3 a.m. thoughts

Since it’s nearly 3 a.m. and I’m still working on homework, I thought I’d post about how awful I am at time managing currently. I think the fact that I’m still up at this hour is enough evidence that I still haven’t adjusted to the school year. My recent decision to take a break from waiting tables has contributed more to my poor time management. For any of you reading this, this is a warning to not procrastinate and to use your planner religiously, or you will end up like me: tired at 3 a.m. before a full day of classes / the newsroom and (inevitably) addicted to caffeine.

Speaking of my day in the newsroom tomorrow (later today?), my story about Ellis Library and its 100th birthday will be published then. I’ll be sure to blog about my experience and post a link to it!

Until later (today).

Update: The Ellis Library centennial story was published on Sept. 23, 2015, not Sept. 22.

Sometimes…

You find yourself studying in a coffee shop and you really, really need to decompress. So, instead of writing a thoughtful, coherent blog post, you:

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and you only add the anecdote that if you turn your volume all the way up in your headphones, you can’t hear yourself slurping down the last sips of your iced coffee. In that way, you don’t feel as rude or obnoxious, and you don’t feel like you’re breaking any social contract. It’s great. That’s all I have for you now; Remember to take time to relieve your stress in whatever ridiculous way you can.

My first and only weekend General Assignment shift

So, I’m on GA today.

It’s off to a slow start since a lot of events / festivals happened this morning before the start of my 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. shift (like the Pets in the Park event which makes me want to adopt 20 cats). In the mean time, I’m looking into story ideas (and trying to catch up on blog posts).

Since I promised in an earlier post that I would blog about what it’s like to write life story, here’s a few tips that I learned:

-Get as much information as possible. Although I couldn’t get ahold of more than two people in the deadline time frame, include more than just a person’s family members. Ask about the details, like personal stories, their passions, hobbies, and their personality.

-Be sympathetic and sensitive to the source’s situation. This is obvious, but, when I was talking to family members, it was easy for me to forget what they had gone through since they were surprisingly calm over the phone. Keep it in mind.

-Accuracy checks and CQ checks are very important. One of the family members from this story thanked me that I took the time to check over every bit of information she gave me. This is a crucial process to any journalistic piece; check over your information with your sources.

-Have confidence in your writing. I was worried that the family wouldn’t like what I wrote about their loved one, but, if you tried your best on it, they will love it. If they don’t, then know you did your best on it (good advice from an assistant city editor).

And last, but not least:

-The story is for the loved ones who just lost someone. As repeated many times in journalism: this isn’t about you. This is a story that remaining friends and family will have to look back on their loved one’s life.

My journalistic guilty pleasure

Okay, I know this has practically nothing to do with reporting, but I would just like to share my love for political satire news outlets with the world. More specifically, The Onion provides me with so much entertainment that satisfies a large part of my sarcastic, cynical personality. Some of their articles are more about everyday occurrences, but others reflect current events happening around the world.

One of my favorites will always be “Man Brings Lunch From Home To Cut Down On Small Joys” because I appreciate their attention to the little details in life that are somewhat relevant. Have you ever tried making your own lunch and bringing it to campus? Regardless, it just isn’t the same as getting lunch with friends.

On a more serious note, they recently had an article titled “Woman Assaulted By Celebrity Just Needs To Sit Tight For 40 Years Until Dozens More Women Corroborate Story.” Although this is not a factual article (as all Onion articles are), it brings up the issue that women are not taken seriously when they say they were assaulted by a notable figure, and celebrities are not questioned for their actions. This story was in regards to recent events involving Bill Cosby and his serial sexual assaults. As the Washington Post wrote in an article, “It wasn’t enough 13 different women accused Cosby of drugging, raping and violently assaulting them. It was only after a famous man, Buress, called him out that the possibility of Cosby becoming a television pariah became real.” The Washington Post explained how Cosby was being turned against in the article as a trusted television celebrity, but The Onion drew more attention to the issue of society and the media not believing women. In addition, I can respect The Onion for drawing attention to more serious issues. Also, “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens” addresses gun violence in America in a satirical way.

Although most people won’t feel the same small fulfillment I feel when I simply read the headline of an Onion article, I will still continue to appreciate them for the witty, satirical “news outlet” they are.

Published

The title speaks for itself: I was published in the Missourian for the first time in Thursday’s paper. It was a one-of-a-kind feeling.

I feel like I have struggled a lot as a writer, mostly with confidence. I am a left-brain type of person: analytical, logical, and purposeful. I thought I was going to be an engineer for a long time since my family history and personality point to it. Then I decided at the end of my high school career to go to journalism school. The best one in the country. Writing never felt natural to me, and I have to work really hard on a piece to be happy with it. That’s how I’ve always felt, so journalism school was intimidating for me in personal ways.

Being a published reporter makes that feeling of intimidation dissolve. Just a little.

This story is a testament to how far I have come in journalism school. The late night Multimedia edits and looking up every word in the AP stylebook for News Writing suddenly feel like forever ago, and it shows that I have learned a lot as a journalist in the past two years. My writing skills have transformed entirely since starting freshman year at Mizzou, and I am amazed that I could go this far.

This story and, in a larger context, this semester are only stops on my journey through the j-school, but I already know this semester is going to transform my writing and my journalistic skills in ways I cannot fathom.

This story was a life story about an incredible human who passed away on Tuesday. Trying to capture someone’s life and spirit in a short story is difficult, but it was an amazing, unique learning experience for me.

I’ll be posting later about what it’s like to write a life story, but here’s the link. Let me know what you think!

The truth about ‘Fake’speare’s Pizza

  Today, I decided to maybe relieve some of the grief I still carry with me since the demolishing of Shakespeare’s on Ninth Street and grab a slice of pizza at the so called ‘Fake’speare’s just around the corner. 

When I walked in, everything felt wrong. It was unfamiliar. The few, vintage flair pieces they had on the walls felt like lies. Even the air felt wrong somehow.

I decided to stay open minded and let the always-chill Shakes employee take my order and it started to feel more familiar. 

And as soon as I took a bite of the pizza, I let go of my haste. 

Sitting there with some friends listening to Rhiannon on the overhead speakers, it made me feel like ‘Fake’speare’s was an acceptable alternative. The pizza was amazing as usual, which should be good enough for any fan of Shakespeare’s. 

So, the truth? Different place, same incredible pizza. Who would’ve thought?

Week 2: tiny update

Lightning round update since I don’t have time to write a long, elaborate post:

-I’m still pretty bad at time managing school, homework, and two jobs (reporting and waiting tables).

-Jotting down little notes have been saving me from the little details that are easy to forget. This probably won’t hold up for long.

-Considering buying a second planner.

-I pitched a story and I’m working on setting up interviews with sources. Very nervous yet excited about how it will turn out.

-The night owl lifestyle is not working out so much anymore.

-I’m surviving on caffeine and granola bars.

-I’m exhausted.

More to follow!

Reporting about reporting

This semester, I’m a reporter for the Columbia Missourian. I started this blog for my News Reporting class, so I’ll be reporting about my experiences as well as anything else I have to say.

Halfway through my first week as a reporter has been interesting nonetheless. I have not written an article just yet, but I have contributed to a larger story which is a step in the right direction. I look forward to the moment (of which past reporters speak) where everything clicks and falls into place. There’s a lot of work to be done to get in that place, and I am more than ready to get there.

Since this is the beginning of what shall be a long, yet rewarding experience, I feel it’s important to mention what I want to accomplish as a reporter.

Most importantly, I want to become more comfortable with myself as a writer.The opportunity to write for a newsroom is such a unique experience that I’m grateful to have at the j-school, but it’s hard for me to transition from one person reading my papers / stories to a mass of readers here in Columbia, Missouri and beyond the city limits. I am very critical of my own work, so it’s hard to imagine having a huge audience reading it as well. I would also like to push beyond the boundaries of what I think I can do. I know that’s a vague, somewhat cliché goal to have, but it’s important to me to walk out with more experience than I could’ve imagined and to feel like I made a difference with my reporting.

A short list, but this is all I can think of at the moment. Although reporting at the Missourian will be a short experience compared to my future in journalism, I hope that I can improve myself greatly and have a starting point of which I can build off.