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Show Pago 10 THE S I G N POST Friday, November 3, 2000 Journalism defies convention j I have never felt so mueh pride or responsibility as a news hound. I went to the Society of Professional Journalists' National Convention 2000. tafyjed "Unconventional Journalism," Oct. 26-28. And now it is my privilege and journalistic duty to report to you, my loyal readers, the highlights of my trip to Columbus. Ohio. They could have sent me home the minute I met Tom French of The St. Petersburg Times. I idolize this man. My journalism textbook features him. He specializes in the serial narrative a series of in-depth stories about a dramatic event, such as a murder tr ial. He emphasizes in news stories such elements as suspense, conflict, villainy and heroism that are traditionally considered essential to good fiction. French knowingly and unapologetically breaks rules that most journalists hold dear. "I really think some of those rules are illusions," French said. "We have an ethical responsibility to be readable." If anyone belonged at a convention about unconventional journalism, French belonged in other words, no one had to say, "Pardon my French." I also met M.C. Hammer. Well, I saw Hammer, and he did not hurt me. He talked about how the media treat celebrities. While I was waiting in line to hear Hammer, I overheard a columnist tell another journalist, "I'm always looking for a column idea, and this might be one." I could not believe any responsible journalist would use something he did on his vacation to Ohio as column fodder. For shame! I was so disturbed by what I had heard I sat at the front of the room. (I generally sat near the back). Best move I ever made. Quite possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen a vivacious blonde immediately sat next to me. She answered a call on her cell phone. "I'm getting ready to meet M.C. Hammer, so I can't talk now," she said. "I love you. Bye." Of course, I never talked to her, nor she to me. But I sensed she was trying to communicate tele-pathically. "Can't touch this" comes to mind. I had better luck with Noppadol Paothong. He mistook me for his best friend. Carbon County Lumber Company is now open and purchasing saw logs at their Wellington, Utah sawmill We arc interested in sawlog purchases 5 r - JV j-J as well as the purchase of conifer timber. tf2 Please contact us at (435) 637-4633 or (801) 361-0749 Example: Vr; QUALITY DODGE , c ,00 1 LeoTyson Dirr j Yammering from Experience He is a photographer for Missouri Southern State College and 'The Joplin Globe." His school sent him to the convention because he won the National Mark of Excellence Award for a photo he took of a refugee camp in Nicaragua. I wondered aloud how the hell his school could afford to send him to Nicaragua. Tlie Signpost considers it a small miracle if we send a reporter to Pocatello, Idaho, to cover a football game. My application to Missouri Southern is in the mail. Paothong sought me out several times throughout the convention. We flew on the same plane from Columbus to St. Louis. I have a feeling we will meet again, perhaps as colleagues at a major U.S. daily. The news editor for Ohio's Associated Press critiqued my news writing. In seconds, he digested two stories that had each taken me days to write. "I think your strengths are that you do your homework, and then you write with authority," he told me. I appreciated those words. I appreciated his criticism more. He found wordiness and paragraphs he thought were too much like opinion in my stories. I also met an associate editor for 'The Oakland Tribune." She was listening to a panel discuss the publisher's power to limit and shape news coverage. I wanted to approach her after the panel about a summer internship. I worked it all out in my mind. I would introduce myself confidently and ask her to meet me in the bar at 10 p.m. I would dazzle her with wit. She would read my clips, automatically fall in love with my work and offer me a job on the spot. (In this daydream, she also bought the drink). Never happened. I did not have the nerve. But, as luck would have it, she sat next to me at a luncheon. She basically told me my chances of interning are slim because I am not a minority. And it was good I never invited her for drinks her husband was at the convention. Anna Werner told us how she broke the Firestone story, which sparked the recall of millions of potentially dangerous tires, for a Houston television station. She apologized to the journalists for ending her speech with a cliche:- "If we don't do it, who will?" 2001 QUAD CAB DIESEL Loaded, SLT, 4x4 Startng at ,OOZ EuOBMBe By Tanna Barry managing editor The Signpost A 35-foot Weber State University shuttle bus scraped against a car Thursday, but no one received any injuries. The accident was turned over to the Highway Patrol to avoid a conflict of interest. The WSPD is closely tied to the shuttle bus system, said Highway Patrol Trooper Douglas Whitlock. "I just came to keep things fair for everyone," Whitlock said. 'This way there are no biased opinions." The bus. driven by Kindall Scott, was traveling east on Edvalson and turning the corner that leads to Skyline road around 10 a.m., according to Whitlock. Kristen Allred was waiting to turn left into the W-5 parking lot near the Lind Lecture Hall 'The bus driver went left of center of the double yellow line," Whitlock said. "He scraped into the individual's vehicle." Whitlock said that the bus didn't swing wide enough when it was rounding the "tight" corner. Traffic had to be diverted around the accident for nearly a half an hour. "Someone just wasn't paying attention; they cut the corner," Whitlock said. "He wasn't paying attention and crossed the double yellow line." Although Scott was unable to comment. Captain Roger Johnson with the WSPD spoke in his behalf.."We are very cautious," Johnson said. "We work hard to. ensure that our drivers are safe and courteous." Johnson said the bus drivers travel over 1 ,000 miles a week and 50,000 miles in a school year around the five-mile campus. With all of this traveling, an accident happens once in a while. "It is a very congested and small campus," Johnson added. Whitlock agreed that the area where the accident occurred was "a little bit of a tight turn." It would have required Scott's bus, which weighs upward of 20,000 pounds, to turn wider to avoid the other lane. The shuttle bus was carrying a full load of students, according to WSPD Captain Roger Johnson. The students were transferred to another shuttle bus that was driving close behind Scott. There was extensive damage to Alfred's vehicle, but there were no injuries to either driver or to the students in the shuttle bus. Johnson said there were just minor aches and pains reported by a few people. "I don't think there's a bruise 3- msm r . ' ! i Call tV - i,. , w jr- QaHOSBS SCCMeiWS .m..h. ny-l. " ; IIIWIIU. ,-; ' - n Kristen Alfred's vehicle suffered severe damage to the driver's side after a WSU shuttle bus grated against it. on me," Allred said. "I just saw this huge big bus coming at me. That was a little frightening." Allred was on her way to class when the bus scraped along the driver's side of her white Daihatsu Charade. The car received enough damage that it had to be towed from the scene. "I thought that bus was awfully close to me,'" she said. 'The entire length of the bus scraped along my car." The front driver's side tire was Blood drive 1000-1400 10:00 -2:00 at the ROTC, Annex II Military Displays at the, Bell Tower The military will display its toys-Apaches, race cars, jets, an A-10 engine & some artillery Bill Allison, Professor of history will speak on Veterans combat experience through the 20th century Flag retreat 1 600 4:00 at the flag post in front of Miller building We invite all vets to wear a uniform or something from their military history. A in! M enient Study (bines! 801-626-6785 www.weberuccfd! . JA f ?M-'neat5 iViililik. Up to Check Out Independent Study! Call 801-626-6785 roekeJjWil .KSSS. flattened, the left bumper was pulled off and the front bumper was damaged. The bus had a scratch down the left side and a damaged fender. Whitlock said that the bus sustained damage that was "more cosmetic." Whitlock said there was about $2,000 damage to Allred's car and $1,000 damage to the bus. Scott was cited for not staying within his lane. Mark Cray contriliuted to this story. Fisiftcii! ui iistiiN karsing students must campktt ckses witiia rk semester. Weber State University Cunc Eli 031 w oa put sckMe. 25 Cd Ed six mentis' to craplete coarse. Chrysler Plymouth ' ep vwv wi www iw? ?wi |