when did school become a full-time job?

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 31, 2009 12:40 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (0)
School became a full-time job when it began to encompass all that I am excited about.  Grad school is a full-time, life-long career because, today, and each day for the next 9 months I begin to brand myself.  

It is my hope that I will continue to develop myself as I develop my brand and ensure that my brand is one of integrity and chock full of passion. 

another blog about comfort...

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 20, 2009 9:26 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (1)


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(Photo courtesy of Ben R. Nathan)

Public transit seems to be a theme in my life this week.  This photo makes me wonder if we have become too comfortable with the fact that homelessness is still a problem in our country-- too comfortable in fact that we are no longer taking notice and not being moved to act.  I know that I simply would not sit down and be able to read next to this man because I think that that would mean that I had reached a point where I could easily ignore his situation.  At the same time, maybe the man reading the book has the right idea, maybe he is simply letting the other man go about his life while the book-reading man goes about his own.  I'm not sure how I entirely feel about this photo, so I'm putting it up for discussion.


why do we write?

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 20, 2009 1:53 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (0)

As a journalist, a self-proclaimed brand, and, in a sense a public figure--if the audience and effect are far-reaching-- journalists write for a large range of reasons.  We write to educate, illuminate, inform, for self-interest at times, and because it's what we're told to do (as far as certain subject matter is concerned).  

I write because I want to.  I write to educate.  Maybe I am inexperienced, I'm definitely not jaded due to unethical editors who have their reporters writing stories to please advertisers, but I think that sometimes we forget why we're journalists.  Sure, everyone in my program, including me, wrote a statement of purpose in which we all shouted from the rooftops why we write, why we are or want to be journalists, but really, behind the closed doors, why do we write?

Personally, I write to affect my audience (perhaps that's a bit too much ego) in addition to educating; thus, I take issue with the idea that seemed to grow out of our morning lecture that we as journalists do not or should not interact with our audience.  WHY NOT!?

Why aren't we interacting with the readers, with our readers?  Isn't that our aim?  We are writing, they are reading... whether or not we want to, we ARE interacting.

I'm of the opinion that we should not sit in our safely guarded towers complacent with the idea that no matter what we produce people will read our innocent drivel.  Let them comment--we do not always have to respond, but it's nice to know that someone out there is reading and you can be sure that the journalists are reading the comments as well.  

Write on, read on.  Comments?

getting out to get in the ZONE

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 19, 2009 10:24 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (2)
As journalists, we are constantly told that we need to be comfortable with getting out of our comfort zone and that is what I think today's assignment was.  Today was a lesson in getting comfortable with being exposed.  

I walked into ASC 204 at 9:15 this morning and saw only a group of the two-year Master's degree students; I had not yet seen Jason sitting among them.  Patricia Dean motioned for me to come into the room... I hesitated.  "Is this for Specialized, too?" I questioned.  She responded that it was.  I've gotten used to sitting in a room for several hours at a time with the rest of my cohort.  It's comfortable.  However, today was not about being comfortable.  It was about noticing what I was noticing, something that I teach in my yoga classes quite frequently, but had not thought about applying to my journalistic endeavors.  I noticed that I was noticing that I was uncomfortable.  I felt like a fish out of water.  It isn't that I dislike meeting new people--I feel as though I practically have a degree in it after 5 years of recruiting sorority girls!  I guess I just wasn't up to meeting and socializing with new people at 9:30 in the morning.  This feeling quickly passed.

Alan Mittelstaedt led our courageous little band of 10 or so on a journey through LA's public transit system, which in a sense is an oxymoron in comparison to the likes of New York and London and even San Francisco.  I do feel as though San Francisco doesn't necessarily belong in this group because it's small, but it did get mentioned today in our discussion with Kymberleigh Richards, who is a self-proclaimed public transit advocate and who is now employed to do just that.  

Richards, who has an encyclopedia-like knowledge of the LA public transit system is rather interesting herself.  There is a spicy flavor to the frame of reference that she employs, which is refreshing and unapologetic, much like public transit in LA.  It is what it is.  It cannot be that of New York or London or even San Francisco. LA public transit is a different kind of beast.  It is a work in progress and it is somewhat of a marvel.

As our little band made our way through subway tunnels and mazes of people on the sidewalks, contradicting the lyrics "walking in LA, walking in LA, nobody walks in LA," I took the time to get to know the unknown:  the two-year Master's degree students.  I took stock of my peers at USC and I realized what I think I already knew: I am in very good company.  From thoughtful musings about joining the military to talking about using Craigslist to find great jobs to basketball blogs to ballet companies, I began to be able to wrap my head around just the kind of people with whom I will share the halls at Annenberg for the next few months--and they are few.  I realize that I might be waxing a bit poetic, maybe I'm just getting in the mood for our 2,000 word reflective essay, but today I learned something.  I learned about people.  I talked to a man wearing skull jewelry with a bike on the subway about peak times.  I listened and asked questions of a woman who knows more than I would ever want to know about public transit in my new home.  I learned about a professor's start as a journalist and it inspired me.  I also shared some of myself.  I shared opinions at lunch; good columnist, bad journalist?  I questioned sharing my opinions.  I was open.  I was transparent.  I self-disclosed.

As we eased back onto campus, I felt different, changed; maybe I was simply back in my comfort zone, but I do think that the world got a little smaller for me today, a bit more navigable.  As I drove home post wine and cheese social, I pondered what I will be like after nine months in this program... more on that later.

are we endangering ourselves?

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 18, 2009 12:39 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (2)
I firmly believe in niche journalism, otherwise I wouldn't be getting my Master's in Specialized Journalism, especially in the arts.  However, I couldn't help feeling a little negative or at least slightly pessimistic about our current state of affairs as specialized journalists upon leaving Prof. Suro's morning discussion about the history (and a bit about the future) of the journalist and journalism--even though Prof. Suro claimed he was being positive and I believe he was.

I worry about niche journalism joining the ranks of customer service in the guise of journalism.  It's an interesting plan of attack as far as newspapers go, or have gone, I guess.  It does seem rather fruitless and appears to pander to the place where the money is instead of cultivating creative, journalistic, or artistic integrity.  It is a sad state when local newspapers could very easily be considered local advertisers.  Is that all that they have become?  I don't necessarily think so, but sometimes it is hard to swallow the practices some publications are adopting in order to stay afloat.  What about the news?  There are those newspapers, though, that are changing with the times and becoming more specialized themselves, in that they are hyper-focused on what is going on in their own backyards, which in my opinion is commendable.

I, on the other hand, desire to use my abilities as an artist and a journalist to educate, as Astrid Viciano suggested in class today, might be the way to go.  If I continue along that pathway I must then consider the quandry-- advocacy vs. journalism.  Is there a way to do both?  With integrity?  Should I have gone into public relations instead of journalism?  

My background in dance and dance history have driven me toward dance criticism and arts journalism and there is simply no denying that.  A career in public relations, let alone a Master's degree, would not fulfill me--this is not to insult those at Trisight or Jennifer Floto, who brought up some rather interesting morsels to consider at dinner last night.  I do, however, think that being able to work alongside, and with, those in the realm of public relations couldn't hurt.  I think that there is inherent value in being able to get information out there--and isn't that one of the cornerstones that we as journalists assume?  

 

Putting a face...

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 18, 2009 12:11 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (0)
... with the name  :)

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Image is a bit bigger than planned.

Old headshot...


Real Estate Trends in Merced, CA

Haley Greenwald-Gonella
| August 16, 2009 9:36 PM TrackBacks (0) Comments (0)
I interviewed my dad about the current real estate trends that are occurring in the area where his real estate office is located.

Here is my video interview...



Enjoy!

I feel like it's a little short.