I'm so excited and I just can't hide it

I'm always looking for a little excitement in my life. I've managed to find several things that really hit the spot for me.

I am Towson University junior pursuing a degree in Mass Communications with a focus on Journalism. This semester I want to learn more about using the new technologies available to me. I'm still getting used to editing audio, but I feel with more practice I can be better. The video editing also sounds like something I might find useful in the future. I hope to either write my own column in a magazine someday or maybe do some broadcast reporting and become a news anchor. Either way, as long as I'm given the opportunity to travel, I'm sure I'll enjoy the job.

I've already traveled to Austria, Germany, France, Scotland and the UK. I lived in the UK-North Yorkshire region-for three years while my father worked for the NSA. It was quite an experience and has indulged my cravings to travel the world and explore new things.

My family always adds excitement to my life as well. I have three siblings and two wonderful parents. My youngest brother, Zachariah, is currently living in the UK with my parents because my dad was transferred there again. I miss them so much, but I know they have big plans for the future.

Another exciting fact about me: I love music. I write my own music and am currently in a band, 28May. We have played a few shows on the eastern shore as well as Towson University. Making my own music is just a nice way to express my creative side. It's also a nice reason to spend time with my boyfriend, Sean, who produces the music with me. What can I say? We work well together. We've been together almost three years and are still loving every minute together.

Lastly, I live my life for Christ. There are many ups and downs that we all go through, but I've chosen to not let things get to me and trust that He will work everything out. My days are brighter and I'm filled with joy just knowing that He is always there for me.

The Three Commandments

Thou shalt use accuracy.
Thou shalt practice transparency.
Thou shalt not plagiarize or fabricate.

I believe these three journalism "commandments" should be followed by all who seek becoming a professional in the journalism field. They will not only keep you out of jail, but they will also allow you opportunity to become a more credible source of information in the public eye.

Accuracy is the first point to ponder. If a story is not accurate, how can the readers trust the information from that source? Double checking names, dates, locations, quotes, facts, sources to contact, etc. MORE THAN ONCE is a necessity for any article. Besides grammatics, it is important to analyze the truth represented through a story. Do quotes portray what the speaker actually meant? Do photos misrepresent an event in any way? These are a few questions to ask.

Transparency is another important factor dealing with gaining and maintaining public trust. I think we see this in bloggers who have captured the attention of the public eye as credible, honest, and open to criticism. They just put out their opinions and the facts that they've found to be true, not holding back information they believe to be true, and in turn they gain public trust.

My media law teacher continues to remind us of this rule, despite the fact that we had our test on libel a couple weeks ago: Do not plagiarize or fabricate! It's self explanatory really. Using actual quotes you've heard with your own ears, writing stories based off of interviews YOU conducted as a journalist, and giving credit to any additional sources are just a few keys to sticking to this rule. "So stay out of jail and abide by these commandments," thus saith your future editors!

Towson U: Full of photo ops!

Greg Romano, senior Mass Communications major (left), and fellow "rocker" Bryan Patterson, senior Business Management major (right), promote Delta Sigma Phi's 48 hour see-saw to raise funds supporting testicular cancer research. Members of the fraternity had signed up for two hour time slots and braved the harsh weather for a cause.


Taking a superb photograph requires an eye for detail and a mind for creativity. There are great techniques that are often used when looking through the lens. When taking a portrait of someone, as shown above (thanks Claire), it is important to use natural lighting that softens and compliments our natural figures. Also, shooting the camera at eye level and making sure the background is simple (nothing sticking out of their head) work for a great photo.

Filling the frame is also effective when trying to draw a focus to the object in the photo. In the photo above, I used a different angle, slightly lower to the statue and filled my frame with the face of the tiger. I also used the rule of thirds because when you break down the frame, there is emphasis on the eyes at the top, and the gaping mouth of the tiger to the left instead of having the subject directly in the middle.

Predators, beware: girls WILL fight back!

In light of the recent rape that occurred near campus, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to attend the Girls Fight Back event on Tuesday, Oct. 28. During this event, Erin Weed will guide women on several aspects of self-defense that can be used in potentially threatening situations.

Info on event: I know it takes place Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at the Towson Center Arena. I also know the key points that Erin Weed will be touching base on through this event that are listed on the Daily Digest. Looking further for more information, I googled GFB and found their site which gave me background information on the formation of the group, contact information, how to set up seminars, etc. The sponsoring groups for this event are also mentioned as well as who to contact for further information.

Souces: Erin Weed will be my main source, but I will also try to get quotes/information from other women who attend the event and possibly a faculty member who took part in organizing the event or sponsored the event.

Questions: I will seek further information on the event, it's foundation, and possibly it's goals for the future and how it affects women in today's society. I will ask attendees their opinions of the event and how it influenced them. I may also ask faculty about past events similar to this one or with the same objective to relate to this event.

Photo Ops: Photo opportunities may include a profile of Erin Weed, audience members at the event, and possible demonstrations of self defense. It's going to be an interesting night!

Running, Racing, and Raising Awareness

Runners race for a cause at the Baltimore Marathon on Oct.11, 2008.

Many of the contestants shared their reasons for running: raising money for lost loved ones and raising money for a specific medical cause such as AIDS, cancer, or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (don't ask how to pronounce because I have no idea!).

Beth O'Grady, who's brother, Stephen, was killed by a drunk driver, said, "Doing marathons [has] been a huge release for me and a way to raise money for the causes Stephen loved...Running isn't easy. Anything over 20 miles is pure hell and sends you digging deep into your gas tank. But my bother pushes me on."

Running a race like this seems to send a strong message to me about life. Sometimes it seems it is hard to press on and catch up because there is excess baggage that is weighing us down, slowing us down so much that we feel like giving up. Like these runners, we should press on, looking forward and staying focused on our goals, never looking back.

Proverbs 4:25,26 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established." This verse helps me remember that no matter what goals I am racing towards, if I keep my eyes towards the finish, I know I will be successful. I am already an overcomer through Christ.

Pranks, jokes and all that fun stuff!

My dad works for the National Security Agency and always has a story to tell. He takes his job serious, but he and other employees find it equally important to enjoy their job and have a little fun once in awhile. Today, he told me a story about one of his coworkers, Paul.

"So one day we went outside and filled Paul's hubcaps with stones and turned up his car radio to full blast. When Paul went to leave the (military) base, the guards started shouting at him and pointing to his car. He had no idea his radio was on full blast and all the world could hear it, except for him!" my dad chuckled. Reason being: Paul is deaf. "The next day he came to work and started beating on my friend accusing him of the prank when he wasn't even involved!" But Paul knows its all for fun, my dad explained. He doesn't mind the jokes .

I can not imagine all the other stories my dad would tell if he performed stand up comedy for a night! That is why I've decided to cover my first story on the Friday Night Live Series of Stand Up Dads. So far the only advance information I know is that its this Friday at 8pm in the Potomac Lounge at Towson University. The Daily Digest also mentions getting there early in case the seats fill up fast. Other that this info, I'm sure I will have a lot to gather at the event for my article.

My main sources will be those present at the event, including audience members, the "stand up dads" and any faculty that helped organize the event. I plan on asking various questions to gather my information. I will be asking audience members what they thought of the performances; the performers, where some of their inspirations derived from; faculty members, what their opinions were about the event. I also plan on recognizing the reactions of the audience to the performance taking note of changes in body language or any other signs of interest or dislike. I'm looking to just have fun and write a terrific article in the process! Can't wait to hear some comical stories!

Twitter, Twitter makes a hitter!

It comes as no surprise to me that our class is now entering the world of Twitter after just learning to manage blogs. Our generation's knowledge of technology is increasingly evolving as we find more ways to get information out to the public, whether it be on current events or just our daily thoughts and experiences. Three of the Twitter's I thought were worth mentioning as we take on this next challenge are Mikal, Alex and Mike's.

One of Mikal's examples for 1-2-3 filing related to Towson's Go Green Campaign. Her first tweet was a great use of alliteration to catch the reader's attention: "and her follow-up answers most of the 5 W's and H (the "when" isn't identified, but thats OK!) It was simple, clean and to the point.

Next was Alex, who's example about the hiring freeze at TU caught my attention. Her posts were short and informative. I also liked the sentence structure for the follow-up. The content made me want to read more just in case the budget cuts would affect anyone I knew.

Lastly was Mike's tweets on the Tiger's recent loss with Richmond. He used abbreviations in his first and second tweet, making the posts tighter and easy to read. If I read them, I would want to click the link to learn more about the game, how Towson struggled or what the resulting score was.