Reflecting on the Competitive Edge Dinner story

For this piece, I wanted to try out a different type of opening; a combination of Staccato and direct address. This served as a lure for the main focus I tried to detail: how campus mannerisms and conduct must be altered if one hopes to succeed in the job market. Ann Marie Sabath offered up some very enlightening device and I wanted to showcase some of the points most prevalent to the way I shaped my story. The dinner also had a lot to do with dining etiquette, but I think some of the overall tips she gave, for interviews and meeting with potential employers were of just as much importance to student readers. I want the audience to take away some of the lessons learned from the evening and perhaps spark an interest in them for pursuing more information on the topic.

The previous deadline stories have played the biggest role of my successful navigation through the brainstorming and writing process of this story. I was able to do a better job of deciding on a way to approach the story during the event, which made writing it a lot easier. Also, the knowledge of the various types of leads allowed me to experiment with creating a lead that didn't have to quickly sum up the event.

This was the most successful story yet in terms of execution. I was able to seek out and interview to a better degree both students and Ms. Sabath herself. It proved to be an enjoyable experience as well and I myself learned a great deal from the event. I also got to enjoy a great meal, which is always a plus. I felt that I could have gathered more quotes so as to have a more diverse variety, but I also feel that I was able to gather plenty of solid ones from the speaker.

What I found important this time around was the fact that journalists, outside of a large press conference or forum, can still work together to get information from a source. Two other students as well as myself were able to briefly sit down with Ms. Sabath and ask her a few questions. Even though the information is likely to show up in all three publications/stories, it was interesting to be involved in that type of cooperative journalist move. I learned that there still are some things I need to work on, such as a better way of quickly coming up with other questions for those being interviewed. It would also have made life easier if I had been more informed of the speaker's history. I had an idea, but few specifics going into event and I think more knowledge of her background could have led to more and better questions.