VH1 has behind the music, ESPN has war room specials and now the T&C has their own behind the scenes of some stories.
I’ve been writing entertainment reviews, stories, columns, Q and A’s and much more for the last three and a half years. I’ve observed and participated in some interesting stories from behind the scenes and so much more.
Humans vs. Zombies (VOL. 92 Issue 25 April 28,2011)
After having some trouble figuring out when exactly HvZ was taking place last year, I was scrambling to put something together. So I used my Call of Duty background to put together some good ambush spots. The weird looks I got from plenty of students on campus as I stood next to a tree, and the poor student who lived in Mayne that I scared the daylights out of were well worth the effort on their own, let alone the interesting story that followed. The best part was that I had a conversation with a professor about a class while taking.
“Green Hornet” Review (VOL 92 Issue 12 Jan. 13, 2011)
At the Tan & Cardinal we sometimes get passes to go see a movie so we can have a review ready the day it comes out, and sometimes before it’s actual release. One publication night I went to see “Green Hornet,” planning on reviewing it. I thought I had until the next morning to finish it. So I went on a date, a first date, with the intentions of writing the story after the date was over. However, my editor called and told me it was for the publication they were working on and that they needed it now. So I brought the girl home and I hammered out the review in about 30 minutes before we went back out for a night cap. While the review took me only 30 minutes, I think it was one of my best.
Q and A with Judson Laipply (VOL.93 Issue 1 Aug. 31, 2011)
During the first week of school, Judson Laipply, who’s famous for the Evolution of Dance viral video that has more than 190 million views, came to campus and spoke to students about life, riding the struggle bus and how sometimes you just need to dance. I met with him for about 10 minutes after he spoke. The Q and A featured him dancing, but what it didn’t do was show how downright funny he was and how it took three towels for him to wipe the sweat from his face and arms. He was still out of breath after he walked across the street and had a few minutes to calm down.
Black Ops Release Party VOL. 92 Issue 9 Nov. 11,2012)
Two years ago in November I went to the midnight release and launch party of Black Ops at my local GameStop. I covered the event as I went through my night with the Call of Duty that I was really excited about. While I talk about bathroom breaks, meeting a real life Navy SEAL and hearing some interesting stories there were some things that didn’t make it into the publication. I’d have to say most shocking was the people driving in a black BMW that were offering no waiting and a chance to play the game before midnight for $100 (nobody took them up on that offer). Also not mentioned was that I got up, went to class on time and then payed the next day for about eight hours.
Winter Coping (Never published)
Winter coping is the newsroom name for a story I wrote freshman year after the terrible blizzard that struck Ohio. It was about what to do in your dorm room if we got Snowmaggedon and it was either unsafe or impossible to leave. Playing Nerf basketball and doing some creative writing were among the suggestions but by far my favorite one was to do a floor-wide truth or dare.
