Speaking from the proverbial soap box

There's a definite sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you see your name in print under a paper, article or even blog post and you know it's destined for the eyes of somebody besides you, who wrote it. I don't think I'll ever tire of it. I was so excited about getting published in the Deseret News on Saturday. It feels really nice to work hard on something and have somebody notice what you did. Like when my roommate won a Kindle from a blogging contest a few weeks ago (she writes really well; I love her writing because it's creative). Or when a friend was in the newspaper because she was a Sterling Scholar in high school. Or when my brother and his friend advanced to the national history fair and both our families got to visit Washington, D.C. for a couple days.

With journalism, I am keenly aware of the added responsibility I have to publish the truth and its relevance to people within the typical "readership" of the publication as well as all over the world (thanks, Internet). I take that challenge seriously. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to gather enough information for each story that you can write it in context, with minimal dramatization, representing each voice the best you can. I don't expect to please everyone, but I do expect to please myself. If I can satisfy my journalistic conscience that I portrayed the story the best I could, I can withstand any reasonable criticism.

Even though sometimes it's hard to live with that responsibility, I love what I am doing. And honestly, what kind of job doesn't have some degree of responsibility? Each worker bee is important - the trick is recognizing the good that can come from your contribution.

Technology article published in the Universe today

Technology playing an ever-increasing role in classrooms
Daily Universe, November 29, 2011

This article was also published on ksl.com on November 16. With different pictures.

I was published in the Deseret News today!

Astronomy professor is living his dream - Deseret News, Saturday Nov 26, 2011, Section B Page 4

Top three closest tennis courts to BYU

Published on Twenty Twenty Provo: Top three closest tennis courts to BYU.

Two new articles

"Technology of the new generation: BYU working to keep up with the times," published on ksl.com as a KSL contributor! I submitted the article to Deseret Connect a couple weeks ago and knew KSL had accepted it for publication, but didn't know when it would be published. I discovered it on their website by accident while looking for another article my mom recommended.

"Comedy Sportz: where random rules," published on Twenty Twenty Provo, a website recently created by a team of BYU journalism students and faculty. The article is a review about the improv comedy club in downtown Provo.