In Your Backyard: A Collection

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It’s been, give or take, four-ish months since I graduated from the Broadcast Journalism program at Fanshawe, and since then, I’ve been combing through some of my old projects and assignments looking for things to post here.

At some point the other day it dawned on me that I hadn’t uploaded all of my “In Your Backyard” pieces to SoundCloud, even though it had been months and months since I had made them and had them broadcast on-air.

had been uploading them regularly onto my account late last year, but somewhere along the way I ran out of free available minutes and was forced to stop. A shame. A travesty!

Well, ok, maybe not a travesty.

So anyway, about a month or two ago I sprung for a pro account on the website, bumping my available time up to 6 hours.

I could finally upload the rest! (Seriously, just 6 hours? C’mon guys. I’m paying $6 a month here..)

Below, in chronological order (by week of airing) are almost all the short docs I did for “In Your Backyard” (a current affairs show on the X) excluding a few which I didn’t like at the time, and still don’t today.

November 18, 2013

December 2, 2013

December 9, 2013

March 31, 2014

April 7, 2014

April 21, 2014

Double Post!

Hello, been busy as all heck lately! This week and next is the final stretch of assignments and tests, hence I’ve been busy busy busy. Haven’t posted here since the 6th so figured I would post a quick update as to the kinds of nonsense I’ve been doing (because you all probably care so much.)

First, a quick wraparound (narration with clips) of an interview I did with friend and former photography prof, Craig Glover of the London Free Press. He photographed the World Figure Skating Championships for the paper this past March and I decided it would be a good topic to delve into.

Secondly, we were assigned a second Monitor show to do. Monitor is a little in-house radio program we do on our college’s online radio station. Basically it’s practice at producing and keeping time. I got #3 (out of 4) so I was assigned the task of doing a 3 minute sports piece, and a 4 minute ‘life’ piece. Ironically though, my ‘life’ piece is dealing with the grief of losing a pet, and how to cope with the loss. Thank you to those who I interviewed for allowing me to take time out of their day for such a touchy and emotional subject.

Hope you’re all having a good week!

Journo School

Being in the journalism program for two semesters now has made me realize one thing. Sleep is something you dream about when you’re awake. Dreaming when you’re asleep? Who has the time for that? Who even has the time to lie down and plan on getting a good nights rest? It’s never going to happen.

The late nights brought on by my part-time job and school itself have done havoc on my sleep schedule. “I think I’ll go to bed at a reasonably early time tonight” I tell myself. I turn off the lights, get ready for bed.

Time: 11:30PM

*Toss*

*Turn*

Time: 2:30AM

Oh boy, I have an 8AM class this morning. Wonder if I’ll wake up in time to make it there..

Time: 9:30AM

Well, guess I didn’t make it to that class.. Again..

That’s been the pattern somewhat for the last few months. I’ve gotten my work done, don’t get me wrong, but my presence in the classroom is something of an on again off again type deal. I just imagine other people in my class, seeing that I’m – again – not in class, mutter to themselves “does that guy ever come?”

But I guess that is what happens when you take journalism; late nights, early mornings, tired eyes. I just don’t know how I’m going to adjust. I’ve gone the past many years going to bed too late and waking up too early and it’s taken its toll. It seems now my brain wont wake up unless I’ve gotten exactly 8 hours of sleep, which is a problem if I don’t fall asleep until 3 and have to wake up at 7.

But I digress.

Stress is part of this job. These past few months have been incredibly stress-filled, and many others in the program would likely agree. “OH CRAP THAT’S DUE THIS WEEK?” we collectively yell. We were all too busy working on the assignments that were due last week. This happens on a weekly basis as you can imagine.

This though is the last stretch. The final 2 and a half-or so weeks until we can breathe easy for the summer. That is, unless we’re freaking out about finding a job, in which case the stress continues!

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