ePortfolio

Some students have expressed questions about the ePortfolio. It's a department requirement that you make a portfolio on this site and post your final stories in certain required classes, Reporting being one of them. I'm so sorry I didn't talk to you about it as I too was unaware of this requirement. I was under the impression that Reporting students no longer had to file on ePortfolio. If you have not created your folio site or if you have and want to post your story, you do it at http://login.efolioworld.com.

If you have any problems, I suggest you ask at the Journalism office next week.

I'm correcting your exams and finals now in the green lap of Vermont in the rain. It's quite enjoyable. Thank you again students for your hard work this semester.

Yvonne

Goodbye...for now...

This semester has been an adventure for me since day one. I can’t believe we are done with reporting, it was just yesterday our professor had us pick our neighborhood beat. At first I wanted to get the Mission because I speak Spanish fluently and my mother has lived in the neighborhood when she emigrated from Nicaragua. Although the Castro was also on my list I never expected our professor to pick it for me and to be honest I’m glad she did. As some of you already know I grew up in a very tight-knit Catholic family, which made the Castro appear more like a foreign country to me. After spending every week in the Castro I honestly wouldn’t mind living there (if I had the money), almost everyone had been extremely friendly, the restaurants were amazing, and I loved the old Victorian houses.

Since this is my final post for the class website I would like to get a couple things off my chest. First off, before transferring to SF State I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I took one journalism class from Contra Costa College and I was hooked. As strange as that sounds it was actually that simple, but I didn’t truly understand journalism until taking the reporting class. Lastly, I was so intimidated by my classmates because it seemed as though they were ahead of the game in terms of writing and reporting I almost lost sight of why I was there in the first place, to improve my skills. After the last couple articles I felt more comfortable with my writing and reporting ability.

I was told by someone that after you finish reporting class, the rest becomes easier. No offense to that person, but I think that’s a little white lie someone from the journalism department made up to ease other journalism students’ anxiety. There are going to be other classes that will probably drive us to tears, but in the end that “swift kick in the ass” will bring us success in the long run (at least that’s what my news writing professor told me).

Alright, enough of that long heart felt speech. I say we throw out our books and papers, go to a bar and drink to our hearts content. I’m not talking about beer either, I’m talking whiskey, rum, or tequila because god knows we deserve it after all the hard work we put in this semester (I know I do).

I’ll see you guys next semester, have a fun summer.

Last Post!

I'm finally done writing my final feature which compares North Beach during the day and North Beach during the night. I learned a lot about the neighborhood as well as some valuable reporting skills.

When I first started reporting I was really shy and paranoid. Now I feel very comfortable talking to people and striking up a conversation. Everyone has something to say, even if it's just "f*** off." I've also developed thick skin which I know will come in useful when I'm on assignment in Mexico.

North Beach has been kind to me. I made a lot of good contacts and even a few friends. So in keeping to the Italian spirit I will end this post by saying ciao fellow classmates and good luck with finals!

Getting to Know Noe Valley

This semester has been absolutely uh-mazing! I have made life long journalism friends and have written about things that I actually enjoyed, who would have thought?

This semester in particular has been one of growth. I have learned how to go out and find a story, been pressured by deadlines and have gotten over my fear of going up to strangers and asking them questions. I have learned a lot in JOUR 300 and will continue using all the techniques that Yvonne has taught us.

I remember when I decided to pick Noe Valley for my beat. I had never heard of it before. From what I read, it is a district where friendly people were always around in cafes or walking their dogs.

I have learned about the people, the businesses and the changes that will eventually come out of this district. It was a refreshing experience spending time in a place where I knew no one and coming up with stories.

Our last day of class is today and I am really going to be sad. Everyone in this class has so much talent and I can't wait to have class with you guys in the future! As for Yvonne, I have learned so much. Your experiences and stories are truly inspiring. I have never been more excited and anxious to get into the field of journalism.

I know I'm being super sentamental and corny but hey, that's just my personality. I like to gush from time to time!

A sigh of relief

Finally, the final story of the semester is done. I mean, I finished it last night and everything, but still. It was such a great weight lifted off my shoulders. Although, I do have two more papers to write for other classes. I just want this semester to be over so I can enjoy summer, hopefully land an internship, and save money.

The process of writing this final feature was a little difficult at first - I didn't know what lead I should use and how to format it. After I figured it out, the words came together and formed, what I think, is a great article about the Japan earthquake and tsunami and how San Francisco organizations are helping out.

I was able to get interviews with representatives from two big organizations donating funds, which was great.

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Looking back on this semester in this class, it was by far the most difficult journalism class I have ever been in. The amount of work in this class should really make this class a 10 unit course. I'd graduate faster that way, too. The best thing I got out of this class, though, was meeting the people I did. We have such a great class and I'm thankful for being in it. Who knows... maybe we'll all be working with each other out in the "real world" and use our connections that we have made to our advantage.

Thank you, everyone, for a great semester! =)

Last day on assignment in North Beach!

Today I decided to spend all day in North Beach. I'm spent half of the day at Cavalli Cafe, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., and ate a delicious cannoli and drank a cappuccino.

It's now 9 p.m. and I'm still in North Beach hanging out with the regulars at Cafe Greco's. I went bar hopping mid-day with a friend and saw a couple of familiar faces. I got some good sources and I am almost ready to finish my final feature. I feel like tonight will be a hectic night, but it will all be worth it soon enough. I want to write a bit on what I learned from reporting on North Beach.

First of all, North Beach is a diverse neighborhood that is loved by both residents and out-of-towners. It is filled with amazing cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs. It is the type of place where you can relax OR get "fucked up" on alcohol or various drugs, specifically cocaine, according to sellers and police.

I've been hanging around North Beach for too long. I'm honestly getting sick of the place. Not because it's such a terrible place to be, but because I've been coming here every week.

It is also the type of place where a girl can easily get a boyfriend. I've been hit on by most of my sources, from bouncers to cops to bartenders to residents and employees. It's interesting because they open up to me and are willing to talk, at the same time it can get frustrating. I suppose it's like that for most women reporters, although I tend to keep my distance.

The strip clubs are merely entertainment and for most girls it's a great job. They get paid well and enjoy doing the work that they do. I don't judge them because I personally feel that they're nice people with a life of their own and they enjoy making money while giving customers shows of lust... it's a business.

All-in-all North Beach has been kind to me. I've made friends and have gotten to know some amazing people that have interesting stories of their own. The connections that I have made here are priceless. I'm even thinking of spending some extra money of you guys and buying delicious cannolis for everyone.

Turning Haight into Love (or at least, Less Hate)

Wow. It’s really over. We survived reporting. It kinda flew by, honestly, and it really wasn’t that hard. I mean, there were a couple of things I struggled with (obviously the whole talking to people part), but on the whole it really wasn’t all that bad.

The practical application of it all was actually really helpful, far better than newswriting. I think it would have been better to do more of this kind of thing – the crime story, scoping out a neighborhood, meeting story – all in newswriting so that we could get a better feel for it.

I feel like I learned a lot in this class. I didn’t exactly know how to just dive in and start discovering things about a neighborhood, or even how to find a story. Nothing seemed particularly newsworthy to me one week, and then everything did the next week.

At first, it was all ridiculously intimidating. I (almost) had breakdowns trying to talk to people on the street about what was going on in the neighborhood. It was absolutely terrifying. I hated it. After my first two stories, I was positive that I would have to find a way to get the hell out of journalism and get myself a new major.

Then we did the meeting stories, a ridiculously long haul for me, but hands down the easiest thing I’ve ever had to write. The redo wasn’t that bad, either. Once I got past the first interview in my profile, even that was easy. I somehow managed to hit my stride after the hardcore struggling to figure out what was going on in the Haight. The crime story was a piece of cake.

Now: the final story. Not my original idea, but it totally serves its purpose and fit the changes in the neighborhood that I’ve seen over the semester. All in all, not a bad story to write, even though the Whole Foods managers apparently aren’t allowed to give statements to anyone for any purpose whatsoever, or their names, for that matter. (Seriously: I went from press to project to paper to my teacher’s going to kill me if I don’t get something, and still absolutely nothing. Not one single manager would talk.)

Anyway, the Whole Foods story doesn’t apply everything I’ve learned over the semester, but I’m sure that’s not the point. I think it’s more to show off our skills, a shining example of how great we are now compared to how crappy we were in the beginning. I think I understand how to write a feature now far better than I did at this time last semester, and that’s probably the point.

I don’t want to change my major anymore, but I do plan on spending much more time writing about the things that interest me. Sorry, Haight, but that’s definitely not you, or HAIA, or the homeless, or Sit/Lie, or any of the issues that plague that little zone in the center of the city that I’ve haunted all semester. I think y’all know what I want to write about by now. Look forward to it in the future.

That’s the best thing I’ve gained from this class, I think: An absolute assurance of my interests, and the knowledge that I can write about anything under the sun, should I need to.

So here’s to our semester, growing up and all that jazz. I think we’ve earned the summer.