Final Questions

1. Describe the importance of blogging to modern day journalism.
Blogging in modern day journalism has become a major assest. Everyone realizes that newspapers are shutting down or letting people go because they aren't popular like they once were. I believe that if you are good a blogging then you can do anything in journalism because I think blogging will be the next big thing.

2. If you are going to continue to blog, why? or why not?
I use blogging as a filter for things I can't say to certain people. I blogged before this class so this was nothing new to me. I can't say that I'll continue to blog on music, but I know I will still continue. I love writing. It has always been a passion for me.

3. If you were going to keep blogging, how will you change your blog in the future?
I will change my blog in multiple ways I'm sure. I know that I will grow up more, whereas I will change more. I have considered doing a blog for my final year in college. Just a way for me to remember everything and always have something to look back on and also vent out frustration as well as happiness.

New chapter for America?

‎10 years ago we heard the horrible news of September 11th. Today America wakes up to wonderful news of a terrorist's death. Unfortunately we know this isn't over but a new chapter is beginning. Americans have been waiting for this day for the last 10 years. Last night when President Obama was speaking there were thousands of American's outside of the White House celebrating. There was celebration all over the United States. From people who lost loved ones in 9/11 to those that simply just love their country and were in some way affected by the attacks of the tragedy. All we know to ask now is what's next? Will Bin Laden's followers retaliate or will this be the end? We know that it isn't the end. The world is full of evil every way we turn. We can only hope that we don't let our guard down and we continue to stay alert and except the worst to happen. Thank you to the troops that were brave enough to go in to get Bin Laden. They will always be known for that noble act. I'm quite the realist so I'm going to expect the worst. I'm bracing myself for what's next. But God help us so that nothing comes next. 

Question for class.

Will you actually continue to blog after this class is over?

Calf Fry 2011

Twenty years ago Tumbleweed had their very first Calf Fry, it was such a huge success that it soon became a three-day event. This year it starts Thursday, April 28th and goes till Saturday. A few musical artists you can expect to find are Eli Young Band, Randy Rogers Band, Turnpike Trubadours, and many others. I've never actually been, but always wanted to go for the music. I'm not big on calf fries. I may actually make it this year, but not until Saturday. Which sucks for me because my favorite band is Eli Young Band. Maybe next time they come to town I'll actually make it to a show. 


If you want more information about Calf Fry you can check it out at http://calffry.com/

MUSICAL DIVAS

I have a new respect for band managers, publishers, tour managers, booking agents, promoters, producers, lawyers, accountants, journalists, photographers, merchandisers, etc. Basically anyone that ever has to deal with a musical artist. I had never noticed how disrespectful people can be until I began my internship with the Brawlers. I know you're probably thinking, aren't the Brawlers football? Yes they are, but we have to have a half time performer of some sort. It has just been easiest to get singers. Well we live and we learn right? We picked a lot of local artists that don't really have their foot in or do and just want the extra publicity. That's great, we will do each other a favor, we win and they win. Right? Wrong. I personally didn't expect any of these people to be the divas that they are, they sure showed me. Numerous times I get told "I need something to drink." Not asked. It's like hey I think I'm awesome so you should wait on me. So they first time is acceptable I'll get you one. But after you're done I feel like you're just as capable as anyone to go get you one. Just saying. And the second thing is they're never on time. We have other things to do then wait around for you to show up for your sound check. So please I actually encourage you to walk out on the field while the team is warming up and if you get hit by a football....OOOPS! And bands are the absolute worst because they all need about 1,000 things EACH or forgot their extra mic, equip, etc.....well dang, can't help ya out there. 


Excuse my little rant. Have a good weekend. 

BRICKTOWN BRAWLERS STUDENT NIGHT

This Saturday, April 23rd OKC's own Indoor Football League, the Bricktown Brawlers, will be facing Sioux Falls Storm. Kick off is at 7pm. The theme for this game is student night. The first 100 students that bring their school I.D’s will receive free admission into Saturday’s game, after that it is only $5 dollars with your student I.D. We will be giving away FREE koozies at the door. Special half time appearance by Reality and the New Era. Check him out before the game at www.reality.bandcamp.com or on youtube/reality and the new era. You won’t want to miss this performance!


Now that I got my interning duty out of the way I must add that my goal for this game is to get as many people out as possible, why? Because I feel as though the people Thai and myself work for have little faith in our planning abilities. They feel as though children will not be entertained by rapper, Reality, but they didn't tell us this until we were already a week away from the game, which leaves zero time to change anything. So if anyone has any ideas of what we could add to the halftime show, let me know. Because apparently I don't understand the mind of small children. I was more concerned about the high school/college age range I thought we were targeting for this game. 

Some Remember While Others Try to Forget

April 19th, 1995 at 9:02am was a day that would affect the state of Oklahoma as well as the United States. Many lost family members and friends, I'm one of the many. My cousin was employed at the Murrah Building and I knew it would change our families lives. I was only 5 years old, but I remember being in school when it happened. No one wanted to tell us what was going on, but I could tell from the fear in my teacher's eyes. After my mom picked me up at noon she told me what had happened. It wasn't until later that day that we discovered what happened to my cousin. We went to his dad's house and sat with them for hours in shock. Today will forever be a day that will bring back the memory of this loss. I respect the other families that actually lost mothers, fathers, and children, their strength is phenomenal.

SAS @ UCO

Does anyone one know what SAS is? Most people I talk to about SAS have no idea what it is. SAS stands for Students for an Accessible Society, it is an organization here on campus. The main purpose of SAS is to bring awareness to others about how disabilities effect students in school as well as in life. Many people don't understand how hard it is to be a college student that is deaf, blind, have learning disabilities, handicaps, etc. On Monday I will be giving some what of an acceptance speech to take on Presidency of SAS for the Fall 2011-Spring 2012 year. You couldn't tell by simply speaking to me that I have A.D.D and 3 learning disabilities. That is because I don't allow my disabilities to affect my life. I didn't always have such confidence in myself until my sophomore year at UCO. I realized how cruel people could be when I heard someone talking behind me in my physical science class about the "retards" in the class. They were referring to myself and about four others that also had disabilities. From that day on I have made it my goal to bring awareness about disabilities, because though some disabilities are visible, most are not. This brings the statement don't judge a book by its cover. Everyone has a story, everyone has faced a battle, so think twice before you speak. You could truly offend someone. There are so many things I want to do for SAS my last year in college and I believe it will change the lives of many. Or at least that is what I hope to see happen.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
It is very difficult for me to embrace this statement that I am constantly hearing. For the last month, my mom has been telling me to slow down. She isn't talking about the speed I drive my car, but the speed of my life. I am guilty of taking on more then I can handle because at the time I feel like it won't be a big deal. Examples of this would be my internship with the Bricktown Brawlers and my volunteer work at my church. I have been stressed for a number of reasons mostly because I discovered I can't graduate until Spring 2012 due to one course. I don't remember which professor advised me last semester, but they failed to mention I couldn't take PR Methods, PR Case Studies, and PR Campaigns all together. I recently found out that I have to take Methods and Case Studies first. Therefore, I will be taking one course my last semester of college. Oh joy. I think this is just an example that we shouldn't be forced to see advisors before enrolling.

As far as everything else that is stressing me out, as an intern for the Brawlers we are having Student Night, April 23 and Thai and myself are in charge of planning this game. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off to find a halftime show and get the small things planned out by next week. It has been extremely difficult to get people because everyone wants to give you the go around and let you know last minute. I guess this will be a learning experience. I'm glad I'm taking Event Planning as an intersession course because I need some guidance.

And lastly I have been working on the brochure for our non- profit we met in Wales, which will be sent out to them on Sunday to see if it is what they are looking for. It is hard to work with a company that is in another country especially when there is a six hour difference. This is my rant of the day.

Brianna Gaither

Brianna Gaither performed a halftime show this previous Sunday, April 3rd at the Bricktown Brawlers vs. Colorado Ice game. She is a phenomenal artist straight out of Edmond. She has been writing songs as long as she could remember. Gaither's performance was in order to boost non profit Give a Goat. She was loved by the crowd and of course I became a fan. Taken from her Facebook fan page Gaither stated her bands goals and interests, "Presenting truth in a way that is utterly transparent, creating art that is authentic in every sense of the word, and making music that emulates the affect of uninhibited, unconditional love." They were very sweet kids to talk to and I enjoyed meeting them. I wish them the best of luck. If you're interested you can check her out at briannagaither.com


Grayson Boyer is a 7 year old, Charlotte Church, if anyone knows who Charlotte Church is. You would look at her and expect her to have a child's voice. As soon as she opens her mouth and starts to belt it out you're in awe. She sang the national anthem for the Brawlers game on Sunday. I was absolutely amazed at how well she could sing and to not be nervous in front of so many people at her age. I wouldn't of been able to do that at age 7. I was totally impressed. She took the crowd by storm and got more applause then any singer we have had this season. I can safely say we will be asking her to come back! 


The next couple of shows I will be attending is the band For Today at the Conservatory, a band I've never heard of, but I'm sure it will be great. The other show is  Ink Life Tour Tattoo and Music Festival at the Cox Convention Center.  This three-day mega-event features world-renowned and local tattoo artists including Amy Nicoletto from the hit TV series LA Ink competing for the Best of Show award and an exclusive feature in Tattoo magazine. Besides over 150 of the worlds best tattoo artists, the event in Oklahoma City also includes a Battle of the Bands competition with a $2,000.00 cash prize. Live performances by Siva Addiction, Rob Zombies' band ’Scum Of The Earth” and the best local bands Oklahoma City has to offer. Tickets are $20 dollars for admission. I'm very excited for the battle of the bands competition, it is going to be intense. 

The Social Network

The Social Network is a movie about Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg. It basically confirmed everything we already knew about Facebook and it's creation. Facebook was launched in 2004 from Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm. The process to create such a social network involved a lot of drama and constant law suits. But, more importantly so began the addiction. The addiction to Facebook that started in one school and eventually spread to take over the world. It is true that Facebook has become an addiction to college students, I myself have lost the battle of homework vs. Facebook. It is the greatest entertainment source for procrastination. This movie has led me to think what's next? Facebook can only last for so long. Who will create our next big thing?

Day 8: Home isn't Where My Heart Is

Sadly we are back home, state side. I keep clicking my heels together hoping that when I open my eyes I will be back in Wales. I didn't think I'd miss Wales as much as I do. I think for the most part being home means back to school, back to work, back to my internship, and basically back to no free time. Wales was a dream come true. I needed this time away to in a way find myself and grow up. I definitely did a lot of that while I was there. I've learned that I don't have to talk to my mom 5 times a day, but my puppy has also taught me that I'm never allowed to leave her again. I'm good on flying for awhile at least long distances. I probably could handle a 2 hour flight, just no more 7 hour flights for awhile. I took sleeping pills before the flight so I slept for a good portion of it, but I didn't have luck sitting next to any friendly people. I at least had Lauren behind me to semi keep me company. We made it to DC and had a two hour layover, which seemed like forever. Everyone was quiet. I'm pretty sure by this point we had bonded enough. We finally boarded our plane only to be evacuated because the plane filled with smoke. Remember how I mentioned I was a worrier? Well I immediately started having an anxiety attack and was refusing to board that plane. After another hour and a half maintenance finally fixed the problem and we were able to re-board and head to OKC. We landed in OKC about 10:15pm, only an hour and a half late. It was nice to sleep in my own bed, but I can't help but dream and wish I were still in Wales. It is my ideal atmosphere to live in, if only it were a little warmer. This was a trip of a lifetime and I know I will never forget it. I'm so glad that I have pictures to remember everything. This trip has helped me realize that if I'm ever offered an opportunity to travel I should take it. Cultures are so different from us and it is good to experience them from time to time. We sometimes get stuck in our own world and never really embrace anything that happens in our lives. Take chances. Take risks. It's worth it in the end.

Day 7: LONDON!

I woke up earlier then anyone I think. I just couldn't stand the excitement of what London had to offer. I got ready and even made it downstairs for some very delicious pancakes. We longed for pancakes when we were in Wales, but the hotel didn't serve pancakes. We loaded up into two taxis and headed towards the subway station. The only other time I had been on a subway was when I traveled to Washington DC, surprisingly enough London's subway was a lot cleaner then I expected. Although I do watch too much crime tv and I kept expecting something bad to happen. I'm too much of a worrier. We made it to London in one piece and from there our group went seperate ways. Our options were take the Big Bus Tour or go shopping. I knew this would probably be the only time I'd ever be in London so I wanted to see everything. Taylor, Nicole, Mark Scott, Nelson, and myself all purchased tickets for the Big Bus Tour. I do not regret my decision at all. I couldn't describe the beauty we saw. It was the greatest experience of my life. We got to see everything, including Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abby, Tower Bridge, and the ORIGINAL Hard Rock Cafe. I wish we would of had more time in London because I know there was a lot that we weren't able to experience. I couldn't pick out one thing that I loved the most. I learned so much about London and I love all of it. We were even able to see a few protests while we were there. It was great seeing all the other tourists. We sat next to a couple from Texas, I didn't feel so out of place. We finished our bus tour and met the rest of the group and headed down to Hard Rock to have our last meal in another country. I must say I had the best Chicken Mac and Cheese of my life. I devoured it, I really don't think I took a breath. London is just as beautiful at night. I truly wish we had more time to spend here, there was so much more I would of loved to do. Unfortunately tomorrow we head back to the States. I'm not looking forward to the long plane ride home, but I know my puppy is missing me.

Day 6: New Hatred for Buses

The day we went to London, wasn't very eventful. We spent most of Friday morning packing and killing time. We had to check out of our rooms by 10:30am and the bus didn't pick us up until 3pm to take us to London. Emily and I woke up early and ventured down to the Uni so I could get a Swansea U hoodie. It didn't take much time at all because we finally got the hang of the public transits, of course on the last day. We then went down to Mumbles to get a few souvenirs and try to meet up with the rest of the group. After doing some shopping we went down to Verdi's Cafe to have lunch, but we had missed our group by probably 30 minutes or so. Because when we finished eating they were walking back from the pier. We had to try Verdi's ice cream to determine if Joe's was better or not. I preferred Joe's only because Verdi's added whip cream to theirs. I should mention whip cream in Europe tastes like sour cream. There is nothing sweet about their whip cream. I was very disappointed. By the time we walked back to the hotel it was almost time to get on the bus. We gathered our luggage and loaded the bus. The majority of us slept and it was probably for the best. European drivers are about as distracted as we are when driving. And our driver said he would drive straight through that he didn't like to stop. That was a lie to say the least we stopped at least twice before we finally made it to London. We arrived at the hotel, got to our rooms and then met down stairs to decide on dinner. Once again, we all ended up at McDonald's across the street from the hotel. Americans and our fast food. Which as a side note I would like to add that the population of obese people in Wales, was very small. I saw maybe 5 overweight people the entire week. I will miss that.

Day 5: The Last Full Day in Wales

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! But not in Wales. We soon discovered that St. Patty's Day isn't a very popular holiday in Wales. It deeply saddened me. Again team SYSHP got to sleep in and not rush to be anywhere. We took our time to get ready and then we all loaded the bus and ventured down to the City Centre where we shot b-roll for our client's video. Eliot, our Swansea U student ambassador, met us there to have lunch and chat with us one last time before we had to leave. After lunch Eliot led us back to our client's headquarters and saved us from having to pay a taxi again. We shot our last interviews of these two girls that have been out of SYSHP for quite some time, but love to come back to visit. SYSHP has helped them get their own loft and they are both in college now working towards degrees. They said if it wasn't for SYSHP they wouldn't of made it where they are today. Meeting with all of these kids was such a rewarding experience. I am so blessed to have met these kids and hear their stories. The stories were heartbreaking, but so touching. We walked back to City Centre and did some window shopping. I find it very difficult to pay 90 pounds for a pair of heels. It was tempting, but I just couldn't do it. We grabbed a cab and headed back to the hotel to meet with the rest of our class. We then all ventured down to Mumbles for some Joe's famous ice cream. Blue bell has nothing on them. Tomorrow morning we leave for London and though I'm excited, I'm going to miss Wales. This has been the best experience of my life. 

Day 4: The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round and Round.

Today we saw more then we had planned. Dare I say this was our most miserable day here in the UK, but it didn't start that way. The day started out great. We took a cab from the hotel to our organization's headquarters so there was no way we would get lost. We got to meet more of the kids in SYSHP and were able to see the hostel that they stay in. The broadcast students shot the interviews and Nicole and I took a couple of girls aside to do our own interviews. It was phenomenal experience. These girls have been through so much to be so young. It was heart warming. I just wanted to help them. Afterwards we went to the City Centre to eat lunch. A few of us went to McDonalds. Yes we traveled to the UK so we could eat McDonalds. The surprise was I actually liked their McDonalds, it tasted healthier. I didn't feel as though I was dying with every bite. I still refuse to eat McDonalds in the States though. I got to see my first castle, Swansea Castle, unfortunately it was under construction so we weren't able to go inside. It was still beautiful. I love the buildings here because they are actually old and people actually took time to build it and make it beautiful. It was time to head to our meeting at the Uni so we walked back through the mall to catch our bus. We jumped on the bus we were told we needed to be on and got ready for a ride we would never forget. It took us through places we had never seen before, but we just assumed its a different bus then we are use to so maybe it goes backwards. We kept waiting for the bus to get closer to something we would recognize. So turns out we were told the wrong bus and we actually were an hour and a half from being dropped off  at the University. Did I mention we had already been on the bus for an hour? It is so difficult to get the hang of public transits in the UK. We ended up being on the bus for 2 and a half hours with a screaming child. It was a blast. We ended up missing our meeting so we got on a bus again, to go to our hotel. Frustrated and starving, Taylor, Hunter, and myself walked down to the White Rose to get dinner. And we watched our first English soccer game on tv. Despite the long, undesired field trip, we benefited a lot from the time spent with our clients.

Day 3: Walking, walking, and more walking.

My group got the privilege of relaxing all morning as we are waiting for 2pm to arrive. Taylor, Nicole, Mark, and myself headed into Mumbles to do some exploring and shopping. They have a store called Fat Face which is basically the same thing as the Buckle. Same prices and same clothing. We went back to meet the guys at the hotel so we could get on the bus to meet our clients. We got off the bus on Bryn by the rugby field. We walked about 2 miles to Bryn Rd looking for Bryn House. Turns out Bryn House isn't on Bryn Rd. or anywhere near Bryn Rd. We ended up calling the office and some SYSHP workers came to our rescue. We were 30 minutes late to meet the kids at their cooking class, but we eventually made it. The kids were cooking sausage and gravy (oil, flour, onions, and mushrooms.) They take a cooking class every week. The kids were all shy at first, but they started to open up. We had a lot of fun getting to know the kids and video tape them cooking it up in the kitchen. We then headed back to the University to meet students that are coming to UCO this summer. We have become pro at missing the bus by about 30 seconds every time. We decided it was quicker to walk then wait 10 minutes for the next bus. I'm definitely losing weight by all the walking we have done so far. We finally made it back to the University where we were late to meet with the Swansea U students. I ended up skipping dinner because I was so tired and felt under the weather. I ended up falling asleep by 7pm and sleeping for 14 hours.

Matt cooking it up.

Give Way aka Yield

Police car. 

Castle.

Day 2: Fanny Pack Tourists

We began today on a bus and thanks to Dr. Nelson we got our weekly exercise in finding our way around the University. After giving ourselves our own tour of the campus we found where we were supposed to be. We were given the grand (sort of) tour of Swansea University and after many weeks of Facebook messages we finally met the infamous Eliot Miller. Eliot previously came to UCO as an exchange student a year ago so we turned the tables and came to his stomping grounds. We then went to meet our tour guide of the day, Pat, who took us all over Gower. Our first stop was Gower Beach, which was my favorite part because I have never been to the ocean before. Pat told us many stories about the homes that looked over the ocean, one of which is on the market for 4 million US dollars. We then got back on the small winding roads to venture to our next stop which to me seemed to be a random sheep farm. It had a name, but I don't remember it. Pat explained why some sheep had blue dots on their backs. There are two colors on the sheep one which represents the farmer and the other, either blue or purple represents a sheep that has been "tapped" or is pregnant. We then went to Worm's Head and Three Cliffs Bay. Aside from the freezing cold temperature at this site I enjoyed learning about when the pirates were around. The pirates found Worm's Head and thought it resembled a sea monster, so they claimed it as their territory. We got back on our tour bus and headed to Swansea University where we got to meet our clients that we would be working with during the week. My group worked with a nonprofit called Swansea Young Single Homeless Project or as they call themselves S.Y.S.H.P which took me all week to learn how to pronounce. The other group worked with a Uni project called Discovery. After brainstorming with our clients we headed back to the hotel. A few of us went to an italian restaurant on the pier called Castellamare. Me and Taylor got pizza, which turned out to be quite greasy, but still very delicious. And for dessert we had gelato ice cream, very cold, but much better then the ice cream we have at home. Sorry Braum's, you've got nothing on the ice cream here. Tomorrow we will meet with our clients and begin shooting video.

First time to the ocean

Gower Bay

Tapped sheep

Worm's Head

Day 1: Hellacious Flights

I could barely contain my excitement this morning as I finish packing and getting ready. Last minute of course. We arrived at the airport at 9:45am to check in our luggage and go through security. I am always that person that gets stopped when going through security. It doesn't matter how much I prepare myself so that I don't get stopped, I still get stopped. Going through security they swab the handle of my carry on, I'm assuming to see if there is any bomb residue because I look like that kind of person. We boarded our first plane that would take us from OKC to Washington DC. Hello amateur pilot! This was probably my roughest flight as we were preparing to land in Washington DC we suddenly dropped God knows how many feet, which left everyone's stomach somewhere in mid air. Not to mention we were on a little CRJ-700, I'm terrified of small planes. After a very rough landing we make our way to our next gate, losing some students at various airport restaurants. As we board our next plane I was surprised at how spacious it was compared to the little 700. I had never been on such a big plane, let alone a plane that had tv's in every seat. Before we took off the guy next to me switch with a girl from India. She seemed nice and said she would sleep the whole way there, so I thought to myself "awesome I won't have to talk to anyone on the way there." About 3 hours into our 6 hour flight we hit turbulence over the Atlantic. Okay I've seen every movie that involves a plane crashing so I was already terrified. The girl next to me jumps up in her seat and starts telling me we are all going to die. "If we weren't going to die the pilot wouldn't of made the flight attendants sit down and buckle up." Need less to say my anxiety level at this point was through the roof. She finally calmed down enough to attempt to sleep and I put in my headphones and proceeded to watch Tangled to calm myself. Before I knew it the flight attendants were serving breakfast and we were an hour away from London's airport. We landed in London around 6am, collected our luggage, and went to find our bus. Our bus driver was something else, 30 minutes into our drive to Wales he stops to get himself some breakfast. We all got off the bus and ventured through the rest stop. We got back on and 3 hours later we arrived at our hotel in Swansea Wales. A few went to explore the town, but as for me I chose to sleep the day away after the drama I had on the flight. We woke up and had dinner at the hotel. My options were lamb, chicken, or roast beef. You can never go wrong with chicken, it wasn't half bad. Tomorrow we get to be real tourists and see what Wales has to offer. 

Norton House

Norton House; where we stayed.

Spring Break isn't long enough.

I realize that this is meant to be a blog about music in the OKC area, but it is relatively hard to just discuss the shows I attend. Especially since I just got back from being out of the country. However, bare with me because I will begin to blog about shows again, but first I want to share my experience of my first time leaving the country. I was a part of the Wales/London group that crossed the Atlantic for Spring Break 2011. It was such an amazing experience. So stay tuned as I will blog about my days in a foreign to me country.