A little something to end on….

With the semester coming to an end I decided to leave the blog off with a short video.  Titled ‘Silent Beats’, this video demonstrates three different individuals interacting in a small supermarket.  Each of a different race and age, the predisposed dispositions about each other are clearly seen through their eyes.  As journalists, we encounter many different types of people.  We must have the ability to converse without judging or expecting anything. We must begin with a blank slate and no bias to obtain the most affective information. After watching this five minute clip, one can see what happens if they assume before knowing.  What can happen if they stereotype without truly knowing an individual. I wanted to post this video so as journalists we all remember to keep an open mind and not judge without knowing when speaking with people. I wish everyone the best in their future careers!! (: (:

Ashley Ludkowski……

Ain’t No Party Like a Journalism Party

Ah yes, blogging, one of the many forms of opinion writing. I don’t know about you, but after a semester of cranking out news story after news story, I’m getting a little giddy just being able to write in the first person again. Can I have a moment to soak this in? Thanks…

Okay, back to business. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy putting together a news story, because I do. The relevance of feeding information to the public should never be underestimated and I will certainly not do so here. However, I would like to express my love for opinion writing, which is why I want to be a journalist in the first place. It all started in high school when I was the sports editor of our newspaper. I enjoyed being responsible for the sports page, but my favorite part of being on the newspaper was that I got to write my own column every issue. Our teacher/supervisor gave me free rein to write on whatever I wanted, however I wanted. How awesome is that? Whether people agreed with me or thought I was a moron didn’t matter, I still had a forum to share my positions, praise the worthy and criticize, criticize, criticize.

In my opinion (pun intended), critics and columnists are the ones who transform journalism from just an information dealer to informative entertainment. They allow readers to take what they already know and give them something of sustenance to analyze and form critical opinions off of. I never really cared if people agreed with my column so much as I wanted to bring issues that they hadn’t thought of to their attention before they made up their minds. It was always great when my readers thought I was right though.

Even if your journalistic heart is set on reporting the news rather than trying to make sense of it, I encourage you to give opinion writing a try at some point. Reliable stories and timely news will get a paper plenty of readers every day, but it’s the writers that they enjoy that will keep them coming back for more.

By the way, don’t ask me what my title means. I couldn’t explain it if I tried.

- Jesse Schaffer

Evolving as a journalist

Whew, this semester has been intense! I’ve always had a love for writing, hence why I chose journalism as a major coming into college. But introductory journalism classes really don’t do justice to the experience I’ve had so far this semester in this class. Before Jour 3001, I had never interviewed anyone, let alone written a story. Being thrown right into the journalistic world was really scary. I remember attempting to write my first story and honestly I didn’t know what I was doing. Looking back at how stressed out I was writing that first story makes me laugh. I guess it is because I’ve learned so much from the experiences I’ve had writing each of the stories we have been assigned. Everyone I’ve come across and interviewed for my stories have been so nice and so helpful. I know this may not always be the case in the future but people love talking about themselves and what they are passionate about which is probably why I’ve had such good experiences with my interviewees.

I obviously have A LOT more to learn about writing and I still haven’t found my exact comfort zone but I feel like I am well on my way to becoming the best journalist I know I can be. Journalism is definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it seems to be a blessing in disguise because I love being challenged and journalism provides me with that challenge. I’m excited to move forward in this field and see my progress as a journalist. it can only get better from here!

-Jessica Kleinman

E-readers and the future of the written word

Those who know me are well aware of my hesitation and outright dislike for electronic readers. My problems with them stem from my romantic ideals about fiction literature. To sum up my feelings, I truly believe that there is no substitute for holding weathered pages of a novel in your hand, the smell of old books and the way words play across the pages to dance in your eyes in mind in perfect harmony. E-readers destroy the aesthetic nature and power of books. For me at least, words on a screen are not only painful to read, but my mind wanders so much more.

Keeping these things in mind, the e-reader debate does not end with just books. Journalism is becoming increasingly electronic based. News is written online, published online, and read online. This revolution is making some in the field nervous. Many ask- “Will journalism still exist?” My answer is of course. Democracy cannot exist without an informed public and news is the way they can get that information honestly. The form new will take may change however, and that’s where e-readers come in. You can already download newspapers along with books on existing e-readers like the Kindle and the Nook. People are beginning to pick and choose what kind of medium they want to receive their news on.

I believe that although e-readers are the downfall of literature, they just might be the saving grace for journalism. What if there was a thin, flexible computer screen that was portable and could instantly download breaking news? A modern, futuristic newspaper page sized e-reader that could hold thousands of a person’s favorite newspapers, magazines and maybe even television? Subscriptions could still be offered and the feeling of traditional media preserved. Even if this is not the best solution, I think something different is going to happen in the next 10 years that will reinvent journalism in some way. Hopefully whatever happens, the next generation of journalists will be able to adapt and improve an already noble profession.

-Emily Zarka

“Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone”

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I have always questioned whether or not journalism was the right major choice for me.  In the beginning though, I had three main reasons for choosing it.  Ever since I was little, I have loved talking to people, figuring out their stories, and who they truly were.  Then, sophomore year of high school, I became interested in photography.  The third and final reason was that I loved to travel, to adventure to the unknown, and to dig for issues wherever I went even if it was just to a new place in my hometown.  From these three, journalism as a major was born, and it seemed like the natural way to combine all of my interests into not just a career, but a lifestyle.  I envisioned a life on the road, as an undercover journalist and photographer, filled with adventure and interesting people.

Yet, as I became more serious about moving in this direction, talking to different people began to fill me with doubt.  “What will you do with that now that the industry is dying?” “Shouldn’t you actually study something academic so you know enough about one field to write about it?” “You know, nobody likes journalists anyway. They’re like lawyers.”  These are some of the questions directed toward me on multiple occasions, and the more exhausted I grew of them, the more I became convinced that these people had a point.

So, I decided getting a liberal arts education would be a better bet.  Then, I decided on international affairs.  Before long, I found myself dabbling in English, anthropology, and even biology was an option for a day or two, which really showcased my desperation to anyone who knew me at all, for I was so obviously not a math-science person.  Journalism was always in the back of my mind, and because I came in as a journalism major and never truly switched, it became a constant source of stress and dread for me for my entire freshman year of college.

It was only when I got an internship at a publishing company back out east over the summer that I began to see things in a different way.  After working with amazing people and developing close relationships with many of my older co-workers, I began speaking to them about how they started their careers and what they would recommend to someone like me.  As it turns out, not surprisingly, most of them had a variety of backgrounds, but there was one woman in particular who told me that she would never trade her journalism education for anything, because that was the one thing that really pushed her out into the world.

Later that night as I was cleaning out my room, skimming through some old papers, journals, and tossing out most of what I found, I came upon a quote that I had written down. (I am an avid quote collector.) It read: “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone.”  Although I can’t remember now who said it, I realized that journalism was the one degree and lifestyle that would truly push me out of my comfort zone and I understood what my co-worker had been talking about.  I would experience life with journalism like no other degree would teach me how to do.  I also realized that day that the reason I had been feeling so much hesitance and dread about choosing it as a major was not because of what anyone else had told me, but it was because I was afraid.  I knew that I would have to interview people one on one, do things I was uncomfortable with, and have a job that wasn’t necessarily steady.  At that time, I couldn’t imagine myself writing a small article much less interviewing anyone on camera without preparation.

Now though, only a few months later, this quote has proven itself true, like so many of the others also have.  Journalism does push my out of my comfort zone every single day, and I still get nervous during interviews, but life has truly begun for me because of it.

So far, I have gotten the chance to speak with my yoga instructor, a person whose story I have been curious about for ages but too shy to ask, a creationist pastor about his life views, an evolutionary biologist, a couple of near-Zen masters, too many vegans to count, and many more to come.  I have trekked to Fort Collins to hear Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski the Seven Summits, speak, I have attended a laughter yoga event and met people I speak to on campus to this day, and soon, I will have the chance to listen to a court trial.

When I think about the things I have done this year, the random events I have been to, the amazing people I have heard speak, the activities I have participated in, I realize that I would not have had the courage do most of them if it had not been for my major, and now, having done this, I feel like I can do anything I want to do by myself.  I know now that I should have followed my gut all along.  It is journalism that will, not hinder me as I once thought, but will help me to lead the life of adventure that I have always desired.

Ali Bibbo

Building Experience

I have loved journalism ever since I took Journalism 101 my junior year of high school. I took it as an elective, not knowing what I was getting myself into. I was at yet another new school- this time, in New Jersey. I moved around a lot as a kid, and I’ve seen many different places. I’ve learned how to adapt to new schools quickly and make new friends. So, once I finished my first week of journalism class, I was hooked. I knew it was something I could really enjoy doing. I like talking with others, learning about different people, and hearing their stories. It fascinates me.

However, there was one major thing I was worried about. Even though I can make new friends in a snap, in reality, I’m actually pretty shy. I get anxiety when I’m in a big group of people. Once I get talking to people, I’m usually ok, but the hard part was actually going up to someone and striking up a conversation!

Then, I started writing for the school paper. Needless to say, I was intimidated. I walked into the first meeting of the school year as a senior. Most of the kids were sophomores and juniors, but I felt like the youngest one there. They all seemed so experienced! I got assigned to my first story–about the football team. I thought, “You mean I actually have to go up to these big guys and ask them if they would answer a few questions?!” Luckily, I had a friend on the team who introduced me to a few guys. After talking to a couple of them, I started to think this wasn’t so bad. Most people are willing to talk to you and are pretty nice!

Since then, I’ve really gained my confidence as I’ve gotten more experienced with interviews. Not only have I written articles, but I’ve done press photography, and I’ve even been on camera a couple times! Even that still makes me nervous, but I’ve learned to channel my energy and fake it. I’m thankful for journalism, because it has helped me come out of my shell and be confident.

The Unplanned Artist Alley

While doing a photojournalism feature story on Astroland, an independently run art space in a warehouse in North Boulder, I experienced something I expect every journalist experiences at some point in their career.  I stumbled onto an entirely different story that I did not even realize was there.  My original intent was to take pictures of a Fellow Citizens concert hosted by Astroland.  Fellow Citizens is an experimental folk band of current CU students and former CU students who chose to put their education on hold to pursue their musical endeavors.  Their show at Astroland was their last show in a string of shows geared towards the promotion of “Act So Big Forest Comp. Vol 1: Triton,” a compilation album they were featured on.

I found myself at the doors to the warehouse well before the owners and bands arrived, and struck up a conversation with a young man smoking a cigarette on the porch of the town house that shares a wall with Astroland.  After briefly discussing the upcoming concert with him, he informed me that he and a handful of other people run a small studio in the house next door, called Drala.  Before I knew it, he had invited me in to poke around, take some pictures and ask him some questions about his studio.  I learned that Drala is a studio that can work with any budget, and can work with bands of any genre.

I was also told that Drala hosts a series of communal music sessions, where anyone with an instrument can show up and improvise with the other members present. “Scenes are good for creation.  We’re trying to bring back the communal aspect of music.  To a great extent, you are the sum of your community,” said owner Jean Larose.  Larose also informed me that an independently run glass studio shared Astroland’s other wall.

Naturally, I asked why these three independently run art spaces chose to get together on the 4400 block of N. Broadway.  The answer: it was purely accidental.  I was surprised to learn that Drala would not be playing a part in hosting the concert that evening.  In fact, the owners of Drala and Astroland had never collaborated, and had not even known each other prior to leasing property in the alley.

I followed up with both Drala and Astroland several weeks later to inquire about future story ideas.  After months of being neighbors, the two groups announced that they would collaborate in planning a Halloween-themed punk rock concert on Oct. 29.  The two groups will both be hosting bands under their respective roofs, and have shared the responsibility of booking the 13 bands that will be playing.

I found taking the role of the photographer in the journalistic process to be liberating.  Without being tied down to a pen and paper, I was able to keep my eyes open to the context within which the story was happening.  I was able to spot the potential for connections in this unplanned artist alley before those connections were actualized.

-Chris Kennedy

Journalists as Storytellers

As I sat in a cozy room on the second floor of the UMC on Monday night, laptop and tape recorder in hand, watching people file into the room for one of the GLBT Resource Center’s National Coming Out Week events, I had what I would classify as a journalistic epiphany.

I have always thought of journalist’s as storytellers: helping people learn about one another. But as I was covering the GLBT Storytelling Night, I realized that it is having the opportunity to cover and write about events like this one that make this career worthwhile.

Journalism is the opportunity to bring to light these types of happenings and give people the opportunity to potentially gain a new perspective on some aspect of their life based on what they have read.

Listening to these young people share their ‘coming out’ stories, I wanted to just sit and listen, rather than taking notes. These stories of despair, uncertainty, love and even physical abuse were gripping. My heart was filled to the brim from what I had heard.

At one point, a male-to-female transgender student shared the story of telling her Mormon parents of her true sexual identity, to which they responded by telling her she was delusional and subsequently committing her for psychiatric evaluation.

Here in this small room, with 20-or-so in attendance, these young people were sharing some of the most intimate details of their lives. It was beyond moving. I instantly recognized the privilege of sitting in on this particular event and truly honored to not only be able to hear these stories, but to be able to write about them.

The depth of the inspiration that resulted from this event went beyond simply self-reflection. It made me gain a greater appreciation for journalism overall and I have never felt the words of Henry Anatole Grunwald to be truer:

“Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air.”

-Sarah Simmons

CU and Journalism: A New Chapter

My college adventure started in the fall of 2007 at the University of Denver. I started the school year undeclared in the school of Arts and Sciences with little to no idea what I wanted to do. I remember envisioning my dream career as a photo journalist for a ski magazine, traveling all over the world and skiing in places I had never been. I am kicking myself today for never following my dreams back then and taking the sensible route. DU is very small, known mainly for its business school, so I declared a major in business. After two years at DU, I finally made the move to CU where I didn’t get into Leeds School of Business. I took classes in economics, math, and accounting all to complete the necessary courses to be able to apply for an intra-transfer, but after one semester I realized how crazy I was not to pursue a major in something I loved.

Ever since being accepted to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I have had a completely new outlook on school. My strengths were certainly not in math or business courses, and I struggled through semester after semester wondering why I wasn’t in more writing or art classes. This semester is my first as a News-Editorial journalism major and I am loving the direction I am in. Though my path changed from photo-journalism to news-ed, I am so glad I finally realized I can do whatever it is I want to do.

I have loved the assignments we’ve had so far for Public Affairs Reporting, even though sometimes I’ve been frustrated when I can’t get an angle on a story right. I love it because it has forced me to push myself to get involved and take a hands-on approach with every story I write about, instead of sitting back and letting the story come to me. My first article was a profile story for Rick Rokos, the head coach for CU Skiing. I had taken a pass on the fire story, so this was to be my first ever interview and journalistic style interview. I truly had no idea what to expect, and as I walked into Dal Ward I began to get extremely nervous. I’m sure I looked as lost as I felt, as athletes walked past me while I waited at the main entrance where we had agreed to meet. My phone had broken the night before, so I had no way to call him at the number he gave me, and I was worried somehow we might miss eachother. He finally approached me and introduced himself, and I immediately tensed up despite his warm nature. He lead me into a training room, past a sign that read “Athletes and Coaches Only,” and excused himself for just a minute to talk to someone before the interview began. I stood alone, leaning against a trainer’s table thinking that everyone must be wondering who this rule-breaker was. After ten or so minutes, we found a table in a conference room and began to talk. This was an especially hard interview for me to do, as it focused on the death of one of  his athletes a few weeks before, and a close friend of mine had passed away just the night before. I don’t know how I managed to hold myself together as his tone changed from happy to sad once he started describing his athlete, but somehow I did. It ended up being a great interview, and I am so glad I decided to speak with him over anyone else. Although my first article had some glitches, I was proud of my article and the topic I chose. Every experience I get to interview someone new is different, and I love that this class has us get outside the classroom and learn things on our own.

 

-Mackenzie Carroll

To Be Honest

I had every intention of writing about journalism. I did, really. I wanted to talk about my feature story and how into it I was, how much I enjoyed it. But right now, I want to talk about what happened today.

I’ve always been very determined to do the best in school. My older sister is a screw up, dropped out of school, no real goals. I have to do better. I work for a family, with two boys, 2 and 6 years old. Their mother had a work emergency, and dad was out of town. She called, not expecting me to drop everything and rush to help, but just to cover the bases. I know she doesn’t call unless she has to when she knows I’m in school. Today though, I was all she had.

I could have said no. But I didn’t. I had to be there. Not for her, but for the boys. I have never, in all my time working in childcare, felt the way I do about those boys. They are sweet, easy to please, adorable and generally well-behaved. Sometimes the 6 year old rolls his eyes at me, but it only makes me laugh. The younger one though, I don’t know what it is about that little boy, but when I see his face, my heart is overwhelmed.

I wasn’t having the best morning. I felt a little ill, didn’t get everything done I wanted to do, and wanted nothing more than to stay home curled up in bed. But I got up, and went about my day. Around lunch, R called me to see if I could get the kids today. I felt obligated more than anything. I could hear the desperation in her voice. I wasn’t thrilled, but they do pay me to take care of their kids and that’s what she was asking me to do.

I picked the older boy up from school. He was all excited (I rely on bribery with kids, he knows he gets ice cream if he behaves) and I was slightly happier. Then we got to the day sitter’s house to pick up the younger one. I walked in and his face lit up as he ran to me and said “Ball!’ because that’s pretty much the only word he’s gotten down so far. The rest of the day didn’t matter anymore. Not any homework, errands, other work. My whole world was tied to that little face. My mood took a 180 and for the next blissful six hours I played games, watched tricks, attempted to feed (always a struggle which is why ice cream is necessary) and read bedtime stories to two kids who can turn my whole day around.

I had to make a few sacrifices to be there today. I lost time that I needed for schoolwork. I missed some class. But it was worth it. No matter what I do for the rest of my life, there’s those little faces, counting on me, loving me. I have a long night ahead of me, catching up for tomorrow. But for a few hours, I had everything and I was free.