Diversity Reflection-Jennifer Heck

               What I liked about the diversity activity we did in class was that we got to see right away everyone’s results to the question. What I didn’t like was how it was not anonymous and that we had to choose one side over another when you felt like you could argue both sides of the statement. It was interesting to hear everyone’s reasoning for choosing that particular side.

                I feel as if the diversity here at Mizzou is wide. Everyone comes from a different place and background. Even if a group of students came from the same high school, there would still be diversity within that group. I feel that the least talked about concern with diversity has to be the language barrier. Communication is a big part of living here at the University of Missouri. I understand that a lot of students are international students, but it makes it extremely difficult to work on projects with them when you cannot understand what they are saying, and they cannot understand what you are trying to say. I am a very patient person when i work in groups like these, however some people are not, and being like that makes it difficult for everyone in the group to complete the task. 

Jennifer Heck

Ali Johnson-Diversity

I liked the activity because it got us thinking about issues we might not have thought about before. It also forced us to choose a side. There were many times when some of us couldn't choose a side, but you weren't allowed to stay in the middle. This forced us to really think about what the statement was and choose the side that best reflected our opinions. However, this is also something I disliked about the activity. There were times when I couldn't choose a side, but had ideas to back up each side. I wanted to justify why I wanted to stay in the middle, but that wasn't an option.
While I have never noticed anything shocking about Mizzou's diversity, some of my classmates brought certain things to my attention. I wasn't aware that African Americans have separate Homecoming activities. I definitely think this is an issue Mizzou needs to work on because Homecoming should be a huge event for the whole university to come and celebrate together. The Homecoming events I took part in were a lot of fun and I would want everyone to be able to be involved in them.
This is a topic that is least talked about with diversity. As a student, I was unaware of this occurring and I'm sure a lot of other students would agree. So many are unaware that the lack of diversity occurs, including at Mizzou. Since people are unaware, it can't be changed.

diversity reflection - Nikki Osberg

The diversity exercise we did in class was very informative. It was interesting to see what stance everyone took on certain issues, especially because most of us fall into the same demographic. It seemed to me that religion played a big role in whether people traveled to the “yes” or “no” side of the room. Race also had a hand in the decision-making. I liked being able to take my own stance, since until I moved here, most of my decisions and opinions were formed for me on behalf of my family and peers. The statements were thought provoking and gave me the opportunity to truly think about what it is I believe in.

I have seen a lot of diversity here at Mizzou, much more so than at my high school and in my hometown. Sure, if you travel about ten miles from my California suburb you can see plenty of diversity. But here, on campus, the diversity is much more realistic. It shows that race and sexual orientation and religious beliefs do not contribute to whether or not you have the capability to get into a good school and perform well. Regardless of the diversity all the students here are here for the same reason. The only issues I have seen first hand are in regards to homecoming. I was not aware that we had strictly African American fraternities and sororities, or that they have their own block of Homecoming events separate from the other Greek houses. I find this incredibly unfair and even archaic. We should be coming together as one without labeling ourselves based on color or race. Mizzou seems to have a very open student body and I hope that soon we all participate in school events together. No one should be cast out. 

Amy Parks Blog #3

So far I have not made any progress on my interview paper, I have not even started but I have started it and I plan to do the interview either in person or over the phone depending on the person I chose. I plan to do either a journalism professor at Mizzou or someone else within the j community. Also I think it will help expand my understanding of journalism careers in general because right now I am not entirely sure what I would like to do within journalism so this could help narrow it down for me. I plan to ask them how they got started in their profession, what made them choose to enter the field they are in, and what the benefits and flaws are to the job. Also what they recommend in reference to today and what I can do to be prepared for the job market and what I can do to really stand out. I hope to gain a better understand of the type of individual I need to be in order to be competitive in the job marker and also what benefits such professions could have on the impact of my life. I don’t have any questions about the assignment. 

Final Project - Sophie Newman

I have thought about this project, but I have not come up with a concrete person of who I plan to interview yet, although I have a few ideas.  My mom works in politics and has many colleagues in the public relations field.  I have not yet contacted someone yet, but I hope to do a phone interview with someone working in this field.  I want to ask them what exactly they do, and what type of hours they work.  I am concerned that I could not handle some types of journalism majors because of the fast paced lifestyle.  I also plan to ask them questions regarding how they found their job, and what pathways they took to get there, during college as well as post college.  I believe this will be helpful as I am planning on majoring in Strategic Communications through the Journalism school, and would love to learn more about it.  If this does not work out I plan to contact a professor of Strategic Communications here at Mizzou and set up an interview.  I am fascinated by this public relations and advertising sequence, although I am not exactly sure what type of career it could result in.  I think this project will be especially useful in helping me to see what type of profession I could possibly end up in. 

Sophie Newman 

Final Project Blog - Sarah Walsh

I’m going to be very honest here and say that I haven’t thought about this paper since the last FIG class. With Thanksgiving and classes, it flew straight out of my head. I think I can probably get one of my editors at the Maneater to sit down and chat with me, since many of them work or intern at for-real publications during the summertime. Ideally I’ll interview Kari Paul, my Arts & Entertainment editor, who worked at Ms. Magazine last summer. I’ll probably do so within the next week, since after this Sunday my life will be all finals, all the time.

I hope that interviewing Kari will give me a better idea of what it’s like to be an actual professional in the field of journalism, not just a student who writes a story or two every other week. I feel like there’s a huge disconnect between student journalism and professional journalism, mostly because of time issues – between homework and classes, writing for the Maneater is actually quite low on my list of Things I Actually, Legitimately Need To Do. I’m interested to learn what it’s like to have it at the top.

As for questions:

1. 1)   Can you tell me a little about the work environment at a professional news publication? How is it different from the environment here at The Maneater?
2. 2)   What kind of work can someone just entering the field expect to do at first?
3. 3)   What do you like most about your job? Dislike?
4. 4)   What is the most strange or interesting experience you’ve ever had in journalism?

Overall, I think this interview will help me develop a clearer and more realistic picture of what real-world journalism is like, and hopefully be a good indicator of whether or not it’s right for me.

Interview Paper- Andi Kaufman

The Interview Paper that was assigned to our FIG class has brought about much curiosity in regard to  what a person who is actually working as a Broadcast Journalist experiences on a day to day basis.  So far, I have not completed the interview, as am I still pondering who I will choose to question.  I know there are plenty of sources available to me on campus, as well as there are several people from my home town whom I know I could receive information from.  As of right now, however, I am trying to decide who will give me the most information in regards to all of my questions.  I plan to first and foremost ask what a typical life in the day of a Broadcast Journalist is.  If this is going to be something I will be doing for the rest of my life, I think I should become familiar with the routine.  I also want to ask about their journey to journalism.  Right now, I have faced several bumps, becoming unsure of my every move and motive.  When talking with an actual Broadcast Journalist, I plan to ask if this was the case for them too, and if journalism was something they had always dreamt of doing.  Finally, I hope to talk to them about their greatest struggle so far in the field of journalism.  Understanding that the field is extremely competitive, I know that this question could give great insight in the challenges a journalist faces. 

From this interview, I hope to familiarize myself with the life of a Broadcast Journalist.  I want to know about the before, the during, and the after.  Right now I currently find myself in the before phase, so I am eager to hear from someone who has been through all three.  With this project, we are encouraged to reach out to someone whom we would not normally be in contact with, or at least, those are the circumstances I will be facing.  I find this to be great practice for the future, for in the field of journalism, it is nearly an everyday matter to be in contact with people.  As for right now, I am anxious to get insight into what could be my own future.