Reflection

December 7, 2016 Rachel Levy

This semester was a long and stressful one. Starting junior year means taking all upper level courses and having to actually think about the future. Taking Media Writing was no different than any other upper level course (except a lot more writing.)

Going into this class I figured I would just be writing a lot, which I already do for the paper. I went into this class thinking “Okay, going to tune up my writing and editing skills.” I did not think I would get much more out of this class.

What I did get out of this class was a whole different perspective of writing. I never learned to have one focus or how to write a lede before this class. Now I’m always conscious about the lede and focus when writing articles for the paper and for anything really.

I also learned that there are many other professions for writing than journalism. You just need to find your niche and do that. Through this class with all the different types of writing we did I tried to find what I want to do with my future.

I realized that even though I love to lie (I limit it to just dumb boys at parties now) fiction might not be what I want to do. Even though I would love to just sit down and write a book anywhere in the world, I don’t necessarily have the patience for that. But I’ve always put my own feelings and thoughts in my writing even if it was technically fiction (you need to go through a first heart break before writing about one) and doing something like our narratives. Being able to have someone else’s story and writing it for them could be something I’m interested in and it is a type of writing I’ve gotten into lately with “99 Stories of the Game” which is the one and only Wayne Gretzky’s voice and with the “Loyal Lieutenant” which is George Hincapie’s voice. Would I want to write an athletes story? Maybe not unless Gordie Howe could come back from the dead. But so many people have insane stories they could talk about and I could write,(ghost stories and supernatural experiences would be cool) it would be like mashing my two types of writing together.

I basically learned that writing is something that I would want to go into in the future (the whole 18 months future). I also learned video making is hard and takes a long time, and if I need to do it to get a job I will (I’ll need money for all my eating) but it would be nice to steer clear of video making.

ELECTION VIDEO

November 14, 2016 Rachel Levy

BUZZ STORIES

October 12, 2016October 12, 2016 Rachel Levy

UI Renovations
1. Riddleberger Brothers, H&W Construction, and Gear Co. trucks have been spotted outside UI
2. Talk to each company
3. Talk to Keasler about it
4. Plot= Rebirth
Emily Yergin 3rd consecutive POW
1. Talk to Yergin, Captain, Coach Pike
2. ODAC POW is very hard to get most people go their entire college career without getting it, it is almost unheard of to get it two times in one season, especially consecutive, even less known three times consecutively and as a freshman
3. Plot=The quest
Women’s Soccer 7 Game Win Streak
1. The women are looking to be number one in ODACs this year with a bid into the national tournament.
2. Talk to captains, Coach Pike, Star players
3. they came close last year, is this the year another team gets an ODAC championship

The Lede Practice

October 5, 2016 Rachel Levy

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The Lede

October 5, 2016 Rachel Levy

Imagine strolling through campus. You imagine walking through the with nice lush green grass, trees kept trim, everything looking clean. Now imagine it with grass up to your knees, trees hanging all over, garbage blowing in the wind. The dorms filled with last Saturday nights party still hanging around.

Campus would be a mess without the people that clean this place up, like Ms. Roxy of Racey Hall.

The Family

October 3, 2016 Rachel Levy

Imagine strolling through campus. You imagine walking through the with nice lush green grass, trees kept trim, everything looking clean. Now imagine it with grass up to your knees, trees hanging all over, garbage blowing in the wind. Go into the dorms and there’s last Saturdays night after party still in the sink, trash cans over-flowing, hair clogging up the shower drains, dirt smeared on the windows, and everyone sneezing from touching other’s germs. Campus would be a mess without the people that clean this place up. Not only would campus be a mess but unless we all walked around in sanitized bubbles, we would be a sick mess to.

At home we have our parents take care of us and our homes. Here, the staff is like another family to us. Ms. Roxy, the custodian for Racey Hall talks about and embraces the family aspects of Shenandoah University.

Ms. Roxy has been on this campus for eight years, switching from a Sodexo worker to a campus worker. She watched students grow during their time here. In the last eight years she has seen it all, including a big fight in the dining hall between to guys. A fight over a girl that got so big security had to come and break it up.

The past few years she has been the custodian in Racey Hall. A freshmen community style dorm. This is a dorm known for being a wild one. The third floor lounge is notorious for late night study parties and hook up sessions. But being a community style dorm also makes it the most family like dorm on campus. The rooms are the smallest on campus so everyone keeps their doors open or just spend their time in the lounge or lobby. Having to share a bathroom with the floor makes it easy to make friends with your hall and your custodian. Since the bathroom is open it is constantly being cleaned for all the use it gets from the students.

Even though students have to share all of the restrooms, she is happy the students here are usually quite clean. Although they are freshmen living there so there are times she needs to clean up the bathroom after the weekend, but said “usually they attempt to try to clean it up themselves.” She just finishes it. But she claims she hasn’t “had an incident so that’s good.”

The best part about her job is “meeting new students each year” and how everybody seem’s like they’re family around here.” Over the years she has made student friends here. “Some years are more talkative than others” but every year there are students in the dorms to talk to. And she remember and appreciates every one. Some go back to their freshman stomping grounds to check in on her and some give her cards.

Not only is there a family in the dorms but Ms. Roxy excitedly talked about her work family. The custodians and physical plant workers that have the same times are a family in their own. Just like any family they get into fights but always work it out. They’re a family that sticks together and holds the campus together.

We see them all over campus. In the background, secretly keeping the entire university together. Keeping the lawns looking fresh and buildings clean. It’s not the president or all the Dr.s we have on campus, it’s all the staff. Without them campus wouldn’t be as prestige as it is.

Next time you’re walking by a staff member on campus or in the dorms, say hi. The workers on this campus are some of the friendliest people around. They embody the meaning of the university and are proud to be here. They too are a Hornet. They all have their own stories of how they ended up here, tell them yours and they will tell you theirs. They’ve been here long enough to know how one succeeds and does not in college, listen to them. They are wise and have seen what everyone has gone through, they are our family and know how to help.

This university is accepting of everyone that walks on to this campus. There is a good chance the custodian cleaning up your dorm has seen years of students just like you and as different from you as you as it can get. They have seen it all. They have seen new buildings go up around campus and the classes double in size. They have been keeping this university together since day one and know exactly how it works.

Appreciate Staff

September 28, 2016 Rachel Levy

The staff on this campus and any other campus, are the actual keepers of the school. They clean up that two week old Chinese we knew we shouldn’t of had. While we’re taking notes they’re keeping the lawn cut and clean so we don’t have to walk on everyone’s old chewed gum. They are unsung heroes that deserve the spotlight.

What students don’t realize, is their people too and like everyone else in life they enjoy actual interaction. Just saying hello to someone means a lot. This campus is it’s own community, involving staff, faculty, and students. Just as the school tries to get the different schools to intermingle, the different types of people of campus should intermingle. We’re all part of this campus and out here for a reason and will be here for a long time, we should all get along and enjoy our time here and make it enjoyable for others too.

The past few years she has been the custodian in Racey Hall. A freshmen community style dorm. Even though students have to share all of the restrooms, she is happy the students here are usually quite clean. Although they are freshmen living there so there are times she needs to clean up the bathroom after the weekend, but said “usually they attempt to try to clean it up themselves.” She just finishes it. But she claims she hasn’t “had an incident so that’s good.”

Not only is there a family in the dorms but Ms. Roxy got excited about talking about her work family. The custodians and physical plant workers that have the same times are a family in their own. Just like any family they get into fights but always work it out. They’re a family that sticks together and holds the campus together.