The 2009 fall semester is finally wrapping up for students at the University of Northern Colorado. After a vigorous 15 weeks of hard work and studying, the semester is coming to an end.
A class that I once found very intimidating is now something I am very interested in doing for a future career perhaps. This class is JMC312, Reporting on Contemporary Issues. The main thing I learned in this class was to stick with something no matter how intimidating it may seem. I honestly considered dropping the class the first week because the idea of attending City Council meetings intimidated me. Surprisingly enough, I actually thought the meetings were very interesting and very helpful in regards to getting me experience as a journalist.
This class taught me a lot politically about the city I live in currently. It also taught me a lot about technology and journalism. As a class, we constructed a website to keep people updated on our work. This website is called Gree-ality.
The most valuable thing I will take away from this class is the hands-on experience I gained in the field of journalism. I really liked how I gained confidence during the interviewing process. I also liked how there were semi-strict deadlines with the stories we wrote. After every City Council meeting we were required to post a blog by midnight, which allowed me to write about the subject while it was fresh in my head.
The only advice I have for students who are taking JMC312 next semester is to not be too intimidated by the class. In the long run, it was a very interesting and fun class, even if politics really isn’t your thing. If anything, it gets you really involved in the Greeley community.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Someone who Finally Cares About Students?
It is finally official, the new City Council is in order and they attended their first meeting this evening. All members were present except for the new mayor, Tom Norton, who was at a mayor’s conference out of state. All of the new City Council members seemed very excited and thrilled to be sitting in their new chairs representing their new positions.
The meeting this evening was very short and didn’t present any exciting information in my opinion. I used this as an opportunity to interview one of the new members that I find the most interesting, Donna Sapienza. I am really intrigued by her because she represents the UNC community as she is the representative for Ward II. From speaking with her so far, she seems very involved with the students in the community in efforts to get them involved in City Council affairs.
Sapienza is very involved when it comes to education. She spent 21 years in front of students as a former teacher. At one point in time she was also a school administrator. I plan on using Sapienza as a key source in my upcoming story about UNC students caring about Greeley City Council.
Just out of curiosity, I asked her how long she had to study the weekly agenda. I was shocked with the answer I received. According to her, members receive the agenda on Friday and must have it read and studied by the proceeding Tuesday. In my opinion, that sounds like a lot of work in a short period of time. I couldn’t imagine reading the yearly budget in that short amount of time among other issues that week as well.
The meeting this evening was very short and didn’t present any exciting information in my opinion. I used this as an opportunity to interview one of the new members that I find the most interesting, Donna Sapienza. I am really intrigued by her because she represents the UNC community as she is the representative for Ward II. From speaking with her so far, she seems very involved with the students in the community in efforts to get them involved in City Council affairs.
Sapienza is very involved when it comes to education. She spent 21 years in front of students as a former teacher. At one point in time she was also a school administrator. I plan on using Sapienza as a key source in my upcoming story about UNC students caring about Greeley City Council.
Just out of curiosity, I asked her how long she had to study the weekly agenda. I was shocked with the answer I received. According to her, members receive the agenda on Friday and must have it read and studied by the proceeding Tuesday. In my opinion, that sounds like a lot of work in a short period of time. I couldn’t imagine reading the yearly budget in that short amount of time among other issues that week as well.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
An Insider's View of the 2009 Greeley Elections
The big day has finally arrived! It’s Nov. 3, 2009, which means it's election day nationwide. For many, the 2009 elections were miniscule due to the fact that it was just a local election. However, for some, the elections in Greeley are in fact a big deal.
As a journalism major, I found it very intriguing to spend my evening at the Greeley Tribune. I was able to watch the election unfold from a newsroom standpoint.
The results have begun to add up, and it is quite apparent in some categories who has won. However, this is not true for all. The mayoral race between Tom Norton and Ed Phillipsen has been neck and neck for some time now, and was proven so again tonight. As of 8:20 pm this evening Tom Norton led by less than 1%.
My attendance at the Tribune this evening allowed me to observe and learn several new aspects of journalism. I learned that it benefits to remain calm and stress free during this process. Yes, you are under strict deadlines. However, the more focused everyone remains the better their stories will be.
I’ve always dreamed of becoming a sportswriter, however, after taking this Reporting on Contemporary Issues class, I have learned to really enjoy the political aspects of news. I would really enjoy working in the newsroom on a night like election night. I think it would be beneficial because not only would I be doing my job as a journalist, but I would be educating myself with the local politics as well.
As a journalism major, I found it very intriguing to spend my evening at the Greeley Tribune. I was able to watch the election unfold from a newsroom standpoint.
The results have begun to add up, and it is quite apparent in some categories who has won. However, this is not true for all. The mayoral race between Tom Norton and Ed Phillipsen has been neck and neck for some time now, and was proven so again tonight. As of 8:20 pm this evening Tom Norton led by less than 1%.
My attendance at the Tribune this evening allowed me to observe and learn several new aspects of journalism. I learned that it benefits to remain calm and stress free during this process. Yes, you are under strict deadlines. However, the more focused everyone remains the better their stories will be.
I’ve always dreamed of becoming a sportswriter, however, after taking this Reporting on Contemporary Issues class, I have learned to really enjoy the political aspects of news. I would really enjoy working in the newsroom on a night like election night. I think it would be beneficial because not only would I be doing my job as a journalist, but I would be educating myself with the local politics as well.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Is Greeley Ready for Medical Marijuana?
While many of the people living in the city of Greeley, CO are ready for medical marijuana dispensaries to be allowed, City Council agreed tonight that the city is in fact not ready. Item number 35 during this evening’s City Council if voted in favor of, would prohibit the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries within the city. This issue has been a highly debated issue within the city for the past several weeks. Item number 35 was in fact voted in favor of, meaning dispensaries are not allowed in Greeley.
Personally, I believe that the dispensaries should be allowed within the city of Greeley. Like many conservative people, I am against the use of marijuana; however it is realistic to know that people are going to use the substance whether or not it is dispensed in Greeley. According to Jeri Shepherd, an attorney, and a member of a nonprofit group in Colorado, studies show no marijuana overdoses which makes it far safer than alcohol and prescription drugs.
On the flipside to this belief, there were many people in the audience who felt differently, including six of the seven council members. Mayor Ed Clark admitted to having over 16 surgeries for his back, and never once was he prescribed marijuana. Ed Phillipsen also made a good point. He claims that marijuana is a hallucinate drug and that’s all it is. His point of view caused major uproar in the audience. He also claimed that you can easily overdose on marijuana, which I don’t believe is true. Finally, he made the point that even though medical marijuana is legal, it’s almost too easy to become a patient. He claims that “doctor’s don’t prescribe marijuana; they only recommend it because it is not up to the standards to be prescribed.”
With a 6-1 vote, many people in Greeley were left unhappy and left to believe that Greeley is making a mistake financially as well as morally.
Personally, I believe that the dispensaries should be allowed within the city of Greeley. Like many conservative people, I am against the use of marijuana; however it is realistic to know that people are going to use the substance whether or not it is dispensed in Greeley. According to Jeri Shepherd, an attorney, and a member of a nonprofit group in Colorado, studies show no marijuana overdoses which makes it far safer than alcohol and prescription drugs.
On the flipside to this belief, there were many people in the audience who felt differently, including six of the seven council members. Mayor Ed Clark admitted to having over 16 surgeries for his back, and never once was he prescribed marijuana. Ed Phillipsen also made a good point. He claims that marijuana is a hallucinate drug and that’s all it is. His point of view caused major uproar in the audience. He also claimed that you can easily overdose on marijuana, which I don’t believe is true. Finally, he made the point that even though medical marijuana is legal, it’s almost too easy to become a patient. He claims that “doctor’s don’t prescribe marijuana; they only recommend it because it is not up to the standards to be prescribed.”
With a 6-1 vote, many people in Greeley were left unhappy and left to believe that Greeley is making a mistake financially as well as morally.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Should Development Fees be Raised During the Weak Economy?
During City Council this evening, item number 22 on the adgenda discussed the establishment of development fees for builders in Greeley, Colorado. This item had been previously discussed during the City Council meeting that took place on September 15, 2009. Tim Nash, Greeley Finance Director presented an extensive presentation to the City Council as well as the citizens. In his presentation, he proposed in depth facts and statistics of the impact fees in order to persuade the council members to vote in favor of the ordinance. Basically, the ordinance if passed, would hurt small businesses and real estate in the city of Greeley. I found it very interesting when Scott Renfroe, a Greeley resident and a member of the Colorado State Senate, approached council members with the fact that he gets on average five calls a week regarding the increase on vehicle registration. He made a great point that if people can't afford to pay for simple things such as this then how are they going to pay an increase on developmental fees? Tony Belfiore also showed a very strong opinion this evening. He mentioned that he has been a builder for 30 years and this is the first year he will not build anything. Council members agreed that this is not a great time to be raising any type of fees due to the poor economy, especially in residential areas. I also found it interesting that Greeley is trying to raise fees when in fact the neighboring cities are lowering fees to try and help the citizens. Won't this just push people and businesses out of Greeley?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Getting Started
This is the first time I have ever created a blog. I knew what the term "blog" stood for, however, I was unsure on how I could create one myself. To be quite honest, the idea of blogging had me a little nervous at first because it is something that was so new to me. I am confident that once I get the hang of blogging I will enjoy posting my thoughts and gaining feedback from others. Blogging is unlike any other college assignment that I have received before. I think it will be beneficial to my career in journalism because it keeps me actively involved in things I choose to be involved in. I am excited to begin my journey in posting blogs, but I am most excited to gain feedback from others. I love hearing other people's opinion about what I have to say and this is an easy way to accomplish that.
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