Stay tuned…

Things are changing around here.

What to expect:

A focus.

On what, you ask?

Life is all about what you make it, and it is nothing if not progressing — updates on that.

But, most importantly…

Media literacy. Defined as:  how one analyzes, assesses and questions the media… or, to be more technical..

“Media Literacy is a 21st century approach to education. It provides a framework to access, analyze, evaluate, create and participate with messages in a variety of forms — from print to video to the Internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills of inquiry and self-expression necessary for citizens of a democracy.”

Why is this all happening?

I walked across the stage, crossed under the archway, and graduated from college! It wasn’t an easy senior year (hence the lack of content on this blog). I completed the honors program and my thesis on media literacy, earned a BA in Communications, magna cum laude, and figured out what I want to be when I grow up.

… I’m just still working on the “being” part.

Bear with me though, I’m transitioning, and so is Between You & Me.

_tee

Walking under that Archway after 4 years of avoidance was a bittersweet accomplishment!

Change.

When the clock struck midnight on the new year 2012 I knew I was about to embark on a roller coaster ride of change within the next 5 months. By May 20^th of this year, my life had gone through more ups and downs in 5 short months than an entire year’s worth of months in years’ past.

I’ve never been the greatest at facing, and accepting, change.

That is, until now.

I can’t help but chuckle at the Ferris Bueler reference as I type this but the fact of the matter is that life moves pretty fast. 5 years ago I was a senior in high school with, what I thought to be, a pretty cut and dry plan for my future. I was going to attend college, major in communication, and become a TV anchor.

That was before the Internet took off, before I learned about the importance of media literacy education, and before social media took over the world.

In the past 5 years, Internet usage all over the world has doubled.

What do we owe this surge in Internet use to? See: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Blogging, Vlogging, YouTube, Instagram… just to name a few. See: Smartphones and mobile technology. See: Interactive media. See: Kindles, Ipads, Nooks and PDA devices that span way beyond that your flip phone of the 90s or your PDA with the stylus pen of the early 2000s.

When you think about it that way, it’s easy to see how these things can impact your life—how they impacted my life plan.

Introduction to Communication was the first time I heard the words “media literacy”. Fast forward 4 years and you’d find me presenting 2-years worth of research and original focus group data to a room full of people about that very same topic.

I didn’t know it then but those words would change the path I envisioned for myself. Those words were also created as a direct result of the Internet, so one can say the Internet changed my life… you may laugh, but if you think about it, it’s changed all of our lives.

5 years ago, Facebook was my only social media platform. The medium was new to the world and we were all trying to figure out the rules as we went. How much information is too much to share? How can advertisers use it to generate money? How can companies use it to generate buzz for their brands? Me? I just wanted to know how to use it to meet some friends before I stepped onto campus for the first time as a freshman at Bryant University.

I spent hours on the various groups and message boards and I even met my roommate through a Facebook chat. 4 years later she is one of my best friends, but many people may have learned an opposite lesson in not meeting people on the Internet.

With any new medium, we make the rules as we go, and that is what we were doing with Facebook. When Twitter exploded onto the Internet I can remember saying I would never get an account. “Why would people want to know what I’m doing every second of the day?”

Then the rules were made and changed. I spend more time than I’d like to admit on Twitter. I’ve catered my following list to information I want to know. I’ve found job leads on Twitter, I learned about Osama Bin Laden’s death on Twitter, and to be honest, much of my news has come from Twitter. I’ve learned to retweet the things I deem important and I’ve learned how to make my Twitter my own personal brand.

5 years ago that wasn’t part of the plan. 5 years ago I wasn’t interested in these things nor did I understand what these things meant for our literacy and for our education.

Have you ever thought about the fact that when you read something online you read it faster and with a different purpose than you do when you read a book? You’re searching for something. When you read print from a book or newspaper you scan the page from left to right and read the words, on the Internet, you look for keywords and “hyper-read”.

My passion for and work with media literacy has allowed for me to better understand that concept, and it’s something I think many businesses would benefit from, many parents could be better off understanding, and many young kids need to learn. The way we learn, think and act is different than it was 5 years ago.

Now, a recent college grad, being a television anchor isn’t #1 on my list of dreams anymore (although, if Katie Couric needs a replacement, you know where to find me, CBS!). However, working with media still is. The Internet brought about a revolution with social media platforms and the way we read and understand content. My passions in life revolutionized with it.

5 years ago if you had told me I would be “pinning” my interests to boards on the Internet and baking recipes I found on blogs while listening to music YouTube recommended for me (all the while begging for a smartphone so I could use that to interact with my friends and continue my mobile games using 4G technology instead of my Kindle Fire’s WiFi) I would have looked at you with shock.

I’ve embraced change. As with all new technology, we can’t predict what the next thing is (although we can take some guesses cough instagram cough) and we can’t start with a set of hard and fast rules. We make the rules as we go and we learn the best ways to do things as we put the rules into practice.

For me, keeping in mind that basic fact I learned while looking into media literacy education has been the tip off point for how I’ve embraced the change. How will you embrace it?

September 11 and invitations.

On September 11 2001, I wasn’t invited to leave my band class only when a parent or guardian came to pick me up. I was told to.

On September 11 2011, I wasn’t invited to sit around the television set with my family in quiet fear. I was told to.

On September 11 2001, no one invited terrorists into the United States to attack my city, to attack Americans. They were told to.

On September 11 2001, first responders weren’t invited to run towards the chaos while everyone else ran away from it. Some were told to. Others knew they had to.

On September 11 2001, at 11-years old, while all of my friends had the protection of one or both of their parents, while many of my friends waited to hear all of their loved ones were safe, while most of my friends had the knowledge that their parents were safe, that they were safe. I did not.

On September 11 2001, at 11-years old, I was supposed to understand that while everyone else rushed home to their families and loved ones, rushed home to safety, my dad had to run into chaos and fear. My dad had to run towards what everyone else ran away from. My dad was a first responder and he knew no other way.

On that day, those men and women who ran to protect our country, to protect the city of New York and the thousands of Americans suffering from the terrorists attacks weren’t invited anywhere. They didn’t need an invitation, they just went. Many didn’t wait for the go or the okay from their supervisors, they simply suited up and ran towards the chaos, towards a country and a city that needed them.

On September 11 2001, when these men and women ran towards the chaos without invitation, it was what was expected of them. Our country and our political officials praised those men and women for being the best of the best. These men and women didn’t ask for anything in return, maybe a thank you here and there, but these men and women did what they did because their hearts told them to.

Ten years later, I stare at September 11 2011 and one similarity stands out to me: the lack of an invitation.

Mayor Bloomberg has informed our country that “lack of space” means our first responders are not invited to the memorial at Ground Zero this year on September 11. I can’t help but chuckle because, they weren’t invited there ten years ago either – but they were there.

Should first responders need an invitation to a place they know all too well, a place where many lost brothers and sisters, both blood and not? Should first responders need an invitation to something that should be a somber celebration of their sacrifices for this country? I think not.

The towers were collapsing around them. Buildings falling. People screaming. People running away. They went anyway.

When was the last time you willingly went somewhere in those circumstances?

On September 11 2001, for the first time in my life I saw that my mom could be afraid of something. As an 11-year old child, you imagine that mom and dad are never afraid of anything and can protect you from even the scariest of villains.

But monsters under the bed were no match for Osama Bin Laden and fire breathing dragons were nothing compared to burning buildings. A damsel in distress in a fairy tale just doesn’t scare you as much as imagining your husband, your father, your brother, or your son, your wife, your mother, your sister or your daughter being the damsel in distress at Ground Zero.

What scared my mom? Fear for the hero. Fear for the men and women who were there sacrificing everything, completely disregarding their own safety and well-being, for the safety and well-being of strangers.  It scared me, too.

In the weeks, months and even a year or two after, the first responders were praised by our country. We had never been more patriotic. However, it seems we have moved away from that haven’t we? Politics and greed has led our country and our politicians to put much of our financial burdens on the backs of our public workers – our firemen, our police. We have stripped them of their benefits, and in most recent times, even denied thousands medical care and monetary benefits to help aid the losses they suffered when running into the chaos.

They’ve taken the blows; they’ve felt the pain again and again. Now we stand up and stab them in the back once again.

They won’t be invited to the memorial on September 11 2011, but for many, that feels no different than that day 10-years ago – there was no invitation then, there will be no invitation now. The difference though, is that the sacrifices they made on that day 10-years ago are still raw and freshly ingrained in their hearts. On this day more so than any other day.

What do I think such an action says about our country, about the state of NY and the political leaders who can make such decisions: that they are cowards which they seek nothing but a photo opportunity and praise for “their efforts”.

Ironic since I also just read today about NYPD’s “vamped up security” for the memorial. We’ll use them to protect us, but we won’t honor them as our heroes.

Questions.

Three years ago, if you told me I’d be facing my senior year wondering where the last three years went, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Three years ago, if you told me, at 18, that at 21 I’d be worried about full-time employment, apartments, loan payments, and where I was going to live in a year from now, I’d be completely surprised.

Not only am I wondering when life, and the real world, snuck up on me, I’m wondering if I should really be surprised that I’m worried about this now, as opposed to 6 months from now when the rest of my peers will worry about it.

If I’ve learned one thing (and trust me, I’ve learned a lot more than that) in the past 3 months of my internship, it’s this: life doesn’t wait for you to catch up with it, and it won’t be handing anything to you anytime soon.

I spent 3 amazing months interning at a TV station, lucky for me, I learned a few things about my career choice and what the past three years of school has meant for me. For one, I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life. However, what I did learn that shocked me a bit were the options I could have, and I opened my mind to other avenues in television. While the ultimate goal is, and always has been, to be a reporter, I could definitely see the appeal to being a producer as well… especially down the road if I chose to get married and have a family (ya know, like I said, if anyone would ever want to settle down with my crazy self). After working with one of the station’s new TV shows, and closely with the producers of that show, I see the appeal, and the fun, of working in production.

Here’s something I did learn though that sort of scared me: after spending all of my life saying I will live and work in NYC post-graduation – the hub of what I want to do – I’m second guessing it. It’s true what they say it is a rat race out there. Frankly, people are very angry sometimes (especially at 8am or 5pm) and while I did meet plenty of people who made it worth it, or were willing to help, I met just as many people who were willing to step all over me or even be down-right mean (i.e. the man on the 5:23pm train that yelled at me to move my foot out of his way, thus prompting another woman to yell at him but still, why so angry?)

I know that I could handle it, but I just don’t know if it’s worth it to me anymore. People in NYC, especially those people commuting, can be very jaded sometimes. I think that unless I’m making enough money to live in a nice area and not have to have a far commute (like, from Long Island), and survive on my own two feet, I would be absolutely miserable. I don’t want to be broke and angry. (Inevitably, based on my loans and the job market, I’m sure I’ll be poor, ha ha).

So there was that realization. Obviously, it prompted me to start searching the internet at 9pm (which, when you’re working 2-10am, is extremely late and silly) for jobs and apartments in NY, RI, CT, MA and NJ…

First of all, there was no point in that because even if I did find a dream job, it’ll be filled long before I’m even able to apply. But second, and more importantly, the jobs I want are far and few and it’s not going to be easy. Especially when they all require experience in front of and behind a camera, which, if you’re unfamiliar with union rules, it’s impossible to get experience behind a camera at an internship without breaking lots of rules that no one will break.

So I’m left with a lot of questions right now: will I get the job I want and what happens if I don’t? Do I move back home after graduation or embark on a new journey, find some roommates, and live somewhere else? Will I be able to handle the job search mentally and emotionally? Will I make enough money to survive, and enjoy life post-graduation? Will my 20s post-grad really be an amazing experience, or will it be stressful and terrifying? And finally, when the heck am I going to work on my honors thesis with move-in approaching so quickly?

Well, I know the answer to that last one: right now.

 

 

 

Things interns like.

I may or may not have mentioned that I joined an online blogging network – 20sb. I won’t lie I haven’t paid too much attention to it, because I’ve been so busy with school and work and now interning. No excuse I’m sure, but I do have a few blogs I regularly keep up with already so I was nervous I’d find more I wanted to read and no time to do it in!

Well, someone found me and before I delve into my own creative list, I’d like to give credit where credit is due: I read her list about “Things Unemployed People Like,” and I decided I should create my own twist to it. It seems interns and unemployed college grads share some of the same simple pleasures: dollar menus and addicting TV shows included.

Working this summer taking in minimal income has been killing me… killing my shoe addiction, killing my desire to see every movie I see a preview for, and killing my habit of enjoying pizza, smoothies, frozen yogurt, and all the other delicious foods I’ve been craving spending months away from Long Island.

Now, I’m one who saves money. I do have two separate savings accounts so I suppose I could have it worse. One account, I will not touch, nor do I have access to it directly on a daily basis so it makes it easier, and the other one… well, it’s been dwindling. Commuting in and out of NYC is quite expensive and despite trying to dine cheap for lunch, or pack my own, there are some things you can’t avoid. While I try to walk to and from work (3 lovely miles up and cross town) as much as possible, those 98-degree days we’ve been getting call for a ride on the subway instead ($$).

I can’t complain though, I’m getting an amazing experience, and I should be seeing some of my travel stipend soon… I hope. So for now, I’m looking into deals and sales for the things I need before I move into the townhouses at the end of next month, and keeping my splurging to a minimum. I do think I’d go crazy if I stopped doing anything because I wanted to save money, so I do spoil myself from time to time, but everything in moderation.

And this is how I came to think of my very own list of things interns like…

1. $6 dollar Tuesdays at the movie theatre, or some other variation of the sort: I’m not sure how I only discovered this recently. My life has been changed after seeing “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” yesterday. I’m making my list now, who wants to come with?
2. Value menus: Not the type to indulge or enjoy fast food, I am starting to see the benefits of the dollar menu at McDonalds…
3. Walking… everywhere: If it means I save $5.50 a day by walking to and from work from Penn Station, then bring on the earlier train into the city and the sneakers!
4. Mom or dad wanting ice cream/pizza/food that you want that costs money you don’t have: mom and dad want TCBY, sure I’ll have some, too… how thoughtful of you guys!
5. Sales, coupons and free shipping: Sale e-mails kill me because I can’t indulge in the sales, unless of course it’s something I can justify as a need and not a want.  Coupons and free shipping though… heaven! You mean I can get Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for $8.99 and ship it to my house express for free?! Oh, Amazon, you win.
6. TV show addictions: I make no secret of my obsession with “Big Brother” which is nice because it means that 3 nights a week I have a really valid excuse to stay in and skip the bars, dinners and movies that I can’t afford…
7. Freebies at work: When you work in TV, everyone always wants you to sample their food or beverage or product with hopes you’ll talk about it on air, or let it sponsor you. Translation: free food, beverage and product. Just today I was having an internal debate with myself about not eating breakfast and being broke and starving, just then, Jamba Juice showed up with a box full of 16 oz. smoothies… win.
8. Target: Literally, anything I need, if they don’t have, I tell myself I don’t need it anymore.
9. That $5 from mom for pizza: Really mom, you feel bad I’m so broke and you want me to get pizza on you – aren’t you just the best!
10. Student discounts: 10% off here and there, and lower priced manicures, movie tickets and food… I look 12, and for once, I’m okay with it.

 

When you kill Sirius Black, I rebel… apparently.

I’m terrible at keeping up with blogging. I use my spare time to sleep and my weekends to try to go to the beach if I’m not in Rhode Island having adventures… but I was just sitting here and I thought of a few things to add to that elusive 100 things list:

63. I cannot believe I didn’t mention this sooner but not only am I a die-hard Yankee fan, but I absolutely love Derek Jeter. I think he is a stand-up guy, a true hero among athletes. It amazes me that someone can be so successful and so good at what he does, and play for the greatest team in the sport, and still remain humble and admirable.

64. I’ve always loved to read, when I was little and throwing tantrums acting out over my dad starting to work days, the doctor told my mom “buy her a book”…. and well, the rest is history.

65. My favorite actress is Jennifer Aniston. I loved her in Friends, and I love her in every movie she’s ever done. Particularly the flick she did with Gerard Butler (yum). I think she’s gorgeous and an incredibly strong and confident woman. I envy her.

66. When I was 13 and J.K. Rowling killed off Sirius Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I stopped reading Harry Potter novels. Until this day, I couldn’t remember why I stopped reading the books after book 5. I assumed I just got bored of them. Now, I remember crying my eyes out about Harry losing his only family and then when book 6 came out and I heard about Dumbledore, that was it for me. Now that I’m 21 and more mature, I’ve decided I’ll read books 6 and 7, and maybe even see the movies past 4… (I wouldn’t see 5 because I didn’t want the visual of Black dying, I’m pathetic).

That’s it for now, and on that note, I’m off to read book 6… Ha Ha.

Keep your head above water and count the positives.

I realized today that summer began for me 52 days ago. I also realized (just now) that I have 49 days left of summer until I head back for training for admissions. Summer is more than half way over.

I have been to the beach four times. One of those times was in Rhode Island so I’m not sure that even counts towards taking advantage of the multiple beaches within 10 minutes from my house.

I had sunburn… I had worse sunburn and then I had a slight tan to my skin. Right now, I’m a combination of lots of sun-induced freckles (mostly from my 2 mile walk to work each morning) exhaustion, and bliss.

You read that right: bliss. How do you stay sane when you’re used to working 2-jobs and bringing in tons of money, and suddenly, you’re working full-time and bringing in no money (no money… like for shoes!)? How do you stay sane when you’re used to lazy summer days on the beach after a year of absolute non-stop school, work, school, work, exams, honors thesis, school, work? How (when you’re me) do you stay sane when it’s mid-July and you’ve yet to step foot in Yankee stadium?

You lift your head above the water and count the positives.

Over the past year I’ve tried to live by the “don’t stress out over things you have no control over” mantra. For someone who is usually neurotic and needs to have control over everything, this has been a challenge – but a challenge well worth it. The idea is that if you stress out over the things which you don’t have control over, you’re going to negate the things which you do have control over… things which could be positive for you.

Right now, I have no control over the fact that I have little time for a job which makes money – I am an intern. However, if I started to stress out (too much) over that it would negate the amazing experience I am having as an intern at WPIX-TV. Learning outside of the classroom is by far the most beneficial experience any one can have, especially in this business. Just last week I was sitting with a veteran reporter, who I have come to admire greatly, practicing tracking and my “reporter” voice. She was giving me tips on my tone and inflection and how to give something energy without sounding too high pitched. Every time I go out on the field with this reporter, or sit and chat with her about the career choice I anticipate making, it reminds me that I am in the right place. It reminds me that I am capable and competent, and that my childhood dream is really close to becoming a reality … how cool.

To tie in with that, with every benefit and reward comes a cost (hello business courses at Bryant University). Working 40+ hour work weeks means no time for the beach, but it also means 40+ hours of experience, knowledge, and insight into the field I wish to make a career out of.

Aside from all that, I’ve learned that it is incredibly important to figure out what and who is important in your life and try your damned hardest to make time for it. I’ve slowly but surely over the past year been realizing who gives as much as I give in my various relationships and friendships, and who is worth going the extra mile for – who makes me happiest because those are the people worth going to be a few hours later even though I have a 6 a.m. train, and the people worth making time for.

It’s particularly important to maintain a balance of work and friends/family. There are plenty of nights where I get home and want to crash, but a phone call or a Skype conversation or even just an hour out for some frozen yogurt is worth fighting the exhaustion. You have to make time for yourself, time for your bliss… or you’re going to go plain insane.

For me, the past 52-days have been all about that balance, all about keeping my head above water. I spend little time complaining (I won’t lie, I do complain sometimes, like when I was sick for 3 of the 4 weeks of June, bleh) and more time focusing on what’s important and making me happy.

No matter how frustrated I get when my bus from Providence to NY is 3 hours late (no control over it, no control) and I miss all the LIRR connections to Lynbrook until 3 a.m. with work at 8 a.m., the weekend before makes it worth it… and it’s really important to remember that.

The work-week might exhaust me, but it only takes one Saturday with the entire family laughing, eating lots of food and watching a movie in sweats to put it all into perspective (and cause me to need to start running again, ha ha).

My summer thus far may not be like summers past with endless beach days and lazy nights, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without its positives: mom’s surgery went amazing; our family was all able to get together for Grandma’s big birthday celebration; cute summer shoes (that was expected, right?); a boyfriend who easily makes me forget about my daily 3 hours of hellish commute M-F when the weekend comes and we’re together; friends that make me laugh; and my freckles—because even if I don’t get a tan this summer, they come out like crazy in the slightest sunlight, giving me the fake appearance of a tan at least on my face!

Life doesn’t come without frustrations or negatives, but if you focus enough on the positives and the happier moments, it does a lot to make the other stuff bearable.

P.S. Today my tuition bill came in and textbooks for the fall were listed — I think I’ll take my own advice now and go back and count the positives! 

The power of networking: my first paid piece of writing.

When I took my tour of Bryant, and pretty much every day since then, I’ve heard over and over “Network, network, network!” I’ve always thought it was, in general, a really good idea, however, I also always thought the people with the huge success stories from networking were rare.

Then this summer, I landed my internship at WPIX-TV with some inadvertent networking. (I seemingly stalked a former intern who now is a successful journalist for Newsday amongst other things and he was helpful enough to get me in contact with the right people). My story of how I came about applying for WPIX-TV set me apart and makes for a great conversation starter with anyone who asks, “So, how did you wind up landing this internship?”

In my mind, the power of networking was born.

Last summer, I interned with the Long Island Herald and while I was there I met a lot of different editors and reporters for the various community papers. I got to report and really get my hand in and understand community journalism. Not only did I leave with a portfolio of published bylines, but I also left with an increased network. A network which would land me another opportunity this summer…

While I still write occasionally for the Herald, another editor there moved on to Patch.com and reached out to me recently.

He remembered me from my time with the Herald and saw via my LinkedIn profile that I recently started as a News Intern at WPIX. That’s where he got the idea to ask if I would be willing to do some freelance for Patch. Paid writing? Count me in, right?

Not only will I get to write for Patch, but I will have the chance to put together some packages as video pieces for the website as well. For an aspiring TV reporter – a dream come true.

Last week, I got my first assignment: a story about the re-opening of a local burger joint, Long Island Cheeseburgers. Using the experience from working for the Herald last summer, I contacted the owner and wrote the story – and I got paid for it!

The story was published on the web on Monday and I learned it was the most popular viewed article that day – talk about awesome. Check it out here. It’s going to be pretty awesome when I get my first paycheck for writing an article – something I enjoy.

This summer, I’ve spent a lot of time with a reporter here – she’s been taking me out on the field with her and letting me sit in on her tracking, editing and production. The experience has not only solidified for me that this is what I want to do for my career but also given me the chance to learn outside the classroom – an infinitely better opportunity.

Just yesterday we practiced tracking and she gave me a lot of helpful advice on pitch, inflection and energy. In 5 minutes time I went from good to great, based on a few pointers from her and some practicing.

I’ve been able to practice standups, and now that I’ve got my very own tape, I should be taping some of those on camera and getting them to look over and even use as a reel for my next job interview (ya know, when I have an interview for a full-time job … eek!)

Former Theresa probably would have doubted that one day the people I’m meeting and spending a lot of time with here at WPIX might reach out to me or think of me if a job surfaces somewhere, but lately, all I think about is the connections I’m making and the advice I’m getting from people who could remember me in a few years.

In the industry that is media, it’s all about who you know, so for the next 2 months of my time here that’s the new motive to live by. Friday ends me first rotation at the news desk, so I might not be able to go out with Monica as much anymore :( – although I’m certainly not going to hesitate to ask if the opportunity arises – but I am going to have the chance to meet other reporters/anchors/producers here… and network, network, network!

People don’t just disappear: Lauren Spierer.

3-weeks ago I was shocked to learn about the disappearance of Lauren Spierer. In case you haven’t heard – although I don’t know how you haven’t – she is a 20-year old upcoming junior who, after a night out with her friends, disappeared just minutes from her college-town apartment in Indiana. She was last seen around 4:30 a.m. She’s a petite girl, blond hair and, according to friends and family, a real sweetheart.

This hit home for me real hard. Lauren is just a year under me, and this could happen to anyone. As the weeks progress, seeing the footage of her family and reading the countless news articles online has my heart aching just hoping someone could #FindLauren.

Lauren attended Camp Towanda in her childhood, and is a Long Island native. My friends who also attended that camp remembered her the same way she has been described: happy, giving, and friendly. It is such a shame, and truly heartbreaking for those who love Lauren, that she has been missing this long without any leads to where she could be.

Police have released the following timeline detailing Lauren’s last noted locations:

1:46 a.m. — Enters Kilroy’s Sports Bar.

2:27 a.m. — Exits Kilroy’s

2:48 a.m. — Enters a North/South alley between 10th and College Apartments and 10th and College Village.

2:51 a.m. — Exits the alley, heading toward an empty lot north of 10th & College Village Apartments.

4:30 a.m. — Last seen at 11th and College Ave.

Lauren was last seen wearing black leggings, and a white top. She is very petite and has long blonde hair. However, police

This is the last photo of Lauren, caught on video

say her appearance could have been altered. She is just like you and me, a college student out with friends celebrating the end of the semester… walking home one minute, gone the next.

As of late, police have ruled out any leads which seemed promising about a truck in the area caught on surveillance tapes, and even a found bag of clothes. The search tips are looking dim, but those close to Lauren are not giving up hope. Imagine if Lauren was your daughter, best friend, girlfriend. Imagine the pain and heartache those who love Lauren are feeling. I know I can imagine it. I know that my parents would never give up looking for me – just hoping I would be found. And Lauren still can be! Think of all of the stories about teens abducted and found – some even as long as 18-years later! But those who love Lauren don’t want it to get that far…

Here lies the power of social media. Someone out there knows where Lauren is. Someone out there knows something that can help lead to finding Lauren. Someone out there needs to speak up. Lauren’s family and friends have been using Twitter, Facebook and even blogs to get the word about Lauren out there. I encourage anyone who reads my blog to re-blog this information out to your followers as well. Any little bit helps.

If you want to get more involved than just blogging, here are some ways, via Lauren’s social media outlets covering her story:

 

14 Tips to Help #FindLauren

Tip 1: Tweet Lauren’s info out to your followers… again. #Twitter feeds move quickly, tweets get lost.
Tip 2: Tweet 5-10 high profile people from this list and ask them to RT her info:  http://www.twibes.com/celebrity/twitter-list
Tip 3: Tweet your local media and ask them to cover/keep covering the Lauren Spierer case to #FindLauren
Tip 4: #Tweeting not your thing? Close to #Bloomington? Arrange days off, assemble a team and come here!
Tip 5: Consider donating to help fund the search. $5, 10, $25, anything helps: http://www.iuhillel.org/lauren_donate.php
Tip 6: She could be anywhere. People MUST see her. Consider changing ur photo to:  http://twitpic.com/5842fw
Tip 7: Pass on reward information, $100k and remind people of the anonymous tip line: (812) 339-4477.
Tip 8: Have u shared Lauren’s pict. w/the people you work with? Print out her poster, show it to all.
Tip 9: Do you have a blog? Blog it. Do you read blogs? Request your favorite bloggers to blog it.
Tip 10: #Facebook your thing? Post Lauren’s poster on your page. Ask others to do the same: http://twitpic.com/5842fw
Tip 11:  Post both Lauren’s poster and the truck poster in your area.
Tip 12: Organize a #FindLauren fundraiser.
Tip 13: Ask your area businesses to donate 10% of their proceeds to the search to findlauren.com.
Tip 14: Follow @NewsOnLaurenS for the latest updates.

 The Spierer family is also in Indiana, every day since Lauren’s disappearance, searching for their daughter. You can get involved with that, too.

And remember, any tip is helpful and no information is too little. You can call the anonymous tip hotline 24-7 and let the police know any information you might have: 1-800-CRIMETV.

I’ve been following @NewsOnLaurenS for continuous updates, and you should too. Lauren is out there somewhere. People don’t just disappear into thin air. As long as we keep her story alive, she will be found.

This could have happened to anyone, and I truly think that this movement is a step in the right direction, to let the horrible people out there who do this know that we won’t give up hope, and they can’t get away with it anymore.

Life without Derek Jeter.

I’ve kept quiet with my Yankee commentary as of late (shocking, I know). I’ve been watching, yelling at the TV, and arguing with Boston fans, but in terms of putting my rants to paper (er, screen?) … not so much. However, last night something happened that warrants me coming out of my Yankee-blogging hiatus…

I make it very obvious that I am incredibly amazed by Derek Jeter. While I do find him to be eye-candy, it’s more than that for me. I think he is a man among men, someone who defines what it means to be a role model in a professional sports world so often dominated by questionable behaviors. Not only did he lead the Yankees as a rookie when they were down and not the team we so often see today, but he does it every day, with grace and with passion.

Up until his more recent contract negotiations, there was never a negative word in the media about him – drama simply doesn’t go with Derek Jeter. I will admit I’ve been bothered by all of the media attention centered on his age, his declining stats, and anything and everything that can be said about how he “can’t perform.” Until today.

ESPN tweeted an article by Ian O’Conner which truly spoke of just what makes Jeter who he is, what makes “Numbah 2” so deserving of the C on his jersey and the reputation he has earned. He called it effort, and I’d like to add passion to that as well.

Jeter, similar to other players who go down as Yankee greats, stands out to me because he has passion. He stands out because day in and day out, he gives his all to the team, the fans, and the field. There are plenty of athletes out there who know that they’re talented, and not only that, but they use their talent as a crutch when they have an off-day… or in Jeter’s case, an off-season. Not him though.

Last season Jeter put up some lower than usual statistics, instead of saying “I’m Derek Jeter I can do that because I am the captain of the Yankees and I’ve led this team to multiple World Series titles,” he showed up to pre-season early to get some extra practice and training in with hitting coaches.

That’s what defines him as a Yankee great – he wants to play for this team every single day; he wants to win and he wants togive 110%, even if his 110% isn’t the best it’s always been. And let’s face it, when your 110% was always beyond par, and well above average, your lesser 110% is still pretty damn good if you’re Derek Jeter.

Now, he’s racing to hit his 3,000^th hit on his home field, and become the first Yankee to ever hit that number. He’s said  that the only pressure he’s felt on this journey has been simply that: hitting it at home and not at an away game. The Yankees are set to hit the road after this series against Cleveland, so it’s no wonder he’s been feeling a little bit more pressure, with only 6 to go as of last night.

Until last night, Jeter has been seen by fans as invincible. He hasn’t appeared on the DL since 2003, and he’s never been one to complain or take a day off. He’s played in over 2,000 games for a team that makes the post season nearly every year without fail. He’s the Yankee with five World Series rings. He’s the Yankee who leapt into the stands against Boston to catch a fly ball, emerging with a bloodied face, and playing not only the next night, but the rest of the game, too.

He’s not one to take a day off, and so when he walked off the field last night, you had to know it was bad.

But who can say this is really that surprising? Shortstop isn’t exactly the easiest position in baseball, and he’s done so for sixteen seasons. He has more experience and “street smarts” about the position than any player in the league, and up until recently, he’s also had more physical skill. Now however, his body is wearing down from giving his all every single night for all of this time.

He’s had this passion about him for the past sixteen seasons and no one has been able to stop him. He plays through everything. Except this apparently. Rumor has it Jeter will be placed on the 15-day DL. For a team being hit left and right with DL players, this one hits a different nerve: life without Derek Jeter.

I for one can’t handle the thought. But I know the day is going to come. Someone younger, faster, and more athletic is going to come along and replace the captain eventually… but not today. For tonight at least, we’ll see Nunez in his spot on the field and Gardner taking his place in the lineup, but for fans, he’ll still be in our minds. 6 away from 3,000, and still, invincible.