Life As A UF Student Reporter

It’s hard to believe that the semester is already coming to a close and my time as a Gator undergrad is almost over. More importantly, my days as a student reporter in the College of Journalism and Communication will also come to an end. Over the past three years, I’ve had the opportunity to write for our Spanish radio news show, report for our NPR-affiliate radio station, and report for Florida’s 5 – WUFT TV. All these wonderful opportunities gave me hands-on experience of what life after graduation will be like.

I know how to pitch, write, shoot and edit both radio and TV pieces. And aside from all the technical aspects, I’ve learned about the pressures, tight deadlines, and relationships that come with being a reporter. I'll admit, there were times where I thought I was being over worked and having to put in ridiculous hours for reporting shifts or class projects. But no one ever said the life of a reporter was easy. I had to break in several pairs of shoes, build muscle when it came to carrying all that camera equipment around town, and put in a good couple hundred miles on my car-- all that just to get a story.

But being able to graduate students with a well-qualified demo-reel is something that the College of Journalism and Communications takes pride in. They also take pride in being a part of the latest and most innovative methods of communications and passing these skills along to their student- something made possible by the Center for Media Innovation and Research. Although the CMIR is still a work in progress, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the opening of its 21^st Century Newsroom and Laboratory. Once all the construction is completed, I know the result will be a state-of –the-art newsroom where students will learn the latest techniques being used in the media industry (truth be told, I’m a bit jealous of the younger students who will be able to take advantage of this).

  Although wrapping up my days as a Telecomm student at UF is a bit depressing, I am so thankful for everything I have learned and all the many experiences I have gained through the College of Journalism and Communications. Graduation will definitely be a bitter-sweet day, but I'm looking forward to crossing that stage and joining the prestigious circle of Gator Grads. Go Gators! 

"The Tipping Point"

As part of an assignment for my class, I was told to read “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell. Although I had never read the book before, I have heard many wonderful reviews about it. My high school guidance counselor first told me about the book. She always said it’s one of those books that will give you a whole new look on life and will take you very far. I actually bought the book for my boss at my internship at Comcast over the summer. I had been working for her for the past three summers and at the end of every summer she ended up getting promoted yet she was always trying to find ways to better herself career-wise, so I thought this book would come in hand and she loved it.

            I agree that “The Tipping Point” is something that everyone should read, especially in today’s society. We live in a time where there are so many trends, it seems as if there’s something new picking up every day. Most of these trends are short-lived and might not even make it to see a new year. But some manage to have the fuel behind them to break the tipping point and become a crucial part of our everyday lives. Gladwell finds that there are three common characteristics among those trends that cross the tipping point- the law of the few, the stickiness factor, and the power of context. If a trend holds these three traits, chances are it will become a lasting phenomenon.

            One of the things I really like about “The Tipping Point” is that it can easily be applied and related to real life situations. While I was reading, I thought about how social media follows the teachings of the author. Sites like Facebook and Twitter take up so much of our time these days and it’s amazing to think how quickly they became worldwide movements. But if you read “The Tipping Point” you will understand the schematics behind their success.

            I highly suggest that everyone reads this book to get a new perspective and understanding in life. I think it’s a read that can help take you far both in life and in your career (which is something every college senior wants to hear these days). 

More Blogs Worth Checking Out

Aside from being a sports junkie, I can gladly say I LOVE food (who doesn’t). Therefore, I thoroughly enjoyed several blogs from my fellow classmates. Juliza Monterroso combines two of her loves (fashion and food) to create a creative, fun, and entertaining blog. I loved the sweet treats on her blogs and her post about daquris instantly put me in the mood to just lay by the pool and sip on one of these refreshing drinks. Gillian Finklea then shows us that eating delicious food doesn’t have to mean gaining a whole new jean size. I really want to try the detox diet she mentions, my body definitely deserves an apology for some of the stuff I eat. Another blog I found extremely interesting and fun was Maria Tridas’ blog on local places around Gainesville. I’ve been trying to make it a point in the last few months to eat soley at local places unique to Gainesville. I want to take advantage of all the hidden treasures around us as oppose to continuously going to the same chain restaurants that can be found in every city in America. Her page is basically a road map to all the local places worth trying around town, almost like a personal Urbanspoon. Just talking about these blogs is making me work up an appetite, but sadly I have nothing in my refrigerator or pantry that sounds appealing. 

Meet My Classmates

So I finally got the opportunity to check out some of my classmate’s blogs and I was so impressed! There were so many unique and creative ideas; they kept me entertained all day.  Being a huge sports fan and hoping to someday pursue a career in sports media, I was quickly drawn to three sports blogs in the class. First off, I really enjoyed Jen Chiogioji’s page. When I looked over her resume I was so impressed on how much experience this girl has and I can’t even imagine how busy she much be. But I have no doubts that she’ll make it far in this business. I also enjoyed Adam Wright’s blog on the topics he covers. I like how he mentions current hot topics that are buzzing all over Sports Center and every other ESPN program, but he also discusses great athletes like Steve Nash. And how can you not be impressed by Blake Griffin’s killer dunks?! And finally, Brianne Wigley caught my attention not only with her clever title but her insightful posts. I love how she’s not afraid to remind everyone that she’s a Gator fan. It shows us that, like it or not, sports journalists are fans too so obviously we’re going to have a favorite team (even if we can’t cheer for them in the press box).