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.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

As I was in SoMa yesterday looking for story ideas (with little success), I walked by Yerba Buena Gardens to find the park full of people and live music.  A stage was set up in front of the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial and Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, an Afro-Cuban fusion act, were performing.  It was a beautiful, sunny day Saturday (though a bit windy) and seeing people gathered in the park dancing to the music it made it more beautiful.  More than a hundred people were congregated at the park, with a large number of them actually dancing while others were laying out on the lawn soaking up the sun.

Turns out the performance is one of a series of free events held at the park for the summer, from May to October.  There are theater, poetry, and spoken word performances scheduled as well as a series of children and Latin Jazz acts.  Events are not limited to only weekends.  They have things scheduled for the week and even have lunchtime concerts on Thursdays.

This is a great characteristic of San Francisco: having many free events that encourage civic participation and builds community.  Many of these events take place in SoMa, which contributes to it's appeal.  For anyone staying in the city over the summer and looking for things to do (for free!), I suggest checking one of the scheduled events out.  You can check out the calendar here.

Final Project

I am officially drowning. Aside from all the work that has accumulated from my other glasses, I'm afraid of not getting a new perspective on this whole America's Cup final paper.
I know...you are all tired of hearing about this subject and believe me, I feel like I've beaten it dead. But there just isn't a lot going on in my neighborhood, and I have looked.

Now the problem is getting a new angle on this story. I tried making one of those web charts...you know where the main subject is in the middle and you attach sub-subjects. A sort of brain storming thing. I have interviewed officials (firemen and police), residents, merchants, tourists, a contestant, and of course the yachting community. Currently trying to interview my supervisor, Jane Kim, but failing. I'm hoping to talk to her about the finances of the whole event, because as of now, the only information on that is at least a year old.

I have now written two stories for this subject and I'm afraid I can't find a new angle and I'm nervous it's too late to change the topic. I'm hoping for a big change in direction, if not in the topic at least on this subject. Please, please let the next person I interview say something too opinionated and original.

late night sitting place?

Does anyone know where that late-night sitting place is? I've walked up and down.

ugh ugh ugh

My final feature progress...is going. I've contacted a few people on the Merchants Association, the Noe Valley Farmer's Market and PROSAC.

My final feature is dealing with the conversion of a parking lot that is used for various district activities like the Farmer's Market and for music performances to a Town Square. Blue prints have been drawn up of grass and plants adorning the space. It will look completely different.

I'm excited to write this story because I feel like its a big issue in Noe Valley that the city has not really recognized yet. I know a lot of residents, especially those who have been living in Noe Valley for a while have a lot to say about the issue. Parking is a huge issue and converting a space that will definitely affect the

Anyways I need to get back to stressing over finals, essays and various other projects that need to be completed this week.

K. Bye.