IReport Assignment

1. Sign up for an account
2. Look around on the website and write a blog post telling us what you think about the site -- what you like, what you dislike, whether it is a good idea.

Signing up was difficult and the process itself seemed boring and cliché. However, I think iReport could be an amazing tool if utilized correctly.

As a college student, I often feel like I'm in a cocoon, surrounded by brick walls and lectures, where the affairs of the outside world don't concern me. The process of hunting out news and other information is hard; we may not know what to look for, or where even to start looking. If you don't know that there is a crisis in Russia, then you probably aren't going to want to look up Crimea's location or it's resources.

I think iReport has hope because it's almost like the Facebook of news, directed at teens in order to make news and journalism "hip". I think it's a swell idea, especially because people have been saying "Print is dying". Online journalism, and/or blogging, is one way to keep the printed word alive.

Although I find myself filled with hope about iReport, I must admit I was very confused by the whole page. It was too much little text, not enough explanation, or clear ways to save stories to your page. I would love more clarity, even a demo or a walk through, so I could better get my bearings.

I think, once mastered, iReport will soon become the next most popular social media site for teens to locate good, quality news and information.

Also, my personal favorite article :)
Enjoy!

Photo Slideshow W/ Audio

20013-14 Mens Basketball At Lyndon State College It was a pleasure to have coach Joe Krupinski of the Men's Basketball team take time out of his day and do this brief interview. We felt like there was no better person to talk to than the Head Coach himself,if we wanted meaningful insight. He summed up the whole season with a brief 4 minute interview. He first introduced himself as he has been the head coach here at Lyndon for six years. Coach Kruspinski spoke on his teams successful season as they set first time accomplishments like playing a regular season game against the University of Vermont(Division 1). We asked Coach Kruspinski what three words described his team the best and his response was "Passionate,energetic and improved”. He was really in touch with himself, the players, and their abilities. Working with the coach and listening to David talk about basketball made me realize that some people really do have a passion in them; it brings happiness to their lives, and gives them something to look forward to when their down. The pictures really brought that idea home for me, because you can see all the determination and pride in their faces, and you can see how excited the fans are as well. The coach gave us not only his own opinions, but insights as well, which showed me a lot about his passion for the game, as well as his rational, logical plans for the team. Interview:Aiden Photos:David (Courtesy of Bryan Barber ) Audio Edits:Aiden Slideshow Edits: David

Photo Slideshow Preview

My partner David& I will be covering the Lyndon State Men's Basketball team. We will cover the whole season and get some coverage and information from most of the games that they have played. We will visually introduce each player on the team in the slideshow and show some in game action photos of players courtesy of the Lyndon State Athletic department. There will be an interview with the Head Coach Joe Krupinski on his overall thoughts about the season, a recap and his best moments of the year. The interview will be the main part of the audio for the project. We will get some info on the teams plans for next year. When its all said and done our point will be to help people get to know the team and here the head coach's outtake on the season.

To This Day & Slam Poetry Podcast

In this podcast, David and I give some reactions, thoughts, and opinions on Shane Koyczan's slam poem "To This Day". Below is the link to the YouTube video

To This Day Video

Slam Poetry is a style of delivery, as well as a genre of poetry. Slam poetry relates to either the originality of the work being presented by the author, and to the style in which they're delivering it. The authors tone and message in the poem are most important. Usually slam poetry is used to convey a message, such as Shane Koyczan's message in "To This Day" which is anti-bullying. Slam poetry is pretty recent to the scene, as it became more popular amongst teens because it it a fast paced, emotion fueled way to convey the deepest parts of ones soul. Slam poetry is now a competitive sport, where contestants are judged based on the poem, it's originality, as well as it's structure, tone, and feel. “A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work. These performances are then judged on a numeric scale by previously selected members of the audience."

Even though it is a competitive scene, Slam poets are known for the compassion and their humility, as well as their tenacity, and ability to touch on hard subjects without seeming condescending or rude. Poets, such as Andrea Gibson, use personal stories to fuel their poetry, adding a human element to the story. All slam poetry must be original, which puts a lot of stain on the poets because they want to avoid sounding cliche or monotonous. But because Andrea and Shane both underwent so much opposition and hatred as children, their poetry, in my opinion, is raw and breathtaking; it forces one to self examine their stance, either as a victim or the antagonizer. Both Andrea and Shane use their work to inspire those around them, to share a message that may not be pleasant, but certainly is necessary.

1-10 Spanish/French

Spanish & French

Rough Outline Podcast

To This Day Project is the focus of my podcast

 Shane Koyczan wrote “To This Day” as a poem to raise awareness about bulling. In our podcast we will discuss if the impact created by this video is productive, effective, and well-balanced, or if it relies more on the shock and awe of the animation.In the podcast we will discuss;

 -personal opinion of the video; what we liked, didn’t like, how it made us feel, ect.

 -reference “pork chop”, “beware of dog”, ect -discuss how his personal experience set the tone; his experience mirrors that of so many others

-the vivid imagery that Koyczan, as well as his tone and pace really grasps the reader, and forces them to self examine

 -in most cases, people will fall into two different categories; the listener will either relate to Shane, or relate to the bullies. In the case of the latter (if one relates to bullies), this video can open their eyes and show them a new perspective

 -because it is presented in such a visually stimulating way, it hooks the listener in and doesn’t let them go

 -compare this video with other spoken word artists and see who did better and why

Soulful Jams