The University of Blog

After my conference on poverty, I went to stay with my aunt and uncle who live in San Francisco. It was great to be able to visit them- it had been a couple of years since I’d been out there last. I knew my mom wanted to be there, but it was nice to have some one-on-one time with them. I visited my grandpa in Palo Alto on one day and then we had a nice family dinner where my other aunt and uncle stopped by.

Then since they had to work on Monday, I made a day of it. I visited my aunt’s office and then we went out to a sushi restaurant where it rotates around and you grab whichever sushi you want. When my aunt grabbed the raw calamari, I knew that the limit of my cuisine curiosity ended there. Needless to say, I did not try it. After my meal, I visited the modern art museum or (MOMA) and saw the Frieda Kahlo exhibit. It was super crowded but definitely worth it to be able to see those unforgettable works in person.

I also had a nerve-wracking bus ride to the Haight (or hippie central). While the bus was uncomfortable, it was great to explore the city and be able to see some sights. Earlier in the week I visited Pier 39 and had some delicious clam chowder. Then I was able to visit the public radio station KQED—the most listened to public radio station in the United States. I met up with a someone who runs a health show that introduced me to everyone at the station including the former news director who was really excited about convergence. I walked out of his office wanting to work there. The huge bowl of dark chocolate sitting out reaffirmed that desire. If anything was a sign, that was.

All in all, it was a great trip full of excitement before school starts Monday–A mini-vacation that was greatly needed.

Last week, I traveled to San Francisco for a conference on poverty. It was put on by the National Network of Presbyterian College Women—and my church paid my way. Last year the conference was in D.C., but I thought that the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge was a significant indicator that I should go again this year.

At first the topics did not seem to tie into the theme of The Power of Poverty much. We talked about race, class and gender and the intersections among them. I found that what really resonated with me was the discussion about class. With everyone so quick to classify themselves as in the middle class, class as a topic is generally glossed over. However, I learned that class actually includes more than I would have expected, and the divisions among class have very little to do with a person’s income. I learned that it actually has more to do with knowledge of middle class values, and access to resources such as education, emotional connections, coping strategies and health resources.

This really opened my ideas to understanding the different classes. For example, if a person won 10 million dollars–that would not automatically make them in the upper class (two generations are needed to change class) but rather what would make them mobile within class would be acting and having the understanding of the upper class and so forth. I really enjoyed the discussions, and I learned that it actually had a lot to do with poverty because it is all interwoven.

What opened my eyes to poverty was our visit to the Tenderloin district—one of the most concentrated poor districts in San Francisco. We walked the streets and saw a man pull out needles out of a black bag, smelled pot on the streets and say people just standing around looking hungry, but not necessarily begging. When we returned to the Network Ministries (an outreach nonprofit in the area) to discuss what we had seen, it seemed as if each girl saw a different thing. The buildings weren’t decrepit, the people seemed to have a sense of community, but we all saw that there was a need for something to be done. With less funding for mental health services, many people are not getting the help that they need. Network Ministries helps prostituted women leave that lifestyle as well as provides other services including counseling.

After this workshop, I left refreshed. After seeing and hearing all of this, it is easy to become really discouraged about all the poverty in all the different forms that exist. However, I live in a community where there is poverty as well – maybe not as severe as the Tenderloin district- but still I could make a change if I decided to. And you know what? It is possible if I find my niche and a way to contribute that I could make a difference. I just need to find where I fit.

Today I made the trek to Rock Bridge State Park. We made the turn for a sweet trail that led into a creek and a swimming hole. I went with a friend from work who brought her dog Figo. The three of us were the only ones on the trail. After an initial slip in the mud on my part, we walked through the creek and arrived at a deep, cool place to swim complete with a rope swing. The water was high so the rope swing was ineffective, but it was a great reward to hike for about twenty minutes and jump into some refreshing water. The amazing thing was that it was just us- there was no one else around, and I felt such a part of nature. Just like Thoreau in Walden Pond. We brought some snacks and ate while playing fetch with Figo. Basically, it was a great day, and I can’t wait to go again.

Stardeath and the White Dwarfs

Last weekend my roommates and I hit up the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival in Lawrence, Kansas. The campsite is only about ten minutes from my home, but we decided to camp this year. After driving three hours to get in Thursday afternoon, we arrived to warnings of the biggest storm since the mid-1970s (the year of seven tornadoes). Needless to say, we stopped in at the grounds and then headed back to my house to sleep. Back at the campgrounds, everyone was safe but may have had a flooded tent or have had to sleep in their cars. I felt a bit like a wimp for leaving, but I had no desire to sleep in a car.

Friday is when all the music that I was really excited to see went down. We saw Stardeath and the White Dwarfs (Wayne Coyne’s nephew’s band—they are in highschool, and are really good), Apollo Sunshine, Galactic, Flaming Lips, Built to Spill and Cake. Cake had a scheduling issue and ended up playing really late, but it was really cool to see them perform and play the songs that I listen to regularly. By far, the Flaming Lips put on the best show – Wayne Coyne certainly knows how to perform to a festival crowd. My roommate Kristin had seen them several times and was fairly unimpressed, but the combination of the songs, confetti and crazy dancing made it a great experience and not one that I will soon forget. When I hear “Do you Realize” I will now remember that moment dancing at Wakarusa to that song with my closest friends.

Flaming Lips

Saturday was a day full of mild exhaustion, dirt accumulated from camping and fun music. We headed to the music tents early to check out the bands — Ozomatli played last year, and are a mixture of Spanish, hip-hop, rap and salsa. The Old 97s played before Ben Folds and were a mixture of pop and rock-and-roll. I saw Ben Folds last year at Mizzou and it was fun in the festival crowd. It was too bad that he overlapped with STS9, that did amazing things with colored lights, smoke and 3D lasers. I lost the people that I came with to crazy crowd dancing. For me the night ended with Yard Dogs Road Show. It was a bit of vaudeville mixed with theatrics – there was even a knife eater (there is little that is more impressive in a performance than knife eating).

We packed up early Sunday, checked out Dr. Dog and the communal drum circle and headed out. For Wakarusa, I really enjoyed the bands that were not quite as “jam-bandy.” I like finality. I could dance forever to one song, but I like noticing the changes in songs. I also like lyrics. I think that Wakarusa did a good job this year of creating a mixture of jam-bands and more mainstream bands. I’m sad the weekend is over, but excited for the summer ahead.

The insomniac tour of the Hirshhorn museum had live music as well as samples of Starbucks for an entrance fee of $12.
It would make sense that the Nation’s Capital is very accessible. The museums are free, the monuments are open late, and there are tons of local events available to the entire public. Just about the only closed aspect of the city are the politicians. Luckily we were not cooped up in the hotel all weekend and had time to explore this open city. Since I have been to D.C. several times, I did not feel a need to see the monuments again. I decided instead to follow my friend who interned for NPR this summer around to her favorite local sites. I am always to excited to explore a city from the perspective of a local.

We were able to go to eat Thai food in Chinatown, go shopping for some deals, and experience the nation’s capital by night. One restaurant, Rosa Mexicana, decorated with pink and leopard print, catered to the crowd looking for a chic place to eat. There were several carts there manned by guys who make the guacamole right in front of the tables. It doesn’t get better than that. Although it does when you can have free tacos at the National Press Club. We went a couple of times and I kept wondering who were those that were around me.

With our badges, we were able to meet other journalists at the National Press Club.

On Friday night, we went to the Hirshhorn, a modern art museum that spirals up through several stories of contemporary art like Morris Lewis. This was the “insomniac tour” of the museum complete with live music and then a DJ. Starbucks showed the flavor pairings for several of their blends of coffee and offered $5 gift certificates for the samplers. Of course, I am always up for a deal, and I had to partake. Then, if we had enough time we could have decorated canvas bags. I must say that this event gave me a taste of a sophisticated life.

Sunday morning we headed out to the Eastern Market on Capital Hill, which is a blend of a local farmers market as well as a flea market. Local vendors lined the street to sell their handmade jewelry as well as fresh produce. Even old shoes are available to the interested buyers. This event was the best way to be able to get a feel for how to it would be to live in D.C.

The local events mixed with the professional events provided a mini educational vacation. And in the mist of all the projects, midterms, and articles, this break could not be more welcomed and allowed me to get an idea of what I would like to do after college. It is a very clouded notion, but at least it is becoming more clear.

Discussing Watergate 35 years later, Bob Bradlee, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein present at the convention in D.C.
Citizen journalism is in. Blogging is in. Technology is definitely in when it comes to journalism. These and other trends I learned at the Society of Professional Journalists” Convention in Washington D.C. Hundreds of journalists used their reporters’ notebooks for a different cause- to record information at various classes from Oct. 4-7, 2007. This experience not only allowed our chapter to learn about how to get a job or how to report on various issues, but also allowed us to meet professionals in the field and realize that SPJ is so much bigger than just our group at Mizzou.

Among the classes that I went to which included a forum on climate change, how to take great photos, how to write interesting feature stories, my favorite sessions were the “super sessions” led by heavyweight journalists. One of these was by Ken Paulson, editor of USA Today, who led a class titled “From Superman to Subpoenas” that traced the cause of the “toxic” environment for journalists today as well as advice on how to unite a voice on 1st amendment issues to serve the American people. Editor Len Downie was also there to discuss the changing face and Internet presence of The Washington Post.

A big topic for this year’s conference was the federal shield law that is being debated in the Senate as well as the House and if it is necessary. Of course a majority of the crowd was definitely for the federal shield law. One forum brought in someone from the other side, which led to some heated discussion. One interesting fact was that Hurst had received 80 subpoenas last year alone. It definitely showed the trend of the government wanting the information that journalists have and the role of journalists to protect their sources.

The most attended session was with Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein discussing Watergate 35 years later. With them was Ben Bradlee (editor of The Washington Post at the time) as well as Scott Armstrong from the Senate Watergate Investigating Committee, Alicia Shepard (author of Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate) and Daniel Shore from the dinosaur days of CBS moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS. What a powerhouse! I felt so honored to even be in the same room as them. When they all took the stage, many rushed to take photos proving that celebrity journalism is indeed a reality. Hearing the stories around Watergate was amazing because that case broke the idea of regularity in government and brought the importance of the watchdog role of journalism to light.

Taking a call (or picking up a prestigious phone) at the National Press Club, I was among greatness with the photos on the wall.

Technology fails. I have not seen this as much as I have this week. I will see it a lot more in the coming weeks as I get deeper into my sequence. Apple Script errors are no fun, especially while under a deadline. My convergence website is coming along nicely. We learned Avid editing and how to embed that on our websites. I cannot wait until we put packages together.This week I worked to get my homework and projects done before I leave for Washington D.C. tomorrow for a Society of Professional Journalists convention.

Now that I’ve had time to think about the fact that I am leaving tomorrow, I am very excited. Unfortunately, our flight leaves very early so I will up to leave at 3:30 a.m. After our flight, we will take the metro to the Hyatt Regency and begin the four-day conference. Some highlights that I’m very excited for include Woodward and Bernstein’s presentation as well as professional development. Since I spent an hour at office Depot copying resumes yesterday, the hope is that I can come away with good contacts and a possible lead on an internship this summer. Good luck!

I went with my family to Estes Park, Colorado on the base of the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a beautiful area to visit. If you like outdoors, this is the place to be. We were able to horseback ride (2 hours), whitewater raft on the Poudre River (low water, got stuck on a lot of rocks), and fly-fish.

I had never fly-fished before and we went on a half-day trip with a guide on the Big Thompson River. It was wonderful. I caught two rainbow trout and one brown trout. Unfortunately, my parents weren’t so lucky. I had no idea how much skill that fly-fishing takes. We wore waders and got right into the river, and used our flies to emulate the bugs in the river. And it worked!

Estes Park is very touristy, but once we got up into the Rockies, the crowd disappeared. It was pure nature. When we got up 13,000 feet near Rock Cut in the Tundra, we saw a family of elk. We also saw elk crossing the street lower in Estes Park. They were huge!! Completely unbelievable. With all of the great food and adventure, it turned out to be one excellent family vacation.

I went to the National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW) conference (Speak Truth to Power) in Washington, D.C. at American University. We were able to go to the office of the National Presbytery and learn about such issues like the Farm Bill, reproductive rights, immigration, and healthcare. We were then able to discuss these issues and how we felt about them during a “Speak Your Mind” forum.

Every night we had different plenary speakers. One of the most interesting women that spoke to us was Mara Vanderslice at Common Good Strategies, which is a political consulting firm for Democratic candidates. She served the Kerry campaign as the Director for Religious Outreach. It really got me thinking about the connection between religion and politics. And there can be one by using faith as a “moral compass” to drive political thought. Also, by using the power of the vote as well as writing letters to representatives and congressmen, this can really make a difference.
We also learned what we could bring back to our campuses to have successful programs in which people come and care about the issues. The biggest way to accomplish this and get participants is to build relationships. We learned that this is the key to not doing all of the work ourselves.

Touring the city, we visited the National Organization of Women (NOW), which is a feminist organization working toward women’s rights. They were organized originally to help pass the Equal Rights Amendment. The other groups visited the Center for Community Change, to give members of communities tools to change their communities for the better, and the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House. The biggest thing that I took away from this conference was to just be involved and informed. Knowing the issues and writing letters is one of the best things you can do because Washington cares what their constituents think.

Back from Spring Break with site difficulties, but now we are back up. Also, I feel refreshed to tackle the last few projects and tests of the semester. Five weeks left! I know that I am counting down.

I traveled to Seattle to visit my brother. The first day while he was working, I navigated the bus system to go to Pike’s Place public market. Here, you can buy flowers, fresh fish, vegetables and fruit, and baked goods. I picked up an art print and a poster. Then, I saw some live fish at the Seattle Aquarium. After lunch, I ventured to the Experience Music Project, which is an interactive music museum. Definitely a must see for the music buffs. It was so much fun, although it was hard for me to learn the drums or the guitar. Becoming a musician is not my calling.


The next day my brother and I drove to Vancouver, B.C., and took a ferry to Victoria. How beautiful! The trip to get there took awhile (around 7.5 hours), but it was so worth it. We went out to eat at an Irish pub and stayed at a hostel (Ocean Island Backpackers Inn). For $22 a night, you sleep on a dorm bed with others from all over the world. I met a guy that went to Oxford, one from Belgium and another from France. That night we went out to a dance club (legal age is 19 in Canada), and we met some really nice people.

Canada would not be my first thought for a Spring Break destination, but it was so worth it. Even though it was a very short trip, I was able to see the Parliament Building and the Breakwater in Victoria and explore a new part of the country. And the weather was beautiful! Seattle decided to be warm and sunny for my visit making me very happy. And the break will certainly help me get through the last few weeks here.