Blog: man’s best friend

In my History and Issues of Journalism class (a.k.a. “The Past, Present and Future of News”), we’ve discussed news in America as it has traveled through newspapers, radio, TV, Internet news, and, today, blogging.

We heard a professor refer to blogging as “participatory journalism”–the future of journalism is a move away from the “lecture” style of reporting and more toward a “seminar” style. That means that regular people like us can just report whatever we want and be our own journalists.

Is my blog journalism? I write it more for entertainment rather than education, and I assume that’s why you read it.

The professor asked our class of 200 future journalists who keeps a blog, and maybe four or five people raised their hands. That surprised me. Why don’t more people–especially journalists, but everyone else too–keep blogs?

You don’t have to write about the news. Write about your life (but no details that could get you in trouble…), write Seinfeld-esque observations, write your opinions on anything. If you have something to say, why not say it?

People my age are searching for unique ways to get their news (loosely defined) and to be entertained. We’re looking for things to do online when our friends have not recently updated their Facebook profiles, when our instant messaging buddies are all away, and when we’ve exhausted our online news sites.

Fill the gap for us. Entertain us. Talk to us.

Blog to us.

If you’re a writer, a blog is a great way to practice your writing abilities and more clearly define your writing style. Are you funny? Satirical? A complainer? All or none of the above? Explore your voice.

Not a writer?
-Speak through photos.
-Or write in bullet points (illustrated here).
If you have something to say, you’ll find a way to say it.

Convinced, but technologically challenged? I’ve been satisfied with Livejournal’s level of user-friendliness–you need not learn HTML. There’s also Blogger, WordPress, and other blogging sites. It’s not rocket science.

When I start writing papers but don’t quite know where to begin, my dad always has the right advice for me: “Just start typing.” Type, and see what comes out. Chances are someone will listen.

(To my friends who already blog–you’re great. Keep doing what you’re doing.)

I’ll stop talking and let you start. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Ready, set, blog!

Editor’s note: When I spell-checked this entry, the words “blog,” “blogging,” “online,” and “Livejournal” were all considered to be misspelled. Gotta love the Internet.

A political science class for Lia

For my potential journalism major (which I won’t know if I can do or not until at least next winter), I need to take two political science courses–one US, one international.

As a person who can’t stand politics, I’ve been dreading these two classes. Not only will I have to listen to information about politics, but I will have to write papers, take tests, and do well on them.

But then it hit me. I found a class I can take. Though it’s not currently offered at Northwestern, I bet I could find a few people to teach it.

Intro to Synagogue Politics.

In this course, we would learn about all the branches of synagogue politics–the executive branch (the shul president and vice president), the legislative branch (the executive board and board of directors), and the judicial branch (the Big Man Upstairs, located in the Ark at the front of the Sanctuary).

Much of the course material would also deal with the various cabinet departments:
-Department of Education (the Hebrew school and Bar/Bat mitzvah tutoring)
-Department of Homeland Security (the ushers)
-Department of Commerce (the gift shop, and the USYers selling things)
-Department of Energy (the youth group)
-Department of Veterans Affairs (the old Yiddish-speaking men who eat herring at Kiddush)
-Department of Labor (all aspects of the synagogue relating to prayer or worship [the Hebrew word for "labor" is also used for "worship"])
-Department of Housing and Urban Development (the custodians)

Students will also learn about the Cabinet-level rank given to the presidents of the Sisterhood, the Men’s Club, and the USY chapter.

Students must spend 5-10 hours outside of class at synagogue board meetings and Kiddush lunches. They will receive extra credit if they solve synagogue problems, and extra extra credit if they provoke controversy.

Required readings will come from the following textbooks:
-Complaining about the Clergy
-‘How Many Ways Can You Serve Herring?’ and Other Tips on Making a Successful Kiddush on a Low Budget
-Six Characters in Search of a Rabbi: The Art of the Search Committee
-Writing Sermons and High Holiday Appeal Speeches for Dummies
-You Learn a Lot about a Person by their Seat in the Sanctuary
-’Aha! That’s the Tradition!’ and Other Tales about Synagogue Customs and the Arguments they Provoke
-Not Separate, but Equal: Why Women are Allowed to Lead Shacharit but Not Wear Pants on the Bimah
-Merge Lanes, Not Synagogues: a Criticism of the Combined Synagogue

As part of their final projects, students in this class will create their own synagogue virtually, using the new software “Sim Synagogue.”

I think I’ll hold off on my political science classes until I find one like this.

I’ll major in journalism any day over econ

Dear Econ midterm,

I’m so sorry for probably failing you yesterday. I thought that you were going to be easier, but you were not. I deeply apologize for any pain I may have caused you. If you don’t want to be friends anymore, I will understand.

As a token of my most sincere apologies, I will present you with this, the article that I wrote for The Daily Northwestern instead of studying for you (it can also be found on page 3 of the print edition). So if you’re mad at me for not paying attention to you, Econ midterm, just take comfort in knowing that at least someone else was getting my attention and I wasn’t just wasting my time.

Please tell the TAs to be nice when grading you. Maybe their grading will be more relaxing if they have a copy of the newspaper in front of them.

Best of luck in all your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
Lia

And you thought I learned nothing in Econ…

Instead of paying attention during Econ today, Shari and I were both thinking about stuff in our lives that are stressing us.

Usually, we get stressed at different times.

But today, we were both pretty low.

I felt bad for not paying attention in class, so I discussed my feelings with Shari in economic terms:

If this is in any way economically wrong, I’m sorry. I obviously have not been paying complete attention.

And if there was any confusion, Ft+1 = tomorrow and Ft = today.