My Journalism class: Telling LA's Story

Here is an assignment from my journalism class, it asked me about "my LA" and seeing as I don't have a car, I spend most of my time on campus and this is what I have come up with...

Though the sidewalk matches the sky, the lights ahead of you make it seem like the greyness was put there on purpose, like it has to be that exact color so that the lights stand out more.  And although most stop to gripe about the Los Angeles smog and dirty air, it is the days that are free from those negative aspects that make one appreciate the city even more.  From the top of the bluff you feel almost omniscient, like you can choose whether or not to stay perched above it all, or take the leap down to Santa Monica, on to the 405 freeway and into Hollywood.  A bluff is defined as a hill characterized by a steep face.  Though our steep face happens to adorn the letters “LMU”, it really acts as our eyes to the city.  It can grant you access to the emotions of the city dwellers below you.  The Santa Monica fires poured dust onto the city leaving a viewer with little to see but the tops of buildings and perhaps burning brush in the distance.  But after an unexpected rainfall the bluff gives you a chance to see a cleaner, refreshed and inviting Los Angeles.  The graffiti on the freeway seems faded from the wetness, the buildings sparkle with a “just cleaned” excuberance, and the Angelinos emerge and resume their “normal” driving habits. 

The bluff is a special piece of Los Angeles.  It is a place for those unsure of the city to wade in before taking the plunge.  Runners often describe it as an optimal trail that makes you forget you are even excercising.  Stressed students huddle together with coffee and cigarettes discussing everything from philosophy to the attractice female across the hall.  The bluff can play Cupid for some couples; a spot to pop the question to your significant other when perhaps it is difficult to think of just one Los Angeles landmark that characterizes the relationship.  Why not choose the bluff? It overlooks all of Los Angeles, not isolating a single space but instead, conjoins the skateboarders of Venice with the hipsters of the Hollywood Hills.

My L.A. has not necessarily taken me beyond the bluff as others might have tapped into, but it has still given me the opportunity to reflect on the city.  As a freshman I got up every morning to work, and fortunately my work required me to make a round of the university in a vehicle that gave me the ability to stop and look out over the “face of LMU”.  Since that year I have not once driven around Ignatian Circle and kept a straight gaze.  LMU has done many things for me, but the one thing that I covet the most is the ability to see the city from my classroom, from my walk in between residence halls, or the dash across the University Hall Bridge to my evening class.  The bluff is my daily weather report, if I can see the the ocean to my left and a toy version of downtown straight ahead I know it is going to be a beautiful day.  And even when the sky does match the grey cement and the smog does cloud my vision, I still catch a breeze from the ocean and take a seat on the bench provided, just to appreciate what I see in front of me.    

Picture from: WebShots 

My Personal Statement

below is my personal statement. I started this earlier this afternoon and with the help of my roommate, Christine, have revised it a few times. I would love to hear your feedback so please read and tell me what you liked and/or didn't like, this will really help me! thank you!

Newsworthy.  I have come to see this word as one of the most important, all encompassing combination of vowels and consonants to a journalist. It is a game of cat and mouse, this process of finding a news story and making it your own, but it is also a true test of ones motivation and determination.  For where would journalists like Woodward and Bernstein be today if they had not overcome the obstacles and followed their heads which led them to crack one of the most famous scandals in political history? I can confidently say that I too, possess the determination, creativity, and perseverance as a graduating senior from Loyola Marymount University. I currently am part of a program on campus that allows me to live and work with 23 other people, students that have been handpicked due to an outstanding work ethic and commitment to a higher education.  So committed in fact, that they are willing to work over 40 hours a week just so that they can pay their tuition. I find this simple collection of 24 college kids newsworthy.  Why?  It is unusual, for there is nothing like it on any other campus in the country.  It has an emotional weight to it, for every single person in this work program has a story.  Some come from single parent households where a Jesuit education would have never crossed their minds, others are first generation college students with hopes of graduating a $53,000 a year university debt free.  This is newsworthy because in the end it holds a certain value.  Our country is trying to climb out of an economic slump and every year families find themselves in a financial struggle when their son or daughter makes the monumental decision to attend college.  These are the types of stories that draw a reader in, that will jump out whether the story runs on the nightly news as a family sits down for dinner or is featured online, a popular and convenient source of news for those on the go. As a writer in this age of “new media” I seek to not only inform readers but also to leave them with a new perspective, a new knowledge that they did not possess before they began reading. My education thus far has allowed me to realize that a good journalist might collect data and then write their story but a great journalist is one who transforms their work into a piece of writing that goes beyond just the facts.  John Donne described “affliction [as] a treasure”, by utilizing that same perspective I can seek to find the compassion and inherent value that each story possesses.  If admitted, I plan on utilizing my time at the Cronkite School to expand those abilities and create pieces that will impact those who read them. 

the number 3

Everyone has a favorite number. Mine is 3. I do not recall how old I was when picked this number to be "mine", something that no one else could have as their favorite number because I had claimed it as my favorite, therefore no one elses. Well, from that description we can trace the favoritism back to at least 3rd grade when the "mine not yours" wars were in full force.

But why 3? I think it has alot to do with my family. I am one of three girls in my family so I have grown up hearing my mom say, "me and my 3 girls are going to a movie" or "just the 3 of them at home." It has been a number associated with warmth, love, and memories. Myself, Melissa, and Valerie. The 3 Mollica girls. We are the 3 Musketeers, the 3 Amigos in the real world. We couldn't do anything without eachother and I am constantly amazed at how hard I laugh at the stupid things we do with eachother or the dumb nothing fights we get into..

The number 3 also pops up in some of my favorite movies, The Three Amigos for example. It's been stitched into the back of my softball jersey and, if cheerleaders would have had numbers instead of pom poms, I would have been number 3 all the way through high school and college too.

We each have our own individual reasons for why we pick favorites. Favorite numbers to favorite colors. We associate ourselves with certain things and for whatever the reason we make them ours, we personalize them in a sense.

So, as I sit here on Christmas Eve I only hope that my number 3 keeps bringing me great, memory worthy life instances. (Not like the movie Where the Heart Is where the number 5 is meant to be ominous and negative.)

Merry Christmas!!
Last minute #3 instance: I supposedly have 3 Christmas presents under the tree right now, coincidence?

Love from my spot on the couch by the Christmas tree,

Katie

walking out of your last final exam for the semester

Nothing beats the feeling of turning in your final exam, walking out of the room, and experiencing that overwhelming sense of relief that your semester has come to a close. I think everyone can relate, doesn't matter if you were in college 2 years ago or 20 years ago. Finals week often exudes constant studying, an alarming amount of caffeine, and little to no sleep. So, no matter what, even if your last test wasn't something to be proud of, you can at least look forward to a mental rest and time ahead to spend with your friends or family.

Even more bittersweet was the fact that I only have 1 more set of finals to go through in my undergraduate career and even though I just noted the stress levels and zombie like atmosphere that characterizes a college campus during the week it is actually something I look forward to.  Everyone is in the same mindset: study, coffee break, study, dinner break, study, coffee break and it is somewhat enjoyable to see people really get down to business and take school seriously rather than being the lone person mid semester who is worried about a test they have the next day while your friends are out celebrating Taco Tuesday at the nearest Mexican cantina. 

Finals week, I really love it...


Love from my desk at work where I can finally sit back, relax, and take some phone calls to sell tickets to some more games (our record is improving by the way),
Katie

College - not all fun and drinking games

College is hard. And I'm not just talking about the tests or the pop quizzes your professor likes to spring on you when you just so happen to have not done your reading that day. I mean college life, the day to day routine of living in a dorm that's old, with people you don't know and perhaps don't really care for, while trying to make friends all while you are trying to keep your GPA from suffering is truly difficult. It's also difficult to decide what's right and what's "cool" as opposed to what's "not cool". But hey, with a little help from Tom Petty here it shouldn't be that difficult right?

“You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You'll never remember class time, but you'll remember time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don't have. Drink 'til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does..."”

I feel like I've seen this quote on over 20 people's Facebook pages. Ya, it's cute and kinda fun to think about. But, really? Really people? Do you really think work is for people with jobs because I'm pretty sure work, whatever the type is, is something that ultimately shapes you as a person. The time and effort you put in to things can say alot about someone. It's those people who don't work a day in their lives that graduate and suddenly reality hits and they have no clue what it means to meet a deadline or drag yourself to an office at 8 am instead of just slumping behind a desk at your 10 am class. 

And also, Tom: what do you mean when you advise kids to "spend money you don't have"? Because, from experience I can tell you that the feeling that you get when your debit card is returned back to you in the grocery store when you're trying to buy food to live off and you realize it's because you spent your last $20 at a bar two nights ago when you weren't thinking clearly is not a good one. You get a pit in your stomach. I mean sure a lot of students will just dial up their moms or dads to bail them out, and I have certainly done that 5 or 6 times but again, it is something you learn from not something you appreciate doing. 

Now, I feel like I'm sounding too critical here. I have had a ton fun in college. And I have done everything that this Petty quote celebrates. But...reflecting back on it all I feel like I could have been smarter with some of my decisions. Reflecting back on that, it's probably a common thing for college graduates to look at some of the things they did their past 4 years and to think the same thing. And it's not regret. To regret means you wish you would have never done whatever it is in the first place. And if I would have never gone out on a Tuesday when I had work at 6 am on a Wednesday I wouldn't be in the position I am now to advise myself not to do that again. It's almost a good feeling, like despite learning how to perfect an essay, you've also learned to know yourself and trust yourself to make good decisions.  

So, to an extent, Tom Petty is right. But to a much higher degree, I feel like this quote is a little misleading. College students, as crazy and wild as we are expected to be, also use the 4 years to grow and change in to a true adult. Preparing themselves for what life is going to be like for the rest of their lives because it certainly will not involve fraternity houses and late night pizza deliveries.

Love (from my kitchen table with an open GRE study book next to me)

Katie

 

Phoenix vs. LA pros and cons

Remember how, towards the end of high school, when you would be out anywhere with adults you could surely count on one of them to ask you, "So what are your plans after you graduate?" Do you also remember how you felt like you should almost have a script prepared to respond back, "well ya know...I am apply to X,Y, and Z and just blah blah blah"? Fast forward 4 years and the scene is the same. I am graduating in May and have begun to be asked that probing question more than once or twice a day. People who I work and live with here in LA sometimes find it shocking that I'd want to leave California and go back home to Arizona. I don't agree with their flabbergasted response and I've come up with a roughly sketched "pros and cons" list to start me off with. I realize that feelings change, opportunities arise, and things happen that you have no control over. So, if it seems that one list has more pros than the other, please don't assume that that is where I will most likely go, because I hope that I myself will be genuinely surprised as to what the next chapter in my life will be.

Phoenix, Arizona - the dry heat
What I love and what is pulling me here...

1. I've been out of the house for four years. However, it is a slightly different situation than a normal college student who moves out but keeps most of their stuff in their room and up on their walls to return home during Christmas and summer breaks. I literally have moved out, so sometimes when I come home I just want to stay. I want to have my own bed and I want to be "in the know" of all the neighborhood drama (LBB down the street for example). Moving back to AZ, even if I am not technically living in my house, would help me reconnect with everything and everyone. 
2. Building off that, I feel like I'm growing apart from my family. I now have 5 nephews and I want to be there for all of their birthdays and other milestones. Being home a couple of weeks ago for Max's 1st birthday and Brady's 4th birthday made me realize this even more. 
3. Phoenix is...Phoenix. I love driving around and, oddly enough, seeing cacti in my window. It is something that is unique and comforting all at the same time. Los Angeles has Palm Trees, cool, but it also has dirty freeways and a culture that thinks it is ok to honk your horn at an elderly person crossing the street because they are "moving too slow", not cool.

Los Angeles, California - hipsters all around

1. I was extremely lucky to have been given the opportunity to go to college in Los Angeles. I can get to the beach in 5 minutes. I can also pick what kind of night I want to have simply by the area --> Westwood for a cool UCLA vibe, The Grove if we want to try and stalk celebrities, Santa Monica if we want to see weird people and also hit up the Farmers Market or Hermosa/Redondo Beach if we are looking to go "out" and have fun. There really is no other word to describe it, it's fun. You literally cannot be bored. So, at least I know if I stay out here I won't be driving around looking for something to do on a Friday or Saturday night?
2. The people I've met: Not only through the Student Worker Program but also through cheerleading, Delta Gamma, Greek Council and Yearbook I have met some really great people who I could see myself living with after college. These people would not only be enjoyable to live with but have the same goals and motivation that I do. I don't think that if I picked to live with a Student Worker, 5 years later we'd still be bumming it in an apartment in Santa Monica "finding ourselves." I think it is important to surround yourself with motivated people and think that I, fortunately, have a great pool of friends to be able to pick from.
3. The industry: I say "journalist" when people ask what I aspire to be. But, what I've started to realize is just like saying "a doctor", you can take that career and turn it in to anything you want it to be. I'm not sure quite yet if reporting and writing for a newspaper or writing scripts for a news station is what I'm good at. Los Angeles has everything, and although I realize that every city has news stations and a local newspaper, does every city have 3 or more MAJOR newspapers downtown or the ability to choose to work for NBC local and NBC corporate? Again, not only will I not be bored socially but jobs and career paths seem almost endless here, especially for a person who is not positive what they want to do yet.

This list is literally a rough draft as I've typed it up in the 5 minutes I have left at work before heading to class. So, I would love your feedback and think it would help me start to think about these kinds of things more.

Love (from my closet of an office where I sell tickets to games we don't win),
Katie

My first blog post...

Dear family and friends:

I never, ever, thought I would want to create a blog. Personally, it was just not my thing. I don't, and still don't, see why people would want to read what I write concerning my thoughts and other random events that occur in my life but, I'm trying something new. I've recently tried to dive in to the realm of journalism and with that comes the reality that I need to write. I need to write and I need to do it often. I also am realizing that I will not always have an assignment or a topic, therefore it is important for me to dig deep and think about trying to make ordinary aspects or instances in life extraordinary so that people will want to read about them.

All of these realizations led me to think that a blog would be a good way to start. I would love for you, as my friends and family, to read my posts and commment or give me feedback in any way possible. Agree with me or, even better and making for perhaps more entertaining text, disagree with me and I know it will ultimately help me with my writing and my goals of becoming a journalist. 

This is all for now, I'm off so I can start inviting you to view my blog. So, in advance, thank you for reading what I have to write and I hope that this also will help me keep in touch with you all as well :)

Love (from my mom and dads room upstairs while I'm still in AZ),
Katie