Chris Jackson entered the room in a ripped pair of jeans and a leather jacket over his t-shirt. He was casual and laid back, and it showed. His hair was a cool rock n' roll shag. I was expecting a long lecture about the three ideas, but instead Professors Dona Nichols and Cynthia McCune led the discussion in the style of an interview. They had the audience members write down questions for Chris that they would ask him for us. There were no restrictions on what questions we could ask. In fact, some were as humorous as what he preferred most: sex, drugs, or rock n' roll? Like a true rockstar, he said all.
Chris told stories about his adolescent days, and how he was almost never home on the weekends. He was in a band for a good amount of time, and then got into the radio profession. The coolest fact about Chris was where he went to school: none other than San Jose State. With that said, I jumped at the opportunity of asking him for advice on how to get a job in the broadcast field. He gave me great advice to walk away with, telling me that I should go in with a demo tape and ask for the head guy in charge to critique it. He advised never to go in asking for a job opportunity.
It was a lively discussion full of laughter and awe, from stories about growing up a "bad boy", to meeting famous singers. Chris Jackson has managed to keep his cool in an industry where many are jaded. He never came off as a know-it-all, even though he is a famous and respected radio personality.
My favorite story of his was definitely the one where he worked for two different radio stations at the same time, on the same day. He created two different personalities and they never found out. Talk about a talented individual with a great sense of humor.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Real News Story-LATE
Cisco held its annual conference on immigration on Wednesday, October 29. I was lucky enough to attend. In my mind, immigration is a huge issue for our country. Some are against it, some are for it, and others don’t understand it. My take has always been that we were all immigrants seeking a better opportunity at one point, so we should give people the right to come into this country for betterment of their education and careers. The sad fact is that not everyone feels this way and attending this conference opened my eyes up to the type of people who are struggling to become citizens of America.
Located in San Jose, Cisco is a large corporation that specializes in computer software. The buildings are numerous and I got lost looking for the right one. When I arrived to the right spot, I was let in by a Cisco worker who had an entrance key. I walked into the conference room which was smaller than I expected. Still, there was a good amount of people listening to the speaker. I snuck in quietly and gave my name to the door monitor, who then took 10 dollars from me for the admission price.
The speaker was Immigration Attorney David Zaritzky Brown. He specializes in immigration cases, primarily dealing with people who are working in the United States on a Visa or are seeking to. He had an easy-to-follow power-point presentation set up. I looked around the room. I noticed that there were people of many different backgrounds. I figured most of the audience members worked at Cisco, but came to find out that most of them were actually part of a virtual community of Canadians working in the Bay Area, called Digital Moose Lounge.
The major topics Brown discussed were pointers on how to deal with changes in immigration law. Due to the high number of people trying to obtain Visas versus the actual supply, waitlists have been extended and the chance of obtaining one is lower than it has been in the past. Members in the audience asked questions pertaining to their specific situations. It was almost like getting legal advice for free. Because he could not answer all of them, he set up a sign-up list in the back of the room for those who had more questions. Through his email, people could set up appointments or ask general questions.
Brown’s presentation was engaging and there was never a dull moment. I was probably the youngest person in this group. Most were between the ages of 30 and 45. Still, he was upbeat and informative. As the discussion came to a close, I looked around the room for people to talk to. My first response of what people thought of the conference was from a woman named Sharon Oswitz, who appeared to be in her early thirties. At first, she seemed hesitant to answer any questions about where she worked. She refused to give me the company’s name that she worked for, but did give me feedback. “I came to this last year too. It’s very helpful, especially because I am here on a Visa.” Sharon was from Canada, and part of Digital Moose Lounge. She knew about the meeting because of the website. Another guest, Pratik Singh, said, “I found out a lot more than I expected. His advice was very helpful because it is very hard to get approved for a Visa these days.” Singh is not a member of DigitalMooseLounge.com, but heard about the conference from a friend of his who works for Cisco.
What I noticed about many of these audience members was their high education levels and the impressive jobs they held. I thought to myself, these people are here being productive and helping our economy. It is truly unfortunate that they have to worry about losing their residency. Attorney Brown said change from the government has been slow, and not much has been done to fix the issue of having more applicants than Visas. Attending this conference was more than a learning experience on a topic I knew little about; it has made me so much more grateful for being a citizen of this country.
Located in San Jose, Cisco is a large corporation that specializes in computer software. The buildings are numerous and I got lost looking for the right one. When I arrived to the right spot, I was let in by a Cisco worker who had an entrance key. I walked into the conference room which was smaller than I expected. Still, there was a good amount of people listening to the speaker. I snuck in quietly and gave my name to the door monitor, who then took 10 dollars from me for the admission price.
The speaker was Immigration Attorney David Zaritzky Brown. He specializes in immigration cases, primarily dealing with people who are working in the United States on a Visa or are seeking to. He had an easy-to-follow power-point presentation set up. I looked around the room. I noticed that there were people of many different backgrounds. I figured most of the audience members worked at Cisco, but came to find out that most of them were actually part of a virtual community of Canadians working in the Bay Area, called Digital Moose Lounge.
The major topics Brown discussed were pointers on how to deal with changes in immigration law. Due to the high number of people trying to obtain Visas versus the actual supply, waitlists have been extended and the chance of obtaining one is lower than it has been in the past. Members in the audience asked questions pertaining to their specific situations. It was almost like getting legal advice for free. Because he could not answer all of them, he set up a sign-up list in the back of the room for those who had more questions. Through his email, people could set up appointments or ask general questions.
Brown’s presentation was engaging and there was never a dull moment. I was probably the youngest person in this group. Most were between the ages of 30 and 45. Still, he was upbeat and informative. As the discussion came to a close, I looked around the room for people to talk to. My first response of what people thought of the conference was from a woman named Sharon Oswitz, who appeared to be in her early thirties. At first, she seemed hesitant to answer any questions about where she worked. She refused to give me the company’s name that she worked for, but did give me feedback. “I came to this last year too. It’s very helpful, especially because I am here on a Visa.” Sharon was from Canada, and part of Digital Moose Lounge. She knew about the meeting because of the website. Another guest, Pratik Singh, said, “I found out a lot more than I expected. His advice was very helpful because it is very hard to get approved for a Visa these days.” Singh is not a member of DigitalMooseLounge.com, but heard about the conference from a friend of his who works for Cisco.
What I noticed about many of these audience members was their high education levels and the impressive jobs they held. I thought to myself, these people are here being productive and helping our economy. It is truly unfortunate that they have to worry about losing their residency. Attorney Brown said change from the government has been slow, and not much has been done to fix the issue of having more applicants than Visas. Attending this conference was more than a learning experience on a topic I knew little about; it has made me so much more grateful for being a citizen of this country.
Profile-LATE
Wine experts have a stereotype of being uptight and uninviting. What is the big deal about wine anyway? Is it really that serious that there are such things as wine experts who study it? Apparently, you don’t know Brian Nicholas.
Brian Nicholas is dressed in a sharp black suit and a bright satin pink tie when he walks over to greet me. His height is average: not too tall, not too short. A smile breaks across his face, and I realize he is much younger than I expected. When I heard his title was a wine sommelier, in other words a wine expert, I expected a boring, uptight businessman. Not the case. His attire is a bit intimidating for a casual interview, but then again, it is taking place at his job. “Hey, I’m Brian. Great to meet you!” Already, I feel like a jerk for judging his profession. He seems like a nice guy. He grabs a seat next to me and sets down two empty glasses. I should have known, free wine!
Brian has worked for Village Restaurant on Santana Row for over a year now. Thanks to his professionalism and personable character, he was offered a job at the Village as a wine sommelier. At his previous job, A.P. Stumps, he worked very closely with their wine sommelier and picked up much of what he knows about wine today. Brian wasn’t afraid of change; “I knew I was young when I was offered the sommelier position. I had just finished my Radio/TV degree at San Jose State, but I fell in love with the hospitality field, more so the interaction I had with customers. I needed autonomy, and this job was going to give me that”. Any regrets? Don’t count on it. Brian is a Level 2 sommelier, which means he passed the wine exam required to become a Level 1 sommelier. He spent two days at a wine seminar in Monterey, and did a 70-question exam, followed by a blind taste in which he had to identify different characteristics of wine. He recently passed his second exam bumping him up to a Level 2 sommelier. This is quite an accomplishment for the 26-year old who dreams of opening up his own restaurant.
A server dressed in all black brings over a bottle of wine to our table. Brian explains what he loves most about his job, teaching others about wine. After demonstrating proper wine etiquette, we take a sip. I notice Brian has a way of making people feel comfortable about trying wine. From his careful and poised manner of opening the bottle to his perfect pour in which the label on the bottle is facing me the entire time, Brian is definitely deserving of his title. Although there was certainly not enough time to discuss all of his wine knowledge, he did bring me up to speed on what to look for in this bottle of wine, as far as characteristics. I was blown away. The taste of wine is affected by so many different factors. Wine knowledge was almost like an art. It made more sense after speaking with Brian.
What next for this young self-starter? Brian plans to build his knowledge by moving up to the highest level of sommelier expertise, and eventually opening up his own fine dining restaurant. I don’t know much about Brian, except that he is made for this industry. Every guest who walked in, Brian caught in the corner of his eye. He even excused himself once after hearing a guest ask for seating that could not be accommodated. “I’m very sorry for interrupting our interview, I just had to make sure we could help those guests.“ He is sincere in his apology. I know he is just doing his job, and a job he loves. As we approach the end of our interview, Brian makes sure to let me know I can come back anytime for questions about wine or even to dine at the Village. Before I leave, I ask him what really made him turn to wine. He thought for a quick 10 seconds and responded, “Everyday, I awake with a new passion and a new reason for going into work. But the one thing that can never be topped is my first memory of being a young kid and going into wineries, and just smelling the damp oak and dry wine.” His eyes lit up as he reminisced and I thought, this man is the perfect person for this job.
Top News 5-LATE
President Bush is not leaving the office so easily. According to CNN's online website, Bush had to dodge a man who threw not one, but two shoes past his head. The footage shows the president quickly dodging the shoes, and acting quite calm about the situation. He was in Baghdad on an unannounced visit as part of his farewell visit. The Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki put his hand up to protect the president as well. Immediately, the attention was turned onto the protester who threw the shoe. He was identified as Muntadhar al-Zaidi, a journalist who worked for an Egyptian-based television network. Many were shocked and the man was immediately tackled down by security. He yelled at Bush in Arabic, saying Bush had killed the Iraqi people. Although President Bush did not seem to be phased by the incident, shaking off what had happened when reporters later asked him about it, it's not the best way to say goodbye. The question is, did he deserve it? No one deserves a shoe thrown at them but this has been quite a term for a president who is mocked left and right by his own country as well as other nations. Bush expressed that the Iraqi people were apologetic and that he did not care what one protester did to him. Maybe he is just used to it by now. Let's hope President Obama will have a warmer welcoming than Bush's surprise farewell.
News Values:
Recency-reported almost immediately after the incident
Prominence-involves the president of a country
Impact-what other countries think of our leader
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Online Writing Exercise-LATE
OPTION 1:
News Web Site: CNN.com
a) The news items do reflect immediacy. Most were published hours after an incident occurred or the same day.
b) The site does help readers save time by offering links to specific topics and offering to search keywords that reflect a story. This way you can go directly to your topic.
c) It is very quick and easy to get information because there is a Google search engine on the page as well as different headings to look under for the genre of your story (ex: Politics, Entertainment, etc.).
d) The website does offer both visual and verbal information. The visuals are photographs that accompany a story, and the verbal information is the news article itself.
e) The stories do not really use bullets or lists, however they are organized well and written clearly. Many of the stories are to-the-point, and the headlines break the story to you.
f) The stories are broken into chunks, starting off with what happened to whom, and then it goes into details and finally, analysis of the story. Most are set up this way.
g) Stories do provide hyperlinks to additional information. Those words are in blue colored font and when clicked, will send you to the page with the additional information.
h) There is no place to comment on the page of the actual article. However, there is a link for a blog which features commentary.
i) The site does use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal. Many stories have a video to go along with the news story.
Magazine Project: Review
IF YOU MAKE IT TO SANTANA ROW THIS WINTER SEASON, MAKE SURE TO POP INTO THE VILLAGE WINE BAR. WITH ITS BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED INTERIOR AND SPECTACULAR FRONT PATIO VIEWS, VILLAGE IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAITLIST.
LOCATED BETWEEN OLEN AND OLSEN STREET, THE VILLAGE CAFÉ OFFERS ORIGINAL COCKTAILS, A VAST SELECTION OF ONLY THE BEST WINE, AND FOOD SO FRESH YOU WONT FEEL BAD FOR STUFFING YOUR FACE...AND PRICE? NO WORRIES. ALTHOUGH SOME PLATES LIKE THE RIB EYE CAN COST YOU OVER 20 DOLLARS, THERE IS MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM, INCLUDING A FILLING AND REASONABLY PRICED APPETIZER LIST. THE FAMILY OWNED RESTAURANT STRIVES TO USE ONLY ORGANIC INGREDIENTS, WHICH IS WHY THEIR FOOD TASTES SO FRESH . EXECUTIVE CHEF DAVID STARR AND WINE SOMMELIER BRIAN NICHOLAS BRING TOGETHER MOUTH WATERING DISHES AND PERFECT WINE PAIRING...SEE FOR YOURSELF. THE NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO BE WINED AND DINED WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK, TAKE A CHANCE AND EXPERIENCE VILLAGE CALIFORNIA BISTRO AND WINE BAR.
LOCATED BETWEEN OLEN AND OLSEN STREET, THE VILLAGE CAFÉ OFFERS ORIGINAL COCKTAILS, A VAST SELECTION OF ONLY THE BEST WINE, AND FOOD SO FRESH YOU WONT FEEL BAD FOR STUFFING YOUR FACE...AND PRICE? NO WORRIES. ALTHOUGH SOME PLATES LIKE THE RIB EYE CAN COST YOU OVER 20 DOLLARS, THERE IS MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM, INCLUDING A FILLING AND REASONABLY PRICED APPETIZER LIST. THE FAMILY OWNED RESTAURANT STRIVES TO USE ONLY ORGANIC INGREDIENTS, WHICH IS WHY THEIR FOOD TASTES SO FRESH . EXECUTIVE CHEF DAVID STARR AND WINE SOMMELIER BRIAN NICHOLAS BRING TOGETHER MOUTH WATERING DISHES AND PERFECT WINE PAIRING...SEE FOR YOURSELF. THE NEXT TIME YOU WANT TO BE WINED AND DINED WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK, TAKE A CHANCE AND EXPERIENCE VILLAGE CALIFORNIA BISTRO AND WINE BAR.
Info Box
INFO BOX:
Average Entree: $14-25.
Cocktail Must: Village Infusions (Fruit Infused Vodka).
Wine Help: Meet their in-house Sommelier, Brian Nicholas.
Dessert to Die For: Walnut Carrot Cake.
Tight Wallets: Happy Hour everyday from 3-6pm.
Best Seat in the House: Front patio-take in the sights of beautiful Santana Row.
Average Entree: $14-25.
Cocktail Must: Village Infusions (Fruit Infused Vodka).
Wine Help: Meet their in-house Sommelier, Brian Nicholas.
Dessert to Die For: Walnut Carrot Cake.
Tight Wallets: Happy Hour everyday from 3-6pm.
Best Seat in the House: Front patio-take in the sights of beautiful Santana Row.
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