Once again, the Olympics are almost here. The biggest American sport seeking redemption is basketball. The U.S. Men's Senior National Basketball Team is looking to reestablish the country as an international powerhouse in the sport of basketball. The multimedia package put together by nba.com has good writing and visual coverage of the team. They have a behind the scenes look of the team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in China. The overall package is called the, "U.S. Team: Road to Redemption". This is actually the name of the documentary put together by ESPN, but 'redemption' is the overall theme of the 2008 mission for the U.S. Men's Basketball Team. In 2004, the men's team finished in third place at the Olympics. For American basketball this is seen as a failure.
The coverage provides up to date stories on games played and practices held. There was also a story on the U.S. Select Team, which was picked to help the Senior team prepare for the Olympics. There is a notebook section, highlighting key events during the minicamp held in Las Vegas. The notebook touched on different situations to help convey how the team was forming. There was a descriptive segment of the notebook used to explain how the coach wants the team to have a sense of nationalism. The next section discusses the injuries on the team. There are a couple of sections that profile some of the players and focus on how they are a key to the team. A notebook or a journal is a good way for a reporter to collect their thoughts before writing a story. In some cases, there might not be a particular story, but just providing a notebook for viewers is a useful multimedia tool. The fans feel connected with the team because they are not receiving a report, but just some highlights of important issues with the team. This is also an informal and efficient way of presenting information. One of the profile stories I read on the site can be closely compared to the profile assignment we were asked to do in class. The story was on Lebron James, one of the younger leaders on the team. The story allows the coach and other players to talk about James and his impact on the team. There is also the use of a video to give visual proof to the story. Overall, the video gives viewers an inside look of preparation for the men's basketball team.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
You Witness
I found something that has much to do with the assignments in our class. The Olympic games are coming up and the biggest attention has been about the protests. There is a photo slide show on Reuters.com highlighting events regarding the protest. The first photo is of supporters of China, which serves as a good opening scene. The photographer had my attention because usual coverage has been catered to the protestors. I have not seen much media coverage on supporters for China. I like the next photo showing how chaotic the London area was when the torch passed through. Another photo has a pro-Tibet protestor and a London cop. The London cop is looking down over the protester as if something is wrong with that person. I just like it for his expression as he looks at the protestor yelling. I would have had an annoyed expression on my face too if someone was basically yelling in my ear. There are always people during a protest that get out of hand. This photo shows a protester pinned down to the ground and three cops in the process of arresting him. The slideshow would not be complete without a shot of someone being arrested. I like the website overall because Reuters invites people to submit footage of important events around the world. The section where this slideshow was found on the site is called you witness. Eventhough the pictures were submitted by basically a citizen journalist, the photos were good quality. Eventhough this is not discussing a specific sports event, I believe this post does discuss the real life surrounding the Olympics and their sporting events.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tiger Woods
One of the better websites I have seen in a while is the Tiger Woods official website. Even though he is injured, he is still the top golf player in the world. His website not only has updates on him, but also on other events and players in the golf world. Mainly the events in the Professional Golf Association (PGA). The sites home page has a strong image of Woods with his famous fist pump and smile. There is an official Woods symbol in the left corner of the page with a 'T' and a 'W' connected. The front page has headlines of the four top stories related to Woods or golf. Right now Woods is not participating in any PGA events, but there is still coverage on the events. The latest headline is of the ESPY Awards. Woods received three awards. The site has a spot showing the last PGA event he participated in. There is a place for his next event he will participate in and the specific network for television coverage. There is a space for random Tiger trivia. Under the links section of the page, there is another website dedicated to his own golf course design. There are interactive designs so golfers can get a feel for the courses. The seperate website also shows pictures of the hotel located by the golf course. The website also has a chart for his awards, mainly the amount of golf majors he has won. At the bottom of the main page is a quote from Woods. The quotes change daily and they give personality to the website as if the viewer is actually talking to Woods. Also, there are some quick golf stats, such as his scoring average, driving distance, driving accuracy, putting average and sand saves. There is also a link to a seperate website called the Tiger Woods Foundation. He has a promotion encouraging young people to talk about their own positive moments. Since Woods is known for his 'fist pump' after something good happens, he calls the promotion the 'Fist Pump Challenge'. This provides some feedback and interaction from the viewers. The website also encourages viewers to buy. The top product is his video game. Also, for more interaction the site allows viewers to receive alerts through their cell phones.
The website has his biography and a link to his blog, but to access the blog the viewer must sign up for fan club membership. The site has a chronology of his life and random facts about Woods. One of the best aspects is learning about his diet and nutrition. This allows Woods' fanactics to eat and drink like him. Also, this promotes his products with Gatorade and turns out to be a winning situation. Also, there is a section to write letters to Woods and there is a section showing his response to some of the letters. That is also apart of the club tiger benefits.
The website has his biography and a link to his blog, but to access the blog the viewer must sign up for fan club membership. The site has a chronology of his life and random facts about Woods. One of the best aspects is learning about his diet and nutrition. This allows Woods' fanactics to eat and drink like him. Also, this promotes his products with Gatorade and turns out to be a winning situation. Also, there is a section to write letters to Woods and there is a section showing his response to some of the letters. That is also apart of the club tiger benefits.
Monday, July 7, 2008
From Baseball to Basketball
Searching some of the top stories in news for the day I came across an Alex Rodriguez headline. Rodriguez is the starting third baseman for the New York Yankees. The story is about his wife filing for divorce. I thought the photo included with the article was humorous. It is him and his wife in the stands of what seems to be a sporting event. He looks to be annoyed with her because she seems to be talking to him to . The article talks about his extramarital affairs so the photograph is fitting to the description of Rodriguez by his wife in the article calling her husband an adulterer who "emotionally abandoned his wife and children."
I looked at headlines from cbssportsline.com, espn.com, foxsports.com and mlb.com and noticed they all had the same top story. The story was about pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers from the Cleveland Indians. Both cbsportsline and foxsports.com had interesting plays on words for headlines. It seems sports news organizations are into clever headlines and in this case they are incorporating a players name. CBS used the headline "C.C. (ya) Sabathia." Fox used the headline "C.C. you later." The coverage on Sabathia is different between the news organizations such as foxsports.com which talks about the Sabathia trade in a news story along with other important story lines in professional baseball. Espn.com does a similar job but instead looks at the particular division the Brewers are in. The article looks at the effect the Sabathia trade has on the Brewers and the two other teams in contention for winning the division, which are the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. The MLB page focuses more on video content to help tell the story. There is a video with baseball experts discussing the impact of the trade. There is another video included showing the report of the Sabathia trade by mLB.com. This was apart of a package including other top stories in baseball.
On a humorous note, the video showing Shaquille O'Neal of the NBA's Phoenix Suns badmouthing his former teammate Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in a freestyle has to be one of the funnier moments for professional athletes and a low point depending on perceptions.
I looked at headlines from cbssportsline.com, espn.com, foxsports.com and mlb.com and noticed they all had the same top story. The story was about pitcher C.C. Sabathia, who was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers from the Cleveland Indians. Both cbsportsline and foxsports.com had interesting plays on words for headlines. It seems sports news organizations are into clever headlines and in this case they are incorporating a players name. CBS used the headline "C.C. (ya) Sabathia." Fox used the headline "C.C. you later." The coverage on Sabathia is different between the news organizations such as foxsports.com which talks about the Sabathia trade in a news story along with other important story lines in professional baseball. Espn.com does a similar job but instead looks at the particular division the Brewers are in. The article looks at the effect the Sabathia trade has on the Brewers and the two other teams in contention for winning the division, which are the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. The MLB page focuses more on video content to help tell the story. There is a video with baseball experts discussing the impact of the trade. There is another video included showing the report of the Sabathia trade by mLB.com. This was apart of a package including other top stories in baseball.
On a humorous note, the video showing Shaquille O'Neal of the NBA's Phoenix Suns badmouthing his former teammate Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in a freestyle has to be one of the funnier moments for professional athletes and a low point depending on perceptions.
Showcase Article
Summer Job Hunt
Students should make use of campus resources to benefit from summer jobs
Students should make use of their career services office on campus and leadership opportunities to assist in a job for the summer. Students should find a job, which is beneficial to their career.
Leron Barkley
barkleyll@vcu.edu
As school ends in the months of May and June for most students there are possible options to passing the time during the summer months.
Students use the summer break for vacations, camps, workshops or to find a temporary job. If in need of help with the last option, students should contact their career services office at their school for assistance.
The Career Services Department at Shenandoah University provides numerous services and resources to students. Students have access to information regarding summer job opportunities. They also can receive information on possible majors or areas of interest if they are undecided on a career. Other major services include assistance with resumes and improving interview skills.
Career services at Shenandoah are set up to provide assistance to students with their careers, but students can also build a resume by taking advantage of opportunities on campus. “One of the best ways to build experience is through school organizations,” said Director of Career Services at Shenandoah University Jen Spataro. “Students can be come well-rounded individuals through their involvement in clubs during the school year.”
Rip Roberts, a recent graduate from Shenandoah University, believes the leadership qualities he developed as the president of the Black Student Union, a student organization on the Shenandoah campus, helped with his personal development through college. “I learned about the responsibilities of leading an organization and the importance of time management when conducting meetings and putting together events, which is a skill needed in almost any job setting.”
Along with schools organizations, students can develop skills through workshops provided during the school year. The career services at Shenandoah provide workshops in interviewing and resumes. Students perform mock interviews; discuss proper attire when completing job applications in person and at an interview. Students can also have their resume critiqued, develop a cover letter, put together a portfolio and attend etiquette dinners. “These services help students become prepared to enter the workforce and provides awareness to details for students to ensure they are presenting themselves to the best of their abilities,” said Spataro.
Presentation is as important as any other aspect of the interviewing process. “I believe my physical appearance is important when attending a job interview,” said Krystal Pittlekau, senior at Shenandoah University. “How I present myself separates me from other candidates in competition for the same job.”
Spataro says students should perform research on companies prior to the interview. This allows students to have prior knowledge about the company and discover how the job will assist in career development. “One of best techniques when in an interview is to write out a list of questions gathered from research because this is an easy way to show a strong interest about the company to the employer.”
Spataro says students in college should apply for an internship or practicum to build experience. An internship or a practicum, allows a student to find out if they like a certain career. She also said students should set up a time to job shadow a person in their career field to observe daily activities and ask questions.
Receiving on the job training is important for students before leaving high school or college because of the general skills developed in daily work activities. The Sportsplex in Winchester, Va., is an organization providing sports leagues and recreational activities to the surrounding community. The organization has indoor courts and fields for football, basketball, lacrosse and soccer. The organization also provides summer developmental job opportunities for students in different areas, such as management, food services and customer service. “Working the customer service desk allows students to develop service skills through their dealings with customers and answering phone calls on a daily basis,” said Sportsplex Customer Service Manager Michelle Novara. “I remember beginning my career with the Sportsplex in high school and how this job provided more experience than any other of my previous jobs.”
On the job training is beneficial to students along with knowing where to access online resources to gain tips and ideas about searching for a job. Visit the career services Web page of Shenandoah University to find out information on jobs, workshops, information on possible majors or careers and contact information to speak with the career services staff. Other alternatives include visiting an online job search engine specifically assisting students in job development. These job search engine resources include snagajob.com and about.com, which provide articles on popular jobs for students, finding internships, improving resumes, the job interviewing process and inside information on different career industries to name a few of the offerings.
Contacts
Jen Spataro, director of career services at Shenandoah University
(540) 665-5412
Michelle Novara, customer services manager at Winchester Sportsplex
(540) 868-2200
Krystal Pittlekau, senior at Shenandoah University
(540) 272-9792
Rip Roberts, recent graduate of Shenandoah University
(540) 846-0824
Dallas Pryor, recent graduate of Shenandoah University
(301) 305 2779
Links
Shenandoah University Career Services Website: http://www.su.edu/studaffs/careerservices/
College Central is a Website helping students with searching for jobs and posting their resume. www.collegecentral.com/su
Career 15 is a Website connecting students from private institutions to top corporate employers.www.vfic.org/career15.html
Snagajob.com is a Website with quick reference guides for students providing tips to a successful job search. http://snagajob.com
About.com is another quick reference job Website assisting students. About.com Careers
Students should make use of campus resources to benefit from summer jobs
Students should make use of their career services office on campus and leadership opportunities to assist in a job for the summer. Students should find a job, which is beneficial to their career.
Leron Barkley
barkleyll@vcu.edu
As school ends in the months of May and June for most students there are possible options to passing the time during the summer months.
Students use the summer break for vacations, camps, workshops or to find a temporary job. If in need of help with the last option, students should contact their career services office at their school for assistance.
The Career Services Department at Shenandoah University provides numerous services and resources to students. Students have access to information regarding summer job opportunities. They also can receive information on possible majors or areas of interest if they are undecided on a career. Other major services include assistance with resumes and improving interview skills.
Career services at Shenandoah are set up to provide assistance to students with their careers, but students can also build a resume by taking advantage of opportunities on campus. “One of the best ways to build experience is through school organizations,” said Director of Career Services at Shenandoah University Jen Spataro. “Students can be come well-rounded individuals through their involvement in clubs during the school year.”
Rip Roberts, a recent graduate from Shenandoah University, believes the leadership qualities he developed as the president of the Black Student Union, a student organization on the Shenandoah campus, helped with his personal development through college. “I learned about the responsibilities of leading an organization and the importance of time management when conducting meetings and putting together events, which is a skill needed in almost any job setting.”
Along with schools organizations, students can develop skills through workshops provided during the school year. The career services at Shenandoah provide workshops in interviewing and resumes. Students perform mock interviews; discuss proper attire when completing job applications in person and at an interview. Students can also have their resume critiqued, develop a cover letter, put together a portfolio and attend etiquette dinners. “These services help students become prepared to enter the workforce and provides awareness to details for students to ensure they are presenting themselves to the best of their abilities,” said Spataro.
Presentation is as important as any other aspect of the interviewing process. “I believe my physical appearance is important when attending a job interview,” said Krystal Pittlekau, senior at Shenandoah University. “How I present myself separates me from other candidates in competition for the same job.”
Spataro says students should perform research on companies prior to the interview. This allows students to have prior knowledge about the company and discover how the job will assist in career development. “One of best techniques when in an interview is to write out a list of questions gathered from research because this is an easy way to show a strong interest about the company to the employer.”
Spataro says students in college should apply for an internship or practicum to build experience. An internship or a practicum, allows a student to find out if they like a certain career. She also said students should set up a time to job shadow a person in their career field to observe daily activities and ask questions.
Receiving on the job training is important for students before leaving high school or college because of the general skills developed in daily work activities. The Sportsplex in Winchester, Va., is an organization providing sports leagues and recreational activities to the surrounding community. The organization has indoor courts and fields for football, basketball, lacrosse and soccer. The organization also provides summer developmental job opportunities for students in different areas, such as management, food services and customer service. “Working the customer service desk allows students to develop service skills through their dealings with customers and answering phone calls on a daily basis,” said Sportsplex Customer Service Manager Michelle Novara. “I remember beginning my career with the Sportsplex in high school and how this job provided more experience than any other of my previous jobs.”
On the job training is beneficial to students along with knowing where to access online resources to gain tips and ideas about searching for a job. Visit the career services Web page of Shenandoah University to find out information on jobs, workshops, information on possible majors or careers and contact information to speak with the career services staff. Other alternatives include visiting an online job search engine specifically assisting students in job development. These job search engine resources include snagajob.com and about.com, which provide articles on popular jobs for students, finding internships, improving resumes, the job interviewing process and inside information on different career industries to name a few of the offerings.
Contacts
Jen Spataro, director of career services at Shenandoah University
(540) 665-5412
Michelle Novara, customer services manager at Winchester Sportsplex
(540) 868-2200
Krystal Pittlekau, senior at Shenandoah University
(540) 272-9792
Rip Roberts, recent graduate of Shenandoah University
(540) 846-0824
Dallas Pryor, recent graduate of Shenandoah University
(301) 305 2779
Links
Shenandoah University Career Services Website: http://www.su.edu/studaffs/careerservices/
College Central is a Website helping students with searching for jobs and posting their resume. www.collegecentral.com/su
Career 15 is a Website connecting students from private institutions to top corporate employers.www.vfic.org/career15.html
Snagajob.com is a Website with quick reference guides for students providing tips to a successful job search. http://snagajob.com
About.com is another quick reference job Website assisting students. About.com Careers
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