Life as a member of the J-School

I was very fortunate to be one of those college students who knew what they wanted to study the minute they got accepted into a university.

Besides having the University of Florida as my dream school and being a diehard fan, I knew that this university had one of the very best Journalism and Communications colleges in the United States. And I wanted to be a part of it.

The College of Journalism and Communications at UF is beyond any other program I have seen. The amount of opportunities this college offers it’s students is indescribable and something that you can’t get anywhere else. The J-School offers something for every major of communications and journalism. From Public Relations to Telecommunications, there are a variety of ways to be involved with this school no matter what your major is within the college. This college truly teaches us to be the best of ourselves and in our fields because of all the work they put into this place.

One of the places that the J-School is helping further us students as we go through our respected programs is through the Center for Media Innovation and Research, or as we J-school students call it CMIR.

Part of the 21st Century News Lab

The CMIR’s mission is to develop tomorrow’s journalism and communication forms by finding new ways to tell stories, and to how to publish those stories through various mediums. The CMIR has provided digital labs that allow for everyone in the college to collaborate on story ideas and new ways for us to become a better and stronger news outlet.

AHA! The Innovation CoLab!

There are two facilities that the CMIR has created for the students of the J-school. The first one is the 21st Century News Lab which opened up back in 2010. This news lab includes a production studio complete with professional lighting and a video wall, and adjacent from the news lab is a sound studio and conference room. The second facility is the AHA! The Innovation CoLab, which was opened in 2012 and is targeted more toward public relations and advertising majors. This CoLab is set up in a cafe style, where they are tables and chairs and a relaxed environment. However, anybody in the J-School is allowed to use these facilities, they are not specified for any which major in the college.

The CMIR and the J-School have done so much for me and for every single student that walks through these doors everyday. I feel confident that because of this place and all the research it does making us better, that I will be successful when I graduate.

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point is a place that all too many of us are familiar with and maybe we never really realized it. It’s a place between doing something completely different and out of your comfort zone and whatever your norm is. It is being at the brink of a decision before is changes your course of life.

Malcom Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, conducts and writes a study on human behavior patterns. Through this book, Gladwell takes us on a journey and guides us through his theory of the “tipping point,” which is where the smallest decision made can cause a widespread of change to occur. The best thing about this book is that all of the numbers ad statistics Gladwell gives us are given in a way that makes them interesting and fun to read. Besides the statistics and numbers, he also gives us examples from history where one small change caused bigger change on a national level, through a domino effect and the right people. He also studies the type of group or person it takes to make that change happen.

One of Gladwell’s first examples is that of a fashion trend and the rebirth of a pair of shoes called “Hush Puppies” which had been out of style of some time now. All of a sudden, a group of young New York boys found that these shoes were (still) cool to wear, and of course by word of mouth, it got around that these brown suede shoes were making a comeback and these trendsetters set off an epidemic where every boy in America needed to have a pair of these shoes.

Instead of just sticking to and examining trendsetting situations, Gladwell also looks at how the personality of people and how that can make a change happen. The example Gladwell uses in his book is that of Paul Revere and the famous ride he took. Paul Revere was able to get the people to listen to him because he knew so many different people. Gladwell called Revere a “connector” because he knew so many different people. Revere knew which people he needed to talk to, which people led the villages, and which people he needed to knock on their doors to stir the colonists. With this type of personality, this is why the decision Revere made were a domino affect and caused people to be with him, because he had the personality to make change.

In this book, Gladwell seems to use real-life examples to get his point across, which makes it easier for us as the audience to resonate with. So if you want to make a difference in this world and make change, Gladwell’s book is full of examples of methods that will work to cause an epidemic of change and techniques that may not work too well. Either way, if you are going to try and spark a change, it starts with yourself. And this book can only help you at The Tipping Point.

As Ghandi says, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Check ’em out! (Part 2)

I wanted to highlight more blogs that my classmates have created. So, here we go!

For those of you who are interested in meditating or just need some ways to relieve yourself from the stress in your life, check out Bianca Bahamondes blog on Spiritual Healing. Her blog is full of different ways to relax and mediated and to take the stress off of your mind.

If you like feature stories on different people, places, and things, then Jennifer Tinter has the blog for you to read. Her blog is full of different feature stories that she enjoys the most. She is a great storyteller and her work is phenomenal.

Calling all movie buffs!! If you love the cinema and popcorn, like I do, and in particular superhero movies, Jonathan Perez has the blog for you. While Jonathan wants to become a sports broadcaster, he also shares a love for Superhero Movies. So if you are looking for a review or just enjoy movies, this blog is that right read for you.

Go check these blogs out! They are great!

Check ’em out!

So the best thing about making this blog for my class is that all of my classmates have had to do the same. So it is really neat to get to see the things that different people my age are interested in writing about, which is why you should check out some of their blogs!

For those of you who are sports fanatics and love Gator football, you should check out Colette DuChanois. Colette is  from the great city of Jacksonville, FL and is a huge Gator fan. Colette takes pride in being a part of the Gator Nation as she works for the sports department in the UF Journalism school. For anything related to Gator Football or Gator Athletics, you have got to check out Colette’s blog.

While being a part of the Journalism college here at UF, you get to meet a lot of different people. One of those people might have a “Type A” personality, and if they do then Courtney McKenna has the blog for you to enjoy. Courtney has had various internships that have allowed her to work in a field that she loves, sports. If you have a “Type A” personality or know someone who does, this blog is definitely for them.

And if you consider yourself a “foodie” or someone who just loves to try new places to eat, then Kara Hudgins blog is for you. Kara is from the St. Pete area and she writes her blog on various eating locations in and around the city of Gainesville. If you are always looking for a new place to eat or maybe new foods to try at some of your favorite places, stop by Kara’s blog and see what she has to say about her favorite food places.

 

Go check out these blogs! They are really great reads!

According to Megan

As stated in one of my first blog posts, you can learn about me that I am from a small town in Florida. I grew up having to always travel to what I like to call “civilization” or the bigger town that was 45 minutes away just to be able to go to a mall, movie theatre, bowling alley… you get the idea. So I always was trying to find places in my own hometown that were unique to where I lived and places that I could enjoy without having to travel very far.

While I loved the places I found back in my hometown, being away at college in a different city allowed for me to explore new places that I could add to my list of hidden gems.

Two of my very best friends, Sammy and Lauren

Some people do not think that classrooms can count as a hidden gem, but the INC at UF’s College of Journalism and Communications, is completely breathtaking for someone who is studying journalism and communications. All that this place has to offer the student of the J-School, is completely remarkable.

Or that a place that you see every Saturday during the fall semester, is more than just a football stadium, but a place of pride and tradition.

All of the places that I have talked about thus far, are places that make me who I am as a person. Each one of these places has touched my heart and opened my eyes to the world that is around me. And the people I have met at these places have also made these adventures even more remarkable. These friendships I have created have shaped me into the person I am today; into a better Megan Gannon.

But that’s just according to me.

Me, Myself, and I

This post is going to be a little plug about myself (sorry).  While I love blogging about all of the hidden gems I find (trust me, I really do love telling you all about these places), I also have various other skill sets as well. And normally I would not do this because I do not like to write about myself, but in the industry I want to go into after graduation, getting your name out there early and often is very helpful in getting a job.

For those that did not know, I am a telecommunications major, and plan to be a multimedia/broadcast journalist after I graduate. To check out my other experience in this field of multimedia journalism, feel free to click on my name and check out my resume. I accept feedback, job offers, interviews, etc.

Thank you!

Megan Gannon

Hidden Gem 7: The Swamp

I feel that it is only fitting for me to write at least one post about Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, or as the Gator Nation likes to call it  The Swamp, especially after I just talked about the alligators at Payne’s Prairie. 

The Swamp

The Swamp is a place that brings feelings of pride and joy. This is a place that holds tradition as well as accomplishments. Whether it is the Florida Gator football team, the Pride of the Sunshine, or just everyday people using the stadium for exercise; The Swamp hold a special place in the heart of every member of the Gator Nation.

The best days to experience The Swamp is on a game day. You are surrounded by 90,000 fans covered in orange and blue apparel. Every one is at the Gator Walk supporting the football team as they enter the stadium approximately 2 hours before kickoff, taking pictures with the three Heisman statues outside of the stadium, or just enjoying the sea of orange and blue that surrounds them.

The Swamp truly exemplifies the phrase “In all kinds of weather we all stick together.” And it is just one of the many places the remind you that being a part of the Gator Nation makes you a Gator always.

 

Hidden Gem 6: Payne’s Prairie

If you are ever looking to get outdoors and seek adventure, there are several beautiful places in Gainesville where you can find all of that and more. One of my favorite places to go is Payne’s Prairie Preserve State Park.

View at Payne’s Prairie

By going to Payne’s Prairie, you can encounter several forms of wildlife while you are walking around the state park. One of the fascinating things to see while at Payne’s Prairie, is the alligators. That is what everyone comes to this park to see. Just like I talked about Two Tails Ranch being a local trip for people in the Gainesville area, Payne’s Prairie serves the same purpose.

Alligators at Payne’s Prairie

 

This is place where any ages will be able to have a good time and enjoy the outdoors. I recently took my parents to visit the state park for their very first time, and they absolutely loved it! They loved all of the scenery and they especially loved seeing the alligators up close, which is why they wanted to visit the park.

Payne’s Prairie is a famous local location for the city of Gainesville residents. And even for visitors, this state park seems to be at the top of the “to-do list” while in the area.

Hidden Gem 5: Flora-Bama

During this past summer, I was on Facebook and saw where someone shared an article that Kenny Chesney would be having his one and only concert during the year 2014… FOR FREE! Now for those of you that do not know, Kenny Chesney was on a break for the past year creating new music for his upcoming CD, The Big Revival.

The view of the concert

The best part about this FREE ( I cant emphasize that enough) concert, was that it was going to be at the Flora-Bama Lounge located right along the Florida-Alabama state line in Perdido Key, FL/Orange Beach, AL. And since I was at home for the summer, this was only just a mere 3 hours away from my house, so naturally I researched everything we needed to do to get tickets to this show. I got up early on the day of registration for the show, and registered on time. There were so many people registering for the free tickets, that within minutes they were all gone. Luckily, I was one of the 40,000+ people that got to attend this wonderful event called The Flora-Bama Jama.

The Flora-Bama is a popular place for the area of Pensacola, FL and Orange Beach, AL. If you ever wanted to be in two places at once, this was the place to be. The Flora-Bama Lounge sits right on the Gulf of Mexico, where you have a spectacular view of white sandy beaches and crystal clear water, and across the street is the Flora-Bama Yacht Club, which sits on the inlet.

This concert was anything but ordinary. People were everywhere. Standing on their hotel balconies, anchoring boats in the Gulf, lining the beach. People were seriously everywhere. Kenny performed for about 2 1/2 hours and he sang all of his popular hits like When the Sun Goes Down, The Good Stuff, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem, and of course my favorite The Boys of Fall plus many, many more.

My mom and me at the Flora-Bama Jama

If you ever visit the area of Pensacola, FL/ Orange Beach, AL you need to make a pit stop at the Flora-Bama. While I can’t promise that Kenny Chesney will be there, I can assure you that your visit will be memorable. The place itself and it’s view is simply breathtaking.

 

Hidden Gem 4: Two Tails Ranch

 

Two Tails Ranch is located in Williston, Florida. This is a spectacular place to visit if you are with your family or even if you are by yourself. There is so much to do and see at Two Tails Ranch, as is shown through the video I made. Trust me, this place is full of adventure with all of it’s animals and it definitely does not disappoint.