ScoopIt Entry

Content Analysis: USF, Sam, and Delaney ScoopIt accounts

To begin, I was very impressed by the USF ScoopIt. It is very up to date and had multiple stories on some days. It also had a very good mix of sources, and the most surprising (and also refreshing) were local blogs. I love SFist and the Bold Italic so it was very pleasant to see the university account posting articles from those sites. Sometimes the way USF posts on other platforms (like its Twitter on occasion), is for a different audience than students: for example appearing a tad too promotional for my taste or something. I understand that USF messaging and social media is created for many audiences, like parents, alumni, donors, etc., yet I believe prospective and current students should be the most targeted. With that in mind, the USF ScoopIt account very much addressed students as the main audience, which I really enjoyed. A lot of the content came from student work such as the Foghorn and instagrams. The glaringly neglected student work I noticed though was USFtv: after seven pages I saw no videos from the station posted. This obviously saddened me on a personal level. Anyways, in general the content on the USF ScoopIt was intriguing.

Regarding the student accounts made by Sam and Delaney, both ScoopIts interested me in different ways. For Sam’s, focusing on urban agriculture, he covered a topic that I know little about but would like to learn more on. So his stories were very cool to read and his posts came from a lot of his experiences which was a lens I liked. I could tell how much passion he has for farming and he had quite a lot of content. It has since dropped activity but Sam’s account is great. As for Delaney, she had three topics but one caught my attention the most: San Francisco Happenings. I think this topic is relative to all USF students, or any city dweller for that matter. Her account is outdated but the posts she did have on her ScoopIt were really fun. Especially all the events in the city and articles on activities she found that were free, which she commented was her favorite price. Mine too Delaney, mine too.

Form Analysis: USF, Sam, and Delaney ScoopIt accounts

Overall, I like the organization of ScoopIt. The platform is very visual but I wasn’t overwhelmed. It reminds me a lot of Tumblr’s and Pinterest’s setups; ScoopIt is sort of a hybrid between the two. With Tumblr, there’s only one panel for content and you scroll down to the next post, and with Pinterest everything is presented like an online bulletin board (as per its name). Yet with ScoopIt, it takes the best of both these platforms and creates a middle ground of content. There are two panels and multiple stories that are easy to see and move on to. Therefore, I find ScoopIt to be a visually better platform in comparison. (As a side note for context, I do go on Tumblr but avoid Pinterest. Pinterest is too busy for me and not very useful to what I like social media for).

As a reader, having a variety of posts on a screen available and separated into pages (instead of never ending scrolling, like Google images for instance is the example that immediately came to mind) is nice. For ScoopIt as a media for information, I mostly see benefits. Posts can come from all over the internet or can be user generated. Different media can be posted as well, such as articles or videos. All in all, ScoopIt appears to be a quality platform as an audience member. The three accounts I read off were all similar in these traits.

Reflection:

After looking through those three accounts I definitely am eager to produce my own ScoopIt topic. I had never heard of this platform before this class, so it’s a new media I now know about. It’s also nice to see that USF has been using it for some time; there were over a hundred pages of content on its account. The next fun step for my experience with ScoopIt is deciding what topic I want to make a thread on. Delaney had a great one, as mentioned in my content analysis, so I may be somewhat inspired by her.

Curating:

I now have used ScoopIt for a little while and have two topics I’m curating: Hillary Clinton Media and Intriguing News. I keep track of these topics regularly through different sources so ScoopIt does really well in bringing them all together. Having links, or for this platform “scoops”, to articles from all over the internet is great. And it allows you to add comments, which is a nice feature as well. With Twitter I can retweet or reply to stories which is fine for quick interest, but with ScoopIt I can be more detailed and can more visibly see everything. Twitter also only lets you have one thread of tweets and ScoopIt lets you organize by topic. Curating has been a lovely addition to my daily media consumption.

Sure doesn't feel like a constant

I'm referring to time.  Time is a curious thing and I've been thinking a great deal about it lately.  I have just about a month left for my fall semester and time seems to be ticking much too quickly.  I know myself and my peers are in a life time crunch at the moment.  Classes are more demanding now with papers to write and tests to start studying for, an overall mountain of work with little sleep makes for the least fun part of a college experience... Sounds like my post from October about midterms, and here I'm saying this all again.  Well, with time as a university student, the saying goes jokingly, "school is getting in the way of my college education". 

With the need to hit the books and type up a storm, time is, at least for me, is making me turn inward, meaning spending a lot of time alone, well, with my laptop.  I catch myself saying, "now's not a good time", "I don't have space in my schedule", "sorry, rain check", and "I just really need to focus and get shit done".  Social life and relationships have been put on hold unfortunately.  Even my planner for the next few weekends already has dates labeled as homework days so I can keep myself accountable.  I want to have fun, but education dominates my attention.  Of course I try to pencil in as much as possible socially to at least give myself a little time away from school work.  And then I end up exhausted, but I'll be tired no matter what.  In short, these last few weeks are going to suck and time doesn't feel fair, but it'll all be worth it and my reward will be a much needed winter break. 

BAM! It's October

October is a special month in many ways: Halloween, fall is truly setting in (unless you're in the uncommonly hot and sunny Bay Area), and more.  Part of that more... Midterms.  My semester is in its seventh week, almost half way through.  Where did the time go?  October is prone to be a stressful month of papers, projects, and exams.  My October is looking like it's going to be that way; the academic portion of the college experience at its finest.  Anyways, how can the stress be handled?  Here's what I do:

1. Sleep: Seriously, get some z's.  My bed is my best friend.  Sometimes all nighters may be necessary (never ideal), but they shouldn't be often.  Time management is key.

2. Eat well: A healthy food filled stomach leads to a healthy midset.

3. Listen to music: Need to calm down?  Need motivation?  I turn to music (refer to my first ever post)

All three of these are mostly attributed to "me time", meaning they don't usually involve anyone else (eating is the biggest exception, group dinners can be stress easing as well).

October is the month of fall semester that tests academic limits.  I have a word that I jokingly have used with my past roomates when we've filled out our university dorm agreements.  Under how we want to our grades to look for the semester is this: A-mazing.  Shoot high, college is first and foremost pursuing a higher education, classes and the work that they come with are priority.  I've always teasured my opportunities that come with and my access to education, and October is when I get my fill of it.  Stress less and get the grade I want and am capable of getting: my motto this month (all months really, but October in particular).

What are ways you combat stress?  Let me know in the comments!  And good luck to you students out there on your midterms!

A favorite hobby of mine

Now that I'm out of the dorms and in an apartment, I have the luxury of a kitchen!  Cooking for myself is so much better than cafeteria food.  Sure the meal plan is convenient, but I much prefer making my meals.  Aside from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the most fun in a kitchen for me is when I'm baking.  I haven't had the chance yet in my apartment since starting school, and tonight I'll finally get my baking fix!

Baked goods not only taste great, they're my way of showing people I care.  I'd say four out of five times I bake it's with the intention of giving it to someone.  One of the reasons I do this is for birthdays.  I never want a birthday to go unnoticed.  When I was growing up, my birthday ALWAYS fell on my school district's "mid winter break".  That one week always contained my birthday.  People would remark, "Meagan, why would you ever want your birthday on a school day?  You get a day free from classes instead of having to sit through them!".  A valid argument, but here is my rebuttal: since my birthday didn't take place on a school day, it wasn't paid attention to by my peers.  My friends would say, "Oh your birthday is in February right?"  Yeah, that leaves a month of 28/29 days of possibility, not so narrow.  And in my middle and high school years, it was typical for everyone to know it was your birthday because you would have your locker decorated by your friends, and balloons, flowers, cards, or treats given to you.  Some of your classes may sing to you as well.  While some found this embarrasing, I never got that recognition.  So, birthdays always mean baking for me.

Other occasions are cause for baking as well, like accomplishments.  Got a new job?  You get brownies!  We survived finals?  Cookies for everyone!  I can make anything into a celebration; my senior year in high school my friends and I ate on campus and at the end of each week we would rotate baking to have "Cake Day Fridays".  Anyways, baking is a favorite hobby of mine.  While I've been worn out with work and school, I have been sleeping and watching TV with my free time instead.  Baking is a productive use of time, you create something!  And that something is delicious!  So, tonight I'll be in baking mode, it is long overdue!

The day is approaching...

Election day that is, today marks just seven weeks until votes are cast all over the country.  November 6th will reveal who will become, or remain, president.  As the most high profile race in American government, since this office is the only one that is nationally decided, the presidential race should be on everyone's mind.  If you haven't started paying attention to the candidates, incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, I urge you to start now at the seven week mark.

This is the first presidential race I'm able to vote in (for 2008 I was a junior in high school).  Voting for your first president should be a special day.  Voting in general is special, it is executing your right to participate in respresentative democracy.  The point of this post is this: vote and be an informed voter.  Deciding who has power in this country, those who run the government, impacts everyone and you should know what each candidate, and ballot measure, means for you.  Presidential races bring out the most voter turnout, and please be part of the electorate for the executive branch of America's three. 

Yet aside from picking between Obama and Romney as commander in chief, I wholeheartedly hope you vote for other offices of all levels- local, state, and federal- and vote consistently.  Get a position on issues, keep up with the news, know what candidates are saying and doing.  "Democracy is the worst form of government except for all the rest".  Yes Churchill got it right, but by voting you can make democracy better and closer to its ideal than not voting.  So, cast your vote, make your voice matter.  Seven weeks until decision day.

My First Storify Adventure

I'm sitting in my journalism class and have a gem of Internet creativity to share.  Here's the link: <script src="http://storify.com/mmcuthill/a-woman-in-news-jana-katsuyama.js"></script><noscript>[<a href="http://storify.com/mmcuthill/a-woman-in-news-jana-katsuyama" target="_blank">View the story "A Woman in News: Jana Katsuyama" on Storify</a>]</noscript>

College fashion: Thrifty finds from bins

Hey Internet peeps, happy Monday!  I don't know about you all, but my university has some very stylish folk; I am very prone to get what I call "outfit envy" walking to class.  Anyways, outfit envy sounds negative, but it is simply clothing appreciation for my peers.  From hipsters to young professionals to those who can even look good after working out (how?!?!?!), my fellow college goers at my small liberal arts school know how to dress.

As for my style, I'll call it classy fun with a splash of (dare I say) comfort.  Today's post was inspired by my outfit I'm currently wearing.  It's chilly out so my look includes a wool dress, vest, and boots.  Walking to my first class, I realized something: the actual clothing portion of my ensemble (meaning my dress and vest, boots aren't clothing!) cost me close to nothing.  With that light bulb moment, this post was born.

So, how did my outfit today cost me almost nothing?  Resourcefulness my friends.  First, almost nothing means about a dollar.  Yes, a dollar.  And that only counts for my vest, my dress was free.  "Now Meagan, econ class has thought me that nothing is free", but alas in this case my dress was monetarily free so ha!  I laugh at your econ, I'm the one with a free dress!  (*In reality I truly appreciate those who work in economics and their skill with numbers is something that I will never achieve).  Anyways, here's how I got a dollar outfit, and now you can too!

1.  My vest came from a magical place known as Goodwill Bins in lovely Portland, Oregon.  Goodwill Bins is the place where items donated to Goodwill go before the stores; it is a warehouse of wonder.  At the Bins, clothing is sold like produce in a grocery store: BY THE POUND.  The more you buy, the cheaper the weight is.  When I went there with friends, three of us bought just over 25 pounds of clothing for 89 cents/lb.  That is why my vest cost less than a dollar.  Go to the warehouse that is Goodwill Bins, you will find a bounty for a few bucks.

2.  My dress was also found in a bin, a donation bin in my dorm building's laundry room last year.  The donation bins there, as in all residence halls on campus, are labeled "for charity"... not sure what particular charity the sign refers to, but I'm a poor college student with loans to pay back after graduation, some I'm kind of like a small charity case right?  Bin digging became a social event with my hall mates every so often or just a casual look through while a did laundry and this dress is one of the best finds I've had.  Others include a great euro chic sweatshirt originally from H&M, a black going out top, and more. 

Being thrifty is the way to go for fashion finds.  On a budget?  Check out a bin/ establishment of bins, there's bound to be a treasure or two.  And an economical (yay econ!) outfit is a one that looks good, with outfit envy potential, and gets you automatic brownie points in my book.  What is a thrifty find you are proud of?  Any other tips on how to have a sense of style without breaking the bank?  Share your thoughts in the comments!