Callie Burrows: Self Evaluation

I have to admit that I was very intimidated by this class at the start. The information learned in this class was said to be invaluable by past students and I knew by taking this class I would be pushed completely out of my comfort zone. I was right. As soon as I realized this, I made it a goal to stick with the class no matter what and embrace the uncomfortable situations I would be put in.

In the beginning, I felt very awkward and nervous about our lab assignments, which required us to go out and film Lehigh students and eventually local members of the community. It wasn't until after finishing our first News Style video that I felt more comfortable with using my camera, planning out interview questions, interviewing subjects and editing film. By the time Morgan and I filmed the News Style video I was more confident in my skills which helped me, in partnership with Morgan, to create a well-reported and informative news story.

As more video assignments were given to us, I became even more and more comfortable and although I still find conducting interviews to be a little awkward, editing film and piecing a story together is now a passion of mine. Putting together the interview footage with the B roll and making the perfect combination of those two plus some narration done by Morgan and I was a challenge but a fun challenge.

Throughout the semester I could tell I was growing. I grew as a Journalism student but also as a person. In terms of Journalism skills, I was able to join the Twitter world and hold my own, something I thought I would never do. Also, I was able to remember to blog three times a week and acquire a following of fellow foodies! Handling my little video camera became second nature and uploading videos to YouTube was a simple task, something that had started out as a long and intimidating process. In general, I feel much more comfortable interacting with the web and all of the options made available on the web including Storify, Podbean, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, Google Maps, Weebly and Blogger. Before this semester I was skilled in writing and the traditional elements of Journalism; however, now I feel as though I am skilled in the more modern elements of Journalism that are required in this era.

As a person, I have become more outgoing and a better communicator and persuader. Often times subjects were at first hesitant to be on camera or to speak with us in general so it was essential to learn how to make people feel comfortable with Morgan and I, and trust us.

I am happy to say that I achieved my goal and was able to stick with the class, even when times were difficult or uncomfortable and it was SO worth it. I can confidently say I learned more in this class than in any other class at Lehigh and these skills will be helpful to me as I develop my career and move forward in life.