Blog 22: Mentorship

Literal:

• Link for mentorship hours:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qD_IuKq4fdytsUbZSoFhNiTgexQDZq4fi720KhTaxW8/edit#gid=0

• Mentor:

Sarah Torribio, Claremont Courier (Reporter)

Interpretive:

What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

In mentoring at the Claremont Courier, I've learned to understand the journalistic aspect of my senior project which has allowed me to adapt as a writer. In the duration that were my nine months at the courier, I was able to experience the office life that is meeting deadlines, making phone calls, and following/getting accustomed to the specific format in which a newspaper article is crafted. In accordance to all of that, the most important thing that I've gained from my time there is that a final piece can be edited more than once. This I cannot emphasize enough because it has taught me that there is no perfect craft to the art of compiling your extensive research and shaping it into an informational story for the public. No matter skilled a writer may be, there is always room for improvement. 

Applied:
How has what you've done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.

My EQ is: What two techniques from journalism and fiction writing can best be combined in creative nonfiction. Within the time frame that was my mentorship, I learned how to structure articles and craft sentences that were both informational and entertaining. This ultimately helped shaped my first answer which is: The journalistic aspect of extensive research and the art of storytelling can best be combined in creative nonfiction. These are key elements in the genre because both fact and connection are crucial to the foundation of the craft. I've practiced going beyond my comfort zone to obtain information, scoured the web for the basis of my article and set my sites on the printed publications that held within their pages the knowledge I so desired. I spent months jotting down notes, revising the highlighted sections of my paper and came to accept the red comments returned along with my final draft. I've also engaged in many conversations regarding the prominence in creating a voice that was resonate with the reader and studied the works of other reporters to get an idea of what my format should resemble. Interning at the courier has showed me how to edit myself, to keep an open mind when hovering over the "print" button, and that immersion is another way of comprehending the mindset and surroundings of a subject.

*Please do not turn in your mentorship hours to the office.  After we collect the total list from all seniors, we will turn in one piece of paper with all hours for everybody.  It is counted as 50 hours of the 200 you need in order to graduate from I-Poly.  The 10 hours in the summer have already been added to your community service total.

Extra Blog: April

It was my final day at the courier on Tuesday April 24th and I wrapped up my mentorship with a final article pertaining to the proposed construction plans at Cal Poly's West Kellogg Arabian horse center.

During the last week of May, I began looking into the dig as well as the online campaigns sponsored by students it was here that I got my lead for my article which was completed within the span of a few weeks, the longest that I've ever worked on a piece.

Through this journey, I was prompted to leave my comfort zone which included long over the phone interviews and trips to the Arabian horse center. With notepad and recorder at the ready, and my handy photographer Marissa Jasso, I was able to see the horse stables as the students who protested for their preservation saw them. A prominent piece of the Cal Poly Heritage.

It was a wonderful experience to finally be out and about, talking to the students and community that were dedicated to protecting this specific equine species. Although I felt like a journalist sitting at my desk in the Courier, it was nothing compared to the moment I held my recorder up to one of the students at Cal Poly.

Extra Blog: March

It's march madness at the courier as we struggle to gather the much needed articles for our upcoming issue. While I have been diligently gathering the next Claremont Kid's pages material, I was recently tasked to look into an issue over at Cal-Poly. This particular assignment was my first step to being a reporter since I had to run a few background checks on who I was talking to. And when I say background checks I don't mean typing "Megan's law" into my search engine, I mean going onto the Cal-Poly site and scrolling through names and  specific departments for contact information. Once I obtained a decent list of people to contact on the matter at hand, I sent a few emails and made a few calls that is-not without first having a few pages of notes and questions to ask. As of now, I have just completed my first draft but I need to make a LOT of changes. I'm still in the process of learning how to condense my work. I have a tendency to set up scene and delve further into the topic then I need to. So hopefully by the end of this month I will have conquered my current challenge and that is: getting to the damn point.

Extra Blog: February

The duration of my mentorship was yet again filled with assignments and with the looming Saint Patrick's Day deadline, I ended up spending six hours on my article revisions. This consisted of writing drafts, overlooking them, going back to the computer further my content through research, adding my findings, drafting yet again, and editing before the final product was approved. One of the perks of all this writing is getting to see the outcome of the effort put into a task. This month's bylines definitely gave the strength to go on considering the madness that will be March! 

Above: The 3 pages that took up my 3 hours on the 3 tuesdays I went to the Courier. That's 9 hours of staring at a computer and drafting articles. Oye.

January: Extra Blog

January! Probably the most exciting month at the courier. During this month a series of deadlines were met, that of which featured articles "25 People Who Shaped the World", "Malala", and a little snippets on "Heart Transplants" and "Celtic Love Knots" to ring in Valentine's Day. Now that might not seem like much, however, there is an abundance of research that goes into each article that must be carefully sorted through and chosen. Facts, that of which will both intrigue and inform the reader. From that point a series of drafts are composed and thoroughly edited before the final product is finished. And even when an article is looked over, I've come to learn that there is always room for improvement.

Above: This is the desk and computer I use while at the courier. It's pretty dark because I usually come into the office at 2 p.m and leave at closing time which is around 5 p.m.

Blog 12: Mentorship Hours

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

I'm doing my mentorship at the Claremont Courier.

2.   Who is your contact?

Sarah Torribio, a reporter at the Claremont courier who writes obituaries.

3.   How many total hours have you done (total hours should be reflected in your mentorship log located on the right hand side of your blog like your WB)? 

I have completed 21 hours dedicated to mentorship.

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

The ten hours of service that I completed consisted of writing our towns which required lots of digging for information.

*You need 50 hours plus the original 10 in the summer by May.   The original 10 from the summer do not count toward the 50.  By the end of the year, you will have 60 hours counting that original 10.

December Extra Blog

This month at the Claremont Courier, I was in for a busy week. After bustling around the office for ideas on the Kid's Corner pages, I spent three full hours piecing together my notes in order to produce a couple of rough drafts. With the looming deadline of December 13, the office was buzzing with activity in regards to tying loose ends. That of which, were dealt with in the comfort of my home later that evening. Also, I found a pleasure in doing tasks outside my newfound comfort zone that is the kid pages and trekking into the realm that was dealing with the events posted on the online newspaper.

Above: Sorting the notes and drafts for the Christmas Edition of the Claremont Courier newspaper.

November (Extra Blog)

After finally getting the hang of writing for the kid's pages at the Claremont Courier, I was recently dubbed with the title and position of "guest editor". In a nutshell the duties of a guest editor is to take on the responsibilities for a specific section.

The chief editor decided to give me this position because she was impressed by my copy quality and thought that it would be in the newspapers best interests if I took over the kid pages for a while. That of which I am very excited to get started on.

Above: "Round of a Paws" the copy that earned me my position as guest editor.

October (Extra Post)

This month, I was able to immerse myself in the world that is Truman Capotes, In Cold Blood, the first credited piece of true crime nonfiction. This book details the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas as well as the lives of their executors. Though I haven't quite gotten around to finishing it, by far it is the most vivid, haunting tale that I have read so far. 

September (Extra Post)-Going Beyond "Our Towns"

After a few "Our Towns" and research that went into the the Courier decided it was time for me to put my research skills to the test. My second major assignment that earned me another byline was my submission to the Kids Corner, a monthly feature in the Claremont Courier Newspaper. It took me two days to complete and within this timeframe, I procured jokes/quotes and contributed to both the spread design and creation. 

Above: One of the spreads I completed for the Kid's Corner

Above: My final "Our Town" contribution featured on the site.

Above: Research I conducted of the upcoming events regarding Claremont FLOW.

Intro to the life of a journalist

After completing my final hours for summer mentorship, I have concluded with a prominent sense of what it means to be a journalist, or at least, have obtained a grasp on what defines this field of work. A majority of time is often consumed by research and writing down facts, followed by drafting articles, printing copies for the editor to overlook, and rewriting copy. To my delight, I have already successfully finished two "Our Town" assignments which were then published onto the online magazine at: claremont-courier.com

Below I have attached my first publication.

As requested, I am required to procure official documents that state the school is aware of me working with Claremont Courier. Once this task is accomplished, I can begin to contribute to the newspaper! This is an opportunity that I cannot wait to accept. For the time being, I am completing hours by researching details regarding a community dispute on whether the water company should be owned by it's city.

Summer Mentorship Component

1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0ApR8npA1bx26dFRsR1llc3hSTTQ1N0Q5VjRVcmRrSGc&usp=drive_web

2. Over the course of the summer I mentored at Claremont Courier which can be contacted at:

(909) 621-4761

3. During my mentorship, the following questions were raised:

•If I were to persue a carrer in journalism, would it be enough to support me, financially?

•Since journalism requires an abundance of research, what sort of resources can journalists utilize that go beyond the internet?

•Although public newspapers possess a certain consistent writing style, how might a writer attain their own voice without disrupting the overall tone of the newspaper?

•Even though the articles produced by journalists are comprised of fact, detail, and quotes, are there still aspects of creative writing?

4. The most prominent piece of information I obtained through this experience was that although a career in writing isn't ideal financially, it can still be rewarding. That is, if the writer is persistent and is willing to "hustle" on the side.

5. My senior topic is going to be on creative writing and the many aspects of it that can be applied to journalism and freelance writing.