Indecision 2011
Just a few random things. In re: my flailing around about not being sure how I feel about Occupy Wall Street got tidied up quite nicely by (oddly) the Planet Money podcast about the movement, in which they explain it's more about having a forum than being or asking for anything specific. (It's also a great exercise in what difference a journalist's choice of framing makes for a story.) That makes a lot of sense. I am, in fact, totally for that. It also allows me to disown the people there who I think are lazy bums who don't actually know what they're doing. (That does not excuse the dunderhead in the ski mask that tried to stare me down at Jackson and LaSalle.) So, I'm revising my position to be wholly in favor of Occupy Wall Street, and still on shaky ground in terms of Occupy Chicago (I'm also slightly bitter because apparently there were thousands of people in the streets in the loop tonight and 1) I was nearby and didn't see it and 2) I didn't even know it was happening, save for noticing the helicopters that were apparently keeping an eye on it.)*
I also went to a grad school fair tonight, in an attempt to get serious about applying to grad school. I... you know, I could've done worse. I think I did worse in general in front of admissions officers for my undergrad applications. But at the same time... I probably shouldn't have gotten into an argument with the Columbia School of Journalism rep about why the school thought digital media was separate from all other forms of journalism but was emphatically nothing to do with blogging. And, all right, I wouldn't have gotten into an argument with her at all if she hadn't treated my "Well, what does digital journalism encompass?" question like it was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. But I refuse to believe that print and magazine journalism are completely independent of digital journalism. I dare someone to find me a magazine or newspaper that doesn't have a digital version. You can argue it's a different medium, but even then... it's still text on a page (or video on a screen)... just viewed through a different device. Print versus broadcast, sure. Completely different formats. Magazine versus Newspaper, sure? Completely different styles. But internet vs. paper? Complete. nonsense. They require different business models, sure. But that's not actually anything to do with the reporting, is it? But um... yeah. Probably not the time, or the place. I also was told by the CUNY guy that "you're either a good writer or a good journalist" after I told him I had my degree in Creative Writing and no journalism experience. Thanks, CUNY guy; good to know where exactly I'm wanted. I managed to rope him in to a sprawling discussion about the relevance of radio journalism afterward, just because I figured I had nothing left to lose as far as impressions went. It actually went well, and I was about to bring up Radiolab and Jad Abumrad's genius grant and what it might mean in the future when a random girl interrupted to talk about how she was interning with her local NPR station and the guy's attention on me just went whoosh and I just... I think I'm starting to get kind of cynical about getting into radio journalism. Apparently as someone who writes fiction (not on paper, but ON THE INTERNET but also sometimes with a pen and paper**), I'm just not suited to telling the truth. (I also tried talking to Medill again, but couldn't even get their attention. Ho-hum.)
** And actually, as someone who wants a tablet PC I can actually write on, like, with a pen, I think I see where my problems with this whole distinction lie. Also, why is no one making a tablet I can use like a notebook? I would use the crap out of that. I can't be the only one.
So, instead I started talking to urban teaching programs... of which there were three. One was Brown University, and the girl there was sweet, if a little condescending about me being a "non-traditional" candidate (dear goodness when did I get old enough to be a "non-traditional" student?) So she kind of shoo'd me away, since they didn't have anything appropriate. Then there was the UofC's Urban Teacher Program, which seemed like the sort of thing that might allow me to reconcile my differences with the school, told me flat-out that unless I wanted to focus on elementary education, they didn't want me because they'll only take majors or minors for the biology or math focus. Screw that! (Also, screw the UofC in general. They have a Writing major AND a journalism school now with job-placement help. Do I need to go back there and punch someone in the nose for how utterly useless they were when I asked for help and didn't want to listen to their constant promos for consulting? I HATE YOU, UOFC, WHERE WAS YOUR USEFULNESS TO PEOPLE LIKE ME BEFORE EVERYONE REALIZED THAT YOUR STYLE OF ECON IS UTTER BULLCRAP???)
But then there was the Inner-City Teaching Corps (which the girl from Brown pointed me at), which is done through Northwestern's teaching program... and is actually 1) reasonably priced 2) not opposed to English majors 3) full of loan forgiveness and 4) the woman who was doing the recruiting and I were actually able to maintain a conversation that was mutually interesting (about DI and OM, and how fun CPS kids can be). So... that's definitely on my list. If I apply this year, I'd be teaching by next year, since it's almost entirely based on field training. Now, if I can just convince myself to stop doggedly pursuing the journalism thing.
In other news, I've signed up for way too many fests. I'm already signed up for dwsanta and bigbang_mixup and ladystuck and will be signed up for yuletide once that rolls around. Do not let me sign up for anything else! Please! Even if I come to you with a really compelling argument.
*Also (about 15 minutes later) it has come to my attention that Occupy Chicago actually came up with a list of demands. I... well, that pretty much cements how much they're unlike Occupy Wall Street, but at the same time, I don't disagree with any of those demands, so I guess I'm back on board with them, too. Just... not some of the people.
I also went to a grad school fair tonight, in an attempt to get serious about applying to grad school. I... you know, I could've done worse. I think I did worse in general in front of admissions officers for my undergrad applications. But at the same time... I probably shouldn't have gotten into an argument with the Columbia School of Journalism rep about why the school thought digital media was separate from all other forms of journalism but was emphatically nothing to do with blogging. And, all right, I wouldn't have gotten into an argument with her at all if she hadn't treated my "Well, what does digital journalism encompass?" question like it was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. But I refuse to believe that print and magazine journalism are completely independent of digital journalism. I dare someone to find me a magazine or newspaper that doesn't have a digital version. You can argue it's a different medium, but even then... it's still text on a page (or video on a screen)... just viewed through a different device. Print versus broadcast, sure. Completely different formats. Magazine versus Newspaper, sure? Completely different styles. But internet vs. paper? Complete. nonsense. They require different business models, sure. But that's not actually anything to do with the reporting, is it? But um... yeah. Probably not the time, or the place. I also was told by the CUNY guy that "you're either a good writer or a good journalist" after I told him I had my degree in Creative Writing and no journalism experience. Thanks, CUNY guy; good to know where exactly I'm wanted. I managed to rope him in to a sprawling discussion about the relevance of radio journalism afterward, just because I figured I had nothing left to lose as far as impressions went. It actually went well, and I was about to bring up Radiolab and Jad Abumrad's genius grant and what it might mean in the future when a random girl interrupted to talk about how she was interning with her local NPR station and the guy's attention on me just went whoosh and I just... I think I'm starting to get kind of cynical about getting into radio journalism. Apparently as someone who writes fiction (not on paper, but ON THE INTERNET but also sometimes with a pen and paper**), I'm just not suited to telling the truth. (I also tried talking to Medill again, but couldn't even get their attention. Ho-hum.)
** And actually, as someone who wants a tablet PC I can actually write on, like, with a pen, I think I see where my problems with this whole distinction lie. Also, why is no one making a tablet I can use like a notebook? I would use the crap out of that. I can't be the only one.
So, instead I started talking to urban teaching programs... of which there were three. One was Brown University, and the girl there was sweet, if a little condescending about me being a "non-traditional" candidate (dear goodness when did I get old enough to be a "non-traditional" student?) So she kind of shoo'd me away, since they didn't have anything appropriate. Then there was the UofC's Urban Teacher Program, which seemed like the sort of thing that might allow me to reconcile my differences with the school, told me flat-out that unless I wanted to focus on elementary education, they didn't want me because they'll only take majors or minors for the biology or math focus. Screw that! (Also, screw the UofC in general. They have a Writing major AND a journalism school now with job-placement help. Do I need to go back there and punch someone in the nose for how utterly useless they were when I asked for help and didn't want to listen to their constant promos for consulting? I HATE YOU, UOFC, WHERE WAS YOUR USEFULNESS TO PEOPLE LIKE ME BEFORE EVERYONE REALIZED THAT YOUR STYLE OF ECON IS UTTER BULLCRAP???)
But then there was the Inner-City Teaching Corps (which the girl from Brown pointed me at), which is done through Northwestern's teaching program... and is actually 1) reasonably priced 2) not opposed to English majors 3) full of loan forgiveness and 4) the woman who was doing the recruiting and I were actually able to maintain a conversation that was mutually interesting (about DI and OM, and how fun CPS kids can be). So... that's definitely on my list. If I apply this year, I'd be teaching by next year, since it's almost entirely based on field training. Now, if I can just convince myself to stop doggedly pursuing the journalism thing.
In other news, I've signed up for way too many fests. I'm already signed up for dwsanta and bigbang_mixup and ladystuck and will be signed up for yuletide once that rolls around. Do not let me sign up for anything else! Please! Even if I come to you with a really compelling argument.
*Also (about 15 minutes later) it has come to my attention that Occupy Chicago actually came up with a list of demands. I... well, that pretty much cements how much they're unlike Occupy Wall Street, but at the same time, I don't disagree with any of those demands, so I guess I'm back on board with them, too. Just... not some of the people.