A Review of My "Year of Application"

In a practice that--thanks to our ever-increasing reliance on electronic devices--is becoming less frequent, humans switch out their calendars in the annual event of "ringing out the old and ringing in the new" around this time of year. It serves as an opportunity of reflection, introspection and resolve to guide us along our paths in the new year. While I have no wall hanging to change out, I do have this blog to browse through for that same purpose. According to my first post for the year that just ended, 2014 was supposed to be my "year of application" and to spread my journalistic "wings" and, except for the tailing off near the end, I think I can claim success.

In that submission, I talked optimistically about using the skills I acquired through my then-recent completion of my Certificate of Journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the lead-up to being laid off from a job that I held for a little over five years (that was alluded to as a "year of transition").  I initially established a schedule that I would follow for my posting of new content onto this site that was slowly cast aside based upon wavering levels of interest as well as opportunities taken (and ignored) throughout that 12-month period.

Here's a breakdown of my 52 posts last year:

My Year of Application

Greetings to all of my readers, followers, former classmates and friends on this first day of 2014, or as I am branding it "My Year of Application".  As I said at the close of my last blog update of 2013, I declared completion with my Certificate in Journalism program through the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the physical certificate is in the process of being delivered to me sometime in the next five-to-ten school business days.  Over the past 28 months, I've become formally acquainted with the fundamentals of journalism, did some newswriting and reporting, learned about the current online environment, reviewed ethical considerations, practiced some public relations writing, expanded my photojournalism confidence levels and, lastly, dabbled in opinion writing (to supplement my near lifelong following of these subjects).  Throughout that period, I posted some of my coursework submissions here to serve as waypoints to measure my personal progress towards the certificate completion goal. 

BTS: Weekend Political Rallies

(NOTE:  This is another new feature that I am calling 'Behind the Scenes' where I will provide some of the 'background' that goes on  with my reporting experiences.  I wanted to do this for the Gingrich event last month but, as usual, other things superseded it.  I can go through my notes and photos to post on another day but I want to get these more recent events out before I lose the initiative.)

Some of the scenery outside the recent Santorum event in Blue Ash (left) and the Romeny town hall in Beavercreek (right).

March 3rd was sort of a 'milestone' day for me as a journalist-in-training.  Over the course of the past several months, I've been gradually getting out into my local community to cover real-world events to help hone my skills and to get myself acquainted with the local (and sometimes national) media.  However, all the ones before this past weekend were 'solo' events--I only scheduled one at a time or one per day.  With the 'Super Tuesday' presidential primary bearing down on Ohio voters, this was going to be a very good weekend to get closer to my goal of covering all of the major candidates in the 2012 election cycle.  Unfortunately, Texas congressman Ron Paul decided to skip Ohio and focus his campaign on states where he thought he might have a chance of winning (Washington state, Alaska) so I doubt that I will have an opportunity to attend one of his rallies.  To counter that bad news, I learned late last week that former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum had added a morning Cincinnati-area appearance to his other scheduled stops in the state that weekend.  I had already RSVP'd for the announced town hall meeting by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney here in the Dayton area for the afternoon so it would be my first 'double' coverage day.

A/V: Beavercreek Hosts GOP Front-Runner

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney answers a question during a town hall meeting event in Beavercreek, Ohio on Saturday.

Trying to make up ground in the closing days before this coming Tuesday's Ohio presidential primary election, current national front-runner Mitt Romney made a campaign stop in the Dayton area on Saturday afternoon.  Approximately 1,200 people attended a town hall meeting at the US Aeroteam facility in Beavercreek to rally support for the former Massachusetts governor who has been steadily climbing in the polls and, in several, has pulled into a statistical tie with his main rival, former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, in pursuit of the state's 66 delegates to this summer's Republican National Convention.

A/V: Santorum Stumps in Cincinnati Suburbs

(NOTE: this was the first of two events that I covered on March 3rd. Due to delays caused by this reporter being 'under the weather' from Saturday evening until today, I am now just finishing the early one and will post the later one as time and scheduling permits.)

Former US Senator Rick Santorum addresses an enthusiastic group of supporters at a rally Saturday morning in Blue Ash, Ohio.

In an attempt to shore up support in the remaining days leading up to next Tuesday's Ohio presidential primary, former US senator and current Republican candidate Rick Santorum attended a series of campaign events across the state yesterday to get his message out to his supporters as well as undecided voters.  Recent polling shows Santorum and his main rival, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, in a very close race for winning the popular vote and a majority of Ohio's 66 delegates to this summer's Republican National Convention.

A/V: Wright-Patt Says Farewell to a Giant Partner

Attendees viewing the C-5A ‘City of Fairborn’ prior to the start of the ceremony.  The 445th Airlift Wing flew the Lockheed Martin aircraft for nearly six years out from the southwest Ohio base.

On a near perfect autumn afternoon, approximately 100 people came to say goodbye to a familiar friend of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base community for over the past six years.  Last Friday, the base’s 445th Airlift Wing held a farewell ceremony for the C-5A Galaxy transport aircraft, the largest in the US Air Force’s fleet.  Wing commander Colonel Stephen D. Goeman hosted the event at Hangar 4016 near the base flightline and tail number 00047—dubbed ‘The City of Fairborn’—served as the backdrop for the event.

A/V: "Occupy Wall Street" Movement Comes to Dayton

About two dozen boisterous protestors turned out for the anti-Wall Street rally

Two weeks and one day into the New York City protests against corporate greed in America, many cities across the country have begun to hold their own rallies in support of their efforts.  In the shadow of the Key Bank building in downtown Dayton, approximately 25 protesters took to the street this morning to let their voices be heard on this initiative to passing vehicles and pedestrians near Courthouse Square.

A/V: WPAFB Beds Down Displaced Aircraft

(I'm starting another feature here to highlight the use of self-produced audio-visual products to complement textual content.  I normally don't carry a true camera around with me so cellphone-quality images/sounds will be the norm for unscheduled events.)

Four C-5 Galaxy aircraft from the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing take up temporary residence on the base (photo by author)

DAYTON, Ohio -- Several dozen US military aircraft deployed to southwestern Ohio this weekend to escape the anticipated wrath of Hurricane Irene as it churned a path along the country's Eastern seaboard.  Small two-seat Marine Corps A-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft commingled with much larger Air Force transports on the tarmacs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who played host for personnel and planes from installations as far away as New York, Delaware, West Virginia and North Carolina.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Earthquake Strikes Eastern US

(I'm starting a feature here to document important events that attract the attention of major media outlets.  These exercises should help me refine my reporting skills.  This first attempt was one I was personally involved with.)

 (graphic courtesy of US Geological Survey--usgs.gov)

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck eastern parts of the United States earlier this afternoon.  The temblor, centered in the Charlottesville, Virginia region occurred at 1:52PM Eastern Daylight Time and was felt as far away as Toronto, Ontario and regions in the Midwest (this reporter felt mild shockwaves at his Ohio residence shortly after the quake was announced on MSNBC).  Washington, DC, just 90 miles northeast of the epicenter, experienced the brunt of the event and the initial jolting sent workers scurrying outside their offices to seek safety.  There were no immediate reports of any injuries or significant damage but most tourist attractions on the city's Mall were closed to perform safety inspections and two nuclear reactors near the Virginia quake zone were taken offline for precautionary reasons.

Time of posting:  3:31PM EDT 23 Aug 2011
Time of event:  1:51PM EDT 23 Aug 2011
Difference: 1 hour, 40 minutes