Think Lauren

Photographic Instinct

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 12:55:22 -0500

In just one day of the ACP conference, I feel revitalized and recharged, ready to get out there and work on my photo skills. I felt so antsy and eager after a few motivational workshops. I set out to capture Seattle through the scope of a lens.

The journey to the hotel was a flight, light rail train ride, and an assuredly peculiar looking trek up the hills of downtown Seattle - all 15 of us, most with our luggage rolling close behind us. The chill makes me miss the beautiful weather we were having on campus. It’s hard to fathom that just a week ago I was lounging on Holmgren Meadow in shorts and a tank top with an iced tea in hand. Here, I don’t dare venture to even the hotel lobby or the conference rooms without equipping my heftiest coat.

After dinner, I looked up to discover we had entered Gotham City!

I’m considering photoshopping a bat signal up there. Looks legit to me.

Today, Seattle has awed me on many occasions. I found a pair of restaurants that I could improvise stories off of for days. Perhaps Bruno’s father is Italiano, and his mother a Latina? Maybe his favorite combinations are pizza and burritos, and he just needed a way to express it! It could be two brothers who keep points based on who enters which brothers’ restaurant!

I digress. Which was one of the topics of conversation in a features section based photography workshop I attended. Fabrication is a no-no, especially in photojournalism. But you can’t fabricate this! What’s your opinion on this wall decal, Mills?

Also, another anomaly that caught my eye. The bay tends to create buildings in a triangle shape, you know, in preparation for earthquakes. Well, Seattle is ballsy. You may not need to worry about the ground shaking, you rainy city, but that doesn’t mean you gotta show off so much…

This beast, and a library shaped like an anvil. The buildings look like they’re going to fall over, or take over the world. This city is trying to give me a heart attack.

This city has grown on me, despite its blistering cold wind-chills, strange artistic concepts of women’s education, and buildings that look like transformers in disguise. I love Seattle, but it can’t replace the Bay or Mills in my mind, that’s for sure.

Already, I’ve gone to workshops that have helped me rethink the features photo and sharpen my readiness for deadline-based news shots. I hope to hone these new outlooks into higher caliber photos for The Campanil and my own personal photographic storytelling. What an amazing opportunity this all has been! I’ll leave you now with a few more shots I got on my quick excursion through the city. Until next time!

Chantelle Panackia is the staff photographer for The Campanil.

My latest blog at The Campanil: Rules of the game: Collaboration and communication

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:56:56 -0500

thecampanil:

We’ve been in Seattle for about 24 hours now. Our very own Eden Sugay has already killed it at her panel on Reporting on Private Campuses. Several of us attended our critique session where we got fabulous feedback on our print edition of The Campanil.

And now I’m preparing for my panel this afternoon: Managing a 4-year non-weekly newspaper. I’m going to give you all a sneak peak of what I plan on talking about, partially so our followers can feel special and partially because I need to write it out and organize my thoughts!

I almost feel as though I’m not an authority on this matter. Sure, I’m Editor in Chief, but I really don’t do much “managing.” The Campanil staff doesn’t need to be managed. We are a collection of intelligent, passionate and creative journalists of all genres. This staff is the most diverse in both attitude and ability that I’ve ever worked with. And so, really, my job is easy.

As I mull over my “management philosophy” I’ve realized that, for me, leading is about collaboration and communication. And I am in no way an expert in either of these areas. But it’s the thought that counts, I suppose.

Journalism is an art, and as such collaboration is fundamental in the production of our paper. Most of our best pieces, photos and designs are products of multiple ideas and points of view. The more diverse and willing to collaborate our staff becomes, the more successful I see our publication being. And so, above all else, my job is to facilitate an environment where my staff feels they can discuss and create together.

In order to make that environment a reality, nothing is more important than communication. Not just my ability to communicate what I want of my staff is important in this case, but also promoting open dialogues among staff members, with writers and with the broader community. Being able to hear what others think allows me to shape how The Campanil operates on multiple levels: our day to day process, our production schedule, our content, our accessibility. All of these things change as I communicate more with my staff and those outside our newsroom.

And so, this is what I plan on saying this afternoon. I don’t presume to be an expert here, and I am certainly not a perfect Editor, but hopefully by outlining what I feel are the most important aspects of a successful management style will help others define what effective management means to them.

Lauren-Marie Sliter is the Editor in Chief of The Campanil. Follow her on twitter @ThinkLauren.

The Campanil: To Seattle we go

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:48:39 -0500

The Campanil: To Seattle we go:

thecampanil:

Currently, The Campanil staff sit at the gate that’s scheduled to leave for Seattle at 10 a.m. Expensive coffee and food in hand, we’re ready to embark on an adventure to the Associated Collegiate Press conference.

Just short of getting arrested by TSA, everything that can go wrong could go…

Love my staff :)

Face it: Obama sold you out; and as a liberal, you can't stand to vote Republican, even when you know Ron Paul is right.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:15:17 -0500

the-individualist:

Here’s a quick list of things Obama failed to do between 08-10:

1.) Appropriately manage and oversee the TARP funds and auto bailouts

2.) Close Guantanimo Bay

3.) Provide a healthcare reform with a public option as planned

4.) Provide any sort of immigration reform

5.) Stop the Wars

(Mind you, this was with majorities in Congress, so bullshit to your “the republicans are too strong!”)

Here’s what he’s done Between 10-12:

1.) Allowed us to get kicked out of Iraq

2.) Tried a total of 6 Guantanimo Detainees to date

3.) Started the war in Libya (Allowed for bombings in Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen with Drone Strikes)

4.) Assassinated an American Citizen Anwar al-Awlaki on foriegn soil without charges or a trial

5.) Signed NDAA

6.) Watched his pet project for Green Jobs Solyndra go belly up due to gross mismanagement of the company after taking close to 500 million dollars in federal subsidies

7.) Allowed for increased DEA raids of legally operating marijuana dispensaries

So that’s your president. That’s where we’re at right now. Unemployment never even TOUCHED 8% (And if you include underemployed people and people who stopped looking for work, we have 19%) in close to 4 years after the “economic bailout.”

Here’s my question: What has Obama done that earns his re-election? Is he the man you thought you voted for? Are you willing to “hope for the best” on a man that saw nothing wrong with indefinitely detaining american citizens on the suspicion of “terrorism” when he’s already authorized an assassination of a naturalized citizen? How about the war on drugs? Just Google “DEA raids in Oakland” and you can see that Obama has authorized his agency to raid dispenseries that are legally allowed throughout California. He is an inept corporate shill at best and a man more interested in legacy than policy at worst.

There’s no need to discuss any Republican “front runners” as it’s clear they’re typical politicians. We didn’t want typical politicans. We voted for Change. A change that was formless and invigorating. A vague sense of change that suggested we would be the masters of that change. We voted for a man who promised us that things would be different. Supporters for Ron Paul voted for change in 2008 and are voting again for change in 2012. A liberalizing change that will put responsibility not in political figure heads but in communities, cities, and states by bestowing power into smaller, localized instiutions where a single voter has far more power than in a federal election.

What needs to be understood is that Ron Paul understands that the system we have is broken, unacceptable, and most of all, not fixable. Obama was the last shot. Ron Paul is the clean-up guy, who will show us that there is no great government looking out for our best interests, that there’s no good ol’ politicians fighting for the little guy, but instead, if we pull back the curtain, we will see the greed, corruption, and falsehoods that were hidden behind the marble pillars of “Big Government.” CHANGE IT.

So let’s be clear, we aren’t going into this election with the government we want, we’re going into the 2012 election IN UTTER SHAMBLES. We’re in an unacceptable position around the world and as a nation. We need to look at ourselves, our problems, and our mess. CHANGE IT.

Liberals are against Ron Paul because of his stance on Abortion. Ron Paul is pro-life, that’s true, but he is perhaps the only politician ever not to propogate his PERSONAL views into mandating law. To make it a state issue is the fair solution. “Hey group A, you can perform abortions if you prefer. Oh, Group B? Yeah they can ban it because they are crazy fanatics and have been known to burn abortion clinics and protest them. Oh, and if people from Group B catch a bus into Group A land then they get abortions too.” Are you fucking kidding me? How is that not an acceptable solution? You want Iowa to be Pro-Choice? Then start a campaign in Iowa and convince them. Democracy in action. By the nature of localized government politicians will be held more accountable to their people; rather than a National government that hides it’s problems in bureaucracies and a federal facade. CHANGE IT.

Ron Paul is not happy with the public education system we have. Are you? Do you know how fucking corrupt public education is? If education were privatized, schools would look more like private schools (meaning: BETTER). You can work from this model if you’d like, but mainly what a privatized system would do is break up the teachers’ union and dissolve the tenure system in public schools. (Just watch the documentary Waiting for Superman instead of making me explain) Long story short: Our public education is nothing to be proud of, and it’s nothing worth keeping. CHANGE IT.

Ron Paul is against Federal Safety Standards: Hey, remember when Toyota had that brake failure problem? Or remember when the Ford SUV’s would roll over 45 mph turns? That was done because the safety standards are almost always conducted AFTER THE FACT. Meaning customers report problems to the Agency, the Agency talks to the company, and if it’s in the best interest of everybody (“everybody” meaning both the Agency and the company, NOT the individual) the product gets recalled. The FDA is a joke, and passes little to nothing, while letting all sorts of drugs just get out into the market without FDA approval. The standards and regulations are largely post facto, which is a lot like living with no standards at all anyway. CHANGE IT.

Ron Paul wants to stop foreign aid. Yes, the few million dollars we spend on AIDS programs in Africa and such will be stifled, but you know what? That might suck, but the amount transferred to the Pakistani Treasury in cash over 10 years has been $8.647 billion. Not to mention Iraq, Afghanistan, etc etc etc. The corruption, greed, and mismanaged spending completely destroys any hope of making it all worth it to ship over a few dozen condoms when NGO’s do it infinitely better and without the political bullshit. CHANGE IT.

In 2008 we demanded change. We knew we were in trouble and wanted to steer away from disaster. President Obama failed to deliver and we now live in the world that we had coming to us in 2008. Ron Paul is not only calling for a need to change, he has itemized and notorized the list. We know what will be changed, and the only way to get something done in the world now will be to make those changes and see what happens. Without a correction in our trajectory, the outlook looks darker and not brighter. Obama will not turn into the president we want because he never was, he wasn’t anything, he was a first term senator from Illanois that spoke well and looked young. Let’s pick a man that has been warning America about it’s biggest problems for the last 20 years.

And you know what? When America’s biggest problems aren’t constant war, a crumbling economy, bankrupt allies, and a cadre of corrupt and lobbied politiicans and instead become abortions, the Panama Canal, Business in the UN, and how badly we all want an Income Tax again…Well that’ll be a pretty great fucking time to be American.

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:38:45 -0500

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

Am I Free?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:32:29 -0500

Me: Am I free to assemble a protest of peaceful peers?
Government: Only with a permit.

Me: Am I free to travel?
Government: Only with a passport.

Me: Am I free to pursue my own ideas of happiness?
Government: Only within these constraints.

Me: Am I free to start a business?
Government: Only with a license.

Me: Am I free to marry who I wish?
Government: Only with my consent.

Me: Am I free?
Government: I'm legally obligated to say that you are.
Government: Stop asking so many questions.

A question to my tumblr friends:

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:42:26 -0500

What are the three more important things Obama did not follow through with since his campaign?

thesummerofmark: The Federal Government’s intersections...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:44:03 -0500

thesummerofmark:

The Federal Government’s intersections with:

Big Oil

Comcast

GE

Goldman Sachs

The Media

Monsanto

Big Pharma

Can you say “corporatism”, kiddies?

conza: Evictionism - Abortion and Libertarianism (Walter...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:20:44 -0500

conza:

Evictionism - Abortion and Libertarianism (Walter Block).

This is a brief introduction to the theory of Evictionism. Evictionism is the abortion ‘compromise’. I have no strong feelings on this issue, I go where the logic goes. Feel free to respond, however a suggestion would be that you read the below.

Compromising the Uncompromisable: A Private Property Approach to Resolving the Abortion Controversy (pdf). *Pg 14 - Intro to the Compromise*

Interestingly enough this completely validates Block’s medical/technological point. In 2007, viable at 23 weeks and has survived. Who knows what it is now?

This is really interesting - something I’ve tried to piece together myself, but naturally was only grasping at straws for the most of it. Generally speaking, I think a lot of people have a hard time explaining how Private Property rights and the Right to Life/non-aggression principal do not contradict each other when talking about abortion. This is a really interesting way of piecing those two things together.

Reason and Cato not for Ron Paul?

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:28:30 -0500

statehate:

“Reason does not want Ron Paul to win. Reason, Cato, Nick “I’m so hip” Gillespie, etc., all want to preserve their roles as mayors of the libertarian ghetto. In order to do that they have to collaborate with the statists and the corporatist-controlled media which keeps us behind the ghetto walls instead of supporting the one candidate who might help us break through. Ron Paul has done more for liberty than anyone at Reason or Cato ever has – and they know it.”

—

Hit and Run Commenter

A+, sir.

I did not realize this - anyone else have more critical things to say about Reason and/or Cato?

Photo

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:57:31 -0500

Yep. We went there.

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:23:23 -0500

bleep-boop-bleep:

kim jong il has reached the end of his korea

baseballlibertarian: This made me laugh Ahahaahhahaha

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:15:57 -0500

baseballlibertarian:

This made me laugh

Ahahaahhahaha

ronpaulrevolution: Ron Paul’s interview today before the Fox...

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 01:37:25 -0500

ronpaulrevolution:

Ron Paul’s interview today before the Fox News debate.

Megyn Kelly claims that Ron Paul’s foreign policy is a deterrent in the campaign. However, Ron Paul is merely advocating the old republican foreign policy. The republican party used to be staunchly anti-war. The old-right republicans (in which Dr. Paul is more aligned with) were born as an opposition to FDR’s economic fascism here at home and wars abroad.

Ron Paul’s constitutionalism is not a deterrent. Rather, Ron Paul’s anti-government, anti-war, anti-fascist views are the reasons that so many young people are joining the libertarian movement and supporting a Paul presidency.

A guide to your choices in 2012 (The GOP Primary For Dumbies)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:10:36 -0500

evilteabagger:

A vote for Romney is a vote for:

War with Iran

Indefinite detention

Increased government spending

Less civil liberties

More corporatism

More government

A vote for Gingrich is a vote for:

War with Iran

Indefinite detention

Increased government spending

Less civil liberties

More corporatism

More government

A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for:

War with Iran

Indefinite detention

Increased government spending

Less civil liberties

More corporatism

More government

A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for:

A sound currency

No more wars

Greater civil liberties

Transparency of the Fed

Balanced budget

Wealth creation

Less government

Less corporatism (probably non-existent)

Photo

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:21:44 -0500

Rights

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:02:56 -0500

speak-friend-and-enter:

I don’t support gay rights.
I don’t support straight rights.
I don’t support black rights.
I don’t support white rights.
I don’t support women’s rights.
I don’t support men’s rights.

I support individual rights. You have rights as an individual, not because you belong or don’t belong to a particular group.

Just so that you are all aware, the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act passed in the House late last night. When the president signs it, the United States military has blanket authorization to treat American soil as a battleground, and can detain indefinitely, interrogate, and execute you, without charges or trial. No big deal. Just fyi. You now officially live under martial law.

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:00:40 -0500

kendraware:

I look forward to hearing all of the excuses for this one.

Sounds to me like a good time to have that revolution…since this is a battle ground and all…

If eating meat is somehow morally reprehensible

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:48:46 -0500

logicallypositive:

then why do we not get just as angry at dogs and other animals as we do people?

Because dogs and other animals don’t have morals :)

But in all seriousness, eating meat isn’t morally reprehensible. It’s natural. Though, because as human I am capable of complex thought and as such am able to have morality, I choose to only eat things I could, in good conscious, kill and prepare myself. So that excludes pretty much anything with a complex nervous system.

"Journalism is in crisis and it must be reinvented for its own good and for the good of society as a..."

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:35:02 -0500

“

Journalism is in crisis and it must be reinvented for its own good and for the good of society as a whole. A substantial part of that re-invention is the capacity to ask tough questions of powerful officials. Being a journalist in essence isn’t about ‘credentials’ and professional affiliations. It’s about the practice of it.

[…]

Real journalism is asking tough questions of all the players. Or, more appropriately, asking the toughest questions of the most powerful. Too often, I’ve seen reporters fawn over a figure more the more powerful they are. That I think is exactly the wrong instinct.

”

- Sam Husseini on the adversarial role of journalists must play against authority. Husseini was suspended by the National Press Club for asking a Saudi prince whether his government has any legitimacy. (via aheram)