Capturing Humanism

The economy has made me a little afraid of the job market: there are fewer jobs and pickier employers. I've also had my fair share of graduation jitters--I've been asking myself whether I chose the right major, whether I'd be able to get a job, and so on. But working at UMC for a week has helped me realize that I love my job and I did choose the right major. And those graduation/ getting a job jitters? They're still there, but I won't let them get me down.

I love that my job requires me to sit down and think about how I can inspire people, wow them, draw them in, or even make their lives a little bit better. The point of the Alumni Magazine is to spread cheer, build pride, and so far, I think we're doing a pretty good job of it. On Wednesday, K--- assigned me to a 700- 1,000 word feature on Ogonna Nnemani, a Bloomington-Normal native who played volleyball in the 2004 and 2008 olympics. I'm really excited to speak with her. She has done so many things in her lifetime, yet she's only a few years older than me.

I spent most of Wednesday doing research on her, coming up with questions for her, and contacting her family for her information (she's in Istanbul at the moment).

I also spent most of my day coming up with interview questions for the JHCC interns and communicating back and forth with them. That story is also fascinating because it really puts Illinois State beyond the expectations of most people (a lot of people call ISU "I Screwed Up" because it isn't UIUC). I think it really says something about our university and deploys the myths about the caliber of our professors, students, and faculty. I personally chose to come to Illinois State because I knew that I wouldn't get the same individual attention or the same sense of community at U of I. Strangely enough, I gained a lot more out of my experience: I got awesome, talented professors, a close-knit group of friends, tons of opportunities to get involved, and a stellar education. If that's the case, I think I'll change the abbreviation of ISU or ISNU to IDNSU (I did not screw up).

One of my assignments is a short story on a lady who received a library scholarship that hasn't been given out to anyone for years. This is intriguing considering that she is the first recipient of the scholarship since the University axed the library science program. The research and pre-interview process has gone well so far, and we interview on Tuesday. I'm very excited.

Assignment the second is copyediting little bits and pieces of text for our copyeditor. Copyediting for UMC is a lot easier than it was for STSS--they follow a style/ communicate their needs for the content--and it certainly is a lot less stressful. I won't say that my internship with STSS was a total waste, but it was definitely more difficult to get it across that a certain sentence did not work either because it was too long, it was irrelevant, because it was a fragment, or because it was punctuated incorrectly (people were less willing to listen). It could have been a matter of specialization, but no bother. UMC's style is easy to follow, it's solid, and I'm relatively familiar with it (they follow AP mixed in with CMS).

Assignment the third: going through back issues and looking for content that will attract a collegiate audience. This is going to be interesting since it will be my first attempt at market research. So far I've thought about stories dealing with greek life, clubs, and on-campus activities, but I still have to go through the back issues and determine if that is what I want to do.

Looking back on it, I'm happy I had such a short stint at the Vidette. If I had stayed, I would have had five articles per week piled on top of schoolwork, research, fraternity stuff, and regular work. Part of me wishes I had stayed, but the other part of me thinks it's worth it to take it easy for once (I've been a ball of stress for the past few years. I need time to recharge my batteries before I hit the trenches again). I can say that working for the Vidette has made the idea of working for a publication more tangible and a little bit more excited. Shall I say, "Don't dream it, be it"?

If I go back even further, I am a completely different writer than I was a year ago. French certainly helped me expand my vocabulary and understand English linguistic structures, but writing for the news helped me peel away unnecessary words and other things that were taking away from my main point.

The new challenge is capturing "humanism". As a news reporter, I spent a semester talking about facts and using people as devices to deliver the facts. As a magazine writer and editor, I have to spend a semester writing about people in a factual yet creative manner, but also use them as devices to deliver the best story possible. A true test of my writing skills, but also a great opportunity to refine an unfinished sculpture. I'm excited.