Print, My Final Frontier

There are many fears I have overcome this summer: A sewgway running me over on the sidewalks of DC, being north of Tennessee for longer than a week, Amos Gelb (Just Kidding). But these are child's play compared to how I have overcome my fear of print journalism. Being mostly a video guy it used to seem to scary with it's research, long sentences, and big words! But throught wriring for NBCWashington.com I've learned that print isn't quite as scary as it's made out to be, check out the work I got published on their website:

Hot National Soccer Team coming to DC
Finally, a team we can all agree on

By JOSH PATTERSON

Getty Images

Nationals or Orioles? Democrats or Republicans? 9:30 Club or Black Cat? This city can't seem to agree on anything. Don't worry, the U.S. soccer team is here to fix that.

After their incredible and improbable run at the Confederations Cup in South Africa, the U.S. is ready to show off their new skills to a home crowd -- in D.C. On July 8, The U.S. will play Honduras in their second game back in the States (the first is in Seattle, so it will probably be rained out) since almost defeating Brazil to win the Confederations Cup Sunday.

In case your TV only picks up Wimbledon and you missed it, the U.S. team had a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half only to give up 3 goals in the second half of their first FIFA tournament final ever. (Did we mention Brazil is now on a 16-game unbeaten streak?) How did the boys in red, white and blue get to the final, you may ask. By beating the No. 1 ranked team in the world, Spain, 2-0 in the semifinal.

It certainly seems the U.S. is finally able to compete in that little-known sport heading into the World Cup, but they are still missing one thing: Fans.

We're not talking "buy a bobblehead of your favorite player" fans, we're talking soccer fans. "Make a cape out of your country's flag" fans. "Don't stop yelling until the team goes into the loccer room" fans. Fans that the world should be scared of. Fans like the Screaming Eagles.

D.C. can set the tone. The U.S. already played Honduras once this year -- a close game that ended with the U.S. winning 2-1 in front of more than 55,000 in Chicago. RFK Stadium only holds 45,600, but that should be more than enough if they cheer like DC United fans.

Tickets are still available in four of the five sections, so if you want to be able to read the names on the jerseys or save some money chilling with the pigeons, RFK's got you covered. Camden or Nats Park? CNN or Fox News? Next Wednesday it doesn't matter, just get out and cheer on a team that deserves your support.

10 Feet From Obama, Helen Thomas Picture... GREAT SUCCESS

Before coming to DC I joked with my family and friends about how Barack Obama was my neighbor and because of my awesome basketball skills, he might invite me to shoot hoops at the White House (one can only dream)! Obviously the second part will never happen unless I grow another foot and become a basketball all-star like Dwight Howard. But... I am proud to say I stood within 10 feet of Obama at his 4th White House Press Conference.

Last Tuesday, Rebecca Cooper (the anchor I work with at WJLA/NewChannel 8) and I set out for the White House Rose Garden, but when we arrived we were informed we'd be crammed into the Press Briefing room (which isn't as big as it looks) because of "humidity". Reporters later said, "It was the most packed [they've] seen the briefing room since the Monica Lewinsky scandal during the Clinton administration."



Rebecca told me before it began I had to do the "first-time reporters" thing. First I met HELEN THOMAS.... most well-known White House journalist.





Then I stood at the podium President Obama was about to speak from...





Finally, I stood my ground at the front to hold a place for Rebecca to stand (seats reserved for daily press). I did this for about 2 hours (I'm in pink, holding a newspaper)



When the President walked in, the room was silent (with the exception of cameras going crazy).As Obama took the podium to address the US position on Iran, health care and the economy (as usual), I stood in awe of the president. I couldn't pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth because I was in awe of how surreal this was. Finally I came to when he began to answer questions and actually learned a lot. Evidently I was on TV too!!!


This is my favorite moment of my internship so far and I'm so grateful to Rebecca for giving me the chance to go. I'm still hoping to take on the President in a 1 on 1 challenge though. So President Obama if you're reading this... call me and we'll set the time and place!

Journalism is the Moonwalk By Lindsay ONeal

It had been a slow day at SlateV, the place where I intern. Legendary actress Farrah Fawcet died, but that did not give us much material other than a feathered hair competition for a slate initiative – double XX.
The interns and I were planning to embark on a culinary adventure, that night we were trying Turkish food. And then- it happened. A confirmed report that the legendary Michael Jackson had died. Expletives ran through our heads- no Turkish tonight!
Well, SlateV, the video company I intern with, wanted to do a compilation video as a kind of tribute of Micheal Jackson's moonwalk. MJ perfected the move and it became a pop culture movement. Others tried, most failed.
So, I spent a couple hours on YouTube pulling clips and editing and the V team ended up with a pretty awesome video! Its definitely something we were proud of, take a look!



Like usual, we threw it up on YouTube and it started to gain momentum. First 25,000 hits then 50,000 then 100,000 hits. As I am writing this, it has close to a million hits! And that wasn’t the end of this viral video's success. MSN called us over at Slate, they wanted my video for their homepage-oh wait and Dateline and the Today Show called too.
Pretty darn cool! It is the most successful SlateV video to date and it has opened up many doors for SlateV. YouTube is talking to us about how we can gain more prominence in our partnership and we may have a deal with MSN for sharing video sometime soon!
This blog is called "What is Journalism?" for the students in the Semester in Washington Journalism Program and at least for me, for today, it's the moonwalk.

Combining All Into One: DC + My Experience + SIWJ Class

Over the last 4 weeks I feel as though I have been the closest to my ultimate dreams, yet the furthest away. As I continue to learn about this city, the opportunities, and my love for journalism within politics, the excitement is a constant reminder of where I belong.

As I sit in my apartment and gaze out my window, it still feels like a dream. The monuments are real. The humid air flowing in the window is a continuous reminder that I have finally made it to DC. After growing up visiting our nation’s Capitol I knew that at some point I would end up here. SIWJournalism is my first step… the ultimate step… or leap of faith.

I have had so many great experiences after 4 short weeks in DC. From the Capitol, to speakers, class and embassies, the opportunities never rest.

I hope to apply every opportunity of this amazing city with what I am currently learning in my Semester in Washington classes. I have had a personal blog since the beginning of last semester, strictly using it to post for a technology/ media class at Creighton, and nothing else.

After attending a Republican National Committee Women’s Leadership Summit last Friday, I now know the direction I want it to go in. With a little bit of help from the skills learned from SIWJ and an RNC speaker and former intern, I decided to re-focus my blog to “What An Omaha Girls Needs to Know to Survive in Washington DC.”

I am excited to continue in the world of New Media and add it to my Public Relations background. With my involvement in politics and Capitol Hill, I know they will come in handy while having fun with my new blog idea.

I will definitely check back in!

Life Without Joey

Life without Joey...

Joey was supposed to be my roommate this summer in D.C.

He never showed up.

I still go to sleep each night with a bare mattress across the room.

Josh and Jordan are my other roommates. For the first few weeks we’d walk in the room shouting out for Joey hoping he’d finally arrive. We know nothing about Joey but we built him up in our minds as some kind of muscle bound male, simply based off his name and the fact that he’s from Florida. Josh, Jordan and I all got along great and we couldn’t wait to add Joey’s personality to our group. But we’ve given up and we’ve adjusted to life without Joey. And he has no idea what he’s missing out on.

So Joey, here’s a quick wrap up on what you’ve missed out on.

Well the first day here, Josh, Jordan and I saw Captain Dan (Gary Sinise) from the movie Forrest Gump in the Memorial Day Parade. Although that quick moment was exciting enough in and of itself, he’s missed much more.

Joey’s missed the Amos Gelb tourist experience (too much to describe here), discovering hidden memorials at night, sports outside the Washington Monument, nightlife throughout DC (sorry, no details), John Donvan from Nightline , the House Chambers, stirring Washington Nationals games, the Gay Pride Parade, documenting the Revivalists, sunburns at the Mt. Vernon pool, and way too many other priceless moments.

Joey’s missed out on a lot here in D.C. We’re sure he would have added another great element and sadly he’ll never be one of the The Knight’s of Gelb. (That's we call ourselves, the survivors of this summer semester in DC) But we’re surviving...to say the least.

Oh thank God and Zeus and Buddha and whoever else, it’s 7-11.

No 24/7 Mcdonald’s. No late night pizza. Not even a damn cup of coffee. Welcome to Foggy-Bottom, GWU campus- where they take your money and don’t even provide you with a place to eat. Okay, that’s stretching it, but I’m pretty sure nine out of 10 restaurants, on this side of town, close their doors at 6 p.m.

And my usual late night snack? Too bad I didn’t wear my tennis shoes with my power suit today because I’d have to walk from A to Z just for some french fries. I thought I moved to a big city, not South Dakota.

Luckily, for all us D.C. interns the oh-so-familiar 7-11 pulled through for us. Yes, I know, 7-11 isn’t exactly a restaurant or even a fast-food joint, but when there’s nothing else around, it does the trick:

Operating 24/7, it’s open when we need it the most.
It has variety- ranging from two-day-old hot dogs to (what I’m sure are) extremely fresh garden vegetables.
And above all else, it has that wonderful invention:

The Slurpee.

Time and time again (like at least five days a week) the 7-11 Slurpee has come through for us. It’s become such a hot commodity that I think we’ve collected enough Slurpee cups to replace our Solo cups.

And because 7-11 is basically our GWU version of Central Perk we don’t have to deliberate over what flavor to get- we’ll just try a new flavor tomorrow. (Although, my usual GWU 4-ride driver recommends the watermelon, with the exception of reserving wild cherry for a wild Saturday night.)

So whether I have the need to quench my thirst after interning for eight hours, followed by five hours of class projects or I simply just want a day-old donut, there’s only one place I turn to: Foggy Bottom’s 7-11.

Make a Statement at the Capitol

What's the easiest way to make a statement on Capitol Hill? Many suggest starting with an internship and working from the bottom up. But for a weekend trip, the statements made on Capitol Hill all come down to a matter of focus.

Walk past the United States Capitol Building on Saturday and a kaleidoscope of contorted figures, blend together in a scene not normally associated with legislation - until seen through the viewfinder on the camera. Flocks of the young, old, tourist, locals and the curious all have their own way to pose in front of the Capitol, and every pose is worth a thousand words.

Mahendrm, who traveled from India to Washington, D.C. with his family said, when he got ready for his close up it was really more important to capture the Capitol itself.

From another perspective Eliana, Danielle and Brittany say it's all about tagging a fun photo on Facebook.

Turn the lenses toward Dimitry - posing like the top dog in Washington - and all he can say, "why not pose like the President."

Next time you pass the Capitol, give some thought to what your own photo caption might say someday.

Final Cut PRO: My Proudest Moment!

This is the first project of this magnitude that I have made in Final Cut Pro. The thought of the project was intimidating--just a couple of weeks before it was expected to be finished, my friend Thomas comes to me asking for a HP commercial-like advertisement to help his campaign for Georgia State University's homecoming court. I said sure without even thinking! (Might have been because I had a little bit of a crush on him :-) But then after I did think about it...the task was a little daunting. Where could I shoot this? How could I light it? How long will it take me to edit? Will I be able to do everything he asks?
I basically dove in headfirst and just decided to see what I could do. The final product turned out to be an amazing video for which I received praise for weeks after it debuted. I am really proud of this product because it was really the first time that my proficiency on Final Cut had been solidified to myself. I had NO IDEA how I was going to do everything that Thomas had asked, but I ended producing a video better than even he had imagined. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

What I have learned since arriving in D.C.

D.C. is nothing like I thought it was going to be! Below is a list of things I thought I would share about what I have observed since I came here three weeks ago:

1. If D.C. had an official animal it would be the rat. I have seen so many rats running across the streets. It's ridiculous the size of them too.
2. Avoid driving here at all cost. Walk or take the Metro. It's much more efficient and easier.
3. If you fall in your new shoes and cute dress in the Metro. You won't die of embarrassment. It happens to everyone
   
4. D.C. has a magical aurora about it. You can be completely exhausted and busy or mising sleep and putting in crazy hours at your internship because you are still happy. I wake up everyday smiling because I am here.
5. Most of the guys I have seem in D.C. are super cute in their suits and business wear. Very nice.
6. My internships with The Georgetowner newspaper is the best internship in the city!!! Amos and Susan (the program directors) were totally right when they said this. I have a chance to do actual journalism with this newspaper. I already have clips and am working on more and I have only been here for 3 weeks. You can't beat that.
7. The Lincoln Memorial (or as all of us in the SIWJ Summer '09 class call it, Abe's House) is the coolest place to hang out in D.C. Standing at the top of the steps and turning around to see the Washington Monument in the reflecting pool and the Capitol behind is beautiful. Everytime I go visit the monument I feel so lucky.
8. I have made some life long friends in this program. This really is the best group of people I could have ask for to spend my summer with.
9. I am amazed that I really haven't gotten homesick yet. I thought I was going to miss my family and friends terribly, but so far I have been OK. I miss them, but it's nothing like I thought it was going to be when I left home. I think it has a lot to do with the people I am with and how busy I have been.
10. If the Lincoln Memorial is my favorite place in D.C., then the Newseum is the second. That place is amazing and it is especially great for any journalism junkie like myself. Chanel (the other girl in the program who interns at the Georgetowner with me) and I wrote an article about one of its new exhibits, "Our World at War: Photojournalism Beyond the Front Lines." Let me know what you think!
    
11. Most importantly, aside from learning about journalism, I have learned about myself. I have learned that it's ok to want what I want and to go for it! I learned that if I try I may actually just might get it. I finally believe that now. I think I just needed to get a way from all the distractions and out of my comfort zone to realize it. DC has helped me to see that.
    

I have learned much more than 11 things since I have been here, but these are the only ones I can think of right now and the best ones I wanted to share!

I Know Enough About DC To Be a "Tour Guide?"

This past weekend two ladies that I know from Mexico came to visit D.C. It was the start to their two week long vacation in Pennsylvania. My mom and younger sister drove down from PA to pick them up and bring them to spend the weekend with me at my aunt and uncle’s house. One of the women visited D.C. a long time ago and the other has never been here. Neither had my sister. Even though I haven’t been living in the D.C. area for long, it was up to me to figure out what to do with everyone and where we should go. It was a different place than I have been used to being these last couple of weeks. Everyone else has been giving me tours and teaching me how to get around. This weekend was my turn to show off what I had learned.I started the day by showing them how to use the metro system. Then I had to direct everyone to which station we needed to get off. I decided we should get off at the Smithsonian so we could be in the middle of the monuments and Smithsonian museums. This turned out to be a smart choice. We spent the afternoon in the Smithsonian Castle and Museum of Natural History. Then, we headed back outside to walk down the mall to Abraham Lincoln and his memorial. My friends and family enjoyed the walk and got some fun pictures at the different monuments. It was an exciting weekend for me. As corny as it sounds, I was proud to be considered knowledgeable enough to lead a group of people around downtown!

Hard, ain't it hard

Let's face it, everyone: journalism is stressful. For my job back on the student paper in Austin, Texas, I dealt with serious questions about campus news. I usually wasn't out of work earlier than 2 or 3 in the morning. I didn't get paid very much, and most of the students didn't read what we put out. But if we got anything wrong, the school administration and our professors would come down on us like a ton of bricks.

There are a lot of really sad and depressing news stories out there in the world, and we journalists have to deal with them every day. On top of all that, the job market for us journalists-in-training isn't very forgiving right now, and the few jobs that are available barely pay enough to get by. Sometimes, the stress is almost too much.

Luckily for us, there's cuteoverload.com. When being serious and respected takes it's toll, you can turn here for a little bit of lighthearted stress relief. I know I do.

Excitement! ... of the wrong sort

I have been here in D.C. for just over a week, and it has been all sorts of exciting, wonderful, etc. I am interning at Washington Monthly magazine, which has been great: The work isn’t too hard or too boring (they DON’T have me getting coffee), the people have been welcoming and they gave me my own office, right across the hall from the editor-in-chief’s.

It has been going great … until a few days ago.

Paul Glastris, the editor-in-chief, ducked in Monday afternoon to tell me that someone from the office next door to us has come down with what may be swine flu.

Apparently, one can carry it for about a week before experiencing any symptoms, and it can linger on surfaces

(for example, in the bathroom I just used) for several days. The elevator operators are being tested. A man with a surgical mask just disinfected my doorknob, and I have decided to limit myself to one bathroom stall. Really, though, by continuing to come to work, I might as well be doing this.

Who knows? By the time you read this, I might already be infected.

Live From 510

This is our first session of Welcome to the Blogosphere! take a look at our website to learn more about our program... I know you want to come to DC!