Category: General

Because every post deserves a category these posts could be about anything and everything.

Journalism Assignment 1

As I sit at my computer and look out my window, I hear the very annoying sound of crickets. Most city people would find crickets a refreshing sound, not me. It was nice to hear them chirp when I first arrive in Fredericton but now this is day 21 and they never shut up! That is over 500 hours of non-stop chirping; I hear them in the morning, and in the afternoon. I hear them when in the evening, and they do not even stop underneath the moon. Beyond the numbing sound of those awful crickets, I can hear the bustling traffic from the nearby highway eight. Outside my window, there is a maple tree, if you look closely one can see that the changing of the leaves is about to start occurring. This is the sign that autumn, or the “almost winter” season according to the sheet on a professor’s door in Edmond Casey Hall, is going to begin on Monday.

Journal Entry Sept 18, 2002

The STU Help Desk, everybody comes by looking for something or another. Let it be to get their posters stamped, buy bus passes or stamps, looking for some sort of literature, or trying to find something. Working at the Help Desk is the best of times and the worst of times. It can be extremely rewarding to be helping someone, or it can be very boring when nobody needs help. Some of the inside secrets of the Help Desk are that if we do not know where something is, we send them either to the Registrar’s office or Student Affairs. In addition, when people leave posters to be posted by us, they may or may not get up in time for an event.

Journal Entry Sept 17, 2002

The CBC 50th Anniversary Special on the History of News and Reporting was on. It included a roundtable at where I believe was the University of Regina. Many of the panellists were former and current broadcasters and reporters, including my favourite two Peter Mansbridge and Adrian Arseneault. I found this program particularly interesting, as it should the transition from the only Canadian broadcaster to one of the lofty standards.

Class Observation

It was quite quiet. There was a mid-afternoon calm to the scene as I looked up there a few odd fluffy white clouds among the blue horizon over the roof of a dark George Martin Hall. At half past three, the sun is just starting to make its decline lose its intensity. As I try to look up to see more detail from the silhouette of where George Martin Hall should be, my eyes became overwhelmed by the sun. Then I felt a quick frigid wind blowing past my uncovered arms a gentle reminder of the fact that autumn is but nine days away. Although the air was cool there was sweetness to the air that became overwhelmingly refreshing.

Bilingual Signs are Great Teaching Tools

Originally Printed in: Saint John Telegraph Journal (August 15th, 2002) Bilingual signs are great teaching tools Although it will cost some money, the new Official Languages Act although will be beneficial to all New Brunswickers. The best part of this is the part where all signs will have to be bilingual. The reason I say this is that it will greatly help the general public to learn more French in the majority English communities and English in majority French communities. When someone passes these new signs every day, after time they will have both the English and the French names memorized. I personally have learned more French from reading government building signs and food containers than 12 years in the New Brunswick school system. I think it will be very beneficial as long as they don’t take it too far and try to translate things like the Saint John sign on Fort Howe.

Student Senator Election Speech

Thursday 27 September 2001 Good Morning, Effective 4 pm on Monday the 24th of September, I declared that I was willing to accept the responsibility, and officially placed my name forward as a candidate for Student Senator. I am not saying that I am the best candidate for this position but that I am without doubt that I am the second best choice, and luckily you are not voting for the best person but the best TWO people. Moreover, it is for this reason that instead of telling you why I am the best candidate I will tell why I am not the worst candidate. First, I will tell you a little about myself. I am an aspiring politician from Saint John, New Brunswick. This is my first year here at St. Thomas and I am in the Journalism program. Second, you might be asking why is a first-year student is going for a position of such importance as Senator instead of going for something more basic like first-year rep? The Answer is that my philosophy is that if you wish greatness you must start near the top. Third, I feel that I have the time, dedication and enthusiasm to…

Critique on Article (Ernie Coombs)

Subject: Critique on Article The article I have chosen to comment on is about the life of the late Ernie Coombs. Although it is not specified who the author of the article is, it is a Canadian Press story which I found on canoe.ca. This article explains the what of how Ernie Coombs a children’s television legend was an influence on at least two generations of Canadians as the legendary Mr. Dressup. The where, when, and why is because Mr. Coombs kicked the bucket on Thursday at the Toronto Western Hospital after taking a stroke on 11 September. The reason we care is that the man was well-loved by all and things like this bring people together. This story is only one-sided since usually on a legend dies under respect for the family only the good side and positive accomplishments are written about. Much of the research was done by interviewing people who were there first hand.

Commentary on TV Coverage of the “Attack on America”

Jour 1013- Intro. to Journalism Charles E. Frees-Melvin (920722) Thursday 13 September 2001 Subject: Commentary on TV Coverage of the “Attack on America” I woke up on a beautiful summer day, as usual, went to class and came back for a noon rest. I left my dorm room and went to see my neighbours in the next room, who watch movies all the time, I saw the WTC and Pentagon on fire and ask, “What movie is this?” They responded with a “Dude, this is real!” At that moment I returned to my room and turned my T.V. on to watch a day of coverage. Switching back and forth from: NBC/CBC/Global/ABC/CTV/CBS/FOX/CNN/&TBS. I found that most of the footage was from CNN but I was hooked on the commentary by Peter Mansbridge (CBC). Peter made me feel more secure in really knowing what was going on. It was also very helpful to have it from a Canadian perspective. I found that Lloyd Robertson (CTV) did not really have as of a heart touching production as Peter Jennings (ABC News). Some of the most questionable stuff I saw was the broadcast from Global National News where most questionably the showed the man…

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869, in the Kathiawar Peninsula. He was born into the second lowest Hindu caste, the Vaisya. Gandhi’s father and grandfather had prime ministers of their principalities, which made their family although lower in class very prominent and well-respected. He was expected to follow his family tradition of public service; so, he went to London, UK, in 1888 to study law. When arrived back in India he failed as a barrister in both Bombay and Rajkot.  Gandhi was an extremely shy person. He later gained work as a legal advisor for the ruling prince of Pomander. He decided that public service was not for him and received a job to look after the legal affairs of the Dada Abdulla & Co. in South Africa. He stayed in South Africa from 1893 until 1914. While in South Africa Gandhi he had faced much embarrassment. One of these times was while he was on a train to Durban he was asked to leave his seat in first class and move to the baggage compartment, he did not comply and instead left the train. Gandhi was opposed to this treatment and got the South African Indians together to…

When I…

When I look I see;When I see I want;When I want I buy;When I buy I have. When I lose I hurt;When I hurt I miss;When I miss I cry;When I cry I forgive. When I seek I find;When I find I embrace;When I embrace I love;When I love I kiss.

The Case of the Dead Announcer

“Detective Fred sat down on the creaky chair. He had just finished his las case. It turned out that the butler was paid to assassinate Mr. Art. Fred went to turn the radio on, and the announcer yelled, “It’s 1:03 in the windy city, and your listening to KILL 84.3 FM where the good gigs never…” Then, all of a sudden, Fred heard a gun fire over the radio, and then the thud of a body falling followed by a wicked female laugh and the moans of the dying announcer. Fred swiftly jumped out of his chair. And while heading out hr door he grabbed his long tan trench coat and dark grey hat from the coat tree by the door. While going through the main lobby his beautiful blonde receptionist approached him and flickered her sparkling blue eyes, handed Fred his gun followed by a long romantic kiss. Detective Fred arrived at the scene of the crime. There was a trail of bloody footprints leading to the door. And the body of the dead announcer was laying on the floor. It appeared as if he was sitting in his chair when he was shot, then fell on the floor,…

The Cold

It is very coldTruly it is really cold I think it is coldSam says it is cold Vic knew it used to be coldEric’s hands are blue because of the coldRight here it is coldYawning in the cold Cold, Cold, ColdOld man has twinkling icicles on his rear sitting in the cold outhouse.Laughing in the coldDarn it! I have a cold

Millennium

Millennium,Is it going to start in 2000 or 2001?Land, sea, and sky will sparkle;Lost will be all the electronics.Everybody Partying–Nobody Suffering–Next year better than last.In the spirit of joyfulness, the millennium arrives.Unable to see the 1900’s again.Maybe the end of wars will come.

Yo-Yo

The Yo-Yo went downRight to the groundbut didn’t come upAnd then I had to help The Yo-Yo went downand I gave it a nudgeand it popped back upon its own. My life is like a Yo-YoLeaving home;Coming back.Time after Time. My emotions are like a Yo-YoThey go down,And sometimes they come up,And if they don’t, I talk to someone. The sun is like a Yo-YoIt sets in the west,rises in the east;over and over again.