Just Jones'en

2009-03-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

In many universities and colleges, graduate programs require students to complete a six-week internship for the field they are studying. This is usually during the last year of their college career in which the student takes a job, paid or unpaid, and trains with a company to get jopb experience. "For students an internship today, leads to a job tomorrow. For businesses, an intership allows companies to try out potential employees at a minimal cost. And for the state, it means keeping more young knowledge-workers with jobs here in Cincinnati," Channel 9 News anchor John Popovich explains.
Pitsco's new web-based CareerPorts take students on nine-week virtual internships in nationally recognized career cluster areas, helping them hone their real-world career experiences and independent learning skills. The program allows students to complete their virtual internships by finishing assignments and participating in hands-on activities that can be implemented from anywhere with Internet access.
Students participate in these courses while staying in touch with an advisor, who assist and monitor their progress and performance, and subject mentors, who are experts in the specific field of study. ”Now critical information to help UC students and businesses find each other is just a click away on many internship career websites, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
Many journalism students at UC believe that internships have changed from what they used to be and are now actually available to keep students open to real life tasks.
“An internship used to mean making copies and getting coffee. Those days are gone. Today the experience of an internship is considered practically a pre-requisite for a full-time job.," says Christina Green, a journalism student who currently interns at KISS 107.1 radio station. "Some companies say they will consider interns as early as high-school graduation so the sooner students get started with their internship, the better,” adds Green.

Brown cuts name from award show

2009-03-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Kids Choice Awards decided Wednesday, March 11 that they are dropping Chris Brown's name from the list of nominees for the annual award show, according to Defamer. After the couple's physical altercation in February, where Brown was charged with two felonies of assault for brutually beating singer Rhianna, they have previously been seen together around the studio and his L.A mansion.
Since the incident, it has cost Brown most of his deals with Wrigley's and the California Milk Processor Board's "Got Milk" campaign. This sort of puts him in the category with other famous celebs that lost endorsements due to headline controversies in the media.
Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant, and Whoopi Goldberg all lost their endorsements from incidents that took place, which involved criminal material. Spokesperson for Wrigley gum stated in Entertainment Weekly, "Wrigley is concerned by the serious allegations made against Chris Brown. We believe Mr. Brown should be afforded the same due process as any citizen."
Being in the spotlight and setting the example for young aspiring artists seems to put you in a huge position to maintain the responsibility as a mature person and Brown has failed due to his actions. He should be pulled from these sorts of advertisements that raise him up for people to admire and look up to. This shouldnt be what our kids look at as the everyday role model rather, he now needs to learn from what he has done and clean up his act.
People is reporting Rhianna and Chris Brown are back together. According to the magazine, the pair has reunited nearly three weeks after the incident and only have been spotted in a couple of places.
Brown was reported calling Rhianna on her 21st birthday to wish her happy birthday and then ended up apologizing and recently spotted settling the dispute. In this case, Rhianna needs to take things slow and really evaluate what she is getting herself into. She is young, naive and in love but these things pass the older you get and if some issues are not settled with the help of counseling, it could cause more problems in the future.

Just TEXT me....

2009-03-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Technology today has jumped into high gear and is running everything that we as Americans live on everyday. In our offices at work, we use computers to file data and email to communicate with clients. At school, we use laptops to write essays and research papers while texting our friends on our cell phones. At home, our eyes are glued on the t.v. or checking out the new dvd's while using the Internet to chat on AIM.
Are you noticing a trend here? There is no interpersonal communication. As a society, we have taken advantage of picking up a phone and easily calling someone. Instead, we would rather take the easy way out and send a quick text message or shoot an email. Students learn and take classes on how to communicate better in the real world and the work place for better personal skills. What they really should be teaching to students is how to correctly spell and write professionally before the younger generation looses everything we have built up in the English grammer. Students at the University of Cincinnati have a few thoughts about how they communicate and how technology has changed their lives today.

"We as a society take advantage of technology. We need more face-to-face communication, but that takes work and time, and we dont always have them! It has made things more convenient for me and it is easier to manage multiple priorities, complete work and do research. I usually use my cell phone to communicate like texting and I cancelled my land line because it was never used."
Cheryl MacDonald, full-time UC A&S Student, 40 year old mother of 2

"I utilize my computer and the Internet daily, and cannot imagine life without it. But my real connection is to my Iphone. I love it! It does everything! It is easy to let technology break down the lines of communication between people. It seems like an increasing number of people have forgotten how to interract with one another face to face. Were much more comfortable these days adding friends to our Facebook pages than inviting friends over for a meal or to play a game. When it comes to friends that do not live close to me, e-mail is a great tool for keeping in touch. As a journalist, technologies such as Facebook and other networking sites makes it easier for me to find out quick facts, to contact people I have never met, and to be able to tell a multifaceted story from the comfort of my desk."
Jathan Fink, full-time UC Journalism major

"I use a computer in my everyday life to communicate and do tasks but I do not have a cell phone. Yes I know it is 2009 but I dont want to spend the money on one if I dont have to have it. Some people may use technology as an excuse to neglect interpersonal communication, but I think those are the same people how in 1990 were glued to the TV and in 1950 were bookworms. Technology can be used for socializing ( like organizing an event through Facebook)or avoiding people( tweaking your Facebook profile for hours) so you dont have to talk to them.
Craigslist gave me so much free and cheap used furniture that I was able to furnish an apartment for less than $300. I would never give up using these tools because of the advantages they give me."
Elizabeth Lasky, full-time UC A&S student

Slumdog Millonaire Review

2009-02-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

"Slumdog Millionaire" and its director, Danny Boyle, with their modern-day fairy tale about hope and hard times in the slums of Mumbai, pushed aside big-studio contenders to sweep top honors at the 81st annual Academy Awards on Sunday.
The rags-to-riches story is set in the grubby backstreets of Mumbai. Half the script is delivered in Hindi. And the plot is sort of destructive and hits home hard.
This being a Danny Boyle movie, the precious answers are nailed to brutal scenes. They involve frantic scenes through Mumbai's crowded markets and flashbacks to dirty slums where the nine-year-old Jamal, and his older psychotic brother Salim, spend most of their childhood fleeing the clutches of pimps and gangs.
Indeed, "Slumdog Millionaire" is guilty of all sorts of twists like a long-distance romance between Jamal and a sultry beauty Latika forced into prostition. It keeps you engaged in the excitement that is going to happen with the two characters.
The two young actors, Dev Patel who plays Jamal and Frieda Pinto playing Latika, are very appealing and sympathetic. The images are pleasing even when they shouldn't be and it's unsettling to watch the young nonprofessionals playing them enact such a pantomime. It doesn't help even if you remember that Jamal makes it out alive long enough to have his 15 televised minutes.
Beautifully shot with great sensitivity to color by the cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantel, in both film and digital video, "Slumdog Millionaire" makes for a better viewing experience than it does for a reflective one.
The swirling, excitig Indian-music-based Pop score by A.R. Rahman recieved Best Sound at the Oscars Sunday Night respectivaly with high nominations.
Boyle has a restless artistic spirit tht guides him from one challengng, unusual project to another. Not all his past projects are winners, but "Slumdog Millionaire" is definitely one. A big one. GRADE: A-

Pop singer back to reality

2009-02-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Jessica Simpson recently was spotted promoting her upcoming country album in Florida while also sporting a "not so hott" fashion fauxpa. Wearing high waisted jeans, a black tank top and a Marc Jacobs cheetah belt, Simpson was criticized by the media about adding on some extra pounds. There are also rumors that she is pregnant by boyfriend Tony Romo but this doesnt't look at all like it's the case. She actually looks like a happy, healthy woman like you would see walking around anywhere. No one relly knows the reason why she has recently put on some weight but because she has been in the spotlight for so long, weight issues will never go
unnoticed.
This epidemic has troubled millions of teenagers all over the world. It shouldn't matter if she gains weight or losses weight every now and then, it's how she feels about herself and how heathly she is. That is what she was so upset about when she realized what the media had turned this fiasco ito. She doesn't want her fans or other young people who look up to her worrying about what they look like or thinking that looks matter more than anything. Rather, she advocates inspiring others with her music and being a role model for other aspiring singers.
"My fans have been amazing through my career and that is all that matters to me right now," Simpson says. "The message I am trying to send to young singers isn't about what they look like, it's helping them to make their dreams come true like I did."
In a business where people are going to constantly scrutinize your looks and judge any and everything you do, it is hard not to comment about something like that. Good for her that she doesnt't care to dip her fingers into some wings or drink a beer every now and then, but she shouldn't be put down for showing some curves when that is what women are supposed to have. Two thumbs up to those in the spotlight in Hollywood who live life to the fullest and are not concerned with outside opinions becase that is what life is about.

How far should you go???

2009-02-16T20:03:00.001-08:00

Due to the recent change in privacy services with the popular social networking website Facebook, the issue of posting innapropriate photos and information is being talked about not only with users but serious corporations and businesses. These sites have become everyday activities for many people, especially college students, to keep in contact and up to date with friends and family. The privacy issues with some of the social networking sites has become a problem with many students who have innapropriate photos posted on their page.
Many students are having to take notice of what they are posting of these sites because of safety issues. "If they want to post pictures of themselves that could be deemed as inappropriate, that is their prerogative," says UC student Duane McDonald. "If I find it inappropriate, I just won't look at their pictures."
One recent issue with innapropriate photos has put a few UC students reputation in jeopardy because of their affiliation with the athletic department. Photos that were posted from an event put together by a couple of students from the spirit squads have been declared as innapropriate because of the alcohol in the photos. This of course brings up the issue of underage drinking because of these students drinking illegally.
"My dancers are not allowed to put any innapropriate pictures on any sites that involve drugs or alcohol because of the reputation of this team," head coach Lisa Spears explains. "We are representing this university and are role models for many young dancers and I take great pride in that."
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg explains the new terms of service for Facebook provides users to delete photos they do not want shown but they are still saved through databases for them. "The trust our users have in us to provide the best safety terms is important so we would never share personal information if they didnt want us to," claims Zuckerberg.
Businesses and corporations have also gotten to experience these social networking sites as well by using them for hiring purposes. Many CEO's and managers look at interested employees pages for backgroud information and other personal things to help them in deciding whether they are good candidates for the job.
"Although I don't post inappropriate pictures on my profiles I don't feel like my Facebook or Myspace should have anything to do with how I perform at my job or should factor into whether or not I should be hired or not," UC student Amy Wray says. "I keep my profiles on private to begin with and only add people I know and consider friends."

So we have to decide how we want to be portrayed in the eyes of others. These social networking sites have become so important to some for contact purposes but they also have to remember they are putting themselves out there for everyone to see.

MySpace and Facebook Networks!!!

2009-02-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

The popular social networking web sites like Myspace and Facebook have recently been the center of privacy-related issues. According to a recent study from Louisiana State University, every profile clicked and every message sent is logged into a database and saved for future reference. Frequent users of web sites may want to think again when putting personal information on these sites for the public to see.
Most of these users do not know what they are getting themselves into when using these sites to post their pictures. Many college students use these sites to keep up with their friends and family but dont realize that other people are actually reading what they are saying. "I dont usually think about what's at risk when I am exposing my personal life online," says UC student Paula Barclay. "If your profile isnt set to private and is available to anyone, you are putting yourself in danger."
Some peope try to get their careers started on these sites by exposing themselves through pictures or even putting their contact information on there. This could get anyone into some deeper issues because of the recent problems with predators, pedophiles or even child molesters.
These social networking sites have become the most popular way to communicate and most recently have turned into ways of getting into someone's personal business.
Parents, teachers, coache, manages, coworkers ad even businesses are taking it upo themselves to view someone's personal information and do whatever they want with it.

Should Dance/Cheerleading be an Olympic Sport??

2009-02-04T15:44:00.000-08:00

Why isnt there a Dance/Cheerleading sport in the Olympics? Why arent these two hobbies considered sports to most people? What does it take to be considered a "sport?"
These questions have been asked from each and every dancer and cheerleader in America.
Young girls and guys at the age of two start their dancing and cheerleading careers and eventually become amazing at what they do either in the school they attend or professionally. If these two hobbies can be taken up as a profession than there is no reason they should not be considered an Olympic sport. This past weekend, the Universal Dance Association Championships were held at the Wide World of Sports in Orlando and numerous teams, including the University of Cincinnati dance team, left with championship titles. This is an annual competition that is set up for college dance and cheerleading squads to compete under a panel of judges who will decide the fate of these teams. UDA/UCA developed an idea that has been in the works since 1995 under the supervision of Dr. Kay Crawford, originator of Miss Dance/Drill Team USA, to create the first Olympic committee for the Quest for Dance/Cheer Olympics. Dr. Crawford recently passed away leaving a legacy of passion and love of dance behind for her predessors to continue to build on and keep the compassion alive that they knew she felt. She started the first ever dance competition, Dance/Drill Team USA, and was inducted in the Texas Dance Drill Team Education Association Hall of Fame. She is most famous for encouraging the Olympic committee to consider Dance and Cheerleading as sports rather than just a spirit to have around football, basketball and other sports.Being a dancer myself since I was two year old, I completely agree with what this organization is doing and being able to celebrate the passion that these athletes believe in. This is going to turn around every aspect of Olympic sports in the future because of the respect that these athletes will recieve from outsiders that will get to see what they can do.

2007-11-15T14:00:00.000-08:00

I honestly am not too concerned about the presidential election that is about to happen in the coming year. Could be because I have no interest in politics or the government and thinking about it just bores me to death. I do think it is very interesting though that we actually have a female candidate running and an african american running. That is what catches my eye first rather than we have an election coming up. This result could be from how our former president, George Bush, has lead our country in the past 8 years and dealing with the war in Iraq.
After all the criticism George Bush has recieved from the press, the next president really has a huge hole to fill. The issues that he faced in our society were never solved or dealt with therefore they are just set aside for the next president. I really dont know what issues the candidates for the 2008 election are pushing to be solved but i know that whoever is elected has a lot of ground to cover. I think it is ridiculous how big the media thinks how important it is that everyone should vote for something. If people like me vote for something they really do not pay attention to or are not very knowledgable about, then their really isnt a purpose for everyone's vote to count. I do think it is important to vote for who you feel would make a great president but honestly voting to me is a little overrated.

2007-11-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

If you have checked the ESPN website lately, then you have heard the latest buzz about the reporter Lisa Salters. E:60, the new documentary show about sports journalists covering in depth stories, was asked to do a story about the latest sport called parkour. Parkourwhich was created in 2003, has intrigued young athletes to pursue the feeling of its intense jumping and climbing from building to building and wall to wall. The She didnt realized that it even was a sport so she chimed back expressing her concern about the pitch:
"Is this really worth reporting about because this is not a true sport. There are no black people that do it," Salters commented.

I am just amazed that someone who considers his or herself a journalist still plays the race card the way Lisa did regarding Parkour. As a journalist, one is supposed to be OPEN MINDED and ready to tackle anything with just a little enthusiasm. I also get that Parkour and many other extreme "sports" are not looked at in the same way that football or basketball is, but the sports world as we currently know it is changing. It is ridiculous for anyone to say that any "sport" where someone can eat during the activity equates it not being actually a sport. I'm pretty sure i've seen golfers, baseball players and even swimmers eating at some point.

This shows that we all should take our jobs a little more seriously when it comes to informing the public about everything sports related. Some feel that dancing and cheerleading arent sports but almost every college in America has a cheerleading or dance team. Ive read and heard inspirational stories about these activities, even some that have aired on Nightline. We as journalists should always be open about reporting the latest and greatest news, no matter who or what it consists of.

Wildfires effect everyone, even celebrities!!!!

2007-10-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Chargers' game Sunday could be moved as more than a dozen wildfires in Southern California rage out of control. The shifting flames have burned across nearly 600 square miles, destroying nearly 2,000 homes and prompting evacuations from north of Los Angeles, through San Diego to the Mexican border.
How are these wildfires affecting the citizens of San Diego? Among the thousands of San Diegans forced to evacuate are golfer Phil Mickelson and Chargers LaDainian Tomlinson, Marlon McCree, Matt Wilhelm and some 40 other players and staff. At 4am on Monday night, Tomlinson and his family were alerted to evacuate from their home in San Diego because the fires where close by. Imagine these million dollar mansions that these celebrities live in being burnt to shreds. I couldnt imagine my belongings being taken away so fast and theres nothing you can do about it.
According to some of the victims from the fires, if you spend much time outside in San Diego County right now, you will smell as though you'd spent the week huddled around a campfire. Even in "safe zones" of the city, you can feel the irritation in your throat and dryness of your eyes. The floors and furniture inside buildings and homes are now covered with a layer of ashy cinder along with debree from the blaze. For now, America's Finest City is just hoping the winds will bring change and soon give way to a blaze of recovery.
How you can help?:
More than 500 Red Cross employees and volunteers have been on the ground helping with relief efforts since the fires began on Sunday. More than 3,000 evacuees took refuge in Red Cross shelters—which were set up in areas outside the threatened neighborhoods—and were comforted with hot meals and a safe place to sleep. You can help by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster.

2007-10-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

When it comes to blogging, i dont really feel that it is considered an actual type of writing. There are so many newspapers, magazines, and television stations that preview news and tell the public what is going on in the world. I dont feel that blogging really gives that extra message across to someone differently than how they interpreted it already.
Blogging to me is kind of a waste of time because i feel that there are better things to do with your time than read about some opinion someone has about something. I dont really know a whole lot about blogs but from what i researched just a few minutes ago about it, it doesnt really catch my eye to be newsworthy and interesting.
I do know there are blogs that many celebrities have and they actually keep them updated everyday. There are even many business savy people who use blogs to keep interested parties up to date on their everyday lives or in the know with a new idea they want to share. I think this is a little different in terms of keeping the fans happy and sharing personal things that they dont share in the news.
In technical terms, I dont really believe that bloggers should be considered journalists because they really arent writing for a particular company or keeping the story as accurate as they should. I know there is an opinion section in most newspapers but i feel that most bloggers just share their opinions about topics rather than give the facts. I particulary dont care to read someone elses opinion on something unless i am doing a report or need that information for a project. I discovered that many people do like to read others blogs about their lives or just discuss popular topics but to me I would rather be more productive and find something else to do with my time.

Connecticut Post Issue

2007-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

On Septmeber 13, 2007, the Connecticut Post issued a newspaper about the twelve jurors that will be deciding the future for one teenage boy. The newspaper revealed the jurors names, ages, and their occupations. The issue of revealing this information was brought up in many articles from former newspaper writers about whether it is legal to provide personal information to the public.
I dont think that the public should be informed about personal information about the jury. It just becomes an ethical issue when information about someone is shown to the public. There are many things to take into consideration when it comes to revealing people's personal things to the public.
Someone who is on the side of the prosecutor could find this information about a juror and maybe harm them in some way or even make threats. With the technology we have in todays society there are many ways of finding a huge amount of informatioan about someone. When you provide the information to the public it makes it easier for someone to know their day to day schedule. The juror could be scared for their families, belongings and finances because with just a little bit of information and technology someone could cause a lot of damage.
These days reporters and journalists do not think about the effects of putting information out there for the public to see. They want to get the most accurate information and provide it as quickly as possible to make a good story. A lot of times the information they share can actually cause more harm to someone than just giving knowledge about them. I think that this issue should be taken more seriously and maybe even brought to a higher court.

B-Jones......

2007-09-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I just wanted to give a little bit of information about my life and the journey I have taken to get where Im at today.

My name is Brittany Jones and I was born and raised in the busy city of Dallas, TX. My parents were also born and raised there so decided to stay there to raise our wonderful family. I am an only child, not by choice, but I did have some part to do with why that is. Im extremely close to both of my parents and you could say that I was raised half girl - half boy. Not in a weird way or anything but my interests and values are a product of both of my parents.

I have always been involved in outside activities such as dancing, cheerleading, recreational sports, shopping, babysitting kids, and doing activities with friends. Dancing is my passion and the reason that Im in the place I am now. I have been dancing since I could walk and havent stopped since. The places that it has taken me are amazing and the things Ive learned from having this special talent are mindblowing.

After high school, I decided to further my dancing career through college and attended McClennan Community College in the small city of Waco, TX. Knowing that my time there was limited, I took advantage of every second I had to dance at apperances and games. As my second year was dwindling down, it was time to decide if I wanted to stop going to school, accept my Associates Degree in Arts and Sciences and seek a job that was going to be acceptable for me or further my dancing career and get a Bachelors Degree at a different college.

After checking out different college dance teams and programs and talking about it with my parents, I came to the conclusion that my passion for dance was too deep to close that chapter in my life. Thats when I decided to make the biggest decision of my life and move out of my comfort zone and into the world of responsiblity. I made the 3x National Hip Hop Champion dance team at the University of Cincinnati that year and decided to pursue my dream of becoming a National Champion while getting a degree.

I am now a 5th senior at UC and in my third year on the dance team. I wouldnt change my decision for anything in the world because the things that I have learned in this entire year outweigh everything I could have learned if I didnt pursue my dream. I have more best friends than before, more responsiblity for myself, maturity and strength in everyday decisions, organizational skills, and a second mom (my coach). Unfortuantly, I had to make a REALLY hard decision about my future and how successful I want to be and made the confident decision to focus on school instead on dancing. I had to leave the dance team around the end of winter quarter to keep my studies first and put my dancing career behind me. I still love EVERYTHING about the dance team and everyone on it but my future is more important to me than having this hobby take over my life.

I live in Mt Lookout in a fabulous apartment with a girl who was previously on the dance team. For money, I work at Cincinnati Tan in Hyde Park and love everything about it. I never thought tanning could be so serious to people but boy was I wrong. Seeing the same people come in a get their tan on EVERYDAY is amazing to me. They definatly are what we call TANarexic. I am majoring in Journalism but really want to be more on the Broadcasting side. My goal for my future is to be on the field of a Monday Night Football game, interview the players about their performance in front of America while reporting for ESPN.

Im a die hard Notre Dame fan and of course Texas Football. I love to watch the Cowboys play every Sunday if I can but i miss watching it with my dad most of all. We talk and catch up with sports every weekend and he gives me the 411 on anything and everything sports.