Who do you trust? Who would you vote for? (Obama photo: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. No, seriously. Thank you… Thank you. Madame Speaker Michnik, Vice President Gelb, members of SIWJ, distinguished blog readers, and fellow Americans. Our blog calendars and syllabus require us to, from time to time, give information on the state of the SIWJ union. It has been three full weeks since I took up my position as a student studying abroad in the nation’s capital. I was greeted by the harshness of winter, unfamiliar surroundings, tough opposition by the SIWJ female partisanship, and high expectations for change and self-improvement by not only Vice President Gelb and Madame Speaker Michnik, but also myself.
We were thrown into unknown territory attempting to figure out the business and technical aspects of journalism as well as trying to give a working definition of just what it is we’ve gotten ourselves into here. We were taught Final Cut Pro, iWeb, blogging, taking 35 sentences and turning it into 4 for television writing, and the fine art of hard news writing from the often mistaken yet still district legend and all around great man Bob Levey. We even had a chance to attend a lecture with Thomas Friedman and shortly thereafter I strangely have started to think more geostrategic, geoeconomic, capitalistic and patriotic. It seems as though I have finally become stronger on my convictions to change for the better.
This can be a daunting and overwhelming amount of information to take in and applied correctly for any student. These are truly tough times. And this was all before I even walked through my internship doors.
Fellow SIWJers: we must wage battle on two different fronts. We must face the perils of our internship on one end. And at the other we must face our fears of judgment put down on us by the program itself. But do not be afraid. Do not be intimidated by these fears. Accept that, as I have, that it’s our responsibility to embrace the challenges that face us and in doing so we will become better because of it. We must be the example that all aspire to be, no matter what battle we’re fighting day to day. Whether it’s being challenged by Bob Levey to think D.C. politics and journalism, learning new forms of media, or specific internship challenges, we must be strong. We must be that shining light of innovation, invention, and fortitude that illuminates the dark tunnel of journalism that lies ahead of us, not only for ourselves, but for future generations as well.
However, for all the learning and accomplishments felt during these first weeks, there has been just as many setbacks. From attempting to transcribe an inaudible interview recording for work and going through hours of footage at my own internship, to having Final Cut crash numerous times forcing me to start over again, to trouble with saving the iWeb site, there has been more than a few nights that had me banging my head against the wall. Simply put, there may always be ridiculous opposition that will try to stand in our way towards succeeding here. But we will not be deterred. No longer will we twiddle our thumbs mindlessly as the time runs swiftly into that good night. After being pushed into the deep-end week one with no hope of return, no matter the test, SIWJ members have persevered through the murky depths of journalism and come out stronger, better, and more united because of it. Giving up was not an option for our American forefathers and neither will it be for us.
Now, SIWJers, let’s clear something up. We all have different backgrounds. We all have different stories and beliefs. But there is one thing that has always tied us together: aspiration. We aspire to become better than we are now, to show that we are apt, capable, and motivated enough to impress but ultimately defeat VP Gelb’s rigorous program. Even though there is a strong female majority in the program, we (I) must not run for the hills. I will not be intimidated by partisan threats and bad short-term politics. I’m asking that when something goes wrong, the blame shouldn’t be placed on the shoulders of the easiest male scapegoat, but instead, all of ours, because let’s be honest, even Atlas got tired once in awhile. So I implore you members of the SIWJ program that in order for us to become a fabled “survivor” of this program we must put aside our genetic differences and work together to become the most celebrated group to graduate from the program since Washington himself.
After three long and tired weeks at SIWJ, I feel that I have learned and retained more knowledge than I had in any previous year at college. The challenges are difficult. The grading is harsh. The work hours are long. It is these times where we are tested most. When all we want to do is stop doing work for a second to rest, sleep, or simply go out for a drink; this is when we must show our resolve in the face of adversity. This is just the beginning, though. There are many more months to come with seemingly impossible tasks to accomplish. But I have never been more hopeful for our futures than I am right now. If we survived these first three weeks together with our wits and minds still in tact, then together, we have the resiliency to succeed.
I’m just going to safefully assume that that there was loud, raucous, often annoying applause after every sentence, possibly including some confirming headshakes from readers and VP Gelb during every great point, regardless of accuracy. For that, I thank you. Yes, thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Good night D.C. blogosphere, and God bless the united peoples of SIWJ.
Note: CNN: no need for a fact check here. Seriously though, don’t fact check this. I’m watching you Wolf Blitzer.
