I Love You, I Just Can't Find The Words

So I started this blog for my Interactive Media One class. I stopped writing in it as soon as the course was over. In truth, I just never really had a thing for writing about my adventures at that moment in time. I actually acquired a love for writing after I studied abroad about a year ago. This semester, for my Interactive Media Two class, I had to make a blog. So I decided to revive this one, because I really do find joy in exploring my surroundings.
The reason I’m divulging this is because this week’s assignment is to write a blog post about “the CMIR and my life as a journalism student at UF.” CMIR stands for the Center for Media Innovation. Also known to us news students as the newsroom. Also known as Weimer. 

Also known as my second home in Gainesville. So now I'm supposed to delve into a long and descriptive narrative about the countless hours I've spent in CMIR, but I just can’t bring myself to go into detail. I picked up my cap and gown today. I’m graduating May 2^nd. It’s been an emotional day for me and I’m on the verge of tears. Going into detail about my life at UF these past four years would break me down too much right now. I’ve loved every minute of my journey here and the College of Journalism and Communications is to blame. I love the lessons I’ve learned, the way I’ve been forced to grow as a journalist and as a person, the people I’ve encountered in my story telling, and the lifelong friends that I have made in the newsroom. I think the fact that I’m too emotional to write this, makes a more powerful statement about how much I love my soon to be alma mater and my life here.

It really is great UF. So thank you. Thank you for the ridiculously long days and sleepless nights I spent in Weimer writing and editing stories. Thank you for access to the NBC feed which allowed my friends and I to watch live car chases. Thank you for the jam packed days of reporting that forced me to have my first meal of the day at 4pm. Thank you for letting my personality shine as an Entertainment anchor. Thank you for the privilege of anchoring the 5pm show and always letting me read the cute animal stories at the end of our newscast. Thank you for the laughs and advice brought on by my professors and peers. Thank you. I'll miss you and I'll always love you.

Until my next adventure ✌️

Book Review: The Tipping Point

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.org

The world is a great, big place and it's easy to feel like a drop of water in the ocean. We feel like in the grand scheme of the ocean our little drop isn't really making a difference. What's cool about The Tipping Point is that it's an excellent reminder that we all matter and have the potential to make a difference in this world. You could be that one person that changes the face of technology, or fashion, or medicine.
I quickly took a liking to this book because it puts in perspective a lot of everyday questions I have about trends. Just the other day I was talking to my mom about fashion trends. She saved a lot of clothes from when she was in her 20's and every now and then she'll bring them out of the depths of her closet and give them to me. Over the weekend she gave me a high waisted skirt and a crop top set. We immediately started talking about how interesting it is that trends circle back around. Who's to say when something comes into fashion and when it goes out of fashion? We're always so amazed by this concept and we talk about it regularly.
In his book, Gladwell compares trends to epidemics by pointing out that they are contagious, little changes that have big affects, and both changes happen in a hurry. These three things are all rules for the "tipping point." I really liked the example he used about Hush Puppies. The shoe company was about to go out of business when a "handful of downtown hipsters" started wearing hush puppies. All of a sudden they became all the rage. Our generation has the capacity to start trends and I think Hush Puppies is a perfect example of how industries look at our age group to see what's hip and what's not.
Gladwell breaks down the rules of the tipping point in order to help us make sense of epidemics. The rules are: the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. The Law of the Few is centered around the idea of word-of-mouth and the people that spread these messages. A lot of times when we share our everyday experiences with others, we forget how much of an impact what we are saying can have. My sister and I share everything, so naturally when she tells me she just bought this really cool bracelet, chances are I'm going to check it out and want to buy it also. Word-of-mouth is so powerful and it plays a huge role in the spreading of ideas and trends. The Stickiness Factor focuses on how memorable the message we're relaying is. Is it something that is so memorable it is going to spur change? Lastly, the Power of Context breaks down how "epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur."
If you want to learn more about everything I've discussed in this post, I highly recommend you read the book. It is extremely eye opening and a page turner!