Tragedy at the Indiana State Fair

You can also read this post over at The Bluevine Collective. 

Saturday’s tragedy at the Indiana State Fair has given me pause. Like so many people across the country, my heart goes out to the families of those who died when the stage collapsed at the fairgrounds this weekend. One thing I didn’t expect — how difficult it is to hear the news from across the country.

On Saturday night, I spotted tweets from fellow Blueviner Matt Peyton. The tweets came in rapid succession – something about “victims sent to Wishard and Methodist hospitals.” Immediately, I knew something was wrong back in Indiana.

Later that evening, I watched live web coverage from one of Indianapolis’ TV stations. The journalist in me searched for details everywhere, including my social networks (which has a strong Indiana influence due to my four years at Butler University). Several college classmates posted statuses alerting everyone they were safe.

DC is not a typical lens from which to learn about current events. Politicos and other newsmakers “inside the beltway” saturate the media market. But since The Washington Post is also a national newspaper, there’s still some room to read headlines from beyond the capital. It pained me to see this piece of news treated like just a drop in the bucket of current events. Just another headline, another news brief – sometimes contained to a single sentence – and eventually archived.

I remember the thrill of seeing the Post cover Butler’s riveting basketball season this year. In DC, its always a conversation starter – a way to feel proud of my Midwestern roots even though I’m far away (“Yes, that MY school on the front of the sports section!”). But in today’s Sunday edition, I dreaded what I would find. I flipped to “national digest” and found the horrific photo of the stage collapse, and a 1-sentence caption.

The majority of DC’s population is transient and young. Conversations here always begin with “What do you do?” and eventually follow with, “Where are you from?” As I like to tell people about the DC crowd, “everyone is from everywhere.” In that sense, roots take on significance in DC because its one of the easiest ways to differentiate people one twenty-something from another.

The tragedy was another reminder that we are not guaranteed tomorrow.  A reminder of the importance of roots. Cities and towns help remind you of who you are, and how you’ve changed. I like to think Midwestern roots are stronger than most geographic ties.

Most impressive was the video footage of the Hoosiers who ran to lift the stage rigging off the trapped victims. Gov. Daniels said they “ran to the trouble, not from the trouble. That’s the character that we associate with our state.”

I may be in DC, but I’m proud to call myself a pseudo-Hoosier.

Good Dawgs Always Come Home

And they did. Since my last post, the Butler Men's Basketball team competed in the Final Four and advanced to the final NCAA championship game against powerhouse Duke University. To boot, the last round was held just six miles from campus - in Conseco Fieldhouse.

What it's like when your humble midwest university is launched into national spotlight? Well, when it's a for positive news -- such extremely positive news -- the experience is pretty surreal.

First, the student perspective: Visually, the campus perked up. Students tied blue bunting around the trees on campus, and suddenly there were snazzy banners on light posts. Someone even dyed the Star Fountain blue. The bookstore was teeming with alumni, families, prospective students and students vying for the latest Final Four t-shirt design. (Don't worry, I picked up swag for the whole family).

Then I started reading the news online. It was astounding. Each day, my Google Alerts emails got longer and longer. Most of the articles were related to the NCAA tournament, but then were articles featuring our president, Bobby Fong - and even our pampered pup mascot Blue II. In a period of two weeks, we gained home page news coverage on Web sites like NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times and more. Our local CBS affiliate, WISH TV, made daily appearances on campus. Our own sports writers from The Butler Collegian received countless media requests and interviews.

As I started to realize the magnitude of attention Butler was drawing, it dawned on me that campus felt different. There was an invisible, but very elevated sense of excitement - of community - of unity. I can't pin it to one person or one moment

I watched the final round right home at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. It was fitting, too - the place where "Hoosiers" was filmed so long ago, now served as a movie house to watch one of the most historic basketball games our school has seen.

So we lost to Duke. To their credit, they played a mean game. To our credit, we played harder. It was beautiful, even in the midst of the final score.

President Dr. Bobby Fong cancelled class the day after the game (and that was before we knew who won!). Tuesday was quiet on campus - students were recovering from the excitement, the national attention and the celebrations. That afternoon, thousands of students, faculty, staff and neighbors clamored into Hinkle Fieldhouse - not to watch another game, but to celebrate our team.

I'm going to be sappy and say I was near tears the entire pep rally. The team truly brought the campus together. Even Butler alumni from D.C. and around the country rallied to Indianapolis for the celebrations. It was like one big Butler reunion.

Looking back on March Madness, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

In the wake of the game, Coach Brad Stevens appeared on the the David Letterman Show (Full disclosure: Letterman is an Indianapolis native!). Gordon Hayward accepted a NBA draft pic. "Butler" was a trending topic (WORLDWIDE) on Twitter (for several minutes anyways) - that made my day. The basketball seniors got to play with the Harlem Globetrotters and the team has been made Grand Marshals for the Indy 500. We're too big, yo!

Sad news: Our campus fountains are no longer dyed blue.

Happy news: Coach Stevens just signed a 12-year contract to stay with Butler!

Want a recap of the campus energy during March Madness? Just watch this.

The Summer on the Knoll

Knoll (noun): A small rounded hill, a hillock.

This was a summer of many firsts and lasts. My first summer living in Indianapolis, my first experience at a TV station, my last summer as a college kid.

I had the chance to live where many Butler students call "The Knoll." While it may sound like a ritzy golf course, it's simply the off-campus housing neighborhood that surrounds Butler University. In fact, while the street is called Berkley Road, the street is actually paved with grass (see photos in my next blog post)!

Why was this summer so fun? Maybe because it was summer, or because I got to work with journalists everyday or because - as my mom would say - I was just "enjoying my twenties." I guess it was a combination of all of that. Here are some of my favorites memories from Summer '09, in review:

1. Friends. I got to see old friends, go on bike rides along the canal, take picnics with my RA gal pals, build up friendships with roommates, and bond over home-cooked meals, many cups of tea and a midnight showing of Harry Potter No. 6. 

2. Life on Berkley Road (aka The Knoll). After three years of dorm-style living, I had the chance to stretch out a bit. Living in a house exposed me to the joys of a kitchen and the not-so-joyous calls to the landlord, clogged toilets and many "friendly" critters.

3. The Intern Experience. I worked in the 25th largest television market this summer. I met and worked with seasoned journalists. The experience opened my eyes to the wonders of television journalism. In the process I got to meet a few celebrities, interview fellow Butler colleagues and help the Web team with Twitter and Facebook endeavors. My work aired on the evening and daybreak newscasts and I developed a portfolio reel of 10 news packages. It was exhausting and always busy - but definitely rewarding. 

4. Creating an internal GPS. Whether scouting out a story for WISH or visiting friends around the state, I've come to develop a stronger sense of direction - although I still can't always tell N/W/S/E on my own. My many adventures took me to a wedding in Attica, a few outdoor concerts in Fishers, and various news stories in Edinburg, Columbus and Carmel.

5. Field trips. Living in Indianapolis this summer was like a series of mini field trips. I had an extended period of time to enjoy the beautiful campus, eat Yats (a local Cajun favorite) and venture to new places like the White River State Park. The creative spirit in me indulged in many trips to Mass. Ave - the theatre and arts district of Indianapolis. Another guilty pleasure was the library. I not only learned about borrowing entire TV series (I highly recommend "Veronica Mars"), but I got to enjoy the snazzy new downtown location that feels like a hip new museum more than a city library. 

My summer was jam-packed. It was flavorful. Freeing. And, if you couldn't tell, it was fun.

Being Green and the Livin's Easy

Living in a house full of interns means I've got a backstage pass to all kinds of Indianapolis events. Literally. 

Housemate @BUChristina is an exceptionally well-connected gal and has a passion for social justice and eco-friendly pursuits. So when she told me about a volunteer opportunity that could get us into a free No Doubt concert, I was quick to sign up!

We drove up to the Verizon Wireless Music Center, arrived early, and asked nearly every security guard in sight where the volunteers were supposed to meet. After a bit of searching, we found our peers - mainly young high school and college kids. The opportunity was through Helping Indy Online, a hub of information for people who just want to help out. 

The plan was to grab a trash-picker-upper... you know, one of those metal sticks with a claw at the end? I was ready to go, but then Christina astutely pointed out that no one was carrying plastic bottles or cans. The result was...we couldn't actually do the volunteer work. Bummer, because I was looking to earn my Girl Scout badge for community service. Just kidding. But I really did want to help out. The venue held 25,000 Gwen Stefani/ska fans...and as we left, I couldn't help but notice all the non-recyclable cups that littered the lawn -- cups, Christina pointed out -- that will probably remain in our landfills for thousands of years. 

But enough of that. One surprise bonus was running into Scott, "The Face" of MyIndy TV (that's channel 23 in Indianapolis). I first met him when I worked at the 500 Festival as an intern with WISH TV this summer. We scored a few pictures with him and he reminded us to stay hydrated. There was 'no doubt' (pun intended) - it was hot.

When the concert started, Christina and I ran into some Pi Beta Phi sisters. We all gathered on the lawn, and as the sun set over the hills, we all sang out "It's My Life!"- reminded of those junior high dances. Gwen's lyrics aren't all that God-glorifying, but she sure knew how to entertain the crowd with her eccentric dance moves and exotic hairdo.

This is really was summer nights are all about. 

PS - You can read Christina's POV on her Butler blog post about the No Doubt concert.

iPhone: The Future of Newsgathering?

The thing I love about interning at WISH TV is that no day is every the same. This particular day got me thinking about how newsgathering might change and evolve as I enter the field in the next several years.

Today a homeowner received the kindness of strangers when two paramedics stopped by her Anderson, Ind. home to say that oh, by the way, her house was on fire. The home is beautiful, I might add. It is Victorian-style, built in the 1870s and has customs trimming and painting. Luckily, the firefighters showed up pretty quickly. The story aired at the 10 pm (MyIndy, Channel 23) and 11 pm (WISH TV 8) newscasts.

That's the side story. The main story is how the iPhone is revolutionizing a journalist's newsgathering abilities. Let me explain.

It's been on stories like these - and others - that Web 2.o tools and ever-evolving PDAs can change our world. We can find directions, make phone calls and do research from the comfort of a handheld device.

With the mapping, address book and calling applications, reporters and photographers could more efficiently contact interviewees, find good places for B-roll and - with the new video-iPhone - shoot an entire news package with it ("good enough for the evening news). At least that's what the CBS affiliate in Miami did.

CBS4 branched out, using newer technology to report the news. Only time will tell how these tools will be used in the future of broadcast news.

Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors

When I first created this blog, I was in the middle of an internship with the United Methodist Church - at their Indiana headquarters. I wrote for Hoosier United Methodist Together publication. I feel it is time to give them due credit to what I learned. 

Church operations are a fascinating thing; it works something like a business, with clergy for employees and believers as the clients. But there's one difference.

Church staff members, clergy and members aren't working on commission; they're working for The Great Commission. 

Before I started work at IAUMC, I didn't know much about the United Methodist Church - other than that it was one of many Christian denominations. And with my solid Catholic upbringing, I hadn't heard much about the "other guys."

This weekend, my former supervisor, Dan Gangler, and the rest of the office will be at Annual Conference. It's the big event where all UMC Hoosiers get together to talk about ministries, missions and the church structure, outlined in The Book of Discipline. It's happening at Ball State University, and will include a one-day mission project in town to promote "Rethink Church," the campaign to drum up UMC support and members. I'm praying it will be a fruitful weekend for them.

Don't know much about Methodism? Well here are a few things I learned as an outsider:

• It is a mainline evangelical branch of Christianity.
  
• United Methodists are different from Methodists or the Free Methodists.
  
• UM is based on the teachings of John Wesley, who believed in using faith as a catalyst for social justice. 
  
• UM has a strong relationship with church plants in Sierra Leone
  
• Ever wonder what Cokesbury is? A UM publishing company, named after US Methodists Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury.
  
• There is a strong emphasis and stance against gambling, smoking and abortion. One of favorite experiences was my first trip to the Indiana State House. We got to hear HB1213, which would ban smoking in restaurants and bars. Dan presented his reasons on behalf of the Hoosier Health and Faith Coalition. 
  
• The official motto is "open hearts, open minds, open doors."
• The symbol is a cross with a red flame running through it. 
• UMC has a history, but it also keeps a new generation engaged. The extensive summer camp options and community centers keep kids involved and learning about the Lord.
• UM churches are diverse. Some are more inner-city focused, while others might have eco-friendly efforts or a conservative approach.

I have been so blessed with the folks I have met through this internship, arranged through Butler's Center for Faith and Vocation. During this time, I've become highly interested in religion reporting - thanks also to my trip to RCC in Boston this past March. 

Who knows what's next? But this was one internship I won't - can't - forget.

Check this out! The Indianapolis Museum of Art just launched ArtBabble.org, the destination for video content about art. I have always loved art as a form of expression (though fine arts are not my specialty, I have a strong appreciation for it). As with most institutions and organizations, the IMA has jumped on the social media bandwagon to appeal to the online community. Looks pretty sweet!