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| June 2009 »
One of my favorite classes I’ve taken is one I’m currently taking, Political Science 519: Civil Liberties and the Courts. We’re reading a book entitled “The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court”, by Jeffery Toobin. It’s an in-depth review of the Supreme Court over the past 20 years or so. Lots of major hot-button decisions have been made, like on abortion, public religion and prayer, and affirmative action. It’s fascinating to follow the path of the making of these decisions.
This week, President Obama will nominate someone for the next Supreme Court Justice, to replace the reclusive Justice David Souter, who has wanted to leave since his disappointed with the Court’s involvement with Bush v. Gore during the 2000 Presidential election. This nominee will be the next chapter of this book. After in-depth studies of the U.S. Supreme Court, I am awe-inspired by the justices, whether I agree with them or not, or anyone in consideration for this position. I look forward to seeing the next chapter of “The Nine” unfold before my eyes.
So after weeks of unpredictability for next year, I finally have reason to relax. Despite not being elected to an Executive Board position for the John Glenn Civic Leadership Council, I applied and was selected by the Executive Board for two appointed positions. I will be the Conference Chair, so I will plan the annual Civic Engagement Conference for Ohio State University, and I will be the Marketing Chair, in charge of marketing for the CLC. I’m excited that I will be able to serve the organization in some way, and I have ideas for both of these positions. I’m looking forward to contact public policy professionals in the exciting capital city of Columbus to speak at the Civic Engagement Conference. I also look forward to working with other organizations, residence halls, and media sources for advertising and marketing purposes.
Other than that, I’m looking forward to meeting my Buckeye Village staff for the first time next week and seeing my new apartment. It looks like I will be having an exciting senior year leading up to graduation. I wanted to see this year’s graduation to get an idea of what it’s going to be like, but I don’t think I will get a chance. I heard it’s like 5 hours long and the names of graduates aren’t even read anyway, which is a disappointment. After four years of hard work, I want to hear my name! Anyway, I guess I will have to be surprised…only a year of unpredictability until I find out…
I’m in these two Communications classes this quarter; Comm 643 International Communication and World Press, and Comm H606 Development of Mass Media in America. In the studying the events and people that make up America’s rich media history, and the changes in international press based on factors like technology and national security, I am very grateful to be alive in such an historic time. In the International Communication class, we have been studying the press immediately after the September 11th attacks, and how that developed into war, and how it was viewed and framed in other countries like Iraq. It is a time that began as patriotism and soon changed public opinion and our trust of our leaders and press. It is so clearly a different world than before September 11th, and these changes will affect the global community forever. This week in Development of Mass Media in America, we are studying John F. Kennedy’s assassination. One of the highlights of my college experience was being in Washington, D.C. seeing Barack Obama sworn in as the President of the United States. I am increasingly more grateful for this experience, and I believe that someday my children will be studying the events leading up to this in their history books. I slowly realize how important it was to be a part of this.
My Federal Communications Commission internship was officially approved, which has only gotten me more and more excited to get out of here and get to Washington, D.C.! Only one month left! I’ve gotten a chance to talk to my roommate, and it seems like we’re really going to get along. I’ve knocked a number of things off my “to do” list, like doctor appointments and financial aid forms and travel plans and purchases, which has turn stress and overwhelm into anticipation. I don’t know how I will bear another month of school.
My classes are really starting to drag on…I like to call it “Spring Quarter Syndrome”. It just gets harder and harder to stay focused and keep up. I spent my whole weekend having fun with friends and enjoying the weather, and I can’t say I’m too concerned about the paper I stayed up all night writing on Sunday. On top of that, as the class of 2009 gets ready to graduate, I begin to anticipate another looming event: my own graduation in June 2010. Only a year left. I know I have more work ahead than I can imagine, but I am experience great excitement and nostalgia just from hearing about college graduations all over the country. I’ve heard I’ll be sad when it comes…but for now I can’t wait to get into the real world. And I can’t wait to get a taste of it this summer.
Yesterday, I took a walk. It was pretty inadvertent. I started walking down Neil Avenue towards Marketplace for dinner, but when I got there decided I wasn’t really in the mood for campus food. I decided to walk to the Giant Eagle on Neil Avenue, although I have only been in the car when my friends have driven there and I wasn’t exactly sure how far away it was. But I figured it couldn’t be that bad….10 blocks later on 2nd Avenue, I called my friend to ask how much farther I would have to walk, and it turns out I still wasn’t even close. But it was a beautiful day and I was in the most breathtaking neighborhood with the unique little houses of Victorian Village, and I didn’t want to turn back. I walked towards High Street to head towards my favorite restaurant, NorthStar, on the corner of High and 2nd. I sat for a drink and a dessert with my Civil Liberties textbook and enjoyed a few relaxing hours. It was turning to evening on my way back, and people were settling in for the night. It was such a peaceful walk, even the lights from the parking garage construction glistened in the evening dusk. It was almost difficult to walk back into the dorm. But it was nice to take the time to appreciate the beauty of Columbus that exists always, even on our worst days.
So, I didn’t get the CLC Exec Board position. Not the end of the world….the people who did are very qualified and I have a lot of respect for them. It’s just a little humiliating that I ran for three positions. Let me tell you, I felt pretty pathetic giving that last speech after I had already lost two! I remember a lot of eye-rolling and self-deprecation…not a good note to end on. I still want to be involved, as I know the horrible feeling of public humiliation will pass eventually, and the new president, who has been really supportive through all of this, suggested I apply for an appointed position (which are people who help the Exec Board). I’m trying really hard to just be proud of myself for running and putting myself out there, and to remember my passion for the CLC.
There is some good news from the week. Although I’m still waiting on the final approval for the FCC internship, I did find out that I will be working in Buckeye Village next year! This week was full of finding out what my next year will look like, and this news was a silver lining for sure. I’m so excited to be an RA for such a diverse community!
As one of my fellow RA’s always says….you win some, you lose some.
I just about finalized my internship for this summer. I sent a few applications to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where I have always wanted to work, and I chatted with one of the supervisors on Friday that said he is just waiting on a final approval, and everything looks good! (The only problem I realized is that I wrote “Federal Communication Commission” on my application materials accidentally, instead of the plural form “Communications”….one of many errors I have made applying to jobs, but I’m glad to be getting these mistakes out of the way early on). It looks like I will probably be with the Consumer Affairs and Outreach Division, which will include developing plans for consumer outreach. I couldn’t be more excited!
Also this week, we are having elections for the Civic Leadership Council Executive Board, where I’m running for three positions, and I find out what residence hall I will be an RA in next year! What an exciting week!
I just attending the School of Communication scholarship ceremony today and I got two scholarships! One was for Excellence in Writing, which was for articles I wrote for my internship that I submitted. The other was for being the top student in my major! It was a very pleasant surprise.
A lot of people make fun of me for being a Communications major….even some did after I told them about my scholarships. People say it’s easy, which is frustrating…they’ve never even sat through a Comm class, so how would they know? This is why I like this ceremony. I really value being in a room with a bunch of successful Communications major students and professionals. We all understand what that means.
I also ran into my former Mass Comm Law professor, which was that class I really liked this quarter. I definitely miss being in that class…..the Civil Liberties class is great, but I cannot get enough of the free press cases! It’s really started me thinking about a Senior Thesis, and I’m glad I have some professors with which I can discuss it.
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