Jaden

My thoughts on MUJW, Making New Friends, Taking Advantage of Opportunities, and More!

8/27/2017

Over the summer I'm usually busy working, hanging out with friends, and cheering. However, this summer I decided I wanted to make some time to attend MUJW. Let me tell you, I'm so glad I did! At first, I was incredibly nervous during those weeks leading up to the workshop, but it quickly changed.

For those of you who don't know, MUJW stands for the Missouri Urban Journalism Workshop. I went through an application process and ended up being selected along with 40 other applicants. One being Molly Eckelkamp. We have been in BJJTV together for three years now!

MUJW participants were from all over the country. We even had one girl from Costa Rica! I would be spending one week with all of these people who share a love for journalism. I didn't know what to expect, would everyone be friendly? Super competitive? More experienced than me? I wasn't sure of how it was all going to pan out. When my mom and dad dropped me off that morning, I was teary eyed and nervous as can be.

Once I met my roommate and got to know a few of the kids a little better, I was feeling so much more positive about the week. Speaking of my roommate, she was the best, I'm so lucky to have been randomly matched with someone who clicked with my personality! I also ended up finding a few other people that I loved being around. We had so much fun getting to know each other and hanging out during our free time!

After my nerves were out of the way, I was ready to learn and soak up all of the information I possibly could. We listened to speakers who all had helpful advice about journalism and life. I don't think there was one lecture I walked out of without a notebook page or two filled with tips.

MUJW decided to do things a little differently this year. We were split into teams of 4 to work on a project that we would present at the end of the week. My team was great and we were able to finish our project with ease and very little stress. Some of that was due to our ability to work out problems as a team successfully. We also had the help of a great mentor to guide us along. We created a package about technological advancements in the classroom and the effects of such. Our package has both print and video compenents.

Before I knew it, those six days were over. We were all dreading saying goodbye. We sat together through the end ceremony. As parents started to show up, eager to see us and eager to have us home. I definitely let out a few tears. As I walked to my mom's car, I understood that there is a chance I won't get to see some of the people I had grown close to that week again. I was in a weird mood and felt conflicting emotions. I was sad to go, but also excited to be home.

I think back to those six days at Mizzou often and I cannot thank those enough who helped me along the way. I am thankful for friends, family, and teachers who helped me proof my application for mistakes. I am thankful for people who take the time to read blogs like this one. I'm so happy I am able to work on my future doing something I love while still attending high school!

Too often we don't realize that we can find amazing opportunitues like MUJW when we are still in high school. Too often we complain about our situations instead of really understanding NOW is the time to take advantage of what is offered to us. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! Don't skip out on the countless chances and experiences we are granted with. Trust me when I say that they make you a better person.

An Open Letter to My Parents

7/24/2017

Mom and dad:

While I may see you both every day, I often forget to tell you how much you mean to me!

For as long as I can remember you have pushed me to be a better version of myself in every way possible. From cheering me on at sporting events to editing my papers, you have been there every step of the way supporting me!

As I am now almost a senior in high school (Yikes! Where did the time go?!), I am beginning to take notice of the small ways you impact my life for the better, everything you do always has been in my best interest and I am now noticing that more and more each day!

Looking to the future, I am assured that you will always have my back in any decision that I will make. Knowing that I always have two such great support systems in my life is more than I could ever ask for and I hope you know I will always appreciate all that you do for me!

Love,
Jaden

Lend Your Hands and Heart to Grace's Place

7/2/2017

Over the last few years of my high school experience I have gotten familiar with quite a few charities and organizations that work to make our community a better place. From working as a volunteer face painter to participating in simple food drives, I've seen a lot of charities do a lot of good for the people around us!

One particular organization that stands out to me is Grace's Place. The crisis nursery serves kids and parents by offering a safe place for children to stay when misfortune or tragedy strikes. By opening their doors to anyone who needs help, they provide children with comfort, food, water, and toys to keep them occupied.

Grace's Place meets the needs of all types of families. Whether it be a small or a huge life transition, they are there to support the children that end up at their door.

Running as a non-profit charity, Grace's Place always appreciates volunteers and donations to their facility. Through them, you can also chose to donate to a specific child and grant things such as school supplies. With their Washington location, it has never been easier to find a way to give back to the community that we live in. There is always a hand to lend and a heart to help, you just have to look!

Until next time,
Jaden

Life Lessons Learned in BJJTV

5/9/2017

I really can’t believe that this school year is almost over. I have an even harder time believing that I only have one year of Blue Jay Journal TV left. Over the course of two years, I have learned so many lessons. From the easy lessons to difficult ones, they have shaped me into the person I am today, not only in my writing and broadcast skills, but also in life.

#1. Respect
This lesson will follow you for the rest of your life. While my parents raised me to be respectful at all times, BJJTV made me realize that there is always a side to someone that you may not know about. When people trust me to tell their stories, I am constantly learning new things about them and seeing them in a different light. Being in Blue Jay Journal TV truly has increased my level of respect for so many people after meeting them and hearing about a little piece of their life. I have learned the true value of being unbiased and hearing all sides of a story, and respecting others.

#2. Stepping Up
BJJTV staff averages about 16 kids yearly. We are in a school of about 1,500 students, so there are a lot of events to film and many teens to reach out to by telling their stories or giving them an opportunity to view a piece of our work that might really move them. It's not easy covering it all when you are on such a small staff, that's why stepping up is important to our staff and our audience.

Being in BJJTV has brought me countless opportunities to step up. I have so much more confidence in the fact that I know those opportunities aren’t ending yet. I still have a whole year!

While junior year has easily been my most difficult year in high school, stepping up in BJJTV has made all the difference in my life. A few examples include filming Relay for Life and the Al Matzes Memorial Color Run. I learned so much and had the chance to meet some great families with incredibly inspiring stories to tell! If I wouldn’t have decided to film these events, I would’ve missed out on some great events in our community.

#3. Working outside of my comfort zone.
This is a big one for me, this school year especially. It’s funny how we always underestimate ourselves and simply let the idea of failure hold us back. Being in Blue Jay Journal TV, I have seriously learned that doing things outside of your comfort zone only brings more experiences and often it brings beneficial results!

This year, I chose to participate in an on-site write-off contest at Mizzou. I was nervous because I’ve never really done anything like creating a script based on a few background details and quotes from a live speaker. To my surprise, my hard work payed off and I won first place!

I also chose to write an essay for a scholarship as a part of my BJJTV quarterly assessment. Ms. Turner and I worked incredibly hard to proof and revise the essay before submission. I ended up not placing in the essay contest, but I was able to submit it as a part of my application to the Missouri Urban Journalism Workshop. This is something I have had my eye on since my freshman year of high school. I was always scared to apply in fear that I would have to face rejection. This year I faced my fears and applied. I am happy to say that I will be attending the workshop this July!

Blue Jay Journal TV has taught me lessons that I will carry with me forever. Some that I did not mention above, would include the importance of a strong work ethic, meeting deadlines, leadership, and ownership.

Without this class, my adviser, and my classmates, I honestly have no clue what would get me through high school. I will always be forever thankful for the opportunities and knowledge I have gained from this class. I can’t wait to see what my senior year will bring!

Hope for Equality

3/7/2017

Change is inevitable. Software automatically updates. Trends come and go. Governmental power ebbs and flows. New laws are created. However, one thing that seems rather stagnant is the prominence of women in the media. Despite the revival of feminism by millennials, statistics show little growth in the number of women successfully entering this profession in comparison to men.

Women across the globe marched for their rights, or lack of, on January 21, 2017. Marches, protests, and strikes to ensure that we will live in a world where gender equality is no longer a debate, but a promise and an obligation have sparked debates, discussions, and hope.

That hope flows into many areas including journalism. While there is a notable presence of women in the media, we haven’t seen much change in the past few years. “Female representation in newsrooms has budged very little since 1999. Back then, women made up 36.9% of the newsroom staff. Now, it’s 36.3%,” according to a 2016 article from TIME Magazine.

Women obtain two-thirds of the journalism degrees acquired through four-year universities, according to Mark Shrayber ofJEZEBEL. It isn’t that less women are going through schooling in order to work in the media, they are backing down when it comes to taking jobs. The pressure women go through in the job selection process in comparison to men is enough to make them stray away from the newsroom altogether.

In Suzanne Franks’ book, Women and Journalism, she notes, “Women substantially outnumber men in journalism training and enter the profession in (slightly) greater numbers, but still today relatively few are rising to senior jobs and the pay gap between male and female journalists remains a stubbornly wide one.” While women are taking jobs in the journalism field, they aren’t moving up the career ladder compared to their male counterparts. This could explain why so few remain in the profession.

In a world where many women yearn for equality, why is it that women hold less than half of newsroom jobs? What can be done to ensure that we are getting our news from equal and accurate sources and not just information reported by men for men? Can a male-dominated media fairly and accurately report on topics such as defunding Planned Parenthood, Roe v.Wade, and the Women’s March?
The time for change is now. Journalism is here to give all people a voice. The public needs to hear all sides of the story. It is a journalist’s job to give a voice to the voiceless, not just to one gender, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic class. To promote change in our society and in the media, we must heighten the awareness of the lack of the female voice and work to improve such.

To Vaccinate or to Not to Vaccinate

2/5/2017

A current debate is whether you should vaccinate your children or not. Some parents look at it as a precaution to something that may cause trouble down the road, while others see it as a problem in itself.

Advanced medical treatments offer thousands of different vaccines to children and adults every year. Some of the most popular are the MMR vaccine, the DTaP vaccine, the Hepatitis A and B vaccines, and the Influenza vaccine which is commonly referred to as “the flu shot”.

Most vaccines we will receive in our lifetime are given to us before we start elementary school or as babies to prevent disease such as chicken pox. As we get older, we choose whether we receive or do not receive vaccines such as the annual flu shot.

I have never received a flu shot or any form of a influenza vaccine. Personally, the idea of being injected with several chemicals that I can’t even be able to pronounce kind of freaks me out, especially if it isn’t necessary to my health and well being.

Let’s take a look at two of the ingredients in the 2016 version of the Influenza shot:

Thimerosal, a preservative. Thimerosal is highly controversial because of its acclaimed link to autism. No scientific evidence relates this ingredient to cause autism in children, but it contains 49% mercury and can cause severe reactions in those who are allergic.

Formaldehyde, used to kill bacteria in the manufacturing process of vaccinations. Aluminum salts, to stimulate our immune systems to respond to the vaccination. While it can be concluded that most of the ingredients in the influenza shot aren’t harmful in small dosage, there is no 100% guarantee that you or your child won’t be the victims of fatal side effects.

Some also question the effectiveness of vaccines. In 2016 studies, the flu shot was about 50-60% effective. In my eyes, spending money on something that doesn’t only have so/so effective rates but also puts me at a health risk just doesn’t justify getting a shot.

After I chose to explore this topic, I had no idea how many twists and turns it would take me down. Not only did it open my eyes to how many different strains of vaccines there were to prevent disease, I also learned about hoaxes and potential dangers of what some would consider a preventive measure.

I think the smartest thing to do when temperatures begin to drop and those around you begin to fall ill is to stop and research before you run to Walgreens for a vaccine. Sometimes what seems to be “the right thing” might not be a good idea for you or your family.

Leave Fake News in 2016, Start 2017 with Real News!

12/20/2016

Let’s be honest, at one point we all have stopped scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, etc. to stop and take a second to read a headline that sounds totally crazy, only to be followed by clicking the following link for further investigation. Click bait, online material designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink, and fake news is beginning to take over and discredit social media, and it’s getting a little ridiculous.

Often on our news feeds we will see a title including celebrities and some sort of made up scandal. For example, last night, “Kim Kardashian and Kanye West to be Divorced Within the Next 6 Months” absolutely flooded my Twitter timeline at the same time “Kanye” was trending. Later on and after inquiry, like most fake news, a source clears up the rumor and it is no longer spread throughout the interweb.

While something such as celebrity divorce may not be so serious, fake news reporting rose to an all-time high in the months leading up to the 2016 election. Not only were there articles harmful to the reputations of the nominees, they were also harmful to America as a whole.

Facebook was filled with viral articles with headlines such as: “FBI Agent Suspected In Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead In Apparent Murder-Suicide". While most would take one look at this and roll their eyes at its far-stretched manor, millions on Facebook and Twitter fall victim to fake news everyday.

In our day and age, technology basically makes the world go around. I’m familiar and close to many people who rely on the internet as a main source of news every single day. This is harmful to those on social media because they are filling their heads with junk that is no-where near true.

Finding a credible source to get your daily dose of news from is one of the things that all Americans should make a priority, especially when fake articles are questioned, even blamed, for swaying huge event outcomes, such as our election.

Remember, it’s not just your great-grandma who views fake news, takes it for what it is, and then shares it for others to see. President-elect and the 73rd most-followed person in the world, Donald Trump, even took to Twitter and mistakenly re-tweeted false statistics provided by a fake news site. Be careful and pay close attention to the origin of your information. Don’t be fooled by click bait and internet hoaxes!

Work on Disconnecting

11/17/2016

As we look around, the world we live in is becoming more and more fueled by technology. We rely on our phones for everything. From communication to navigation, technology seems like the answer to all of our 'first world problems'.

The one problem that technology can't solve is lack of face-to-face communication. I have found myself texting my sister who is two rooms away instead of simply walking over to the living room and having a conversation.

iPhones, tablets, and computers have made us lazy. What is happening to our social skills? They are all converting to social media platforms. We have no problem commenting on someone's picture on Instagram, but have to work up the courage to say hello in the hallway.

While technology has many benefits, I have to ask, "When is enough, enough?"

Thinking of how the world will be in 10 years honestly scares me. I don't want my kids to grow up in a world where they feel like they don't have to talk or hang out with their friends in person.

I grew up playing outside and climbing trees. The idea of a handheld tablet would have blown my mind! I understand why toddlers and young children are intrigued by technology, it's awesome. Although, there needs to be a line of self control. It may be hard for me as a teenager, but I know when I need to put down my phone and get a task done. I'm worried that the next generation won't have that type of self-control.

The only thing we can do is realize that our world is glued to our phones and we need to make the effort to stop. Encourage others to actually talk to each other and learn about each other face-to-face! Get out and explore the world. Use technology as an aid and don't develop a strong dependence.

Making the Right Choice on the Road!

10/31/2016

While I wouldn’t consider myself a relatively new driver anymore, I still take safety precautions as I did a year ago when I first got my driver’s license. Things like making sure everyone is wearing a seat belt, there is nothing blocking the mirrors, and minimizing distractions are very important.

When you decide to take the responsibility to become a driver, you are not only putting yourself at risk but also everyone else on the road. It is up to you to take ownership for your road decisions. Along with these decisions, it is your decision to drive under the influence.

Drinking and driving should never be an option to anyone. It is extremely irresponsible and immature. If you are old enough to drive and cannot understand the dangers behind drinking and driving, you shouldn’t be allowed to be a licensed driver.

There are thousands of people driving through our town at all times of the day. Friends, family, community members, etc. Imagine making the choice to drink and drive and end up injuring or killing someone who you know. Living in a small town, the chances of this happening aren’t exactly small.

Next time you feel like you are in a position where you need to leave somewhere and you have been drinking, call someone who hasn’t! It is the easiest and smartest decision you could make. Even if you are a teenager and are in a situation you shouldn’t be in. Your ride will forever be thankful that you trusted them instead of trusting yourself against bad judgement.

I’m Always Tired

9/29/2016

As the school year settles in, I get busier and busier. My assignments start to pile up and Cheerleading keeps me busier than ever. Between practice two nights a week, homework five nights a week, game day, and a social life, I feel like I never have enough time and end up cutting one or the other short. It’s often nearly impossible for me to complete all of these tasks with good effort without losing a fair amount of sleep.

Every night I go to bed around midnight. Assuming I sleep through the night completely, I get about 7 ½ hours of sleep. Most studies show that teens should sleep at least 8 hour or more a night. While I am right under 8, I still feel like I need more. Considering I have tasks to complete after school right up until it’s lights out, my energy is stretched thin.

Although I have never been a morning person, I think an extra hour or two of sleep would make all the difference when it comes to my overall energy and motivation. Feeling tired and unmotivated is not how I want to appear and feel everyday, that’s just not who I am as a person.

Actually sitting down and asking myself if I am getting enough sleep has made me realize that it wouldn’t be a chore for me to call it quits each night an hour earlier, but it would be an adjustment.

Looking ahead to my future, I think it would be best if I put down the electronics or my book a little sooner than normal and see how it affects my mood. I would suggest you to do the same. See if the results are positive. Maybe it will become a healthy habit.

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