This presents a real problem for the Buzz, which has been buzzing on 7 for three-ish years now. So, expect some new incarnation of the blog in the summer/fall. In a related note, Lori (your Buzz author) is outie as of Spring Break. (sniff) Gotta go teach some IU kids about scandal and celebrity in the news…

But the Buzz will remain online, and may even be occasionally updated(!). I will post an update on the status of all the changing logistics as soon as I can.

In the meantime, below are some moving tips that I’ve picked up from about a half-dozen moves in the past 10 years… Please add your own!

1. Pack toilet paper LAST, so you know where it is.

2. When moving in, set up and make the bed first (and put beverages in the fridge), so that you can crash in comfort when you reach your limit.

3. If you ask acquaintances to help you move, they will resent it. The least you can do is pay them with large supplies of their favorite beverage.  Best friends won’t like helping, either, but they don’t get a choice. (Plus, you already do lots of things that annoy them anyway. That’s how it works with best friends.)

4. Make time to introduce yourself to your new neighbors. This has many, many benefits. And it’s just the right thing to do.

5. Before packing up a bunch of stuff to move, pack up a bunch of stuff for Goodwill. You will appreciate not having to unpack it at the new place. (P.S. — If it’s still packed from the LAST TIME you moved, you don’t need it…)

Happy packing!

And, Iceland wants to be a journalism “haven” by making press-friendly laws.

Cool World of Warcraft package on page 6! Welcome to Kaiulani Anderson-Ligget and Noah Leinimger! Kauilani’s stories are about gaming’s role in the lives of people on our campus. She does a great job showing the impact of Warcraft from people’s downtime to the classroom. Wonderful job, Kaiulani! And great planning by Harold, great graphic by Noah!!!

Caitlin and Travis offer effective and thoughtful reviews of “Precious,” a film that is outside of the typical college-aimed feel-good realm of our audience. I would love to see more reviews of films people might not have seen. Well done!

Overall, a solid issue. I give it .

As for last week’s issues, I have a few comments/suggestions.

MONDAY, Feb. 1

This issue didn’t work visually at all. The photo cutout on the front was poorly executed and didn’t make much sense in the scope of the whole design. The story content seemed haphazard and poorly planned. This issue was not our best work.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3

The Health Center follow-up by Nick and Heidi was much needed and nicely reported. Good job to both! The BLC preview and feature on Andrew Young was well planned within the context of the whole BLC coverage. Nice job to Harold!

The inside content, however, was poorly executed. Our Facebook story, which was supposed to hold, runs without mugs of “doppelgangers,” which was the whole point of the story. Our Bob Heaton story has no photo, but our economic panel is photo-only. This is totally backwards. This issue seemed to flaunt the planning that went into it and just “wing it.” An unfortunate turn of events.

Finally, our lead Health Center photos are very dull and staged. This is partly due to a question about what legal access we have to photograph patients. Just to clarify, a law known by the acronym HIPAA prevents health officials from giving out any private patient information to anyone who is not authorized by the patient. However, if we are in a health care setting and ask a patient if we can photograph them, they can give their permission. So just ask the person themselves. Don’t assume you are violating any law.

This issue’s verdict: .

FRIDAY, Feb. 5

Cool light sabers! If I were of a different generation, I might question whether this story was really the biggest news. However, knowing Gen X-ers the way I do, this package will JUMP off the stand to anyone under the age of 40. So, way to know your audience! Rachel’s story is detailed and does a great job explaining how the “light sabers” fit into the larger project at Third Street and I-70. Well done!

The newsiness continues on the front with the Andrew Young speech coverage. I love that we packaged Greg’s column with Trever’s story. Nicely executed! I’m also glad we held Jenny’s story on the professor’s patent until we could get it on the front with an image. Reggie’s piece on Lukas Nelson was a nice follow-up, although I think he’d appreciate it if we didn’t put “Willie Nelson’s son” in the headline anymore. He is, in fact, his own talent. Good photos by Reggie in low light, as well. Would’ve liked to see the audience, though.

Inside content is less successful. The “Photos of the Week” screams “space filler” to me; also wasn’t available online by Friday afternoon. Page 8 sports was visually dullsville. A gray blanket of text.

The verdict: .

Nick did a nice job “previewing” the staff cuts. His story last Wednesday covered some important background about ISU’s financial situation. Nick’s piece Friday on reaction to Obama’s State of the Union speech was also timely and a great way to localize that story.

Reggie also deserves kudos for his coverage of Provost Jack Maynard’s application for the president’s gig at Youngstown State. I trust Reggie will get another well-deserved pat on the back when we write about whether Maynard gets the job.

Finally, our Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service package was nicely done. The Jan. 20 issue had a super-cute kid’s face prominently on the front, helping clean up at a local charity. The stories by Erin, Jenny and Greg offered a diverse and compelling look at all the ways the day impacts students. Great job on planning and execution of that package!

Nathan’s sports photos have carried more than one issue recently. He’s doing a great job capturing key moments on the court. Nice work, Nathan!

Harold “Boss” Bosstick is kicking bootay with his awesome staff this semester. His section is routinely diverse in terms of story topics. As an editor, he is organized and communicates well with all his peers. Great job Boss-man!

For the record, the star ratings for the previous 5 issues are as follows:

Jan. 20

As mentioned above, great MLK package that reflected a good deal of planning and smooth execution. Great job by the whole staff.

Jan. 22

This Friday issue was NEWSY!!! From Provost Maynard job-hunting to the Haitian nursing student’s plight to the smoking ban being flaunted to armed standoffs with police, this issue had a little something for every reader.  Great job by Nick, Zach, Heidi and Reggie getting the biggest scoops out front.

Jan. 25

This issue was lackluster. The basketball story that leads the front isn’t really that big a deal to anyone but the real fans. It doesn’t merit general-interest front page placement. Our piece on Tony George leaving the Indy speedway board is a bright spot, but could have been more localized. He has a lot of involvement on Terre Haute boards, as well.  Colts heading to the Super Bowl gets back page placement, but would have been better choice for the front than b-ball because of its broader appeal.

Jan. 27

We had some solid reporting in this issue — the previw of the staff cuts, enrollment figures, Sandison Hall’s nursing residence plans and contributed content from Auschwitz travelers.  We also did a pretty good job getting feature photos of students working out at the Rec Center. I also appreciated Harold’s take on Super Bowl party planning. However, a closer look at some weak ledes and poorly executed page designs inside takes this down from a “good” paper to just “OK.”

Jan. 29

This issue has solid story topics and some compelling writing by Nick, Rachel and Reggie. We needed more photos, though. We needed pix of people for the State of the Union story and a torch-carrying photo of Professor Rogers.  Our school spirit story had only one source and no students talking about school spirit.

News Challenge will be offered this summer at the University of Nevada – Reno on May 31-June 4. They are seeking applications from juniors, seniors and graduate students interested in working in digital media. Further, while the field of study doesn’t matter, applications are especially encouraged from those majoring in advertising, marketing, business, finance, computer science, computer graphics, journalism and communications.

The deadline for applications is March 1.  The NAA Foundation will pay all costs for the students who participate in the program.

More information about News Challenge, including a description of the program, can be found at http://www.naafoundation.org/Grants/Diversity/News-Challenge.aspx. (FYI, this year’s challenge will be to develop an app for a mobile phone.) On that page, at the top, you’ll also find a link to the 2010 application form.

This sounds like a GREAT program, guys! Consider applying if you meet the requirements!

Our first issue out of the gate was a BIG one! Twenty-four pages is a lot to handle the first production night back. But you all made it happen and you are to be commended.

GOOD STUFF:

• Solid content! It was important for us to mark the end of the J.D. Miller saga, with the memorial service attended by his friends and family.  Our coverage of his life has been sensitive and thoughtful. Today’s issue is no exception. Ben’s story captures the mark he made on this community during his brief life. Daniel’s memories of J.D. were touching and an important aspect of J.D.’s impact. Heidi’s coverage of the memorial service captures a wide range of emotions among the people who remember him with love and warmth. Nice job to all who saw J.D.’s story through its final chapter.
• Nick’s piece on the search for the African American Cultural Center director is an important one. We need to follow up on this story as the search continues.
• The retrospective of the “Oughts” or the “Two-thousandsies” is a great idea that is nicely executed. The spread features some wonderful factoids and conversation starters about our last decade. Well done.
• Blaine and the gang did a really strong sports section in this issue! Nice game recaps from the break and wonderful use of graphic logos to break down the match-ups.  I also appreciated the insightful track and field graphic on B11. Great job, sports desk!
• Harold’s first foray as Features editor produced some cool stories that set the tone for the first week back. Our ball drop story by Sayna Dennis was newsy and had great background on how the event came to be. Caitlin Martin’s story on what the first semester teaches freshmen was a cool idea and well written. Our point-counterpoint reviews of movies and restaurants is a nice approach that readers will appreciate. I have high hopes for this Features staff!

FOR NEXT TIME:

• This issue had a lot of sloppy execution in terms of design and copyediting.  Our lead stories’ jump lines are mixed up; the text inside several of our text boxes bumps up against the borders; we had weirdly placed bullets inside of boxes; our column logos text was WAY too small; we used an ornamental font on A8 that isn’t appropriate for straight news copy. In section B, we lacked a cutline on the ball drop photo; our sports/features combo is confusing and needed to be clearly segmented into two sections; our community calendar is misspelled and lackluster, to say the least.  We run a men’s basketball photo with a women’s basketball story on B12 (I know, I know, B12 was a nightmare, but still…); several folios feature the wrong year (2009).  Sloppy.  With this many pages, we needed to begin layout a day early. Lesson learned.
• We needed FACES in our paper. We have bags. We have a disembodied hand writing. We have file photos. We have a lighted ball. But, with the exception of column mugs and sports, where are the PEOPLE in our paper? Editors, you need to be sure that photogs and reporters are coordinating their efforts to get the most compelling images of people doing things.  Also, when we show faces in our paper, they need to be big enough to see. The rule is, faces should be no smaller than a dime or your thumbnail (That’s why we call them “thumbnail” images.)

In all, a great first effort. The second issue was much stronger in many ways. So without further ado…

JAN. 15

Much better execution of design and little details in this issue! Our Haiti package was very strong. Lots of good stuff in this issue!

THE GOOD:

• We did a great job tracking down students who had some involvement with Haiti in recent months. Jesse, Erin and Allison all added valuable perspectives to this still-unfolding tragedy.  Zach’s story featured a compelling lede that shows Jesse Coomer’s reaction to the Haiti quake and focuses on the emotion he feels. The nut graf emphasizes the scope and seriousness of the death toll.  Allison’s column is a touching first-person account of how lives here at ISU are touched by Haiti and its people. Her details about the children holding her hand and hugging her are sweet and heartbreaking. Wonderful job getting submitted photos of the devastation and pre-devastation, as well. Great effort overall!
• Nick’s story on the long-term effects of budget cutting, as it relates to ISU’s “master plan,” is a really important big-picture story. This is the first in what will, no doubt, be an ongoing series of stories on the budget and economy. Good thinking to include the campus map, too.
• Robin’s veterans counseling story is so important and begs for follow-up with soldiers who are returning to college life. It is a difficult adjustment for many who have come from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, back to classes and jobs and daily life. Let’s get some veterans to talk about their experiences.
• Harold is does a great job diversifying the content of the Features section, with stories on theater, Lunar New Year, Miss Black and Gold, a wildlife photo exhibit and restaurant reviews. Wow! Lots of great stuff here! Way to go, Harold! Keep up the good work.
• Shayna has a really descriptive and engaging lede on the photo exhibit story. I see the little black bear peeking back at me. Nicely written, Shayna!

FOR NEXT TIME:

• Our copyediting is still missing some typos and headline quirks. The story on the veterans counselor needs a subject and verb. Some headlines and subheads are too short to fill their spaces. Remember that copyeditors should be the LAST people to see a page. Once a page is copyedited, nothing should be changed on that page without being seen again by a copyeditor.
• We need to choose front page content carefully. We have men’s basketball on the front, which is fine except that it’s a two-day old game and not an exciting one, relatively speaking. MLK Day activites would have been a better choice, or the vets’ counselor.
• The Haiti donations breakout is a wonderful part of the main package. However, we include Heifer International, which is a wonderful charity, but which has absolutely nothing to do with the Haiti earthquake. Heifer International donates livestock to rural families worldwide. But the last thing you need in an URBAN earthquake zone is a cow. (I think experts would back me up on this.) A more relevant inclusion would have been Oxfam or Doctors Without Borders or any of the number of other medical and disaster relief charities working in Haiti. Editors and reporters shouldn’t let their pet causes (no pun intended) skew coverage.

The catch is this: For every week that you all produce only 4- or 5-star issues of the paper, the advising staff will donate $5 to an end-of-semester party.  (Marcy is organizing a similar rating system for the ad room.)  So, your 4-star and 5-star papers will actually pay you back! Below is a guide to how I will rate the paper using the star system.

The Star Guide:

5 Stars = A GREAT paper! Most photos capture key moments of action and emotion. The design jumps off the newsstand. The stories break new ground with information readers can’t get anywhere else. The content reflects strong planning by editors.

4 Stars = A GOOD paper. The photos are enterprising and lively. The design is compelling and clean. The stories are engaging, with ledes that SHOW ME PEOPLE DOING THINGS. The content shows some creativity and effort by editors.

3 Stars = An OK paper. The photos are average — mostly podium shots, mugs and inanimate objects. The design is ho-hum. The stories are ho-hum. A 3-star paper can be summed up with one word: Boring.

2 Stars = An unacceptable paper. Perhaps it includes a major factual error or a misspelled headline. Perhaps the issue relies on press releases and lazy reporting. Whatever the problem, two stars is NOT COOL.

1 Star = The lowest of the low. Let’s not even go there.

Trust me when I say that I do not hand out 5-star ratings lightly. You will EARN a 4- or 5-star rating. I have no doubts that with the crew we have on board this semester, I will never have to give less than three stars. Most papers should achieve a 4-star rating. I would like to see you all earn a 5-star rating once issue per week.

Go forth and let the stars be your guide!

• HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE LOCAL: We certainly have a few Haitian students on this campus. Let’s find them and tell the stories of how the 7.0 earthquake is affecting them and their families back home.
• TEEN UNEMPLOYMENT: Teens are some of the hardest impacted by the high jobless rate in America. Time has a story today; let’s localize our own.
• JACK MAYNARD JOB: We have it on good authority that the Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Jack Maynard has applied for the president’s gig at Youngstown State. Let’s get on this. We’ve known about it for two days already.
• BUDGET CRISES: President Bradley sent out a cryptic email about possibly 80-100 (verify the number) faculty/staff cuts because of our shrinking state funding. This will have a HUGE impact on campus and students, in particular.
• SHOW-ME’S OPENING: This boobtastic restaurant chain (a Hooter’s clone) may present some controversy among local women and feminists. Can we find out the impact?
• CENSUS COUNTING STUDENTS: The student population of ISU helps determine Terre Haute’s population (and therefore funding). So, filling out the U.S. census this year is a big deal and students need to fill out their forms.
• NEW LAWS: Many new laws take effect in 201o in Indiana and Illinois. Find out which will most impact students. RELATED NEW DMV REGS: You must apply for driver’s license or ID in person and they verify your info before sending your ID to you 10 business days later. No more first-day service.
• BIZ COLLEGE COFFEE SHOP: Executive Express, to open Jan. 19, is a business that grew out of a class project. Great feature potential!
• BENJAMIN IN THE CLASSROOM: The former president is now faculty. Good personality profile to think about.
• PLAYOFF/SUPERBOWL PARTY PLANNING: Big NFL games make for big parties. How to plan one? Good feature potential. Think recipes, renting a big screen TV, etc.
• IVY TECH ENROLLMENT BLITZ: The school now broke its own record for enrollment with 119,773 students now attending. WOW! This is big competition for ISU. How are we handling it in our own enrollment efforts?
• MLK CELEBRATION: How can we approach the holiday from a new angle?
• BUILDING UPDATES: Children’s Museum and Barnes & Noble construction updates.