My Second Semester in Newspaper

This semester I learned many new things as well as improving in my writing skills. I got to also meet new people especially the girls in my mentoring group. I felt like I was more prepared and academically trained this semester in writing articles. I had a difficult time getting a couple articles done on time because of time issues but in the end I got them in. The article I enjoyed writing the most was my article on the beaches in California. I enjoyed this because I love the beach and I wanted to share with students that they too can go and share in the same experience. With summer coming up I thought it was a great article to put in the newspaper. My plans for writing in the future are to be in the upper level class of newspaper next semester and hopefully improve even more. I enjoyed working with Maryann Pearson once again and she also was very helpful with many assignments I had from my other classes. I want to use my experience and knowledge from this class to one day apply it to my future career in Journalism, Public Relations or Marketing. I had an amazing time writing all of my article and I hope to have an even greater more exciting experience next semester in Newspaper Production. 

Octo-Mom

The world is giving this “Octo-Mom” so much attention. As a young mom, Nadya Suleman, gave birth to eight children after already having six. In my opinion I think that there has to be something more to the situation. How can it happen twice to the same person? In my opinion I think that the Beverly Hills doctor and the sperm donor are hiding something. Suleman seems to like the attention and keeps doing more to get the attention of the media. I believe that the media is giving her too much attention. She should be left alone so she can continue her life as a normal person. In an article from LA times, the article mentions that she has had plastic surgery to look like Angelina Jolie. This is farfetched and if it is true, maybe a mental examination is a good idea, like her parents were suggesting. In my opinion the number of children she has in ridiculous. There is no way that she will have enough time, money and energy to take care of all of them and give every one of them the attention that they need. I personally do not want children. I do not know what I would do if I found out I was having six or even eight. If the doctor is keeping the information of who the donor is a secret, I think he could possibly be hiding so crucial information to the media as well as well as the world. If I was to take a Christian perspective on this issue I would say that the media is putting unwanted attention on the family. I would also mention that Suleman needs to take into consideration whether she will be able to take care of her fourteen children without developing favoritism and with giving them everything they need. People these days will do anything for attention and even if it is not positive attention they will love it and enjoy it while it lasts. I think what the media should be doing is focus on how her community can help her overcome the criticism and help her care for her children. There are so many people who would be willing to help care for them and even for her, during the tough times of raising fourteen children.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-octuplets28-2009feb28,0,3442521.story

My Cheer Coach!!!

A person who has made a real difference in my life would have to be my cheer coach. She is some one that I look up to and admire. She is a hard worker and is dedicated to her cheerleading squad here at California Baptist University. Coming in as a new coach at the beginning of the 2008 school year, I can imagine she had to idea of what to expect. The cheer team was not willing to accept a new coach and made her life hell the first couple weeks of practice. She was strong and let everyone know that she knew what she was doing at that she cared about us as a team. Wendy Rice wants to see her team of girls grow spiritually as well as athletically. She pushes us at practice to do our absolute best and she helps us get better and better. I can remember a time when I was going through a bad time this year. I made some wrong decisions and sometimes I went to her to let her know what was going on in my life. It was amazing to talk to somebody who could just listen and understand what I was going through. Even though she might not know it she is a great example to me and some one who I look up to. She also has a family of her own on top of the cheer squad. I bet she has to be really strong to be away from her children to dedicate her time to her cheer squad. From the first day of practice till now, this years cheerleading squad is one hundred times better and dedicated. If it wasn't for Wendy Rice's time, dedication and effort, we would not be as good as we are now. She made us more than just a cheer squad, she made us a team that works hard to reach the goals set in front of us. She has reached me personally in many other ways as well. In being an incoming freshman this year, I was expecting to be on an amazing college cheer squad. I was looking forward to the college cheerleading experience. She made it more than I could have ever expected. She made practice a place where I could let go of problems and just have fun and be in a great environment that helped me grow spiritually as well as athletically. 

What Newspaper Class Taught Me:)

I have learned so much in my newspaper class this semester. This class makes me want the career of a broadcast journalist way more than I did before I took it. Writing for the newspaper made me see how hard I need to work to reach the goal of achieving the career path I have chosen for myself. I am excited to take the podcasting class that is being offered next semester. The things that I learned in journalism will help me not only now but in the future as well. Professor Maryann Pearson spoke on many issues that I know I will use eventually in my journalism career. When she addressed broadcasting I was very interested in how it is so much different than writing for a newspaper. I was also interested in the powerpoint on social media and how it stated that communication is a big part of the Media today. 

I have grown as a writer and a journalist this semester in various ways. In the past I just wrote what was on my mind and I let it just flow. I was never taught how to write in a specific, professional way. I think the thing that made me grow the most was how to write a great lead. When I read articles the lead is the part of the article that decides whether I am going to read further. As a writer I want readers to read my whole story and be interested and intrigued the whole time, starting with the lead. This newspaper class was a great experience and I hope to learn more about writing and about journalism next semester. 

I Need Africa More than Africa Needs Me

I need Africa more than Africa needs me. This saying is very inspirational and says a lot about how many people learn from those who are in need.  Personally I think I would learn more from experiencing what is going on and what is happening in Africa than helping them myself.  Many organizations go to foreign countries to help those who are in need by financing wells, bringing food, bringing doctors over seas to heal the sick and many other things. There are also those who feel like they can learn from those who need help. When I went to Ethiopia in 2004 on a missions trip, I learned so much from them and it helped me in my relationship with God. I needed them at that moment more than they needed me. I saw how they worshipped God, I saw how they gave him everything and I saw how they chanced persecution for His name. When I saw all these things I realized that my relationship with God needed to grow and I needed to dedicate my everything to my God. I saw how people in the United State are not nearly as happy as those in Ethiopia. The children were always happy even though they had nothing. The smiles and gestures they made to me while I was there broke my heart because I was not as thankful or as happy as they were and I had way more to be thankful for. I learned that if we have Jesus everything else does not matter. I learned so much from the people in Africa and the things I saw and experienced will live with me for the rest of my life. I needed Africa way more than they needed me. They were content with the savior even though they had nothing else. I learned that my true joy and happiness comes from Jesus. With my goal of going to Ethiopia to help them in mind I realized that the reason Jesus sent me there was so they could help me. 

Marriage is Important

As was thinking about what to write about for my midterm blog for my Newspaper class, I started thinking of ideas and concepts that I thought were really important to me. The first thing that popped into my mind was marriage. I believe that marriage is something God created to carry out his plan for his people. Genesis 2:24 says, "For this reason man should leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman and they become bound together as one. The rings that a husband and wife both wear signify they belong to somebody. They also represent a never ending love with the design of the ring. A circle never ends it goes around and around forever and never strays from its path. When in the bounds of marriage a man and a wife can be sexually active, to make something beautiful together that God has created. In this day and age marriage is not respected like it should be. Statistics show that 74% of all citizens get divorced each year. Couples get married young, abstinence is not respected and marriage is not seen in the light that it should be seen in. With the elections occurring now marriage is involved in some of them. Prop 8 is a popular thing that people are considering either voting for or against it. Yes on Prop 8 protects the rights of family and marriage. God's original design was for a man and a woman to become one flesh not two males or two females. Gay marriage goes against God's whole human design. The bible clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman. In chapel today, October 31, 2008, the speaker was talking about how in creation God created woman from man and for man so they can be fruitful and multiply. Even in the new testament Jesus refers back to the scripture in Genesis about how man and woman become one flesh together. He also talked about how God placed the government in place to do the good of the people and how the government is trying to define marriage when God has already defined marriage in the bible. Marriage has been an established fact since the day man was created. The government is trying to define marriage as something that it is not. Even though the decisions rest with the people in the end, the government should know that marriage has been since the beginning of time. God has created marriage as a beautiful thing that happens between a man and a wife and in the relationship of marriage, creation of new life can happen. With prop 8 being a big deal to the United States and with so many people having strong opinions on this topic, I am looking forward to see the outcome of this proposition in the upcoming election. I would like to see God in the hearts of this country and see that they value what God has designed and created. Marriage is an important foundation of many things including sex, childbirth, God’s design and many other principles. Marriage should be between a man and a woman and should be a lifelong commitment that is holy and sanctified through Christ. 

My Crazy Family

My family....

How would I describe them... maybe crazy, unique, fun, surprising and definitely far from boring. I am the oldest of five kids, my mom is crazy and I admire her for that. I have learned that kids are not worth the pain of child birth and the money. I am never having kids, and yes my boyfriend does not want them either. I have one brother who is the twin of one of my three sisters, and my parents are far from normal. I was seven when the twins were born and they are partners in crime and have been ever since they were babies. I love them to death and they are a gift from God that I enjoy to have around. Chase is five years old and I absolutely adore her. I am like her second mother and i would not give up my relationship with her for the whole world. She is spunky, cute as can be, loving, and she brings a smile to my face even when she is being a brat. My other sister is a year younger than I and I wish everyday that I could be just like her. She is so dedicated to everything she does. She swims for a club team, is dedicated to God whole heartedly and maintains a 4.3 gpa or something ridiculous like that. Doesn't every girl just want to be that exactly? My parents are two very different individuals. My dad is the crazy, strict but encouraging one and my mom is the spontaneous, young, fun and dramatic one. I have to mention my dog. We had Hannah ever since I was seven and she died this last year. I have to admit I cried, I cried hard. She was the best dog ever. I cannot forget to mention my brothers snake, my sisters parrot and the five rabbits we have managed to send to heaven. 

My family's favorite thing to do are go to our river house, go to our place in mexico on the beach and go on random vacations. We also go to every athletic activity of every child. These sports including: gymnastics, cheerleading, wrestling, soccer, football, softball, dance, singing and swim. a busy family huh? Even though my family is not perfect, I would not be the person I am if I was not a part of the family that I am a part of. I love them and they love me and I want to be the best daughter and sister that I can be.