it’s been a windy day, and you’ve been spending a lot of time outside, chances are your skin is dried to about the same consistency as a few of the more recent Pharaohs. The last thing you want to do is take a really sharp razor… or five, in the case of the Gilette Fusion… to your face. Cue the blood, the tears, the bumps and the curses. And then, once you have shaved (and applied a liberal amount of any kind of lotion you can find), when you go back outside, you no longer have that line of defense against the wind. It’s like a prairie. The wind whips away at the ground, and tried to erode the soil. If you cut the grass to short, it rips up your roots and turns the land into dry, scratchy desert.
Second is warmth. Sure, you could walk around with some kind of cotton fabric rubbing and chafing against your skin all day. Or, you could grow the beard. It’s the body’s natural insulation (aside from that holiday weight you put on). The wilder you grow that facial hair, the more skin you cover. It’s a Snuggie for you face. All the warmth, with none of the hassle.
Third, conformity. Walk around and look at all the ridiculous beards and mustaches. Shaving makes you stand out, in the frigid depths of winter. Do you really want to be “that guy” who is so worried about looking good that he sacrifices warmth and comfort? Sure, maybe you shave for a job, but if you’re not working, or your boss doesn’t care, I defy you to present another argument for shaving that doesn’t involve some kind vanity. It’s a case of the looks to survival ratio. You can only look so good without sacrificing your ability to realistically survive the temperatures, but at the same time, you can only look so ridiculous before your friends decide it is no longer socially acceptable to be seen in your presence.
With these thoughts in mind, I have decided to lead a movement. No Shave November should be extended and repurposed. From now on, men should have the option to participate in Stop Shaving till Spring. If it’s cold, this facial hair aint getting cut.
It is at this point that the male gender is forced to make a decision in his life. Let the facial hair grow, or cut if off. Now, this might seem like a simple choice. Either look ragged, or look clean cut. Some people can pull off a rockin’ beard, but most of us just look silly. But there are some hidden cons to be found in looking foolish.
For one, if it’s been a windy day, and you’ve been spending a lot of time outside, chances are your skin is dried to about the same consistency as a few of the more recent Pharaohs. The last thing you want to do is take a really sharp razor… or five, in the case of the Gilette Fusion… to your face. Cue the blood, the tears, the bumps and the curses. And then, once you have shaved (and applied a liberal amount of any kind of lotion you can find), when you go back outside, you no longer have that line of defense against the wind. It’s like a prairie. The wind whips away at the ground, and tried to erode the soil. If you cut the grass to short, it rips up your roots and turns the land into dry, scratchy desert.
Second is warmth. Sure, you could walk around with some kind of cotton fabric rubbing and chafing against your skin all day. Or, you could grow the beard. It’s the body’s natural insulation (aside from that holiday weight you put on). The wilder you grow that facial hair, the more skin you cover. It’s a Snuggie for you face. All the warmth, with none of the hassle.
Third, conformity. Walk around and look at all the ridiculous beards and mustaches. Shaving makes you stand out, in the frigid depths of winter. Do you really want to be “that guy” who is so worried about looking good that he sacrifices warmth and comfort? Sure, maybe you shave for a job, but if you’re not working, or your boss doesn’t care, I defy you to present another argument for shaving that doesn’t involve some kind vanity. It’s a case of the looks to survival ratio. You can only look so good without sacrificing your ability to realistically survive the temperatures, but at the same time, you can only look so ridiculous before your friends decide it is no longer socially acceptable to be seen in your presence.
With these thoughts in mind, I have decided to lead a movement. No Shave November should be extended and repurposed. From now on, men should have the option to participate in Stop Shaving till Spring. If it’s cold, this facial hair aint getting cut.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Rethink
Last night was a bad, bad night. Since finally making the choice to turn to photojournalism as my emphasis, I've been moderately pleased with the results. I'm by no means an excellent photographer, and I'll be the first to admit that. But I'm good, and I'm working on it. Last night made me rethink all of that.
I got sent out on a shift to cover a city council meeting on chickens, and whether they should be allowed on city property and the like. We joked about the possibility of people bringing chickens, and it WAS suppose to be a heated debate. I'd never shot a council meeting before, so I was ready to test myself and see how I could do.
The meeting started with Darwin telling everyone not to make any demonstrative acts. No clapping, no yelling, no anything. Which made me worry. I started focusing on hand gestures and facial expressions, particularly on advocates face's when realtors got up to speak. But the lighting wasn't very good, and I very stupidly forget to bring a tripod. Generally, that wouldn't be a problem, and I did get shots that weren't blurred and had decent lighting.
However, I just couldn't get a good, pivotal shot. And then when the meeting ended, I busied myself trying to get names to go with pictures for captions before everyone left. It was only as I was walking back to my car that it hit me. I had my camera at my side, notebook out getting names as people walked toward me in a wave of exultation, clapping hands, giving hugs, sighing with relief. There were the shots I needed. And I had missed them.
Last night was a trying moment for me. On the one hand, it was a huge learning experience. I missed my shot because I didn't plan ahead for the moment when I would be most capable, and instead worried too much about gathering the pictures in a poor situation. It really made me question my viability as a photo journalist. I'm still shuddering a bit thinking about it. But it also led me to make a vow to myself to never turn in pictures of such terrible quality ever again. I am going to do my damnedest to make sure I never repeat that feeling and situation of utter failure.
I got sent out on a shift to cover a city council meeting on chickens, and whether they should be allowed on city property and the like. We joked about the possibility of people bringing chickens, and it WAS suppose to be a heated debate. I'd never shot a council meeting before, so I was ready to test myself and see how I could do.
The meeting started with Darwin telling everyone not to make any demonstrative acts. No clapping, no yelling, no anything. Which made me worry. I started focusing on hand gestures and facial expressions, particularly on advocates face's when realtors got up to speak. But the lighting wasn't very good, and I very stupidly forget to bring a tripod. Generally, that wouldn't be a problem, and I did get shots that weren't blurred and had decent lighting.
However, I just couldn't get a good, pivotal shot. And then when the meeting ended, I busied myself trying to get names to go with pictures for captions before everyone left. It was only as I was walking back to my car that it hit me. I had my camera at my side, notebook out getting names as people walked toward me in a wave of exultation, clapping hands, giving hugs, sighing with relief. There were the shots I needed. And I had missed them.
Last night was a trying moment for me. On the one hand, it was a huge learning experience. I missed my shot because I didn't plan ahead for the moment when I would be most capable, and instead worried too much about gathering the pictures in a poor situation. It really made me question my viability as a photo journalist. I'm still shuddering a bit thinking about it. But it also led me to make a vow to myself to never turn in pictures of such terrible quality ever again. I am going to do my damnedest to make sure I never repeat that feeling and situation of utter failure.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Reaquaintence
I never, ever thought I would say this. In my semester away, I tried not to think about reporting. I tried to pretend like the summer had never happened. I tried to do just about everything BUT be actively involved with journalism. Which is why it’s so shocking now. I missed it.
When I stepped into my seat as the convergence editor at the Missourian yesterday, it was like a comfortable, familiar weight settled in over my shoulders, reminiscent of a blanket. A tattered, weathered, raggedy old blanket. One that you always consider throwing out but you keep around for sentimental value because it’s been with you for so long. Things I thought forgotten came back in a rush. I know it was Hannah’s story, but I was resisting the urge to call sources, and sprint into the field every second I was in the chair. It was an incredible difficult story to cover, as well, which challenged us to make something, effectively, out of nothing. Unfortunately, we couldn’t think of a better story for the evening. Possibly fortunately, it gave Hannah a chance to be in that situation.
We called complete strangers, we ran around to different bars and restaurants to collect information and, later, audio. I gave her advice on how to build her story, she made it, and I tweaked it for her in the end. My radio editing skills rushed back into my ears and finger as I forced the program to do my bidding for the volume, which had been inexpertly recorded. And the deadline only helped to further the rush.
It was like taking a hit of something. It was a complete metaphysical exhilaration, which I’m not entirely sure how to describe. I don’t know if that means I genuinely enjoy what I’m training to do, or if I’m a masochist, but it gave me a lot of hope for my future. I also realized, in all the whirlwind that was our shift together, that I really enjoyed helping Hannah make her story. Not just the reporting aspect, but the editing and the guiding. I don’t know what that means, and I assume it’s something I’ll need to figure out, but for now, it’s enough of a subject for me to reflect on as I go to sleep at night.
I look forward to my next editing shift. I will try not to take such a large part in the reporting this time, give my reporter more of a chance to practice. But I am excited. Very, very excited.
When I stepped into my seat as the convergence editor at the Missourian yesterday, it was like a comfortable, familiar weight settled in over my shoulders, reminiscent of a blanket. A tattered, weathered, raggedy old blanket. One that you always consider throwing out but you keep around for sentimental value because it’s been with you for so long. Things I thought forgotten came back in a rush. I know it was Hannah’s story, but I was resisting the urge to call sources, and sprint into the field every second I was in the chair. It was an incredible difficult story to cover, as well, which challenged us to make something, effectively, out of nothing. Unfortunately, we couldn’t think of a better story for the evening. Possibly fortunately, it gave Hannah a chance to be in that situation.
We called complete strangers, we ran around to different bars and restaurants to collect information and, later, audio. I gave her advice on how to build her story, she made it, and I tweaked it for her in the end. My radio editing skills rushed back into my ears and finger as I forced the program to do my bidding for the volume, which had been inexpertly recorded. And the deadline only helped to further the rush.
It was like taking a hit of something. It was a complete metaphysical exhilaration, which I’m not entirely sure how to describe. I don’t know if that means I genuinely enjoy what I’m training to do, or if I’m a masochist, but it gave me a lot of hope for my future. I also realized, in all the whirlwind that was our shift together, that I really enjoyed helping Hannah make her story. Not just the reporting aspect, but the editing and the guiding. I don’t know what that means, and I assume it’s something I’ll need to figure out, but for now, it’s enough of a subject for me to reflect on as I go to sleep at night.
I look forward to my next editing shift. I will try not to take such a large part in the reporting this time, give my reporter more of a chance to practice. But I am excited. Very, very excited.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Revelation
Over the summer, in 4804, I was always curious about what happened behind those closed doors in the meeting room. It was obvious that they deliberated on our stories, because we would wait impatiently for the return of the project managers to tell us if we had the green light or not. But phrases like “I fought for your story” or “They just really didn’t like the idea” always made me assume that the happenings in the room were dark and mysterious, and there was a kind of pitched battle between the students, their representatives (project managers), and the teachers.
I finally had the opportunity to attend one of these sessions. Admittedly, I shouldn’t have been there, it wasn’t my turn on the rotation and I had been confused about when I was actually supposed to come to class, so I just said to hell with sleep and came anyway, but I was there. It was nothing lie what I had led myself to assume it was. There was no shouting, there weren’t voices coming from all sides, there were no fist-fights. Calmly, the professors sought ways of making stories work. And they found them, for every team.
Now, this isn’t to say that things won’t get heated later in the semester, when reporting groups aren’t getting a free pass because it’s week one, but I was still a little shocked, and if I’m honest, a little disappointed. Everything was quite subdued, and the process moved like clockwork, which is ironic seeing as it took more time than the allotted hour to go over all the pitches.
And it makes me wonder if this is how its supposed to be. Is this how my life will be ruled for the next decade? Some people will calmly decide if my story is worth my effort to report? It might seem a little dramatic, but it’s a reasonable question. I don’t know which I would rather have, the screaming and fighting I had always imagined, or the orderly triage I saw. I assume this class is here to teach us not only how this process works, but how reporters are handled. I’m quickly seeing I don’t much want to be a reporter… editor seems much, much better.
I finally had the opportunity to attend one of these sessions. Admittedly, I shouldn’t have been there, it wasn’t my turn on the rotation and I had been confused about when I was actually supposed to come to class, so I just said to hell with sleep and came anyway, but I was there. It was nothing lie what I had led myself to assume it was. There was no shouting, there weren’t voices coming from all sides, there were no fist-fights. Calmly, the professors sought ways of making stories work. And they found them, for every team.
Now, this isn’t to say that things won’t get heated later in the semester, when reporting groups aren’t getting a free pass because it’s week one, but I was still a little shocked, and if I’m honest, a little disappointed. Everything was quite subdued, and the process moved like clockwork, which is ironic seeing as it took more time than the allotted hour to go over all the pitches.
And it makes me wonder if this is how its supposed to be. Is this how my life will be ruled for the next decade? Some people will calmly decide if my story is worth my effort to report? It might seem a little dramatic, but it’s a reasonable question. I don’t know which I would rather have, the screaming and fighting I had always imagined, or the orderly triage I saw. I assume this class is here to teach us not only how this process works, but how reporters are handled. I’m quickly seeing I don’t much want to be a reporter… editor seems much, much better.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
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