Author: dannystewart99

Challenge Accepted.

I’ve got a new challenge.

So, at the very beginning of this semester, oh, 10 whole weeks ago. TEN. Isn’t that nuts?

Well, anyway, in my first blog returning from a writing hiatus, I admitted that this whole year was going to be very hard.

This year’s craziness is forcing me to stop podcasting and it’s putting a huge stake in my YouTube video production. That part still holds true, unfortunately.

However, I thought that the main cause to this year’s craziness was going to directly link to written reporting for my classes. This isn’t the case. It still very well could be, but I’ve got a new challenge that doesn’t relate to written reporting at all.

This week, I register for my classes for next semester. Spring 2019: My Final Semester as a college student. Not one of the classes I have in my enrollment shopping cart is a writing intensive course.

I’ve definitely fallen out of love for written reporting and I haven’t exactly hidden that. So, I’ve been trying to focalize my final semester as a journalism student around multimedia journalism and emerging technologies in journalism.

In doing so, I’ve found myself doing more strategic communications work than print journalism and I’m thrilled.

But, when I tried to sign up for one class, multimedia sports journalism, I was held up from receiving a permission number for the course. The professor of the course interviewed me about my video editing capabilities.

If you read this blog and follow my YouTube page, you’ll know full well that I do pretty well at editing video. But, where I lack experience in editing video is in a news format. My hinderance lies in being a print journalism student for the last two years.

I won’t be very far behind but I’m taking this class without too wide of a base beneath me in news video editing. The course certainly isn’t for beginners.

The professor stressed this and asked me to convince him why I should get a permission number for the course.

I didn’t back down and I promised success.

My passions lie way more in multimedia work than they do in print journalism nowadays. I promised I wouldn’t fall behind. My work ethic and my passion wouldn’t allow it. My base in multimedia journalism isn’t wide but my passion for it is. I told him I’d do everything and anything I possibly can to make sure he wasn’t making a mistake.

He’s allowing me to take the class. I’ve got a brand new challenge because someone’s taking a chance on me.

I’m very excited about this specific opportunity and for my overall schedule next semester. I get to prove myself and it’s in my final semester of college.

During my reporting class last week, a visitor came to give a “master class” for journalism students. During this period, the guest gave advice to young journalists.

The one that stuck out to me most was: Don’t lose yourself, your voice or your passions. Life is going to try to make you lose all 3. Journalism acts as a way to not let it.

I’m definitely taking this opportunity to prove myself because I get to show myself for what I truly am. I don’t have to drag ass along and pretend to be enjoying myself. I’m determined to remain myself and to work hard to ace this class along with all my others next semester.

In doing so, I’ll have a degree in my hands and a personal achievement.

I can do it. I’ve even got some homework for this class already. So, I’m going to get started on that!

And now, this song is stuck in my head because it relates to my situation today….kinda. Wish me luck and enjoy the song!

~DS

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches are the greatest sandwiches of all-time

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I feel very light-headed and tired at the moment. The only thing keeping me going is the PB&J sandwich I just ate.

The way I make PB&Js should be the only way to make this godlike sandwich. I learned from my dad. He makes triple decker PB&Js so that’s the way I make them.

First, you put peanut butter on one slice of bread. Then, on another slice of bread, you spread jelly, preferably grape. Then, you slam those two together.

On top of those two, spread peanut butter on one of the open faces. Then, take your final slice of bread and spread more jelly on that. Slam those together and voila, the greatest sandwich of all-time.

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I think Communists eat PB&Js with the crust on. I refuse to eat PB&J with the crust still on. My dad cut the crust off for me and now I cut the crust off of my sandwiches.

If I’m having any meat and cheese sandwiches, the crust remains on my bread. It’s only the PB&J where I refuse to eat the crust.

It’s just not good. A PB&J is a quick and easy sandwich that’s also very sweet while being somewhat nutritional for you. Because it’s sweet, I don’t need the poopy crust on there. I think the crust throws off the equilibrium of the peanut butter and jelly.

That’s why Uncrustables are awesome. The crust stinks and I’m glad Smuckers recognizes that. (Their lone fault is that they’re not homemade.)

Alongside my PB&J, I had a serving of Doritos. For whatever reason, Doritos taste better when eaten alongside a PB&J. There are just some foods that work together and the PB&J with a side of Doritos is at the top of the list for me next to steak and mashed potatoes and burgers and fries.

Look, it’s really hard for me to come up with content for a blog when the class I’m supposed to be writing the blog for hasn’t really started yet.

This blog is supposed to be about my experiences in reporting again but, I don’t start reporting until December. So, for now, I just have to write a blog once a week.

It probably should be about the class itself, but we’ve watched a movie in class the last two periods. We also talked about science journalism.

I don’t give a shit about science journalism.

Do I think it’s necessary? Yes. I’ve never been more afraid of climate change than I am at this moment because of some great science and environmental reporting.

But, learning about it at 9:30 in the morning really just kills me. It sucks. As a sports journalist, my journalism reporting classes have never really specified a week to talk about sports reporting.

It may be selfish of me to want a week of class dedicated to sports journalism. But, if we can have a week dedicated to science journalism and trauma reporting, I think we could squeeze in room about sports reporting.

Here’s the part where I turn a nonsensical blog into a worthwhile one:

As a sports journalist, I feel I must bring light to some sports talk in each blog that I do. I’ve done that so far, so I’m going to continue.

The last time I wrote, I was complaining about David Price shitting the bed in Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.

Since then, the Sox have advanced to the ALCS and are playing a very daunting opponent in the Houston Astros.

Last night in Game 2 of the ALCS, Price didn’t do that shitty. He let up 4 runs. 2 of which were on a bomb by Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez.

The other 2 came after a ball that would’ve been a routine out, squeezed past the solid Red Sox shortstop, Xander Bogaerts.

Xander is awesome. But, two of Price’s runs fall on him. I’m sorry.

The great thing about last night though: the Red Sox tied the ALCS at one game apiece.

Now, Nathan Eovaldi, who I begged to have a great game in my last blog, had an outstanding outing in Game 3 of the ALDS. In which, Eovaldi pitched through 7 innings and kept the Yankees at bay while the Red Sox offense proceeded to crush the Yankees, 16-1.

I need the same thing out of Eovaldi tomorrow night in Game 3 of the CS. Then, it’s Ricky “Porch-lights” Porcello in Game 4. Then probably Chris Sale again in Game 5.

Sale literally, just now, got released from Mass General Hospital with a stomach illness. So:

BREAKING NEWS RIGHT WHEN I WAS WRITING THIS!

Chris Sale got roped a bit during Saturday’s Game 1. I hope that was on part of the stomach illness that was ailing him. I’m just glad it’s not his shoulder.

He’ll be back with the team and the Red Sox have new life in this series.

I’m also very happy from a football standpoint that Tom Brady is still the GOAT and handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss yesterday.

So, that’s it. That’s my blog about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Go Sox.

~DS