dalton4news

Making Up for Yesterday

ericadalton — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:02:35 +0000

Last night we got back to campus later than usual after doing a “moonlight tour” of the monuments in D.C. In addition to this my dorm roommates and I had an issue… Our bathroom door locked itself. Thus we had to get help and it took until a little after midnight for us to find someone sufficiently skilled at picking locks (because the key was MIA). Needless to say it was a tiring evening and I was in no mood to post. So about yesterday: We started off in the morning by attending a talk on the field of public relations. We were showed an example of the type of video and way of sending a message public relations people create and use. You van view it at this URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feXOVkDp-Rw …I thought the PR speech was extremely informative and in fact made me want to look into it further.

Later in the day yesterday we went to the National Press Club and saw Chuck Todd, Jessica Yellin, and Jonathan Martin talk and answer our questions. Next Hoda Kotb arrived and gave a a completely awesome speech! She was so real while talking to us, like she knew who she was and wasn’t afraid to show the world. She was truly inspirational, saying that before landing her first job in the news industry she was rejected 27 consecutive times. In the middle of her talk she stopped to play us some music from her Ipod that she liked to work out to at the gym. She was so fun and at the same time gave us valuable advice about how to be successful yet never lose your true self. I think I’ve found yet another great person to look up to!

A “Newseum” Experience

ericadalton — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 02:38:32 +0000

Today was so interesting. Going to the Newseum right in the heart of D.C. was a great experience for all of us. It was unlike any museum I’ve ever been to! There were so many exhibits that touched me but the two that stood out the most were the Pulitzer Photography and the 9/11 ones. Both were so emotionally personal on a number of levels. At the Pulitzer exhibit you walk in and immediately see a wall full of photographs and feel overwhelmed by just wanting to soak them all in. Each photograph was stunning on such a deep level. A lot of them were snapshots of a single moment in time of another human being’s suffering be it in a country of war or of starvation. After getting the immediate shock of the situation in each photo, I then went on to analyze the details that aren’t apparent at first and recognize the skill that the photographers needed in order to capture a single moment in time that told the whole story of each situation. Some pictures were of pain and some of joy, but in all of them something was happening, there was always meaning. It made me realize that in life I should sometimes focus on the little moments instead of merely glancing over the whole scenario and not noticing the fin-points. This lesson was repeated in the 9/11 exhibit. Watching the video where people who had been at the seen talked about their experiences was absolutely motivating to tell the stories of others and let them be heard. Hearing the reporters from 9/11 discuss crying with real people on the scene and also fleeing along with the others on the street made me very aware that while you see one side of a story on the news, there are always other sides that need to be heard. While watching this video and tearing up, it came to me that in my own life as well I should practice this and look for stories that cannot be seen from the outside. People all have their own experiences, good and bad, that are just waiting to be shared.

Day One… Always Interesting…

ericadalton — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:59:12 +0000

After/during dinner we listened to Chris Cillizza speak. It was really interesting and helpful to hear him talk about his own insecurities that he had growing up and how he wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do with his life until he was 25. This made an impact on me because right now I’m really not sure what job I want in the future either. I don’t know yet what I’m really passionate about. I hope Mr. Cillizza was right when he told us, “It all works itself out”. Today gave me a good idea about what the rest of the week will be like, and I’m very excited!

Newly Arrived!

ericadalton — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:42:38 +0000

As you can guess from the title of this post, I just arrived to the George Mason campus for WJMC! My roommate is nice and everyone else I’ve met so far has been very nice as well! Soon we will have dinner and I have no idea what to wear! I had better go decide now….

1st Night in D.C.

ericadalton — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:40:37 +0000

After the extensive (8 hour) car ride from Buffalo to Washington D.C. today, my family and I finally arrived at our hotel just in time for my parents to enjoy the complementary wine hour lasting from 5-6 P.M. We then went across the street to an Italian restaurant called Vento. Being vegetarians, my mom and I saw little that appealed to us on the menu; but the waiter informed us that all dishes could be made to order. My fettucini and vegetable dish was mouth-watering! For dessert I enjoyed a scoop of hazelnut gelato… which my parents enjoyed mooching from. I’m including a picture of the gelato because along with being delicious, it was presented nicely as well!

Well Hello There!

ericadalton — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 02:52:28 +0000

This is my blog for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) at George Mason University. Next week (July 10-15) I will be attending the youth conference and in accordance with the program’s wishes I have set up this blog for the purpose of documenting my week in D.C. at the conference. I am very excited! I’m looking forward to meeting lots of interesting people, learning about journalism and its place in the world today, and just over all the whole experience!