Blog Beat- Denver Governor's Race

This quarter my beat will be covering Colorado politics, but most specifically the race for governor. Politics are increasingly important in our country, especially as the faces of each party continue to change and morph have they have been. The Colorado governor's race is unique in that is has three candidates, one from a party that is only active in Colorado. Covering it offers a unique opportunity to learn about different ideologies within America.

For this beat I will be covering campaign events, debates, and just general updates on each candidate. I will also be covering the issues the candidates are backing, as well as the propositions that will be voted on in November. Occasionally I will write about information on The American Constitution Party, as they are only active in Colorado and have candidates in many different races in the state.

To gather information for my beat I will be following all of the candidates on twitter, as well as the different parties and local publications like the Denver Post and Colorado Independent. I will also be attending talks hosted by the candidates as well as fundraising events and speeches.

Blog Beat- Fashion & Obama

This quarter, my blog will be focusing on one of the most influential industries in the world, the fashion industry. Fashion is constantly evolving, with new designers popping up almost daily with what they deem to be the new “it” item. Furthermore, this industry is always impacted by some of the most unorthodox people. Therefore, my blog will not only be focusing on new trends on a local and national level but, will also be placing focus on one of the women that seems to be impacting the fashion industry more than others, first lady Michelle Obama.

It seems that whatever Mrs. Obama may wear, directly impacts what women today are deeming the most popular. It also seems that since Michelle Obama has been in office, black women have started to appear in the fashion industry significantly more in recent years. Could her reign actually be helping black women further their careers in the fashion industry? With my blog, I want to explore how the industry is changing, and see if what Michelle Obama struts actually impacts what everyone else wears or if her fashion sense doesn’t make as much of an impact in the fashion industry as speculated.

Throughout my blog, I will not only be focusing on local fashion trends, but I will be exploring different views on whether Michelle Obama’s fashion sense is actually helping to change the fashion industry for the better. I also will be striving to find out what’s new on a more local level in fashion. In addition, I want to give an informative viewpoint on what it takes to actually become a fashion designer in Denver. I will be researching local blogs as well as local fashion magazines in an attempt to assess whether Obama is changing the industry and what fashion designers are actually making it in Denver. I will be seeking out fashion designers in Denver, as well as interviewing those who pay attention to the fashion industry as a whole, and report on what they think about Michelle Obama’s style impact both on a local and national level.

I want my blog to be honest, informative and entertaining and I feel this goal can be achieved by looking at different blogs and news columns focusing on fashion and check out new designers. I also want to meet plenty of local designers, and start getting their opinions on changing trends, Obama’s style impact and the fashion industry as a whole. I want to delve deeper than the surface, asking questions that can give the reader both a look into the new trends that are appearing, how the industry is changing, and where we see the industry going in the future.

As for sources, I plan on reading popular Denver magazines, such as Westword, Denver Magazine and 5280 and checking out their fashion sections. I also plan on reading blogs, such as fashionista.com and denveralamode.com. I will also be reading national periodicals such as the New York Times and Essence and Women’s Wear Daily for up to date news on the fashion industry. Lastly, I will be paying extra attention to Fashion Denver, the source for everything fashion in Denver in order to keep up with fashion designers and upcoming events.

Campus Politics

Beat: Campus Politics

The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at DU allocates some $1.4 million of the student activity each year by the outgoing administration. Of the $1.4 million, $750,000 is disbursed among various student organizations. Last spring, former Student Body President Antoine Perretta made significant changes to the budget, which included establishing $1,500 scholarships for the top three USG officers and completely cut student media (The Clarion, KVDU, The Spit Valve and Foothills Literary Journal).

Story ideas:

·      Where are they now? Past DU student government presidents

·      Who are the people on the Senate? Why do they run?

·      Compare the budgets from administration to administration to see financial priorities and how the budgets have changed

News Beat: Colorado Senate Election

Topic
For my beat, I have chosen to focus on the 2010 Colorado Senatorial Election between Michael Bennet (DEM) and Ken Buck (GOP)

Relevance
The 2008 Presidential Election was historically significant for several reasons. Not only was this the first time in the country's history that an African-American was elected but it was also the first time that the youth demographic made a noteworthy impact. I believe that this was caused by the Obama campaign's ability to target the under-30 demographic through communication outlets relevant to their generation. For example, they were able to transform typical campaigning items like signage into trendy momentos and utilize social media in a way that made youth's opinions seem valuable.

Now that another national electoral process is underway, I am curious to see if current candidates are embracing these new methods, or relying on stereotypical techniques like negative advertising. Compared to the fervor characteristic of the 2008 election, this election is barely causing a stir among young adults, and I want to examine why. Is it the message, or the messengers?

Perspective
Instead of approaching the 2010 Senatorial Election from strictly a political perspective, I also plan to approach it from a strategic communicatin perspective. To the average person, politics is a tedious process that affects everyone but only grabs the attention of a select few. In my opinion, it's not what the candidates are saying, but how they say it. The standard family photographs, awkward commercials, and speeches only resonate with a few, and while traditional, can actually detract from the candidate's actual message. The messages are important, and I want to explore ways to highlight them for younger, more modern audiences.

Questions and Goals

• contrast national concerns with local concerns as outlined in the candidate's agendas
• analyze the ethos, pathos, and logos of the candidates campaign tactics, particularly their use of technology

Answers

• monitor the media coverage of both candidates
• contact the communications managers of both candidates
• attend local events to gauge public awareness and opinions about the election

Colorado Education Reform

Education reform and funding is a hot button issue in Colorado politics. As the November election day approaches, the education debate has reheated across the nation and stateside. Colorado has two amendments on this year's ballot directly related to school funding - Amendment 60 and Amendment 61 - which would greatly reduce the amount of public money allotted to school districts.

Several questions have arisen surrounding the state's education system, the answers to which divide school boards and voters.

1. How do school districts budget state tax funds?

2. What measures could be put in place to capitalize on money from the federal government?

3. How are different school districts approaching teacher salaries?

4. How have standardized test results impacted funding and curriculum across districts?

5. Should Amendments 60 and 61 pass, how will school budgets be affected and what changes may come as a result of a cut in funding?

6. What reforms to curriculum and teaching methods have seen success on the global education scene? How can American/Colorado schools put these practices into place?

In talking to school board and state legislature candidates, hopefully some of the answers to these questions will take shape. Attending school board meetings in different parts of the state will also lend clarity to the education picture in Colorado.

As a veteran of the Colorado public school system, I have a perspective on reform that is sometimes overlooked in the debate -- that of a living, breathing student entrenched in the system. When talking about education reform, it is easy to look at test results and graphs of diverse student populations within a district and lose sight of the public school system's goal, which should always be student achievement. Listening to the opinions of students is imperative before moving forward with reform and in examining this debate, I hope to speak with many.

Blog Beat:: Animal Rights

Animal rights is an important aspect of our society. Many people are passionate about animals and since they do not have a voice, people are the voice of the animals. In Colorado, one topic that has been very controversial is the ownership of Pit Bulls. Other states do not think twice about owning a Pit Bull, but it Colorado it can be illegal. To gain a better understanding of this topic, speaking with law enforcement, veterinary clinics, and humane societies would be ideal. This story would demonstrate why owning a Pit Bull is wrong in Colorado, the statistics, and how long this law has been enforced.

Next, another animal rights topic that can be addressed is the ownership a dog for patients who are experiencing PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder). Dogs are very good about providing therapy to patients, but there is not always enough money for these dogs to be provided for health care reasons. It would be interesting to look into the financial breakdown of this system and how exactly these dogs help relieve stress for their patients.

When people think of animal cruelty, they do not usually associate food production with the subject. Therefore, I may also look into the possibility of farm animals and how they are raised for food production. This story will look into how the animals are treated, what they are fed, their living environments, and which areas have the best and worst reputations in Colorado for these aspects.

Last, an interesting and controversial topic is the idea of the fur trade. Aspen, Colorado would be an ideal location to look into fur production. The animal rights group PETA is probably involved in these areas during the wintertime. I would like to look into how much fur is distributed in Colorado compared to other states and where in Colorado is it sold. I will also go into specifics about how fur coats are made and what types of animals are used for the production.

It is going to take some research on sources and information to gain the above knowledge of these topics. Starting with simply sources like veterinary clinics and human societies will lead me to my bigger sources, where hopefully I can gain a full understanding on different areas of animal rights. My goal is to effectively give people an overall idea on these topics, so they may be able to get involved and distribute their own voices.

Blog Beat: Music in Denver

For my blog this quarter I will be focusing on how musicians in Denver make music their career today. Music is a difficult career to be able to make a living from but I am searching to find how passionate musicians make their dreams a reality. In essence I will be writing a "How To Become a 'Rockstar,' in Denver", or at least how to make money with your talent.
I will be exploring different questions including: Who matters in the music industry in Denver? Who are musicians in Denver striving to get attention from? Where are good places for new bands to perform to work their way up? How do they get paid for doing what they love the most, performing music? To get answers to my questions I am going to go about this by taking it one level at a time. My goal is to meet aspiring musicians, part-time musicians, and successful musician in Denver, or musicians that have been able to make a living off their music. I plan on researching local magazines and looking at what artists are promoted in Denver. More specifically I will be focusing on spots in downtown Denver, and in the Capital Hill area. These two parts of Denver are very populated and tend to be where a lot of action takes place.
To make my blog as informative and interesting as possible I am also going to look through music blogs that are popular amongst musicians in Denver. I also hope to go to as many shows as I can where I get a chance to interact with the artists' themselves and ask them how they got to where they are in their career. I plan on making this blog very honest so people can read my blog and feel like they are on my journey with me. I plan on meeting a lot of different people and stepping out of out my comfort zone. Though I enjoy music and admire musicians a lot, I have never taken my curiosity to the next level. I have never tried to answer the questions listed above, so I hope to achieve my goal in answering at least a few of them.
Sources that I plan on using include the popular Denver magazine, Westword, the music blog from the Denver Post titled Reverb, Westword's blog Backbeat, and a popular blog by A and E writer John Wenzel titled Get Real Denver. I plan on finding more blogs and sources as I get deeper into my search. Ultimately I am hoping to map out a guide of how musicians in Denver climb their way up to making music their career. I am expecting that this will be a challenging, fun, and awesome experience and I hope to come out of it with a much deeper understanding of music, and how it becomes a career.