Below Zero Portfolio - Fall 2005
Hey. If you don't know me already, my name is Chris Ulicne, and I'm a student at Seton Hill University (SHU) in Greensburg, PA. Every semester, I post entries here on Below Zero that highlight my academic, personal, and social experiences -- and every semester, I compile weblog portfolios that highlight the best of my blog entries.
This portfolio takes a close look at my development as a New Media Journalism major. My Newswriting course at the university has been the inspiration for most of the entries included -- but not all of them. Some of them extend to deal with learning outside of the classroom -- and I am a firm believer that firsthand experience is one of the best tools for learning.
Feel free to browse through the material presented in my portfolio, and perhaps learn a few things about journalism or other topics along the way -- and feel free to leave comments or contact me through e-mail if you have any questions, suggestions, or other concerns. Interaction with peers and the public is, as I have found, essential to my improvement as a journalist.
Bust the block - In this entry, I discuss my problems with writer's block and explain how one of my textbooks helped me overcome it while I was trying to write a news article.
Struggling with inconsistency - Here I provide an in-depth analysis of the differences I found between print, online, and television news coverage of the same story, with a focus on the accuracy of facts and information.
Plain and simple - In this entry I address the issue of time constraints in news writing, as well as the importance of finding a good balance between efficiency and style.
The birth of journalism? - Here, I use some facts I learned in a cultures class to expand upon the information about the origins of journalism found in one of my textbooks.
Pass on passive verbs - In this entry, I note how a textbook's emphasis on using active verbs in news writing has affected my development as a journalist.
Turning on the headlights - This is a personal response to a news story found in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on September 8, 2005.
Another brief reporter's reflection - This entry is a reflection on a spot news article that I wrote about SHU's Fall 2005 Honors Convocation.
Paraphrase that - Here I note how a textbook contributed to my revision of the spot news article that I wrote about SHU's Fall 2005 Honors Convocation.
Where loyalties lie - In this entry, I reflect upon a reading that was directly related to some observations I made about SHU's student news organization, the Setonian, as a member of the Setonian staff.
College campus speech codes - This entry provides an in-depth look at an issue discussed in my Newswriting course, inspired by an article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on September 20, 2005.
News three ways - Here I make some comparisons between my spot news article on SHU's Fall 2005 Honors Convocation and articles about the same event that appeared in the Communicator (SHU's PR newsletter) and the Setonian, the student newspaper.
ElyseBranam - Chapters 3-5 Reflection - On Elyse's blog, I left a comment that inspired some insightful discussion about the use of blogs as an academic medium through which students can help each other understand course material.
JennaOBrocto - The aim of a journalist - On Jenna's blog, I gave her a brief tip to try to help her improve the appeal of her blog entries and gave my personal response to some of her observations about journalism.
Katherine Lambert - Spot news roundup - On Katie's blog, I left a comment that provided tips for interviewing that I have acquired during my time as a member of the Setonian.
Eye-Opener: Memo - Spotlighting an event - On Mike's blog, I left a comment that addressed a concern he expressed in one of his entries, which he said was helpful.