I think I'll probably be smiling in my sleep tonight. The reason I've been MIA for a while is because of Senior Seminar. For journalism students, this entails an approximately 20 page paper that is written on your paper topic during the first semester and then culminates with a media-related project second semester. For my group, our topic was the effects of youth sports specialization and our project was a Web site with embedded video. After having four tapes chewed in the capture deck, we were finally back on track with a week to go. However, last Tuesday night a file of a video we had made somehow went missing and the backup file wouldn't open ... needless to say there were many late night (and early mornings) spent working on the journalism labs. Our professor was nice enough to give us an extension until today because of all our technological-related problems. And we're finished! After sitting in the lab all day Sunday (it was sunny, 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky ... torture), we put the finishing touches on our site this morning and uploaded it to the Internet. SO this means you can check it out! Our project is called "Keeping Up With The Jones': The Impact of Youth Sports Specialization" and can be viewed at www.youthsportsspecializaton.com ! Make sure you sound is on to hear the videos.
It's so weird to think that this is the last "big" project I'll have as a college student. My only really big thing left is a 10-page paper for my Media & Iraq class (I'm doing it on the media coverage of athletes in war), and it'll basically be graduation time for me - scary! So much of my academic time at St. Michael's has been involving journalism - from my internship to classes to summer work. It's involved MANY late nights in the lab and computer issues and multimedia projects. And as much as we've all complained our way through it, we decided the other morning in the lab that we would do it all over again. One of my roommates remarked how journalism allowed me to have "academic memories." I guess it's true ... people in this major do have the opportunity to get close. And there is time for "fun" in the lab.
This weekend was the Wyclef concert at St. Mike's. And it was an AMAZING show. It was definitely the best concert that we've had in the four years I've been here (and I've heard from many people the best in a while). They ended up selling out the show which is great for the school - and a testament to all the hard work put in by the Student Association. On Saturday we all had to wake up early for the Accepted Student Open House (if you didn't make this one, there's still time to sign up for the one on April 19th). The rain even held off for the morning tours, and I think it ended up being a great day for everyone involved. Saturday afternoon ended up turning out beautiful - one of those days on campus when everyone brings their work/fun/chairs outside to enjoy the weather. There really is nothing better than spring at SMC ... and this week looks to really kick it off!
Great blog!
Congratulations on finishing your senior journalism project!
Posted by: Buff | April 16, 2008 at 08:44 AM