When Yves first told me that this year’s topic would be covering the earthquake in Haiti, I was not surprised, as it was a major topic, but I wondered whether the new, incoming group of young journalists would be able to cover it from all angles, and truly showcase the many aspects of the Haitian culture. With the end of the workshop, I believe no other group of high-school journalists as yourself could have done any better. With a topic so dear to Haitians such as myself, Nadege Charles, and Yves, this year’s topic was at a grand scale, and you 19 students handled it in the best way possible.

From stories covering Haitian musicians, to the science of the Earthquake, these stories and videos and photos have captured the emotions 6 months later in ways that the national media could not.

While the content was amazing, I will not shift directions and speak about you as individuals. I truly believe that the differences between each of you created a montage group that I will never forget. I will even go on to say that your group, without taking anything away from the students from my montage year (08), really made it an enjoyable experience. It was such a pleasure meeting and interacting with each and every one of you. Each of you are destined for greatness, no doubt about it. Yves really raised the bar with the selection of you guys.

There were so many memories that I will never forget. When anyone asks you “Where were you when LeBron became a part of the Miami Heat?” you can always say that you were at the Montage. Times like Roberto standing up for Tomas. Sharing the unforgettable Chartwells blog with you guys. Hearing Danielle say “Oh Heyyyy Steeeeeve.” Waking up Armand with loud Air-Horn noises. Convincing Melissa that she was ruining my life. Putting Sam through heck on the way to Brickell. Creating the best handshake with Haley. Making sure that Anthony always got late-night orders correct. Geeking it up with Jonathan. Richard flooding the laundry room. Debating Pamela’s hippie-ness. Always following up with Brian on the latest NBA happenings. Getting schooled on the court by Kristy. Awkwardly funny conversations with Amanda. Funny arguments with Christina. Trying to keep Nicole calm. Trying to stop Edgar from taking the worst pics of me. Falling asleep of boredom while John would talk to me. These and so much more memories, which will never fade away. I would never have believe that this montage and it’s students would bring so much to the table.

Now that we have separated, for now, time for business. Continue to do well in school, that’s the most important thing. For you rising senior, don’t let senioritis catch you. For you juniors, don’t let it catch you a year early, lol. I cannot stress that enough. As I’ve told past participants, APPLY TO UM! DO NOT let the cost defer you and your decision to apply to our institution. Yves said he would love you see you here, and I feel the same way. I’ve had so many great experiences in my first year, and I would love to see you bright minds experience it also. The financial aid department is VERY generous, and there are many possibilities of grants and other scholarships. Most importantly, don’t make the same mistake I made by not applying for outside scholarships. Though they may seem like small rewards, if you receive more than a few, the money really adds up. If UM is still iffy in your mind, FIU is also another option that I will recommend, as they have a wonderful Journalism program. All in all, my thing is to keep the talent down here in South Florida. I love to see students who have a passion in journalism remain in the melting pot for all news, Miami. While I do respect the decision to go out of state, remaining in South Florida is your best bet for networking and amazing opportunities. In a nutshell, apply to the University of Miami!

Please remember to keep in touch with us. Whether it is me, Mupalia Hasheem Olajuwan Mutombo Manute Wakhisi (LOL), Sophia, or any of the others, we are here to help you, even following the workshop. Most importantly, this also means staying in contact with both Yves and Fred, as they can be very beneficial when it comes to recommendations, as well as any questions you may have.  You have us all on Facebook, so no excuses! Take what you learned with you and apply it. There is no better feeling than sharing what you have learned with others. REMEMBER: You guys were part of THE BEST journalism workshop in America, hands down. Take advantage of the connections you have made with everyone. I still have the newspaper from my year spread out on my wall, as a daily reminder of how much the workshop has changed me as a person.

Be grateful (I know I am) for the experience, with all the positives and negatives that it came with, because without a doubt, it has had a great effect on your life in some sort of way. I would not be in the position I am if it was not for every single person during my workshop. Never doubt yourself and your abilities; Many other students applied and did not get in, which really should say something about you kids. Just continue to be responsible individuals, and you will achieve anything you want…I know this.

Call me if you guys need anything, and I will do my best to help, I promise.

With all the love in the world,

SP

www.stevepierre.com

But the past three weeks have been the greatest of my life. I couldn’t have asked for anything to go better. I had the best roommate I could ask for, one who laughed with me at one a.m. over something as mundane as Pavlov’s dogs. I met some wonderful people and made some friends that I hope I will remain friends with. I don’t know about them, but I don’t care about distance.

I made it all through the closing ceremonies and the goodbye hugs without crying. I saw lots of other people crying and thought I would end up crying, but I didn’t. But then, I went into my dorm to get my bags and saw the note Amanda left me. It brought the biggest smile to my face, and as I slid it into my bag and headed downstairs to check out, that’s when it hit me: three weeks passed. Every late night talking about random stuff, ordering food, watching Tom do whatever it was Tom was doing (I WANNA KNOW WHAT LOVE ISSSSSSSS), it had all passed so much faster than I anticipated it would.

As I walked to my car, that’s when the tears started to come. I felt like I had just been ripped apart from my family. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.

I miss Miami. I miss UM. I miss the comm. school. I miss everyone involved with the workshop.

But, I don’t miss Chartwells.

But I digress. We all need to plan some sort of reunion. And actually see it through, unlike the previous montage groups. Steve said we take the cake, so we must be legit.

P.S.- when I got home, I saw a droid commercial and was like STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEE

But it’s hit me, no more chartwells..no more sleepless night..no more watching danielle iron her clothes…no more of me and amanda looking at eachother and knowing exactly what one another are thinking…no more pranks…no more long walks to the comm school….no more…it’s over..Montage 2010 is over..

Thanks for giving me the experience of a life time guys, each and every one of you…those 3 weeks were the best 3 weeks of my life…I’ll never forget all the good times we’ve had.

goodnight,

Kristy

After waking up at 7am for seemingly the 100th straight day, it was off to the Miami Herald in Downtown Miami. The afternoon news meeting was very informative and it was great knowing what would be on the front cover a day early.

Meeting various people at the Herald was very inspiring as well. Listening to Dan Grech of WLRN talk about radio is something I will have to consider as I delve into communication.

After getting back from the Herald(lunch was great by the way, but anything will be after eating Chicken..I mean er..Chartwells for 3 meals a day) , the rest of the day(literally) was spent video editing.

I must have set a Miami Montage record, as I left the Mac labs at 1:30 in the morning.

Today is the last full day of the workshop as things are coming to a close. I am looking forward to the rest of my journalism summer and also the fall, where I have numerous employment opportunities that can extend upon my growth as a journalist this summer.

“The miles are getting longer is seems..the closer I get to..”
- Daughtry, “Home.”

Yesterday, Anthony, Jonathan, Steve, and I went to Aventura Mall to shoot some B-Roll. We got 10 seconds of footage.

10. Seconds.

Mall security kicked us out from in front of Abercrombie & Fitch and paged a bunch of other cops. We had one officer trailing 30 feet behind us. Needless to say, I bought a cinnamon sugar from Auntie Annes and got the heck out of there.

The remainder of our time was spent wandering aimlessly around Aventura, North Miami Beach, and Coral Gables searching for a place to eat. We eventually ended up at the Five Guys across the street, where I ran into my two friends Bobby and Christian. It felt so great to see them :]

Today, we all visited the Miami Herald, and after our visit, I can honestly say that I’m officially in love with print journalism. Sure, broadcast journalism is fun and I want to dabble in it a little bit, but I feel that my heart will forever lie with print and photography.

I’ve known ever since I was a little kid that I’ve always wanted to be a writer. It wasn’t until the eighth grade when I directed that passion for writing to journalism, and it wasn’t until high school when I decided to pursue my journalistic career.

After seeing how the paper was printed in the printing press (Christina made it go faster!) and holding a copy of our final product in my hands, I realized how much my love for this profession has grown. I’ve come to love the fast pace and the stressful situations. I’ve learned how to enhance my writing and how to create better stories. I can finally say that my desire to be a professional journalist is definite.

After listening to countless speakers and going around the newsroom, we met two interns, one from Northwestern and one from UF (my dream school). The intern from UF is a journalist that has a specific interest in music, just like me. She has recently covered the RedBull Flutag here in Miami a couple of weeks ago and also Lebron’s welcoming party at the Triple A. She even interviewed the lead singer of Bayside (OMG) and is attending Lollapalooza in August.

Needless to say, this chick basically has my freaking dream job. I wanted to scream and cry and jump around with joy, because I feel that I’ve finally met someone that has the same exact interest as I do, and lately I haven’t been able to find someone–other than the writers at Alternative Press–that do.

I got her contact info and I’m definitely planning on sending her an email to pick at her brain a little bit. These days, it’s all about networking.

Other than meeting Gaby, the other really cool part of the tour was being able to sit in on a real news meeting. The reporters and editors all planned tomorrow’s stories in about 15 minutes, and it was just amazing to see people crank out all of these ideas and to see them in print tomorrow morning.

Being here for three weeks has given me amazing insight as to what it actually takes to thrive in this industry, and I’ve learned so much. I’ve become a better writer, photographer, and videographer. I was able to have my story make its way onto the front page of the Montage paper. I was able to venture out into the field and do what I do best, and I loved every moment of it.

I can’t believe that we only have two days left. After today (which is our last official work day), we just have some time to relax and have fun and enjoy each other’s company. I have to admit, it’s going to be extremely hard to say goodbye to the people here. I know that all I’ve been doing is complaining about how much I want to go home, but now that the end is finally here, I want to take back every single word I’ve ever said (or typed) about my desire to leave this place.

I mean, when I wake up on Sunday morning, it’s going to be weird not seeing Haley‘s face at 7:30 or not throwing hairbrushes at her to wake her up. It’s going to be different after realizing that I don’t have to walk to the newsroom every day or eat Chartwell’s three times a day. Nights are going to suck for a fact. I won’t have Tom running around in a towel making me laugh or random late-night food deliveries in Steve and Stolt‘s room. I can’t stay up till 1 AM talking to some of the people here about friends or family or relationships or life in general.

Life as I know it is going to become extremely strange once I get back to Deerfield.

I’ll post one more blog tomorrow as I finish packing my bags because I’m starting to do so tonight. But, just a heads up: this was an amazing experience, and I’m truly going to miss my Montage family come Saturday :’[

Now Playing: “Pray For Plagues”- Bring Me The Horizon

I don’t want to leave!

Although I’m excited to see my family and friends and to go to Warped Tour, I’ve met so many awesome people here and have had amazing experiences that I know that I’m never going to forget. Ever.

Anyways, here’s a quick update:

Yesterday, we visited the Sun-Sentinel. Although it was a short visit, I enjoyed it nonetheless, and I received some really great advice. The TeenLink youth editor also visited us, and I can’t wait to finally apply! I hope that I get a staff position on the paper. I would be beyond ecstatic. After three years of missed application deadlines, I feel that it’s my turn now.

Last night was also pretty fun. We ordered Mexican food and were woken up by the boys when Armand, Rudy, and Johnny decided to drag chairs across the floor -.-

Today, the plan is to go shoot some B-Roll with Anthony and Jonathan at Aventura Mall (Maybe I can get Sara to let me pull a quick Forever 21 stop?). We also have a UM admissions session today, which will hopefully clear the air in regards to any questions I have about applying to this school, because between this and UF, the choice is getting ridiculously harder and harder every day.

Applying for college this summer/school year is going to suck.

As I’m starting to get ready to pack up my bags, I’m definitely reminiscing on the good times I’ve had here. But, like the rest of life, you have to move on and hold on to the memories.

However, I’m not going to launch into super-sadness mode right now. It’s too soon for that. There’s still a lot of stuff that hasn’t happened yet that I’m looking forward to and that I’m going to blog about into the future, so this smile’s staying on my face until the very end.

– Alex :]

PS, Our video is practically done. Snaps for that XD

Now Playing: “The Way We Talk”- The Maine

Our video is almost done,, were getting closer and closer each and everyday,, these walls don’t seem like prison anymore,, and now were contemplating whether we want to say or go!?

This week is flying by so quickly,, yesterday we all went to the Sun- Sentinel for a tour! We meet some really interesting people and made connections with people who may one day chance our lives forever!

Then Sam, Danielle, and I got to go into downtown Miami and interview a very important person to the Haitian people! It was such a great experience! Even though we kinda got lost on our way there=)

Last night was the first night I was involved in a prank that the boys pulled on us girls!! I had to get out of bed and go up to there floor and scream haha…. The funny thing is that next week when i’m at home watching TV i’m going to think about all of these memories and miss every moment!

Its almost over=/

“I live for the nights that I can’t remember,,
With the people that I won’t forget!”-Drake

Signing out,, Christina Joyner

Day 15 of the UM Journalism Workshop was spent video editing, which I am getting better at each day. Using various tools within Final Cut Pro, I was able to cut down my 18 minute video to a little under 2 minutes, and I also implemented pictures and transitions.

A minor complaint about Chartwells, which has been our source of food for the last 16 days, serve something else other than chicken!

It is always nice to have connections before you visit a place, and that’s how Day 16 went as we visited the Sun-Sentinel. I made new connections and my youth editor for Teenlink South Florida also talked to students. While the outside of the building at the Downtown Ft. Lauderdale office is very modern looking, the newsroom is very old school. The lack of presence is evident by the economic recession but other speakers spoke about online and the direction that journalism is headed.

Today will be spent completing videos, I have a couple assignments so I’m looking forward to see how that gets completed today. I will be visiting The Miami Herald tomorrow, which I’m always excited about. The workshop is coming to a close, but my career in journalism is just getting started.

“Summer’s never looked the same, years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain.” -Daughtry, “September”

Well, i’m happy to report that things have changed drastically since then. Most of us no longer address the number of days we have left anymore. We just keep holding tightly on to every second that we have left together. It’s hard to imagine life out of UM’s School of Communication/ Hecht dorm walls again.

At this very moment, everyone sits silently either blogging, surfing the web, or just trying to wake up before we go finish up editing our videos for the rest of the day. Christina, Kristy, and I are working on Zenglen’s video and it is coming out amazing. Today we’re going to put the final touches to it and try to improve it as best as we can. We’re all very excited to show it to everyone once it’s complete. You should see us in the Mac labs. Whenever something comes out right we just sit there and smile… occasionally we’ll yell, “We got this!”. It keeps us determined to keep going and do our absolute best.

Last night in the dorms we ordered Mexican food. Actually, I ordered chicken tenders from there so i’m not sure you can consider that Mexican. Oh well. Then later before going to bed, Melissa and I had our daily “before we go to bed” conversation. We reminiced about all the things we used to love when we were little and we realized that there was this annoying green light at the ceiling of our dorm room. We laughed endlessly.

Until, of course, we heard an extremely obnoxious noise. It sounded like chairs upstairs being pulled back and forth across the floor. Not for one minute, not for two, but an extended period of time. “The boys,” I thought. So after running up there and finding the boys running around laughing their heads off [at the fact that they kept us from sleeping] , we finally got some rest.

And, here I am the next morning. Chartwells in my stomach. Ready to get back to work!