Archive for September, 2007
A Day in the Life of a College Student
I was finally back at school after over four relaxing months of summer break. It wasn?t a return to high school life but the beginning of my college career. It was both an intimidating and exciting day for me. I?ve never been in constant contact with so many people at once and finally being responsible for everything I had to do.
I?ve never been in a classroom or lecture hall filled with more than 40 students so being in the same room with 300 students was definitely something new. At first I didn?t realize that there were so many people filling the lecture hall where my Econ class was being held because I like to sit toward the front. (I have declared myself ?blind? and can?t see anything clearly more than ten feet away from me.) But as soon as I turned my head to look around, my jaw basically dropped to the floor. The place was filled to capacity and students that couldn?t find a seat were standing outside.
One interesting feature from the classes here at UCSD is the capability for teachers to create podcasts out of their lectures. As soon as their microphones turn on, everything they say is being recorded and will be available to students at http://podcast.ucsd.edu.
It?s amazing how much value the university places on being connected through the Internet and using computers to do the majority of our work. If I went to college ten years ago where wi-fi wasn?t commonplace and laptops were just starting to enter the mass market, this form of education probably wouldn?t be possible.
I am grateful for living such a privileged lifestyle as a freshman at one of the best universities in America. The awe I feel from my first day didn?t wear off when I woke up this morning. I couldn?t even wait to call my parents last night after a three hour long music and film class. The only thing I?m hoping for is to manage my time responsibly between my social life and what I need to do to in order to succeed in the classroom.
New York Times to Stop Charging on its Website
This is good news to hear: the New York Times has announced that it will stop charging readers for all services on its site beginning tonight at midnight.
The decision came about as their management began to realize that ad revenue from web traffic on a free site would be more significant than the value gained from its online subscribers.
Their TimesSelect feature, which provides extra access to the paper’s archive and its columnists, was previously available for $49.95 a year or $7.95 a month. Like most non-subscribers, I was turned off by the fact that I could not access certain articles unless I paid almost $5 for it. Beginning tomorrow, the paper’s archive from 1851 to the present will be available to everyone at no additional cost.
When I was in high school, I convinced the librarian to set aside the school copy of the New York Times for me everyday. St. Mary’s gave out free copies of the San Francisco Chronicle and the Oakland Tribune but I always found the Times’ expansive coverage to be more entertaining to read.
But with the beginning of summer break came the end of my access to the school library. I found myself relying solely on the Times’ website for my daily fix on their content. According to Nielsen ratings, the Times generates over 13 million unique visitors per day, making it the most popular media-news source on the web.
The print version of the New York Times is available at newsstands for $1, which is at least twice the cost of any major Bay Area newspaper on weekdays. Like I told Inman News when they profiled me last week, most of the news is available online already, and it’s free. The word ‘free’ is a big, attractive deal — especially for teenagers like myself.
Networking at AAJA Scholarship Luncheon
This year?s AAJA Scholarship Luncheon was held at the Maharani Restaurant in downtown San Francisco. It was an important day for me ? I was about to receive the first installment of the scholarship I won earlier this summer. I thought I was going to be late for it so I took a brisk but sweat-inducing walk from Market St. to Post (I didn?t have a car so I had to travel on foot from the Civic Center BART). Imagine walking in a suit and tie uphill when the sun is descending straight on your forehead. Heat + Anxiety = something definitely not good.
By the time I arrived at my destination, however, the crowd was just beginning to make its way in so I began to calm down. ?Mingle? was a word that stuck in my mind throughout the entire afternoon. It was a good opportunity to network with some of the influential Asian American journalists in the Bay Area. I heard stories of how they got into the business and got a lot of advice to stay involved with journalism during my college years. I?ll definitely look at the possibility of writing for my campus newspaper and apply for summer internships with professional publications.
Apparently it was Phil Bronstein?s wedding anniversary today so he was in a bit of a rush to get out of the place. That didn?t stop me from feeling captivated by every word he spoke and question he answered. The keynote speaker stood for a good 10?15 minutes or so, talking about the slow death of print journalism and what?s in store for the San Francisco Chronicle in the years to come. He didn?t make any bold predictions about what he thought would happen to the print medium in the next decade or so. Instead he alluded to the supposed plan to implement videos on SFGate in the near future and becoming the go-to source for story leads in Bay Area news (I?d say that?s a pretty bold statement). It did not go unchallenged, as a television news producer spoke up and defended his profession.
It was quite a day for me and I was completely exhausted by the time I got home. I met a lot of interesting people that I hope to bump into during my professional life. Among them: some of the best writers from major Bay Area newspapers, charismatic radio-talk show hosts, and a fellow admirer of the late R.W. Apple of the New York Times.
Campus MovieFest a Hit at UC Berkeley
Campus MovieFest made its way through the UC Berkeley campus this past week, arming students with AT&T mobile video phones, camcorders and laptops. Their mission: to make a five-minute film in a limited amount of time using that equipment.
The wealth of talent was apparent in the 16 short films that made it on screen. For the third year in a row, Cal had the most participants with 152 entries. There was a pretty nice turnout outside Wheeler Auditorium by the time I got there with a few of my friends. The tickets to the finale were reasonably priced — $3 for students with ID and $5 for general admission.
Founded by Emory University graduates, Campus MovieFest is currently in its seventh year and still going strong. The program has grown to reach over 100,000 students around the world, establishing CMF as the largest student film festival out there.
I was rooting for a friend?s short film called “Save Our Luck,” which was shown towards the end of the screening. Biased though I may sound, it really was the best in show! Instead, the award for Best Picture went to a cheesy documentary called “Flyering and You.” I don?t know when the collection of short films will be posted on the CMF website but previous entries are still up there.
Of course, the night wouldn?t have been complete without a bunch of prize giveaways. I was able to snatch a bright green CMF shirt from the audience member in front of me, although I would have preferred the new iPod Nano for sure.
‘Fall Fashion’ on Bay Area Teen Focus
If you ever find yourself shopping for groceries at your local Safeway, be sure to check out the free magazine rack on your way out. Bay Area Parenthood Magazine has just released its Teen Focus issue this week. I’m sure you may have been guessing why by now — I co-wrote a piece inside (pg. 30–31!).
Teen Focus is geared directly to teens and their parents and is published only once a year. The current issue is loaded with articles called “Making MySpace Our Space” and “Surviving Stress” as well as a few other pieces on teen volunteering and parenting tips.
I was referred to the magazine’s editor by the Contra Costa Times before the summer began. That seems like such a long time ago to me but this turned out to be one of the most stress-free assignments I’ve ever had, and I even had the chance to help with the layout of my page.
I was told to pick three items that I think would be popular this fall. The choices I settled for were the Ray Ban Wayfarer, a striped crewneck sweater and a pair of Puma Clyde sneakers. I included a blurb describing my items and of course, why I thought they were cool.
Bay Area Parenthood is a nonprofit publication so feel free to take as many copies of Teen Focus as you want. They get by through a wide assortment of advertisements aimed at their reading audience. It seems to me that they have a wide distribution all over the Bay Area, ranging from Silicon Valley to the Tri Valley to the East Bay.
You’re bound to bump into a place that has them. They’re everywhere, even on the Internet. Just log in to the Bay Area Parenthood Website, which prompts you register for a free account. But don’t be turned off by this. It’s actually quite hilarious and simple. You’ll end up having to use your email address as a username and again as the password.
Phil Bronstein to Speak to 2007 Scholarship Winners
I’m attending a luncheon for all the awardees of the Asian American Journalism Association’s 2007 scholarship this Saturday afternoon. The Bay Area chapter of the AAJA is holding the event at the Maharani Restaurant in downtown San Francisco at 1PM. Tickets are available online for $15 to AAJA members and $20 to the general public.
Phil Bronstein, executive vice president and editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, will be the event’s keynote speaker. He will discuss the future of the news industry and the current state that it is in.
This past March, it has been reported that Bronstein called an emergency staff meeting and said that the news business “is broken, and no one knows how to fix it.” I’m curious as to what he has to say about blogging and the Internet’s takeover of the reading audience once devoted to print journalism.
This is quite odd, but I actually know Bronstein best for getting bitten by a Komodo Dragon at the SF Zoo a few years ago. My parents were freaking out when they heard that this had happened to him, which is because they idolize him for his award-winning coverage of the Philippines during the 1980s.
I have to admit — I’m getting quite excited for this weekend. It’s not often that I attend an event honoring teen writers like myself while having the chance of meeting a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.
I was awarded $3000 by the AAJA based on their criteria of a commitment to journalism, journalistic ability, financial need and scholastic achievement. A sensitivity of Asian American issues was also an important factor to the judges who interviewed me.
In high school, journalism and community service were two of my main activities on the weekends or after school. If you were ever looking to find me once the afternoon bell rang and I wasn’t in the library or in my car on the way home, you could’ve guessed that I was probably stuck editing articles and the layouts of The Peraltan’s latest issue. I was also heavily involved with Building with Books, an organization dedicated to empowering America’s youth through various community service opportunities locally and abroad.
Teen Blogger Finds Real Estate Success
Could I actually be famous? Well maybe not just quite yet, but I?m definitely feeling like my ego has been nudged just a bit during the past 24 hours or so.
Inman News, a real estate journalism publication based in the Bay Area, recently sent out one of its reporters to profile the work I have been doing for a number of real estate blogs this summer. It was only yesterday that I walked into their office in Emeryville and sat down for a face-to-face interview. In a matter of only one day I couldn?t believe I found an entire article posted about me online. How amazing is that?
I?m simply blown away at the fact that people are beginning to recognize my efforts. I know I?m just starting out with this blog and I am currently writing as a contributing author for four other sites, but I have this feeling in my gut that things can only go up from here. Forgive me for being clich?, but the sky really is the limit.
Before my senior year in high school, I never even dreamed that I?d get involved in writing through blogs as much as I have been these past two months. My training had primarily focused on print journalism and the significance of objective reporting. Learning on my own because I pretty much have to, I browse through various blogs that I find interesting and pick up on the techniques they utilize in order to be more effective with my posts.
If I had to look at the point in my life where things really started taking off for me in terms of my participation in the blogosphere, the Contra Costa Times would definitely be on my mind. They opened things up for me in terms of public exposure as well as its creation of the LIP Blog: I Should Be Doing My Homework, in which I started contributing regularly to since its inception at the very beginning of this year.
As long as blogging stays enjoyable for me to do and doesn?t impede on my studies and my social life, then I?ll keep on typing away for many years to come.
A Healthier Lunch Menu at a Cafeteria Near You
New nutrition standards are forcing school districts all over the country to tweak their lunch menus to regulate fat, sugar and calorie content of foods served to students.
When I was in high school (which wasn?t that long ago), mainstays at Steve?s cafeteria were teriyaki chicken, pizza bread and burritos. I personally thought the food they served was awful and overpriced. I can?t believe I subjected myself to paying $3.75 for a chicken club sandwich drenched in mayonnaise.
I don?t know how much better off I?ll be at the UCSD cafeterias, where I will probably be eating half of all my meals in ? meaning breakfast, lunch, dinner and maybe some afternoon snacks. Now I?m starting to see how the Freshman 15 grabs hold of college students and traps them for the whole school year.
Thankfully, schools have finally started believing that obesity is a growing problem in our country. According to a survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of 12 to 19-year-olds are overweight.
In California, chicken nuggets and French fries are now baked because deep fryers have been banned under new federal food regulation standards. Many of the cafeteria food staples will still be sold but with lower fat contents, otherwise they will be substituted with a healthier option with similar features. Take for example a bag of regular potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. Some schools now sell baked versions or whole wheat substitutes which taste almost as good and take away some of the guilt one would feel from devouring a bunch of junk food.
Time will tell whether the new food standards will help curb America?s childhood obesity problem. At the end of the day, the kids are the ones who pick and choose what to eat — not the cafeteria soup lady or the school principal.
Facebook Adds New Feature: Stalker
Social networking sites are the playgrounds of the stalker elite and its wannabes. Facebook just made it easier for anyone in the world to know who you are and what you look like with a simple Google search or something similar on its welcome page.
Scary? Even to me, it was. My full name is plastered on the top banner of this page in black text behind a bright yellow-green background but I don?t exactly want just anyone to know all my personal information.
You can Google my name anytime and the results would typically come up to be this website, a few real-estate blogs in which my name has been mentioned and remnants of articles I had previously written for the Contra Costa Times. After that, you?d come up with a random hits as well as anything sounding related to my last name (usually having to do with Nativity).
When I checked my Facebook account recently, I found a pop-up similar to Ralph Wiggum?s (above) and was a little surprised as to why they would implement this feature. Techcrunch?s Michael Arrington is the authority on every move that Facebook makes and has a thing or two to say about this.
You can pretty much stalk anyone you wish on Facebook even without this new feature by clicking and searching your way through the site. I would think that this problem would be even worse at MySpace. Finding someone?s name who happens to be listed under the LinkedIn network sounds closest to what would happen with Facebook profiles showing up on search engines. The difference is that LinkedIn attracts more professional connections while Facebook shows footage from the latest party you?ve been to.
This blog was created so that I could share what was on the mind of a typical college student ? in my case that?s usually a giant miscellany of worries and news-related entries. I don?t think that too many people would be comfortable with others knowing all these random facts about them.
If you?re on Facebook and have encountered this pop-up on your News Feed, you can simply fix your privacy settings accordingly to make your profile available for viewing only to your particular network and friends.
Dirty Jobs Marathon Airs This Week
I couldn?t believe it when I saw promos flashing on TV. Dirty Jobs episodes will be airing on the Discovery Channel all week long in a marathon that starts tomorrow on Labor Day until Friday from 9AM-5PM and continues again next week.
You?ll know how crazy I am about Dirty Jobs if you saw my entry on this amazing show that showcases the careers that you and I probably couldn’t even imagine doing for a single day.
It?s hard not to be drawn to Mike Rowe and his brilliant way of describing things like he did in a recent interview with USA Today: ?It?s Jackass with a conscience, Fear Factor with a soul, a touch of redemption in a swirling undercurrent of poo.?
Dirty Jobs Marathon
Where: The Discovery Channel
When: Monday, September 3 ? 9AM-12midnight
Tuesday through Friday ? 9AM-5PM
What: Watch it!
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