Alex Takes A Trip to... Atlanta (Week 1)

Hey, y'all!

This week has been a whirlwind of adventure, learning, socializing, and more broken Apple products (it never ends). Sorry for being so absent! I finally got my baby back (aka, my MacBook) on Wednesday, so I was waiting until the weekend to blog about the week's activities.

Ironically, I'm blogging from the Apple Store waiting on another repair. This time, it's my beautiful phone. Said damage can be seen here:

My other baby, in all her misery

Lesson learned: never cook and talk at the same time.

But, enough about the phone. This week was my first week at HLN, and it was pretty exciting! On day 1, I experimented with traveling by taking the train (aka MARTA) for the first time. It reminded me a lot of when I lived in New York as a kid and having to take the subway literally everywhere. However, when I was a kid, I never experienced a train breaking down in the middle of my commute... on the first day of work.

I was a mess.

I started calling my parents and boyfriend crying, checking the app to see if I would still make it to the CNN Center on time (I did, thank God).

After the mess that was my commute and after finally getting inside and through security (which is INTENSE, by the way), we had our intern orientation. We were all put into one giant conference room and went through the different company policies, human resources information, etc. I met a few people in orientation, seeing as I had to start making friends somewhere (there's over 60 of us this summer). After orientation, our hiring managers picked us up and escorted us to our respective offices.

The HLN offices look like your typical newsroom, only smaller. Everyone has a computer station with three screens, and everyone is working together, kind of like at school. On my left are the video editing and production people, to my right are the rest of the planning and programming crew (such as myself) as well as the online people, and behind and in front of me are the teams for the different programs, such as "Morning Express," "Weekend Express," and "Nancy Grace."

This week, I attended a LOT of meetings and got to sit in on and see the work that goes into planning a program or a specific event (this week included the CMA Festival in Nashville, Tennessee). I learned how to book guests for different programs and how to get them into hair and makeup and into the studio. I played with a lot of puppies this week, met a kid who publicly humiliated his ex-girlfriend, met the Georgia State Senator, and got to witness tons of live broadcasts. I also met a bunch of different anchors and made tons of new friends to do things with, including watching basketball games and going shopping (here's to you, Justin and Elisa).

Though this week has been kind of crazy with the commute and with things breaking down and with me also getting lost virtually everywhere, I'm looking forward to seeing what the next week is going to bring... including working with Kevin Hart this week :D

Until next time! :]

Alex Takes A Trip To... Atlanta

Hello, everyone!

It's been a while since I've last posted anything, but it's summer, so everyone needs a vacation, including yours truly!

Things have been crazy since school ended. I ended up with good grades, a ton of work hours, and a new move!

Currently, I'm writing from Atlanta, Georgia on the eve of my first day of my internship with HLN. For those of you who may not know, I've received an opportunity to intern with HLN as an editorial planning intern. My main duties will be providing feedback and content to the network as they go through this whole revamping process. For those of you who don't know what HLN is, it used to be CNN's sister network, and is home to programs such as "Nancy Grace" and "Morning Express."

Atlanta has been a whirlwind of adventure so far. There's so many things to do and see, it's almost a little overwhelming. I came into the city really late on Friday night, leaving all of Saturday and Sunday to explore and get to know my surroundings. On Saturday, I visited the CNN Center, which will be my new work home come Monday. I also drove around and got to see the Atlanta Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and Centennial Olympic Park, which was really cool. Sunday, I visited Piedmont Park and then traveled into Buckhead for some last-minute internship essentials. There's so much history and something going on on every little corner at all times. I definitely felt at home.

Afterwards, I did some exploring on the outskirts of town, going to different malls and shopping plazas while trying to gain my bearings (because, let's be real, what girl moves to a new city and doesn't find out where all of the places to shop are?). I dropped my computer off at an Apple Store since it crashed the day before I got here, so here's to hoping that from here on out I'll be able to write to y'all from there instead of from my new roommate's iPad.

Speaking of roommates, my host family is the most amazing group of people I've ever met. They're a Colombian family that are friends of a family friend, and I've never felt more at home. My host mom has a daughter who lives in the room next to mine, is a year older, and is finishing up grad school at Georgia State. Her best friend lives in the room opposite mine and is also close to me in age. This summer, not only will I be learning a lot in the newsroom, but I'll also be finally forced into speaking Spanish on a regular basis, so this should be interesting.

I also met a sorority sister up here, which is pretty exciting. It just goes to show how connected a group of people can be regardless of where you're all from.

That's it for now. Tomorrow is my first day, and I still haven't gotten a hang of how to take the MARTA transit to and from CNN. I'll keep y'all posted on how that goes. Let's hope this city doesn't swallow me whole in one day!



Until next time,
Alex :)


P.S., pictures to come when I get my MacBook back in my hands!

CMIR Life

Life here as a CMIR journalism student at UF has been full of great opportunities and experiences. Every time I walk into the 21st Century News Lab to work on a project or to put together a news piece for the day, I'm constantly reminded of how privileged and blessed I am to be in a school where we have the opportunity to work hands-on with so many great and knowledgable people. I can easily say that I have friends studying journalism and working to get into the industry at other schools, and they don't have what we have at our fingertips.

Working in the INF has its benefits because it's all-encompassing and all-inclusive. In the newsroom, everyone from all different facets of the station are all working under one roof. Web, TV, and radio all come together and work with and for each other to have a better and finalized project.

Typically, I come in once a week for my news shift. The crew for that day will have a morning meeting at 9:30, where we'll all pitch our stories for the 5:00 and 6:00 shows to our producers and news directors. There will also be reporters sitting in the meeting from web, radio, and weather. The producers then assign us our stories based on whatever we discuss, and we're off either in pairs or on our own to tackle the news of the day.

I usually am done with my story and am back at the station around 2:00 or 2:30. I then begin to work on my script and edit my footage, whether I'm reporting, photographing, or both on the given day. I'm usually done with my stories a little before the show starts.

There will be times where it gets very stressful. Producers and directors are busy, so they're unable to edit your copy. Computers crash all of the time and packages get lost. ENPS will suddenly shut down and there goes your whole script. When there's a news break, you literally have to either drop or throw out whatever it was that you were were working on and start all over again on the developing story. A day in the life of a student journalist isn't all that easy.

What I mostly like to work on are my personal projects. You can view one of them here, and other student projects here. The newsroom is emptier and less crowded and chaotic, which allows me to think more freely and relax as I work. It also allows me to focus more on detail as opposed to working under a time constraint and making myself more prone to make mistakes.

I also like to study in the AHA! Lab. It's bright and colorful, so it brightens your mood as you work, there's coffee machines at your disposal (my favorite part), and I like to think of it like a miniature version of Library West's graduate floor, but accessible to everyone. There's study pods, interactive whiteboards, study booths, and more. It really is a great place to study, hide out, or hang out.

Working in CMIR facilities such as these has made me realize how truly fortunate I am to attend a university such as this. By working in both the INF and the AHA! Lab, I've learned how to work more effectively, more efficiently, and I've greatly expanded my talents beyond my wildest expectations.

The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point was, for me, a very long yet insightful read, and if you apply the context and different strategies to online and multimedia journalism, you can easily see how the text directly affects how we conduct ourselves in this sort of virtual, interactive, journalistic atmosphere.

The first part of the book mentions three different types of people: Connectors, Salesmen, and Mavens. We, as multimedia journalists, are Connectors. We connect different groups of people everyday through our stories and through our interactions with people, and that goes for in-person reporting and online reporting. Everyday when you walk into the newsroom, you never know who you're going to meet or which way your story is going to turn or who has some sort of contact or connection in relation to your pitch until you go out there and connect with people. That is literally the foundation of our occupation-- connectivity.

Another good thing that I thought the author brought up, especially in relation to connectivity and connectedness, is how the greatest of things always come from something small. For example, in the introduction, the author brought up the topic of infectious diseases and how they usually start out in a random, small group of people or from an area that isn't well-known or occupied, and yet these huge diseases that have affected us throughout the course of human history and that even continue to affect us today (ie: STDs) came out of these tiny places.

The same goes for ideas or basically anything else in life. If something were to grow big or if you want something to get bigger, you need to start small.

Lastly, and this is what I think stuck out to me the most, was that in life you have to work hard and put things out multiple times in order to make them stick. I think that this point was ironic because in today's world, especially in news, people complain about always seeing or hearing the same movie or song or news about the same accident, actress, disaster, person, etc., yet if we didn't put out multiples of something, how would someone remember it? How would it stick out in someone's mind?

(Also, shoutout to Sesame Street and Blue's Clues for making it into the book. Thank you for the childhood memories and helping me learn my ABCs and 123s)

One Step Closer to the Edge

In my previous post, I gave a shoutout to some of my friends and their awesomeness. Time for some more shoutouts!

Ashley is another fashionista in my life, whether she's rocking a power suit in the newsroom or really adorable (and affordable) finds from her thrift shop adventures. This post shows jsut how cute her clothes are... and also how badly I want them. Care to share closets, Ashley?

Bobby is another good friend of mine. We've actually known each other since high school! He's done some GREAT work for the ESPN affiliate on campus, even helping to host the radio shows. You can check out some of Bobby's work here.

Lastly, Missy and I have gotten closer this year in our TV2 class. As members of the Panhellenic Greek community here at UF, we're heavily involved in participating and being active in philanthropic events on campus throughout the year. One of those events is Dance Marathon, where over 800 Gators stand for 26.2 hours to raise money for sick children being treated in the Shands Pediatric Medical Facility here in Gainesville. Last year through DM, we raised over $1.1 million for the Children's Miracle Network, which is AMAZING. As a former participant in Dance Marathon and as a senior at UF, I encourage anyone who can to help Missy and I fundraise for this fantastic cause For the Kids!

If you'd like to make a contribution to Dance Marathon, you can visit my personal page here.

Two Steps Closer to the Edge

Throughout this entire journey in journalism, I've encountered a lot of different people and formed a bunch of friendships.

A fun fact about me: I was a swimmer for about six years, starting in middle school and "retiring" after my senior year of high school (I didn't really have a career out of it, but retiring sounds better than quitting or getting burned out). So, when I came to UF and ended up having a few classes with Elizabeth Beisel, you can probably guess that I freaked out just a bit.

Turns out, Liz is hands-down one of the sweetest people that I've ever met, and chances are if you've hung out with her, she's one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, too. She's also a pretty great journalist, and I think it's kind of cool (and ironic) that she's in the industry when the media already plays such a huge role in her life as an athlete.

Still haven't caught on yet? She's an Olympian. You're welcome.

Another great person in my life is Jesse. He's the sassy friend that you've always wanted and more, and I've learned a lot about my work through what he does. He's the only person that I know that can say that they have a job for a news station in college. A JOURNALISM JOB IN COLLEGE. And here's everyone else freaking out about their future when this kid's already started his. Four for you Jesse, you go Jesse.

Lastly, Taylor is one of the most fashionable people I've ever met. Anytime I see one of her outfits, I take mental style notes. She's taken newsroom style to a whole new level. She even dedicated an entire blog post to newsroom fashion, which I think is a good go-to for any everyday fashion tips. My style is very simple and tasteful (at least I think so), and always consists of dressing up staple closet items, such as dark jeans, a casual blazer, ballet flats, or a simple boatneck top.

I shop at the likes of J.Crew and Gap, because although the style is constantly changing, everything revolves around those basic pieces, whether it's a pair of embellished chino shorts or dressing up an outfit with a statement necklace (such as this one, which I LOVE), and I think that Taylor's embraced that wholeheartedly and it shows.

A Little Bit About Me...

Hey, all! It's been some time, but I'm back!

Earlier this semester, I posted an introductory post with a little bit of information about myself. I guess that this post won't be too formal or intensive, but will still have some more information about who I am, my hobbies, and my passions in life.

I'm from Deerfield Beach, Florida, which is a town about 15 minutes south of Boca Raton and about an hour north of Miami. I have one younger brother who's turning 17 next week, which is kind of scary to me seeing that in a year he'll be packing up and going to college (hopefully he'll be a Gator like his big sister). My parents are my heroes and best friends, especially with the journey that my family has gone through over the past nine months with my father's stroke. (UPDATE: Dad went back to work over spring break, which was AWESOME!!!)

I love shopping, music, going to the beach, watching sports (gotta love my Gators, Bucs, and Miami Heat) and food. I'm a self-proclaimed foodie. I might even become a travel/food journalist just so I can roam around the world and try new and different things. My friends like to consider me a localized Anthony Bourdain, just without the TV show. I also love photography, exploring through nature, and spending time with my friends, family, boyfriend, and our two pets, a cat named Smeagol (yes, after the Lord of the Rings character) and our brand-new puppy named Wrex (because he likes to be mischievous and break things).

I graduate in December, and I really have no idea what my plans are for graduation, especially since it's literally five days before Christmas. I plan on starting to apply for jobs in the fall and hopefully, with all of the hard work and prayers I've put in thus far and more, I'll land something somewhere decent and pursue my dream of becoming a journalist. If not, my backup plan (as of now) is to get my teaching certificate so I can teach high school english or journalism, then eventually get my master's in education or leadership.

This class has definitely taught me a lot about branding and marketing myself, and most importantly sharing my life and experiences with others, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for me.

Until next time, y'all :]

It's Resume Time!

Alexandra Rivera

SEO Post #3/Intro to Spring Break

I must admit, finding a second group of topics to write about for this post was a bit difficult. So, instead of focusing on current events, I figured I'd write a bit about what's going on in my life instead of in the world.

As everyone knows, Spring Break is coming up, and tons of UF students are busy either studying for midterm exams or finishing getting in that last-minute beach body workout (except for me). Most of my friends are going on cruises to either the Keys or Cozumel, but due to recent events involving cruise ships, I'm opting to stay home and find some things to do.

There's usually nothing to do in Boca, and to some extent that's true. But, with the opening of two new burger restaurants (BurgerFi and Tucker Duke's in my hometown of Deerfield Beach), beaches, and being only an hour away from Miami, I've accepted that there may be some fun things to do!

But, another task that I have to tackle during spring break is applying to internships. Tons. And. Tons. Of. Internships. Which means that I have to work on my resume, which can be found here.

I'm hoping to stay in-state, but if anything else comes up out-of-state, I'm more than willing to relocate for any position that I receive.

Spring Break 2014 may be low-key this year, but I'm excited to see what the next week brings! Stay tuned!

SEO Post #2

This week, some of the world's trends include the Daytona 500, the close of the Winter Olympics, and Justin Timberlake, especially after his performance with Jimmy Fallon on his show this past Friday.

First, let's start with the Daytona 500. It happened today at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The biggest story coming out of the 500 today would probably be that the race was halted due the the inclement weather sweeping the state, which was also definitely noticeable in Gainesville all day today. There are currently a couple of floods outside of my bedroom window.

The Olympics also ended today, with Russia winning the final medal count with 33 medals. The United States came in second place in the medal count with 28 medals. The other funny thing about today's Closing Ceremonies was that Russia was actually able to make fun of its technical difficulties during the Opening Ceremonies, forming this structure in today's event.

Another big story today is Jason Collins signing his contract with the Brooklyn Nets, making him the first openly gay player in the NBA. Before signing this contract, there hasn't been a single game in NBA history played with an openly gay player on the floor.

Finally, Justin Timberlake is making headlines after making an appearance on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show this past Friday night. Timberlake stopped by his friend's set to take a break from his 20/20 Experience Tour. The two performed a new installment in their "History of Rap" series, which is absolutely hilarious and definitely took me on a ride down Memory Lane (I grew up listening to a lot of these songs as a kid).

You can watch the "History of Rap Parts 1-4" here.

Also, I really just love Jimmy Fallon, especially when he's hanging out with Justin #BringJT2UF

A Step Back From the Serious

A lot of the news today has been full of death and destruction. So for this assignment, I chose to step back from some of the serious and not-so-happy everyday topics that we're faced with, and decided to take a more positive approach, because positive thinking equals a positive attitude!

One of my favorite websites to browse is Buzzfeed. Buzzfeed has proven itself to not only be a pretty legitimate news source, but it's just a fun site in general. It literally has something for everyone, whether it's a quiz or a post solely dedicated to food. A lot of the posts are relatable or downright hilarious, which makes it a great place for me to visit at any time of the day.

Recently, there's been a lot of talk about Jimmy Fallon's debut hosting the Tonight Show, including who his guests were, random famous people that stopped by, and "The Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing."

Some other great posts obviously involve the Olympics. Currently, the U.S. is first in the medal count after lagging behind for a couple of weeks, so that's a great sign of achievement for our country. Seeing our athletes triumph, go for gold, set records, and make history.

Lastly, any post involving animals is a sure way to brighten your day, because who doesn't like little, furry creatures doing funny things?

The World of the Modern Journalist

The two videos below are just a couple of things that we, as journalists, may hear or see on a regular basis, whether it's a good snippet of sound from an interview, an intriguing quote, or something that's just plain out of the ordinary. What I really like about this CNN promo is that it's an advertisement for a news organization that already broadcasts its news 24/7 both on TV and on the Internet. It's interesting to me that a news organization with that broad of circulation would have its own YouTube channel for even more news. It almost begs the question of whether it's enough new or too much news, but upon browsing the channel some more, you're able to find things on the YouTube channel that are different from the news channel, such as more personal and one-on-one interviews.

The other reason why I chose this video is because the promo throws out adjectives at the viewer, captivating them into some of the aspects of what makes journalism so interesting and great. Words such as "childproof," "determined," "moving," and "revealing" speak to the viewer and kind of give them insight as to what the news is all about, because as journalists we should strive to make our stories as compelling as they possibly can be, and I think that those words accurately describe the world that we're working in.

The next video I feel speaks more to some of the obstacles journalists face on the job, especially when they're shooting live from the scene of wherever it is that the story is breaking. People are constantly trying to wave, get in our shots behind our backs, throw us off from doing our jobs, even "photobomb" us just so we can give them some sort of attention and put them on TV.

The following video is from the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore as he was reporting live from the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina during Winter Storm Leon, the storm that ravaged through the Deep South and left many under blankets of snow and without power for several days.

Cantore handles this encounter flawlessly, not to mention that the entire thing is absolutely hilarious. Just a bit of humor to brighten your day.

Until next time, friends!

"Dont Make Me Think"

After reading "Don't Make Me Think" by Steve Krug, I began to think about all of the different websites that I visit on a regular basis and how they correlate (or don't correlate) to Krug's guidelines and advice (since he doesn't like to call them "rules").

I believe that Krug is right in regards to keeping things simple and to the point with websites. No one, including myself, likes when things are too busy and are hard to find. It makes finding what it is that you're looking for a lot harder and, frankly, more frustrating. I began to recall certain sites in my mind where I had encountered this myself, and realized that he was right. Accessibility is key, and if you set something up that no one else can find and don't provide any answers or solutions, you're going to gain less views and customers.

Another thing that I've come to believe makes a good website is layout, especially when it comes to certain tabs and links. I can't count the number of times where the home button on a site was randomly displayed elsewhere or where a link for customer service or FAQs was hiding. Layout is indeed everything. I personally can't stand sites where there's too much Flash on it or too many tabs and features on the homepage (sorry, American Eagle Outfitters). I also can't stand it when I have to jump over 5,000 hoops to get a phone number or an email address, and I really can't stand it when sites have a contact page with no Internet or email contact (ie: Amazon in some cases, Chegg). If your layout isn't going to give your consumer what he or she is looking for, especially if he or she has an inquiry, then what's the point of having a site at all? Again, it all comes down to supply and demand, and most importantly, answers.

Finally, the part that I liked the most about the entire book was towards the end when Krug delved more into the accessibility aspect of a website, especially when it came to users with disabilities. My father suffered a stroke this summer and is completely paralyzed on one side of his body. My father also was one of the heads in charge of the IT department of Palm Beach County, so he knows his computers. To watch him not be able to do his work or to not be able to fix certain parts and use certain sites and piece things together like he used to is difficult, so this piece of the book definitely spoke to me because I feel that that's something that a lot of web developers don't really think about when they're putting something together, and that's "How can we make this so that EVERYONE can benefit and access our site."

Ironically, as my dad is slowly but surely getting back to work, this is one of the projects he's currently working on, because he wants everyone to be able to use and access a computer or website without feeling like they have to struggle with it just because they may have some sort of disability or impairment.

Overall, I feel as if I gained some more knowledge regarding web development and web building, and a lot of the points that he touched on were indeed agreeable, and I feel that going forward with this blog, I'm going to try to find ways to not make people think when they look at it.

Flu Season is the Worst Season

By now, many are aware that it's currently the peak of flu season, and it's getting so bad that people all over the nation, young and old, are dying of certain strains of the flu, including the H1N1 strain, otherwise known as "swine flu."

Here in Gainesville, it's no different. Children and the elderly have passed, doctor's offices and pharmacies have been experiencing shortages of vaccines, and students here at UF have been holed up in their rooms coughing and loading up on medicine.

Students such as myself.

I was fortunate enough to receive my flu vaccine before the initial onset of the disease hit town during my annual physical. Being a UF student, I was able to receive it for free, a blessing to students here on campus. Faculty and staff members may have to pay upwards of $30 just to protect themselves from getting the bug.

However, this was in October, and although I didn't have a full-on flu and wasn't miserable for days, it was enough to hinder my work ability in the newsroom and to land me in bed for a good three days.

It. Was. Miserable.

I had to work my 10-hour TV2 shift with a sore throat and a slight headache, and by the time the day ended, all I wanted to do was lay in my bed covered in blankets and warm clothing. I had gone out to dinner with a couple of friends after the shift, still feeling feverish as I ate my California flatbread at Chili's (although I did savor the avocado on top. I was not going to let a fever stop me from enjoying one of my favorite foods).

By 10:00 that night I was done. I was in bed by 11:30, shivering and freezing cold. My thermometer said that I didn't have a temperature, but when I woke up on Saturday morning, it read 99.9 degrees and climbing.

Wonderful.

Unfortunately, I was unable to spend my entire day resting and relaxing. I had to work a four-hour shift at my job, only to come back later that evening and work another three-hour shift, feeling downright awful and risking infecting everyone around me. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of Saturday, that when my little sister in my sorority came by with two giant boxes of assorted Midnight Cookies and a TV Guide, I was delirious in my feverish stupor.

I was out like a light by 11:30, and apparently so was she. I awoke in the middle of the night to find that Law and Order: SVU was still on and we had both fallen asleep surrounded by cookies.

Good news: my fever had broken. Bad news: I was still exhausted and surrounded by cookies that were cold and probably inedible by that point since they'd been laying around in my bed for about two and a half hours.

So, as a note of precaution to anyone out there who's reading this: GET YOUR FLU SHOT. Fevers are the worst, even if they only last about 24 hours.

That One Time Alex Was A Director

In becoming the journalist that I want to be, I want to try my hand at all of the different aspects of journalism, not just reporting.

Since last fall, I've had an internship with The Ilene Silverman Show, a local television program that airs on about three different channels here in Gainesville. I've been doing production work for the show, including (but not limited to) shooting video, working with setup and breakdown of the set, working with microphones and lighting, catering to the host and guests, and most recently, directing from the production booth.

Manning the stations.

I was so anxious and scared, mostly because the last time I was put in front of a bunch of buttons and knobs, I ended up messing up an anchor reading off of the teleprompter during the filming of her tease for the 5:00 news because I was going too fast for her pace and she yelled at me and all of the other producers lost faith in me. But, I knew that without me "being the boss" as my new boss likes to call it, there would be no show.

The first couple of rounds were rough. It was difficult to keep an eye on what was happening on screen while simultaneously keeping track of time cues and giving camera directions to the other producer out on set (they don't have automated cameras, so everything has to be moved around manually).

After about the third segment, I began to get the hang of telling the producer where to go while making sure that the takes were all correct and that we were also on time. The taping actually ended going by super-quickly, and I received a lot of praise from my boss as well as the host for my work and for not losing it. Most importantly, I was proud of myself for getting through a high-anxiety situation and for no one yelling at me!

Everyone's faith remained in me, and I gained some confidence and faith in myself. Maybe this production route wouldn't be so bad after all. Only the future well tell. Until next time...

Alex Takes A Trip To... Tallahassee

There comes a point in every Gator's life when he or she randomly decides that it's somehow a good decision to take a trip up to "That School Up North."

This Gator girl had one of those moments this past weekend, right after the end of her first TV2 shift.

One of my best friends attends Florida State University, and occasionally, yes, we do like to visit each other.

My best friend Camilla and I, May 2013.

So, on this weekend where there weren't any sporting events, plans with other friends or family, visits from my long-distance boyfriend, or basically anything in general, I made the two-hour journey to FSU to visit Camy.

And, no, I did not party up and down the Strip or go to any crazy clubs or parties. We had a nice, low-key girls' weekend, full of working out, manicures, shopping, lunches, coffee shop dates, and cupcakeries.

Friday night was low-key. Camy and I went out to grab sushi at a restaurant called Sakura. According to her, it was "the third-best sushi restaurant in Tallahassee," but I still thought it was pretty good, so I only wonder how great the other two places are.

We both ordered a spicy tuna roll with double tuna and avocado, while I ordered a small spicy salmon roll and she ordered a small Alaska roll and a miso soup on the side.

It. Was. Delicious.

NOM.

Saturday, Camy and I started our day with a workout session at her apartment complex's gym. After about 40 minutes of cardio and a breakfast of an egg white, spinach, ham, and avocado scramble, the two of us along with her roommate Cecile headed out to a nail salon called Nailbar, otherwise known as "one of the 60 things you need to do in Tallahassee before you graduate." Camy opted for a shellac french manicure and Cecile for a light coral shellac manicure, while I went for a deep burgundy regular manicure (just 'cause this girl's on vacation doesn't mean she still isn't on a budget).

I didn't see what the big deal was except for the fact that there were two fully-stocked liquor bars inside the salon (hence the name, I suppose). To me, it was just another excuse for these Noles to get drunk all of the time. Also, it took forever and a half for us to be seated at a manicurist's area.

However, they did do a very good job, and even though I messed up about half of my manicure less than five minutes after leaving the salon while waiting in line for the best lunch ever (aka, Chipotle), my manicurist was more than happy to fix it up for me. Needless to say, I've been on a manicure kick since the weekend, and I'm already planning which color I want to wear next!

Classy.

After manicures and lunch, we stopped at this "cupcakery" that I've heard tons and tons of great reviews about, which peaked my interest because a) I am OBSESSED with cupcakes and b) I'm obsessed with cupcakes so much that in high school, I dedicated my entire year to going to different cupcake shops in and around South Florida and ranking them from personal best to personal worst.

It's called Lucy and Leo's, and it's located just outside of FSU in this quaint, adorable little coral-and-turquoise colored cottage-looking building, next to a boutique that sells cute clothes and gameday dresses (but to my dismay, said boutique had already closed for the day).

Camy treated me to a warm, fresh-from-the-oven cookies and cream cupcake topped with a mini Oreo cookie and herself to a red velvet cupcake with a cream cheese swirl and multicolored sprinkles. I also received a pink candle on my cupcake to celebrate my first visit to the bakery.

These cupcakes were amazing, y'all.

They were nice and crisp on top and so deliciously moist the more you ate into it. The icing was sweet, but not overwhelmingly sweet to the point where you felt sick afterward. And they were just so warm.

Happiness in a little paper cup.

The more I think about it as I type, the more I'm craving one. It's too hard to resist.

Saturday night was rounded out with some shopping at a boutique called Henri Girl (they have one here in Gainesville in the new building next to How Do You Roll?, another sushi favorite of mine), where I managed to snatch a $35 white, chiffon, high-low blouse with a cutout back on super-sale for $9, and a caffeine fix at Atomic Coffee, a local coffee favorite whose new location opened on the lobby of Camy's apartment building. I ordered a S'mores latte for myself, since it was 30 degrees and freezing, but was slightly disappointed at the fact that I couldn't taste the chocolate and marshmallow syrup until I reached the bottom of the cup.

In all, I really did have a nice, relaxing weekend with my best friend. I made new friends, went to some new places, and most importantly had some new adventures and new experiences. Maybe Tallahassee isn't so bad after all...

Just kidding. GO GATORS!

Back to School (And By School, I Mean Reporting)

This past Friday, I began what is going to be the slew of day-long reporting shifts known as TV2. Reporting shifts are an essential part of the TV2 course here at UF, making sure that each and every student enrolled gains knowledge, experience, and most importantly notoriety in the newsroom. It's a way to ensure that everyone gets antiquated with a newsroom setting, its stories, its deadlines, its staff, and its newscasts.

I was EXTREMELY nervous for my first shift, almost as nervous as I was the first time I stepped into TV20's newsroom back in May. I knew who my critics would be (news directors, TV3's, and more experienced TV2's alike), and my biggest downfall was that I was having the WORST lapse in creativity and was lacking a decent enough story idea for the 9:30 a.m. morning meeting.

My solution? Advancing events in the community for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day the upcoming Monday.

What?

I knew I could do better than that, but surprisingly, it worked and was my initial assignment...

Until a train crashed in Dunnellon and the 6 p.m. editor had my photog and I rushing out the door with our equipment and a very, very vague press release from Marion County Fire Rescue.

Ashley and I were rushing down 13th Street, taking some random, local route brought to us exclusively by the lackluster piece of application technology known as Google Maps (although still way better than if Apple Maps and MapQuest had a lovechild), with our equipment and searching for the track in which this literal train wreck had occurred earlier that morning.

En route to our destination, we passed by a large SUV that had overturned and had a shattered windshield as well as a roof that was crushed in alongside some FHP officers, a fire rescue truck, and a tow truck. We called back into the newsroom and asked our producer if she wanted any footage of the wreck, and surely enough, we found ourselves making a U-turn to head towards the accident.

Upon arriving at the scene, one FHP officer told us to keep on moving along. Therefore, no footage. Back to square one of finding the derailed train.

We drove a few more miles and sure enough, there it was all along the left-hand side of the road-- nine cars overturned, coal spilling out of every nook and cranny.

Ashley and I quickly set up our equipment, seeing as more and more reporters were either already reporting from the scene or starting to come around for their stories.

I recorded a quick stand-up, just in case our project ended up turning into something more than what was asked of us (it didn't, but look at how great this picture is!).

After the stand-up, I conducted my interview with a man who showed up to the accident. He was a self-proclaimed "railroad enthusiast," and had worked around and researched the history of railroading for 35 years. He was also a former employee of the railroad company that owned the derailed train for 10 years, and he was able to provide a lot of great insight for the newscast since the railroad crew members wouldn't talk to us.

I knew right then and there, driving back to the station, that if I could handle something as impromptu as this, that I could handle any assignment that came and is going to come my way, and needless to say, this girl's nerves were calmed beyond belief.

But then again, this is just the beginning. Until next time...

Welcome!

Hi! My name is Alexandra Rivera, but you can call me Alex for short. I'm a senior in the Telecommunications News track here at UF with a minor in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. I absolutely love everything about journalism. For me, journalism is more than a job. It's more than working long hours in a newsroom for little compensation, more than crazy deadlines, computer crashes, and a declining market. To me, journalism is telling stories, making people's voices heard, and putting a face to the many problems that we hear about in today's world.

My journalistic career started in the sixth grade. I worked on my middle school's newspaper as a writer, and when I entered high school I became the first and only freshman to join my high school's newspaper staff (it was solely an upperclassman course at the time), breaking the barriers for younger writers who wanted to come into the class but were unable to.

Since then, everything has kind of snowballed into where I am today. I worked as a freelance writer outside of school, working for numerous outlets covering entertainment media such as movie reviews and local bands. I was a writer for the South Florida SunSentinel's youth newspaper, TeenLink. I also attended summer programs both at UF and the University of Miami. My senior year of high school, I was a recipient of the Palm Beach Post's Pathfinder Award in Journalism, one of, if not the most, coveted awards in high school academics for Palm Beach County.

Here at UF, I've written and worked for The Independent Florida Alligator, The Florida Odyssey, WUFT-FM, and WCJB-TV20 News. Currently, I'm interning for The Ilene Silverman Show as a production intern. If you want to learn more about me or see some of my work, you can head over to my website, alexandramrivera.wordpress.com. You can also follow me on Twitter at @a_michelle914. There are also links to the aforementioned located on the sidebars of this blog.

On a more personal note, I'm from Deerfield Beach, Florida, a town about 15 minutes south of Boca Raton and an hour north of Miami. I'm a full-blooded Hispanic girl (and proud!), I have two wonderful parents and a younger brother who's a pretty cool kid, and I'm the first in my family to go to college. Coming to school in Gainesville was a bit of an adjustment to me, since I moved from such a big place to a tiny little one, but I've come to love my surroundings and to learn that it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

I love family, friends, food, fashion, football, and faith. I'm a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, my favorite color is pink, and I appreciate a good book, a good manicure, a good outfit, and a good time when appropriate. However, that isn't to say that there aren't times where I like to lay back and ride around in my car on backroads singing songs on the radio. This city girl still loves her sweet tea, a nice time on a lake or in the woods, country music, and her worn-in cowboy boots!

I'm super excited to share some things with you guys, and I really hope that you enjoy my blog!