Most people that I know would probably not say that they love going to work. I work at Thunderbird Lanes, and most of the time, I don't look forward to it either. But Friday nights are a different story for me.
That's because on Friday night I get to run the Friday Night Rock N Bowl. That picture isn't from our center, but it's basically the same thing. We turn out all the concourse lights, turn on the laser light show and blacklights, and play music videos on our projection screens from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m. I control the music and light show, while my co-worker, and professional DJ, James Hogan interacts with the crowd and makes announcements on our wireless microphone.
I will admit that I'm not the greatest DJ in the world, from a technical standpoint. I've been running the Rock N Bowl for a few months now, but I still don't really know how to use all of our equipment yet. Basically, all I have to do is type in a song title or artist name into our internet database and rearrange the songs as I see fit. There's probably more stuff that I can do, but what we do now seems to work just fine.
But what I am good at is making sure that the bowlers all have fun. I play any and all requests if we have the song. Yes, that means that I will play Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" for you, even though I've heard it so many times that it now makes me want to puke whenever I hear it. And of course, I do like to mix in a few of my favorites whenever I can.
James agrees with me that it's all about making sure that other people have fun. He said that being a DJ is entertaining for him personally, but he's more concerned about making sure that the bowlers are entertained. He enjoys the freedom that comes with it and that it varies from week to week.
I agree with him on that point. Being a DJ is a lot of fun because every week is different from the last one.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Week 4, blog #7 - Semester's end
For many college students, the last couple weeks of the semester are the hardest. This is the time when all your final projects and papers are due, not to mention all the final exams that you have to study for. Fortunately, as a journalism student, I don't have to take that many final exams. But that does mean that I do have to write A LOT.
This semester was particularly difficult for me. I only had three classes: ENG 303, JRN 410, and of course this class. Everyone reading this knows about the multimedia marathon, but that was only a fraction of my workload for this week. For ENG 303, I had to read an entire novel and write an 8-10 page paper on Ernest Hemingway. To prepare for that paper, I also had to read several Hemingway short stories. For JRN 410, I had to gather some data and write yet another 10+ page paper. And to do this, I had to use a program called Stata, which was unnecessarily difficult and confusing. I think there are two or three students from this class in that one as well, and I'm sure that they would all agree with me on that one.
Somehow, I managed to do most of this work on time. I did only make it through 2/3 of the novel and my JRN 410 paper isn't finished yet, though I still have another week until that's due. Finishing all of this stuff took up almost all of my free time this week. I was on campus for seven hours on Wednesday working on the multimedia marathon, and Thursday night I stayed up until 5 a.m. putting the finishing touches on my Hemingway paper.
I definitely not alone when I say that I feel overwhelmed by all of this work. Oakland University freshman Chris Debay feels the same way. Debay is taking four classes, two of which have final exams within the next week. Debay is particularly concerned about his upcoming chemistry final, which could make or break his grade. He said that most students have been averaging 50-60% on this professor's previous exams, so he will be needing to study a lot in order to get a good grade. Judging by his professor's reviews on RateMyProfessors.com, I think he may be right.
This semester was particularly difficult for me. I only had three classes: ENG 303, JRN 410, and of course this class. Everyone reading this knows about the multimedia marathon, but that was only a fraction of my workload for this week. For ENG 303, I had to read an entire novel and write an 8-10 page paper on Ernest Hemingway. To prepare for that paper, I also had to read several Hemingway short stories. For JRN 410, I had to gather some data and write yet another 10+ page paper. And to do this, I had to use a program called Stata, which was unnecessarily difficult and confusing. I think there are two or three students from this class in that one as well, and I'm sure that they would all agree with me on that one.
Somehow, I managed to do most of this work on time. I did only make it through 2/3 of the novel and my JRN 410 paper isn't finished yet, though I still have another week until that's due. Finishing all of this stuff took up almost all of my free time this week. I was on campus for seven hours on Wednesday working on the multimedia marathon, and Thursday night I stayed up until 5 a.m. putting the finishing touches on my Hemingway paper.
I definitely not alone when I say that I feel overwhelmed by all of this work. Oakland University freshman Chris Debay feels the same way. Debay is taking four classes, two of which have final exams within the next week. Debay is particularly concerned about his upcoming chemistry final, which could make or break his grade. He said that most students have been averaging 50-60% on this professor's previous exams, so he will be needing to study a lot in order to get a good grade. Judging by his professor's reviews on RateMyProfessors.com, I think he may be right.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Multimedia project, part 3
Veronica Guerin – Ireland’s Anti-Drug Crusader
By Jake Thielen
12/3/09
Veronica Guerin only covered crime for three years, but in those three years she helped change the fortunes of an entire country.
Guerin was a reporter for Ireland’s Sunday Independent. As a reporter, Guerin saw first-hand how the people of Ireland were being affected by drugs. Her investigations into Dublin’s illegal drug trade led to government reforms, but ultimately she did not live to see them.
When Guerin began reporting crime for the Independent in 1994, the illegal drug trade had driven Dublin’s crime rates to the highest recorded level in Ireland’s history. As Guerin dug deeper and deeper into organized crime, her fame grew, but so did the danger that she faced.
She began to receive warnings from people that she was investigating. In 1994, someone fired shots through one of her windows after she published a story on murdered drug kingpin Martin “The General” Cahill. In 1995, she was shot in the leg while in her home by a masked man who had rung the doorbell.
In 1995, she began investigating John Gilligan. That September, Gilligan attacked her after she went to his house to ask him questions. Gilligan also later called Guerin’s home and threatened to harm her and her family if she wrote about him.
On June 26, 1996, Guerin was murdered by two masked men on a motorbike as she sat in her car, waiting at a traffic light near Dublin.
A witness claimed that Patrick “Dutchy” Holland was the shooter, but he was never convicted of the crime.
Gilligan was also charged with her murder, but he too was acquitted. Gilligan claimed that John Traynor, an informant that Guerin used for her stories, had actually ordered the murder. Traynor was never caught and Gilligan was sentenced to 28 years in prison for importing marijuana.
Brian Meehan, a Dublin drug dealer, was convicted of Guerin’s murder and sentenced to life in prison. Meehan was the getaway driver of the motorbike, but he is not believed to be the one who pulled the trigger.
After Guerin’s death, the Irish Government created the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), which used newly enacted tax laws to help seize control of the assets of suspected criminals. This, along with expanded anti-drug protests in the wake of Guerin’s death, helped Ireland gain more control over their crime problem.
In 2003, a film was made which chronicled the final years of Guerin’s life. The film, which was directed by Joel Schumacher and featured Cate Blanchett as Guerin, focused not only on the events that ultimately led to her death, but also on Guerin’s relationship with her family.
At the time of Guerin’s murder in 1996, she had a husband, Graham Turley, and a young son, Cathal.
In the film, Guerin was torn between investigating her stories and spending time with her family. Things were particularly tough after her assignments started to get dangerous. Graham, and other family members, pleaded with her to give up writing about crime in the interest of her own safety. Guerin was also shown as being frequently absent or late to family events, including her own son's birthday party.
The family aspect of the story is one that many journalists can relate to.
"Unpredictability is an issue, long hours as well," said Dr. Kristi Tanner-White, a journalism instructor at Oakland University.
"I would say long hours and the later work day make it hard on folks who would like to spend time with children," Tanner-White said.
By Jake Thielen
12/3/09
Veronica Guerin only covered crime for three years, but in those three years she helped change the fortunes of an entire country.
Guerin was a reporter for Ireland’s Sunday Independent. As a reporter, Guerin saw first-hand how the people of Ireland were being affected by drugs. Her investigations into Dublin’s illegal drug trade led to government reforms, but ultimately she did not live to see them.
When Guerin began reporting crime for the Independent in 1994, the illegal drug trade had driven Dublin’s crime rates to the highest recorded level in Ireland’s history. As Guerin dug deeper and deeper into organized crime, her fame grew, but so did the danger that she faced.
She began to receive warnings from people that she was investigating. In 1994, someone fired shots through one of her windows after she published a story on murdered drug kingpin Martin “The General” Cahill. In 1995, she was shot in the leg while in her home by a masked man who had rung the doorbell.
In 1995, she began investigating John Gilligan. That September, Gilligan attacked her after she went to his house to ask him questions. Gilligan also later called Guerin’s home and threatened to harm her and her family if she wrote about him.
On June 26, 1996, Guerin was murdered by two masked men on a motorbike as she sat in her car, waiting at a traffic light near Dublin.
A witness claimed that Patrick “Dutchy” Holland was the shooter, but he was never convicted of the crime.
Gilligan was also charged with her murder, but he too was acquitted. Gilligan claimed that John Traynor, an informant that Guerin used for her stories, had actually ordered the murder. Traynor was never caught and Gilligan was sentenced to 28 years in prison for importing marijuana.
Brian Meehan, a Dublin drug dealer, was convicted of Guerin’s murder and sentenced to life in prison. Meehan was the getaway driver of the motorbike, but he is not believed to be the one who pulled the trigger.
After Guerin’s death, the Irish Government created the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), which used newly enacted tax laws to help seize control of the assets of suspected criminals. This, along with expanded anti-drug protests in the wake of Guerin’s death, helped Ireland gain more control over their crime problem.
In 2003, a film was made which chronicled the final years of Guerin’s life. The film, which was directed by Joel Schumacher and featured Cate Blanchett as Guerin, focused not only on the events that ultimately led to her death, but also on Guerin’s relationship with her family.
At the time of Guerin’s murder in 1996, she had a husband, Graham Turley, and a young son, Cathal.
In the film, Guerin was torn between investigating her stories and spending time with her family. Things were particularly tough after her assignments started to get dangerous. Graham, and other family members, pleaded with her to give up writing about crime in the interest of her own safety. Guerin was also shown as being frequently absent or late to family events, including her own son's birthday party.
The family aspect of the story is one that many journalists can relate to.
"Unpredictability is an issue, long hours as well," said Dr. Kristi Tanner-White, a journalism instructor at Oakland University.
"I would say long hours and the later work day make it hard on folks who would like to spend time with children," Tanner-White said.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Week 3, blog #6
I've been to several Detroit Lions games at Ford Field. This year though was the first time that I ever went on Thanksgiving. While the result of the game was familiar, the Lions lost 34-12, the experience of going on Thanksgiving was completely different from the experiences that I've had before.
For starters, traffic was a nightmare. We left for the stadium at 11:00 a.m., and because of parade related traffic, we didn't arrive at the stadium until 12:10. Since Woodward was closed down, we had to take Cass to get to the parking structure and it seemed like everyone else was doing the same.
Once we were inside the stadium, I was surprised to see that so many Green Bay fans had bought tickets. When we found our seats, there were Green Bay fans on either side of us, directly behind us, and in the row in front of us. There were so many Packers fans in fact, that a loud "Go Pack Go" chant broke out near the end of the third quarter. The woman seated in the row behind me said that she had come all the way from Wisconsin just to go to this game, and it appeared that many other fans had done the same.
Another interesting experience was the halftime show. They show it on TV, but it's cool to see how they set everything up in person. This halftime show featured five or six different musicians performing the hits of Motown to celebrate Motown's 50th anniversary. The performance only lasted about seven to eight minutes, but it was obvious that a lot of work went into it. They had about 100 kids doing a choreographed dance, and more people behind the stage running the effects.
One experience remained the same: drunk people, although for this game, there seemed to be more of them than usual. A man sitting next to the Packers fans behind me was drunk before halftime, and in the second half he started throwing popcorn at the Packers fans next to us. Naturally, since he was drunk, he had terrible aim and most of the popcorn ended up hitting me and my mom. Fortunately, he ran out of popcorn fairly quickly and he left before we had to get security involved.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience despite the final score of the game. Hopefully, we will be able to go again next year.
For starters, traffic was a nightmare. We left for the stadium at 11:00 a.m., and because of parade related traffic, we didn't arrive at the stadium until 12:10. Since Woodward was closed down, we had to take Cass to get to the parking structure and it seemed like everyone else was doing the same.
Once we were inside the stadium, I was surprised to see that so many Green Bay fans had bought tickets. When we found our seats, there were Green Bay fans on either side of us, directly behind us, and in the row in front of us. There were so many Packers fans in fact, that a loud "Go Pack Go" chant broke out near the end of the third quarter. The woman seated in the row behind me said that she had come all the way from Wisconsin just to go to this game, and it appeared that many other fans had done the same.
Another interesting experience was the halftime show. They show it on TV, but it's cool to see how they set everything up in person. This halftime show featured five or six different musicians performing the hits of Motown to celebrate Motown's 50th anniversary. The performance only lasted about seven to eight minutes, but it was obvious that a lot of work went into it. They had about 100 kids doing a choreographed dance, and more people behind the stage running the effects.
One experience remained the same: drunk people, although for this game, there seemed to be more of them than usual. A man sitting next to the Packers fans behind me was drunk before halftime, and in the second half he started throwing popcorn at the Packers fans next to us. Naturally, since he was drunk, he had terrible aim and most of the popcorn ended up hitting me and my mom. Fortunately, he ran out of popcorn fairly quickly and he left before we had to get security involved.
Overall, it was a pretty good experience despite the final score of the game. Hopefully, we will be able to go again next year.
Week 3, blog #5
Today is the busiest shopping day of the year: Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day when retailers offer huge discounts on most of their merchandise in an effort to lure in early Christmas shoppers. According to this article, people were lining up at midnight, at least twelve hours before most stores opened, just to get the first crack at these deals.
I was not one of those people. Having a successful Black Friday shopping experience is all about strategy. My strategy this year was simple. My plan was to wait until the afternoon, around 12:30-1:30 and then go shopping. By this time, most of the huge morning crowds have left to go to lunch, traffic is less congested, and lines aren't as long. Some people might say that waiting until the afternoon might mean that the items you want will be gone. I've been doing this the past couple years, and I have found that this is not necessarily the case.
This year I went to Target and Best Buy at 14 Mile and John R; this is also where the Oakland Mall is so there is normally a lot of traffic. I was able to find everything that I wanted with relative ease. When I was at Target, the employees were in the process of restocking the electronics section so they had everything I was looking for. At Best Buy, they had everything that I wanted with the exception of one DVD, which I later ordered online.
I left my house at 1:30 p.m. and I was done shopping by 2:30. I had no problems parking and I did not have to wait in line at all at either store, which was surprising.
According to this article, most reports indicate that crowds were up this year compared to last year. The massive shopping crowds had a positive effect on one local business: Thunderbird Lanes day manager Ed Heichel said that business was booming all day long, and that they passed their sales from last Black Friday by 4:00 this afternoon.
I guess timing really is everything. I didn't have any issues today because while I was shopping, everyone else was apparently bowling.
I was not one of those people. Having a successful Black Friday shopping experience is all about strategy. My strategy this year was simple. My plan was to wait until the afternoon, around 12:30-1:30 and then go shopping. By this time, most of the huge morning crowds have left to go to lunch, traffic is less congested, and lines aren't as long. Some people might say that waiting until the afternoon might mean that the items you want will be gone. I've been doing this the past couple years, and I have found that this is not necessarily the case.
This year I went to Target and Best Buy at 14 Mile and John R; this is also where the Oakland Mall is so there is normally a lot of traffic. I was able to find everything that I wanted with relative ease. When I was at Target, the employees were in the process of restocking the electronics section so they had everything I was looking for. At Best Buy, they had everything that I wanted with the exception of one DVD, which I later ordered online.
I left my house at 1:30 p.m. and I was done shopping by 2:30. I had no problems parking and I did not have to wait in line at all at either store, which was surprising.
According to this article, most reports indicate that crowds were up this year compared to last year. The massive shopping crowds had a positive effect on one local business: Thunderbird Lanes day manager Ed Heichel said that business was booming all day long, and that they passed their sales from last Black Friday by 4:00 this afternoon.
I guess timing really is everything. I didn't have any issues today because while I was shopping, everyone else was apparently bowling.
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