Really good Chicago Tribune article ... and more!

Chicago Tribune From `silent purchase' to `new freedom'

This is a GREAT article that I'm going to use for my Women in the Media journal that I do for the undergrad class I'm in. I found it thru ms. musings, a GREAT blog that's been really helpful to me in the few weeks I've been reading it.

The presentation in the class about WAM!2005 went really well. The girls were all interested in what I had to say and asked intelligent questions, including "WHY DID YOU GO?" when I expressed my surprise at how political the event turned out to be, which was just something I hadn't expected, not necessarily something that I thought was good or bad. I like that girl though. And my answer was that it really does pertain to what I'm interested in re: media (women) AND i'm from Oklahoma -- i don't get out much so any opportunity to see the world is a good one.

I had some interviews for my graduate level project I'm doing for that class. I'm talking to the journalism Humphrey fellows who are in residence for a year at the University of Maryland. I got some REALLY interesting stories and opinions on women and the media, both here and in their home countries, made some good contacts and think I'll end up with a pretty nice paper, which I'll try to at least link here assuming I get it finished.

I've also got to work on a "birthday" paper for that class. We're to look up a publication from the day/month and year we were born and compare that to the same publication from our most recent birthday (specifically compare how the coverage of women has changed). My mom, a fabulouso librarian -- every journalist should have one in the family, made me copies of our local newspaper, so it will have a little Oklahoma flair! Good times. Now I just need to WRITE the darn thing. That's on tap for this weekend, since it's due Thursday (also it's completely optional for me since I'm doing the Humphreys paper, but it's such a cool idea).

At my internship waiting for stories to roll in. The POPE is on everyone's mind and they're freaking OUT about what to do if he dies while no one's here -- basically how will the copy get moved. It's an interesting dialogue to eavesdrop on. I'm a nerd though. The thing about that, although I'm not Catholic, makes me REALLY sad, is that he doesn't have a woman to be by his side. I think a wife can offer something that all the male advisers in the world can't -- a love that will be only second to the love the pope (and everyone) experiences from God. So while I know it's his vow and everything to be celibate, not have a wife, I think he's missing something crucial on his death bed. I just base this on the experience of my grandparents and my grandfather's death in late 2003. That's just something that's rolled around in my head, but I know he's being taken care of, it just bothers me that it's by MEN. But then maybe that's sexist of ME. I never claimed to be perfect, OK?

Reading all the WAM! listserv listings has been a real education. I'm so glad I'm on it because it is broadening my thinking skills, I really believe. I don't think I can be completely converted but I'm definitely in a transition point ... ooooh. got a story -- about the POPE no less.

onward. ~mari...