Keep Them Prayers Comin'!

I've already been so busy this summer! Spring classes went well for me (2 B's and 2 A's! Yay me!), but only a week later Summer A semester began. I'm taking Judicial Process and The Presidency, which Gabby is helping me with since he's my designated history nerd. Summer goes by so fast! I only have two weeks left of classes, then I'll have the rest of the summer off of school. Freedom!

On top of school and work, I'm also currently interning at NBC-6 up in Miramar. So far, so GREAT. I'm loving every minute of this internship! My schedule is Thursday during the day and Saturday/Sunday from 2-11pm. I'm crazy, I know. But I'm getting so much experience, and hopefully I'm leaving a good impression for the managers here. Pray for me!

Speaking of prayer, please keep Gabby in your prayers as well! He's been searching for jobs ever since he graduated in December, but hasn't heard anything. He recently submitted his resume to literally EVERY middle school or high school in the area, and he has an interview on Monday at Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School! We have been praying for patience in finding a job, and God has definitely challenged us to trust in His plan. Hopefully this is part of that plan. If not, that's fine too.

So things are definitely looking up for us right about now. We're both very grateful and very excited for what God has in store for us. Continue to keep us in your prayers, and I promise I will try to keep the blogging up to date.

60 Minutes: Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Part 1 and 2

Another excellent segment on this week's "60 Minutes". The blowup of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico led to one of the worst oil spills in history. Mike Williams, the rig's Chief Electronics Technician, told his harrowing story of what happened in the days and weeks leading up to the explosion, and how he survived.


Part 1:

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Part 2:

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What NOT to do...when saying "penis" on Live TV

I've lived in Miami my entire life, and never have I seen anchors lose it on live TV! At least until the other night. This new installment of "What Not to Do" is pretty funny. It's not really something you can help, so I hesitate a bit in categorizing this as a TV 'no-no'. In any case, it's hilarious.

In high school, during our morning news show, if we lost it on the air we got the wrath of our teacher. But some things are just too funny to NOT laugh at. Case in point: WFOR-CBS4's Shannon Hori and Antonio Mora losing it after mentioning the male genitalia in a voice over. What ensues is a whole bunch of awesomeness.

Miami Lighthouse Soundslides Project

A few weeks ago I had the privilege to spend the morning with an inspiring group of people at the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.  This rehabilitation center is close to the heart for me. My dad has been going there for a few months now, since his vision has dramatically deteriorated over time. He always told me how great the Lighthouse is, and when I had the opportunity to cover a story of my choice in my Broadcast News Reporting class, I decided that there was no better place to cover than the Miami Lighthouse.

This is the project I did using Soundslides. Tell me what you think!



(View the larger version of this slideshow)




For more information on how you can help the Miami Lighthouse, click here.

Special thanks to everyone at the Lighthouse for being so welcoming and gracious!

60 Minutes: The Lost Children of Haiti

For my broadcast reporting class, one of our weekly assignments is to watch the newsmagazine 60 Minutes each week. We're supposed to point out our favorite segments and discuss why they are important: Is there compelling video or audio? Is there a compelling narrative? Is there an interesting way the reporter interviews?

I thought it'd be a good idea to start a feature for this format, since 60 Minutes is a great way to see how real journalism is done.

So for my first 60 Minutes feature, I give you "The Lost Children of Haiti."

The narrative is so compelling, I literally stopped what I was doing when I was watching it and just took it all in. It's heartbreaking, yet still very newsworthy. The way the story is told, the descriptions, the compelling characters, their stories... it all blends together in a way that shows why 60 Minutes is the best newsmagazine on television.



Watch CBS News Videos Online

What NOT to do... on-air

This video literally made me laugh out loud when I saw it!

Knoxville's WVLT reporter Gordon Boyd lost it in a live shot...but I think the funniest part of it all has to be the anchor's face when they came back to him!!!!

I think "What NOT to do" will be an ongoing feature on this blog. I just love laughing at people.

Seriously, though, videos like this definitely remind me how important it is to maintain your professionalism in front of the camera at all times... you never know when you'll be the latest YouTube sensation! Note to self: If you mess up a live shot, wait until you're cued out to get upset.

Enjoy :)

Opportunities Abound

Nice header, eh? I'm proud to say I did it all myself. This blog is finally shaping up. :: Pat on the back:: :)

Anyway, some incredible opportunities have been coming my way. First of all, the Liberty City Link is about to print its first few articles in the South Florida Times! Here is the Times' announcement from last week. Four or five of my classmates will be published reporters by Friday! How exciting!

As for my story, where do I begin really? It started out as a relatively simple story, about the Hot Spot program and its impact on the Liberty City community. Eventually, though, my professor and I noticed some irregularities about the organization which sponsors the program. Needless to say, I will be writing the Liberty City Link's first investigative piece! My professor is giddy with excitement. As am I, but I'm just really intimidated by the whole thing. I really need to make sure I report everything as accurately as possible!

Reisner (said professor) told us the other day in class that the Times is even considering hiring some of us as interns over the summer, so that we can continue reporting for the Link and, in the fall, be able to be "editors" for the next batch of students coming in (who have NO idea what they're getting themselves into!). As heartbroken as he will be, I'm not sure about taking an internship at a newspaper. It's not personal or anything. It's just that my major is in broadcasting, so I want to be able to put together an impressive resume tape before graduation, so that I can increase my chances of being hired as a reporter soon after college.

I already got several opportunities! I applied a while back for the internship at NBC6 (or NBCMiami...or whatever they're called nowadays), and I am scheduled for an interview with them next month! Also, Reisner loves me as an investigative journalist, so he told me that he could hook me up with some of the investigative reporters at Channels 4 and 6. ALSO, my broadcast news professor told me she would be willing to hook it up at Channel 7, since one of her former students is currently a reporter there. I could tag along with her and get clips for my tape :)

All this is really exciting to say the least! God has really opened so many doors for me, and I'm so grateful for the wonderful professors He has placed in my life. They're great mentors and they're so willing to help! It's so refreshing and humbling.

This week is Spring Break (yay!), and after we get back we'll have just about a month to wrap things up. I'm praying God gives me the strength to deal with everything on my plate, both now and in the two (two!) semesters I have left. I know it'll be a long and busy summer, but I'm pretty confident that I can do it. :)