First few days on the “job”

So, sorry I haven’t blogged for a while, but here’s to trying to catch up.

I was worried all last semester that I wasn’t going to have an internship for the summer, but found out that I have two in Austin! The first is a new media internship with TEXAS MONTLY, and is also with new media/online at KXAN-TV (the NBC affiliate of Austin).

My first week at Texas Monthly was great. The first day I filled out a bunch of paperwork and learned how to post stuff online, and sent them through e-mail (will expand on this later). The second day was orientation, and I got to meet the amazing staff of Texas Monthly and learn what each department does.

Yesterday was my first day at KXAN and boy was it long. I was there from 11 a.m. to 7. I started of the day just posting a million stories to the web. Then, I finally got to write two of my own! Here’s the first one:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/More_than_14_pounds_of_pot_found

Unfortunately, because KXAN doesn’t post a story online without a media component (photo, video, etc.) my second story hasn’t been posted…yet.

After I finished the two stories we got a tip that there was a terrible accident nearby where three workers died. Here’s the story:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/mobile/afd_3_injured_after_condo_site_fall

I didn’t write it, but I got go to the scene of the accident as KXAN broke the news. It was quite sad, given three people died. I was excited that I got to actually go out and see the action, but sad that the family’s of these three men would never get to see them again.

After that, I posted more advertorial stuff online and then ended off the day using syndicaster to cut the 6 p.m. news into clips that go directly to YouTube, and can be later used to post to future stories.

Well, I would write more, but I’m in a bit of a hurry so until next time, BYE!

P.S. I will try to update more!

If the future exists.

I don’t remember when life got so complicated. There’s so much to think about these days, mainly the future.

I’m ready for summer because it will hopefully be a chance for me to relax and do something I enjoy. I applied for the Critical Language Scholarship through the US Department of State. I know it is an extremely competitive scholarship, but I really hope I get it. It would give me the chance to go back to the Middle East and study Arabic.

Right now the goal is to one day, inshAllah, become fluent (love how I threw some Arabic in there :D).

Anyways, I am also applying for a journalism internship in London, which would also be a fantastic opportunity. My university has a program where students can spend a semester in New York. Ideally spending time in New York, Los Angeles, London or any other major city would be a great learning opportunity and really give me a feel for the industry.

With everything that’s been going on, I think it would be selfish of me to leave my family and add unneeded costs to go to New York and intern. It would also perhaps prolong my graduation which would again be an added cost.

Anyways, I’m torn between which I would do: go to the Middle East and study Arabic or go to London and intern. Of course that’s assuming I get either, which both are going to be competitive so who knows.

Either way my dream right now is to intern with a major corporation and just do something I enjoy. I’ve been working as copy editor for my universities newspaper and have really grown to like it. I’m not sure if I’m any good at it, but it’s enjoyable so that’s always a plus.

I keep thinking what I want to do with my journalism degree, but either way I think it’s something I will enjoy. I really love sitting on the computer and just playing around with different designs and learning different programs. Since I started working I’ve produced a couple of slideshows using Soundslides which was fun.

Anyways, I think this semester is going to be tough…a couple of my classes are going to require a lot of work and I know I’ve been a bit lazy lately. Sometimes it seems like no matter how hard I study I can’t quite get the grades. That’s the thing about school, some of the classes I’ve gotten bad grades in are the classes I feel I learned the most from, yet my grade doesn’t reflect that.

I honestly think that grades, though sometimes are important, shouldn’t be the main focus or concern for people. As far as my future “career” in journalism is concerned, I think I have plenty of skills to do a good job as a journalists, and that I will learn through my classes but in the end it’s my attitude and responsibility that matters.

ANYWAYS. Enough rambling! I’m out.

Peace.

Classes at AUC (I couldn’t think of a witty title)

SO, sorry it’s been a while since I have updated my blog. I guess I should let ya know how my classes are going.

 

So, Sunday I missed my Anthropology class—but I think a lot of people did and I didn’t really miss much. We went over the syllabus…and I will have to write a 14-15 page research paper discussing a country of the Middle East, the country’s geography, natural resources, traditions, politics, etc. I’m not sure which country I want to write about but I gotta figure it out soon. I’m thinking Egypt…since I’m in Egypt. Or maybe a smaller less known country like Qatar, Kuwait of Bahrain would be interesting.

 

So, next class was Arabic, which I will have four times a week. I’m a little worried about my Arabic class because it looks like it’s going to be super hard!!! The teacher only speaks in Arabic to us, and even when he’s explaining new concepts he explains them in Arabic and expects us to understand. Also, I feel like a lot of the people in my class are more advanced in Arabic, and I have no clue what’s going on! That class makes me feel a wee bit dumb…so I guess I’ll need to do A LOT of studying!

 

Ok, Monday’s and Wednesday’s I have my three journalism classes, which all seem like they are going to be a blast!! All of my professors seem like they are going to make the class a lot of fun, and they are all really accomplished. Two of them formerly worked for CNN, CBS, National Geographic…and all that cool stuff!

 

For my online journalism class I will be eventually creating a Web site, for which I am going to need to start a blog, so when I do I will put a link of that to here so you guys can check that out! Also, a girl in the class asked me if I wanted to freelance for the Caravan, which is the AUC school paper which will be neat. One of my goals is to publish something while I’m here—even if it’s just for the school newspaper.

 

My broadcasting class also seems like it’s going to be a lot of fun, but a little bit difficult considering I don’t have a television. I am doing my best to listen to CNN and BBC radio online—but as far as watching them online, my internet is just waaaay to slow for that…so who knows how this class is going to go!

 

And finally, my Camera and Editing class is AWESOME! The teacher is really cool, he did the kind of stuff I want to do in the future where he just packed up his stuff and went to a foreign country where news was happening and shot, edited and produced a story for companies like CNN.

 

The only problem with this class is that the professor wanted to talk to me and the other study abroad student in my class to let us know that the class is over its enrollment limit and that one of us is going to be kicked out! Now I’m just waiting to see which one of us it is going to be. I’m not really sure how the professor is going to decide, but if nobody volunteers to drop the class, he’ll try to decide by who enrolled in the class first. I hope I don’t get kicked out of the class!!! Since Baylor doesn’t have a broadcasting program, I am really looking forward to being able to use a camera and learning the basics of reporting, recording, editing, and producing a story.

 

OK, that’s all about the classes. As far as the campus, because it is so far away we are all stuck there until our classes are over and we catch a bus back, so the place is really crowded. There are Egyptians/Arabic speakers everywhere!! And very few study abroad/international students so I still kind of feel like an outsider. I feel like a freshman all over again—I gotta make friends, find my way around and adjust to the college lifestyle.

 

Oh before I forget, as far as the school is concerned—it’s funny that we are trying to hold classes there when the place is still under construction. One of my professors was saying (and I think more directed towards the Egyptians students) that they should complain to the provost and get their parents to complain, demanding part of their tuition back. The reason being that they are paying for an American education and with all of the construction they really deserve better than what they are getting. I personally, think the campus looks beautiful, but I definitely understand that with the construction, there are many constraints on the professor’s ability to do certain things, like show important videos, get internet access, have air conditioning, and other technological problems.

 

 

OK, I think this blog is long enough, and I’ve bored you enough :p I will write more about school later!

 

Thanks for reading my blog :]

 

Who killed Bhutto?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/10/un.pakistan/index.html

 

Here is an article from entitled “Bhutto probe focus of U.N.-Pakistan talks” from CNN’s Web site. The article calls for the investigation of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s death.

 

Before I even read the article I was quickly reminded of what my mother told me while she was in Pakistan in March/April.

 

Knowing my interest in journalism and world affairs, my mom told me of a great story that needs to be written.

 

Anyways, since my mom went to Pakistan shortly after the assassination of Bhutto, there were lots of “rumors” on the local streets of the towns she visited.

 

I say that these are rumors simply because there has not been an investigation and there are no facts to back it up, but who knows? It could be true.

 

Anyways, what she was told is that the assassination of Bhutto could have been initiated by her husband. Bhutto was a member of Pakistan’s People’s Party (PPP) and was liked among many Pakistani’s.

 

According to Pakistani locals, she was most likely going to win the election and to add to that she planned on divorcing her husband after she won. Obviously this would be shameful for her husband and a possible motive for planting a suicide bomber–so the husband could maintain his honor and dignity.

 

Anyways, this was just a short and to the point blog. That’s what I was told “word on the street” was after the assassination of Bhutto.

 

Unfortunately a story has yet to be written citing the cause of death of Bhutto, or addressing the possibility of the conspiracy my mom told me about. Also, an investigation still hasn’t occurred but I believe that justice should prevail to prevent murders of political figures like this one in the future. Until the family allows an autopsy no one may ever know.

Through My Looking Glass (es). Part One.**

I’ve always been somewhat of a slow reader, and as a journalist, that’s not exactly the best thing to be. But, the other day I finally realized why. I’m not the kind of person that can just skim a book to get its general plot, and breeze through it without paying close attention to details and say that I read it for what it’s worth.

 

Also, in a nerdy sort of way, I often find myself re-reading particular sentences over and over just to admire the style in which the author chose to write it—it’s complexity, diction, beauty, etc. For that reason alone, I often get stuck spending more than needed to finish just one page of a book. I also sometimes feel that I have a bad memory, another characteristic that’s not exactly good to have as a journalist. But, through my over analysis of things and drive to get every detail perfect I feel it’s not important to have a good memory in general, but rather important to remember what’s important. So by reading books with a detailed eye I feel that I pick up on things that others might not pick up on, which may be important details later on in the book. So essentially, by taking more time to read the book I can understand it better and get a greater experience from reading it than those who rush through it.

 

Anyways, I guess the point of this blog was to say that I made a goal for myself this summer to read as many books as I possibly can. Needless to say, that goal was quickly broken. I started off the summer strong reading Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns before May was even over. I had read Hosseini’s Kite Runner after my older sister and I made a deal. I was to read Kite Runner, and she was to read, Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith (a book I read in my Ethics: Ethnicity and Eating class a few semesters ago) which of course she never did. I however, always (  J ) keep my end of a bargain…not to mention the Kite Runner was a great book.

 

Anyways, I started reading A Thousand Splendid Suns after finals were over and I have to say that it was one of the best books I had read in a very long time. Though both Hosseini’s books were amazing, I think I liked Splendid Suns better than Kite Runner (one person suggested that perhaps the reason for this was because Suns was written from a girl’s perspective while Kite Runner was from a boy’s perspective, which very well might be the case). I rarely find books that I am sitting on edge trying to figure out what happens next, but this was one of those books. At the same time I ruined the book for myself, which I often also do with movies, because I have a bad habit of guessing what is going to happen next…and am usually right :]. But nonetheless, for me, this book gets and A++.

 

 

**OK, in an effort to make my blogs not seem endless, I am going to try to break up these next few according to the different books/topics from each book they are about.

 

If this was boring for you I’m sorry. I promise this blog “series about what I read” will get better and more interesting!…I hope.

 

Keep reading and feel free to leave me comments :] I know this isn’t your typical blog with juicy details of the happening of my weekend or day, etc. but hopefully it’s still interesting.

 

 

ALSO, if there are any typos in any of my blogs I apologize. Please don’t think I’m dumb. I just simply don’t have time to go through all of my entries and make sure all of the grammar and punctuation is correct.