Where did time go?

WOW! I am amazed that yet another semester is coming to a close. I feel like college is just going to fly by, unlike high school haha.

Today was the last day of CNJ111. I'm pretty sad about it. I came to really enjoy the close knit conference style class setting we had. I've learned so much this past semester from Professor Wakhisi. When she told us in the beginning of class on the first day that we would have to strip down all of our old ways of writing and start from scratch, I thought, "I'm sure that she doesn't mean completely...we're just merely going to add on to what we've learned in any journalism class over the years." I was wrong. In the beginning, I will admit, I did have a bit of trouble adapting to this new style because I discovered that writing is much harder than I originally thought it was. After a while, though, I caught on and I have now reinvented the way my mind processes for writing articles.

I really wish that the ethics discussion we had in class this morning was longer, or that we had more days to learn about this. I don't know why, but it fascinates me. Ethics is one of those subjects where there really is no concrete rule, because everyone has different opinions regarding it. What one person thinks is horrendous, like the photo of the man attempting to hang himself, is what another person deems as a perfect opportunity to publish in section A1. I honestly would have published that photo. I mean, yes, suicide goes agaisnt many religious beliefs, but the aspect of the photo was to inform, not to show something "wrong" or "unnecessary". The Cheerios factor maybe would make people gag, but then parents could use that time to explain to their children why suicide is not the answer. That is just the way I see it.

Anyways, I got to run or else I'll be late for my other class. This might be my last blog...or maybe not, we shall see. If it is, then good-bye to my fellow classmates. Have a great summer and hopefully we will run into each other in the fall :)

Photo courtesy of sott.net

EPIC

We watched a video in class last Wednesday that just blew me away. The name of it was"EPIC", and it really scared me. Many of the premonitions in the short film were true. Two examples of this was the Google satellite images, now called Google Earth, and the little clip where it shows that people will be connected by their own media and they will be able to be traced via satellite wherever they go. For the latter, I don't know if there is a place on the internet that does that, but I know that on the iPhone there is an app that traces where everyone is...I think it's called Loopt but I'm not quite sure.

The reason this video frightened me so much is because I am an old-fashioned person. Yes, I was born in the 1990s, where technology was practically revolutionized, but I feel like I should have been a 30s or 40s girl. I believe in keeping private matters private and talking to friends in person, not by Facebook or Twitter. I used to have a Facebook but I deleted it because 1) I was procrastinating on it too much and 2) I felt like the whole world knew everything about me; there was no mystery anymore. I know that having this blog is kind of hypocritical, but in a sense I'm not really telling everyone about me. I'm merely commenting on different experiences that I've had as a journalist or on articles that I've read. I'm not letting people know my location right now or who I'm with or what I'm doing. I miss the olden days, where everything was an adventure and people didn't stare at their phones or laptops all the time. Like I said, I'm old-fashioned, and I know that the world won't go back to the way it used to be. However, I don't have to fall in the trend and be a follower.

To watch the video, go to http://idorosen.com/mirrors/robinsloan.com/epic/

Photo courtesy of weblogs.baltimoresun.com

Yves Colon saves lives

I've known our guest speaker, Yves Colon, since 2008 when I participated in the high school workshop at UM. He was the leader of the workshop, so I learned a lot of valuable information about journalism from him. Upon hearing what he did in Haiti, it didn't surprise me at all. He is the kind of person that really cares about others, and he will try to help them no matter what. I was very happy to hear that the radio program he produced in Haiti saved so many lives. In a time of crisis, people think that no one is out there to help them. I'm sure that after listening to the radio show, those people felt a sort of comfort to know that they were not alone. I'm glad that in this ever-changing world there is still compassion for human kind.

One of my high school workshop mentors is in this article!

I just read an article online that says FIU's (Florida International University) journalism program is going downhill. Accusations towards the dean of the school are going the opposite way. Staff members and students are complaining that the dean is never in her office, she retaliates against dissenters, and lets class sizes be up to 200 students.

After reading this article, I was really worried about my James Ansin/Peace Sullivan Workshop in Journalism and New Media roommate of three weeks Melissa Caceres. She has such a promising future as a print journalist, and it scares me to know that her school is going under. Then I got to the end of the article. There are several quotes from one of the workshop's mentors, Fred Blevens.

Everyone in the workshop loved Fred because he was such a great instructor and confidant. Pretty much all the drama that occurred, Fred would be the one to set it straight. He is very nice, but when something is bothering him, he makes a point to set it straight. It was really good to read his name in this article.

I really hope that things shape up over there. From what I read, FIU needs a change. There needs to be another dean. My vote? Fred Blevens for DEAN!!

To read more, go to this link:

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2010-04-15/news/fiu-s-journalism-program-is-a-mess

Dancing with Death

Ever since I was a little girl, cars have been my passion. I may not look like it from the outside, but trust me, when I get behind the wheel of a car that's fast-- I'm a completely different person. When I am driving, I evolve from that shy, sweet girl to an aggressive, competitive, living-on-the-edge persona. The aspect of driving that I love best is definitely the adrenaline rush. It is just so exhilarating, so intoxicating. It's no wonder that Metin Senturk, a Turkish pop-singer, felt the same way. Only difference between he and I, aside from our nationalities, is that well....he's blind.

I think that it is an amazing feat for Senturk to have driven 182 mph in a Ferrari (my favorite car). The highest speed that I've ever reached was 125 mph. I cannot even imagine what an out of body experience it must have been for the Turkish pop-singer to have gone that fast without seeing. No wonder he called it a "dance with death."

If any of you want to read the article, here's the link: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/04/07/blind-man-takes-ferrari-mph-solo-drive/

Photo courtesy of hypebeast.com

Date Night

I haven't gone to the movies in quite a while. I think the last time I went was when it was still freezing cold in Miami to watch "It's Complicated" (which John Krasinski from "The Office" did an amazing performance in). This weekend, I went to watch "Date Night", which stars Steve Carell (also from "The Office") and the oh-so-funny Tina Fey (from 30 Rock). These two delivered their comedy in a subtle way, allowing views to pick up on their witty comments. If you are expecting a forced type of comedic routine, do not go watch this movie. It is very much like their respective shows-- hilarious, but hidden within content.

I very much enjoyed it, laughing during almost every scene. It's no wonder that Carell and Fey did well opening weekend. Both are loved and respected in the world of comedy by both fans and peers.

The movie beat out "Clash of the Titans", earning $27.1 million. YES!

Go to this site for further information:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/04/date-night-and-titans-too-close-to-call-but-dragon-is-a-winner-at-the-box-office.html

Photo courtesy of The Globe and Mail