She Shoots, She Scores!

Tori Oberst, 15, is a teenager who learned to overcome adversity at a young age.  When Tori was 14, she tore her ACL playing basketball for the Steal City traveling team for young girls.

Tori playing for Steal City

Tori has played basketball all her life.  She went to the Catholic grade school, Assumption, 10 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, in Bellevue Borough, where basketball was the school's main sport.  Tori has played basketball since she was little, and her family has always been very involved with the sport.  Her dad coached her all throughout elementary school at Assumption, and tried to never miss a game.

When Tori got injured playing the game she loved, her life changed.  Tori was out of the game for about a year and had to adapt to her new way of life on crutches and being stuck at home.  Tori even had to spend her summer vacation at Wildwood, New Jersey hobbling down the beach on crutches.

"Being at the beach on crutches, was not a fun experience," she said.  "It was terrible, but I wasn't going to let my injury get me down."

Tori had to quickly learn to adapt to her new life on crutches and attend physical therapy sessions in order to gain strength back in her leg so that she could be able to walk again.

"I was on crutches for six weeks, and then I had about six to seven months of physical therapy," Tori said.  "The injury was very severe, and at first I wasn't where they [doctors] wanted me to be, but then it started to get better."

Tori along with her Steal City team after a championship game

She worked hard to gain the strength back in her leg because she was eager to get back into the game.  At school since she wasn't physically able to participate in gym class, she rode a stationary bike to help her leg gain strength.  She was trying everything that she could to try to help herself recover from her injury faster.

When Tori was allowed to go back to school after the surgery, she had to learn how to get around school on crutches and not be a part of everything that her friends were doing.  This was a difficult time for Tori and she had to overcome being left out of something she used to be a part of.  Instead of playing basketball, Tori was watching from the sidelines.  After numerous months of physical therapy, countless trips to the doctor, and learning how to walk again, Tori was finally cleared to get back to playing the sport she loves.

Now Tori attends Northgate High School  and is a sophomore. She starts for the varsity team, even though she is considered to be on the junior varsity team.

"This injury has taught me patience and a lot about not taking things for granted," she said.

It took a while for Tori to get back into the swing of things, but she persevered and worked hard to get back to where she was before her injury.

Now that Tori has made a full recovery, she is back into all things sports.  She also plays volleyball and runs track for Northgate High School.

"Sports are my life," she said.  "Without them, I don't know where I'd be."

Tori playing Northgate High School on December 4, 2015

Biography Proposal

Tori Oberst has overcome adversity at a young age. She tore her ACL and sprained her MCL playing basketball for an AAU league.  She was unable to participate in sports for over a year and had to learn how to walk again.  All aspects of her life became difficult, including taking a shower, navigating the house, and enjoying vacations.  She had to spend her vacation at the beach on crutches.  Sports is Tori's life.  She is very involved with basketball, volleyball, and track.  Not being able to participate in these activities for over a year has been very hard for Tori.  Tori now is able to be fully involved in sports again, but the process of getting back into the swing of things has been a difficult journey for her.  She once was an all star basketball player, but since she was not able to play for over a year, she had to start from the bottom again and prove herself worthy to her team.  Being a teenage girl and having to go through high school and start over again with sports is not an easy challenge to accomplish.  She felt separated from her peers at school and had to prove to them that she could still be an all star player.  Tori was not willing to let an injury stop her from participating in sports, so she overcame this hurdle in her life, and worked hard to get back to where she was before her injury happened.

Tori Oberst taking the shot

Light Up Night

The 55th Annual Light Up Night in Pittsburgh occurred on Friday, November 20.  Light Up Night occurs every year and is something that the citizens of Pittsburgh look forward to.  The festivities of Light Up Night include fireworks, bands, the lighting of the tree, ice skating in Market Square, and much more.  This event is a great way to spend time with loved ones in the city to kick off the holiday season.  Every year the event seems to get bigger and better and Light Up Night this year did not dissapoint.  Even though the Macy's in downtown Pittsburgh is closed, they still put up their Christmas window display that people were able to enjoy and share with their families.  Whatever festivities you participate in, Light Up Night is a yearly tradition that people of all ages can enjoy.

The Christmas tree in Market Square by PPG Place.

Information Tagged Video Proposal

The 55th Annual Light Up Night celebration in Pittsburgh is being held on Friday, November 20.  This event is newsworthy and relevant to college students at Slippery Rock because a lot of Slippery Rock students attend this event.  It's also newsworthy because it is an event that is held every year in the City of Pittsburgh that is designed to kick off the holiday season.  Hundreds of people attend this event, and the crowds seem to grow every year.
At this event, I would plan to take pictures and videos of the various activities occurring, such as musical entertainment, the lighting of the tree, the fireworks display, and anything else that seems to be significant.
For this event, I would like to incorporate a map showing where each event takes place in the city to allow the story telling of Light Up Night to be clear for the viewer.  A map will allow the viewer to understand how spread out the events are and what occurred where.
I plan to interview a college student (not necessarily a Slippery Rock Student, though that would be ideal) for a one-on-one interview explaining why they chose to attend Light Up Night and what they think of the event as a whole.  If possible, it would be interesting to get an interview with one of the workers of Light Up Night (either a business owner, restaurant employee, or even a police officer, etc.)  If I can get one of these types of interviews, I think it will add to the story of Light Up Night by explaining how many people are drawled into the city for this event.  For example, a police officer would be able to explain how crazy the city is during this event and a business owner would be able to tell me how much more business they receive because of Light Up Night.
This event is huge for the City of Pittsburgh, and is a newsworthy because it happens yearly and brings in a lot of people.

SRU Food Show

The SRU food show in the Smith Student Center took place on Wednesday November, 4. The event began at eleven in the morning and went to two in the afternoon.  The purpose of the event was to find new food that would appear on campus in  places like Boozel.  Vendors from different companies set up tables and readily handed out food to students in hopes that they would win their vote.  This event is held yearly and many students look forward to it for the obvious reason, getting free food.  This event is also a great way for students to socialize and to meet new people.  It's also a great way for students to learn about vendors by talking to them.

List of vendors at the 2015 Food Show in the Smith Student Center.

People walking around the 2015 Food Show and talking about what they like or dislike.

                
                                           People exploring the vendors at the SRU Food Show.


The event was a great way for students to get out of their comfort zone and to try new foods.  All the food was free and it was a great way to taste test new things from companies like the following:

• Pepsi
• Concept
• Vie Di France
• EFD Associates
• Schneider's Dairy
• Ritchie Marketing
• Acosta 
• Key Impact
• Asm/ Waypoint
• Great Lakes Cheese
• Sirna And Sons Produce
• Schwebel Baking Company

              
                                         An EFD Associates explaining what the event is about.

After students explored the vendors, they were encouraged to vote for their favorite vendor by tweeting at @SRUDinning.  This event was a great way for students to have a say as to what foods they would be eating on campus.  The vendor who gets the most tweets wins and will be able to have their product in the dinning hall.


            
                       SRU faculty member explaining the importance of the food event.

The vendors were eager to talk to students in hopes that they would vote for them.  The vendor from Vie Di France was really passionate about his pastry dish he was serving and was more than happy to talk to students in hopes that he would win their vote.  He served a chocolate croissant pastry dish that he hopes to see appear in Boozel.  This was my favorite vendor and he had the best food!  Other vendors like Schneider's Dairy served chocolate eggnog that tasted like a chocolate milkshake.  Schneider's explained how this would be a good seasonal beverage to have in Boozel.

The vendor from Vie Di France talking about his pastry dish.

Whatever vendors get the most votes will appear in Boozel.   This event is important because students get to have a say in what they eat.  Get to voting so that you can eat what you want in the dinning hall!

SRU Drag Show

SRU hosted its annual Rock Out Drag Show event on Wednesday, October 21.  It was a fun-filled night that exposed SRU to things that are not normally seem on campus.  The crowd turnout was great and it grows larger every year.  The event was held as part of Gay Pride week and tons of students showed up to show their support and to have a good time.  Students were able to laugh, learn a little about drag by asking the drag queens questions, and were able to show their support for Gay Pride Week in general.  Overall, it was a new and fun experience that was full of laughs.

Look at SRU Then and Now

A lot has changed on Slippery Rock's campus over the years.  There is now a new union, all new housing, and new and improved buildings occupy space on campus.  Slippery Rock's campus has come a long way since the university opened in 1889.  Some of the original sturctures still stand today, but a lot of the campus is new.  The new housing buildings are practically luxury compared to the old cinder block dorms that once stood where the new housing is located.  The Smith Student Center is still fairly new and is a major improvement from the old Union.  Take a look at the timeline to learn a little about Slippery Rock then and now. 

Ben Avon Fall Festival Fun over Fall Break!

On Saturday, October 3, Ben Avon Borough held their annual community Fall Festival.  Local businesses and organizations set up tables along the main avenue in town with games, activities, and things to buy.  The festival activities were spread out on Church Avenue and spanned over a couple of blocks.  Some of the highlights of the event were the fire trucks that kids got to explore, the face painting table, and the pumpkin decorating table.  It was a great way to spend time in the local community celebrating Fall with friends and family.  It also was great to know that the money spent at the festival went to good causes, such as charities and to the community in general.  The event was a success because it brought people together and helped to enhance the overall community.  The festival was geared towards children, but anyone of any age could have had a good time if they were in the mood to celebrate fall.  The festivsal was held over SRU's fall break and it was nice to come home and be apart of the community.  Happy Fall!

Here's a map of my experience and some of the activities at the Ben Avon Fall Festival:

SRU Fall Career Expo

Students at the entrance to the career fair exploring possible job opportunities.



Taylor Reed, public relations major inquiring about a job at the career fair.



Students talking to potential future employers and exploring their options at the college fair.



Andrew Worth, safety management major explains why he chose to come to the career fair.

What SRU Does During Common Hour

Do you ever wonder what SRU students do with their common hour?  It appears that most students take advantage of the time that SRU so kindly gives us by using it to study.  During common hour you can find the majority of students either at the library, in the quad (while it's nice out), or at the Union grabbing lunch and socializing with friends while they wait in line at Starbucks or Rocky's.  Walk into Bailey Library during common hour and practically every computer will be occupied as students hurry to try to finish assignments that are due in their next class or are pretending to study as they socialize with friends. If the library isn't your scene, you can find the other half of the student body at the Union or in the quad where people wait in long lines to get their coffee fix and lounge around in the quad.  Whatever you do during common hour, take advantage of the break and enjoy!

    Sean Melvin doing his only studying for the day as he sits in the quad during common hour.

    Ashley Lamanna (left) and Robyn Tyszkiewicz (right) soaking up the sun that will sadly be      

    disappearing shortly as they prepare for a test during common hour in the quad.

    Emilie Klinger enjoying a pumpkin spice latte as she goes through her flash cards at Starbucks 

    during common hour.

    SRU loves their Starbucks coffee and appears to need a pick-me-up halfway through the day as 

    many students wait in the long line during common hour.

    Taylor Reed seems to be enjoying her common hour while trying to figure out her communication  
     research methods project in the library.

    Sarah Peterson enjoying her downtime at Starbucks during common hour with a nice book.

Should We Remove the Electoral College?

First things first-what is the Electoral College?  For those of you who don't know, or are just simply confused on what it is, here's an overview;  the Electoral College is basically a population of voters from each state that essentially have the final say on who becomes President.  You may be thinking, but doesn't my vote count?  Your vote counts in the popular vote that elects electors who have pledged to vote for a certain party, so you're not directly voting for who you want to become president.  Click here! for a list of electoral votes and popular votes presidents have received.

Believe it or not the electoral college has been around for about 200 years!  What do you think about the electoral college?  Should it be removed? Let's take a look at some of the pros and cons about the electoral college system.

CONS- Get rid of it! Out with the old!

• It fails to accurately portray the national popular vote;
• It may make voter turnout decrease at the polls;
• Doesn't allow a minority candidate to come into power;
• Said to be "fixed" and dysfunctional;
• Complicated system;
• It's an old system-time to change tradition?;
• Winner of popular vote might lose electoral vote (fair?);
• Power to swing states

"No one likes the Electoral College, except perhaps those who were elected because of it."

~Kevin Bleyer

PROS-Keep the system! 

• Enhances the minority of small state interests;
• Provides political stability by encouraging a two-party system;
• Maintains system of government representation;
• Allows states to play a vital role-Click here! to see a map of electoral votes and results
• Offers framework for organized campaigns;
• Aids in directing power to states;
• It's tradition;
• Candidates with lower popular vote will still have a chance if they get the electoral votes.

Want to learn more? Click here! and here!

Do you think that the electoral college is fair?  Regardless of whether you think it's fair or not, it has been used for roughly 200 years and will probably continue to be used for many more years to come because it is tradition and the United States is largely built upon tradition.

About Me

Hello!  My name is Kelsey and I am a junior at Slippery Rock University.  I'm a journalism major, so obviously I enjoy writing.  I'm interested in the turn that traditional journalism is taking.  Print journalism is still important, but the digital world is taking over.  With that being said, it's very important to me to be able to know the basics on how to communicate effectively via social media.  New-media journalism is the future of journalism since everything is going digital.  It will be interesting to learn how to utilize tools to present journalism pieces that will hopefully help me to become a better journalist. This class is unique because all of the blog posts can be found on the class Facebook Page and on our Twitter page with the hashtag #nmjatsru.

This summer I interned at PennDOT in the press office and was exposed to new media outlets.  I handled PennDOT's twitter page, got to see how new stations work behind the scenes, and so much more! Although, I never envisioned myself working for PennDOT, I enjoyed every day that I was there and would love to continue to do work dealing with the press.

I use social media everyday, like the majority of us.  My Twitter page is a little boring, I don't tweet much, but I'm one of those people who go on everyday to see what's happening.  I also get most of my news from twitter.  My Facebook page is a little more active.  A lot of my family members are on Facebook, so I like to keep it up-to-date to stay in touch with them.  My absolute favorite social media site is Instagram.  I love looking at what celebrities post and just seeing neat pictures that others post.  I'm not big on social media, but I use it to keep up with what's happening in the world.

BuzzFeed, is a non-traditoinal news outlet site that I would like to learn more about.  I always hear people talking about it and I never really knew what it was all about.  I visited the site and I would describe it as a fun entertaining news site with quizzes that are great to kill time.  BuzzFeed is a social news entertainment site that covers numerous topics and presents breaking news.

A traditional news outlet that I frequent is the The New York Times.  I love using The New York Times to read interesting stories and to see how different journalists write.  The New York Times website is a digital version of the print newspaper that has been around forever.  Most people now view almost all newspapers online, but the Times still continues to publish a print and a digital version of their papers. Being able to write for the Times would be a dream come true!

Hopefully all the information in this post will lead to a great start for my blog.  Feel free to comment on anything that you find interesting!

PS-I love dogs, especially my puppy Fleury

~Kelsey