After listening to countless lectures from different journalism professors, one notion that held constant was the premise of journalists being gatekeepers of information. Our responsibility to get the news to the public is of utmost importance, and although I value this principle, what I love most about journalism is the responsibility we have to be great storytellers.
Flipping through my portfolio, I stumbled across a few articles. They were on the last few pages, seeming insignificantly placed as if they weren’t the finest clips I had. The clips came from my days as a staff writer for Newsies, a student organization that published articles on the Gainesville Sun Web site. My stories weren’t horrible, but they weren’t amazing either. However, in order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you came from, so I carefully examined them to see pinpoint my strengths and weaknesses.
One of the articles stood out more than the rest. I had this idea to tell the story of this bus driver who always wore a smile and had nice things to say every time I took her route. On the way home from school one day, I interviewed her and was able to write “Meet Me: Your Friendly Neighborhood Bus Driver.” Take a look at this article that resembles the same concept that I’ve used on blog posts I’ve written for Dreamcatcher. Even before the blog existed I was interested in finding out what people aspire to be, and I hope to continue catching the dreams of anyone who is willing to discuss them.
It was summer 2007 when a fight with his ex-girlfriend turned out to be the best thing that could’ve happened to him. She accused him of not caring or being passionate about anything in life. He admitted that she was right, and at that moment he reminisced on his piano-playing days and how playing the instrument made him feel.
William Brennan Albury had found his calling. He started focusing on music and hasn’t stopped ever since.
Albury, whose stage name is Gemini Soundz, is a hip-hop artist with big dreams. Unlike most aspiring musicians, he’s already had his first big break. He collaborated with a few other University of Florida students to create “Gator Bait,” a cover of rapper Hurricane Chris’s song “Aye Bay Bay.”
He sent the song to DJ Will Buck of Magic 101.3 FM, and Will Buck agreed to play it. Today, “Gator Bait” still floods the airwaves even after its debut 2 years ago. It’s become another one of those anthems that is played at every game and school event. However, each time it’s played, it draws bittersweet feelings for Albury.
“Gator Bait is the worse song I’ve ever done in my life,” Albury said, embarrassed that it still gets so much radio play. “It’s like seeing an old elementary or high school picture.”
“Gator Bait” is nothing compared to his most recent work, which is more serious and introspective.
His inspiration comes from the keys. He starts playing the piano, puts words to match the sound and sends his songs to a producer to take them to the next level.
“Every song that I ever do is written for performance,” he said. “I think about what I’m going to do on stage.”
Albury has performed at campus events such as Gator Growl and at several local clubs. He even opened up for some of the biggest acts in rap and hip-hop, including Method Man and Redman, Snoop Dogg and David Banner. He credits his go-getter attitude, high-energy performances and a hint of good luck in getting these opportunities to perform on the same stage as such established artists.
Albury has a lot to share as he works on his latest project “The Chronicles of a Black Man.” He quit his job at American Apparel, sold his car and is no longer a student at the University of Florida. He gave it all up to follow his dream.
“I’m all in,” he said. “There’s no turning back at all, not even a little bit. But it’s not a sad story.”
Albury’s decision was a conscious one to stick to what he likes doing most. Although some people don’t agree with the choice he’s made, Albury feels like an unsung hero for doing it.
“People at UF are so fearful of what they would do if they weren’t in school,” Albury said.” They can’t imagine quitting or dropping out. I think everyone, if they’re serious about anything, should go all in for it.”
He has an Afro that’s larger than life, a face of Asian eyes and a flirty pout. With a tall, lean runner’s body and the fierce look of a model, Larry D. Rosalez seems like he would spend most of his time in front of the camera instead of behind it.
Although he’s recently celebrated his first appearance on the cover of a magazine, Rosalez’s claim to fame is photography, videography and graphic design. With an eye for unique shots and eye-catching graphics, he’s known campus-wide for his photos, fliers and videos, which have all captivated students and coerced them into attending campus events.
His work is clean, sleek, edgy and professional. The photos look like they’ve been ripped out of the pages of Vogue and Elle, and they’re all done by a degree-seeking student with an outdated point-and-shoot camera.
Rosalez is anything but an amateur. He’s learned the tricks to the trade much faster than the average novice photographer, and if someone were to compare his work head-to-head with a seasoned photographer, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. That says a lot about the quality of work of the advertising senior. In this Q&A, Rosalez reflects on the past, the present and the future:
When was the first time you picked up a camera? When did you know this is what you wanted to do forever? Where you’re pictures horrible?
I honestly can’t remember the first time I picked up a camera or the first time I picked up a camera and thought “I want to do this forever.” It’s been a fairly long process discovering that this is something that I love and every shoot makes me love something new about photography and modeling. I do remember the first “shoot” I did that other people started noticing me as a photographer and it was God awful. It was after a FACES show and we were playing around taking photos pretending to be a photo-shoot. I cringe thinking about them. (Lol) I look at those photos and feel embarrassed for myself and the people that said it was amazing.
It got better because I studied other photographers and looked at things I liked in photos and things I didn’t. I simplified my editing style and started working with better everything. Better locations, better hair, better make-up and better models. A lot of my improvement came with being more subtle and smarter about the way that I shoot and edit.
Do you still use a point-and-shoot camera?
One of the things I absolutely HATE to hear is “wow, these pictures are great, you’re camera’s so good.” While I love my camera, it’s not that great and is hardly responsible for the work I’ve created. Currently I’m still shooting with a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 Point and shoot. My equipment repertoire has recently expanded to include a tripod and aluminum foil taped to two pieces of posterboard serving as a reflector. I guess I’ve taken the ingenuity from the days when I used a Pringles can as a makeshift tripod on shoots. The looks on people’s faces were priceless when I set up a stool and that Pringles can and told them to start posing. That Pringles can helped me capture some great stuff though.
How do you come up with concepts for photo shoots?
Good question. Haha. I don’t really try to come up with concepts they kind of just come to me. I take inspiration from all over the place and I never know what will inspire me next. I’ll see a location I like and start thinking of styling, and poses, and models. I’ll hear a song and I can visualize an emotion of a photo or I’ll se a model and think of how I could capture her beauty. And then when I get to the shoot and things don’t work out the concept completely changes and I get something completely different than the intention anyways.
What was it like making your first video?
The first videos I made were the promotional videos for the FACES Modeling Troupe fashion show Ski-tzo. The first in the series, and my first video ever, was the psycho video featuring two girls going crazy in a hospital hallway. It was more of an experiment for me that people just so happened to love. I had this idea and this creepy music and things sort of just fell together. It’s one of the videos that people still remember most even though in my mind, it’s not one of my best. I think the concept of that video sold it more than the execution.
How do people react to your work? Any haters?
People on campus tend to react very positively to my work. In my opinion, sometimes they respond a little too positively. I know everyone is supposed to be their worst critic, but I know I’m not flawless, and a lot of times people hype me up to a point of amazingness that I don’t see. I guess it’s because people aren’t exposed to the types of things that I do on a regular basis, and because they know me and see me around it brings it to a tangible level for them.
I’m sure I have haters, and I know there are people that think my work is good, but just don’t like me because I won’t do work for them. I send them positive energy.
Which role comes first? (runner, dancer, photographer, videographer, model, graphic designer)
I really don’t like labels. If I had to label myself, I’d say runner and artist tie each other. Runner because it’s one of the things I’ve done the longest and feel the most confident in my knowledge. It will forever be a part of my life. I’d say artist because it can encompass all of the other labels. I don’t think I can be just considered any of those, because all of them make me who I am. I make art through dance, photography, video, graphics and my body.
What do you like most about photography?
It’s so hard to say what I like most about photography. I think the thing that makes me keep picking up my camera is the tingly feeling I get when I’m looking at my work thinking, “I did that?” When I stop looking at the flaws of the photo and just look at what I created, it makes it all worth it.
If you could shoot any famous person in the world who would it be?
The idea of shooting a famous person doesn’t intrigue me that much. I prefer mysterious unknowns with edgy looks that will make people wonder, “who is that girl?” I’m still waiting to meet her in some mall or dingy club.
Do you think your work could be in national fashion magazines right now or do you think you still have a ways to go?
At the moment I’d say no. I’ve got a lot to learn and a lot to improve on before I hit Vogue/Elle/Muse level, but I think I’m making strides in that direction.
What’s your dream job?
Even though I spend a lot of time behind the scenes, I would love to be a model/performer and still be able to work on my art at the same time. Ideally, anything that I can live comfortably doing what I love to do would be just fine for me.
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
My advice is for them to stop wanting to do what I’m doing and do what you want to do. Carve out your own niche and don’t be afraid to follow your vision. Your personal style and vision is what separates mall photographers from artists.
It started with “College Dropout,” the highly acclaimed debut album of Kanye West, a man who always speaks his mind—sometimes a little too much. Twelve Grammys later, the hip-hop artist, music producer and fashion designer hopeful is still finding ways to entertain the world through his music and egotistical outbreaks. With all his success he has no qualms about telling the world he’s a college dropout, and from the first album title and his infamous teddy bear dropout mascot, it’s clear that he’s quite proud of it.
You’d be surprised to know how many famous people never finished high school or college. The list is endless. Although not receiving a proper education is frowned upon, where would these celebrities be if they didn’t decide to quit school to start their path to stardom? In the most recent study from the National Center for Education Statistics, 8.7 million students between ages 16 and 24 dropped out of high school in 2007. It would be naïve to think that many people dropped out to follow their dreams, but we have to recognize that must have been the case for some of them. Whether they’ll succeed, no one knows. But the fact that they are willing to take such a big risk to fulfill their dreams speaks volumes on how important pursuing your dreams can be to some people.
Below is a video that shows a few familiar faces that didn’t make it across the stage. However, a lot of them now perform on a different stage in front of millions of people while others are responsible for some of the things we take advantage of daily. To find more of your favorite celebrities, check here.
At 14 years old, Chris Yandek took his love for the wacky world of professional wrestling and turned it into more than just a hobby.
Despite just starting high school and being busy with classes, he developed his own wrestling show, which he made available to wrestling fans worldwide on the Internet.
Before anyone knew about podcasts, Yandek was filming interviews with professional wrestlers and uploading them online, dominating the industry with a No. 1 rated show.
“I always wanted to do what made me happy because no one was going to do it for me,” he said.
After delving into more mainstream sports, he was offered the chance to contribute to Miami Herald’s Web site in 2001, at age 16.
Yandek had a freelance position interviewing and reporting any sports news he stumbled upon with the freedom to pick and choose whatever projects interested him.
He interviewed NFL players, sports legends and broadcasters, collecting credible contacts in preparation for what was next to come.
“It’s not easy for people to go off early in life and try to make something,” he said. “You have to love what you do. If it is what you love to do then you have to go forward.”
Taking his own advice, and with the help of a few key people, he created his own Web site called TheSportsInterview.com.
In 2006, he wanted to expand his business, shy away from limiting himself to one topic and explore a different realm. TheSportsInterview.com became Cyinterview.com, still representing his love for sports, but including sports figures as well as other celebrities.
Since then, he’s interviewed several heavy hitters in Hollywood, including Whoopi Goldberg, singer Mya, Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, reality star Tila Tequila, Lauren Conrad and Audrina Patridge, of MTV’s The Hills, actress Eva Longoria and many more.
It hasn’t always been easy, he said. He’s tried contacting just about every celebrity known in search of breaking news. At any given week, he might send out 15-20 requests and only get one or two responses. He even waited two years to get an interview from some celebrities, following up with representatives from their camp every month or so.
A major accomplishment for Yandek is having his information from these interviews used at TMZ.com, AOL.com, the New York Post and other celebrity-driven sites and publications.
Yandek said he’s been able to reach these media outlets because they trust his work, and having the audio from the interviews on his Web site makes it easy for publications to check for accuracy.
“I am a rarity in that I suppose,” he said about having accurate information. “The media is no longer ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.” “It’s the Internet. It’s the radio. It’s news blogs with credible sources.”
A few weeks ago, he interviewed attorney Gloria Allred for her thoughts on award-winning director Roman Polanksi’s sex scandal. He posted the interview online, and the next morning she was speaking about the issue on a morning talk show.
For Yandek, the satisfaction of influencing the news cycle and being the first to get that interview was confirmation that he’s doing the right thing and doing it well.
Not bad for a man who just graduated from the University of Florida this summer. Yandek was able to build and maintain his site while tackling college as a telecommunications major.
It started as something he decided to play around with, and 10 years later he’s embraced and respected for his work. He’s is currently in the early stages of moving forward, possibly remodeling his Web site and signing agreements to expand.
“Until you get to the place that you’re happiest, you can’t slow down,” he said. “And once you get there you have to hold on to it and make it grow.”
She sat on the Bayporter Express shuttle patiently waiting for the next passenger to hop in. After a quick pick-up, they were ready to head to San Francisco International Airport.
In a few hours, Marge Holmes would board the plane to Minneapolis, Minn., back to her hometown that she left in 1984 and never returned to—not to see family, not to enjoy the town she once somewhat loved, but to handle a diseased friend’s estate. It was sad circumstances for a homecoming.
Holmes is a retired secretary who spent her days in working in a physical therapy unit for children.
She loved her job even though she had to manage daunting tasks such as answering phones, copying, faxing, typing therapy and clinical reports, filing, and arranging schedules and appointments.
Holmes did everything the doctors needed at any time. She played a major role in every patient’s case—from the initial call to the parents to the filing of the last report.
“I felt frustrated at time because I had so much work to do,” she said.
But a hidden joy kept her going. A lot of the patients came in every week, so she got a chance to know them, joke around with them and build relationships with their families.
The physical therapy office was also an uplifting atmosphere even though most of its patients had conditions such as cerebral palsy. They would come in immobile or disabled and leave with a sense of hope and an improved ability to walk, she said.
“There was no sense of pity, just optimism,” Holmes said.
There once was a time when she moved in a different manner. At 8 years old, her mother enrolled her and her sister in a dance class at a local studio. The two spent the rest of the year taking ballet, tap and jazz lessons.
Holmes was in love with ballet and could not imagine doing anything else for the rest of her life, she said. As she reflects on her stint as a ballet dancer, her sullen expression becomes a smile.
Attracted by the glamour of being a dancer, wearing the ornate costumes, fluffy tutus, dancing to the enchanting music and performing in mysterious dramas. It helped that she good at with and constantly received praises from her instructor her performance in the class.
Unfortunately, Holmes’ mother could not afford to keep her two daughters in the class, and just like that her dream had ended.
After a hiatus from dancing, she started taking lessons again in her 20’s. She practiced three days each week.
“It was a fun thing to do by then, but I knew I wasn’t going to make it into the New York City Ballet,” she said. “When you’re little you see all the glamour of being a ballerina, but now I’d just rather watch.”
Despite a ride delayed by rainy weather and cloudy skies, the shuttle approached the airport. Holmes watched as the drops hit the window, adjusted her coat and disembarked for the journey ahead—back to her hometown where her love for ballet once was.
As I stroll through Weimer Hall, I see scrolling headlines, breaking news stories and familiar faces on CNN. The images become blurred as students walk by heading to and from class. Most of them inspire to someday be on or behind the scenes of the very same shows they nonchalantly pass by. Others prefer the solidity of paper, and hope to have their bylines in newspapers or magazines nationwide.
In that same hall stood Daniella Dorcelus at about 5′ 8″ with short, kinky hair, square-framed glasses and a backpack similar to one you would spot an engineer student carrying. The heavy bag that appeared to be filled with everything but the kitchen sink had one thing missing.
“I can’t find my keys!” she said to me.
At that moment, with class nearly two hours away, I decided to help her retrace her steps in hopes that the missing keys would appear. In this time I spoke to her about school, life and of course dreams.
Dorcelus is a 22-year-old journalism senior at the University of Florida. She hails from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where she spent a few years at Broward College, formerly known as Broward Community College, before finding her way to the Gator Nation. There she studied English, which was always her favorite subject. Inspired by the beauty of literature, she decided to concentrate on journalism.
Dorcelus began writing for the college’s newspaper, The Observer, and gained the first-hand experience needed to start her venture to becoming a successful writer. She has also written for The South Florida Times, and after enrolling at UF, she started as a stringer for The Gainesville Sun.
She wrote mostly hard news stories that covered student issues at UF, but that is not her passion. After reading pieces by acclaimed reporter Anne Hull, she fell in love with the descriptive and captivating writing style of literary journalism.
“Reading her stories was like watching a movie,” she said. “I had never read articles written that way.”
One day Dorcelus hopes to be on that level.
When asked what her favorite magazine is, she chuckled and said, “Essence Magazine: Where Black Women Come First.”
She would like to give back to the Black community by writing for a magazine tailored toward African Americans. To her, Essence does the best job of celebrating Black women because it caters to its audience, raises issues in the community and stresses the importance of being an individual.
With 22 credits left at UF, she is slowly looking into postgraduate options, and her dream of writing for Essence is what keeps her going.
I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail.
The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail.
I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before,
But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor.
I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much.
I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such.
I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone,
But deep inside I longed for something special of my own.
I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win.
I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin.
I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before,
I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door.
If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out,
Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt.
A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true.
Reach for your future with a smile; success is there for you!
Everyone has their moments when their dreams are nothing more than dreams. Sometimes I lose sight of what I really want. I’ve realized it’s important to find inspiration every once in a while. Whether it be talking to friends, family members, coworkers or even strangers, everyone can use a good pick-me-up.
Today was one of those days. Overwhelmed by the distractions in life, I had a moment where I wanted to skip all my classes and be a couch potato watching reruns of 90s sitcoms for the rest of my life. I searched the Web for some insightful words, and I found this poem. There’s something about rhyming poems that brings me back to elementary where I was quite the young poet myself. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a writer,which takes me right to my dreams today.
Apparently I should be an architect, a boutique owner or anything that has to do with design arts. Three different quizzes; three different results. I decided to take these dream job quizzes out of curiosity, and I believe they are somewhat accurate. Although I am set on being a journalist, the three quizzes all revealed the fact that I like to express myself and be creative. Each of these jobs would allow me to do just that.
If you’ve got your life all planned out, and you know what career you want, see how your quiz results match up to your actual desires.
Feel free to comment about the differences or similarities of your results!
Disclaimer: the last link can be a little annoying. It might ask you to sign up for a profile at the end, but just ignore it, click ‘Continue to Quiz Results’ and you should find the answers there. Enjoy!
Simba and hospitals have nothing in common—except that both have caught the interest of Mario Worlds. The fourth-year health science major is all set on being a physician’s assistant, but his love for the arts doesn’t trail so far behind.
Worlds was born in Miami, Fla., and moved to Orlando, Fla., at the age of 5. In high school, he was quite the achiever. He was involved in music, sports and volunteering. He sang and played the baritone. He ran track and played basketball. He also found time to volunteer at his church, after-school programs and little league sports. These activities have made him to who he is today: a University of Florida student with a plan.
A fascination with medicine has led him to the health science program at UF. Graduation is fast approaching for Worlds. After he gains enough first-hand, clinical experience, he will be eligible to apply for the physician’s assistant program at UF and other schools around the nation.
Although scrubs and stethoscopes are in his near future, being on stage is where he wanted to be. Worlds’ childhood dream was to work for Disney and be a cast member in a Lion King production where he could fuse acting, singing and acrobatics into one killer performance night after night.
Financial stability, job security and magnanimity have led him to medicine, but his heart is in the arts. Worlds plans to work as a P.A. but will continue to follow his performance dreams on the side.
At 14 years old, Chris Yandek took his love for the wacky world of professional wrestling and turned it into more than just a hobby.
She sat on the Bayporter Express shuttle patiently waiting for the next passenger to hop in. After a quick pick-up, they were ready to head to San Francisco International Airport.
Simba and hospitals have nothing in common—except that both have caught the interest of Mario Worlds. The fourth-year health science major is all set on being a physician’s assistant, but his love for the arts doesn’t trail so far behind.
