A reflection on my time as a UF journalism student

I still remember my first tour of UF. My preview staffer had been a journalism student. As we walked past Weimer Hall, she said "If you are planning on majoring in journalism then you'd better get used to this place. It's going to be your new home away from home." I remember looking around the unfamiliar new place and wondering if that could ever be true.

Now, three years later, I am at Weimer hall daily. The majority of my classes are there and in addition to that, I have spent so much of my time in the INC, or Innovation News Center at the University of Florida. The INC is UF's newsroom.

It has been my home for the past few years and I know it like the back of my hand. I have spent countless hours there recording and re-recording my projects. I have spent long nights editing packages on the computer and trying to finalize my work into the perfect product. I have also done shifts in the newsroom for radio and TV. On my shifts, I have gotten a chance to gain hands-on experience writing scripts, editing packages, conducting interviews, and appearing live on the 5 o'clock news. Everything that we produce in the INC goes on Channel 3, a PBS affiliated NPR station that broadcasts throughout Alachua County.

I have gained some truly great experience through WUFT News and my work in the INC. As a UF student I have been able to utilize all of our incredible programs. I feel very blessed to be a part of such a great journalism program. The CMIR, or Center for Media Innovation and Research is constantly coming up with new projects and ideas in the world of journalism.

I frequently use the CMIR facilities. I use the newsroom every week during my TV 2 shifts. I also use the AHA lab often, it is the best place to work on group projects or get some quick work done in between classes! As I reflect on my time as a journalism student at UF, I would like to include some pictures from this past semester as a TV 2 Reporter. I included photos from two of the stories that I covered this year. One story was about a retired police K9 named Justice who apprehended a criminal on his last night of service for Gainesville Police Department. The other was about home buyer trends in Alachua county and what buyers are looking for when purchasing a new home.

The Tipping Point

I recently got the opportunity to read The Tipping Point written by Malcolm Gladwell. I found the book to be super informative and also surprising. The point of the book is how little things can make a big difference. The introduction to the novel started out with a few old fashioned stories to explain what a tipping point is. There is one really that caught my attention. It was very personable and taught me about Hush Puppies, a brand of shoes. The idea of the “tipping point” was that a style of the brand of shoes that was so obviously out of fashion but was able to seamlessly make a comeback once they hit the tipping point. According to Gladwell, the shoes went from being thirty dollars and owned by a handful of downtown Manhattan hipsters to being in every mall in America in a span of only two years. The notion of a tipping point is a truly fascinating one. The introduction really set the stage for the rest of the novel by showing what can happen when a trend or idea spreads like wildfire. There is no stopping it or slowing it down… it is contagious behavior. Throughout the novel, three recurring characteristics of a tipping point are shown. One is contagiousness, another is the fact that little causes can have big effects, and the third is that change happens gradually but at one dramatic moment. According to Gladwell, “The name given to that one dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything can change all at once is the Tipping Point”. The novel goes on to explain many epidemics and pinpoints the causes and tipping points of each of them. Reading about the past was interesting because it gives a lot of insight to history that I had not previously considered. Diseases like Syphilis, AIDS, HIV, PCP, and many more. Besides the history aspect of the book, a lot of what I read surprised me. I found myself constantly asking, “Is this really possible?”. I was also surprised that the tipping point phenomenon applied to so many stories that I have heard throughout my life but never really considered. It even applies perfectly to the story of Paul Revere and the American Revolution. I really sped through the book. It was a light and easy read, full of anecdotes and different stories to keep a reader constantly entertained. Throughout the process of reading the entire novel, I was still constantly surprised by what I read about tipping points. Gladwell kept that pace of the novel quick and lively, it was spiced up with all sorts of different fads, fashions, and epidemics that he observed and evaluated. One story that really caught my attention was the study conducted at Princeton University by Darley and Batson. The study was based on the parable of The Good Samaritan. The results of the study differed from what I expected and proved, according to Gladwell, “that the convictions of your heart and the actual contents of your thoughts are less important, in the end, in guiding your actions that the immediate context of your behavior”. The study proved that the words “Oh, you’re late” had the effect of making someone who was ordinarily compassionate into someone who was indifferent to suffering. In the chapters about smoking, Gladwell writes, “Smoking was never cool. Smokers are cool”. Gladwell explains that the smoking epidemic began in the same way that suicide epidemics or word-of-mouth epidemics began. A very small group… a select few are responsible for driving the epidemic forward. That’s all it takes and it spreads like wildfire. Gladwell explained how devastating the results can be, all due to the Law of the Few and the Stickiness Factor. Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Tipping Point. I feel that the novel did a great job informing, surprising, and entertaining the readers with a variety of content and lessons. It teaches the strength of word-of-mouth and evolving trends throughout society.

Benefits of blogging

Wow! I really lost track of time looking at my classmates blogs. I think writing and reading blogs is such a great use of time. It gives you a chance to learn new things about people and about yourself. For me, writing a blog has been a reflective time. Every week, I sit down on Sunday afternoon and think about what the past week has brought for me and what the new week will hold. It gives me time to organize my thoughts and figure out my plans for the week. Writing an exercise blog has been an interesting experience. I am, by no means, a gym buff and finding the time and energy to go for a run or work out a few times has been difficult at times. But, this blog has helped me to stay on track. Reading the blogs of my classmates, I got a chance to see the many different types of blogs out there. For example, Isis Ash has a blog about writing reviews of places and things in Gainesville. I'm sure she has gotten to do some pretty interesting things! Another awesome blog that I got to look at was Ryanne Doumet's. She has definitely gotten to see some amazing things and travel to some crazy places! A third blog that I really enjoyed was an awesome weather blog, made by Morgan Falcon! You should check it out!

I really can't believe my junior year at UF is coming to an end. I have loved my time here more than anything. I don't want it to end. I always tell my friends that if I could go back in a time machine to freshman year, I would definitely do it. Being a student here, at UF, has been the most incredible experience and I would recommend it to anyone. For my Interactive media class, we made blogs. Using my blog to talk about what I'm doing on a weekly basis has been very cool. I have definitely benefited from taking some time to talk about my thoughts and goals. I got a chance to check out some other blogs that my classmates have been working on and I really loved them! Kayla Kawalec's blog about self improvement was very interesting and motivational! I also loved reading about Maria Carter's life on her blog. She is so cool! Another blog that I really enjoyed was Sarah Kimbro's. Her blog is similar to mine and is about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle.

A quick biography

My name is Sloan Patterson. I am from the town of Palm Harbor, Florida and I have three younger siblings and the most amazing parents. I am currently living in Gainesville but love to go home and visit my family. I grew up near the beach and I have always loved it. Soccer was also a very big part of my life. I played club soccer my whole life and I still participate in intramural soccer at UF. Now I am 21 years old and am just finishing up my third year at the University of Florida. I am majoring in Journalism and Telecommunications and minoring in Communication Studies. I love my major. It has given me the opportunity to experience broadcast journalism in a hands-on environment. For the past two years, I have gotten the chance to be a student intern/reporter for WUFT News. WUFT News is a NPR affiliated TV and Radio station that broadcasts on PBS. I have loved learning how to report, edit, write, and produce scripts and packages for the news. I'm not completely sure that broadcast journalism is what I want to do with my career but the experience has been great and I know that I could always end up pursuing a job in telecommunications. Instead, I have recently decided to go to law school. I am starting up an LSAT class next week and I will be taking the LSAT in June and then I will begin applying to law schools. I am planning on applying to different schools in Florida because I really love it here. As for what time of law I want to practice, I am not 100% sure. I plan to figure out what I like when I am in law school. For now, I think I would like environmental law or something to do with human rights because that is what I am most passionate about. I am also heavily involved with Dance Marathon, a student-run philanthropy that raises money and awareness for Children's Miracle Network hospitals. We work all year to fundraise and plan the event. This year UF raised over 2 million dollars for our local hospital, Shands. I participate in Dance Marathon fundraising events every year, such as bowling, food truck rallies, and a 5K race. The University of Florida truly has so much to offer and I have loved attending this school for the past three years. Thinking about graduation makes me feel sad but I plan to make the most out of the rest of my time here!

Next year, I will be starting my senior year at UF. I'm planning on applying to law school and I have been doing a little work on my resume. Check out Sloan Patterson's resume.

I love 5Ks!!

If you follow my blog, you probably know that I participated in a Gainesville 5k race about a month ago. A couple friends and I ran the 5k just for fun and finished the race in a little under 30 minutes. Running that 3.1 miles had been a lot easier than I was expecting so I have decided to register for another 5K and challenge myself to beat my previous time. The Midnight Fun Run is a UF tradition that usually occurs at the end of the semester during reading days. Starting at midnight, runners take off on a 3.1 mile run through campus. When they finish they receive free breakfast at the dining hall. I can't think of a better way to finish off the semester! I am trying to find some friends to participate in this race with me!

Life with my Nike Fuel Band

Since receiving my Nike Fuel Band for Christmas this year, I have seen my activity levels and desire to exercise improve greatly. Having a band on my wrist that is constantly tracking my steps, burned calories, and activity helps motivate me. I find myself taking the stairs instead of the elevator, to see how many calories I burn. I recommend the Nike Fuel Band to anyone that is trying to live a more active lifestyle. I can also plug the band into my computer, which will pull up my fuel points chart for the week. I can see which days I burned the most calories and see which days I almost didn't hit my goal. The Nike Fuel Band is a great way to regulate yourself and stay on track. Nike Fuel Bands are available for purchase at any local Nike Store. Let me know if you get a fuel band so we can become Nike fuel friends and share our progress with each other!

So far this semester, I have been doing my best to exercise regularly and stay active. My Nike Fuel Band has been helping to regulate how many steps I take and how many calories I burn per day. On days that I walk to class, I walk so much that it is easy for me to hit my goal for the day (which is 10,000 steps). But on the weekends, when I don’t have to walk as much, I have to make a conscious effort to get outside and do something active. I am making sure to go to the gym or go for runs this week whenever I can find the time. But next week is going to be another story. Next week begins spring break for the University of Florida. I will be in Key West with ten of my friends and although I am very excited, I decided to take some precautionary steps to make sure that I don’t get too far off track in my steps to be more healthy and active. Vacation can be a very hard time for people to exercise and eat healthy. I have experienced this firsthand. It is easy to make excuses like “I’m on vacation! I’ll exercise when I get back to the real world”. Next week, I am not letting myself make excuses like that. I am setting goals for myself so that I can make sure to hit my fitness goal every day of spring break. In the Keys it will be so warm and beautiful outside so I will be taking a short walk on the beach everyday of spring break. I will walk either in the morning when I wake up or in the evening as the sun is setting. I have put reminders in my phone so that I will be sure not to forget my goals. My friends and I have also signed up for some cool activities to do during the week. One of them is a bike ride around downtown Key West. We found an awesome bike rental place where you can rent bikes for the whole day for only $10. The other activity is a cool snorkeling experience at a coral reef. We booked the snorkeling trip through Sunset Watersports. I know that both of these activities will help me to stay active and moving during the day instead of just lounging around by the pool. These are just a few of the precautionary steps I’m taking to ensure I don’t deviate from my exercise plans! Of course eating healthy can go a long way too. Vacation is a good time to spend lots of money on unhealthy foods. But, I have decided to kill two birds with one stone by packing some healthy snacks for our trip. I have encouraged my friends to do the same! I am packing a cooler full of fruits, veggies, lunchmeat, and cheese to make sandwiches. I am bringing Gatorades, bottled water, power bars, and trail mix. This way, when we are at the hotel and start to get hungry, we have healthy snacks waiting for us. I think this will save my friends and me a lot of money so we don’t have to go out to eat as much. I hope these ideas will help me this spring break to keep my healthy promise in mind! I know it might be tough, but setting these goals aside will definitely help. Who knows? I might end up doing one of my favorite abs exercises, too! But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!

How To Lose Arm Fat

My sister and I came across another workout video and we had to try it. We both agreed that our arms could use a little toning. Being a soccer player my whole life, I am used to running, cardio, and leg exercise. I have never had to work out my arms though, so they are pretty weak. We found some weights in our garage and started up the video. My arms were not used to lifting weights at all and they are still sore today! I will definitely be doing this workout again soon!

10 Min Abs Workout -- At Home Abdominal and Oblique Exercises

This weekend, I was home for the weekend and decided to be creative with my workouts. I found a couple at-home workouts that I did with my sister. One thing we worked on was abs. After trying a couple different exercise videos we finally found this 10 minute long video with a huge variety of ab exercises that work out abdominals, obliques, and much more.

For class this week, I had the opportunity to read Steve Krug's Don't Make Me Think. As soon as I started reading Don’t Make Me Think I was immediately hooked. The writing style was so candid and humorous. The way that Steve Krug writes is so conversational and I could tell why his books have been popular. I agree with him in many aspects of the book. One recurring theme that Krug uses is the theme of keeping things simple. I agree that simplicity is very important for creating a good website. Often when I am online looking for something, I find myself getting discouraged if the specific part of the website that I am looking for is hard to find. When it comes to the Internet, convenience is better. I don’t like looking around for something. It should just be there when I need it. Krug definitely goes along with this. He even named his book after it, with the clever title, “Don’t Make Me Think”. There are some new things I learned about creating websites from this book, though. One thing I thought was particularly interesting was the idea of eliminating “happy talk”. Krug wrote about happy talk saying that it doesn’t convey any useful information and instead it focuses on saying how great the website is as opposed to explaining what makes the website great. Krug goes on about how important it is to omit needless words in general. Grabbing the attention of the reader is the most important and often they skim over big paragraphs of excessive information. Krug uses examples like comparing page names on websites to L.A. street signs. He says the page numbers need to be big and in the right place like street signs or else people could overlook them. As I have learned from this book, people don’t read pages… they scan them. I know I am personally guilty of doing this as well. Reading this book has made me aware of this fact and I now know that when creating a website I will make sure to highlight important parts of the websites in big letters and bold colors. That way, if users are on a mission they can easily access the info that they need and also the info that I want them to see. Another very important piece of advice that I have taken away from reading this book is the necessity of getting the message across with a good tagline, blurb, learn more section, etc. In my opinion, the best way to portray your message is in a catchy and informative tagline. According to the book, “A tagline is a pithy phrase that characterizes the whole enterprise, summing up what it is and what makes it great”. I learned that good taglines are six to eight words, an amount that is long enough to convey a full thought and also short enough for readers to easily absorb. An example that the book uses as a good tagline is from a breakfast blog. The tagline reads “In search of the best eggs in town”. The tagline is clever and lively. It also makes me think that my blogs are on the right track to having catchy taglines. I made a blog last semester about food and the tagline I used was “the search to find the best Mexican food in Gainesville”. In the future, I will continue to use clever and personable taglines because it is apparent that they are essential to creating a face for a website. From reading this book, I have learned a lot about the basics of web design and creating a user-friendly and easy-to-operate website. Simplicity and usability are key in the process.

Yesterday was such a great day. I finally had the opportunity to run the 5k benefiting Childrens' Miracle Network Hospitals. I ran the race with my friends Lauren, and Aubrey. We finished in just under 30 mins and it was a perfect start to the day. I have decided that I am going to make it a habit to wake up early on Sundays and be active. It starts the day off on a good foot and makes me so much more productive. by 9:30 A.M. I had already started my day and run over 3 miles. On a normal Sunday I would still be sleeping at that time. Here's to more productive and active weekends!

I have been wearing my awesome Nike Fuel Band everyday since I got it. I honestly think that a Nike Fuel Band is an awesome investment for people like me. Although, they are about $100, it has made me so much more active. It inspires me to reach my goal of 2,000 fuel points per day. I take the stairs instead of the elevator and I work out more in order to reach my daily goal. Below is an image of my fuel points from last week.

I just registered for a 5k run this weekend! The run will be Sunday morning around campus and it benefits the local Children's Miracle Network Hospital, Shands Health. I have been running a few miles a day in preparation for the run.

I've always loved playing soccer. Whenever I get a chance, I like to go to the soccer field with some friends and kick the ball around. Although this may seem like a fun social activity, it also serves as a great way to be active and get some exercise. I went to the soccer field for about two hours and got 2,000 fuel points on my Nike Fuel Band. My Nike Fuel Band is a great way to see how many calories I'm burning through my daily activities. I set a goal of 2,000 points a day. It's a great way to remind me to be active and keep moving. I reached my goal today with great ease, just by kicking around the soccer ball!

This past weekend, I went home to visit my family. Home for me is the town of Palm Harbor, Florida. There isn't all too much going on in my hometown but I must admit that it is a beautiful place. My parents like to go for walks along the scenic Honeymoon Causeway. This weekend, I asked if I could join them. A simple walk along the causeway turned out to be my exercise for the day. The temperature outside was perfect and it was a beautiful day. We walked at a brisk pace and the walk ended up being a total of 5 miles! It was a simple and easy way to get my heartbeat pumping and be active.