Small wonder

I've been seeing journalism through several sets of eyes this past week. Being in the Daily Trojan office day in and day out has not only affected my lifestyle, but also the way I view so much of my work as a student, editor, journalist, writer. It baffles me to think that the words and ideas that start in my office every day at 5 p.m. (budget meeting time!) can actually impact so much of the campus, and further than that, the community at large.

When the L.A. Times is picking up some of our exclusive stories and my editors and I spend hour upon hour making sure that word phrases and quotes convey the message we want without creating cases for libel - that's when I really feel the weight of the paper and of the job. This isn't just a small publication to be read by students curious about changes to the dining halls - this is a full-fledged newspaper with depth and weight and pull in how the university is portrayed and how its students are treated.

I found out last week (on Inauguration Day, to be exact), that I didn't get an offer from Teach For America. And in all honesty, seeing that decision on the site and via email and then on the site again (I quadruple checked just to be sure I hadn't misread) really did sting. I wasn't so much taken aback about not getting the offer - I know the applicant pool was enormously competitive this year - it was more that I felt as though I had just plunged headfirst into a pool of icy cold water.

Reality check.

Something I had put some effort (but not my full effort) into hadn't panned out. And I didn't know how I should feel about that. I think all throughout the process, I had been more taken with the message of the organization than the actual work itself. In other words, I've always wanted to teach. To impart knowledge and, in turn, learn a few things myself. And I've always felt that a necessary part of graduating and entering the "real world" is giving back to the community - via service, donations, or conscientiousness. I just didn't know what my "method of payment" would be.

Therefore, Teach For America seemed like the natural fit.

What the rejection told me, however, was that this was not the case. Everything happens for a reason, and I'm taking this decision as a sign that I should seriously pursue journalism - that just might be the best way for me to make the difference and spread the message that I want to. Seeing how much feedback we get with the DT and how effective our stories can be has done two things for me:

1. terrified me, for fear of retribution after publication
2. inspired me, for knowledge that I can impact positive change doing what I love

I like to lean more toward the latter whenever possible. Naturally.

Last weekend, I spoke with my brother about my possible career in publishing and journalism. Based on his opinion, chasing after passions is a lot more rewarding than finding stability and forfeiting ambitions in the long run. In a time when the economy is so shaky and jobs so hard to come by, he said, carving your own path will probably lead you to more happiness than trudging along the road behind other similar-minded individuals.

Break free.

Yesterday, I taught my first class for community journalism, a course I'm taking this semester that brings USC journalists into the neighboring schools to produce a class "newspaper," complete with news, opinion, features, sports and entertainment desks. I was amazed at how much these sixth graders knew, and just how aware they were of themselves and each other. Each student talked about what he or she was interested writing, and the labels were clearly set: I like video games. I like American Idol. I like the Dodgers.

My little writers rattled off their favorite movies, games and celebrities, and asked honest questions, like "What will Obama do to keep his promises for the next four years?"; "Is the train line running by the school a villain or a hero?"; "What kind of relationship does Obama have with his family?"

These are all the same questions that we as journalists always ask, in less unnecessarily wordy, pretentious prose. It was interesting to see the dynamic of the students and really gauge their genuine curiosity about the things happening around them. That they really wanted to know the answer to those questions, while many college students don't care to ask them, was striking to me.

When did we start caring and stop asking?

And why?

The task falls to journalism nowadays, and so anyone who argues that journalism is a dying profession has obviously stopped desiring to learn, to be informed, to grow as a person.

After this past week, I'm seeing that my definition of journalism has become so limited. It's not about puting stories on paper and meeting deadlines. It's about childlike curiosity and the kind of assertiveness that sets off an entire chain reaction of events.

It's about action and reaction.

Live and learn.