Another event preview written for the paper:
Hut, hut! Fort Ham's annual military drill show is May 20
Like the Norwegian parade story, this is one of the first stories I wrote after I got here, but it was held until now since the event isn't until later in the month.
Based on these early stories I did, I realize that there is a ton of stuff in Brooklyn! They've got a Norwegian parade, a military base, the Brooklyn Museum, a royal wedding, Coney Island...it's a happenin' place.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Order in the Court, please!
Another story for The Brooklyn Paper:
Court Street station is a filthy mess!*
I kind of enjoyed this one, but I'm not really sure why. Maybe because this story, plus the one about rowdy kids in Brooklyn Heights, is sort of trying to correct a wrong committed against the community, which I didn't do much of at The Daily Universe. I mean, these stories won't change the world, but it's still different from just writing about a BYU game.
And, in today's print version of the paper, you can find my stories on the royal wedding viewing party under the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Museum's mummy CAT scan.
*Here's another story that goes with mine. This one is about the R trains specifically.
Bay Ridge's lone subway train is a reeky rail
Court Street station is a filthy mess!*
I kind of enjoyed this one, but I'm not really sure why. Maybe because this story, plus the one about rowdy kids in Brooklyn Heights, is sort of trying to correct a wrong committed against the community, which I didn't do much of at The Daily Universe. I mean, these stories won't change the world, but it's still different from just writing about a BYU game.
And, in today's print version of the paper, you can find my stories on the royal wedding viewing party under the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Museum's mummy CAT scan.
*Here's another story that goes with mine. This one is about the R trains specifically.
Bay Ridge's lone subway train is a reeky rail
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Rowdy kids and lutefisk!*
*(As my brother would say, that would be a great name for band.)
Two more Brooklyn Paper stories of mine are online!
Celebrate Boklepp! Norwegian parade comes to Bay Ridge on May 15
This one was actually the first story I wrote for the paper, but since the event isn't until May 15 it was held until today. I certainly learned a lot more about the history of Norwegian immigrants in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn than I had ever known before.
Town vs. gown! Locals battle Clark Street 'animal house'
Or, the New York Post version: Town vs. gown! Locals battle Clark Street 'animal house'
I didn't do this one by myself, I just helped. It was a lot of fun though. My assignment was to go down to 55 Clark Street, home to a college residence used by multiple colleges, and talk to students and neighbors about noise complaints. Apparently, the college kids there have been partying and playing music and throwing cans out into the street. And this is a pretty nice area of Brooklyn, so the rowdiness is both surprising and extra annoying.
Anyway, so I found people to interview, and gave all my quotes to Gary Buiso, one of The Brooklyn Paper's professionals, to write the story. And I like what he did with it, and it was cool that I came up with some usable stuff! (Kendra Stanchfield, Julia Sommer, Peter Myers, Cesar Moneda, Elliot Palatnik and Anton Landauer were the ones in the story who I talked to.)
I got to the address at about 9 am, and for a while I was having a lot of trouble getting people to talk to me. Everyone was in a hurry and didn't want to talk to me (I felt like a missionary in Argentina again). But then, I narrowed my search down to people who were 1) walking their dog, because they probably aren't going to work and probably live nearby, or 2) people who were standing and not walking. I also stood outside the residence door and grabbed a few students on their way in or out - I guess they weren't as busy as the subway-bound employed people. And my plan worked! I made a goal to not call the newsroom until I had talked to four neighbors and four students, and I ended up talking to five of each. And I ended up coming up with enough good stuff for Gary to use.
Things are going better here. I know last week I probably just sounded like I was complaining. But really, I think I just had a lot to get used to (and of course still do). I should have known, of course, but no matter how obvious it was that things would be a lot different here it still hit me hard. But I'm getting more comfortable, and I'm learning a lot.
And whether or not I ever really get used to things, it's great to see my name in print at a New York City newspaper.
Two more Brooklyn Paper stories of mine are online!
Celebrate Boklepp! Norwegian parade comes to Bay Ridge on May 15
This one was actually the first story I wrote for the paper, but since the event isn't until May 15 it was held until today. I certainly learned a lot more about the history of Norwegian immigrants in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn than I had ever known before.
Town vs. gown! Locals battle Clark Street 'animal house'
Or, the New York Post version: Town vs. gown! Locals battle Clark Street 'animal house'
I didn't do this one by myself, I just helped. It was a lot of fun though. My assignment was to go down to 55 Clark Street, home to a college residence used by multiple colleges, and talk to students and neighbors about noise complaints. Apparently, the college kids there have been partying and playing music and throwing cans out into the street. And this is a pretty nice area of Brooklyn, so the rowdiness is both surprising and extra annoying.
Anyway, so I found people to interview, and gave all my quotes to Gary Buiso, one of The Brooklyn Paper's professionals, to write the story. And I like what he did with it, and it was cool that I came up with some usable stuff! (Kendra Stanchfield, Julia Sommer, Peter Myers, Cesar Moneda, Elliot Palatnik and Anton Landauer were the ones in the story who I talked to.)
I got to the address at about 9 am, and for a while I was having a lot of trouble getting people to talk to me. Everyone was in a hurry and didn't want to talk to me (I felt like a missionary in Argentina again). But then, I narrowed my search down to people who were 1) walking their dog, because they probably aren't going to work and probably live nearby, or 2) people who were standing and not walking. I also stood outside the residence door and grabbed a few students on their way in or out - I guess they weren't as busy as the subway-bound employed people. And my plan worked! I made a goal to not call the newsroom until I had talked to four neighbors and four students, and I ended up talking to five of each. And I ended up coming up with enough good stuff for Gary to use.
Things are going better here. I know last week I probably just sounded like I was complaining. But really, I think I just had a lot to get used to (and of course still do). I should have known, of course, but no matter how obvious it was that things would be a lot different here it still hit me hard. But I'm getting more comfortable, and I'm learning a lot.
And whether or not I ever really get used to things, it's great to see my name in print at a New York City newspaper.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
9 1/2 Years
Just like I'll always remember where I was when I heard the news on 9/11, I'll always remember where I was when I heard the news on 5/1.
I actually didn't hear the news until the next morning. We don't get TV in our little studio apartment at the I-House, and we mostly spent a lazy, relaxing Sunday at home. (Other BYU communications students got the news Sunday night and headed down to Ground Zero to join in the jubilation.) Erin was checking email/Facebook and found out. She read an entire article out loud while I was getting dressed and getting ready to start another week at The Brooklyn Paper.
It was amazing to me that it had actually happened. It seemed like the hunt for Osama bin Laden would never be over, and that eventually he would just weaken and die on his own. So the fact that he was killed by Navy SEALs actually surprised me.
I didn't become ecstatic that he was dead. But when Erin got to the part in the article about the 9/11 victims' families, and this end (there's probably more than one) to their grieving, that's when the tears welled up. That's when I felt that, finally, the United States had something more to offer them than a short-lived heightening of mutual respect among neighbors (already back to normal), no more liquid containers larger than three ounces on carry-on, and a steeper decline of the airline industry (which has affected my family directly). The United States finally accomplished the pinnacle of its goals in the War on Terror and showed it can get the job done.
As far as my reaction to the basic fact that a man was killed, I think I feel some satisfaction in that too. It's a strange emotion, definitely, to be glad that any human being is wiped off the face of the earth. I certainly can't judge who should live and who should die; that's God's job. But I am reminded of a point of LDS doctrine (a doctrine that I fully believe in):
"Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."
When the Spirit instructs Nephi to kill Laban, Nephi has a real problem. He has not even an ounce of bloodthirstiness, and no desire to kill Laban even for the essential records he was on a mission to obtain. But, with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Nephi reasoned that according to the Lord's will, Laban needed to die and Nephi needed to kill him.
Now, I don't know if bin Laden's remaining on the earth would have resulted in the United States' "dwindling in unbelief." I know the doctrine that bin Laden professed was absolutely false in so many ways, and was leading some people astray. But as for me and other Americans, I think what we can take solace in is that there is that much less evil in our world now. bin Laden doesn't have to condemn himself any further, and the terror network he left behind is now much less of a threat to our society.
Of course, evil, terror and even al Qaeda will still exist. As long as there is agency, evil will never go away.
But the absence of bin Laden's backwards mentality that is undoubtedly contrary to God's eternal plan is a triumph. Geopolitically, a triumph for the United States. But eternally, a triumph for us too.
A few other thoughts:
I thought it would be really cool to come to work yesterday and be assigned to find and interview a few families of 9/11 victims who live here in Brooklyn. I wasn't sure if it would happen, or if an intern would get that assignment, but I had my fingers crossed.
Alas, I didn't get anything of the kind. And as far as I know, the only Osama-related story done by The Brooklyn Paper was this one:
Osama is dead - and so is her silent protest
It's definitely interesting, but not like I had in mind.
I actually didn't hear the news until the next morning. We don't get TV in our little studio apartment at the I-House, and we mostly spent a lazy, relaxing Sunday at home. (Other BYU communications students got the news Sunday night and headed down to Ground Zero to join in the jubilation.) Erin was checking email/Facebook and found out. She read an entire article out loud while I was getting dressed and getting ready to start another week at The Brooklyn Paper.
It was amazing to me that it had actually happened. It seemed like the hunt for Osama bin Laden would never be over, and that eventually he would just weaken and die on his own. So the fact that he was killed by Navy SEALs actually surprised me.
I didn't become ecstatic that he was dead. But when Erin got to the part in the article about the 9/11 victims' families, and this end (there's probably more than one) to their grieving, that's when the tears welled up. That's when I felt that, finally, the United States had something more to offer them than a short-lived heightening of mutual respect among neighbors (already back to normal), no more liquid containers larger than three ounces on carry-on, and a steeper decline of the airline industry (which has affected my family directly). The United States finally accomplished the pinnacle of its goals in the War on Terror and showed it can get the job done.
As far as my reaction to the basic fact that a man was killed, I think I feel some satisfaction in that too. It's a strange emotion, definitely, to be glad that any human being is wiped off the face of the earth. I certainly can't judge who should live and who should die; that's God's job. But I am reminded of a point of LDS doctrine (a doctrine that I fully believe in):
"Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief."
When the Spirit instructs Nephi to kill Laban, Nephi has a real problem. He has not even an ounce of bloodthirstiness, and no desire to kill Laban even for the essential records he was on a mission to obtain. But, with the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Nephi reasoned that according to the Lord's will, Laban needed to die and Nephi needed to kill him.
Now, I don't know if bin Laden's remaining on the earth would have resulted in the United States' "dwindling in unbelief." I know the doctrine that bin Laden professed was absolutely false in so many ways, and was leading some people astray. But as for me and other Americans, I think what we can take solace in is that there is that much less evil in our world now. bin Laden doesn't have to condemn himself any further, and the terror network he left behind is now much less of a threat to our society.
Of course, evil, terror and even al Qaeda will still exist. As long as there is agency, evil will never go away.
But the absence of bin Laden's backwards mentality that is undoubtedly contrary to God's eternal plan is a triumph. Geopolitically, a triumph for the United States. But eternally, a triumph for us too.
----------
A few other thoughts:
I thought it would be really cool to come to work yesterday and be assigned to find and interview a few families of 9/11 victims who live here in Brooklyn. I wasn't sure if it would happen, or if an intern would get that assignment, but I had my fingers crossed.
Alas, I didn't get anything of the kind. And as far as I know, the only Osama-related story done by The Brooklyn Paper was this one:
Osama is dead - and so is her silent protest
It's definitely interesting, but not like I had in mind.
----------
Another criticism I saw and heard yesterday was against Fox News, and I'm actually going to come to their defense for once. A few tweeters thought they found a chance to ridicule Fox News because in their coverage yesterday, the spelled his name "Usama bin Laden." What I guess they forgot or never knew is that when it comes to Arabic names, there are actually multiple spellings.
A quick Wikipedia search brings this up:
"There is no universally accepted standard for transliterating Arabic words and Arabic names into English;[10] bin Laden's name was most frequently rendered "Osama bin Laden." The FBI and CIA, as well as other US Governmental agencies, have used either "Usama bin Laden" or "Usama bin Ladin", both of which may be abbreviated as "UBL". Less common renderings include "Ussamah Bin Ladin" and "Oussama Ben Laden" in the French-language media. Other spellings include "Binladen" or, as used by his family in the West, "Binladin". The spellings with "o" and "e" come from a Persian-influenced pronunciation also used in Afghanistan, where bin Laden spent many years."
I saw somewhere else on Twitter that Fox News has been using the "Usama" spelling long before yesterday. So they were just being consistent.
That said, Fox News did make at least one egregious (but brief) mistake.
----------
In addition, I've seen some complaints that President Obama is taking too much credit for bin Laden's death. Some people think Obama is using too many words like "I" and "me."
I didn't see his Sunday night speech, but I did read the transcript. And I didn't get that impression at all. I think he does deserve some credit for making the right decisions that led to taking out bin Laden. He maybe didn't do anything more amazing than another president - even President Bush - would have done. But even though another person might have done the same, I don't think any person would have done the same. The president made some good and wise decisions. He does deserve some credit for this, and I don't think he's trying to give himself too much.
----------
Jordan Carroll, a fellow BYU communications student in New York, wrote a story for The Daily Universe based on her trip to Ground Zero and being here in New York when the news came.
Just in time for Mummy's Day
Another one of my Brooklyn Paper stories is now online:
Mummy, you look wonderful!
What's funny is that for this story, I tried some snarkiness, and I was actually pretty proud of what I came up with. My editor liked it too. But ultimately none of it ended up in the final version, haha.
I think things are going better here. I'm closer to meeting expectations and there's less that has to be changed. Just some general things I need to keep improving. And the editor has been saying that overall, it's good stuff. So, that's nice to know.
Mummy, you look wonderful!
What's funny is that for this story, I tried some snarkiness, and I was actually pretty proud of what I came up with. My editor liked it too. But ultimately none of it ended up in the final version, haha.
I think things are going better here. I'm closer to meeting expectations and there's less that has to be changed. Just some general things I need to keep improving. And the editor has been saying that overall, it's good stuff. So, that's nice to know.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Rise and shout! But will you tweet it out?
Oh! Hey! I have a story in The Daily Universe today!
Rise and shout, but will you tweet it out?
This was the last story I did for COMMS 420. Should be pretty interesting to all o' yas (I'm working on my New York accent).
Rise and shout, but will you tweet it out?
This was the last story I did for COMMS 420. Should be pretty interesting to all o' yas (I'm working on my New York accent).
That said, I actually love New York.
That said, I actually love New York.
The greatest city in the world can be a little intimidating. I've had some big city experience, most recently a brief Daily Universe excursion to New Orleans. But there's something about New York that makes it different. It's unique, even among other giant cities. So much has happened and does happen here, and the rest of the world knows so much about it. Anyone who doesn't live under a rock feels like they've been here, but that's definitely just a feeling. Being here is something else. And it's great.
I still can't believe sometimes that I'm here. The Empire State Building is out my window, I spied the Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn shore the other day, my family and I perused Times Square, I even walked by Rockefeller Center after I got a little lost this morning on my way to a story assignment (an assignment that, by the way, was under the Manhattan Bridge). And there's tons more that's just waiting to be seen. And, despite the fact that I did get lost this morning, I'm actually very comfortable with the subway system here. With a monthly unlimited pass, I can go anywhere I want in the city. It's amazing.
Another amazing aspect of the city has been the people. New Yorkers might have been the part of New York I was the most worried about. There's a reputation for rudeness from this town. I expected that as a country hick from Utah, and with a wife and baby even though I'm not even 25, I would just get in the way of these people. But mostly I've seen the exact opposite. The whole city loves Allisyn, and everyone has been super nice and helpful. I think the people here know their city is special, and they're happy to show it off and welcome others to it. They take pride in being hosts to newcomers like us.
Also, I really like Brooklyn. My first assignment was to go down to a new commercial building by a new park to take some photos, and on the way back our editor told us to pick up lunch at a small neighborhood place called Iris Cafe. Iris Cafe was so flowery and idealistic. People coming in with their kids and strollers, Rachel the owner knowing everybody's names...it was like the Sesame Street kind of New York. I loved it.
It was also really cool to be at the royal wedding viewing party in Brooklyn this morning. It seemed like the sort of thing that could only happen in Brooklyn. And, even though the royal wedding wasn't a huge deal to me, now I have a unique story about how I watched it.
Before I came here, I thought I'd love working in New York but wouldn't necessarily want to live here. What's funny is now, I love living here too.
The greatest city in the world can be a little intimidating. I've had some big city experience, most recently a brief Daily Universe excursion to New Orleans. But there's something about New York that makes it different. It's unique, even among other giant cities. So much has happened and does happen here, and the rest of the world knows so much about it. Anyone who doesn't live under a rock feels like they've been here, but that's definitely just a feeling. Being here is something else. And it's great.
I still can't believe sometimes that I'm here. The Empire State Building is out my window, I spied the Statue of Liberty from the Brooklyn shore the other day, my family and I perused Times Square, I even walked by Rockefeller Center after I got a little lost this morning on my way to a story assignment (an assignment that, by the way, was under the Manhattan Bridge). And there's tons more that's just waiting to be seen. And, despite the fact that I did get lost this morning, I'm actually very comfortable with the subway system here. With a monthly unlimited pass, I can go anywhere I want in the city. It's amazing.
Another amazing aspect of the city has been the people. New Yorkers might have been the part of New York I was the most worried about. There's a reputation for rudeness from this town. I expected that as a country hick from Utah, and with a wife and baby even though I'm not even 25, I would just get in the way of these people. But mostly I've seen the exact opposite. The whole city loves Allisyn, and everyone has been super nice and helpful. I think the people here know their city is special, and they're happy to show it off and welcome others to it. They take pride in being hosts to newcomers like us.
Also, I really like Brooklyn. My first assignment was to go down to a new commercial building by a new park to take some photos, and on the way back our editor told us to pick up lunch at a small neighborhood place called Iris Cafe. Iris Cafe was so flowery and idealistic. People coming in with their kids and strollers, Rachel the owner knowing everybody's names...it was like the Sesame Street kind of New York. I loved it.
It was also really cool to be at the royal wedding viewing party in Brooklyn this morning. It seemed like the sort of thing that could only happen in Brooklyn. And, even though the royal wedding wasn't a huge deal to me, now I have a unique story about how I watched it.
Before I came here, I thought I'd love working in New York but wouldn't necessarily want to live here. What's funny is now, I love living here too.
Two and a Half Days in Brooklyn
It's definitely a different style here that I'm not very used to. There are many words to describe it: sarcastic, snarky (that's my favorite) and maybe a little irreverent. I know every newspaper should have a little bit of that, but I haven't actually had much personal experience with it. (I guess some of my op-ed pieces last summer were snarky. But that's why they are op-ed pieces.)
For instance, take a look at this short paragraph on the paper's website, introducing us as the new interns:
They say that youth is wasted on the young, but that’s not the case here at The Brooklyn Paper, where we’ve just welcomed our Class of ‘11 interns, Daniel Ng and J.J. Despain — all the way from Salt Lake City (no, they’re not moonlighting in “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway). These kids have got gumption, they’ve got drive and, best of all, they’ve got moxie. You’re going to fall in love with them, Brooklyn. And if not, don’t worry — they’ll be gone in two months, and we’ll just be a smile on their face that their professors back home can’t understand.
It's actually pretty funny sometimes (I liked their way of introducing me.) But I'm more used to that in a magazine, not really in a newspaper. But I guess every newspaper has to find their voice, their identity.
Another example: I wrote a story about a royal wedding viewing party under the Manhattan Bridge, which was a pretty cool event to be a part of. I tried to add a little bit of that snarkiness, using a theme of royal wedding "fever," to make it more Brooklyn Paper friendly. But my editor added a lot more, including a reference to "crown jewels" that isn't really my type of humor.
And, I'm not used to so many edits and changes in what I write. Maybe I took for granted the freedom I was given at The Daily Universe. Sure, editors gave me suggestions or asked me to change things, but I think in general the writing style I already had was a perfect match for BYU. It sounds too dramatic to say that I didn't know I was such a bad writer until I got here, but I am back at the bottom of the totem pole. I mean, of course I am, I'm an intern in New York. But maybe no matter how well I knew that beforehand, it's just different to actually face it.
Working here isn't the end of the world. And working in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place is the way a human being grows. (Working here actually reminds me of my first few days in Argentina as an LDS Church missionary, in terms of being a fish out of water.) I'm sure things will only get better.
If you are curious to see what I've written, here's what's up so far:
Maybe they should call it 'Men in THE Black'
Brooklyn catches royal wedding fever - and DUMBO is the center of the plague!
And then, I took the photo that's attached to this story:
New retail - dogs, wine! - comes to Brooklyn Bridge Park
I'll admit, it is nice to see my work published, even if it is work after the effects of snarkization.
And, I do get this view from my desk:
For instance, take a look at this short paragraph on the paper's website, introducing us as the new interns:
They say that youth is wasted on the young, but that’s not the case here at The Brooklyn Paper, where we’ve just welcomed our Class of ‘11 interns, Daniel Ng and J.J. Despain — all the way from Salt Lake City (no, they’re not moonlighting in “The Book of Mormon” on Broadway). These kids have got gumption, they’ve got drive and, best of all, they’ve got moxie. You’re going to fall in love with them, Brooklyn. And if not, don’t worry — they’ll be gone in two months, and we’ll just be a smile on their face that their professors back home can’t understand.
It's actually pretty funny sometimes (I liked their way of introducing me.) But I'm more used to that in a magazine, not really in a newspaper. But I guess every newspaper has to find their voice, their identity.
Another example: I wrote a story about a royal wedding viewing party under the Manhattan Bridge, which was a pretty cool event to be a part of. I tried to add a little bit of that snarkiness, using a theme of royal wedding "fever," to make it more Brooklyn Paper friendly. But my editor added a lot more, including a reference to "crown jewels" that isn't really my type of humor.
And, I'm not used to so many edits and changes in what I write. Maybe I took for granted the freedom I was given at The Daily Universe. Sure, editors gave me suggestions or asked me to change things, but I think in general the writing style I already had was a perfect match for BYU. It sounds too dramatic to say that I didn't know I was such a bad writer until I got here, but I am back at the bottom of the totem pole. I mean, of course I am, I'm an intern in New York. But maybe no matter how well I knew that beforehand, it's just different to actually face it.
Working here isn't the end of the world. And working in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place is the way a human being grows. (Working here actually reminds me of my first few days in Argentina as an LDS Church missionary, in terms of being a fish out of water.) I'm sure things will only get better.
If you are curious to see what I've written, here's what's up so far:
Maybe they should call it 'Men in THE Black'
Brooklyn catches royal wedding fever - and DUMBO is the center of the plague!
And then, I took the photo that's attached to this story:
New retail - dogs, wine! - comes to Brooklyn Bridge Park
I'll admit, it is nice to see my work published, even if it is work after the effects of snarkization.
And, I do get this view from my desk:
------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:
More than two weeks later there are still people who are finding this blog post, and I'm realizing that what I wrote might be causing some problems. I just wrote a new post that I hope will clarify what I meant to say.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Embarking
Tomorrow begins the next phase of my journalism career.
After wrapping up Winter Semester 2011, I packed up Erin, Allisyn and as much of our apartment as I could and we left on a Great American Road Trip to New York City.
The road trip was actually tons of fun. Somehow, I must have been boosted by some Mario Bros. invincibility and was able to drive the entire time, even though usually when we drive to Oregon I have to give Erin a turn. I honestly think I was riding high on the excitement of coming to New York.
Erin did a great job (with only a little help from me) of blogging on the road. Here's where you can find our travel log:
Day 1 (Provo, UT, to Kearney, NE)
Day 2 (Kearney, NE, to South Bend, IN)
Day 3 (South Bend, IN, to Somerset, PA)
Day 4 (Somerset, PA, to Hatfield, PA)
Day 5 (Hatfield, PA to NYC!)
And here are just a few photos (go to our family blog to see all of them):
For our stay in New York City, we are living in the International House, a part of Columbia University especially meant for international students. The building was built in 1924, and it's got a lot of character, as my mom would say. It's actually two buildings, and the two together make quite a labyrinth.
(Click here to scroll to the bottom to find a video tour of our apartment.)
But, Erin, Allisyn and I did escape from the maze enough to explore Times Square today. Erin wrote about it on our family blog: Exploring the subway/Times Square
Anyway, the ultimate purpose of moving to this amazing city is for my internship at The Brooklyn Paper, which starts tomorrow. I'm not really sure what to expect. But I know that the editor is really excited to work with us (Dan Ng, a fellow BYU print journalism student, will be working there too), and I think it will be a comfortable environment. I expressed interest in writing about sports, especially the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team, but I also think this would be a good opportunity to branch out. Branching out means doing something I've never done before, which makes me a little nervous. But, I'll just do what I did when I first became a reporter: jump right in and do my best, and I'll surprise myself.
I'll tell you all how it goes tomorrow!
Also, be sure to follow my family blog. I'll keep this one updated, but Erin's good about sharing our travels and adventures on there, which very well could be more exciting than whatever I do at the paper. So check that one often.
After wrapping up Winter Semester 2011, I packed up Erin, Allisyn and as much of our apartment as I could and we left on a Great American Road Trip to New York City.
The road trip was actually tons of fun. Somehow, I must have been boosted by some Mario Bros. invincibility and was able to drive the entire time, even though usually when we drive to Oregon I have to give Erin a turn. I honestly think I was riding high on the excitement of coming to New York.
Erin did a great job (with only a little help from me) of blogging on the road. Here's where you can find our travel log:
Day 1 (Provo, UT, to Kearney, NE)
Day 2 (Kearney, NE, to South Bend, IN)
Day 3 (South Bend, IN, to Somerset, PA)
Day 4 (Somerset, PA, to Hatfield, PA)
Day 5 (Hatfield, PA to NYC!)
And here are just a few photos (go to our family blog to see all of them):
 |
| Somewhere in Wyoming |
 |
| Winter Quarters Nebraska Temple |
 |
| Notre Dame |
 |
| I give BP's mere presence a thumbs down. (Read a buncha my blog posts from last summer to find out more.) |
 |
| Sandusky, Ohio! Home of Callahan Auto Parts! |
 |
| Cleveland skyline |
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| Allisyn in front of the Newel K. Whitney Store in Kirtland, OH |
 |
| Newel K. Whitney Store, Kirtland, OH |
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| Kirtland Temple |
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| The Phillie Phanatic! |
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| Liberty Bell |
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| Philly cheese steaks! Where have you been all my life?! |
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| Independence Hall |
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| New York City coming up! |
(Click here to scroll to the bottom to find a video tour of our apartment.)
But, Erin, Allisyn and I did escape from the maze enough to explore Times Square today. Erin wrote about it on our family blog: Exploring the subway/Times Square
Anyway, the ultimate purpose of moving to this amazing city is for my internship at The Brooklyn Paper, which starts tomorrow. I'm not really sure what to expect. But I know that the editor is really excited to work with us (Dan Ng, a fellow BYU print journalism student, will be working there too), and I think it will be a comfortable environment. I expressed interest in writing about sports, especially the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team, but I also think this would be a good opportunity to branch out. Branching out means doing something I've never done before, which makes me a little nervous. But, I'll just do what I did when I first became a reporter: jump right in and do my best, and I'll surprise myself.
I'll tell you all how it goes tomorrow!
Also, be sure to follow my family blog. I'll keep this one updated, but Erin's good about sharing our travels and adventures on there, which very well could be more exciting than whatever I do at the paper. So check that one often.
Friday, April 8, 2011
A Quick One-Two of Basketball Stories
I wrote two basketball stories in two days this week. The first one was the most exciting, I got to go to the press conference announcing coach Dave Rose's new contract with BYU.
BYU keeps coach Rose for basketball future
There weren't too many surprises. But I did really like this quote from President Cecil O. Samuelson:
“Since we believe that he is the finest coach at any level in the country, whatever he’s paid he will be underpaid economically,” Samuelson said. “We also believe that BYU’s a very special place, and the coach recognizes that.”
It was a really nice compliment. Plus it shut up reporters like me who wanted to get clues to the actual dollar amounts, haha.
Then, the next day, I wrote this quick blurb about Jimmer being up for the Wooden Award:
Will Jimmer win the Wooden Award tonight?
I also mentioned the appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, before I had actually seen it since it didn't air until about ten hours after I wrote the story. The Jimmer cameo was kind of lame, but Jimmer handled it well. He was a lot more talkative than Kemba was. (And I appreciated that Jimmy Kimmel's show was pretty appropriate...until after the conversation with Jimmer.)
(The screen shot shows Vin Diesel, Jimmy Kimmel's first guest. But I promise that if you play the video, it will show the Jimmer cameo.)
BYU keeps coach Rose for basketball future
There weren't too many surprises. But I did really like this quote from President Cecil O. Samuelson:
“Since we believe that he is the finest coach at any level in the country, whatever he’s paid he will be underpaid economically,” Samuelson said. “We also believe that BYU’s a very special place, and the coach recognizes that.”
It was a really nice compliment. Plus it shut up reporters like me who wanted to get clues to the actual dollar amounts, haha.
Then, the next day, I wrote this quick blurb about Jimmer being up for the Wooden Award:
Will Jimmer win the Wooden Award tonight?
I also mentioned the appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, before I had actually seen it since it didn't air until about ten hours after I wrote the story. The Jimmer cameo was kind of lame, but Jimmer handled it well. He was a lot more talkative than Kemba was. (And I appreciated that Jimmy Kimmel's show was pretty appropriate...until after the conversation with Jimmer.)
(The screen shot shows Vin Diesel, Jimmy Kimmel's first guest. But I promise that if you play the video, it will show the Jimmer cameo.)
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