My Three New Projects

…this doesn’t mean I’m going to stop blogging. At. All. I know I’m horrible at keeping up at it, but I got some cool things to show you within this upcoming month:

Television Productions 

So I went to Carson City with on Thursday my partner Stephanie. We usually go up to Carson on Wednesdays, but we had to interview Assemblywoman Marilyn Dondero-Loop (D) of District No. 5 (Las Vegas) about SB 182, which allows an all-day kindergarten to take place in Nevada schools. And yes, as I forgot to mention, this is our big story that will turn into a TV package for KNPB Channel 5! Mrs. Dondero-Loop is a Chairman in Health and Human services of Nevada, as well as focusing on major issues on education.

Yesterday, Stephanie and I shot some b-roll at a kindergarten nearby UNR campus, along with interviewing a teacher at one of Reno’s prestigious elementary schools. And then, on Monday, we will be live on UNR’s television program Wolf Pack Week, and discuss the basics about the story we’re reporting. It should be a pretty exciting month, our KNPB package should air sometime in April and I’ll be sure to attach the live interview from WPW when it comes out (it’s on Ustream). After we wrap up our KNPB tv package, Stephanie and I are going to focus on our “enterprise”, a subject we will focus on in the legislature that will have in-depth reporting and audio clips.

My team continues to write wonderful articles as well, and it would be great if you could check out our site and like our Facebook page!

Novel Writing 

For the past couple of years, I’ve been dying to take a fictional writing class. I need to anyway because it’s my minor after all! I was never able to apply because I just didn’t have the time. But now that I do, I can finally work on a project and submit and application.

I have to write a 5 – 15 pages short story on anything! I would love to share my story but I’m incredibly paranoid that somebody will steal my idea. I don’t mean to go off topic, but I a while ago, I was planning to write a novel about a girl during the zombie apocalypse. She would find a zombie that acted unusual than the others; he had feelings and eventually fell in love with her, but she she feared that falling in love with him back would mess up nature’s course of the apocalypse. I waited too long to write that story, and somebody beat me to the theaters with it, called Warm Bodies (which came out to be a really good film). I very much doubt the writer of this movie found my idea, but my point is that I waited too long — and, I don’t want to risk of sharing my idea just yet! 🙂

So, I have to complete this short story of mine before April 17. Wish me luck!

Investigative Feature Story 

For my data journalism class, I’m required to write about any kind of story that involves in-depth reporting, and reporting that makes sense. I have 6 weeks to work on this one. My professor said we could do a series of blog posts for our big project, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do! I haven’t decided if I want to create a new blog specifically for the project or create a new tab on JOURNALISchick (I think that sounds more fun). Anyway, here’s what I’m going to cover:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of Nevada is going to allow hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking) in the city of Wells, Nevada (which is about 400 miles away from Las Vegas). Although fracking plays an important role to help develop oil and gas in the United States, it’s caused many health hazards in people and animals. To learn more about fracking, I highly recommend checking out this site: http://www.dangersoffracking.com/

Out here in Nevada, wild mustangs roam the mountains. They’re usually found in eastern and southern Nevada. However, the BLM wants to remove these mustangs from their land and take them to a smaller and managed land in Carson City because “the desert dehydrates them”. This isn’t the case, really. The BLM is coming up with excuses to evacuate these horses from their land so they can start the fracking. Mustangs belong in the desert and I hate to see that they’re messing with nature’s course.

CarsonNow.org has a great collection of articles about this issue: http://carsonnow.org/topics/wild-horses

 

It’s definite that I will be graduating in December, so I’m going to be running around for a while (what else is new?). But this is what I’ll be producing in the meantime.

Nepotism in the Newsroom: 5 Easy Ways to Cope in a Workplace

ONCE UPON A TIME, I worked in a newsroom that had a great involvement of favoritism/nepotism. One of my editors hired his girlfriend on the team to take over one of the sections of our paper. Since then, it seems like she’s had it easy; he always gave good feedback to her about her articles, while the rest of us had to deal with the harsher side of criticism. A couple of us took this to offense at the time because not only did we put our heart and soul into the writing and editing, but it was just completely obvious!

He liked helping her out a lot, too. Sometimes, he would help me out with my section, but for majority of the time, I was the one who was writing about eight articles per week. A few of my co-workers have noticed that my editor had strange priorities, and it might’ve been the reason why the newsroom had such poor management. I discussed with one of my co-workers if they’ve been noticing the favoritism and she told me that she did. In fact, it was aggravating her just as much as it was aggravating me; if not, more.

So here’s how we ended up handling the situation: we discussed it with our managing editor, who seemed quite open and understanding of our concerns. The funny thing was that she almost wanted to agree with us; she wanted to join in with our complaints but being the classy lady that she was, she couldn’t spill out any of her emotions (although her facial expressions showed it). After that, she went spoke to that editor, but did not mention our names.

And he took it to offense, instead; he and his girlfriend felt that the entire newsroom was against them because we, as a crew, felt that there was too much nepotism involved. The girlfriend even considered quitting because of it and he wanted to resolve it all with a “group meeting”.

However, I disagreed to have that happen. There doesn’t need to be a group meeting to discuss the favoritism about them two. In my opinion, here’s what a real boss should do: have a meeting with his girlfriend instead and discuss how they could avoid this kind of situation again. I mean, they’re both love birds working together, what else is there to discuss (unless they don’t have common sense)? They thought we all thought we hated her, which was not the case. It’s the favoritism we didn’t like.

I understand why he would want a group meeting to get some outside opinions but I just felt that it was going too far with it. The managing editor reported a couple of complaints about an obvious situation (that’s their problem and they know it), so why get everyone involved?

I’d like to say that they aren’t horrible people at all (although his girlfriend is quite the sour puss). They’re pretty bright and friendly people! But why cause trouble?

It scared for me for a while when I heard that they both felt offended by this. It was a yellow flag for me saying that their relationship could be POSSIBLY a lot more important than this job.

Before I make this post any longer than it should be, here’s my explanation of what the importance of this post is: Nepotism and favoritism is quite common among workplaces, and from my experience, it could be a tough situation to handle (and sometimes, people have to quit their job because of it). So here’s some advice from the things I learned in order to (calmly) cope with nepotism and favoritism in a workplace:

1. To clear things up a bit, the definition of nepotism is favoritism upon kinship, relatives or friends. Even though my examples aren’t related to each other, they act like they’re gonna get married, so what the hell.

2. Keep record of your suspections. How does the boss favor the other employee? What does the boss do for the employer that he doesn’t do for others? Is he more easy going towards the favorite?

3. Do some research, but keep it classy. You could ask one of your co-workers to see if they’re noticing any favoritism. However, don’t talk down about them. Focus on the main points of your concerns when you talk to a co-worker: “Does it seem like to you that our boss acts a lot differently towards that employer?” (Of course, you could probably phrase this much better than I can). If the co-worker begins to talk down about them, let them know that the boss being an ass, for example, is not your concern. But anyway, if the favoritism increases between the boss and the employee, you will have a co-worker or two to help explain the situation to a supervisor.

4. Trust your gut and pay attention to the past. Gut instincts are (usually) always right. And, it’s also important to focus on your boss’s behavior patterns with former employees when they’re hiring others.

5. Keep stress and motivation in check. Even if you receive the most critical criticism, continue to do your best and top-notch work. Those who do very well in their professions are expected to eat the harsh criticism anyway. 

6. Had it? Report it. Don’t do this if you’re letting your anger get in the way. Only report favoritism when you’ve noticed it’s constant, and when your other co-workers agree to take this with a supervisor. Favoritism is a stressful situation to deal with, but do it when the time is right. This is why it’s good to keep a personal journal of what you’ve witnessed (because I did).

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to deal with nepotism in a workplace. Sometimes, it’s never solved or it just has to be ignored. But if it worsens, you might want to contact a higher position of the company or an attorney, according to HR Hero.com.

When I did my research with my situation, I found out that he hired his girlfriend over another applicant who applied for the same position (and the person who applied for that position told me). Unfortunately, talking to the managing editor was the most I could do but any experience that you can get is good — even if it’s the crappiest. And, it won’t be tolerated in the future.

The Second Book I Cried Over (and I rarely cry over books)

(My very first review. I’ll be learning how to write them along the way. Enjoy!)

Dani Shapiro’s Slow Motion is one of the books I’ve recently read for my Women & Lit class and this is first book in a while that’s made me cry my eyes out and pity the characters (the last time I cried over a book was during last summer, Mitch Albom’s For One More Day). My instructor is a huge fan of Shapiro; she added her on Facebook and read most of her writing. I believe that Shapiro has gained a new fan as well; her writing style inspires me.

Taken place in the mid 1980s, this is a memoir about the author herself who goes through drastic changes in her life after her parents get into a disastrous car crash, and it places both of them in the ICU. Throughout the book, 23-year-old Dani goes through many challenges such as choosing to be a father’s daughter or a mother’s daughter, her dependency towards others, how time is in “slow motion” for her, and like almost every 20-something year old, she’s struggling to find her identity.

Before the accident, Dani is living in San Diego pursuing in modeling and acting. She grew up in New Jersey under a strict Jewish household. Her father, Paul, wants Dani to be “the good, little yeshiva girl” while her mother, Irene, wants her to be “the pretty popular girl”. Throughout the book, Dani goes through reminisces of when she lived with her parents; her experiences show that she hasn’t been very close to them until the accident and feels that she has disappointed them greatly and now must find a way to make it up for them. Dani is a college drop-out and is a mistress to forty-six year old attorney, Lenny Klein.

Dani met Lenny through her best friend and roommate, Jess, while she was attending Sarah Lawrence College. Lenny happens to be Jess’s stepfather; he wasn’t afraid to tell Jess that he thought of Dani as an “angel”. Lenny continued to drop off flowers and gifts to Dani, and it helped their love grow for the next four years. However, Dani was not aware that it would bring changes between her and Jess.

After the accident occurs, Dani travels from San Diego to New Jersey to take care of her parents. But it takes forever for Dani to get there and time seems to be moving slow after she encounters her parents in the hospital. The title of the book, Slow Motion, is a constant theme  itself.

Both sides of the family also strike differences and conflicts between each other in the novel. Dani realizes that she doesn’t fit in with her family well at all because she chose modeling and acting over a degree. She wears fancy, brand name clothes that Lenny bought her, with fur coats and heels. She’s quite alluring. However, her half-sister from her dad’s side, Susie, has a PHD in psychology, about 10 years older than Dani and helps clients almost everyday. Dani feels like a dependent child compared to Susie and feels out of place when she acts differently towards her.

I would go more into detail about the book, but then I would be spoiling it big time. Most of the  details come into place right away, about the end of chapter 2 or beginning of of 3. Also, Shapiro also goes really in depth of what actually happened during her parents’ accident in her one of her recent books called Devotion since there’s not too much juice about the accident in Slow Motion.

My Evaluation: 

Many of my classmates did not find this book believable or found Dani’s tone to be way too whiney and annoying. I’d like to beg the differ.

Dani definitely grows throughout the novel. As you read it, pay attention to the tone and how it changes later in the novel because she starts to mature in her writing.

I do agree that Dani can become annoying because it seems that she complains a lot about what she’s going through. It’s simply one of the themes about this book, though; her complaints and sadness represent her isolation and dependency on her parents, Lenny, and alcohol and drug abuse. She also doesn’t fit in well, like I’ve said before; her looks are appealing and she makes the wrong decisions, and she’s a college dropout. Things just got worse for her because her parents are now in an unstable condition; her father is in a coma and her mother’s body is 80% broken.

Also, you may be able to relate to Dani in your own personal ways. I’m definitely able to relate with her when it comes to loving your family and realizing how much time is left to make the best out of things you’ve done wrong. I cried hard at one part in particular (which I vowed not spoil!) because it reminded me of a tragic day my family and I had to go through; back in August, a week before the fall semester started for me, my father had an embolism episode and survived because he was so healthy. He spent 3 days in ICU and 4 more in regular rooms. He’s doing great and is now 60 years old, still going to the gym and working. But I think that was the “Dani Day” for me when I realized how much time I felt like I had to fix things I needed to fix (I was quite the shitty teenager and I moved out at 19 – those were the 9 years I spent with my family that I put the most stress on them).

For a first review, I’m sorry I couldn’t describe too much. I mean, I would be pretty pissed if someone spoiled the climax and other juicy details of a story in a review before I even read the book.

It’s a quick read, but I suggest taking your time with it; it’s one of those depressing books that just drain the hell out of you if you spend too much time with it.

4/5 Stars, and it belongs on the favorites shelf (for me).

Recommendations: 

I read Slow Motion on Kobo eBooks for my desktop at the price of $11.99. To download on the desktop is free, unless you have the Kobo eReader. A couple negative things about this purchase – this program has no page numbers and I couldn’t find it anywhere in the settings. If you scroll, you move halfway through the book – it’s a sensitive program. I definitely don’t recommend this program for classroom purchases – even my instructor agrees.

Slow Motion was published on Oct. 21, 1999 by Mariner Books. Prices vary: $4.94 – $11.99

Click here for more ratings and reviews on this book on Goodreads

Click here to visit Dani Shapiro’s website. 

Girl time with my pitbull

I painted Cookie’s nails today with Pet Head nail polish. This was hard to do, but it looks cool and it’s pet safe! 

http://www.pethead.com/

Where I’ve Been:

I get that you can’t forgive me for this, but I think I have pretty legit excuses.

For the past Mondays and Wednesdays, I’ve been reporting like crazy at the legislature. If you’ve been following our blog, you can see that we post as much as we can four days a week. 

I’ve been learning something new about Nevada’s politics each day, even from my teammate’s articles. Wednesdays are usually the busiest days for me because I have two classes back-to-back from each other once I return to Reno. I insist on dressing nice and looking good, too, so that takes up some time.

I also work seven hours on Tuesdays after two other back-to-back classes. Nobody memorable has walked in or called the Planetarium these days. Lately, it’s been quiet and normal (and really boring).

I’ve made a few new friends, so I’d like to spend time with them as well, especially since I have a lot in common with one of them! We’re hoping to start a band since she plays the bass and sings, too (except, I’m the guitarist).

I work for about 4-5 hours on weekends, and I’m usually exhausted by the end of the day. I don’t get to really rest or rejuvenate until Monday hits (surprisingly) because it’s the only day I can allow myself to sleep past 10 am! I used to go to Carson on Mondays but we decided to switch things up (and this ended up being a good idea).

So it’s obvious that I’ve found time to write a freakin’ post; it’s one of the most wonderful things about Spring Break. I have a list of ideas that I’ll be blogging about this whole week in order to make up however many weeks I’ve missed: I have a couple of books I’d like to attempt to write reviews on and I now have the power and confidence to write an article I’ve been meaning to write (you’ll see).

Here in peaceful little Fallon, behind me my mother is baking cake pops that are colored green, white and orange for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow (her side of the family is Irish, which makes me Irish, so we’ll be celebrating). My father is doing well and is outside trying to get the power hose to work. The dogs are anxiously waiting for him to get it to work so they can bite the jet stream of water. And as for my brother…he’s just being the teenage boy that he is, hanging out in his room.

Hopefully, I’ll get to see some old friends while I’m at it. I’m getting my hair dyed and cut professionally for the first time in over a year on Friday, too. And now, I can’t help but enjoy myself by eating sour apple flavored licorice that my mother is using to decorate the cake pops with. We’re both kind of having a hard time trying to shape them as clovers to put on top of the icing. Here’s how they look so far:

Because it’s Spring Break, I also have the time to get back to my projects. I’m working on a short story to submit to a fiction class I want to take next semester. On top of it, I’ll just work on my other two novels as well — why the hell not?

It’s really nice to get away from Reno for a week — it’s much needed. Lately, it’s been the same old routine everyday socially, academically and emotionally. I’m actually getting sick of college because I’m ready to move on and focus on just writing and journalism. I was walking through campus last week and thinking, Man, I’m just getting too old for this (however, I’m only 21. Ha. Ha.).

Doing the same old routines in college reminds me of breaking up with a boy I fell hard for in high school; I couldn’t move past him because I was focusing on him so much and it took me two years to stop caring about him. My constant focus on him was holding me back from a lot of things. I feel like something’s holding me back from graduating, even though there really isn’t. And luckily, this feeling is under good circumstances. I guess I could call it slow motion with the way I’m feelin’.

I’ll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s one blog post you could read that I had a chance to write, for NVMA: http://nvmediaalliance.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/achievement-unlocked-report-the-first-month-of-77th-session/