Blogging from The Oklahoman interns

TOP 3: Historical Events

Through journalism, I have acquired a great interest in historical events.  As a result,  I would like to discuss the  TOP 3: Most Significant Historical Events in the history of the United States.

With a rich history of a little more than 230 years,  the TOP 3 events isn’t an easy task, but why not go for challenge?

The single most important event in U.S. history is:

1.) The Declaration of Independence  in 1776

Without the Declaration of Independence, the U.S.A. — as it exist today– probably would have never  been… I would dare to say that this was the time when Democracy existed in its purest form. Not that Democracy doesn’t exist today, but I strongly believe the nation has strayed far from democracy and what the “founding fathers” intended it to be.

2.) The Civil War

The Civil War should be in any list about historical events considering the fact that it was the Civil War that United the States. Without the War The USA may have easily been known as  the DSA – The Divided States of America.

I wonder if the U.S. would be like N. Korea and S. Korea today?

Many people believe  the Civil War happened as a result of slavery. However, The Civil war was no more than a power struggle between two competing economies, two competing viewpoints and two competing presidents who wanted to  be on top…For the record, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free all states in South. In my opinion, the slaves became free because the war devastated the South leaving them with very few means to continue to enforce slavery to the same degree they had before the Civil war.

3.) The Civil Rights Movement

I shutter to think about what the America we know today would be like without the Civil Rights movement.  In spite of what many may think the Civil Rights was not about race. It was about obtaining the very rights that were sought for all citizens of the “new world.”  The “unalienable Rights” of  “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” as stated in the Declaration of Independence.  Those unalienable rights were sought for every U.S. citizen regardless of  gender, race, religion, creed, etc.

P.S.  Its hard to analyze events that have occurred within the last 20-30 years or so because I don’t think  we can even begin to grasp the magnitude of just how those events may have changed American History. So I did not include any events that occurred within that decade.

Other events that I thought about choosing from include:  WWI, WWII, Pearl Harbor,  the Womens Rights Movement, the assassination of former president Kennedy, the Louisiana Purchase, the Moonwalk, the Industrial Revolution, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl,the Vietnam War, the Mexican American war…there’s so many events that could be listed here this list is by no means exhaustive.

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Playing Catchup

Well, we’re a little late in the game, but I figure that it’s time to catch up with my colleagues’ awesome blogging skills.

For an introduction, my name is Garett.  I am a photography intern here at OPUBCO.  I am a photographic arts major at the University of Central Oklahoma, with minor in journalism.

To start off with, I thought I would make a blog post with some of my favorite images this summer.  If you want to see more photos by me and the other photographers, just follow this link:  Alternate Crop

-Garett

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Potter (Gimme Gimme) More

I first cracked open my copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone on a lazy summer day in 1999. I had just recently graduated from West Nichols Hills Elementary and was preparing for the jump to middle school at Classen S.A.S.

The parallels I found in Harry Potter could only be described as magical (sorry to be lame, but it’s true.) and the fact that I was reading a book could also be considered some form of sorcery as I was much more inclined then to sit around and play Playstation (Crash Bandicoot for life!).

But as I opened up the book with that red tinted cover with a picture of a peculiar looking boy riding a broomstick with his broken glasses and messy hair, I was blown away by the sheer entertainment of word on paper. The immersion into a ridiculous world where pictures moved in newspapers, where giants existed (and half-giants; you’re my boy Hagrid!), a world of flying broomsticks, spellbooks and huge fire breathing dragons; I was hooked.

It was announced this morning at 7 a.m. ( and yes I set an alarm so I could watch the announcement because I’m a huge, lame 23-year-old nerd) the revealing of J.K. Rowling’s newest project Pottermore!

Rowling starts off the video by telling everyone how passionate Harry Potter fans are and how she hopes the love affair will spread to a new generation with this new project.

“Thirteen years after the first Harry Potter book was published, I am still astonished and delighted at the response the stories have met,” she began.

Rowling said the introduction of Pottermore will be an “online reading experience unlike any other.” Pottermore users will be able to choose a username and be sorted into a Hogwarts house, as well as upload drawings, comments and other feedback.

I AM SO STOKED!!! Can I make it into Gryffindor? Or will I be embarrassed and sent to Hufflepuff?

Probably Hufflepuff

Rowling went on to say that she will also be releasing content that she has been hoarding for years, which makes me think that this could be the release of the much anticipated Harry Potter encyclopedia.

“The digital generation will be able to enjoy a safe and unique online reading experience built upon the work,” said Rowling. The site will be an “exclusive place to purchase digital audio books and, for the first time, e-books of the series.”

The website won’t go live until October, but Rowling said a few lucky fans will get a chance to get an early sneak pick and help by giving their input on what they want to see out of Pottermore.

I practically crushed my rememberall in excitement for this site! Alright, gotta go re read all the books for the 34th time in preparation.

Watch this video and visit Pottermore!

 

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Photo shoots require unexpected work

The sun was shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was, in a sense, a perfect day for a sunglasses photo shoot for Mood.

Since it was my second photo shoot, I vaguely knew what to expect – models and a photographer. What I didn’t expect was the outdoors location. I’m from Michigan, and I’m still not acclimated to the Oklahoma heat.

The scenery was great. We were right next to the construction for the Devon tower. But the temperature was nowhere near wonderful. It was hot!

Two and a half hours later, I realized I had made a mistake. I burn easily, so sunscreen is my No. 1 priority when I venture outside for extended periods of time. However, I was so caught up in what I needed to do that I forgot. The next few hours outside weren’t kind to my fair skin, but it could have been worse.

I never realized the amount of work that went into what I thought was a simple, photo shoot.

Before my first experience, I didn’t think modeling took much work. You stand there and pose. Big deal.

I was wrong.

Being a model has challenges because you have to look natural while receiving occasional direction from the photographer.

The photographer has to find the right angles and deal with potential equipment malfunctions. Also, there’s someone making sure tags aren’t showing, and the model is wearing the correct accessories with each outfit.

This photo shoot was different from my first one. Clearly, swim suits grab attention more than someone wearing sunglasses. It was interesting to see how the photographer used the surroundings for creative pictures to highlight the sunglasses.

Though the weather was hot and uncomfortable, it was a fun and interesting experience. The next time I see an ad or even a 30-second commercial, I’m going to consider the amount of work that goes into it.

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Horsethievery tonight at the Conservatory

Looking for something awesome to do on a Tuesday night?

Then gallop on over to the Conservatory tonight and catch Horse Thief  open up for J Roddy Walston & The Business.
Horse Thief is made up of students from the Academy of Contemporary Music of The University of Central Oklahoma. Originally from Denton, Texas, Horse Thief then moved to OKC to attend ACM @ UCO and has since been playing around the state as well as SXSW and Norman Music Fest (Where they were unceremoniously kicked off stage by a terrible venue operator).Plus, their song Warrior is awesome!

http://horsethiefrock.bandcamp.com/track/warrior

Go see Horse Thief tonight at the Conservatory, doors open at 6 p.m. and the cover is $12.

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deadCENTER: Little Town of Bethlehem

Jim Hanon took home the award at the deadCENTER Film Festival for “Best Oklahoma Film” for his documentary “Little Town of Bethlehem.”

The film tries to shed a new light on the centuries old Israeli Palestinian conflict by talking to three men, Sami Awad a Palestinian Christian, Ahmad Al’ Azzeh a Palestinian Muslim and Yonatan Shapira, an Israeli Jew who have all taken a pledge of nonviolence to help end the fighting.

Hanon, who is based in Oklahoma, talked after his film ended about the struggles that went in to making his documentary and the importance he sees in the message of his three characters.

“Every situation you saw in the movie, I was in there,” Hanon said. “So I was tear gassed and other different things and I have made a lot of different films but I was never afraid while making a film until this one.”

They know the history, and so they know unless something changes that history is going to continue to repeat itself. They have been fighting forever but these guys are starting to look and say they don’t want their children to inherit this so they are trying to change it.”

-Adam Kemp

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deadCENTER: Black Canyon’s Crossroads

Enid, Oklahoma?

Why on Earth would I want to spend a weekend of my winter break in Enid?

This was my first thought when I read Nathan Poppe’s email to me asking if I had any desire to help film a documentary about a band from Enid called Black Canyon.

But… being the sucker I am, I went along with Mr. Poppe and my friends Brian Blackstock, Zach Gray and Matt Carney to meet Jack Morrise and Jordan Herrera of Black Canyon who had recently finished an ep of seven songs that documented a civil war romance.

Flash forward six months and we are now just hours away from the premiere of the documentary, which will show tonight as part of the deadCenter film festival. (start time of 6 p.m. at the IAO Gallery if you’re interested!)

If you had told me while I was freezing my fanny off filming in the backwoods of Enid that this little, on a whim project would have made it to what is now being called one of the 20 Coolest Film Festivals by Movie Maker Magazine, I probably would have hit you upside the head with Black Canyon’s banjo.

I don’t expect people to be blown away by our movie, we shot the thing in 24 hours and in seven different locals of “scenic” Enid. But I hope you take away from the movie the amount of fun we had filming it and the dedication of all the filmmakers and especially Nathan Poppe, who spent the following three months editing the 40-minute, folk-rock-doc together.

Oklahoma music is filled with some of the best, most talented and wonderfully interesting people around and I’m grateful to have just a little slice in documenting them.

Black Canyon\’s Crossroads For the Restless

-Adam Kemp

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World beaters

I’m not going to get cute.

It’s simple.

The U.S. national soccer team beat Spain 2-0 today in the semi-finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Spain came into the game with a 15-game winning streak, a world record, and a 35-game unbeaten streak.

Goals from 19-year-old Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, 26, shook the undisputed No.1 team in the world to its core.

Spain has arguably the most talented midfield in the world. David Villa and Fernando Torres are the two most sought after strikers in the world. The Catalan defensive duo of Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique are supposedly unshakeable.

But it happened. Spain pressed and unleashed shot after shot, but Tim Howard, the U.S. goalkeeper, kept each of them out. The U.S. defenders, led by Oguchi Onyewu and captain Carlos Bocanegra, put in a valiant effort.

It’s the biggest soccer upset in years.

The U.S. faces the winner of Brazil-South Africa on Sunday.

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Iran so far away?

A lot is said about Iran and the recent controversy about the country’s elections.

Pictures of security officers and protesters fly across our screens day and night. Though it’s a world away, a small understanding of the experience is at our fingertips thanks to the Internet and the instant news cycle.

Several public figures opposed to the current regime have reportedly been detained.

That might be the fate of six Iranian soccer players.

The Guardian reports that the Iranian government “retired” four of the players from the sport, while the situation with two others is unknown.

The government took issue with the players wearing green wristbands during a World Cup qualifying match against South Korea on June 17 in Seoul. The captain, Mehdi Mahdavikia, also wore a green captain’s armband.

Green is the color protesters adopted in response to their belief that the government interfered with the election, particularly skewing the results to make sure Mir Hossein Mousavi did not win.

Ali Karimi, Hosein Ka’abi,  Vahid Hashemian and Mahdavikia were banned, while none of the team members were given back their passports after returning to Tehran.

Without their passports, the Iranian government can effectively hinder the players from working or traveling should they leave the country.

As of the now, the players have not been detained, but lacking a passport makes it basically impossible to travel and provides a way to enforce the ban on Hashemian and Mahdavikia, both of whom make their living playing for top-flight clubs in Germany.

FIFA, the sport’s ruling body, discourages political expression on the pitch and encourages national federations to impose punishments. The Spanish federation fined French-Malian striker Freddy Kanoute of Sevilla €3,000 in January for revealing a black shirt with the word “Palestine” printed in multiple languages after scoring a goal against Deportivo La Coruña in a Spanish league match..

However, FIFA also has taken action against governments interfering with the sport. Iran was banned from official competition for a little less than a month in 2006 for excessive government interference in the running of the Iranian soccer federation. A similar ban could be imposed should FIFA find the government’s interference in violation of FIFA’s statutes.

Iran played in the 2006 World Cup but failed to qualify in 2010 after finishing fourth in its

World Cup qualifying group.

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Blake Griffin officially famous

It was only a little more than three years ago I was in the crowd at the State Fair Arena.

I was painted gold, head to toes. My friends were appropriately adorned in the same way.

It was the 2006 Class 2A Boys Oklahoma High School Basketball Championship game, and Blake Griffin was putting on a show.

Our school, Oklahoma Christian School, beat Washington 57-40 to win its third-straight state championship and fourth in five years. Blake would lead the team to its fourth-straight in 2007, but I was gone.

I graduated that May, a year before Blake and a year after his brother, Taylor.

Since then, my exposure to Blake has been limited to games on TV and a couple run-ins in various situations (outside the 2008 Bedlam women’s soccer game at OU being the most recent).

I never really understood he was famous. OCS is a small school where everybody pretty much knows everybody.

To me, it was still Blake, the kid I knew in high school who asked me how the soccer team was doing and with whom I shared a number (I wore 15 in soccer, he wore 15 in basketball).

Even as Blake destroyed teams in college and won the 2009 John Wooden Award, given annually to the nation’s best player, it never really registered.

Now it has.

Blake is on the cover of a video game.

Blake, I’ll give you a high five next time I see you.

That is, if you’re not too famous for me.

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