Presentation Day

Today was an incredible opportunity Shawn and myself had to share the gospel at our college. In our Mass Communications class at San Jacinto College, we had to do a project that somehow related to the subject and what we had learned. We were planning on doing a commercial to promote a product (specifically Reduced Fat Chips Ahoy Cookies) but we began to come to the problem that we couldn't relate to Mass Comm. Well... I began thinking. And praying. And lo and behold, an idea popped into my head. The Bible is the greatest tool of mass communication in the history of the known universe. So that was the name of our project.

We created an awesome PowerPoint (much props to Shawn for making it look legit) and wrote out scripts with our notes. We both were super nervous but felt prepared. It's funny how it never turns out to be worse than we imagine in our heads. So we began confidently and did a great job, throwing jokes here and there and presenting the gospel in a mostly unbiased but with a good hard look at the holy text.

After it was finished, our professor praised us for a good job. A classmate stopped me in the hallway and told me how awesome he thought it was, and a fellow newspaper writer said she also loved it. God is beyond words in how He works through us, whether it be a small change from a simple commercial into something greater for His glory. All glory and honor to Him for sure.

Crunch time

It is almost the end of the semester. Most years, a joyous feeling. However, this year it feels extremely bittersweet. This half of a school year has been by far the most entertaining and enjoyable. I recall last December dreading this time, when I was going to be enrolled in Biology 2 and other such less-than-desirable courses. Instead, I pulled a switcheroo and ended up taking three classes (Mass Communications, Newspaper and Reporting, and BCIS) and have never looked back. Considering my major will be Broadcast Journalism or Communications, these 3 have been critical for me getting into my field of study. Not only that, but I have been learning from one of the best in the Houston area, ESPN radio personality Fred Faour. He worked as a sports editor for the Houston Chronicle and now has a syndicated radio program on FM 97.5 "The Blitz".

I never thought I would get such an inside look into the industry, much less actually be under his tutelage by writing for the San Jacinto Times. I have been able to do features, news stories, sports stories, columns, a back page, a "Pop Culture Bracket", and other varied topics. It has been a blessing beyond my dreams, and I know God gave me this semester for a reason. He introduced me to Jerome Solomon (a sports writer for the Chronicle) and Eric Rowe (from 104.1 KRBE). Even today, I was in the studio with him as he hosted "The Blitz" and continue to learn. Hopefully I will keep in contact with him as I move onto another chapter in my life at Texas State, because our paths may cross again later in life.

Being completely honest, another reason it is bittersweet is because I am nervous to move away. Yes, I have not lived at home in months, but my parents are moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, so it is almost like a complete cut-off. It will be something completely new and exciting, and I look forward to the challenge with Luke Crawford and Shawn Tripputi. These next years are going to be the best years of our lives.... so far.