This blog

So I still haven't heard from anyone at the Akron Digital Media Center, but I plan to call again first thing Monday and  hopefully everything will work out with that. This blog really changed from what I thought it would be about. It took some twists and turns I didn't expect and at times it was hard to write because I didn't know what to do with it because I didn't really know what I was doing. To be a journalist or not to be a journalist? That was the question. Life after graduation is a VERY  scary thought and this detour from my plan shook my confidence. I can't say that I'm not still scared out of my mind, but I'm going to keep pursuing it because this is all I've wanted to do the last two years, and even if it doesn't work out exactly the way planned at least I will have gone for it, and who knows where that will lead. I entered college thinking if you had a plan and stuck to it you would know exactly what you wanted to do and where you would go. Now as I prepare to exit I realize life is not that simple. You have to just go with it and experience all you can and learn all you can  because you never know how things are going to unfold. While I am sure I will have a hard time constantly living by that philosophy over the next six months,  I will try this relaxed  approach to my impending graduation.

In the real world, the right thing never happens in the right place and the right time.  It is the job of journalists and historians to make it appear that it has.  ~Mark Twain
(for more quotes about journalism go here)

Still waiting

So I was told by my advisor to call the Akron Digital Media Center about my internship since they hadn't gotten in touch with me yet and the semesters almost over. I called today and left a message, but this waiting is making me nervos.I'm really excited about the opportunity and I will be upset if I don't get it.  I just found their Youtube channel. They have a lot of videos.

Buchtelite umbrella

 This a random post, but in movies and TV I've seen people use newspapers as  make ship umbrellas.  I tried and the Buchtelite does not make a good one. After about two blocks it lost its structural integrity. It didn't keep me dry and left me with newsprint all over the my hands. I should have checked the weather before I left for school. I found this interesting website that features an Eco- Brolly, which I guess are different items that are turned into umbrellas. It's pretty cool check it out. 

Newsweek and the Daily Beast: Trouble in paradise?

I’ve been keeping up with this Daily Beast- Newsweek thing because I find this union very interesting. I found a blog post from the New York Times  that criticizes the merger. It brought up some interesting points as to why this might not work. I’m not sure what is going to happen, but it will definitely be interesting to see if this is the start of a new successful trend or a business failure 

A Newsweek and The Daily Beast marriage

So I think it’s very interesting that Newsweek and The Daily Beast are merging.  This is a very fascinating development. This could be the start of a trend of established news outlets teaming up with online venues. It will be intriguing to see what comes out of this. Tina Brown, the editor of The Daily Beast, said this about the merger, “The metabolism of The Daily Beast will help power the resurgence of Newsweek and Newsweek amplifies the range of talent and audience The Daily Beast can reach. The two entities together offer writers, photographers and marketers a powerful dual platform." Here is more from that article.

Internship in limbo

I emailed my internship advisor today because I’m still waiting to hear about my internship with the Akron Digital Media Canter. It’s getting closer and closer to the end the semester and I’m getting more and more anxious to hear about it. Their website is down for maintenance and has been the last few times I’ve checked so I can’t even find out more information about it. I hope I hear something soon.

One of these things is not like the other; one of these just doesn't belong

I’m confused. I picked up an issue of the Buchtelite and something just didn’t seem right. The story above the fold was about the National Society of Leadership and Success and the article below was a well written piece about adult students on campus; the part that is confusing me is the pictures placed between the two stories. There are two photos of the Barry Lefkowitz Billiards Tournament. After several readings of both articles I can’t seem to figure out which story they are suppose to go along with. Neither article mentions the tournament nor Barry Lefkowitz and the cutlines of the photos describe the tournament, but don’t link it to either story in any way.  Neither of the stories jump. There is one other story on the page, but it’s about Tosh.O, and can’t be related. I’ve stop several times while typing this to read the articles over again because this just seems like a weird arraignment. I feel like I must be missing something because if there’s connection I can’t see it. This is just weird. Pick up a copy and see if you can figure it out.    

School of Communication article

The Buchtelite had an article about the School of Communication in Thursday’s paper. It talked about the accomplishments of the school, and how despite these achievements it is not well known. I thought it was a great article. If you’re interested pick up a copy or read it on the website (by the way, the website has been redone and looks very nice).  

Waiting with anticipation

So I still haven’t been contacted by the Akron Digital Media Center about my internship. I’m finding that the more I wait the more I’m interested and want the internship. I did some more research. I found a description of the workshops; it seems very well put together and interesting. The workshops are introducing areas of journalism that I don’t have any background in, like video editing, and that is exciting.

If you are interested in finding out more about the workshops, here is the link. I also found a YouTube video about one of the workshops. 

Buchtelite revisited

I picked up a copy of the Buchtelite today. I haven’t read it much since I stopped working there, but today it caught my eye. The design and layout has been a work in progress since the beginning of the semester. Today’s paper really demonstrated that development. It looks very crisp and clan today. The type is very tight and well organized. I'm looking at the first issue of the year on the wall above my desk and there is definitely a change in the look. 

Not only has the look improved, but the stories in today's paper were good quality as well.I thought the articles about the ROTC and the trunk-or-treat were particularly interesting.   I think it looks really good and I’m interested to see the continuing evolution of the paper.

So go pick up a copy or go to the website.  

Internship

I met with my internship advisor. I’m possibly going to intern at the Akron Digital Media Center next spring. It's a grant funded organization designed to provide the tools and training for citizen journalists through a series of workshops.  This seems like a great opportunity. Although I’m still not sure about news writing, this is a little different and I’m interested in learning more about it.

Here is their Facebook page and an article about what they are doing.

Any suggestions?

So I have a meeting with my internship adviser tomorrow to figure out what kind of internship I want and where I will be doing it. Not sure if I should go for a news internship. I’m leaning more toward seeing what other options I have in mass media communication.  Any suggestions?

Newsflash- I'm a dork

Journalism is still a question mark, but I started thinking of what made me want to do it in the first place. It was my enjoyment of writing that prompted me to study journalism, and while I might not want to write news anymore, I still like writing. I haven’t had much time for it recently, but I’m trying to get back into it.  I want to get my creative juices flowing again.   So instead of working on homework I should have been doing, I just spent the entire morning reading fan fiction. For any one who doesn’t know, fan fiction are stories written by fans based on a TV show, movie, etc.  Fan fiction was one of my early influences in creative writing, and I just spent about four hours exploring websites I used to go to. While these writers are amateurs and often the grammar is bad, it is the fantasy that is attractive. People think up plots that you wished were played out in a TV show or movie. So now that I’ve just broadcast that I’m a major dork, if you are interested, FanFiction.net is a good site to visit. It includes fan fiction for TV shows, movies, plays, cartoons and more.  

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.” - Henry David Thoreau

I wasn’t sure where exactly I was going to take this blog because I wasn’t sure where I was going, and really I still don’t. I’ve been reading Walden by Thoreau this week. After reading it I have decided to take a new approach to my situation. I’m not going to stress everyday, its not doing me any good.  

I have scheduled my spring classes and I will graduate in May; I started down a path and I’m going to keep going down it, even if it leads me a different direction than I originally expected. I’m going to explore my options and figure out what I have to do when the time comes.

For more Thoreau quotes take a look at this website.

If you can't answer this question....

So still trying to figure things out. I know quitting was the right decision now. I feel really relived, but it’s just that next step that I’m still bothering me. This might have been easier if a reprehensive from the career center hadn’t come in to my literature class to discuss how to prepare for the job market. While he had good insight and tips, his approach left me squirming in my seat. He started off by writing Ohio’s current unemployment rate on the white board. Then to further depress me he talked about important questions prospective employers will ask you. The most important one being: why did you choose this career field? He said if you couldn’t answer that question you might as well go home. Needless to say this didn’t help me. While I know I originally chose to become a journalist because I enjoy writing and learning new things, I not sure if I can handle the stress of the occupation. So while   I have come to term about resigning the news editor position, I still don’t if news is what I want to do anymore.

Changes

Another Tuesday and another issue of the Buchtelite, the only difference is that I’m not the news editor. I resigned my position last week and I’m still trying to sort out how I feel.  

Did you ever start doing something you thought was going to be great, and then discovered it just wasn’t for you? Well that’s what happened to me, and to be completely honest I didn’t see it coming. For the last two years I’d been doing freelance and taking classes and internships in the pursuit of becoming a journalist. So being news editor was the perfect opportunity. It was the cherry on top of my resume sundae. That was until I actually started and the stress and responsibilities of it wore me down.  

I know resigning was the best decision I could make right now, but it left me with the question of whether journalism is what I want to do anymore or not. I’m a semester and a half away from graduation. I have been singularly focused on this as my career goal, if I decide this isn’t what I want to do, where do I go from there?

So this blog has changed directions. It is no longer about the Buchtelite and my position there. It has become a blog about where quitting that position is going to lead me.

Computer orphan and World Habitat Day

I managed to get done laying out my page by nine last night, despite the fact I was computer orphaned.  My computer that has crashed on me twice during production nights is getting fixed ( I’ll believe it when I see it) and I laid out my page on three different computers, The equipment there is just so old and uncooperative it drives me crazy. I felt like I was playing musical chairs (computers) last night. In spite of all that I liked this issue, I particularly liked the World Habitat Day article. So if you didn’t get a change to see it, here it is.

World Habitat Day spreads awareness on campus

By Ruth Walker

If you were walking past Bierce Library between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday, you may have noticed something other than the large faulty water fountain. The University Chapter of Habitat for Humanity built a home out of cardboard by the fountain to raise awareness for those in our community who do not have access to adequate housing.

In fact, a report by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio in 2009 found that there were approximately 12,463 homeless people in Ohio on any given night, and only 86% of those found shelter to stay in.

Habitat for Humanity is committed “to providing simple, decent and affordable housing for low-income families in need.” Since the COHHIO reported that 37% of Ohio’s homeless are families, there is a definite need for Habitat’s services.

In addition to raising awareness that the need exists for housing in our community, the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity was also collecting donations and spreading the word about project MISSION.

Kelly Brown, campus Habitat for Humanity president, explained that the campus chapter is fully funding a Habitat home to be built in a neighborhood near the university. They are currently over halfway to their fund raising goal of $80,000.

The Campus Habitat for Humanity group has been busy procuring grant money and donated land, and collected donations at a recent football game as well as at their advocacy event Monday. They have more upcoming fundraisers planned and hope to have the money together by January in order to break ground on the house in the spring.

The campus chapter also assists the Summit County chapter of Habitat for Humanity with fund raising, volunteering at building sites and assisting with educational outreach programs.

The Campus Habitat for Humanity is always looking for new faces to help reach out to the community. Kyle Nehrenz, treasurer, explained that volunteering with Habitat for Humanity is a great way to acquire useful new skills such as dry walling, painting and laying down flooring.

Campus Habitat for Humanity meetings are every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union. The next meeting is this Wednesday in Room 314.

I will sign off with my constant plea, please consider writing for the news section of the Buchtelite.

Writers!

I think the hardest part of being the news editor is finding people who want to write news. There are plenty of people that want to write about sports or express their thoughts on the opinion page, but there seem to be a lack of people who want to write about the events on campus.   It’s true that being a writer for the Buchtelite doesn’t pay money, but it is a great experience. It gives you a chance to improve your writing skills, and it is a great resume builder, whether you’re going into writing or not. If you would be interested in writing, or know anyone who is, please encourage them to contact me. While in the past the Buchtelite has cultivated a reputation for having horrible communication skills (disappointing from an organization in the School of Communication) that is not the case this year. We have an all new staff and we are working to rectify that reputation. So please consider writing for the Buchtelite!

Rally

So here is the article I wrote about the rally. I'm including some pictures too.

Strickland visits again

By Ashley Linville

“Today is Election Day,” said Yvette McGee Brown when she took the stage at the rally that took place on Tuesday. The College Democrats and the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity sponsored the voting rally.   

Governor Ted Strickland came to the University along with many other members of the Democratic ticket, including McGee Brown, David Plouffe, Tim Ryan, Mary Jane Trapp and State Representative Brian Williams. 

“It’s encouraging to see so many people eager to take part in the process,” said Representative Brian Williams. “Voting early is essential for many, and I hope they take advantage of it.” He said events like this help convey that voters don’t have to wait until Nov. 2.  He asked young votes to take advantage of their right to vote.

Judges Mary Jane Trapp, who is running on the Democratic ticket for Ohio Supreme Court, and Carla Moore, of the Ninth District Court of Appeals, both stressed the importance of not only voting, but also voting all the way down the ballot.

Trapp asked the audience to be a “committee of one,” and encourage and inform people to vote. Moore said there is a 50 percent drop-off in votes for judicial seats. She said this is a critical time in the judicial system and that we need people who care.

“We make the decisions on issues that affect everyday life,” Trapp said. 

Governor Strickland took the stage last. He stressed voting early, highlighting the fact that there isn’t an election day, but an entire month.

“We all need your vote,” said Strickland, referring to the Democratic ticket.

He told the audience that he understands why people are dissatisfied, but according to Strickland, he wants people to be mad at the right people, and that the Democrats are working hard, and while things are frustrating, things are also turning around.

He talked about polls, and while he was down at the polls in the summer, he said that his numbers are rising, and is confident.

 “They [Republicans] peaked in August and we’re going to peak on Nov. 2,” Strickland said.

Tuesday was the first day of early voting in Ohio. Voters can vote early by mail or at the county Jobs Center located at 1040 E. Tallmadge Ave. Voters can vote by mail or cast their ballot in person between Monday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.  

 So go vote!

Hello, this is my blog. It is dedicated to talking about my job as the news editor at the Buchtelite. I’ll tell you what I didn’t expect the experience I’m getting.  It is a lot of hard work, made hard when you use old equipment that crashes on you and basically redo the whole page layout (which happened last night, big fun). I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. Today I got to cover the Strickland rally, which was extremely cool. Tim Ryan, David Plouffe, Mary Jane Trapp and other members of the democratic ticket were at the rally.  The rally stressed the importance of voting early. Today starts the option for Ohioans to get their vote early before Election Day on November 2.

To find out more about Governor Strickland, visit his official website.