Travelogue Series 2: Second Day

 I woke up earlier than my alarm clock the day after we arrived because it was orientation day, and so that I can also go to the cafeteria an hour early for me to have more time to eat. 

 

my messy bed

Since the doors of the dorms around campus are configured to lock automatically before 8AM, I don’t know why, I was stuck outside when I went out so I asked stephen to walk with me around the University and take pictures 

the other side of Mysch/Hurst Hall is the Lafollette Complex

the iconic bell statue 

finally 10 minutes before 8AM the other members of the filipino team were finally ready

had some few good laughs with the gang before class 

I told you, the freakin’ security system: very effective! 

we went to the second floor of the Arts and Journalism Building to have a traditional american breakfast. (Bagels, Fruits, OJ etc.)

yummy right? 

It was also our first time to interact with our other asian classmates, the malaysians and the indonesians. //miss them tho, like loads.

Eric Schumacher working on the name tags 

from L-R: Sean How *Malaysia, Our English Professor, and Suzy *telly professor 

look at eric’s camera :| I want :( 

TEAM PHILIPPINES (incomplete)

Team Philippines and Team Malaysia 

our claZZZroom 

I took journalism, TV, and news writing classes under BSU in partnership with the New York Times

usual university orientation plus campus tour

the cafeteria (TALLY)

Our Activity Log that we hate so much but we have no choice but to do it everyday

after a day of orientation, lectures + introductions (getting to know you) we ended our day hanging out with thor. He looks like a stoner but seriously he’s a nice guy! haha 

_____

Ball State Emerging Media Program

the “welcome” video 

The News Curriculum

Travelogue Series 1: MNL to IND

So I haven’t formally made a “travel series” post since I came back from the states less than a year ago and like what I promised, I wanted to share to everyone my summer semester experience overseas. This is to inspire everyone to take a leap of faith, follow your heart and passion in what you really wanted to do. Of course the experience exceeded my expectations, I got more than what I bargained for and I really made sure the experience was worth it. It was one helluva [hell of a] ride. 

(my bags packed) cue music: “all my bags are packed, and I’m ready to go…”

It was midnight then, my driver finally came to tell me that it was time for me to go. I got to the airport at around 3 in the morning to meet up with my other classmates. We were more excited than the time we got our student visas. One thing you should know about me is that I love airports, I love the chaos happening inside the area, I love looking at people getting lost - looking for terminal gates etc. 

Super sleepy conditioning ourselves for the 16 hour flight to the US. 

Stopover!!! JAPAN!!! can I just say, I was seated beside a baby and I wouldn’t recommend it. The baby kept on crying from JAPAN toooooooooooooooooooo the States. Imagine how many freakin’ hours? It was a “kill me now” moment. 

from MNL to Michigan, and this shot was taken from Michigan to Indianapolis. 

this was taken at Indianapolis Airport. First time we met our Telly professor Ms. Suzy Smith but everyone calls her by her first name, Suzy so let’s just call her Suzy. Of course, Eric and Shawna (our graduate student mentors) were there to document our arrival. We were treated as celebrities, it was definitely a Paparazzi moment. 

WATCH the documentation: 

lol at overpacking! 

Our chevy service. It was just like in the movies! 

Suzy handed this goodie bag full of treats! 

Indiana is just near Chicago and Columbus Ohio (reminds me of Zombieland) 

the thing about Indiana is that there are a lot of cornfields 

Welcome to my University for Summer 2011, Ball State University. They have the best Journalism and Media programs in the country with top caliber professors and facilities that’s why the US State Department chose them to host the Summer Semester Program over other schools (e.g. the Ivies, other state universities). 

coming from a different timezone It was kind of weird to still see the sun at around 8PM, yes this was around 8PM. Back in June 2011, it was the month of the transition from spring to summer. It was kind of cold, which was good since I live in a tropical country where it’s sunny everyday. 

I can’t blame mik, It was a super tiring trip. We travelled for approximately 19 or 20 hours including layovers and local flight and road transfers.

I miss our dorm, Mysch/Hurst Hall!!!

our super small R.A. HAHA I forgot his name but he’s super kind to us.

My student card. When we got inside the Mysch/Hurst common room we still had to sign forms and memorandum of agreement papers, we didn’t notice that it’s already past 9PM, and the sun was still up. 

At 9PM, Eric gave us a tour of the whole University, including the nearby villages. 

my room

Around 930PM, we decided to call it a day since we have to wake up 7AM the next day for our 8AM class orientation. Yes, Imagine the stress!!! The next day we went straight to class groggy for orientation, and oh, we’re still thankful that we got there earlier than the other teams *Malaysia and Indonesia* because they arrived I think at around 10PM and 12AM the next day respectively. 

To whoever wrote this, I understand you man. HAHA miss my dorm days in the states. First time for me to ever wash my clothes my whole life. Was so scared for someone to take out my clothes that time. 

Comfort Suites Hotel, Pennsylvania USA

Okay, now that I finished watching the first season of American Horror Story, (which by the way is such a good series*the finale episode was just disappointing) I’d like to share this photo I took at my hotel room, (all suites actually have this view). We stayed at this hotel because it was just 3 minutes away from the Gettysburg Battlefield. Imagine all the tombs, these people died like decades ago and they’re just outside the window stuck there.

Well probably they were watching me sleep then? (insert shocked meme face here)

Hi.

Yes, It’s Christmas Day. Now what? 

Because Coldplay’s Every Teardrop is a Waterfall is playing right now:

It just hit me, I don’t want this year to end, I want a rewind. I know I should not be worrying about New Year right now and think of Christmas-y thoughts but I want a rewind please? 

Underground late night chill months ago xxxxx lol at ancient photos. Love the place photos from Tasha. @ Indiana, more like that 70s show vibes. Street culture. Underground bands ahhhh missing the people!!! 

Because I miss them! 

Manhattan Cruise. NY City! 

July 26, 2011 

MNL to IND

I took a big risk of flying to the United States (US) for 6 weeks in exchange for a term or two delay in my academic studies here in the Philippines to attend a summer institute (Study of the United States Institute on New Media in Journalism) at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The Institute is partnered with like the most prestigious newspaper organization in the US, the New York Times. Honestly I only found out about the partnership when I got there, although I knew from the very start that we’ll be visiting New York Times on our last week in the Institute. It’s THE New York Times, AAAAHHHH!!!

Our flight was so early, I think we were there around 4AM already waiting, dying to get in the plane to get some sleep because we were up all night doing last minute packing. 

*I am now lazy to tell you guys more about everything through words so I’m just going post photos! 

from L-R (Angel, Me, and Mel) 

Stopover in Nagoya, Japan before the deadly 10-12 freaking hour flight

from L-R (Me, Mel, Gab, Stephen, and Mik) 

Now in Indiana! (Suzy Smith - Administrative Director, Eric and Shawna our graduate student mentors) 

gettin’ back on track

Just got back yesterday from DC and I’m still catching up with a lot of things here in Manila, first on my list is SLEEP. My body clock is ruined because of jetlag caused by the 18 hour or more (plus layover) flight and my body is now a train wreck because of eating so much when I was in the states, true story. I still have a month to get back to shape before uni starts in september. Probably going to the gym later to shed some fats off and gain some muscle weight.

Missing everyone in the US, professors, and classmates from malaysia and indonesia. So far the best summer ever, summer semester(program) ended with a blast. I’ll tell you guys more about it soon. For now I have to unpack my luggage and be emo because I damn miss everyone! made new friends from Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, India, Ecuador, Lebanon, Angola, etc. during my last week in DC. That’s all for now, Au Revoir! 

SUSI: Media Law and Ethics

Psychology has an explanation for the usual characteristics and attitude of a middle child, often ignored; middle children struggle to find their spot in the world. The eldest gets the most attention and also the youngest or the “baby” of the family, and as a result, usually the middle child is overlooked. Sure it may just be a theory but I’d like to believe that I have that middle child syndrome and that middle child syndrome brought me to where I am right now and made me who I am today.

I am a dreamer, an achiever, and a catalyst for change. I’d like to think that I was raised different from other people, that I am born and raised to have a mark in this world and change the current state of the global arena to a much better one. Idealistic as this may seem but this is what I believe in, and I am not just dreaming and hoping for myself but for the welfare of the future generations as well. I grew up always trying to make sure that I’ll be able to bring home straight A’s all the time, that I’ll be president of a club or organization, that I’ll be someone people will look up to and I guess that these are all because of the desire to get attention from my parents. Every compliment and praise I get from them adds a smile on my face but now I know how proud they are of me, I don’t need to do all of these for myself anymore, but instead now my mindset is focused on doing all of these for a bigger purpose. This higher purpose is to be a social activist and pioneer social change.

My stay here in the United States of America for summer semester paved way for me to discover more about myself. I have always dreamed of living alone and trying to be independent, away from my family, away from helpers who are always there to guide me, and away from my comfort zone, weeks have passed by and I am still surviving. I am majoring in 2 programs, a bachelor of arts in communication arts and a bachelor of science in marketing management at De La Salle University Manila in the hopes of becoming either a successful businessman or a professional journalist and broadcaster. I have always believed in the role of social responsibility, it is by which organizations and group of people are lending their hands for a cause to help make a change and to contribute to a better nation. Working for Habitat for Humanity (HFH) and Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB), both non-profit organizations here in the United States of America broadened my horizons. Helping both groups for a greater cause developed my soul and my outlook in life. I think that through my help in (HFH) and (SHFB) I was able to contribute in transforming lives.

I also believe that honesty in the professional work will take you to success, it will take you to places you never even imagined. The values of being assertive, and courteous in the professional workplace are really important for me. Assertiveness is something that you cannot teach but something that can be learned, a person with high assertiveness characteristic can make sound and timely decisions. Always rely to your intuition and common sense; this is what I value as well in the professional world. Sometimes your intuition and common sense will work more than a decision you think is better. I truly believe in the idea of always trying to keep your feet on the ground and not stepping on others’ feelings and life in general. As professionals in the future we will make decisions that will affect a lot of stakeholders in our say, and I believe that one should think if a certain decision will just be of gain of one person or of a lot of people. I believe that it is acceptable for people to question the law and the government of their actions, and I feel for those people who are in countries that don’t allow them to react to the actions of the government (e.g. Malaysia). Freedom of speech is a privilege and therefore should be utilized. It is always valuable to check if a certain decision is against your own principle as a person and as a human being. So it doesn’t matter whether you are born first, middle, or last, as long as the passion to do the work well and to do things right is there. Respect is also a big word that I believe in, it is important to respect other people regardless of race and social differences. Lastly it is time to promote social change and to instill in each and every person the value of difference a small act can make in reshaping and remolding the future and this is what I believe in.

(Reaction to the exercise) 

The word cloud represent my beliefs well, it is not surprising at all that the words: people, change, believe, social, and professional are the biggest in size. It just means that altogether those 5 words describe my views in life and the set of standards and path that I take always rely on the welfare of the people, to seek change in the social and professional world. Having the world cloud is a great thing (http://wordle.net). I will be able to see from now on this piece of work as a reminder and motivation to achieve my goals. It is what I expected, I love saying “believe”, and I guess as powerful as that word is, one should just always remember to believe in yourself. 

(*This is for Professor Gerry Lanosga’s Class) 

Happiness

GG in Foundations of American Media Class. Awesome! I’m so happy, it’s Dr. Jim Willis. 

SUSI Blog#3: Social Media and Advertising

How is online advertising and outreach similar to and different from traditional forms of advertising & outreach?

Advertising is the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services. Everyday we consume advertisements whether in the newspaper, or mostly on television in the form of commercials. Advertising firms saw the need to enter the world of internet (web) and penetrate the Social Media market because of the growing population of Netizens (citizens of the internet). Like any advertisers would do, as much as possible for advertising to be effective, it is ideal that it caters a large number of audiences or consumers. 

*(advertisement of Seattle’s Best Coffee on facebook) 

Advertising is very close to my heart and a field that I would like to pursue in the future as I am now taking a double degree course in AB Communication Arts and BS Marketing Management. The Social Media phenomenon as an opportunity for companies, marketers, and students still shock us on how advertising has reached a global level. We all know that the internet is now a worldwide trend, and as people engage themselves in Social Media, via Facebook (social networking site), Youtube (video community blog), Twitter (microblogs) etc. advertising firms are also paying thousands to millions of dollars per advertisement space on a web page or in each of the Social Media presented above. Most common advertised online are products and related events and activities. Some just advertise their brand beside search boxes. 

*(upcoming movie, “Friends with Benefits” advertisement on Youtube) 

The only difference of Online Advertising with Traditional Advertising is the advantages of the Social Media platform. Advertisers engaging in Social Media gets a wider coverage and the ad is available anytime, it is just there unlike in traditional advertising, such as in television commercials, there’s a limited air time allowed, the same goes with radio commercials. The immediate publishing of information is also one of the amazing qualities of online advertising. The consumer has freedom to check the advertisement or not online. Outreach Agencies also engage in online advertising to better promote their cause and they use Social Media to get more funds or donations worldwide, plus if they have events such as volunteer calls, people can be notified through their online advertisements. The principle of advertising is still the same, it’s just that advertising agencies go into the web based platform to attract more customers for more revenue. Who wouldn’t want more people to see what they’re promoting anyway? 

SUSI Blog#2: Social Media and Politics

How do candidates & campaign managers integrate social media into their political strategies?

Before the advent of web technology, every election season, people in the Philippines consume a lot of information only from the print and broadcast media. Everyone’s glued on their TV sets during primetime and morning news about the latest in political surveys and popularity rates. Politicians and campaign managers always take the opportunity of buying air time to substitute product commercials to their campaign commercials amounting to hundreds of thousands per airing. The start of the popularity of the internet, and web-based social media triggered the Political campaigns and efforts to take a big shift.

(facebook page of NoyNoy Aquino, current President of the Philippines)

*One of NoyNoy Aquino’s campaign videos, “Hindi ka Nag-iisa” (He made use of Youtube, also as an outlet for video). 

It is always about getting a lot of people more informed, and having a large audience share. With a lot of people engaged in social media, politicians and their campaign team set up a website, facebook page, twitter account, youtube account etc. to better represent their candidate during elections. I guess what candidates see in using the social media is that it moves you up the ladder of popularity and having a wider reach of the masses which becomes directly proportional to winning. All presidential candidates in the Philippines during the recent Philippine Elections set up their website with their platform presented, vision, and the projects that they have accomplished. Now the current President of the Philippines, NoyNoy Aquino maintains an online avenue to update and ask opinions from the Filipino People. In the United States of America, President Barrack Obama maintains a website that contains all the updates in his career, every piece of legislation that has been passed, executive orders etc. In contrast to the Philippine President who’s not using the website effectively to show transparency. 

(WHITEHOUSE.GOV: Official Website of the President of the United States of America, utilizes the website to inform the citizens of the country of the efforts of his office and keeps the site updated from time to time) 

The popularity of facebook became an option for candidates and current politicians to post photos of their community service efforts, promotional videos, campaign videos, credentials, accomplishments and make the audience feel as if the candidates and politicians are talking to them and reaching out to them when in fact, a campaign team handles the social media department of public relations. Social Media plays a vital role in political campaigns and will continue to be an avenue for political strategies. Since majority of the voters’ share comes from the youth, more politicians target the Social Media to gain more voters and attention. 

SUSI Blog#1: Social Media

What is social media and what makes it unique from other forms of media? 

Social Media adheres to the use of the web and mobile sites for interactivity. It is a platform for people to network with each other and interact through photos, videos, forums, comment posts and the like. Social Media varies in different forms but the most popular is the use of Social Networking Sites. Many of us in today’s generation started giving in to Social Media through My Space, followed by Friendster, Multiply, and now Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook. There are various Social Networking sites available that’s just within anyone’s reach. 

(sample of facebook profile)

Through a single click of a mouse via the web/internet, anyone can start creating online profiles and accounts to start with the Social Networking bandwagon. What’s unique about Social Media is that the online platform whether community blogs, microblogs (twitter), social networking sites (facebook), collaborative projects (wikipedia), content communities (youtube), becomes the extension of ourselves.It has become an opportunity for talented emerging artists to get discovered via youtube such as Charice Pempengco, a Filipino singer discovered online who landed a role in the hit US TV series, Glee. 

*(Photo of the use of Skype, a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chats over the world wide web) Photo from here. 

Social Media is an online extension of our bodies, it is an avenue for non-face to face interaction. Think of it this way, social media is a two-way interaction of communication. News organizations with the use of the web as an avenue for publishing their news stories allows you to post comments which provides an opportunity for interaction and instant answers. The use of video messenger applications such as Skype, and Yahoo Messenger provides a platform for online conversation without physical contact. Parents are now concerned with technology and the web based interaction replacing the face to face conversation, Staci Slavin, a mother of 2 (ben and stevi) and a professor at Ball State University, said that she’s greatly concerned with the future of her kids. She kept on asking herself, will her children communicate personally the same way as they will communicate in the future online with their friends because people say things they say online that they do not say in a person to person conversation. News Organizations take advantage of the Social Media (e.g. twitter - micro blog) to send instant news updates, and this is vital in sending immediate information to the public especially during natural disasters, government agencies utilize social media. 

*(from left to right: Stevi, Ben, and Staci Slavin) photo lifted from Staci Slavin’s facebook page)