We sat around the fire discussing life and decided it was time for bed at 3 or 4 in the morning, though I can’t be sure because all electronic devices were turned off, free from the shackles of technology that I usually cling to throughout the week.
We woke up to cracking thunder at dawn and the sound of rain patterning down on our tent. It was really something hearing that thunder, which would erupt for 10 to 20 seconds every minute or so. However, the rain was not music to my ears with the cold weather and the work to pack up that we faced in the morning.
Luckily it passed and we were able to pack up our gear with little discomfort, only needing to avoid the occasional puddle.
After a breakfast of coffee, eggs, sausage and peppers cooked over a fire (which makes food taste so much better) we headed back on the road.
The first stop was Tombstone were we walked around and checked out the site where the famous gunfight at the OK Corral took place, which was neat because we learned our camp site was in the area where Doc Holiday hid out after the infamous duel.
After we were done with Tombstone we headed to Benson and browsed minerals, metals and rocks at a great mom and pop rock shop.
We loaded up on PowerAde and beef jerkey at a Benson gas station and headed back to Tucson.
I was dropped off at my parents house and age lasagna cooked by our houseguests in town from San Diego and checked my email for the first time in two day, the longest I’ve gone without being online all semester, which was refreshing.
I had a pleasant surprise for me waiting on my email. The director of Arizona Public Media, whom I had wrote a letter of interest to a few weeks ago (see previous blog) had written me an email informing me I would be their new intern next semester. I’ll be reporting through both their web site and as an on air radio reporter. I’m very excited but also a bit nervous, as I’ve never reported through the audio format. But I know I’ll get through it and learn a lot through the process. It was nice to get something I applied for. It was a reminder not to be afraid of rejection, something that's held me back this semester professionally.
So I’ll leave my blog with that. I always thought I’d take my blog down after 306 but I think I’m going to leave it up. I enjoy having my semester documented and I appreciate being able to look back at the story of my life over the past few months. I’ve learned that writing for oneself can be quite enjoyable through this blog and that it’s a good thing to do, especially in retrospect. As I continue my career as a reporter I want to remember the importance on reporting and recording stories about myself from time to time.
But for now, goodbye old blog. I’ll see you after finals.
Well here we are. The there’s a bitter cold chill in the air. T-shirts and shorts are being put away in closets and jeans and sweaters are taking their place and I’m working on assignments a day late and a buck short- the end of the semester is near.
For many of us 306ers that spells the end of blogging.
I remember the outrage I felt toward blogging when it was originally assigned to us months ago, but now that I look back and read through my semester, I realize I’ve grown to like the occasional blog.
My reasons for loathing blogging at the beginning of the semester stemmed from the death of newsprint being replaced by bloggers but over the course of this course and through my blogging, I’ve realized that I need to suck it up and jump on the blogging bandwagon. As a reporter, I need to get with the times and use a blog as a place to take my career to the next step, providing my readers with extras and using it as a place to show off my writing skills to any potential employers.
As for now however, for English 306, this will be my final blog post – one last attempt to salvage my lackluster blogging grade. So now, without any further ado, I give to you my Thanksgiving Day weekend in two parts:
Part 1.
We were somewhere along Interstate 10 in southeastern Arizona when the excitement began to take hold. I remember saying something like “Goddamn that was some good turkey yesterday,” to my two friends seated in the truck that was barreling down the road at 95 miles per hour.
It was Saturday and we were getting the hell out of dodge. The idea came the day before during a Thanksgiving dinner that was held on Black Friday, the day my family’s company came into town.
I had invited two of my peers from school, students of journalism and all around good people.
We had the usual affair at dinner – turkey, rolls, stuffing, yams, potatoes and a lackluster pie. All made by yours truly, besides the pie.
After dinner my friends and I left my family behind and headed out on the town.
It was one of those nights that lands you in your friend’s urban backyard at 4 in the morning, scrounging for more firewood to burn his make shift fire pit.
“Fire is primal, man,” I remember someone saying.
“Indeed,” I said, “but we need to get out of this place.”
So after a few hours rest, there we were, headed out of Tucson in my friends pickup truck with a bed full of tents, blankets and sleeping bags.
Our destination was Cochise Stronghold, a desert and rocky range of country near the New Mexico and Mexico borders.
After a 2 hours drive, a third of which was on dirt roads, and a near miss of two cows who were lollygagging in the middle of the road, we arrived at a an ideal campsite at the base of a large boulder.
The sky was fill of dark clouds, which had appeared to clear out all other campers. This was the Wild West. There was no room for fear of the weather or anything else for that matter so we pitched our tents and started up a fire in a fire pit that was still warm from the spots previous settlers.
Once our site was established we headed into Bisbee for some dinner and to check out the nightlife.
Once you enter the short tunnel that leads into Bisbee, you can feel the rest of the world begin to melt away behind you like ice on a hot summers day. By the time you emerge from the other side you can tell you’ve found refuge from city life in the houses and businesses that line the hillsides in quant little mining town.
We first headed to the store to load up on supplies - coffee, sausages, butter, eggs and peppers and then drove down to the historic district for chili, darts and billiards.
After shooting the shit with some locals for a good 4 hours, a third of which was spend listening to a local singer/songwriter that reminded me of a young Bob Dylan, we decided it was time to go reclaim out spot out in the wilderness where the real winds blow.
Now dark, we rolled through the dirt road leaving a giant plume of dust behind, which was occasionally illuminated by the red break lights. After passing by the road to our site two times we finally arrived at our site and began collecting wood for our fire and adding the final touches to our temporary home.
Within a short time we were all huddled around the fire and exchanging stories of work, women, religion and our futures...
I've been working on a story about the San Pedro River for the past few months. I've gone out to different points along the river a few times this semester and have put in quite a few interviews with researchers and scientists at UA and up at ASU (boo!). Anyways, this is my first draft on the story, which I'm not sure what to do what in terms of who to submit it to. It's been run gathering information though. It's a pretty unique river in the sense that it flows upward from Mexico. It's interesting because at some points it will be dry, but if you keep hiking up down river it was then be wet and so on and so on because the river is fed by many mountain ranges in southeastern Arizona. From what's I've been hearing it's in pretty bad shape due to a growing demand on ground water. Our state better find a way to slow down demand on the water supply or it looks like we're in trouble. Apparently mother nature in Arizona is already feeling the effects...
The San Pedro River, one of the last undammed and free flowing rivers in the Southwest is dying due to climate change and increased demand on the ground water supply, a strong indicator that Cochise County and southeastern Arizona may be drying up.
Thomas Maddock, head of the University of Arizona’s Hydrology Department was asked to file a report on the state river in the 1980s by Cochise County, using the health of the San Pedro as a model to measure the health of groundwater.
In 1990, Maddock and his colleagues predicted the system would dry up between 10 and 20 years.
“It dried up in about 15.” Maddock said. “It isn’t in the best of health.”
Other researchers agree the San Pedro system is going through a dramatic change.
Juliet Stromberg, ASU Life Sciences associate professor and an ecologist who specializes in riparian ecosystems such as the San Pedro River has seen a response to decrease in stream flow and ground water level through changes in vegetation and riparian ecosystem since 1993.
“There is reason to be concerned. We’re documenting a decline in base flows,” Stromberg said, who monitors the river at a series of established sites along the river. “Part of river is becoming intermittent that was perennial.”
In response to the changes in stream flow permanence and depth of the ground water, Cottonwood willows, tall high-canopy trees that fill the valley are being replaced by other shorter and more shrub-like species that require less water, Stromberg said.
“As the water level drops, ecology fluxes,” Stromberg said. “It’s transitioning from a forest structure to a scrubland.”
In other words, the change in plant life along the river shows that stream flow and the ground water are receding.
Thomas Meixner, associate professor in the Department of Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Arizona has seen other rivers in Arizona become severely altered by people, including the Gila and Santa Cruz rivers.
“We know how this story ends if no action is taken,” Meixner said.
“There’s a really good comparison photo that people often show of Tucson, where in the 40s the Santa Cruz River has this nice, green, Mesquite Bosque, lots of trees, and now you go and it’s just a harsh desert landscape,” Meixner said.
“The concern is that the San Pedro could end up like the Santa Cruz—a river no more.”
Data from the Arizona Department of Water Resources show that the River’s annual flow saw a major drop in the 1960s and again in the 1990s.
Maddock attributes recent changes to climate change and groundwater pumping.
“I think the climate’s probably going to hit it the hardest, although, ultimately, the groundwater pumping will be the real issue,” Maddock said.
Since 1990, the population of Cochise County has risen from 97,624 to 129,006, a 32 percent increase, not including the growth of Fort Huachuca, Arizona's biggest military installation.
Ground water supplies have been stressed due to population growth in the county and Sierra Vista, he said.
“A major city is growing between point of recharge and discharge. What do you thinks going to happen?” Maddock said. “Ground water pumping exasperates climate change issues.”
For each a cup of water pumped from the ground to support Cochise County’s growing population roughly a cup of water disappears from the river as a result, Maddock said.
Now, with the river looking more and more like a wash, researches worry that the ground water eventually won’t be able to support more growth.
The problem likely will not stop with the San Pedro - one of the reasons why it has become one of the most heavily researched river systems in the Southwest.
“I think it’s a problem that’s going to be faced all over the world,” Maddock said.
Climate change has causes increased temperature and less precipitation in the Southwest, he said.
“You have less precipitation, that mean less water in the river, less recharge in the mountains, less groundwater,” he said.
With the river as one of the last rivers left in the Southwest and with the valley being a major migratory corridor for hundreds of bird species, researchers are keeping a close on the valley.
“There aren’t many rivers that haven’t been dammed or severely damaged by people.” Stromberg said. “Although its been heavily used by agriculture, it’s more or less a natural river.”
Although that’s changing due to increased demand on the ground water, researchers say the fate of the river isn’t set in stone.
“It depends on what people do for one thing. What growth is like how people change actions in terms of recharge and pumping,” Stromberg said.
“Effects from climate change remain uncertainties but just how severe the change will be depends on how humans manage that.”
But Meixner said getting people to recognize groundwater pumping as a problem might prove difficult.
“One of the struggles convincing people that the pumping will, sort of, take out the river, if you will, is that it won’t happen today,” he said. “It’s going to be a very subtle, gradual shift.”
The river is already changing though, and showing signs that it is not in the best of health.
“The river isn’t running as often,” Maddock said.
Fewer portions of the river maintain a perennial flow. Or in other words, less of the river runs all year long.
Meixner says the flows are also lower, and less of the streambed is wet year round.
“As a result of the streambed being wet less of the year…ultimately, some of the trees that will come in will die,” Meixner said. “There’s a lack of young tree systems.”
Although changes in the river over the past 20 years has researchers concerned, the recent shift isn’t the first major transformation the valley has seen in recent history.
When the ground water was full at the turn of the last century the valley was a marshy area. During the last 100 years, intense droughts, cattle grazing, farming and ground water pumping has transformed the valley to what it is today.
“There’s been a major shift in vegetation from 100 years ago,” Stromberg said.
“Picture this area, demitted by vegetation by drought and cattle. Then floods cut a big gully widening the channel. That area then became full in with cottonwood willows in wetter sections of the valley.”
Now, the current state is in flux again.
Dave Meko work at the University of Arizona Tree Ring Laboratory, the world’s largest laboratory of its kind. By studying and measuring the rings of trees, Meko and his colleagues can look back in time to weather conditions in and around the San Pedro river valley.
Meko and his team concluded that in the mid 1990s, the amount of water that reached the valley took a sharp dive due to lack of rainfall in the mountain ranges that feed the San Pedro.
Looking at variations in tree rings, Meko has seen a history of dry and wet phases around the San Pedro River, including some extreme droughts in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and the present day.
“When you put them together, droughts and a demand for water, it puts a big stress on the system. The riparian zone exists because of the river and shallow ground water. The San Pedro will respond strongly to the combination of increased pumping and reduced stream flow,” Meko said. “That is threat a lot more than human encroachment than climate variations. In the San Pedro the effect of man is an even bigger concern than climate.”
I've spent part of the day working on my resume and writing application letters and essays for some opportunities in the spring and in the Summer. I'm glad I've decided on somethings finally, I was getting overwhelmed with some of the choices. I'll be turning in applications to Eller's summer marketing program and an internship at Arizona Public Media in the Spring. I think Eller would be good to learn some business skills, giving my resume a new dimension. Arizona Public Media does great work on radio, TV, and online and I would be honored to work from them and learn some multimedia skills next Spring while I finish up school. Here are the letters I sent to each of the people that would accept me:
Hello Mr. Michaels,
I attended the information session you held at the School of Journalism earlier this semester and I am interested in an internship at Arizona Public Media beginning in January.
I have a passion for telling stories and providing people with information about our community. My experience includes reporting for the Arizona Daily Star, the Arizona Daily Wildcat, the Tombstone Epitapf and El Independiente.
Based on the feedback I’ve heard from fellow students, I know a semester at Arizona Public Media would provide me with great opportunities. With a strong core in writing and reporting, I am now looking to branch out as a reporter and expand my online and multimedia know-how.
Public media was one of my main influences to pursue a career in journalism. As a child, I would listen to National Public Radio every afternoon on the drive home from school in my mother’s car. The stories intrigued me. They opened up new ideas and new ways of thinking and I become increasingly curious about the world around me. As a student of journalism, my curious nature is now stronger than ever and I aspire to tell the kind of stories that led me to the profession.
I know this won’t the type of internship where I’ll be making coffee. I expect to play an active role as an intern and I’m confident I can become an asset to your newsroom. I have strong admiration for your online package and the work your staff produces and I would be ecstatic to contribute and to learn from Arizona Public Media in the spring.
and...
Developing marketing skills at Eller’s summer marketing program would prepare me to meet the challenges of the media marketplace and help me transition from student to professional.
This is an exciting time to enter the field of journalism. Technology has meant changes in the ways people receive their news and the newspaper industry is being forced to evolve and adapt.
With these changes comes opportunity for professionals who are able to market and create new models online. During this evolution, not only will the media continue to depend on advertising revenue, but media outlets will need to better market themselves to stay competitive in a world where news and information is more accessible than ever.
As print media outlets continue to move their product online, marketing skills will make me a strong candidate for a position at a news organization, complementing my background and experience as a reporter.
In addition to the praise graduates of the summer program have shared, I know Eller is a leader in providing students with the abilities to succeed in the professional realm. I have completed a successful and proactive major in journalism and I am confident my academic excellence will transfer as a student of marketing next summer.
I'll be turning both in tomorrow and crossing my fingers.
Still working on getting something written up from last Sunday's All Soul's Precession. I'd like to get something published in a travel magazine as this year's event was massive. I'll try to at least get a start of my piece up on the blog soon. Anyways, I'm looking forward the the big football game tonight. I hear ESPN is going to broadcast from campus at next week's game against Oregon if we beat Cal tonight. As for now I'm sitting on campus while my other half volunteers at an event for the State Museum. I'm working on getting my ducks in a row for the rest of this semester. This year has flown by far too fast. I heard from an old friend today who's living in Washington. I think I'm going to plan a trip up there in Spring and visit Vancouver as well. It was good to hear from him and I'm glad I have a trip to look forward to because I just love to travel - It's a trip. In following with my semester goal to get more freelance work published, here is a piece I recently revised about a downtown restaurant called the Grill. I'm thinking about seeing if the Weekly will give me a few bucks for it...
At 100 East Congress St. in Downtown Tucson, nestled between Wig-O-Rama and the hard-music playing Vaudeville Cabaret, stands a landmark known for severing greasy favorites 24 hours a day.
It’s called Grill, and it’s a classic diner with modern attitude.
“A few things you should know. This is not your house. This is our house,” states Grill’s menu in bold.
But for many Tucsonans, Grill is a home away from home.
The location has been a diner since the 1930s and black and white pictures that hang on the Grill’s back wall prove it.
Called “Grill” for the past 15 years, the diner serves a variety of classics such as eggs, pancakes, rib eyes, meat loaf, burgers, pastas, cake, grilled cheese sandwiches and BLTs.
They’re simple dishes but Grill succeeds.
Grill takes pride in freshness. Entries are made to order and desserts and soups are made daily.
If you want a filling meal for less than 10 dollars, and you like your food served with ketchup and mustard, Grill is your place.
What’s Grill’s most popular dish? Tater tots.
What’s special about the tots? Nothing at all, they’re just plain tots. But you haven’t tasted tots until you’ve tasted them at the Grill. This diner isn’t just about the food. Grill’s charm is the special ingredient.
Grill has character. The tiled floor is worn on the aisles between booths and chances are you’ll find a hole or two on your seat’s retro plastic upholstery.
The 1970s venting and lighting will make you feel like you’re in a cholesterol-filled version of Back to the Future.
The simple kitchen is humble and honest, visible from most of the dining room.
A service area cuts through the middle of the diner where servers prepare drinks and desserts, including ice cream and milkshakes at an old-fashioned diner bar.
If your bathroom deed requires sitting, you may want to wait. Grill’s bathrooms would be more fitting at a punk rock club with their leaky faucets, black walls and green graffiti-covered tiles.
Offended? Go to IHOP.
At Grill, imperfections are embraced. Grill is like a historic landmark. Imperfections are what make it great.
On the cover of Grill’s menu reads, “Fine dining. Full Bar. Live Music. Catering. World Domination.”
Fine dining? Hardly. World Domination? Grill is as non-corporate as it gets.
You won’t find a dress code here and that includes the help. Grill’s staff is as individualistic and unique as the diner itself. Servers, whose personal hygiene can be questionable at best, aren’t bashful wearing nose rings, wild sideburns or black clothing that reveal vulgar tattoos.
When they’re not waiting on you, staff can be seen hanging out front on Congress Street, enjoying a cigarette between orders.
Their attitude and attire would be repulsive at Applebee’s but at Grill, it works.
Show up in sweats for a late-night study session or stumble in after a night on the town. You’ll be comfortable at Grill.
Maybe that’s why the spot is a popular downtown meeting place.
A table by the diner’s entrance is reserved for flyers promoting art shows and poetry readings. Grill’s front window is covered with posters for upcoming concerts in town.
Grill is conveniently located on Congress Street, walking distance from Club Congress, District Tavern, Sharks Nightclub and Vaudeville Cabaret.
And with the diner located two blocks from the Rialto Theatre, concertgoers can grab a bite after rocking out.
Peak hours at the Grill are from 2 a.m. until 3 a.m., when patrons soak up drinks with some fried grub or sip coffee with friends who aren’t willing stick a fork in the night.
In a way, Grill is a bar in itself. The Red Room, a full bar connected to the diner, offers patrons beer, wine and cocktails, which can be served along side a meal in the dining room.
Red Room hosts an event nearly every night, from DJs spinning vintage records, to local bands jamming or simply a wannabe musician playing an acoustic set for a small group of friends.
Grill’s marquee is illuminated all night and has become iconic for Tucsonans who hang downtown. Its green and white lights represent a safe house and a warm meal.
You won’t find chicken cordon bleu and crème burle. Rather, chicken fried steak and ice cream with chocolate syrup.
The Grill has it self figured out. It knows what is it and does it consistently well.
It’s offers place to put your feet up and relax with a bowl of vegetable soup or a Ruben sandwich served on marble rye.
It doesn’t aim to impress or be something it’s not. It simply delivers day in and day out.
I had quite the eventful weekend in Tucson. Friday evening I met up with an old friend and his wife and we went to the Firefighter’s chili cook off downtown. We ate lots of chili and caught up. I ran into a lot of old friends from high school too, which was nice. Chili was only a buck at each departments booth so I had about five or six cups, which resulted in a stomach ach, but hey, it’s for charity. After the cook off we walked over to the community center for the Ice Cats hockey game, the first home game of the season. We got beat by 5 or 6 goals but we had fun getting rowdy and yelling at the opposing team, Eastern Washington. After, we headed out and met up with a few of my friends from school at a bar downtown. I woke up early Saturday and headed to campus for the homecoming festivities. I met some old friends who we in town and tailgated for a bit, ate some hot dogs and watched the parade. It was much more fun than the game, which was a blowout. I left the game before half time because it was clear we would be the victor.
Today has been chill. I watched my girlfriend play in a homecoming lacrosse game, ex players vs. the new team. It was fun and I got some time to get some reading done. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to read for pleasure. I was planning on getting some lunch with my parents this afternoon but my dad is ill. I’m not too disappointed because I just watched the film “Food Inc.” and I’ve lost my apatite for the time being. Tonight I’m going to attend the all souls precession down Fourth Ave. This is the 20th anniversary of the event and I’m looking forward to it. I’ll report more on that after.
I’m still debating what cause I want to take up in class. As an aspiring journalist, usually I take up causes by writing about them but by providing both sides of the issue so that the reader can make up their own mind. I think I’m going to take a similar approach to this assignment and just try and get the information out there, except in a form other than a newspaper article. I’m looking forward to it - it should be fun and I hope to learn some new skills in either graphic or web design. I’ve been meaning to play around with some of my software and this will be the perfect opportunity.
Anyways, I need to finish up some homework and get ready for the precession. It’s actually the first one I’ve been to so I’m not sure what to expect but I look forward to blogging about it later and maybe posting some pictures.
I put in a public records request in South Tucson and I made their clerk squirm in the process - Always a good sign to a journalist. I got a tip the other day from a high ranking elected official, which was an honor in itself. He called my cell and told me that political rival of his, an elected official in South Tucson, does not live in South Tucson. For someone to be in office, it’s the law they live within their jurisdiction. Naturally, I wet myself a little. Granted, my deep-throat has a clear agenda, but I’ll take the tip nonetheless. I’m being very careful about my reporting to insure my tipster is not manipulating me but thus far, it’s promising information.
I’m writing for South Tucson’s only newspaper, El Independiente. It’s a student-run paper at UA’s School of Journalism. It’s what we call a capstone class within out school- a chance for us to showcase what we’ve learned throughout college in a semiprofessional setting. Some people don’t take us seriously, and some of our own staff doesn’t either for that matter, but I do. I already completed my capstone requirement last semester for a different project but I enrolled in this class to have some fun, get some good clips, but most importantly, make a difference. I’m a firm believer that the press is critical. Although papers are having an identity crisis, the written word is still mightier than the sword. I signed up for the class to make a difference and that’s what I intend to do. This story is a chance for me to do that.
I put in a public information request today, which is a legal binding request for information that is considered public information – something the government is required to provide anyone who asks for it. Because the other media outlets in Tucson largely ignore South Tucson, their government isn’t accustom to receiving these types of media inquiries. I think the media in Tucson does our community at large a great disservice by not looking into what happens in South Tucson, an independent 1.2-suqare mile city in the heart of Tucson, plagued with crime and corruption. I feel it’s the press’ duty to ask pressing questions and look after its citizens because it affects everyone in Tucson.
Anyways, when I asked for the information I needed, the city clerk said, “Wow, you don’t mess around.” I think I’m on to something and clearly I’m excited. I feel like I have the rare opportunity to make a difference as a student journalist. It’s why I got into writing in the first place and I hope it pans out.
Under freedom of information law, South Tucson has 72 hours to get back to me. I’ll find out then whether or not I’m on a witch-hunt or if I’m onto something.
The Yankees just won the World Series, their 27th and first since 2000. The Yankees are my favorite team so I was pretty excited when the won tonight. It’s been an exciting series and a memorable season so it was nice to see it climax with a world championship. I was lucky enough to go to two games this past season. I saw one game at the new Yankee stadium in New York while I was out there to visit my family during summer break and another game in Oakland during a recent trip to San Francisco. A lot of people hate the Yankees because they have a ridiculously high payroll, but I respect it. I like that they spend money to put a high performing product on the field. A lot of other teams just sit on their profits but the Yankees put it on the field for the fans. If I was a fan for another team I’d be pretty upset about it because it can be unfair at times, but then again, why would I want to root for a team other than the Yankees? Ticket prices can be high at Yankee stadium but you get what you pay for in this world. I feel like this World Series justifies it. I’m going to wear my Yankee hat with pride tomorrow.
Speaking of success with sports teams, the Wildcat football team is in the top 20. I got caught up in the excitement today and bought a pair of tickets to the game this weekend. It’s homecoming so it will be good to hopefully see some old friends and faces. Our opponent, Washington State, is pretty bad so it should be an easy win, but I’m hoping for a close game.
I think the best part about sports is how it brings people together. I’m excited to hang out with friends at the game this weekend and I’ve had countless conversations about baseball with friends and strangers over the past few weeks. I’m excited for the upcoming winter Olympic because it will bring the world together. I wish soccer was more popular in the country because I feel like soccer brings the world together. Maybe the sport will gain more popularity during next year’s world cup.
It’s almost midnight and I’m exhausted. It’s that point in the semester.
I’m going to talk some crap to all my Yankee hating friends on Facebook and call it a night…
I’ve had a hard time keeping up with my blog recently. I’ve been busy writing for other classes and I think that’s why. School got pretty intense this week and I don’t think it will let up until winter break. I haven’t had any midterms but my English, journalism and work assignments keep piling up. I wanted to become a better writer this semester and I’m certainly getting the practice in. I’m feeling a little over whelmed with it all but it’s rewarding too. I think I’ll look back on this semester with a smile. I’ve decided to return to school next semester to finish up my foreign language and many do an internship at Arizona Public Media. They do good work there and I would like to learn audio reporting skills. I ended up missing the application deadline for an internship in Phoenix, which I’m glad I won’t be doing. I was a bit disappointed when I realized I missed out, but I think I just truly didn’t want to do it. I need to decide what to do next summer. I think I can get an internship at the Arizona Republic, which pays really well and would get me some good clips and would look awesome on my resume. Part of me what’s to take Eller’s marketing minor program over the summer. I feel journalism is dying and I feel like a fool trying to break into an industry in which so many are being laid off. My professors don’t seem to feel that way but I sometime think the whole school is in denial about the future of the industry. No newspapers in this country seem to be adapting. Because of this I feel the summer business program would give me a new set of skills and make me a good candidate for a job outside of journalism. Maybe the industry will sort it self out and steer away from revolving around a daily newspaper and shift to online. I hope there’s enough money in an online product to provide reporters with the time and resources to produce in-depth and investigative journalism. I can’t imagin the world or the country without it. If it were up to me, the media would be non profit. I just don’t know. Even at 25, my feelings about what to do with my life seems to change on a weekly basis. I just really hope the economy bounces back before next fall so I at least feel like I have options. For now, I’m going to apply for both of the summer things I’m interested in and decide later, or perhaps the process will decide for me. Other than that, I’m just trying to stay afloat with my homework. I kept putting blogging off, thinking I needed to catch up with a really long blog, but I decided that wasn’t going to happen and I’d be better off just getting something down tonight. I’m glad I did. I often stress about things too much. I usually find that stressing about something, such as blogging, takes a lot more energy than blogging itself. I’m going to try and keep that in mind the rest of the semester when it comes to blogging and all of my homework and assignments for that matter.
On a side note, I’m pissed the Yankees lost the first game of the World Series. They were doing really great up until tonight and they totally got slammed. I hope the series turns around tomorrow.
It’s family weekend at the University of Arizona. People have packed the sidewalks and restaurants around campus and the streets are extra crowded. It’s not family weekend for me. My parents, who are from Tucson, are out of town. Every other weekend is family weekend for me. To get in the spirit of things I’ve been entertaining my girlfriend’s family, which consists of a 24-year-old sister, a mother and her boyfriend. The sister got in Friday night. We picked her up from the airport and drove her through campus. Showing someone the U of A campus who hadn’t seen it before made me look at it from a new light and perspective. I had a new kind of appreciation as we showed her sights like Old Main and the AZ state museum. On Saturday, the mother and boyfriend arrived. We met up with my girlfriend’s roommate’s family, who had prepared a big tailgating event with a TON of food, such as chicken, sausages, pasta salad and beef sandwiches. We tailgated for a few hours, me sneaking away to my friends tailgate area, which had an atmosphere a bit more up to my liking, every hour or so much to my girlfriend’s dismay. We headed to the football game around 4 and the two families split to different sections of the stadium. The game was pretty great. It was our first home game this season and the first game I’d been to. Stanford was the opponent. The game was filled with scoring and excitement so there were high fives all around. We were seated next to the Sanford section so I got many a “UofA!” chants directed toward them throughout the game. There was more than 1000 yards of offense throughout the game. Our team trailed the majority of the game but we took the lead with a 60-yard run with minutes left. Sanford came back and marched up the field as the clock ticked its final seconds. Just before the time expired, Stanford threw an incomplete pass into the end zone that would have likely won them the game. It was a nail bitter and I was glad the visiting families got to see such an exciting game. After that we hung out at the house, pretty worn out from the day. It was nice to hang out with some parents other than my own and I enjoyed the family atmosphere that was a bit more warm and active than my family, of which I am the only child. Today, I’m writing my blog poolside at my girlfriend’s parent’s hotel. My own parents are back in town so I need to figure away to go visit and have dinner with them without having my girlfriend’s family come too. That’s a level of relationship commitment I’m not quite ready for…
I’m finding my writing to come a bit easier as the semester progresses. I think the blogs are helping me a lot to just let it flow. I need to be less shy about my work and be willing to share it with others. Lately I’ve been using my blog as a recap of my day. As a writer, I’m in limbo between the world of journalism and English. My journalism stories have been influenced by my English assignments and as usual, my English assignments are influenced by the journalistic style. I'm finding a good median between the two. Good writing is good writing no matter what it's for. My next essay will be more researched based. My first essay was very introverted but this next essay will use sources and perspectives outside of my own.
I woke up today around 11 and remembered it was Tucson Meet Yourself also known as Tucson Eat Yourself. Basically it’s a bunch of food booths set up down town from just about any culture you could imagine. What better way to celebrate diversity than to stuff your face with food from around the world? God bless America. I threw some jeans on, put on a hat and walked downtown for some breakfast. I started out with some Chinese veggie egg rolls and an iced coffee, Costa Ricans style, which means it comes with lots of sugar and cream. It was very yummy. Now alert and craving more food I headed over to one of the many booths that were serving Indian fry bread, a favorite of mine since childhood, growing up in the South West. I got mine with powdered sugar, though honey was tempting. My girlfriend went with beans and cheese. After that we headed over to one of the two stages set up and ate our fry bread while listening to some Chinese music. Despite being a musician for much of my life, the instruments were things I had never seen. They were beautiful. Two members of the group played on an instrument similar to a violin, but played up right. The other member played on an instrument that sounded like a steal drum but looked like a xylophone. It looked like she was striking strings with a mallet but I suspect she may have been plucking strings based on the sound. The instruments created a very rich and textured sound together and it was unlike anything I’ve heard in the States. Just as food has developed and evolved in different parts of the world, music has as well. To me, they’re both necessities and I was amazing to see how different instruments are formed in every culture for a universal purpose. We sat and listened for a few more songs and then headed out to find a boba drink; a blended slushy type beverage with little tapioca “pearls” in it. It’s drunk through a wide straw so the pearls can be sucked up. I got the honeydew flavor and loved it. We wondered around for a while and ate some Danish “abelskiber,” fried round balls of dough. My girlfriend has some Danish in her so it was a dish her grandmother used to make. Later I almost got some ox tail from the Jamaican booth but chickened out at the last minute and got the jerked chicken instead. In line, I keep telling my girlfriend she was “ja-macian me crazy,” which wasn’t even funny the first time. We wondered around some more, ate some skewered meat and watched an Asian guy dancing with a sword. Stuffed, we headed home at a fast speed debating who would get the restroom first (which I did). Despite the upset stomach, it was a great time and I think it’s great Tucson hosts this event every year. Viva diversity.
