Getting Toward the Finish Line

Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting, Uncategorized

It has been difficult for me to post frequently since the summer is winding down. I’m trying to live a healthier lifestyle, which leads to me posting less than I should. I apologize. Now back to the intern news!

PTM– My New Jersey story has gone to press! I will have my second story in a magazine later this week. It feels like such an accomplishment. It took me a while to write the story and now that it’s done, I can look at it in a magazine! My other story about piers is wrapping up and I will start on probably my last story or two for PTM ever. This chapter is closing but I got some great stories out of it as well as “InSite” on travel.

Wave Swinger at a NJ park. Photo from Morey's Piers and Beachfront parks. — Wave Swinger at a NJ park. Photo from Morey’s Piers and Beachfront parks.

Suburban Life– My story about Brookfield Zoo’s Blanding’s turtles was published last week, as well as my nice story about Packs 4 Kids and a summer agriculture program through the Cook County Farm Bureau. I worked on a few interesting crime stories last week and I spoke with the president of Riverside about the Village manager’s position. I learned more about the Relay for life in Brookfield/Riverside as well as the impact it has on those affected by cancer.

Look how adorable these Blanding's turtles are. Brookfield Zoo has established a nurturing habitat for these interesting turtles. Image from Chicago Zoological Society. — Look how adorable these Blanding’s turtles are! Brookfield Zoo has established a nurturing habitat for these interesting creatures. Image from Chicago Zoological Society.

This internship will also be wrapping up soon. I was able to get a different perspective about a newsroom than I had at the Missourian. It was a different dynamic than what I had experienced before, but I have learned that I shouldn’t close the door on newspaper entirely. It’s rewarding to talk to these people and showcase the money they raised for an organization, the new business they opened or the award they received for their hard work. It will be interesting to see where I end up next year. *Aah! Scary*

NYK– I started editing actual stories last week and I really loved it! I was nervous because I thought to myself: “What if I really don’t like this editing business, then what would I do?” but I realized after editing the stories I really have a passion for helping others get across what they are trying to say in an understandable and fun way.

I also have a knack for WordPress now, as you can tell; I’m a WordPress aficionado.*Ha.* With all my SEO knowledge and text sizes and image dimensions. There could be a career in that as well *Maybe?*

This weekend I also went to my last two events of the internship. It was kinda sad, but it went out with a bang! On Saturday I went to the Taste of River North, and it was so fun! It was right on the riverfront and there were options for some good food, drinks and music. I might go again next year.

View of the Chicago River during the taste. To view more photos go to www.facebook.com/NowYouKnowEvents — View of the Chicago River during the taste. To view more photos go to http://www.facebook.com/NowYouKnowEvents

The last event was the Rock ‘N’ Roll half marathon. I saw a bunch of people who accomplished so much. (Because there is no way I could ever run 13.1 miles) There were bands staged along the route and there was a celebration after! Although I’ve never been to a race prior, I thought it was nice that we were able to congratulate these people and have some fun after all the training and running is done. It was held in Grant Park and it was a festival as well as a race.

There were tents for people to get physical therapy as well as free samples of health memorabilia. There was also a beer garden, which seems counter productive before noon, but I am not to judge. My favorite part and the reason it went out with a bang is a band that I enjoy was headlining the celebration: Walk Off the Earth. They made their start on YouTube and had a record deal with a CD in March. They were so much fun with a lot of energy. They were throwing instruments around, hitting drums with glitter flying everywhere and jumping around to their fun beats. I really felt like I was at a summer festival even though I was at a half marathon event.

It made me sad and nostalgic of all the events I’ve been to this summer, but I know that I can go to these events anytime to enjoy myself. That was kind of the fun of it though; to think, how can I illustrate this on paper? That has been my challenge this summer and I hope it will continue for the rest of my life.

-Becky

Erring on the side of creativity

Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, News Reporting, Uncategorized

Long time no see bloggers! I’m trying to get back into the habit of blogging because it’s been a while. And because of this, I have a lot of catching up to do.

PTM: Last week I finished my sports article and my music groups story. I also finished my parade piece that made me reminisce about my high school and college band days. I am finishing up a story about New Jersey’s Southern Shore. What I learned besides the information and attractions to go to is that I really want to pay a visit! With that story almost done, I have some time to think about that article being my second piece published in a magazine. I love those glossy pages and seeing my work in them is the cherry on top of a job well done.

The sports story was about Chicago Southland. photo from insite.sportsdirectory.org

Suburban Life: My band story was published two weeks ago as well as others. I started working on stories for Brookfield Suburban Life and the Addison Press. My two stories were more artistic than the typical news story and that’s why I enjoyed them. They were fun to do because I got to know these people not only because of their accomplishments but also the passion behind their successes.

I talked to a woman who just opened a store in Riverside called Flur that is a gluten-free bakery. She was very nice and told me about her gluten-free journey and how it led to Riverside. She was trying to find a building to call her home for her bakery when she was driving through Riverside as a short cut. She found 1 Riverside Road’s for rent sign and pulled over at the side of the road and called the number!

Flur_Prod_Cupcake_v1 — Cupcake Flavored Macaroon! Image from Flurflavorfirst.com

My second story was about the Choreographer of the Year nominated by Dance Chicago. Kate Jablonski has two companies, a youth group and a professional group. She seemed like a fun, energetic person but very hard working. Her style errs on the side of contemporary and reminds me of a spring board instead of the typical ballet “puppet on strings.”

NYK: I attended Tech Week Chicago and wrote an article about what I witnessed there. I learned about some software and networking as well as phone apps. It was also a lot of fun with different zainy things to drink or run into, *ahem* robots. I also went to the Chicago Artists Coaltion’s event where I took pictures for an article. It was a fusion of art, food and cheerleaders, believe it or not.

Orville Kline, Chicago DJ, and I. Image from nowyouknowevents.com

I also started editing people’s events last week and I’m really getting the hang of WordPress. I understand SEO more and am learning about a variety of events in the city!

I reference many of my stories in this article, let me know what you think in the comments! Also, if you want an easier way to navigate my stories I have a tab for each publication that showcases most of my work.

−Becky

Getting Into a Groove

Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting

A lot of things happened last week. It’s getting harder for me to do daily blog posts so I’m going to try to do once a week posts or a few times a week. I will always post when I have a new story published, but otherwise it’s hard to spend a day at work then blog afterwards.

At PTM, I finished my sports story about Chicago Southland. I am working on my story about national parades and Wildwoods New Jersey. All this research on destinations is making me want to vacation! Wildwoods seems like a fun, inviting place because of the fun on the boardwalks, the beaches and the attractions. The parade story is helping me reminisce of all the parades I performed in. The last parade I was in was for the last football game in 2012 at Mizzou. I’m including the Disney parade in the article and that reminded me of my experience with the Disney parade and workshops in high school. I went my freshman and junior years and each trip was different. One trip we visited Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry, the other year we went to the Islands of Adventure in Universal Studios.

At Suburban Life, I just finished my story about teenage popular hair trends for Suburban Life Magazine. I learned a lot about different styles and had my hair done last week coincidentally. Other stories were in the works but this week we are supposed to be swamped because we are down an editor.

For Now You Know, I covered a Birdhouse Auction last Thursday. It was very cool because I felt like I was at a swanky cocktail party. I’m also supposed to start editing this week more so than writing and I’m excited about that because that is what I am aspiring to do. This weekend I am covering Tech Week Conference so it’s going to be a busy weekend!

One of the birdhouses at the auction inspired by Tinkerbell. Image from Nowyouknowevents.com

So things are getting into a groove at my internships and I’m getting the hang of things. I’m learning a lot and and enjoying it. As much as I want to go back to school to see my friends, I like working. So it’s conducive for me to have these experiences because I am learning skills for the future and get a glimpse of the real world.

Busy Busy Busy

Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting, Premier Tourism Marketing, Suburban Life Media

Last week was quite busy. I didn’t have enough time to write a post after Monday at all. I was working on stories for Premier Tourism Marketing, writing stories for Suburban Life and went to two events for Now You Know all weekend.

For PTM, I was working on a story about Chicago’s Southland and what places to go if you’re planning a sporting event or trip for a group. I am also exploring the Wildwoods of New Jersey for a story in Leisure Group Travel. I’m looking at the beaches, boardwalks and activities in that area to enjoy the Atlantic coast.

The WildWoods Boardwalk. Image form jerseyshoreguide.net

For Suburban Life, I worked on a story for a great program called SEASPAR that provides recreational activities for people with disabilities in the area. I also went to a band practice of the Lisle Community Band because last week was their first set of practices to start their season. I learned that it has been around for 27 years and members are trying to get the word out about their great performances coming up. I also saw some adorable puppies up for adoption that were from an area in Oklahoma afflicted by a flood in May.

The adorable puppies from the West Suburban Humane Society. Image from mysuburbanlife.com

And finally, Now You Know events, I went to Spring Awakening Music Festival and the Taste of Randolph! It was a crazy weekend but a lot of fun. I went to SAMF Friday night and Saturday. I got to see some of my favorite bands like Nero, Zedd and Wolfgang Gartner. I also discovered some new ones like Nervo and Felix Da House Cat. I will definitely check them out. The fest was as fun as it was last year but was probably even better because I was able to talk to different people and I went two nights instead of one day. I think the festival was more organized this year because they built off the first fest last year and tickets were more easily accessible. It definitely felt more crowded because I think more people attended for Bassnectar, the headliner on Saturday. That was a sight to see. I talked to some people who were fans and said there’s a whole network called Chi-nectars who try to go to all of his shows. I explain more of that experience as well as the whole event in an article I wrote with another intern.

In the crowd during Bassnectar. Photo by Becky Neems from Nowyouknowevents.com

The Taste of Randolph was fun but wasn’t good timing. I wasn’t in a good mood because I was worn out from SAMF and it was hot outside. I just wanted to go home and didn’t want to cover it. But once I started walking around and checking out the scene I started to feel better. I talked with some people there who were in good spirits and enjoying themselves, I soaked up some rays and I tried some food. There was a wide variety of food there and it all looked amazing. I only tried a few things because I wasn’t very hungry. I had a BBQ pulled chicken sandwich, a lychee lemonade and a falafel sandwich. I explain more about the food and the Taste overall in the article an intern and I wrote about the Taste of Randolph.

One of the stages at the Taste of Randolph. Photo by Becky Neems from Nowyouknowevents.com

After being so tired, I started this week with a full plate at PTM as well as writing up the stories from the weekend. I was able to relax last night and I didn’t fill up this week too much. I am covering a Birdhouse Auction on Thursday, but otherwise I am giving myself a weekend off.

Update: apologizing for the lack of posts lately

Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting, Premier Tourism Marketing, Suburban Life Media, Tourism

I am back on the saddle this Monday interning but I have not blogged since last thursday because I haven’t been reporting since then. I attended my dad’s wedding this weekend and got to spend some much needed family time. But do not fear! I will be blogging more about this summer’s experience.

Coming up

I am working on two stories for Premier Tourism Marketing, one about sports complexes and towns and the other is about parades students can perform in. My music cities story is finished and is waiting to be published.

On Wednesday I start back at Suburban Life. I hope my patio magazine story is at its final touches and I will probably be doing the same old event reporting and local coverage. One of my stories is supposed to be on the front cover *cross your fingers* and I’m hoping to do a follow-up story on an odd topic: a principal eating a worm.

I interviewed the principal last week and in summation he said he would do anything to help boost his students reading goals and education.

For Now You Know Events, I will be reporting for the Taste of Randolph next weekend as well as Spring Awakening. I’m most excited about Spring Awakening. It’s an EDM concert I attended last year and a lot of my favorite bands will be performing. I’m most excited to see Moby, Bassnectar, Nero, Bingo Players, Zedd and Nicky Romero. It’ll be a lot of fun because I get to report and enjoy the music!

Benny Benassi at Spring Awakening in 2012. Photo by Becky Neems

That’s what’s happening in the wide world of Becky and I’ll stop taking such long (3 day) breaks from blogging! *insert sarcasm here*

Finalizing and quick reporting: Suburban Life Media Day 6

Blogging, Chicago, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting

Today I drove over to the Dunkin’ Donuts on 63rd street to check out “Cop on Top” an event that raised money for Special Olympics Illinois. It was the first time I had to go on the scene to report and it turned out fine. I met Westmont’s Police Chief Thomas Mulhearn as he stepped down from the roof on a ladder.

Westmont’s Police force has been participating in the event for a few years and it raises money for the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run. Officers throughout the state participate in a run to start off the games for the Special Olympics this summer.

I also spoke with a few volunteers from the event and they were all happy I was there. I talked with the Chief about how my brother is special needs and I appreciate his efforts in helping Special Olympics.

Chief Mulhearn with some of the volunteers and a Dunkin’ Donuts employee. Image credit: Becky Neems

I could tell it pulled at his heart strings to help with the cause and that’s what makes a difference.

Later in the day, I was continuing my patio story and getting some finite examples of what I wanted to say. Taking a look at Pier 1 Import’s outdoor guide, I saw some beautiful patio sets and wished my family would invest in some trendy items.

I’m hoping to finish the story early next week. It will be exciting because it will be my first ever feature story in a magazine. I wrote an article for Vox magazine’s website, which was a lot of fun, but being able to see my name in glossy print will be worth it.

In a few hours, I will be reporting for Maifest Chicago 2013, getting all the German food, beer and music I can to get a feel for the German culture. I will reporting there all weekend, so I will have a final story at the beginning of next week, so stay posted.

Patio Design and Quilting: Suburban Life Media Day 5

Blogging, Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting, Suburban Life Media

Today I had a hectic morning but an easy afternoon. I went to a new quilt store called Quilter’s Quest in Woodridge to talk with the owner. I learned about all the fun fabrics, big machines and what processes to make the quilt.

The owner told me that in order to make a quilt, there are three layers, like a sandwich. There’s the quilt top, comprised of different patterns, patches and shapes, which the customer makes. Then there’s the batting, which is the polyester stuffing in the middle. The backing is, you guessed it, the back fabric of the quilt. The machine they use to sew it all together is called a Longarm that sews all three layers together. The machine can sew it in a line pattern, but also can do any shape or pattern you suggest, like musical notes or butterflies. Quilter’s Quest said it’s going to be a modern shop with bright colors and patterns and batik fabric. Batik is a fabric made in Indonesia that usually is floral with vibrant coloring.

purple_orange_cherry blossoms — Batik is a bright-colored fabric made in Indonesia.

Peaking into the world of quilting makes me appreciate that artform and how difficult it can be to make a colorful blanket.

Another story I’m working on is for Suburban Life Magazine on how to improve your patio. The Great Escape representative told me that people are shifting more towards furniture that looks like it would fit in your living room but has weatherproof fabric. Pier 1 Imports has their well-known Swingasan-their wicker swings, while Room and Board has portable fire places that use eco-friendly fuel. I didn’t know much about what makes a patio beforehand, considering at my house we just got ours redone from our original patio from when our house was built 40 years ago. The main gist, just like the Quilting store, is that people can use bright colors with accessories if they want to keep with neutral colors for furniture.

People are leaning more towards outdoor furniture that looks like it could be in the living room but with weather-proof fabric. Pier 1 Imports catalogue example.

Bitchin’ Purge, No really that’s what it’s called! Now You Know Events Event 1

Blogging, Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting

On Sunday during the lovely Memorial Day weekend I was able to report on my first story for nowyouknowevents.com. The website is a blog that is dedicated to events that are happening in the city of Chicago. It’s a blog that consists of a calendar as well as brief descriptions before the events and an event recap.

My event was called Bitchin’ Purge 3: Battle of the Sexes Tournament featuring comedian Megan Gailey of the podcast Naked Sports Live and the TBS pilot “Sick Day.” It took place in Wicker Park on Division at Jerry’s Sandwiches. Coincidentally enough, my second cousins own the restaurant. They always have live jazz, comedians, standup and other live entertainment in their stage room.

The event was a lot of fun and had a relaxed atmosphere. Everyone was bashing bad customers they’ve had while drinking a pint.

I also looked into the Naked Sports Live podcast and Megan is super funny! I don’t have a keen interest in sports but she definitely maintained my interest!

Steve Shields and Emily Drews Westfall hosting the show

Steve Shields, the guy who thought of the Bitchin’ Purge has dealt with many a unpleasant customers. He said 95 percent of customers are great, though five percent not so much…

He started making a documentary three years ago about the service industry and ironically enough, no one wanted to be on camera! I guess not everyone is like me. I’d pounce on an opportunity to be on camera.

Anyway, he decided to have a story-telling comedy slam to let the servers’ voices be heard. The event was hilarious yet disturbing at times. Steve’s brother talked about the terrible old days at RainForest Cafe while a woman Lindsay talked about how she had a stalker at one of the bars where she works.

Having Never been a part of the service industry, I learned a lot and it was eyeopening to hear what these people had to say. Moral of the story: Tip more!!

Field reporting and fun story topics: Suburban Life Media Day 4

Blogging, Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting, Suburban Life Media

Today, I was able to get out of the office to report a quick story! Even though it doesn’t seem like a big deal, my tush thanks me from all the long hours sitting in a chair. Our newspapers have sections called Street Talk where we talk with members of the community about a fun topic and we put their picture and answer in the paper. It’s a fun little section that personalizes our publications. I was working on the section for the Westmont Progress where I had to go to the beautiful Grocery Store called Standard Market on Ogden Ave. in Westmont. I talked with four different people about their plans for the summer. Most were excited to be in the paper, even for a fun, little section.

I also am working on stories with fun topics. I am writing a story for Suburban Life Magazine about fun ways to spice up your patio. I’ve spoken with The Great Escape and will talk to two other places about what fun things to use or how to furnish your patio. Another artistic story I’m working on is about Quilt Quest, a new quilt shop opening in Woodridge. The owner has had a passion for quilting for a while and she decided to open up the store with her husband to offer patterns, kits and machines to help the local quilter with his or her creativity. I’m stopping by the store tomorrow morning to get a look at some of the quilts and patterns, and I think it will be a fun story. Being able to cover artistic topics is a good change of pace for me than writing news briefs. Because I want to go into the magazine world, it is helpful for me to emerge into the local community in a creative way.

Diary at PTM Day 3: Photo Rights

Chicago, Diary, Intern, Internship, Journalism, Mizzou, News Reporting, Premier Tourism Marketing, Tourism

Yesterday at Premier Tourism Marketing, I was still working on my story about amusement parks in the Mid-Atlantic area. Having to only edit the story, I still needed pictures. I called a few places and also found some open-source images on the amusement parks’ media pages. There were pages sprawled with beautiful images with high definition. The only question was, did I have the right to those images? So I called some PR offices of Busch Gardens, Morey’s Piers and Beachfront Waterparks, and Hersheypark. Some had certain directions for how to credit the companies’ photos so we would have the o.k.

Although this seems like an obvious step, a lot of people do not follow this procedure to use photos. There are websites like Tumblr, Pinterest and IHeartIt where you can collect images from the internet in a snap! Except the rights to those images are not always secure. Many people take images they find as their own and don’t look back. This is a problem for those people who worked hard to edit the photo, let alone take it.

It’s easier for me because I’m a journalist and know that every image needs a source. It’s harder for other people to know that distinction Even though photo sharing websites like Tumblr are great ways to share images, websites like Flickr have more restrictions and give more credit to the photographer than the image. So I learned it’s important to credit your photos even if it seems petty otherwise.