Warning

For those unaware, The Gazette writers have voted for a strike. This is the email all journalism students received from our head of department. I just had to share it.

"It's come to my attention that some Concordia journalism students have been
approached by CanWest to replace regular newsroom staff should there be a strike
or lock-out at The Gazette. While that decision is ultimately up to you,
I would caution you to think very carefully about accepting such an offer
as it is a form of scab labour. Not only could it harm your reputation
and the reputation of our department within the journalistic community,
it interferes with the ongoing collective bargaining process between Gazette
journalists and their employer."

Moral: DON'T write for The Gazette during their lock-out, it is career suicide. Not that I have much of a career right now...

Summing it Up

A friend pointed out that my blog has lacked substance lately. I agreed, so decided to share a few of the things that made my week oh so pleasant.

Tuesdays there is always a conference for first year Journalism students. This week we had the lucky treat of having recent journalism graduates from 06/07 who are currently "working journalists". I was so impressed one worked at the Gazette, another at Global, CTV, Chom, and CJAD. After they introduced themselves and spoke about their careers, I was so inspired. They then spoke about how they haven't had a weekend or summer in two years and shared embarrassing moments and career costing mistakes they have made. Hearing their first hand accounts and their honesty of bad experiences freaked me so much that after the conference I was ready to switch into psychology.

Signing onto facebook and seeing a friend request is something I used to look forward to. However, recently there has been an epidemic of campers adding me. I mean this is expected in August and September but by October I thought I was free from 10-12 year old girls requesting my facebook friendship. Clearly I was wrong. Not only do they add me 100X a day, but they flood my newsfeed, and my photo albums so that I can no longer do any discreet/effortless stalkage.

Public transport was my worst enemy wednesday. I had my first university midterm at 1015 downtown. I left at 915 more than enough time to get there and get a little studying in before the exam. But instead the bus arrived at 925 so full that standing on top of someone was the only option. Of course, a crowded bus is expected at rush hour but not when you live on the route's second stop. Hoping to do a little refresher on the bus was clearly no longer an option. I dealt with my frustration by realizing I still had the metro portion where I could do a little studying. So I get to the metro and hop on the cart just in time to hear that the orange line is down for an undetermined amount of time. Cool. It is now 9:40 and my class and midterm are so soon that I begin to freak out and contemplate heading out to find a cab. I decide to wait it out but I'm so nervous that I will miss my exam, that studying while waiting is no longer an option. I decide I will wait two more minutes. It is now 9:47 and I can no longer wait. As I am about to get up and go, the doors thankfully shut. But by then I am so nervous I stare at my watch the entire rest of the ride. With no studying done, I get to my exam just in time. This seems like a happy ending unless you know anything about me which means emily + nerves = death. I will be surprised if i get more than 25% on my midterm. Fun times.

So I don't really think this vent session counts as substance but it is a little more personal than my Top 3s. I am just thankful that tomorrow is Friday. Hopefully the weekend will bring me and this blog some more excitement...