Jschool Student Blog » Katrina

Back home

Katrina — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 08:58:39 +0000

Okay so I’m sick of planes and airports but it was worth it to see all you guys again. I’m still catching up with myself but was back to work today (public holiday in NSW yesterday). I’m really glad I passed shorthand… how did you all go on Monday? Any shorthand success updates? Work is a combination of kids and animals atm because it’s school holidays but I had a pretty good first day back. I’ve kind of realised how lucky I am to get one of the two jobs I said I’d want to have when I graduated. Especially now that I’m a 3rd year cadet. Have many of you thought about where you’d like to work/ started applying? SBS are advertising for News/Current Affairs Cadets on the Seek website if any of you are interested.
I’ve started my bit on FOI but found there is very little of merit to mention. I’ll let you know what I’ve got soon. I can’t believe we graduate in a few weeks – it’s gone so fast!!!
Hope you’re all well.
Katrina
xo

Well hi everyone

Katrina — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:34:13 +0000

Okay so wow I thought I posted a few weeks ago – but obviously it didn’t actually ‘post’ – I’m sure you’ve all experienced that. So first I’d like to ask everyone if they remember John saying REALLY early on to check the spelling of people’s names carefully? Well how many of you noticed he got the spelling of my name wrong in the ‘news’ section on the main JSchool site? Hahaha.

Okay so I arrived here in one piece, however as John probably told you, my car did not. I managed to crash the back of it into a post (took out the post pretty much) while travelling forwards (ridiculous I know). I only got it back from the crash repairs this week, and thank god it was insured. Sorry I havn’t been that great with contact. I have broadband now so that’ll help a lot.

It’s really great to hear about all of your internship experiences. I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves and learning a lot. Jo I hope your boy’s feeling a bit better also.

I miss all of you and JSchool heaps! Lucky I’m coming to visit in a few weeks… albeit for the shorthand speed test etc so I’ll probably be rather stressed. How’re you guys all going with shorthand?

Work is good… I get a variety of stories day-to-day which I like. I’m the only girl in Editorial so I usually get the puppies, kids or pretty things but that doesn’t worry me at all. (Don’t worry John I’m also doing some harder hitting ones.)

I met Professor Blainey (author of Short History of the World, Tyranny of Distance, etc) and got to chat to him for a while for the re-opening of The Rasp Mine in Broken Hill… he’s a really interesting guy.

I learnt something to – DON’T TOUCH THE FOOD. Just don’t. Especially expensive food as you may think you know what it is but you do not! I took an hors devour (spelling?) thinking it was a miniature caramel tart with cream on the top and after a small nibble released it was horribly savoury and the brown stuff I thought was caramel was like pickle or onion or SOMETHING. Anyway, this would’ve been fine but there were no bins around and I just got introduced to someone I needed to interview.

So… of course needing two free hands (hold notepad and write) I had to shove the thing in my mouth, chew and swallow. I’m telling you now it was disgusting and it took a LONG time to get the taste away. (Also hard to stop the disgust showing on my face as I tried to interview.) Yes, so that’s my advice. At least make sure there is a bin handy!

Already so you guys are probably bored of my ranting. Tell me more about what you guys are doing!!!! John how’d the holiday go?!?!?

Also, Desley your youtube video is certainly unique.

Can’t wait to see all of you!

Katrina
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Internships, Farewells, Zeroseven, Subbing and Stressing

Katrina — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:32:14 +0000

So firstly a late recap on my recent internship at the BDT in Broken Hill. It took me a while to get used to the regional pace of things… finding things to write about was definately much harder! The staff were all really friendly though and I had a good week. I spent a lot of my time re-writing AAP articles and going out with the journos to observe. After re-writing a few press releases and stuff like that I wrote some of my own stuff. I got a few published later in the week which was great.
I also got some great feedback from some of mum’s work friends on one of the articles. I was sad to leave at the end of the week, especially with the knowledge that they had a journalist leaving and would be needing a cadet to replace her.

When I got back to Brisbane though and heard Joe’s big news I started thinking maybe I could do the same so I contacted them and to cut a long story short I was offered the job. So I, like Joe will be completing JSchool from afar… 1500km to be exact. I’m really happy about the job because I said originally that my top two preferences for work at the end of the year were Broken Hill or Adelaide. Hoping Ill be able to save up enough to do a trip overseas this time next year ( in my hols ). I’ll be living back at home with mum… so that should help.

Now the reason it took me so long to organise all this and update you on it is because pretty much straight after I got back from Broken Hill (via Adelaide) I went on the ZeroSeven (Make Poverty History) roadtrip. While I won’t go into too much detail because this is a JSchool blog it was an awesome week. I think it was fairly successful too because Howard did ‘Face Up’ and Rudd committed to 0.5 GNI to foreign aid by 2015… which is way closer to 0.7 to Howard’s 0.36.

Anyway it was a great week and if you havn’t seen anything of the Opera House projection check it out here: http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/pdfs/MPH%20Sydney%20Opera%20House.wmv
Anyway we made CNN worldwide with that so we were pretty stoked. Met some amazing people on the trip and it was definately a good way to get my confidence up with talking to people…. I must have approached hundreds during the week of campaigning.

Okay so back to JSchool for a few days before I’m off again and we’re on to subbing. Being of the technology age where computers do almost everything for me… I really didn’t realise how much work went into the production of a paper. I have a new found respect for sub-editors and the work they do. I’m finding it pretty good actually. I find the headings part the easiest I think… I’m terrible for skim reading over minor mistakes. I shall work on that. Speaking of working on things… I hope everyone is going well with their shorthand. I’m a little worried about the exam but I think I’ll be okay.

As for getting ready to leave Brisbane? I’m trying really hard not to get stressed out but there is so much to do! I own so much stuff!! And I have such a small car! That and I have to change over a lot of stuff back to NSW and all sorts. Not only that but mum insists that since I’m driving by myself I take 3 days instead of 2. I’m leaving Wednesday for Moree, then Thursday to Cober, then Friday to Broken Hill…. all by myself! I can assure you I will be bored! Thou shalt not stress Katrina!

So that’s about all I have for now… I have subbing homework to do!

Talk to you soon everyone!
xoxox

quotes on the wall at my internship

Katrina — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:11:44 +0000

“Doctors bury their mistakes. Lawyers hang them. But journalists put theirs on the front page.” – Anonymous

“A young reporter, told to cut down the size of his news stories, wrote his next as follows: Rodney Fenster looked up the shaft at the Royal Hotel this morning to see if the elevator was on it’s way down. It was. Age 25.”

In the spirit of home!

Katrina — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:33:12 +0000

Hey guys..

Just some observations to make following the announcement of the new Australian ‘Here & Now’ Monopoly board. I would like to remind you all it was decided by votes!!!!

First point for my home-town: Broken Hill is on the board for NSW and Sydney missed out… and some of you hadn’t heard of it! *tsk tsk*.

Second point for my home-state: We may have lost the State of Origin but NSW beat out QLD on the monopoly board. (Well actually everyone did QLD is in the cheapest spot!) Sorry guys… but that monopoly edition will be around a lot longer than memories of who won the 2007 Origin. By the way – Brisbane didn’t make the board.

Third point for my other home-state: South Australia who took out the most expensive spot on the board (dark blue). Adelaide (where I lived) made the board too.

(For reference Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and Perth were the only capital cities that made the board – even though they had the highest populations for voting purposes).

How great is that?

Katrina

Hey All

Katrina — Tue, 22 May 2007 12:06:47 +0000

So I’ve had a terrible start to the week but I hope you all had fun at parliament today… and I’ll see you there tomorrow. Time is definately flying by…. we’re almost halfway through the year! Is anyone doing internships during the mid-year break like Joe and myself? It’s only a month till I’ll be back to my home town’s local daily.
So….What have been the highlights of the course so far for everyone? Personally my favourite thing was Madama Butterfly… I loved it. I’ve found my shorthand is improving so that’s becoming more enjoyable as well. I’m still getting confused with joining ‘L’…. you really don’t realise how common ‘L’ is in the english language until you have difficulty with it!!! Actually I’ll illustrate this now by putting in italics all the ‘L’ words in this entry.
Hope everyone is well….
Katrina

Hello JSchool?

Katrina — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:07:39 +0000

Was I the only one that heard John say to post on the blog or are you all having technical difficulties? I’ve been waiting to respond to something all break but nothing was posted!!! Where are you JSchoolees?
Hope everyone is well and I shall see you in the morning.
Katrina

MEAA Student Industry Day

Katrina — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:30:04 +0000

So today we all went along to the Alliance student day at the library. Even though I still wasn’t feeling the best, I found the day informative and interesting. It was good to hear about how journalists got their foot in the door (even if the beers scenario can’t work that well for me). It was also good hearing from the employers in the industry…. although I would have liked to hear from somebody in print. What did everyone else think?
Also, we have seen our new premises which is very pretty indeed. My collection of photo ID’s is growing by the week and I can’t wait to taste that coffee.
So what can I ask everyone…….. how about what area or rounds you’d like to report on, ideally or to begin with? I can’t decide if I’m most interested in reporting on politics, welfare or the arts. I’m also really really interested in industrial relations and corporate citizenship but I’m not sure there is much of a niche for that… what about the rest of you? Where do you hope to be by this time next year?

Katrina

Hey All

Katrina — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:02:49 +0000

This is my (Katrina’s) test comment.

How often do you all plan on posting on here? I wasn’t there Thursday morning so I’m not sure of the details … is this for specific purposes or for whatever we deem fit?

Btw, if any of you do want to learn a language the place I’m doing Spanish still has vacancies for almost every language and they’re accepting late enrolments because people have only missed the introduction. There’s all different days and levels… im doing one 2hr evening class a week and that’s $355 for the year (except for holidays). Anyway, thanks John for recommending them to me… the class is great. If anyone else is interested the website is: www.uq.edu.au/iml

Katrina