Podcasts...

I linked both of my podcasts to my home page yesterday, but it seems I needed to link them to my blog as well, so here they are.

I met with Dinner for Ten a few weeks ago, and was able to get a good story from a few of their members. The group members were lively, and were happy to help me with my project. I'll be sending them a link to my web site once I put everything together.
Listen to their story.

Last Sunday, I was able to talk with a married couple, John and Emmylu, from Parents Without Partners. I first met them at the weekly dance, and was able to catch-up with them the following weekend for a brief interview. I'll also be sending them a link to my completed project. Listen to their story.

A Brief Summary about Writing for New Media...

Well, let me start out by saying that this was the most challenging class I've taken at Towson. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

I think this class has really helped prepare me for life in the real world. At times, I was a bit overwhelmed, but I was determined to pass this class and graduate in May!

I feel this class incorporated everything I've learned thus far and expanded on it. I had to be a reporter, a photographer, an editor, and a publisher, all at the same time.

In terms of a future career in journalism, it seems obvious that online journalism is where it's at, and I feel this class has not only confirmed this, but has prepared me for it as well.

I think the hardest part of the class was finding an initial idea to research, and I think the rest of the class would agree with me. I think future classes would benefit from simply being assigned a topic to research. In fact, Professor Lieb was the one who pointed me in the direction of Single Volunteers, and that really worked out for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this class; I just wish I had listened to my advisors and not taken MCOM 407 along with twelve other credits!

Ok...one last research post...

I was able to arrange one final interview with John and Emmylu from Parents Without Partners. I spoke with them on Sunday, and was able to obtain my final audio clip. That's about it; I'm finished my research!

Final Research Post? Maybe...

On Sunday, my girlfriend and I celebrated our three-year anniversary. We went to the Orioles game, and then afterward, went dancing! We actually didn't dance; she came with me to the Parents without Partners dance Sunday evening.

I brought along my camera and digital audio recorder, hoping for the best. Debbie Mandley greeted us as we walked in the door, and introduced us to a few couples that had met through the organization.

I sat and talked with three couples, and almost wished I could use these stories for my fourth module. I'm still happy with my module, but there were some goldmines here, and it would have been nice to have had the chance to speak with these individuals earlier.

Still, I found an incredible love story, and the couple agreed to leave the dance and speak to me in the hallway, as I recorded them. I'm quite happy with the audio, and created my slideshow based on their story.

All three couples I spoke with allowed me to photograph them, and I'll use two or three of the pictures in my fourth module. The remaining pictures have been incorporated into my slideshow.

I'm still a bit stressed-out, but I have finally finished my research. I think I have a pretty solid story, as well as some good pictures and audio. I'll speak with Professor Lieb tomorrow for advice...

Continuing my Research...

On Saturday I attended a dinner at Rib N' Reef with members of the group Dinner for Ten. I didn't know what to expect, but had emailed Judy from the group, and had received an invitation to take some pictures. She had mentioned that some people might not want to be photographed, and wasn't sure if anyone would consent to an audio interview.

Since up to this point I had no pictures or audio for my project, I was happy just to have the opportunity to meet the group members. I was able to get off of work, and had the entire evening free to mingle with the group members.

After everyone arrived and the table was ready, I was introduced to the group. I explained what my project was about, and made my plea for some visual and audio help. The group was extremely friendly; I talked to almost every member individually. There was only one member (out of 14) that did not want her picture, name or voice used. She was up-front with me, and I told her I would not. She got a little angry with me when I took a picture that might have shown her reflection in the window, but I showed her each picture I took and she was satisfied.

I was able to get a decent amount of pictures before dinner was served. Karen, the former president of DFT, agreed to give me an audio clip, but when I went outside to make sure it was audible, I found that the restaurant was way too loud to hear her clearly. The current president, Sonia, suggested I could stick around until the crowd died down, and I did.

After dinner and dessert, the remaining group members passed my digital recorder around the table and gave me some great audio clips. I explained I'd be using their words as the photo gallery plays on-screen. After that, I thanked all the group members for the help, shook their hands and left, extremely happy with my research progress!

I plan on calling Debbie Mandley of Parents Without Partners tomorrow to set-up a date when I can attend a dance and hopefully acquire the pictures and audio I'll need to finish my project.

Research Update!

Well, the stress of this class has almost melted away after tonight. I met with the Vice President of the Baltimore County chapter of Parents without Partners. New applicants meet at the White Marsh library on the second Wednesday of each month. The website says the time is at 7:30, but the site hasn't been updated since December. Emails I sent to the organization were sent back from the postmaster as unsent because the address no longer exists. A phone call went unanswered. I was scared.

When I arrived, there was only one woman sitting in the meeting room. I didn't even know if she was from PWP...she was. After explaining my situation to her, we sat for over an hour talking about the organization. I have over four pages of notes, and will be able to attend one of their dances and take some pictures, as well as possibly interview married couples who met through the organization.

Needless to say, I'm ecstatic about this new story and feel confident about the rest of the semester. Thank God for Parents without Partners!

Aaahhh, Research....

Well, we're one week closer to the end of the semester, and while I would've liked to get more done this past week, I did do some research.

In the past week I've signed up for PerryhallSingles.com as well as Date-Baltimore.com. I never received a call back from the former, but the latter called me back the next night. Unfortunately, I was in class and unable to talk. I received a call back two days later, and tried to get some information. Professor Lieb suggested that I be honest with them (the ethical thing to do).

I confessed to my "dating specialist" that I was happily seeing someone for nearly three years, and was attempting to get information about the company for a school project. She told me that while she couldn't promise anything, I could call and ask for the owner this week. No luck on reaching him on Tuesday, I'm calling again tomorrow. (She also asked that I not use her name, and while she gave me the owner's name, asked that I simply ask for "the owner"). Update: I spoke with the owner, Dave. He gave me some information about "Great Expectations," a national organization that Date-Baltimore is a part of. I was able to get some information and a few quotes that I may use in a module. He wasn't extremely helpful though; he kept saying he was really busy working and trying to run a business, and that there wasn't a better time for me to talk with him.

Honestly, I feel like I've been thrust into the roll of investigative reporter on this one. Although I'm not trying to expose any wrong-doing, no one wants to give me any information.

I also researched a bit more about Parents without Partners, and am going tomorrow night to an initiation meeting to hopefully get some good quotes and a great story. My teacher just emailed me a few hours ago that she is okay with me leaving class early for this story.

I was able to schedule a photo opportunity with members from Dinner for Ten. I'll be taking off work Saturday night so I can meet with members and get some long-overdue pictures for my second module.

I've also sent the S.V.B.A a final email, and hope to get a response. If not, I'll have to use pictures from the website, or travel and take pictures of a future event. I found some events that I'll bring up with Professor Lieb in class, including a trip to the MD Food Bank, a dinner in Ellicott City, and an event with the S.V.D.C chapter: a National Zoo clean-up.

Field Trip to The Washington Post

I wasn't going to make this trip.

When my alarm went off at 9 a.m., I almost stayed in bed. I had been at work until midnight the night before, and was scheduled to be back at 5 p.m. I kept thinking about what Professor Lieb had told me: this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I got out of bed.

Professor Lieb's comments made me re-think what I thought was important and relevant in my life, and I told Bertucci's I'd be in an hour late. I was well over two hours late. It was worth it; I could have been fired, and it still would have been worth it.

I love Towson University. My teachers have been incredible in showing me what skills I'll need in the real world. But nothing could have prepared me for Rob Curley... nothing.

A week later, my head is still reeling over what he showed us, what he taught us. This wasn't a field trip to the Washington Post, it was a few hours into Curley's mind. It would prove to be too short of an experience, as Curley wasn't even able to finish his PowerPoint presentation.

We learned a lot from this man. I've looked at some of the other students' blogs on this trip, and unfortunately mine won't compare to some of them. I didn't bring a camera, and have been so busy with work, classes and my internship that it took me a week to reflect on this experience.

Do not let this fact fool you. I am deeply indebted to all of Towson for this opportunity. I spoke with Professor Lieb on the bus trip home, and have started an Orioles blog since the trip. I know now that just doing schoolwork isn't going to cut it when it comes to finding a job after graduation.

This was one of the most interesting and eye-opening trips I've ever experienced. I'd like to express my thanks to everyone involved.

Reactions to slideshows and flipbooks and movies...Oh My!

I have to say that these were some interesting and original sites we were asked to comment on this week. While not all of the links worked properly, the ones that did led me to a wealth of exampes on how creative you can be on the Internet.

The first site I visited, entitled Between You and Me, took a little while to load on my computer but was well-worth the wait. The "film," which won numerous awards in 2005 and 2006, was created by Patryk Rebisz. We were even given a link to read his comments about his creation. It turns out that he was broke, and needed to do a project which required no money and no dialogue. And so, 'Between You and Me' was born.

The "video" is actually over 2,000 photographs stitched togeter to form the illusion of movement. And believe it or not, it looks good! I really liked the opening scene, with the sights and sounds of New York city after dark. Initially, the movement of the people walking kind of scared me; it reminded me of the awkward movements I've now become accustomed to seeing in horror films. I also really liked the idea of stitching pictures of running water together. The scenes of water running out of the shower and faucet, flushing down the toilet, and rippling at the shore of the bay were really neat.

I also thought that the music and sound effects were compelling and really added to and complemented the visual story. The cat at the end was a nice touch and a cute way to end the film.

Lastly, I found that if you paused the video and clicked on the fast-forward or rewind buttons, you could almost see each seperate picture being put together to form movement. I found this to be a very unique and creative way to tell a story.

I also viewed the flipbook slideshow entitled The Cardstacker. The site introduces us to Bryan Berg, a professional cardstacker. Through audio, Berg tells the story of how he's been stacking cards since he was a child, and tells how his parents were always supportive of him. While he speaks, we see photos stitched together of Berg building giant card buildings. He stands on chairs, cinderblocks, and even ladders as he builds his creations.

I enjoyed the photos, as well as hearing Berg speak over the pictures. I thought this was a really neat project, though not as ambitious as the previous one. I liked being able to hear Berg's thoughts though, as opposed to reading about them after the fact. It was nice to know his thoughts on his creations, that this is his way of showing people that they, "...can really do anything."

The second part of the slideshow suprised me. Berg takes a leafblower and destroys all his creations. The photography is fantastic, with cards flying everywhere and buildings crumbling to the ground. The only audio is the sound of the leafblower, the cards flapping around in the air, and the crowd cheering and clapping as the buildings topple to the ground. I thought this was a great way to end the story.