BY ALYSSA FISHER
My first Lariat blog! After a week of frantically trying to meet 20-minute deadlines, I’m finally using the computer for my own personal enjoyment.
For those of you who don’t know, I’m at Northwestern University’s National High School Institute journalism summer intensive. Also known as Medill Cherubs. I’m living in a dorm with 83 other people from 23 states, plus Canada and Taiwan, who share my passion for journalism. It has without a doubt been one of the best weeks of my life.
And there are still three and a half more to go!
In a nutshell, this is what the last week and a half has consisted of:
- On our first night, we had to write a news/feature on our roommates in about an hour and a half.
- Running around the campus and writing 11 stories on a series of insane events created by the advisers and CAs, each with a deadline of about 20 minutes.
- Writing three leads as many times as it took until your adviser (acting as your editor) deemed them perfect.
- Sitting in lectures a few times a day with the intellectual yet hilarious staff.
- Following a stranger around Evanston (without their knowledge) and writing an extremely detailed story about them.
- Finding three strangers around Evanston and writing a story about their Fourth of July plans.
- Walking over three miles at the insanely spirited Evanston Fourth of July parade to find a story.
Again, it’s only been one week! We are a bit tired, but that hasn’t stopped us from having Noodle Thursday or staying up until 2 a.m. laughing until we’re in stitches.
And I’ve learned so much this week! I can’t wait to teach my staff everything so we can make The Lariat the best publication around.
Now for the campus…it’s incredible. I’m falling in love, which is pretty scary seeing how only about 250 students are accepted into Medill each year. And overall the weather has been sunny with a nice breeze, making walking around Evanston a treat. But there’s so much around that I’m quickly running out of money…
Oh, but just one complaint: We eat at ridiculously early times, kind of like the elderly.
Anyway, I better go to sleep so I can wake up and run around the gorgeous lake tomorrow. And be wide-awake during my classes tomorrow. I’m going to learn how to write a long narrative feature. I’m so excited!
Yes, I am a journalism nerd. And I’m not afraid to admit it.
Like this:
Like Loading...
