Tag: Michigan

Going A Little More In Depth

Clarence Stone 2014 Fall Cohort, Gateway 5 Comments

The re-purposing project is upon us. I will admit, I am pretty excited about it. The main reason is because it gives me a chance to go more in depth on a piece of writing that really does make me proud. It is a post from my personal sports blog that I have wanted to expand on for a long time. It’s called “The Curse of Little Brother” and it focuses on the recent history of the Michigan and Michigan State rivalry, and I always felt like it could be a much better article if I had more time and more planning.

What I am hoping to do with this article is something similar to an online article for a magazine. A good example of that would be some of the articles you see on Sports Illustrated  or ESPN. These types of articles have more personal tones and almost seem blog like. These types of articles also tend to have different types of multi-media added to them. In the Sports Illustrated article, there are videos, pictures and a couple of other pieces of media. In ESPN, the main thing you will tend to find in their articles are a lot of hyper-links to different sources of information. Either way, they are both using formats that are mainly unique for online article writing.

The only thing I do wonder is how to keep this paper from being too informational. I want this article to be more engaging to the casual sports fan, which means less statistical information than an article directed at a sports die hard. It should be relatively easy to do that, but that will probably have to come in the editing process because when I write the first draft, I know I probably won’t stop to think about it. Then again, as long as I tell the story I want to tell, I’m sure even the casual fans will enjoy it.

 

The Snow is Sharp

Brooke Gabriel 2014 Winter Cohort, Community, Gateway 1 Comment

I woke up hopeful this morning.

Yesterday, the weather had behaved a little better than it has been in recent weeks.  In wasn’t snowing, the ice was starting to melt, and I didn’t have to cover every inch of exposed skin under some type of knitted something.

I woke up thinking, “Maybe today will be like yesterday.  Maybe it’ll even be a little warmer than yesterday.”

After I checked the weather app on my phone, which informed me it was about 32 degrees outside, I realized that the weather wasn’t really better than it was yesterday’s, but it wasn’t going to be the epic, bitter wintery mix that chipped away at my outer epidermis and sanity all through January.  And so, it was with a slightly lighter spirit and more optimistic outlook that I wiggled into my long-johns and extra undershirt this morning.  And as I made my way across campus for my first class of the day, tip-toeing around big, slushy puddles, I thought that maybe, just maybe, today would be one of my last multi-layer-days of the year.  Maybe, I thought, some day next week I can just wear pants without the extra layers of under amour beneath them.

But then, this happened:

Seriously, weather?
Seriously, weather?

I watched this happen out a window.  It was pretty painful.

At first, it was a slow, gentle snowfall.  This was disappointing, thought not devastating.  I was okay with a little snow falling so long as it didn’t stick.

But then the snow got heavier, and heavier, and even heavier.  The flakes grew larger and greater in numbers.  In less than 30 minutes, what started out as a gentle sprinkling of snow had turned into an all-out blizzard.

I swear I heard my long underwear cackling underneath my jeans.

I walked outside after class, already feeling sad and defeated, only to find that not only was the snow cold, wet, and stupid like snow always is, it was sharp.

I’m going to say that again:
The snow
was sharp.

It wasn’t hail, freezing rain, or some other type of precipitation that we know to be a bit more stab-y than snow, it was actually sharp snow.

I can only assume that this arrived because I dared to hope that we’re nearing the end of winter in (what I thought was) the safe space of my mind, and Mother Nature felt compelled to teach me a lesson.

I can’t believe I thought about wearing rain boots today.

“YOLO”

Kidada Malloy 2013 Fall Cohort, Gateway 1 Comment

The blogs that I enjoy the most are the ones that provide me with a new insight into an area which I have not previously considered, and inspires me to think about an unknown subject in a new way. The beauty of the internet, is that individuals can easily connect to a myriad of different ideas, cultures, philosophies, opinions, and styles, which can offer a new enlightenment and understanding of life. This is why I frequently read the University of Michigan student-run art blog, “Arts Ink” where students post about topics relating to art events on and around campus. After I transferred to UM this past winter term, I began to regularly read the articles on “Arts Ink” as a way not only to discover the vast array of student organizations and events on campus, but also as a way to read about other students’ dilemmas and observations on campus and connect with my fellow classmates.

The most significant blog post that I read was titled “Two Words, Jackass: YOLO: “Vlogtrobber” and “Poetry” of Youtube” and introduces the internet’s newest star, Steve Rogenbuck, who is transforming and modernizing the poetry world. Roggenbuck, a native Michigander, can be described as a sort of modern “beatnick” who ignores all the rules of traditional poetry and instead relies on technology and freeform verse when writing poetry. Roggenbuck’s poetry centers around the impacts of internet culture and also utilizes the internet as primary medium for distributing his poetry, which is targeted and made accessible to the general public. At only 23 years young, Roggenbuck is changing the definitions of poetry and challenging social norms, which is definitely inspiring to me.

The original blog post in “Arts Ink” introduced me to Steve Roggennbuck by providing a brief introduction about the poet, and then a link to one of his most popular video poem, which was enough to get me absolutely hooked on his poetry style, his ideas, and his art. I hope through this blog post that you are intrigued enough by what I am talking about to click on the link below, which will redirect you to Roggenbuck’s most popular poem, and hopefully inspire you and your life the same way it inspired mine.

Make Something Beautiful Before You’re Dead

Michigan is the Tease of the 50 States

Carly Keyes 2013 Winter Cohort, Gateway, Gateway Portfolio 2 Comments

Imagine the U.S. is one of those dysfunctional “families” on ‘The Real World.’ Not that I watch the show, but certain staples of pop culture are so pervasive that it’s impossible not to know exactly what’s going on. It’s like the harder I try not to hum Lady Gaga tunes (and all of the other commercial crap for that matter) the more I do. No matter how fervently I boycott the radio, the latest and greatest saccharine song is playing in clothing stores, restaurants, TV commercials, and cars that pass me by… But thank God it’s not THIS bad.

So, t’was my good fortunate that I never had to waste an hour of my life to learn the dynamic behind this old-timer of the reality TV family – a dynamic that thrives upon convention. In every series, there’s the Bad Boy, the Jock, the Nerd, the Loner….. and the Tease (among many other less notable, overpaid archetypes), and it’s no different with the 50 states… especially when it comes to weather.

A visual always helps. Here’s what I mean….

So why is Michigan “the Tease” of the 50 states? It’s March 22nd and it’s 30 degrees. It’s SPRING and there’s SNOW EVERYWHERE. And this time last year? Basically summertime. Yes, my friends, and you will agree, when it comes to climate control, Michigan has none… it just can’t say no to messing around with our emotions. We want blue skies? Nope – it puts out some kind of rain-sleet combination. So the next day, we cleverly don our jackets, and it ends up all clear by noon. See what I mean? Michigan is a total tease.

But what about the other states? I’ve always been a fan of “The Bad Boy,” and in this case, it’s no different. Hands down, Texas is “The Bad Boy” of the Climate Club. Temperatures reach as high as 110 and beyond during the summer months, but THAT I can handle. What I can’t handle? Pushing April in my knee-high Sorels. Ideally, I’d hop the next flight (or even truck bed full of pigs) to California, “The Jock” of the bunch, where the weather every day wakes up and screams, “GET OUTSIDE AND ENJOY THE SUN!” Year round locals can rollerblade. I don’t even rollerblade, but if I could do it year round, maybe I’d start.

At least I’m not stuck with the twisted “Loner” that is Alaska. Who wants to live in a place that spends half the year in the dark and never breaks 65 degrees? It may be a fun spot to cruise through but as far as long-term, I won’t be picking it for my kick ball team. And “The Nerd?” The lame loser? The weather weirdo? OHIO – who’d you think? Yes, I realize that Ohio and Michigan share similar climates…. but it’s Ohio – it’s always the loser, no matter the subject. Why do you think I made the label the ickiest or icky brown colors?

Now I kinda want to go watch “The Breakfast Club,” and from the looks of the weather forecast, I might as well – it’s not like I’m going to be spending any more time outside than I have to.

More than you ever need to know about Carly Keyes

Carly Keyes 2013 Winter Cohort, Gateway, Gateway Portfolio Leave a comment
Nothing in life is worth doing if we are doing it alone… Thankfully, we never have to be.

Carly is a Lucky Sister (Cute, no? Especially that one on the left). She is a Kid At Heart. She is In Love with Richard Gere (She doesn’t care that he’s 63). She is a Fan of Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and The O.C. (She misses them everyday). Carly is a Big Nerd (And proud of it). She is The Kind of Person That Likes to Keep a Pen Behind Her Ear Because She Never Knows When She’s Gonna Need It (It’s her favorite outfit accessory). She is a Family Guy Fanatic (Carly is twisted… but she embraces it). She is Really Not Very Happy When It Snows (All you crazy winter runners out there know what she means). She is a Big Eater of Maranatha Raw Organic Almond Butter (Spoon + jar = yum). Carly is an Emphatic Laugher (Let’s just say, you ALWAYS know when she’s within 100 yards). She is Truly Angered When People Don’t Know About The Original BBC Version Of “The Office” (But good for you, U.S., for trying to compete… really… “A” for effort…).

On a more serious note… Carly attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where she played Division I soccer. She now attends the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a concentration in psychology and minors in Writing and Film.

Carly is a journalist for The Michigan Daily as a film critic and a health and fitness columnist, a paid blogger, an editor for a website that features startup companies across the Mid-west, and she’s working on a couple screenplays, a fiction novel and her autobiography (she’s packed a lot into her 24 years on earth thus far).

Carly is excited to pursue every avenue she can as a writer.