Oklahoma Institute for Diversity in Journalism

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OIDJ Editor - page 28

OIDJ Editor has 297 articles published.

Only Human – The Confessions of an International Student

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by Chase Bryer Prior to coming to the U.S., Shugofa Dastgeer worked as a famous news anchor for Afghanistan’s biggest media network – TOLOnews. She went from a life of success and fame to a life of pure isolation as an international student plunged into a different culture. The University of Oklahoma is home to roughly 22,000 students, about 2,000 of who are international students. Migrating from across the globe, these students are given the opportunity to embrace the Sooner state though the International Student Service program. Dastgeer, a second-year doctoral student, said reporting in war-torn Afghanistan was challenging but…

The United States of dependency

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by Maria Chaves Gwen Sommer started drinking coffee in the fifth grade. By the time Sommer was 18, she was bringing coffee to school and drinking sodas during the day. Sometimes, she added an energy drink for a boost. She needed her caffeine fix. “When I wouldn’t have it, I felt like I needed it,” Sommer said. “I used to get crazy withdrawals.” She wasn’t alone in her caffeine dependency. The number of teens consuming caffeine has tripled since the 1970s, according to an American Dietetic Association study. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/teen-angst/201305/over-caffeinated-teens) Caffeine is the most consumed legal psychoactive stimulant in the world,…

Social media sites often a big source of ‘drama’

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by Lauren Szmutko   The same websites that connect users with friends and family are the same platforms that have resulted in loss of friendship, self-confidence and deaths. Social media sites can bring news, keep the public informed and help businesses advertise.  Though there are many purposes, none of them include bullying, arguing, or gossiping online – which constitutes cyberbullying. “It’s too much to have drama on Facebook,” said University of Oklahoma student Alexander Plotkin. Unfortunately, Plotkin’s statement is true.  Nobody knows how another will react to comments.  Some shake it off, others take it personally, become depressed. A few…

Oklahoma Writing Project sends teachers back to school

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by Lauren Szmutko Despite popular belief, teachers still go to school to learn. The National Writing Project focuses on teachers teaching teachers. “It has definitely improved my teaching style and writing ability of my first grade students,” said Charlotte Fiekor, a Putnam City elementary teacher. Fiekor attended a 2014 summer workshop by the Oklahoma Writing Project  on The University of Oklahoma campus. It’s one of two National Writing Project sites in Oklahoma. The other is the OSU Writing Project at Oklahoma State University. Established by Jim Gray in 1974, the National Writing Project has more than 200 sites. A university’s…

Live each day

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by Jordan Evans Artist Ryan Harris learned this lesson early when his cousin committed suicide. This event continues to be a major influence on his screen-printing. “It’s a really tough sort of gray area when I create something because it’s coming from such a dark place, but it’s trying to be good,” Harris said. “And that can be well received by people that get it.” Harris’ first expressions of art were through poetry and photography during his adolescent years. His uncle was a professional artist and was one of his first role models. Harris entered OU as an international business…

Kiowa member ‘Wondo’ competes in World Cup

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  by Chase Bryer  Soccer and this year’s FIFA World Cup have some new fans – the Kiowa Tribe. Chris Wondolowski, a 31-year-old forward on the U.S. Men’s National Team, has inspired his people by becoming the first enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe to compete in the World Cup. He also has sparked an interest in the game of soccer for Kiowas everywhere. “No one ever even thought of watching soccer. Now that he’s playing, … everyone’s watching soccer,” said Steve Quetone, Kiowa Nation Sports Club director. “Just the idea of knowing that we have a Kiowa that’s succeeded…

Some local teen workers can’t catch a break

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by Richelle Hallows As 17-year-old Sheila Seat handed a customer a snow cone, she thought about how she had been standing for at least five hours and wanted to sit. A Norman High School student, Seat spends 25 hours a week working at Eskimo Sno without ever being able to take a break. “We receive no breaks ever,” she said. “It really pisses me off that we don’t get breaks. If we even sit down, we’ll get fired.” Eskimo Sno’s owner sees it differently, noting that usually “only one person is working the shift, so if they had a break…

Micah Roberts

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by Destiny Washington At 16, Micah Roberts is doing more activities than many teenagers his age. A day usually consists of waking up for early morning band practice, going to school, yearbook club, and then after-school band or showchoir practice in his hometown of Lawton, Okla. “I enjoy being involved and meeting new people,” Roberts said. He has been playing the French horn for five years. “I used to play the trumpet, but I hated it,” he said. Roberts is the first chair in the MacArthur High School Band. “I love music,” he said. “All the friendships I’ve made have…

Walking across parking lots in the dark

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by Maria Chaves Two and a half months ago, I started my first job at a sushi place 10 minutes from my home. As an introvert, I tried to find my place in the fast-paced environment. I was one of three women who worked there. One was an assistant manager. The other was a cashier. We didn’t always work together. Most shifts, I found myself working with men. It wasn’t a problem. They were courteous and extremely helpful, not to mention highly entertaining. At the end of the day, I would leave work at 9:30 p.m., with a bag of…

OU alums screen their work at film festival

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by Camila Gonzalez Making movies isn’t easy, especially when a filmmaker doesn’t have a big budget or A-list actors. But University of Oklahoma alumni at the 2014 deadCENTER Film Festival in Oklahoma City proved these aren’t needed to make great films. Dylan Cox liked playing basketball in front of a crowd, so it made sense for him to become an actor. His first acting job was in a lottery commercial during his time at OU. At first, he had “no aspirations” to be a director and producer. But he loved working with a good team to get a project done.…

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