TIME OUT: Face to Facebook

OK, I finally took a giant leap into the year 2004 and created my facebook account. I spent more than 3 hours looking up friends and people who are somehow connected to me.

Click here to add me, friend me or whatever the kids are calling it these days.

NEWS: Falling Star

The Kansas City Star announced today that it will cut 120 full-time jobs. The cuts support McClatchy's effort to cut 1,4000 jobs nationwide. In 2006, McClatchy purchased Knight Ridder, the former owner of The Star and dozens of other papers.

This move will further affect coverage of the college. Last year, The Star eliminated it's education reporter position and since then news of JCCC has taken shape in newsbriefs culled from the college's press releases.

The effort to cover the college will fall to the smaller papers like The Johnson County Sun, The Olathe News and to the campus newspaper, The Campus Ledger.

TIME OUT: My Electability

Here is an e-mail I sent to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' GLBT Caucus, of which I'm a member:

I'm running for the Student Representative position on NAHJ' Board of Directors. I'd appreciate your support in helping me get the number of petition signatures via e-mail needed (25) to stand as a candidate.

For those who don't know me, I'm a non-traditional student living in Kansas. I attend Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan. and Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan. NAHJ selected me as a participant in both the Student Campus and Latino Reporter projects in the past as well as awarded me a Ruben Salazar Scholarship. The Society of Professional Journalists awarded me it's 2006 First Amendment Award for my investigation that uncovered allegations of sexual harassment against my college president and the open records battle that followed. I've also won several first place writing awards in state competitions where I also earned the Journalist of the Year award. I've participated in the Associated Press' Diverse Visions/Diverse Voices program, the National Press Foundation's Introduction to Washington program, and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association student projects. Of course, I am also a member of the NAHJ GLBT Caucus.

If you feel that as a member in good standing you can support my efforts, please use the following template to send your e-mail to ravila@nahj.org by June 18.

I (STATE YOUR NAME), of (COMPANY THEY WORK FOR OR OTHER FORM OF IDENTIFYING EMPLOYMENT) support the candidacy of _________________ for (position) ____________________ in the 2008 election of the NAHJ Board of Directors. This statement counts as my virtual signature and I have included my full contact information below.

Thanks for this opportunity to serve an organization that has served me,

miguel

If I secure enough e-signatures to be on the ballot, I'll layout my platform points because I definitely have ideas on the direction NAHJ needs to head and how students can help the organization get there.