The Breakthrough of Innovation…

As my days as an undergraduate Gator are coming to an end, I am so grateful and fortunate that I had the chance to thoroughly utilize all of the technologically advanced resources available to College of Journalism and Communications. One of those resources is the Center for Media Innovation and Research. This newsroom and laboratory has been open for use to University of Florida students and faculty since September of 2010. Professors provide advanced train students for online journalism. This semester Theresa Collington (Yes, I Googled her name, search engine optimization of course, and her website was the first link on page one of the results page) devoted her time and shared her knowledge with my Advanced Interactive Media class, which was also held in the CMIR lab.

The Center for Media Innovation and Research website has a Journalism Now podcast, a partnership of the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, the Poynter Institute and other participants, where commentators discuss popular subjects covering multimedia, data and social aspects of modern news.

During this course, I have learned the important things that could make me a great blogger. From writing content, tagging, name anchoring, and visual images to search engine optimization, the CMIR was the perfect place to gain and master these new skills. This new lab impacted me in so many aspects. Being surrounded by peers who embodied similar talents and ambitions made the experience more enjoyable and invigorating! I am sooooo excited for what’s in store for the future to come!

Just a Little Bit…of Change (The Tipping Point Book Review)

Have you ever wondered how a dramatic moment can change everything at once? Well, Malcolm Gladwell calls this effect the Tipping Point. In his book, he dissects how a small action or gesture can infuse a “virus” and spread like an epidemic. He brings up the concept of contagiousness. He discusses that the world follow a set of rules which is very different from the world we know. Of course, when anyone thinks of the term “contagiousness” one may think of health viruses like the flu, the common cold, or other dangerous health viruses.

Goldwell introduces three different vices:  contagiousness, the fact that little causes have big effects, and that change happens not gradually, but at one dramatic point. But what interests me most when I first started reading this book is his illustration of contagiousness. I never sat down and thought about how contagious yawing was. As I continued reading I realized how true Goldwell’s point really was, and how this is a minute reflection of how normal human occurrences change from time to time. I honestly think that this is the blueprint of life, and the mode of society is activated through small circumstances that convert into large changes.

From fashion trends, to Blue’s Clues, to Sesame Street Goldwell brings his readers to a totally different perspective about how one should view the society and deal with everyday situations. The deeper and deeper I read into the book, the more I ask myself, “how long has Gladwell been thinking of this stuff?! This is so TRUE!”  You know, after I read this book I actually try to apply some of the rules he talks about in his book. I honestly think that most of the truths about Goldwell’s theorized notions come through subconsciously, without focusing on it so much.

 

…And You Learn More

Oh, wait just a second. I know I mentioned a few of my classmates that have wonderful blogs, but I want to talk so more! So, um…here we go:

Well, when you never thought you can get protein nourishment from some of the tastiest foods Katie Keene can give you all the insight you need to make you feel more confident about enjoying the foods you eat. Her blog, GatorFitness has plenty of healty goodies to keep you motivated to reach your desired weight-loss and/or fitness goals. So of these include: popular exercise videos, blood pressure and Vitamin D maintenance, and even fitness help aimed at the more youthful demographic. It’s a great blog! I really like reading it.

If you just want nice, simple, and Freshly Brewed, Alexis Willey is your girl! One thing I really like about this blog is that it’s so relative to the lifestyles that many other college students are living. She keeps up with trending newsworthy topics like the ridiculously large trenta sized Starbucks cups, and just her regular facts of life. It never hurts to have some harmless comedy on your blog!

When speaking about giving info just for the greater good Meredith Chipman can give you the scoop on how we can give back, in the realm of telecommunications, to non-profit organizations. Philanthropic efforts such as Dance Marathon and Heal the World 5K Race (which I personally think is phenomenal!) makes this blog more heartfelt and genuine. I related very closely to this blog because have a few philanthropic passions and efforts of my own. So, I think Meredith should keep this blog around for as long as she can! =)

 

 

You Live and You Learn…

I have always considered myself to be an intelligent, enlightened woman; but you can never be too smart or too old to learn something new. This blogging experience has been great so far, and I have other talented classmates who write very intriguing blogs:

All of my classmates collectively produce great works, and a few of them have drawn my keen interest. Lee Ziesche’s blog, Cooking College, expresses her keen interest in food and cooking from the college student’s perspective. From late night pizza dinners to news season strawberry harvesting, Lee always keep me wondering what tasty dish she’s going to talk about next.

And of course, I always love when someone also gives their point-of-view about the hip-hop revolution. Gabe Mandler writes great entires on his blog regarding the hip-hop being circulated today. At least I know that there is someone in the world who knows what real hip-hop should sound like. From super-star artist like Kanye West, to some aspiring rappers who may have it hard to come by (LOL), to giving his opinions about who reigns king over the hip-hop world Gabe really keeps me interested in his posts.

I ALWAYS had the ambition to master the Spanish language. Lucia Tolosa’s blog, Stories in Spanglish, brings readers into her most passionate and riveting elements of her life experiences, more specifically with her culture. She expresses her passion for real news gathering and writing such as a story about Tanning Beds, which I find very worthy and interesting. What intrigues me most about this blog is her posts written in Spanish; like Paris en Palm Beach and Olla Derretida. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I just find it fun and exciting to try to convert written Spanish into English, you know, me being from Miami and all!

I’m looking forward to reading more exciting and interesting blogs by my classmates!

The Most Perfect Imperfection…of ME!

Yes, of course! It’s me, Michelle, in the flesh! Miami raised, Bahamian cultured, and strives to change the blueprint of the American  Dream. Started as a chunky, mocha nibble in Overtown Miami, Florida, and continued my childhood journey in Little Haiti, a neighborhood in Liberty City. I’m a redeemer; so the task is simple: I mastermind things quite differently than others. I speaking about everything I get myself into. Since elementary school, I’ve been steeped into performing arts and media (I was a morning news anchor 1st through 3rd grade! LOL).

I was blessed to have a mother who nurtured me to be a steadfast, intelligent, and level-headed woman. I’ve been an advanced student all my life. I seemed as if every school I attended, I was separated from the general student population except for general education classes like physical education or home economics. I continued my passion all through high school by attending a technical high school in the academy of Industrial Entertainment Technology. And after that, well…the saga began…

This is my final semester in college, and I’m anxious for my new journey.

I create magic of my own, by falling in love with those who came before me that shared the same passion. Even those in my generation, I hone on their talents…I mean, VERY GOOD TALENT. I admit that they not only keep me in the loop, but also keep me grounded in my colorful, musical fantasy.

I love to be a goof sometimes, so I like other funny people too.

 

This Life is Moving Fast…

As I was sitting in front of my laptop checking my emails, I realized that in just about a month I will officially be a UF Alumnus! I’m so excited and scared at the same time. After this, the REAL responsibilities of my adult life will officially be in effect and I would have no other choice but to fulfill them. Pretty soon, I will have my Master’s degree and be happily on my way to bigger, brighter endeavors. To even land a permanent job, everyone must agree that you mush have skills, high qualifications, good credentials, and exceptional experiences that distinguishes you from other candidates in the hiring pool. With my new life experiences swiftly approaching, I’ve prepared a resume that lists some of my qualifications and experiences I’ve acquired during my tenure at the University of Florida and in the Gainesville community. Your professional demeanor is very important too, as what’s written on an application and resume can be the opposite of what employers see in person, whether it be good or bad.

I found this video on YouTube about what NOT to do and/or say to an employer during an interview (WHOA!):

Let’s hope we don’t walk into a interview room this obnoxiously confident.

Lights please, lights please….

Today I had a lot of thoughts; about life, post-graduation, and future endeavors. I have made many plans for post-graduation, but have yet to finalize anything. I’m both nervous and anxious for what’s about to happen. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and think I have nothing to forward to – only because there is so many things happening at once! I sometimes get teary-eyed – yea, I admit it, I have a little separation anxiety about moving so far away from my family; it really boggles my mind.

Graduation is approaching swiftly, and this scares me a little bit. In other senses, I’m quite ecstatic. Being a Florida Gator has been one of the best experiences of my life thus far. Good things and bad things came from it. I’ve learned so much from this campus. Leadership on the UF campus has changed dramatically. People have totally different motives to become “leaders”, and leave nothing for the next man to gleam from. It has become a little self-fish. Yes, the college years are supposed to be the most self-fish times in your life, but some people have just taken it too far.

I’ve made new friends and created deeper bonds with old ones (those who remained friends at least); some “friends” have moved on  to “more important” things in their social realm – and I’m okay with that. I have never imagined my life would be the way it is now, and I have no complaints – just faith, ambition, and determination to conquer what God placed me on this Earth to do. I imagined things to be different than what they are now – but who am I to complain, right?

I’m moving upward and onward with this life – and it’s moving fast.

And the saga continues…

2280! Pints!

Sighhhhhh…..today was an imaginative day. I decided to attend a Dance 2011 performance this evening at the Black Box located in the Costans Theatre. It’s called 2280! Pints!. I guess it’s dance intertwined with acting in a few scenes. Here’s a description found on the School of Theatre and Dance (Box Office) website: Stupendous, hilarious, poignant, and outrageous–a few words that only begin to capture the glory of this highly original work of dance theatre created by New York choreographer and UF faculty member Neta Pulvermacher. Be prepared for the unusual as you journey through the mysterious, musical and colorful world of dance. It was very entertaining from beginning to end.  When you first walk in, the dance director gives you a handful of pennies and asks you to place a coin on any interesting “object”. All of the dancers were posed in very different positions.

As I placed a penny in one of the dancer’s hand, they quickly began to ad-lib a graceful movement, as if a penny was a reward for their performance. I did that a few times more until I ran out of pennies. That was the best part of the presentation.

Many of the dance pieces included hip-hop, ballet, salsa, and modern. Their mysterious movements left me  wondering what was coming next. It was mind boggling, colorful, noisy, but quiet; intimidating, but inviting; weird, but practical. I sat in my seat with great suspicion whatever I thought would happen.

I absolutely loved every minute of it! They even performed a dance piece to Micheal Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal”…WHOA! All of these performances involved buckets….yea, I said that – buckets. Never would I imagine that something so creative and entertaining could come from using a bunch of buckets. My eyes were glued because I didn’t want to miss anything.

This dance performance has been one of the best I’ve seen thus far. It was both interactive and entertaining; not one dull moment. This performance is one that encourage anyone to go see! You should go see it yourself!

Genuine Hilarity = Phill Wade

Okay, so I’m going to be very honest about this. Phill Wade didn’t really keep my attention by singing original love songs; I honestly discovered this YouTube sensation accidentally. I LOVE Trey Songz, so I was on YouTube, Skype, Facebook, and everything else because Songz was releasing a new album very soon. I wanted a little laugh, so I did a YouTube search about Trey Songz impersonations. This is how Phill Wade initially grabbed the attention of his current fan base. He even earned props from Trey Songz himself. I just couldn’t stop laughing when I first watched this video.

A Highly Sophisticated, Poetic, Funny, and Handsome PV grad on the RISE….

These days, YouTube and other media sharing websites are profusely utilized as a forefront for aspiring singers, composers, writers, dancers, and any other realm in what many people consider to be performing arts.  As for myself, I log on to YouTube almost 6 to 7 times a week…mainly to see what’s in store for the future of music and theatre. Sometimes I stumble upon people whom I have met in different cities like Atlanta and New York City. Each time I log on to any site for personal sharing, I find both riveting and atrocious personal performances.

One thing I always appreciate every time I go on Facebook, or Twitter, or Tumblr, is Phill Wade. I decided to showcase the talent I became deeply fond with on my blog just to show that he may be the next up and coming R&B stars. He’s funny, handsome, very intelligent, and his poetic ambiance is unforgettable. His presence reassures me that there are some people in my generation who know what real R&B is…without a doubt. Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Phill Wade…