Banner Blog #1

How do you blog about a beat that you don't have yet?

In my previous post, the one for Angelos, I mentioned that the beginning of the school year has been psychotic. I can't help but admit that Banner has been a contributor to my headaches, heart palpitations, panic attacks, and my boyfriend's empty wallet; the man has to buy me chocolate and wine just to keep me sane these days.

I've written with the aimed intention of having stories published both in Health, Perspectives, and in News. Hi, could that be more diverse?...

Sadly, I don't think any of my stories made it in to this recent issue, but I feel accomplished at having written them despite the fact. One article was an absolute beast to write. I had to fight my personal opinions, battle through a hundred news stories, pick one angle out of a thousand I could have taken, and somehow figure out how to give a broad, general idea on the situation but leave out the millions of facts and happenings since then.

Did I mention I'm new to Banner? Mi loco en la cabesa, amigos.

I did learn that there are certain stories/beats that I enjoy writing, and that others could disappear forever and I'd hardly want to write even an obituary for them. Articles that involve creativity, such as How-To's, pieces on recipes, health articles, or if I could even write a short story that would be printed for, say, 3 consecutive issues...how cool would that be? These are the things that I enjoy, things that I love writing about anyways. To have them featured in a newspaper--I see you, byline--would blow my socks off.

It doesn't appear that it's going to be as easy as I had initially imagined this past summer, while I was preparing to come to school. I thought I'd take this place by storm, show them I can write, get my name in as many articles as I could in the short year I'll be here. Boy, was I wrong. I can write, yes, but not as well as I thought I could. (God is SO good at humbling you at the precise moment it's least convenient!) And go figure, I write two articles that I believed were going into one issue, and they're not. There is no woe-is-me here, though. I enjoyed the challenge, and I will continue to enjoy the challenge, and even if I get a hand cramp and die, I will be published!

Lofty thoughts, but sometimes, I wonder if I have the gumption. No no... I'm a journalist. I HAVE to have the gumption. It's going to be my job.

Because I'm a senior, yet a newb in Banner, my learning track is quite different than anyone else. I'm not lumped in with Freshman, because their learning pace is too slow for me to get what I need to done, but I can't be lumped in with the seasoned writers, because I'm not. The result: I do my own thing, I guess. I write, and if it gets published, it gets published, and if not, then Maryann will edit it for me.

So, my beat. I can't help but laugh when I think about me having a beat at this point. I'm so far from obtaining the experience I need to be an accomplished journalist, yet I have so little time to achieve so much. The only thing I can really do at this point is practice, just keep writing, and pray. Pray that I'm even able to get a job someday, seeing as my experience is so limited.

Angelos Blog #1

This year is weird. I say that in a present tense, not only because weird things are happening now, but because weird things continue to happen and will keep happening for the rest of 2010.

There has been little to be confident about, even in life, health, finances, residency, food, or otherwise. That is not how it usually is in my world. Usually there is stability, guarantees, reassurances, and security in all of the above. I wasn't even sure if I would make it to school this year or not, given how much I struggled for a loan. I worked hard for this, to be here at CBU--so much so I started the semester off exhausted, not exactly the ideal beginning to a semi-new life.

The pace hasn't slowed yet, either. The semester seemed to launch with more than just a kick start; in fact, it was a kick start with a jet engine/rocket booster attached. I'm surprised at how I've been able to keep up with homework, for the most part.

Just within these past two months I've seen three hospitalizations, two deaths, a broken car, and a pile of bills I'd rather turn into fire kindle. But you know what I've learned?

God is good. It's a phrase my mother keeps reiterating--God is good. God has provided for all that we need, though He is the one who determines what our needs are. He has been faithful to provide for me, faithful to usher in that check or that hug just when I need it. In fact, He's the only reason I'm even here at CBU.

I know this blog was supposed to be about reflections on our first few weeks of school, but every time I glance back at the past month, all I see is one wild ride in life, not at CBU. As much as I wish my education could be my center focus, all I can see are the struggles my family and I have seen, and most of all, how God has provided for us in more ways than we could ask for.