Destination: Kielce, Poland
By: Kizzie Frank
Going into my final semester as Sam Houston State University, I had no idea what to expect besides piles and piles of work and very little time to myself. When I was told that I would accompany the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy to a professional conference in Poland I was beyond ecstatic about the opportunity.
I have been outside of Texas a handful of times, but never outside of the country. Overseas travel is unheard of in my family. I hope to learn more about Polish culture of course, hope to learn from journalists there as well as share my experiences as a journalist with them.
One of the most important things to me that will be discussed at the conference is how to maintain relationships with sources. My love for journalism all started with human interaction and I realize that good sources equal more credibility. I believe I have learned quite a bit about working with sources as an editor at the student newspaper, but I expect to continue learning. All of the topics in the workshop are vital to journalists, but with our society undergoing constant technological developments, social media is reshaping the way we gather and report information and is well deserving of a workshop.
The great thing about getting to travel with experts is the chance to spend time with them outside of a classroom. I would love to see the raw side of professionals who have been there and done it all. During our stay in Poland I ultimately expect to sharpen my own skills, make new connections, learn the dynamics of reporting in a country, and hopefully leave full of knowledge about Chmielnik.
I believe my current feelings about going to Poland for a workshop will not change after the trip. I have high expectations for this workshop and I am sure that with the professionals that will be in attendance, there will be no dull or uninformative moments. My perception of the workshop is that it will exhibit pure greatness and be filled with enough knowledge to last me a life time.
Destination: Kielce, Poland
By: Steven Snook
Getting the opportunity to go to Poland came to me as a shock in more ways than one. While working for the Global Center, as students we help with what we can for these international trainings but to actually go to one was something I never expected. Mexico is the only other country I’ve been to. To travel to a complete different part of the world really excites me. To prepare, I have been reading up on a
lot of polish news and culture so that it wont be a complete culture shock when I go. What will really be interesting is meeting the other journalism students from Jan Kochanowski University to see if they had a similar learning experience or a completely different one.
I expect to learn a lot not just about Poland, and about being a better journalist. The training is packed with a lot of interesting segments ranging from finding a news worthy topic to how social media impacts the media. What I’m really looking forward to are the events on the second day of the training. Everyone will be going to Chmeilnik to get hands on experience interviewing, and covering stories. I can’t wait to meet other journalists from around the world. This trip is going to be an awesome opportunity for not only myself, but also everyone who attends.
Global Center for Journalism and Democracy
Dan Rather Communications Building, Room 201, Huntsville, TX 77340