So the campus is half-deserted, and no one's going to see it, but I wrote my first legit news article for the Point Weekly last week. You can view it here.
When I did a weeklong journalism boot camp stint at the Press-Enterprise three years ago, I fearfully approached teenagers at the Galleria and the Barnes and Noble to interview them for my story on the 2004 presidential election. Intimidated and terror-stricken, I garnered meager, barely passable quotes and wrote a so-so article redolent of mid-adolescent linguistic flourishes. Months later the paper ended up running a piece retaining my byline and lead, but nothing else remotely similar to what I had written. Disgusted, I vowed never to enter journalism. Well, okay, so I had already made my mind up by the end of that week. I knew, when an award-winning photographer gave us one of those speeches where he listed the thankless tasks and unrecognized efforts inherent to his profession, asking us if we could hack it, and then finished with something that was supposed to be inspirational, like, "But if you want to be a journalist, it's the most rewarding job you could have," and I was as far from being inspired that I could possibly be, I knew that journalism wasn't for me.
It still isn't for me. But I love the newsroom vibe, and I want to edit as much as I can, and so if, when hanging out with the PW, I get roped into writing an article every once in a while, it's all right. What a difference this time, though, compared with my first experience. I waltzed up to people I'd never properly spoken to before to get my quotes; I determined quickly who best to answer my questions and promptly scheduled an interview; I perfunctorily navigated Physical Plant and pleasantly questioned the director of transportation without so much as a single qualm, rather awed by my unaffected equanimity.
And the story came out fairly well. I even took the accompanying picture. I got the requisite nods of adequacy from my editors I required, and I got to see my name in print again. I never get tired of that.
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1 comment:
Exciting. I think you should interview my friend, Steve Leader. He would have a lot to say about residence life at Point Loma. That would make a very interesting read.
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