kcoddington7

A Farewell

kcoddington7 — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:44:51 +0000

This is my last night at the WJMC on the George Mason, so I’m going to keep it short and simple. I would like to thank everyone involved in making this week so ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! Thank you to those who put the conference together and made it, without question, the best week of my summer. Thank you to those whom I friended (not just on Facebook either); you all really made this a great experience and I hope to keep in touch with everyone. A final thank you goes to my parents, who not only paid for my trip, but have driven six plus hours to get me here and home. All of you have helped to make this one of the best summers of my life. Thank you!

The First Time I Reported in a Storm

kcoddington7 — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:57:28 +0000

There are several words to describe my day today:

AMAZING.
Hilarious.
C-SPAN.
Wet.

Now, you’re probably thinking “Wow, Kaitlyn, I knew you were a little out there, but these words don’t relate to each other at all.” The best part of today is that they truly and honestly relate to one another perfectly. Oh!!! I can’t forget one more:

Caffeine.

We’ll begin with AMAZING (yes, the only way to write this is in all CAPS). As usual. the WJMC exceeded expectations and outdid itself again today. Not only were we on NATIONAL TELEVISION, but we also met the co-authors of _Finding Chandra_ and attended a presentation on college admissions by Dean of Admissions, Mr. Andrew Flagel. We were fortunate enough to tour the Smithsonian Museums today too, which brings me to my next word of the day

Hilarious can be used to describe today because of the aforementioned word and all of the AMAZING people that I was fortunate enough to spend it with. For instance, while at the Museum of American History, several of us entered the “Potatriots” competition, which involves recreating a scene from American history using potatoes. Our group did the Salem Witch Trials, and the end product was AMAZING, as well as hilarious. Dean Flagel also helped us “laugh it up” today with one of the most entertaining and unique approaches to college admissions that I have ever seen. He was not, however, the only comedian of the day. Though I was not able to speak with him, C-SPAN host and founder Brian Lamb was also very humorous in the time he spent with us today, bringing me to the third word of today.

C-SPAN was interesting to say the least. We spent most of the morning listening to speakers and filming television shows for the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network was exciting, despite the early morning start it required. We got to see real broadcast journalism in action and participate in shows watched by millions of viewers. The early morning start required an extra early morning boost in the form of another word of the day caffeine.

Caffeine is a drug. I am fairly certain that it is the most addictive drug, as well as the easiest to access. I. Love. Caffeine. Today, I had two, rather large, cups of coffee and one sugar-free Redbull. On the plus side, I am no longer tired by any means. On the down side, tomorrow morning I will have a headache from lack of this most addicting of drugs. Our final word of the day definitely ties into everything, including the title of this post. Let’s get wet.

Today, on our way back to the buses, we were caught in a Washington rain storm. Needless to say, we got wet. Did you know they give you those fabulous George Mason ponchos for a reason? Yeah, me neither. Luckily the rain let up and we were able to dry off (sorta) on the buses. In my opinion, the rain just added to excitement of the day and woke us up after sitting in the C-SPAN rooms all morning.

Today has allowed me to grow even closer to those at the conference and realize my love of this conference and journalism. Until tomorrow (probably before the gala), this is Kaitlyn Coddington, hoping a certain letter arrives by owl tomorrow.

The Longest Day of the Week

kcoddington7 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:04:34 +0000

Today was the third day of the WJMC, and I’m fairly certain that we did several days worth of activities. Seeing the city and monuments was–well, monumental. Hoda Kotb was an AWESOME speaker!! After reading her book, I expected her to be funny but she treated us like friends, not students at a lecture. We listened to some of her favorite music and SHE SIGNED MY BOOK!!!!!!!! =) We also listened to several political speakers, including Chuck Todd. The Young Alumni Panel was also interesting. Each member was a success in their chosen medium and had advice for us on how to reach our goals and succeed in the topsy turvy world of news. The speakers and programs (besides Hoda) weren’t the best part of today, for me, though.

I really adored the fact that, even though we’ve only known each other for about two days, it feels like you’ve known the people you eat lunch and hang out with since you were little. We’ve already talked about politics and culture. We’ve shared personal experiences and taken A TON of cute pictures. That kind of natural friendship is just amazing as it unfolds around us. As an ode to someone who will not be named: ”How much todd could a chuck todd chuck if a chuck todd could chuck todd?”

Tomorrow, we tape for c-span, so it’s an early day, but it will be another fabulous one.

The World’s Most Interactive Museum

kcoddington7 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 03:28:17 +0000

Today, after breakfast on campus, the ever-sunny Yellow Group caught our first glimpse of the nation’s capital city, Washington, D.C. As we fought our way through the infamous Washington rush hour, we caught glimpses of landmarks that I, personally, had only seen in magazines, like The National Art Gallery and The Jefferson Monument. Stepping off of the bus took us to the world’s most interactive museum: The Newseum, a museum focused on preserving the history of journalism and protecting our freedoms of expression.

The Newseum contained various, fascinating exhibits, such as the News History exhibit, which contained hundreds of artifacts, including 300 newspapers from around the world and throughout time. Another exhibit that really stood out to me was the collection of Pulitzer Prize photographs. The photos captured and expressed raw human emotion in ways that gave me goosebumps. This exhibit, in particular, was hotly discussed in our Yellow Group meeting later that evening. The exhibits were all amazing, and I believe I am definitely a “diver,” which means that I could spend DAYS at the Newseum and learn something new every one of them.

One of my favorite parts of the day, however, was not directly listed on the itinerary. On the way back to campus, several of my group members and I started to discuss travel, which led to a discussion on both literature and film. I know I mentioned earlier that I’m a “Lit Nerd,” so you can more than likely imagine my excitement during this. We compared our favorite novels and, later, discussed how still photography versus video is similar to a novel versus its movie adaptation. Sitting there, on the bus, discussing _A Tale of Two Cities_ and _To Kill a Mockingbird_ allowed me to have one of those moments. Do you know what I mean? Just one moment in time when you feel totally safe because the people around you understand your thought process and interests. It was simply amazing.

Side Note: This was for July 11, 2011, but the internet prevented it from being published.

The Big Day

kcoddington7 — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:00:02 +0000

Four books and about two weeks later, I am a proud member of the yellow group!!!! I’m here on campus, and George Mason University is beautiful, as I found out after taking the campus tour. (Not to mention a Starbucks is located right down the street from my res hall.) Tonight we tackle color group meetings and a lecture from Chris Cilliza of The Washington Post, as well as opening remarks from our director, Caitlin Shear. So far I have two awesome roommates and I’m sure the last one is on her way!! Until I have something more interesting to report, this Kaitlyn Coddington from the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC)!

The Countdown Begins

kcoddington7 — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 19:24:40 +0000

This blog was founded to descbribe my fantastic adventures at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference. Hello, my name is Kaitlyn Coddington, and I am a self-proclaimed literature nerd. Is there anyone else out there who might also be a “Lit. Nerd?” If you’re not sure, here are a few signs:

You have attended a midnight party for the next book in a series with/without costume (i.e. Harry Potter)
You have counted down the days until a new novel comes out and waited in line to receive your copy.
While reading, you turn on your “English Brain,” constantly asking questions like “Why is her name Medusa? What does the name of the town foreshadow? Is there a reason Bobby is afraid of spiders?”

Any of the above signs, combined with a love of reading and writing, can qualify you to become one of “us.” This love of reading and writing has expanded into the field of journalism (though having a mother with a journalism degree probably doesn’t hurt things). Touring the amazing facilities of Boston’s Emerson College helped move things along, as well as a one-day Journalism Conference at nearby West Virginia University. This is why I’m excited to experience George Mason and our nation’s capitol at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference. 11 days and counting.

Kaitlyn Coddington