Thoughts

Again, I saw your gaze.
But when we attempt to speak,
our concentration strays.
Why continue pursuing you,
especially when "our poem" 
has no cliche ending that rhymes.

Death to "the death of journalism"

Good report by 60 Minutes.

However, terminology is important when discussing the status of journalism in America. Journalism isn't dying, it's changing. Trust me. Plenty of people I've talked to are skeptical when I tell them I'm a journalism/mass communication student. In fact, I've given a lot of thought to this subject and questioned studying this major many times. Nevertheless, I've done my homework and have realized that much, nearly all, of this talk about "journalism being a failing business" is exaggerated fluff. IT's simply not true. Journalists can still be successful in the digital revolution.

The word "journalism" is developing a negative connotation. The digital revolution, including the fall of the daily print newspaper and uprise of cheap and inaccurate online "news" sources, is at fault. What so many people don't realize, and at one point I did too, is that there's so much more to journalism than headlines, bylines, and newspaper ink that gets smeared all over your fingers. There's strategic communication, like public relations, marketing, event planning, nonprofit advocacy (what I'm most interested in); creative communication, like documentary writing and production and video game creation; and media research, like determining if viewing large amounts of sexual media makes people more sexually active or more likely to commit sexual crimes (an area of study that is very important.)

In this changing market, journalists have to be well-rounded and flexible. They need to have talents and interests in varying kinds of media and topics. One-trick-ponies are no longer acceptable. Photographers, editors, and cameramen/women are becoming obsolete professions. Nowadays, it's more likely that an employee be given the tasks of those three professions. Being tech-saavy and having strong writing skills, among other things, are key to being successful in the digital revolution. Journalists need to add more weapons to their arsenals and develop the skills to use them.

Fortunately, I'm at a university whose school of journalism teaches this brand of journalism. All of the areas of study that I listed in the second paragraph are, in fact, offered by the SMJC at Iowa. The SMJC offers a wide array of courses that its student can take, from classic depth reporting and writing courses, to graphic design classes, and even a workshop that teaches students how to create an iPhone app. I mean, the SMJC seems to be on top of the "changing times." It's headed in the right direction.

So, please, next time that there's a discussion about newspapers, journalism, or media, make your contribution to the discussion by saying "changing" instead of "dying" (with appropriate verb conjugation) because, frankly, saying "journalism is dead" is dead.

2012 Iowa Swim and Dive Thanksgiving

Operation Team Turkey Dinner was a success...I'm keeping this short and sweet.
We ate nearly if not all three 25 lb turkeys, I didn't get to taste my own casserole (it was all gone by the time I got to it while in line), there were leftover (which is rare), and many of us voiced our opinions on what we think our fellow teammates are thankful for. What a riot. Great food and great people. I love this team. Go Hawks.

Team Thanksgiving Preview

Today, the Team is continuing its Thanksgiving dinner tradition. A sign up sheet was placed in the Team Room this past week, and many of us signed up to bring our favorite dishes. Several women's team members are making festive desserts and other classic Turkey Day dishes, like cheesy mashed potatoes and stuffing. For those who aren't kitchen savvy, their was a financial contribution option that will help to pay for the three 25 lbs. turkeys! Yum!
I'm very much looking forward to tasting everyone's creations and revisiting my own cooking abilities. I might be a little rusty because it's been a year since I Iast made green bean casserole...good thing I have a very detail recipe to follow. I was told to make two batches of my casserole, so I need to go get the ingredients for one more.
What's so wonderful about this occasion is that so many teammates are willing to pitch in and participate. Among many other things, I'm thankful for my college team, in that they are willing and eager to schedule events that all team members can join in on. Even though our group is nearly 70 people, we have strong bonds with one another, which has definitely created a family-like atmosphere. Today will be a fantastic opportunity to continue strengthening our ties.
Please check back later this evening and tomorrow to read my blog about how the dinner turned out!
Go Hawks!

Throwback Thursday: Halloween Edition

Although October 31st has come and gone, Halloween festivities are still prevalent on campus. This year's holiday has fallen at the middle of the week and is bracketed by two weekends with equally great opportunity to celebrate. Many people that I've talked to don't know which weekend to celebrate on, so they've extended it to a week-long spook-fest. Even though I didn't purchase or wear a costume or even eat a single piece of candy during "Halloween Week," I was reminded of an article I wrote while on the student newspaper at Ames high school. Hopefully this can make up for my lack of Halloween spirit this week. Enjoy your Throwback Thursday...

"Unsanitary Halloween"

October 29, 2010

On a rather chilly night, great festivities will soon begin. Jack-o-lanterns are lit, the candy bowl is full, the haunted-house music is playing, and Halloween spirit is swirling in the air. Giddy trick-or-treaters put on their costumes, smear make-up on their faces, grab pillowcases from their moms, and head out the door to load up on sweets. One trick-or-treater, dressed as Ron Weasley, hasn’t been feeling his best lately. Actually, he missed school earlier in the week because of flu-like symptoms. He has been feeling better recently, but his nose has been running a lot.

The group of trick-or-treaters arrives at the first house. One kid rings the door bell, an annoyed teenager opens the door... “Trick-or-Treat!” The boy realizes that he forgot his tissues back at home, so before reaching into the candy bowl, he wipes his snotty nose on his hand and puts his hand into the bowl. The last trick-or-treater grabs some candy and decides to eat it now. Not noticing that the chocolate bar that she has chosen to eat and her hand are covered with snot, the girl rips open the wrapper, and the candy is gone in an instant.

I have few memories of having a “Happy Halloween”. One visual that sticks out in my mind was from second grade. I was standing in front of my closet looking at my “Pop-Star Diva” costume that my mom and I bought together. A feeling of sadness came over me because I wasn’t going to have the chance to wear it. I was too sick to go outside. In fact, I was sick most of the time when I was younger. Since then, I have adopted many good hygiene habits, practice them daily, and have gotten better at keeping myself healthy. Most importantly, I have avoided a number of unsanitary Halloween traditions.

            Trick-or-treating has come to a close, so same group of kids goes back to the house this story first began at. The moms have put together lots of activities for the trick-or-treaters to participate in, so they go out to the garage to begin the fun. The first station is bobbing for apples, and what a way to start out this party with dunking your face into a bucket of bacteria and viruses! According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, water-borne diseases include MRSA, mononucleosis, and many others. It isn’t likely that these diseases can be transferred after only having the head in a bucket of water for a few seconds, but it could happen. The classic Halloween tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns is another activity in the garage and this is what these kids are most excited about. However, pumpkins have a history of being infected with Salmonella and E. Coli bacteria. Let’s hope that these pumpkins are carved using wand-power, not kid-power.

The parents of three of the kids from this trick-or-treating group have something better to do than take care of their children on this night, so these three must walk home from the party. The first kid takes a route that leads him into a haunted forest, and while dodging branches, one hits him in the eye. A few weeks later, this kid ends up in the hospital because a parasite is living in his eye. The second kid walks through an open field. She suddenly trips over a rock, or at least that’s what she explained to her parents in her recovery room after a long series of shots to prevent the rabies virus from spreading through her body from a Werewolf bite. The last kid also walks through the same open field, and wakes up in a hospital bed after a blood transfusion due to a Vampire bite.

            The following morning, one kid wakes up and begins to scratch her head. She tells her mom that her head itches. Her mom then goes into “Mommy-on-a-Mission-Mode” to seek out what’s wrong with her daughter. She checks her head, thinking all it is is a dry scalp, but she finds a louse in her hair.

            Perhaps being sick a lot wasn’t bad after all. It seems like I didn’t miss much. Of course, I will carry out my healthy habits, but I’m considering participating in Halloween this year. Maybe I can go trick-or-treating for some leftover Ames High band candy.

Saying Goodbye

Buster passed away at home at two this morning. My parents and I have been up since then. Dad just got up from a nap, but Mom and I haven't slept yet. The last thing I said to Buster when I kissed him goodnight last night was, "You can fight through it. I know you can. You can." And he couldn't. 

Oh, how I miss that dog. It's hard to project my feelings right now. Limited sleep and my depressed mood have me in a daze. I asked Mom at about 10 this morning if this is a dream. My family can't get over the fact that Buster is gone. We will never be able to kiss, hug, pet, or talk to him again. We will never be able to see his wagging tail or touch his soothing, blonde fur again. My heart hurts. I've never loved anything more than that dog.

Buster was a charmer. It's said that you get the dog you need, not the one you want. I needed a kind heart to get me through elementary, middle, and high school. From him, I learned that no matter how another person is (stubborn, arrogant, etc.), it's possible to treat them with kindness. There were so many times I would come home from school frustrated. Buster was able to break down the barrier of anger that I had and get through to me. He always made me feel wanted and that I was worth it.

My favorite memory of Buster was when Dad and I took him to a reservoir back when we lived in California. Lake Hennessey was its name. Buster was pretty young then, maybe 3 years old. We walked from the truck down to the lake shore and told Buster to jump in. And he did! (This lake was a water source for Napa County, so he wasn't really allowed to swim there. Don't tell.) This was one of his first experiences in the water. Even though he's a lab, he's never liked water. He got nervous when he couldn't touch the bottom. Part of his fear is from a lack of experience. My family says Buster left the swimming up to me ;) After getting him out of the water Dad and I tried fishing. There was so much debris from fallen trees that we kept loosing our lures. We moved on and took Buster for a hike. We walked for hours around the lake on a dirt path. Dad eventually dropped the leash and let Buster walk on his own. He stayed with us the entire rest of the hike. I was so proud of him for doing that. We had mutual trust for each other from that point on. Buster was so filthy that day, too.

I feel a sense of relief now that he's no longer in pain, breathing rapidly, or anxious. It hurt me to see such a wonderful being in distress. I did my best to cover up my sadness with a smile when I looked at him yesterday.

One of my club coaches said it best, "Be strong." (Thanks Arkady.) I move into my dorm on Monday and I'm not anywhere close to being packed. It's important for me to stay on track and celebrate the great life Buster had.

Thank you for your thoughts, everyone. Even if you never got to meet him, I'm sure you heard me talking about him and/or saw pictures of him on Facebook. 

Buster did a lot for our family. Without a doubt, he made the last (20 days shy of) 10 years the most enjoyable of my life. Thank you, Buster.

"Weeks to live"

The vet at the Iowa State University Vet Clinic told my parents yesterday that Buster has only "weeks to live." That kind of news stuns your heart. In the past weeks, I never imagined that these days leading up to my move to college would be my last with him. I've never been more sad in my life.

A well-deserved kiss

Much of Buster's distress is from worrying about not being able to breath. We see this especially when he's put to bed.  He pants while in his crate, probably because he's a little claustrophobic. Our goal is to make him as comfortable as possible. My mom has slept with him in the living room for many nights now. I decided last night that I'd take my turn. Mom has lost sleep and I felt the need to do something meaningful for Buster. I got up and sat with Buster on the floor once or twice (can't remember...my memory is a little foggy) and petted him. I, too, lost sleep, but my selfless act was definitely worth it.

Buster had another appointment at 9am this morning, but my parents cancelled it. The vet was going to take cells from his liver to see if they are cancerous. The thing is the test is accurate only 75% of the time, and we can't starve Buster any longer. That isn't fair to him. Buster is so thin right now that I can see the structure of his skull through his skin. Not only has a lack of food caused this, but the Lasix medication has reduced much of his water weight. His skin isn't plump anymore. His fur is beginning to feel dry and has lost its volume. Also, his stomach was shaved for an ultrasound. Every discomfort adds up. He's in pain, so I'm going to make sure these last 3 days are the best we can possibly have together.

I'm sitting on the floor with him and he has finally fallen asleep. It's possible that he didn't sleep at all last night.

Thank you for your thoughts.