In a New York State of Mind

It's funny how you can grow up thinking you hate big cities, then go to a place like New York and feel right at home. Well, almost at home. After a week of sightseeing and media touring, I'm seriously considering trying to intern there next year.

Here's some of my favorite media places we visited:

Time/Warner

They set the standard pretty high for the other media organizations, greeting us with coffee, donuts, and free magazines. They had also planned a great presentation for us, with representatives from many of their affiliates taking time to explain the business to us. Notably, we got to meet Jack Cafferty of CNN, who gave us some no-nonsense advice on how to get ahead in the world of journalism. He should know.


New York Times

We got a little less of a warm welcome here, but the peek we got at the inside of this place was priceless. We got to see the front page newsroom where some of the most important stories in the world are put together. We also watched a slide show of photographs taken for the NY Times, the quality of which was breathtaking. I even noticed a few of the photojournalism majors tearing up a bit.







Good Housekeeping

I was pleasantly surprised by this magazine, which I had previously thought to be somewhat of a fluff magazine for bored housewives. Turns out they do all of their own product testing in a series of labs in-house. You can see the kitchen lab where they test blenders, fridges, and any other cooking appliances. Good Housekeeping's attitude towards serving their readers, as well as their policy on ads (they won't take ones that don't live up to their claims) makes them the kind of magazine I'd like to work for in the future.


Rolling Stone

Definately wins for the cool factor. Their "Wall of Covers" is a sight to behold (left). Every single cover they've ever made since 1967 is on display here. We also got a behind-the-scenes look at how celebrities are photoshopped to get rid of any unsightly wrinkes or other imperfections. Boy, those before and after pics are scary!









Ketchum

This PR firm knocked our socks off. They went above and beyond any other place we visited to make us comfortable and had obviously put a lot of preparation into their presentation for us. We walked in to the sound of "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" and found goodie bags at our seats. After hearing what they do and getting a sense for how well they take care of their employees, I was just about ready to switch my major to public relations. I plan on applying to their training program next summer.

Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But I'm taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I'm in a New York state of mind

New York, New York

I've never been one to plan big trips over spring break. It's only a week long, after all, and right in the middle of the spring semester.

This year, however, I decided to spend my break in NYC, touring the major media companies in the Big Apple as part of a school-organized trip for mass communications students. And I have to say, it's the best spring break I've ever had.

Here are some highlights:

Time Square

A tourist trap for sure, but one of the funnest places to be at night. Our hotel was just a few blocks from everything: the giant TV screens, Broadway theaters, great restaurants, and more. We learned quickly to look at menu pricing before sitting down to eat. The street vendors were usually a safe bet for good cheap food (and accessories!). Day or night, there was always something to do in Time Square.

RENT

I was able to get half price tickets the night before and still sit in the 7th row. This was an awesome show. Chicago (the other show I saw in NYC) paled in comparison.

Chinatown

Forget buying trinkets in Time Square. Chinatown has all tourist junk you'll ever need, and for half the price! My hotel roommie got her favorite designer perfume here for $30.

Battery Park

I knew that I wanted to see the Statue of Liberty while I was there, but I didn't want to have to wait in line to get on the boat. Here I could look out and see the statue, as well as the Manhattan and Broklyn Bridges. There are also guys in the park dressed up as the Statue of Liberty who you can get your picture taken with. Silly, but fun.

Frim Fram and Dance Manhattan

These are two places I went swing dancing in the city. I lost my camera at one of them but some of the dancers helped me find out where it was the next evening and offered to mail it to me in California. Just goes to show what a friendly bunch swing dancers are! I also made almost as many media connections here as I did while touring the major corporations during the day.

To be continued...(with pictures!)

Vernon God Little: Not for Everyone

One of the books being considered for next school year's Campus Reading Program at SJSU is Vernon God Little, a satire of American materialism, conformism, and obsession with the media. It's also a dark comedy involving a school shooting. In my opinion, it's a good book, and a worthwhile read, if you like a certain kind of satire. Still, I don't think it should be chosen for the program.

In general, I'm not quite sure that SJSU should choose a comedy (however dark) for the reading program. Everyone has a different sense of humor, and I'm guessing that Vernon God Little is not everyone's cup of tea. The jokes are often crude, with a sarcastic edge. I don't think that most students would appreciate the satire of VGL, either. Satire is a slippery thing, and it took me 2 years as an English major to kind of get it.

I also think a lot of people would have a hard time relating to the narrator: a dirty-minded 15-year old boy given to frequent profanity. The vulgar language added to the graphic sexual content of the book might be off-putting for some. Sure, in The Kite Runner (last year's choice), Hassan gets raped. But this event was treated more seriously, and with less graphic description.

I imagine that the goal of the SJSU Campus Reading Program is to introduce students to a book they might not otherwise pick up; one that they'll like, that also happens to have redeeming social value and make for a good discussion topic. Vernon God Little can be a good book to pick up in your spare time, when you're in the mood for something with a darker edge. It's funny, and it does have redeeming social value. Still, when in comes to a campus-wide reading program, I think it's best to choose something with a more universal appeal.