Day 65 (Thur., August 11)

The hours are counting down and I am soon to be unemployed again. Boooo!!!!

Today was very light as I focused on office stuff as I get ready to finish out the internship. Tomorrow's my last day, so today I made sure that I cleaned out the computers. That I had all the images I need to save for myself and to have a complete set of newspapers that had my photos published on them.

Toward the end of the day, I headed out to Angelo State University. I had not been over there this summer and this week I have been there on three consecutive days. Today, though, I went in to a different part of the university. This time I actually went in. It was cool walking around campus. It reminds me of why I love school so much. I love to be around students. I love to walk around through the university center and have lunch while reading the newspaper or a book. It's cool to hang out w/ friends in between classes. It's good to go to school. I love school. Betty Taylor says I am a professional student. I guess that's cool. I want to be around the school setting for a long time. That's why someday I will give back and be a photography/journalism teacher at the high school level. Perhaps maybe college. But that won't happen in a long time. First I want to establish myself as a photographer. Learn more about the world and then teach it back to the youth. I want to give back and teach what I learned to young minds. So, walking around the university was cool. I was there to shoot an aviation gallery. I had a lot of fun. I usually take trips to the universities and walk around campus. It reminds me of last October when I walked around University of Texas in Austin. Man! What a sight? I felt so good being there. Some people can't understand how I get so excited to be on campus somewhere. It's hard to understand, but I just love the school setting. I love to learn.

This assignment was very hard as there was no one in the gallery. I had to set my journalism foot firm today, too. The people that run the gallery tried to, as they called it, "set up something to take photos". However, I had a tough time explaining to them that in journalism we do not "set up" anything. We go w/ the flow and shoot reality. So, I just sat on a very comfortable chair in the gallery, hoping that someone would come in and check it out. Then, the people at the gallery insulted my intelligence as a very attractive woman walked in and started looking at the gallery. She looked lost, confused and nervous. Then she looked over to the counter and asked the guy "is this the stuff you want me to look at?" UUHHHHH!!! I was so mad. Here I was thinking that I FINALLY had a subject to shoot (let a lone a good looking one), but it was "set up". The guy came over and I had to explain again that we do not "set up" anything. He said he was instructed to get someone to come model for the photo. Good choice, guy! The "model" would have been "good for a tabloid or advertisement, but not for newspaper photojournalism" as I told him. So, I sat back and waited some more. Finally someone came through and I was able to shoot my assignment. She seemed to be curious about what she was looking at. So, I am more than positive that she was a "real" person.

It is some of these things that make the job fun. We have to be firm and ethical. Because if a journalist is not ethical, then there's something wrong. We depend on ethics so much. I mean, we don't want to look like a divorce lawyer that hits on his client because that person is so-to-speak vulnerable. That's sickening and unethical. Journalism is (should be) not like that.

As I left the university, I had to make my way down to the bookstore. I got me some Angelo stuff and headed out.

Tonight I hung out w/ my San Angelo adoptive parents George and Betty. It was cool because I was able to watch some football w/ George. Not a lot, just a little bit. Just some, though. That's because I am a terrible living room sports fan. I usually fall asleep watching sports if I am in front of a tv. I rather be at the game. Despite having a small nap, I had a good time talking w/ George. He is an amazing person and I wish I lived through his childhood experiences. It seems as though everyone that grew up in the country has some sort of "active" upbringing. Sure, Nintendo and PS2 are cool. But I think building things the way George did when he was young was fun.

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