Tuesday was my first full day at the Convention. Of course, since I don’t have credentials, I can’t get into the Pepsi Center. But I did get into the Denver Convention Center, site of the various caucuses. So I spent about an hour in the women’s caucus listening to the likes of Mame Reily, Sheila Johnson, Donna Brazille, actress Rosario Dawson and Eva Longoria, who was only at the podium for a half a second. There was talk that Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama mght show up, but they didn’t. The Lifetime Network had provided little tambourines. The raucous crowd of mostly women shook and beat them anytime anyone mentioned Hillary Clinton’s name. They also used them to drown out a few dissenters. I actually felt sorry for a Catholic priest who stood up at one point and started making an anti-abortion comment. The crowd stood up and started chanting “Obama” and shaking those tambourines and I think he left. They did the same thing for a guy who at one point yelled out Obama’s middle name, Hussein.
I walked past a woman and said to myself, “she sure looks like Omarosa.” It was Omarosa. So, I walked back by to ask for a photo. She was standing with some Obama campaign folks and told me to email her. I couldn’t quite understand why I needed to do that when she was right there and all I wanted was photo, but I took the email address anyway and went on about my business as everybody typed info into their blackberries.
The price of food inside the convention center was astronomical. I was so hungry I broke down and bought a bottle of juice and a muffin for $7.75. You know I was not happy about that. I went over to the caucus on folks with disabilities and they had free boxed lunches that included a sandwich, drink, fruit and a cookie. As expected there was every kind of protest group outside, but none in any big numbers. There was a group of Foulan Gong folks passing out flyers about how they’re treated; there were Hillary backers; McCain supporters and some womenn for pro-choice dressed like the Statue of Liberty. Vendors hawked everything from the traditional Obama T-shirts to kangol-style caps, dog tags, baby onsies, key chains, calendars, anything they can plaster Obama’s face on.
Later Tuesday night, my friend, Nan, and I went to a receptin held by the Congressional Black Caucus at the Grand Hyatt so we missed most of Hillary’s speech en route to Downtown Denver. There was a spectacular view from the 37th floor where the reception took place. Initially, there were’’nt too many folks there, but once things wound down at the Pepsi Center, it looked like all the black delegates headed for the Grand Hyatt. It was kind of gratifying to see so many young people involved. Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown was there, giving the folks from a PBS station an interview.
Later, outside, we saw actress Erika Alexander, who graciously smiled when I whipped out my camera and took a pic. Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina caused a stir as he entered the hotel. Folks stopped and hugged him and took pictures with him. You know he’s the one who told Bill Clinton to chill during the North Carolina primary.
Wednesday, we’re headed for a few parties, so we’ll see who shows up.
Monica Haynes, at the Democratic National Convention
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End of story
Today was the last full day of the workshop. My experience was very versatile this year even though I decided to stay with the print component. I learned a lot of new things this year that will be more valuable to me now that I am going to college.
This morning was like every other morning. It started with the usual wake-up call with Ms. George and Mr. Moore. The night before we put together a news quiz that the students were to give the instructors. For those of you who don’t know what a news quiz is, it is a quiz that the instructors give the students every morning that consists of the unusual numbers, facts and statistics that are in the day’s newspaper. We did not do a good job.
We had a very busy day today. The paper was printed and we went on three different tours. For the first tour, we got to sit in a seat of power at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by observing the editorial meeting where decisions are made on what will go in the paper. The experience was really interesting to find out what they determine is news. The second tour we went on was at The Heinz Endowments, where we ate lunch and learned more about what they do.
When we came back to the Point Park University campus we were greeted by a panel of newspaper editors who talked about what they look for in a good reporter/employee. They gave us great tips about what they look for on the resumes, what is important when speaking, dressing appropriately and how important internships are. I took four pages of notes and I will use every bit of that information in the future.
After the panel left, we walked to and from the Pittsburgh Tribune review. My experience at the Tribune was also very entertaining because I got to see a lot of different writers and hear what they thought about different issues.
When we got back to Point Park we sat and talked about some issues that were still lurking after the wrap-up session. A lot of people demonstrated leadership during this talk and made sure their voice was heard.
Because of our hard work and improvement, we were able to attend Fun Fest for our yearly surprise. For the past three years that I have been here, we have only been on two surprise trips, including this year, so I was very happy. When we got to Fun Fest everyone bonded and had so much fun, including the instructors. Everyone watched how competitive Ms. George really was in bowling and how both Ms. Lee and Mr. Moore both had a need for speed while racing on the motorcycles. Later on that night we were joined by Mr. Moore’s wife and she stylishly brightened up our night even more. Everyone had a great time.
It would be absolutely hard to sum up my three-year experience in one paragraph but I will just give a brief closing. This year was the most complicated one of them all. We had some really tough times but in the end we got through it.
This is the last time I will be coming to this workshop and through this workshop I have learned so many things that I will cherish for the rest of my life. So since I can not come back, my last words of wisdom to the participants is thank you for being part of the workshop and helping me through it. I also want to say that no matter what, you do be a leader and take everything you’ve learned here and use it in your everyday life because it can and it will help you along and make you stand out among your peers.
To the instructors who have helped me so much, I just want to say that I really appreciate you all and thank you for all the constructive criticism and I really learned a lot.
Last but not least, to Ms. Lee, Ms Olga, Ms. Brockensin and Mr. Moore, thank you for being there and taking your time to impart wisdom on me and help make me a better person.
Signing off for the last time,
Jasmine Greene
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Wednesday August 6, 2008
A day worth singing about
Today, like any other day, started with the jingling of keys, but something was different the night before about the way they said “lights out.” Yesterday evening the instructors decided to sing us a bedtime song as they said lights out. I found that very interesting.
Well, today the news quiz was $80, unlike any other day that I have been here and two pepole won the news quiz. The lucky winners of today’s news quiz were Terika Swanson and Saidah Russell. I was so happy that they won because lately we have been making ourselves look bad by not winning these news quizzes.
Today is also the deadline for the second print story and for my second story I wrote a movie review on “The Dark Knight.” Since I finished my story I got to venture out with Ms. Richena and the photography team to Phipps Conservatory, which is a beautiful structure that holds different plants from all around the world. We went there to experience the chocolate exhibit in which they displayed where the chocolate plant comes from. At the end of the tour we received free chocolate.
Another event we did today was to go out to lunch. The interesting thing about this lunch is that it was Ms. Richena’s birthday and we proudly sang happy birthday to her.
The last two events of today were really relaxing. We watched a documentary on The Black Press and how important it was to the black community. We also learned about Frank Bolden and exactly who he was. The second event of the day was watching “College Road Trip,” a Disney movie about a 17-year-old girl who wants to go to college in a different town but her father has issues about letting go.
Today was a very relaxed day.
– Jasmine Greene
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Today is the 4th day of the Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop. We started out today with a sound that we all should be used to, that chirppy, rattling clang of Mr. Moore’s lovely keys accompanied by his lovely voice signaling us to get up. This morning’s wake-up call was a little different because it was a little earlier.
The news quiz today was given by Ms. Richena and it was more difficult not because of the information but because of the statement “spelling counts.” Personally, I would have done really well without that rule but we all know that this is not a place where mediocrity is rewarded.
While the radio students left the building to work on their interviews, the broadcasting students created a bustling atmosphere in the classroom as they scrambled trying to book their interviews. They were also practicing because today is they day they receive their parts. Listening to Sarafina Brooks and Keaton Nichols practice back and forth was very interesting and impressing.
Today the print students also had a bustling atmosphere as are faced with a 4 p.m. deadline and had to get our stories in on time. The phrase “you can and you will” came into play many times today as people were getting no response from their contacts and the people they were supposed to interview. That is when the instructors stepped in and help us get the job done. I also seen a lot of veterans (returning workshop students) stepping up to the challenge and helping others out when they were in need.
As this day comes to a close I just would like to say that this workshop brings something new to the table every time I participate. Over the past three days, I have been working on the most complex story I have reported on since my three years of participating in the workshop. I am writing about Monessa Tinsley-Crabbe, a woman strugglig with a nervous systerm disorder, but who still manages to liver her life with faith and hope. In this tough assignment, Ms. Tinsley’s story is the only thing that kept me going is inspiration I got from the woman I was writing my story on.
– Jasmine Greene
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Today is the third day of The Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop. We started out the day with a complex new quiz in which no one got the reward. Personally, I feel as though I should be doing better on these quiz’s since I have been doing them for a long time.
After we finished the news quiz, we got right to work on our stories. Most of the print students are finished but some of them — mine included — have a long way to go. We had about six instructors with us today and I got help from four of them on my story. I interviewed two more people regarding Mrs. Monessa but I still have to get the interview from her.
Today we took a trip to the F.B.I. Headquarters for a press conference simulation. The simulation described a case and left out plenty of details in which we, as reporters, had to ask questions to find the missing link. It was very interesting because last year we had to find out the information and this year they gave most of the info to us. On this trip we also learned about the polygraph and we learned a lot about how versatile the F.B.I. really is.
Initially, we were to write a story on the press conference but when we got back we had so much information that we were able to write several different stories about the experience.
Today was a really eventful day.
— Jasmine Greene
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Today is the second day of the Frank Bolden Urban Journalism Workshop and in
just two days we have learned many things. This is my third and final year
at the workshop and still the information becomes fresh to me every year. On
Sunday, we learned about a lead and how to grasp the readers attention with
subject/verbs. We were given an assignment to write a lead on Humpty Dumpty;
it was quite entertaining to see what people came up with.
Every year while I have participated in the workshop I have been on the
print team. Due to the fact that I wasn’t here Saturday, I got a great story
idea from Ms. Lee and decided to stick with it. It is a story about a woman
who post articles on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website talking about how
she is dealing with a terminal disease and how it is making her open her
eyes to new things.
Lastly we went to a 911 dispatching center and learned how things work. That
center gets almost 4,000 calls a day and have to quickly dispatch it to the
police, firefighters, or the EMS. They take their job very seriously and
have to really rely on their instincts.
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Thursday August 3, 2008
A day of listening, learning, leading
Today is the 6th day of The Frank Bolden Journalism Workshop and we are very close to the end. I really can’t believe this is my last year at the journalism workshop. A lot of people are graduating this year and the workshop will still go on without us. I know, personally, I will miss the instructors and the people that made an impact on my life.
This morning we had the last and final news quiz of the workshop and once again Saidah Russell won the $160 prize. I was very happy because we were in competition with the boys and if she had not won Mr. Quentin would have.
An interesting event happened today where the veterans (returning workshop students) had to speak up about some problems that were going on in the workshop. Everyone got their chance to speak and it was professional and organized and in the end everyone got their opinion out. As a veteran myself of three years, I feel as though it is important to speak up and speak out if you feel there is a problem and as long as it is done respectfully the instructors will not mind.
Today was a day of lectures. We learned a lot of new things about what interviewers look for in your personality, voice, resume and your appearance. We also learned about blogging and writing a column and how both can become therapeutic in a stressful situation. The most interesting thing we learned today is about music and African culture and how most people are missed informed about this subject so it was nice to be corrected about some things.
The broadcast portion of the workshop taped their video performance and it was near perfect. All four anchors did a really great job and showed great personality in their delivery of the news. The stories that the reporters picked were also interesting, which is sometimes rare. I was very proud to say that I have been able to preview the broadcast.
Last but not least, we had a wrap-up session that was very short today. It lasted for about 15 minutes and since everyone that demonstrated leadership already spoke up earlier and got everything out, there was not a lot to say. As we left, we thanked the instructors and retreated to our rooms to make a news quiz for the instructors.
It was a constructive day.
– Jasmine Greene
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Thursday August 3, 2008
A day of listening, learning, leading
Today is the 6th day of The Frank Bolden Journalism Workshop and we are very close to the end. I really can’t believe this is my last year at the journalism workshop. A lot of people are graduating this year and the workshop will still go on without us. I know, personally, I will miss the instructors and the people that made an impact on my life.
This morning we had the last and final news quiz of the workshop and once again Saidah Russell won the $160 prize. I was very happy because we were in competition with the boys and if she had not won Mr. Quentin would have.
An interesting event happened today where the veterans (returning workshop students) had to speak up about some problems that were going on in the workshop. Everyone got their chance to speak and it was professional and organized and in the end everyone got their opinion out. As a veteran myself of three years, I feel as though it is important to speak up and speak out if you feel there is a problem and as long as it is done respectfully the instructors will not mind.
Today was a day of lectures. We learned a lot of new things about what interviewers look for in your personality, voice, resume and your appearance. We also learned about blogging and writing a column and how both can become therapeutic in a stressful situation. The most interesting thing we learned today is about music and African culture and how most people are missed informed about this subject so it was nice to be corrected about some things.
The broadcast portion of the workshop taped their video performance and it was near perfect. All four anchors did a really great job and showed great personality in their delivery of the news. The stories that the reporters picked were also interesting, which is sometimes rare. I was very proud to say that I have been able to preview the broadcast.
Last but not least, we had a wrap-up session that was very short today. It lasted for about 15 minutes and since everyone that demonstrated leadership already spoke up earlier and got everything out, there was not a lot to say. As we left, we thanked the instructors and retreated to our rooms to make a news quiz for the instructors.
It was a constructive day.
– Jasmine Greene
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Thursday August 31, 2006
As I pack my bags and get ready to return home, part of me feels a need to come back and do something more here to make a difference! What can I do here to make a difference? Do I do enough where I’m am at now to make a difference? Things here are so much worser than what I’d ever though they would be. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to see the things that I’ve seen over the past few days. I’ve had low moments, and moments I didn’t think I could go any further. I came across a home today that two bodies were found inside. Standing there looking made me ask about the lives they lived, and how they came to an end. Two of the many in this city who lost their lives. I was very surprised at the amount of United States flags flying at some of the homes throughout this area. Seeing this place has taken away some of my trust for our country, and the society we live in. I question the way they responded to this situation, and the way they’ve handled things over the past few years. In a place where our government failed to be there for many in the Gulf Coast region, it surprises me to see the amount of patriotism with some. It’s not something that’s one hundred percent, but it’s here. I question the role of our country after this due to the way this place looks. It bothers me to see the constant spending on the war and the rebuilding of Iraq, and to see destruction all around me here. It bothers me when I see the public housing areas that are fenced off keeping the tenants from returning home to get some belongings. When I return home I don’t think I’ll look at my own area the same. I do see myself trying to return back as soon as possible. I know there’s not much that I can do on my own, but it’s something I feel a need to do. The things here will only return to normal if more people begin to step up one person at a time. I look forward to showing some of the images from this trip in hope that it shows a picture of things unseen. We all don’t have the opportunity to travel and see this part of the world for ourselves. I hope for many to see what I saw and come to their own conclusion about the situation in new Orleans. I hope and pray that one day things will get better, but I would be lying to say that things will be the way they once were. When a city loses half of it’s population it’s impossible for things to ever be the same. The only way New Orleans will become the New Orleans of old is for those who left to return. The biggest questions are if they’ll return, and if so what are they returning to?
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Wednesday August 30, 2006
There are no words that can describe the sights in this city. Each image I create I feel as if there’s three I’m missing. I’m in disbelief as to the way the place looks after a full year has gone by. This looks like a place that time just left behind as a reminder of what happen a year ago. Maybe it’s this way due to it being populated with low income black families? The social structure of our society has a lower class, a middle class, and those who are higher up. There are many 9th Ward areas like this across the nation, and they all face the same social problems of those here. There are some on the road back to recovery, but there are also those who see nothing positive in the near future. Survival is something that some here have learned to do, and many who relocated continue with that learning process. I wonder what has to be done to return New Orleans to what it once was. This has become a city without hope, and a city without hope is one which will be lost lost. How do you restore the hope of a city and it’s communities? Is it possible to restore the hope of a community? How long will it take to make those who are there belief that things can change? What has to happen for those in New Orleans to believe that those of us outside of this area actually care?
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- Tuesday August 29, 2006 -
For one reason or another I got up this morning thinking that this day would be different than those days that I’ve started back home in Pittsburgh. Today was the day we all remembered for the Hurricane that changed the lives of many across the Gulf Coast region. This is a day some came from all over the country to celebrate, but what is it that is to be celebrated? I couldn’t tell you one person in the areas we saw today that had reason to celebrate. I saw home owners trying to beat a deadline to gut out their houses before the city tears them down. I saw public housing areas fenced up, and asking the residents to call if they wanted to come and claim their belongings. I saw foundations of houses in one area, and the actual house in another. I saw areas without running water or power. What is there to celebrate here? New Orleans has become a modern day tale of two cities. In the downtown area the stores, hotels, and casinos are back up and running. In the downtown area there aren’t many reminders of a Hurricane coming through here a year ago. When you leave the downtown area you can’t help but to run into it. I saw things that will bother me for the rest of my life, but yet I understand more of what went on here. Many left new Orleans after the hurricane, and not once looked back at what they moved away from. I question if I would have left or stayed to try to start over in a place where I had nothing and lost everything which would leave me with what?
I’m sure today in parts of Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and other places throughout the country people got up this morning thinking today was going to be much different than from a year ago. For a year ago they were here where I am now. I’m sure they had no idea it was gonna be any different than any other day. Now where ever they are, they can also say that this was a day that forever changed their lives.
— Kenneth Neely —
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Monday August 28, 2006
On the night before the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I sit and wonder what life was like in this area before the winds and water came. Each and every newspaper has something Katrina related on the front page. As we flipped through the channels in the hotel room, there was Katrina footage on all the networks. Before arriving here, I could sit and watch the coverage hour upon hour. I guess it all changes when you’re physically surrounded by it. The overall mood is depressing, but I’ve come across several who seem upbeat regardless of the situation. Walking around The Garden District of New Orleans is a reminder of the state of this county and those who have, and those whose have nothing. There are rebuilt and reconstructed hotels and restaurants, and then you see the businesses that don’t have the money to reopen or rebuild. The media continues to force us to see only certain things about this city, which makes one feel sorry for those who remain here or came back. I believe there are many who continue to push on to get things back to the way they once were. The question is if it’s a feat that’s attainable or not?
K. Neely
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Front row: Tanea Francis, left, 15, Brentwood High School; Jasmine Shaw, 15, City Charter High School; Camille Posey, 16, Valley High School; Corey Carrington, 18, Perry Traditional High School; Brooke Agurs, 16, Admiral King High School, Lorraine, Ohio.
Second row: Latrice Rose, 16, Wilkinsburg High School; Vanessa Herring, 18, Gateway High School; Morgan Moody, 17, Oakland Catholic High School; Johnetha Mitchell, 14, Ellison Charter High School, Chicago; Myya Ligon-Means, 14, Allderdice High School; Areya Simmons, 17, home schooled.
Third row: Malcolm McNulty, 17, Columbia High School, South Orange, N.J.; Alicia Bey, 17, Woodland Hills High School; Kimberlee Blocker, 18, CAPA High School; Brittney Russell, 16, City Charter High School; Jazmine Greene, 15, City Charter High School; Shamel Green, 13, Career Connection Charter High School.
Fourth row: Marcus Walters, 18, Central Catholic High School; Sama Worthy, 16, home schooled; Shawn Griffin, 17, CAPA High School; Malik Vincent, 18, Penn Hills High School; Sasha Bethel-Beckley, 15, Woodland Hills High School.
Special Thanks
The Pittburgh Black Media Federation would like to thank the following sponsors for their contribution to this year’s program: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, The New Pittsburgh Courier, KDKA-TV, WPXI-TV, KQV Radio, Point Park University, WQED-TV, Sheridan Broadcasting Networks, the Pittsburgh Communication Foundation, The Grable Foundation.
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Workshop opens one student’s mind
If someone really wants to have a career in journalism, Thursday was the day to be engaged because the PBMF workshop met with extraordinary people who use journalism in many different ways.
It was a chance to learn about real-life experiences in journalism from journalists who had very interesting careers and stories about how they got to where they are, and what they do.
Journalism may not be for everyone, but today the group and I learned that programs, such as this one, are not just for people who are interested in the field. Journalism itself is not a particular field of interest, but the skills there can be used in almost any alternative career. But I have learned that it doesn’t hurt to have a little training first.
Rebecca and Michelle came to the workshop and told us about how the media can be insensitive at times towards domestic violence. They gave scary statistics such as the fact that every 15 seconds a woman is a victim of domestic violence, and shared the stories of women who went through abuse. I also learned that one of the most serious cases of abuse involve mental abuse.
We then took a trip to Big Science where Jay Green makes the music, sound effects, songs, and gives studio time to up-and-coming artists and major companies like Duquesne Light and Highmark. He gave a ton of great advice that can be followed throughout life: “Never let anything stop you or stand in your way,” he said.
This advice was very important because the moment you let someone stand in your way there is no way that you can move forward.
Last, but not least, real soldiers by the name of Shawn Bronson and Paul Abernathy, both who served in Iraq, came to talk to us first hand about their experiences. Shawn showed us a pieces of his documentary, “Team Predator,” which shows a behind-the-scenes look at real-life experiences in the midst of war. Paul Abernathy is an advocate for the history of Syria. He explained the differences in the Shiite and the Sunni Muslims, and also the differences in Hezbollah and terrorist groups. This gave me a more complete understanding of the war between Israel and Lebanon to see how it began.
Even though journalism is not my preferred profession, I learned how to use this training to help me better my craft. Whether I’m using my training to write a speech or to investigate a character, I’ve learned to be open to everything.
Posted by Shawn Griffin, 17, a CAPA High School graduate and upcoming freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University.
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On the case at the workshop
Waking up again to the infamous “Jingle, Jangle, Jingle,” I thought Wednesday would be a very stressful day, but it actually turned out all right. We had a deadline at noon and I was really nervous about that because I didn’t even had a lead for my second story.
So I went in with a defeatist attitude, but I didn’t have that for too long. Why? Cause Mr. Moore can always brighten your day!
In the afternoon we had KDKA news come in and the students from broadcasting did their interviews and everything they had to do. By then I was finish with my story and going over the editing with Mr. Todd Carlisle. There was a guy with a news camera with big bright lights that I tried to avoid. Cameras and me don’t get along.
Later in the evening we took a trip to the courthouse, which was filled from wall to wall. I was so tired from the heat and what seemed like the longest walk ever! The first case was already in progress and after sitting there for a while I began to doze off. When I woke up, the second case had already started. There was one white female up against three black men and a woman in what seemed like another pointless attempt to keep a “Brotha” down.
The stories kept changing and you could tell that the lawyer on the defense was getting upset. The lawyer on the offense was trying to make her best attempt to lock these brothas up for the mistake that they made and she also wanted to make it clear that the defense lawyer had called her out of her name on several occasions. After each lawyer stated their side, the judge handed out a few fines and we went on about the rest of the day.
Though it was hot and we walked there and back, nonetheless it was a great experience and I’m looking forward to tomorrow, waking up to the sounds of the infamous “Jingle, jangle, jingle.”
Posted by Latrice Rose, 16, 11th grade, Wilkinsburg High School
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Getting down to business
The first real day of work is what Mr. Moore called the Monday spent in the workshop and he was not lying. We were all put straight to work on generating story ideas, developing contacts and setting up interviews. Even with the stories and deadlines, we still had a press conference. The press conference was about entrepreneurship. We spoke with the two owners of Team Neva, a motorcycling apparel company, and ChaRon Don, Pittsburgh’s own underground rapper.
Cornell Jones and Darryl Wiley, co-owners of Team Neva, spoke with us about the progression of their business. Jones and Wiley told us stories about how they fell down, but never stopped trying. Darryl Wiley told us, more than once, that no one could outwork him. His attitude was something I really admired. It was also nice to see someone else from New Jersey in Pittsburgh.
ChaRon White ,also known as, ChaRon Don is a local artist with a very unique style. He recited a verse of his from a song called “Black Moses” and I absolutely loved it. It was rap with a more positive message then what you usually here on the radio, but he still had a familiar sound to him. ChaRon’s music is a good example for where hip-hop music should be moving. I hope tomorrow will be as exciting.
Posted by Malcolm McNulty, a graduate of Columbia High School in New Jersey who will attend Hofstra University in August.
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PBMF students interview Mark Southers, a former New Pittsburgh Courier photographer, who curated the exhibit on Charles “Teenie” Harris at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
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WPXI reporter Yolanda Hawkins talks about the “art” of broadcast news in a session on Sunday.
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