Last day in Morgantown, West Virginia

Ok, there we go, this is my last day in Morgantown. Can't believe it. A year went by fast. I came here August 2006 and now it's already May 2007. Ok, I am supposed to have some sort of feelings whenever I spend my last day in a place but I don't really have any significant feeling for this place. It has been a good year though, working at The Daily Athenaeum and writing stories much faster.

I remember my last day in Burlington, wondering what would happen in West Virginia. So there it goes, another chapter is opening up. It's scary to not knowing what would happen, but it might be exciting at the same time.

Though, every day I am thinking about home. I left home on August 17, 2003. Wow, can't believe how I did it. 4 years not seeing parents, sisters, friends, the streets of Hanoi...and everything else that was so familiar. Every day I'm thinking about seeing my parents at Noi Bai International Airport, and escorting them to France. The day I see my sister getting married will probably one of the most memorable days of my life.

Who knows what will happen? Let's wait.

When politics matters...

http://www.da.wvu.edu/new/show_article.php?&story_id=27518&archive_date=04-13-2007

After following WVU presidential search for nearly two months as a staff writer for The Daily Athenaeum, a sense of big disappointment filled me at the press conference today as Mike Garrison was announced the 22nd president of West Virginia University.

As an exchange student, the decision has no effect on me whatsoever. As a reporter, though, I care. Dr. Nellis (Garrison is probably the only college president without a Ph.D.) was a fine, fine, exceptional scholar, who took the time to meet us in the newsroom.

I wonder how he felt at this point. From the beginning, the entire process was already planned. Garrison stepped down from his post as chairman of the Higher Education Policy Commission even before his name was released as one of the three finalists. He was contacted by the search consultant. His family connection with Goodwin undoubtedly has given him strong favorable.

Gwen Berger, associate professor of English, said during Wednesday emergency meeting that WVU would look "insular and provincial" if Garrison is chosen. With a leader who has no international experiences teaching or studying abroad (except he left Oxford early), indeed, WVU will become a provincial university. It's hard to see the new president maybe establishing an international campus for WVU.

This state is already poor and isolated. The University is the only reason why many of us, foreigners, come here, to Morgantown.

I'm leaving this town on May 10. But good luck to all the students who will be here next year, who will be lead by a very non-qualified president.

Pictures

First picture: The Reynolds Institution of Art in Washington, D.C. This was at the Wednesday's reception when I had to interview the USA today editor and I was very nervous. The story turned out well. Read it at www.asne.org
Second picture: The Friday before leaving. With two fellow ASNE reporters, Vannah Shaw from University of Missouri and Marvin Anderson, from Hampton University
Third picture: Looking professional in the ASNE newsroom
Forth picture: My desk at The Daily Athenaeum

Lessons learned from the Wasington, D.C. conference

I'm back in Morgantown after one intensive week of the American Society of Newspaper Editors conference. Tired, exhausted, but I have a greater sense for my career, what it means to report, write stories, and what it means to have positive thoughts.

First of all, the students who are in this conference are smart, creative, active and so positive. They are not afraid to talk to strangers; they don't complain when their sources don't call them back; they don't feel nervous talking to high-profile people. One student particularly stood out for me was Tiffany Hsu, not just because of the fact that her resume is amazing, but of the way she acts, behaves, talks and thinks: very very positive.

I learn that editors, or high-profile people, they are not interested in knowing your excuse or while you are late, or nervous, or not supposed to do what you have to do. You just go ahead and start the action rather than babbling over the phone and complain.

I learn to think much better about myself. And that everyone can contribue something, everyone could bring something to the table.

I learn that it's important to dress, act and talk professional.

I learn that every word and quote in the story has to be there for a reason. And that we can't write a perfect story but we can make a story as perfect as possible.

I learn that journalism is a very small business and a very rewarding one. Kenneth Paulson, editor of USA Today and usatoday.com, said he got into journalism because he thought there was something very heroic about what journalists do.

I love how Susan Goldberg, executive editor of The San Jose Mercury News, said about her being an editor can influence other people's works.

Favorite moments: talk to the editor of The Sun-Herald, the vice president of Gannett, and just really being in the same room with the best people in journalism.

It was also the first time I saw Anna Hull, the Washington Post reporter who broke the Walter Reed story, and Bob Woodruff, the ABC journalists who was wounded in Iraq.

I love the free food, hotel, the bar in D.C., walking near the White House during a breezy night, and just be surrounded by people who love this as much as I do...

There were some down moments, but that saves for a later post...

Huong

Why I want to be a print journalist

The essay that win me a spot to the American Society of Newspaper Editors conference...


Recently, a student colleague at The Daily Athenaeum interviewed me for an advanced reporting class. I guess my story – a Vietnamese student studying journalism at West Virginia University – sounds like an interesting feature to her.

She asked me basic questions: why I come to Morgantown, is it difficult to work as a copy editor, do I have American friends and so on. The assignment requires her to observe me for days.

Being a reporter myself, I tried to give her good quotes. After we talked for about an hour, she decided that was enough to write her assignment.

I realize she missed the real story: What motivated a Vietnamese student to study journalism in America? Why did I expend all of my efforts to learn copy editing, reporting and writing?

In his book, “Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction,” Jon Franklin wrote that most newspaper stories are “endings without beginnings attached” and that “they are not, in and of themselves, stories. They are, instead, tip-offs…clues to stories.”

I give much credit to print journalists. Not having the visibility power of a broadcast journalist, newspaper writers have to work a lot harder to keep readers’ attention. It’s difficult to convey emotions solely through words.

And yet, writers like Jon Franklin knew how to do it.

His masterpiece, “The Ballad of Old Man Peters,” is more than a story of a man who masters six languages. “It’s a powerful saga of human aspirations, of man against both himself and the world,” Franklin wrote.

Like Franklin, I want to be able to recognize stories in life and write them in a way that readers will remember, even after they put the newspaper down.

When I first came to the United States six years ago, the power of the American media – its role as an advocate for the community – sparked a passion for a journalism career. The current lowered public respect for the U.S. media cannot lessen all the sacrifices American journalists have taken to inform and protect people’s rights.

Working for a foreign media organization is the only way I can report on issues that are pertain to developing nations: corruption, poverty, AIDS, lack of education.

That has been my goal ever since.

Someday, I wish Vietnam would embrace press freedom, and understand that citizens have and need the right to express themselves.

After three years studying and practicing journalism, I realize news don’t always have to be bad. As journalists, we have the obligation to spread compassion, not skepticism. Stories about normal folks can also have a positive effect on a neighborhood, and make people realize that there are hopes – amid fires or disasters.

Why choose journalism?

There’s pride in seeing your byline every day, I admit. But there’s also pride in knowing that you can help somebody simply by writing. After reporting on Lund Family Center, a social service agency in Burlington, Vt., I received a thank-you card from a mother.

I love talking to people, listening to their lives and knowing how they overcome obstacles. I love deadline pressure, coming to work not knowing what will happen that day.

Because of the Internet, newspapers are struggling to keep circulation. But I believe no technology can replace the craft of reporting and writing. Readers will listen as long as we know how to tell stories.

While attending the Associated Press Diverse Voices workshop for student journalists in Cleveland, I found myself struggling to find the meaning of this profession.

My mentor, a photojournalist from AP Indianapolis, said to me and another student: “Journalism is not about winning prizes, it’s about recording people’s lives.”

Ingredients for a perfect day

Favorite memories

Plenty of smiles

Some time for yourself

Happiness

Fresh air

Laughter

Good food

great friends

... and may I add: front-page stories?

Listening to the 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner in feature writing

I knew it was going to be emotional. And in fact, it was very emotional to hear Jim Sheeler, the reporter from the Rocky Moutain News and the 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner in feature writing, spoke at West Virginia University tonight.

And I have to write this down right away because I'm afraid these emotions will go away.

He cried almost during the entire talk, which lasts about 1 hour and a half. He literally choked up in front of the microphone. I could feel it. I could feel he didn't prepare to lecture us nor to give a power point presentation.

He looked a little different from the picture, but so frazzled. You feel like because he has so many emotions inside; it's like he's gonna collapse someday. And this sounds stupid, but I really feel like I want to hug him so bad.

So, I managed to ask two questions. But what I learn from his talk? I learn that besides having a talent to do this kind of stories, you need a heart. An obnoxious reporter who competes for fame and headline, and front page stories will never be able to come up with such a masterpiece. He didn't write it for the Pulitzer Prize.

I read that story, the Final Salute, so many times. When I wrote the piano student story, I pulled Jim Sheeler's story on the side of my computer, so that I could use the verbs, the words, and could put that much emotions into my story as well.

I used to want to become a business reporter. Just because covering finance, banking sounds important and cool. After last summer, and ever since, I change my direction to be a feature writer. It takes personality and characters to do this kind of story. Maybe I have these characters, quite, shy, frazzled, emotional.

I was gonna ask him for an autograph. But I decided not to. He would probably think I'm one of those people who come hear him talk because of the Pulitzer Prize. I don't feel that he needs to hear how I love his work.

He knew his work has already been loved...

Morgantown, W. Va.,

11: 17 p.m.

When friendships fall...

I am the type of person who has never or will never have a lot of friends. That's OK because I'm shy. But so far, I don't understand why I probably am the only person who has that many friendships fall apart. Am I annoying? It hurts really bad, especially today.

- Take Hannah. She was very very nice to me when we took JOU 308 together. We went out to meals, practicing driving, drinking. I love talking to her about journalism. She just got into it. So I thought she loved talking about it too. I was jealous that she got the internship in Washington, D.C., but that was it. We met again in Burlington and I thought everything was cool. I was alone in Burlington so having a friend over was what I really loved. She left Burlington and we promised to see each other again in D.C. Four months without hearing from her. And then an reply e-mail came in September, saying that I was the most annoying friend she had and she had no intention of having me as a friend. And that she was sick of me complaining. Why didn't tell me in Burlington? Why later? Why ignoring my phone calls?

- Then Nam, whom I thought was a very close high school friend. Last semester, we hit it off perfectly well. We were even planning for a get together in Florida during Christmas. Now, he did not return my call nor my email even though I am moving to Austin.

- Then Lingbing. Though we are not friend, she was the first person I knew in Morgantown. At least, we had 1 day driving around Morgantown when I first came here to do paperwork. After asking her to help me with my photo assignment, and she refused, I apologized, and now she ignored seeing me at one of the j-school events tonight.

- Then Jenna. my roommate, whom I thought we hit well for the first 6 months. Suddenly, saying Hi is awkward and ignoring my presence is what she does.

My big question to me is WHY PEOPLE HATE ME THIS MUCH?

Feeling the music - the best story I've written

By Huong Le
Staff Writer of The Daily Athenaeum
MORGANTOWN – Sitting inside one of the tuning rooms at the Creative Arts Center, pianist Yew Choong Cheong started his normal daily routine.

He pressed one high-pitched note hard and said: “Do you hear the wavelength? I just listen for the vibration of the note.”

He then turned his attention to the graph shown on his laptop, which was placed on the piano’s right side. Computer software draws the graph, which then tells him if the string needs to be loosened or tightened.

That’s how the 28-year-old doctorate piano student has been tuning pianos for the past three years despite losing much of his hearing.

Cheong can’t hear extreme high notes.

When he plays complicated pieces, especially those of master composers like Tchaikovsky or Liszt, these high notes fall apart.

In three weeks, the West Virginia University student will have the honor of playing at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As one of the four award recipients from around the world, Cheong will also receive a $5,000 scholarship from VSA arts. The organization was formed in 1974 to promote the learning and performing of arts among people with disabilities.

“I’m very surprised. I’m honored. It’s the biggest achievement in my life,” Cheong said with a smile.

Classical piano has never come easy for Cheong, who now has only about 30 percent of his hearing.

When he was nine years old, Cheong did not respond normally when his mother or sister called. The family took him to the hospital in his hometown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and found out that a viral infection had damaged his left ear.

He has been wearing a hearing aid ever since. That little piece of equipment attached to the left ear used to make the young Cheong feel embarrassed in front of other children.

“I used to be very quiet and shy. When I was a child, everyone said ‘what’s that?’ It made me feel like I was an alien. Now, I’m already ‘immune’ to people’s curiosity about my hearing aid, let alone my hearing problem,” he said.

Five years ago, through acupuncture therapy, Cheong thought he had recovered from hearing loss.

But things became worse.

“I don’t know how it happened. One day, when I woke up, the sound just got softer, softer and softer,” he said. “By the afternoon, everything was off.”

The doctors said it was a nerve condition. They discouraged him from pursuing a music career.

“Why I don’t change to other majors? Music is too deep in my blood. I simply cannot imagine living without playing music,” Cheong said.

In 2003, Cheong was selected to perform in WVU’s annual Young Artists Auditions, and played Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto No. 1” with the WVU Symphony Orchestra.

Over the years, the young pianist has collected more than 2,500 music recordings, because he wants to improve by listening to other pianists.

With the hearing aid, Cheong can still hear most of what he plays.

Cheong’s music professor, Peter Amstutz, said all musicians struggle to find the balance between the inner sound – what the artist wants to hear – and the outer sound – what actually comes out of the instrument.

“We strive constantly to adjust the way we produce the outer sound so that it is ‘in tune with’ the ideal imagine of our inner sound,” Amstutz said. “Yew Choong has learned to do that very sensitively in the ranges of instrument that he can hear physically. And he is able to apply those feelings and the physical techniques to all registers of the piano.”

There are moments of overwhelming frustration for Cheong: not being able to call someone on the phone; not hearing music clearly in concerts; not being able to follow other students in group discussions or being lost in music lectures.

For daily conversation, he tries hard to listen to others by reading their lips -- a technique Cheong considers to be “self-taught.” Still, distinguishing between “c,” “s” and “z” sounds remain difficult. “When you have a disability, you just have to work around it,” he said.

Back at the Creative Arts Center, Cheong is now practicing between two and three hours a day for his upcoming performance in Washington, D.C., where he will perform “Piano Variations” by Aaron Copland and “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6” by Franz Liszt.

“When I play in the concert, I simply think of no words, as taught by my professor, but just music,” he said. “I always ‘hear’ music in my mind ‘in advance’ before I play the notes.”

Ok, then things aren't too bad

OK, I admit: things aren't going too bad. It could be better but it is not too bad. Next week, I am terribly busy with about 7 scheduled stories for the DA, and applications to be sent out, with papers to write,...typical college stuff.

The Tet Party was really nice today. Sadly, that was the largest number of people that I have talked to since I reached Morgantown. But they were all very very nice. And the driving situation might work out. If it does, then I will feel very very accomplished. With a nice apartment in Austin, and an internship in a metro paper, and a salary, a car, what else can you ask for?

I'm debating whether I should go to the classical concert by myself. It's sad that I have to go by myself. But oh well, it doesn't hurt. Since I really really want to see it.

Dr. Esper was very strict in editing my stories. Some of his editing was very good. But I disagreed with some. He's getting very very old, and he should be really resting.

I don't know why I use a lot of really in this post. Anyway, I have to keep a cool head with a high motivation to work and study.... Any day should be a productive day...

Peace...Drink hot chocolate now...

Huong

When I love working

Sometimes things don't turn out the way you plan, I understand. Living in this apartment is getting suckier and suckier each day. I love my entire working week, and hate only the part of getting up early in the morning and waiting for the bus in the frigid temperature. But other than that, working at Eliza's is great. Making cappuchinno and latte and trying to smile to people and wish that they would give me tips. It's warm and cozy in Eliza's and free latte, what else can you ask for?

And at the DA, I feel comfortable. My student editors are all nice. I can basically choose to write whatever I want or care. Now, 6 or 7 hours at the DA a day isn't too long. I have great respect for Christine Simmons, the editor-in-chief. She's a great student editor, who makes sure everything is as accurate as possible. She spends about 6 or 7 hours at the paper every single day. And stays up late until 4:30am every day.

I really don't need to talk to people who are not nice to me. Keep my head up and stay focused.

A cold day in Morgantown

Washington D.C., here I come

The ASNE has recently posted a tentative schedule of the March conference. Ohmigod, all the big names in politics and journalism will be there. Tons of people from the Washington Post, New York Times, AP, Wall Street Journal, plus former CIA Director George Tenet and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Ahhhhh....I can't believe I can actually hear these people talk.....

The money situation is getting really sucky now. Maybe by May, I will die from hunger.....This time, it's not kidding

Freezing

I thought I could escape the snow in Plattsburgh, but West Virginia is just as cold as New York. I had to walk 35 minutes from downtown Morgantown to this hotel for this stupid assignment I volunteer.

Anyway, it was Saturday night. So no one would want to cover this because they all went out. Which left only me. I don't mind. It's what I love doing. While walking downtown, I saw American, skinny, gorgeous girls walking in high heels, in summer skirt? How the hell could they do it? WVU is a huge campus and going out has become not what you want to do, but what you have to do in order to survive, be cool. Going out is supposed to mean you want to have a good time with your good friends. Here, it has become like something you have to do because you fee so insecure, and the people you go out with aren't necessary your friends. How ironic.

A switch in attitude

http://www.da.wvu.edu/new/show_article.php?&story_id=25740

First of all, I love that column. It speaks for me, and it shows how my attitude about life in Morgantown has changed significantly. Last semester, it was all about feeling depressed, dissapointed, lonely and regretting the fact that I studied at WVU for my senior year.

Like what the author of that column wrote, why complaining while I'm 22 years old, also attending a big public American university, getting paid for 3 jobs that I love, having a really really cozy apartment, studying very interesting subjects with very talented professor, and will be attending a conference with most talented editors and reporters in the business?

Though however, I'm scared about going to Austin. And I don't even know if I could go. I'm scared about graduating. Graduation, then what will happen next? A big question mark.

"I like what I do, and mixing shots of espresso when the shop is busy and sipping tea with the regulars is a pretty decent job. So I smile and prescribe a caramel latte to the crabby customer, who's maybe less fortunate than me, who may be down on his luck. He might smile back and toss a tiny donation into my tip jar if I play my cards right."

When money matters really bad

I have gone through nearly 15 hours with just a piece of bread and a hot chocolate. When my parents sent me enough money to live by 5 months, I didn't appreciate it at all, flushing it away with shoes, shirts and bags. Now, even can't spend $5 on a dinner.

Life is like that. You gotta be responsible for your own action. I'm ashamed of myself

In the office and starving

Roommates are back

My 19- and 20-year-old something roommates are back. Things are still weird around here and I can't wait to be absorbed into my regular schedule this coming semester. Also, I can't wait to move on to the next chapter, whether that would be Austin or not, I don't really know.

The book "The Devil Wears Prada" really got into me. How can I look at things in such a funny and witty eyes like the character named Andy?

Back in Morgantown

Back in Morgantown. For the past three days and three nights, I haven't got any good sleep. And for the past three days, I'm still missing the laugh and the fun we had in Syracuse. Katie has been a really really good friend for the past four years. It has been a long time, since last September, that I had felt that comfortable and felt like I was at home, waking up to coffee, at my house in Hanoi, Vietnam.

I really hope she would apply and get accepted to the AP workshop. She deserved to be there, just need to be a little more aggressive. She deserves to be learning from the best in the industry.

But now I'm back in Morgantown, and I really shouldn't be whining at all. And that this coming semester should be great and I should be busy as hell: 12 hours copy-editing, 4 stories a week, and another hour and a half working at the coffee shop. And sign up for the copy-editing class.

Ohmigod, this damn keyboard doesn't work. Write more then.

In Morgantown, listening to "Can't help falling in love with you." Who's the you? The hot, smart AP writer like Cain Burdeau, then hell yeah.

Huong