As the grown folks did!

By Mashaun D. Simon

When thinking of what to write about in this year’s last Ear column, I had to think long and hard. I could very easily talk about the happenings, flirts and stares that took place late-night in the hot tub. (I know for a fact there were a few run-ins in and around that hot tub that would put the Playboy Bunny house to shame.)

I could have talked about the many heated debates that kept session participants and attendees greatly entertained. Of course, I could easily talk about the hook-ups and dates that many assume took place (and from what I could tell, did). When you have a group of smart, attractive people together, anything is bound to happen.

But I chose to focus on my colleagues for this week: the pool of talented young people who, for a week, worked as the grownups do -- early mornings, tough deadlines and late nights.

We acted as the greats did many years ago when they would dash into a city to cover an event or politician, and when their stories were filed and the papers put to bed, tear off their uniforms, Clark Kent style, to hit the town in their costumes, mingling with the town folks, sometimes even those they were covering.

We acted as the grown folks, sans the liquid diets (well, at least most of us), and partied the nights away. We acted as the grown folks, rising before the sun would most days and burning away the midnight oil. And we did it with class and style, just as the grown folks did! I hope we did you all very proud!

See ya in San Diego!

The Local in Loews?

By Mashaun D. Simon

On three occasions this week I have heard the phrase, “This must be the local” while on an elevator. I assume they are speaking of the local train.

Before spending my summer in New York, I had no idea what people meant when they would say “the local train.” In New York, the public transportation system has local and express trains. Express trains stop at certain, more important stations. Then there are local trains. These trains stop at every points in the line. Most people despise local trains because they take longer.

In other words, if you’re in a hurry, forget about it.

This week, the elevators have been rather slow, according to some conference attendees. I have not had any problems. Whenever I have needed an elevator, I have always gotten one. But it did not hit me until the last time I heard someone say it.

The local in the Loews? What an interesting connection.

Now, that’s a welcome wagon!

By Mashaun D. Simon

Last night, while conference attendees got their cardio at Luca and Score, I decided to connect with the locals in my own way. I hit the local clubs!

I was not the only one. A few conference attendees did the same.

Twist, a local bar/club, not far from Loews, was the destination spot for many. The club is a spacious, two-leveled spot neatly hidden behind a very nondescript façade.

Now, you may be wondering how I knew some of these people who were “making friendly” with some of the locals, drinking, dancing and dancing forbiddenly. I would like to believe I’m a very observant individual (it did not hurt that some people were still walking around with their conference credentials comfortably hanging from their necks).

Being that this is Miami, I would expect visitors to use their time and abilities to enjoy the city. But what did shock me was just how friendly some of the locals got with some of the visitors.

I guess that saying is true: For some, they never meet a stranger!

Adventures in the hot tub

By Mark S. Luckie

Anyone who spent time in the Loews hotel this week knows it was not only populated by NLGJA members but also staff members from the NFL. I, along with many convention-goers, imagined them to be brutish jocks and football hoochies -- in other words, straight. But that is not so.

There was at least one friend of Dorothy from the NFL in the hot tub Friday night, much to the amazement of several scantily clad NLGJA members. His outing was followed by a quick exit of one unidentified man whom he had been visibly canoodling with minutes prior. No one knows why he left, but many hot tubbers simply continued the party.

And while you could go to the job fair, hand over your resume and guess whether the recruiter you spent five minutes talking to really liked you, there was another option. You could just hang out with the recruiter in the hot tub and find more than you probably wanted to know about that person (for example, whether they prefer board shorts or Speedos).

The pool at the Loews was already a little pink, but leave it to NLGJA make a big splash!

The Champ is here…

By Mashaun D. Simon

I like an entertaining meal like the next person, but I will not accept the staff taking out their personal issues with each other as I am trying to enjoy my meal.

That is exactly what happened last night at the Big Pink. As some of my local associates and I enjoyed a meal of wings and burgers, two restaurant employees expressed their frustrations with each other.

As our waiter was handing us our refills and the check, the restaurant’s host ducked and dodged attempts by one of the other waiters to make the host’s face connect with his fist.

The scene reminded me of some of the old Muhammad Ali boxing footage. Like that scene in Ali when George Foreman was trying so very hard to catch the champ. Ali bobbed all over the ring, tiring Foreman, and then went in for the kill.

Unfortunately, our waiter and others broke the fight up before the host was able to go in for the kill!

Ummm, waiter, check please!

So, I am a role model?

By Mashaun D. Simon

This is a really big deal for me, if it turns out to be true.

I mean, me - Mashaun D. Simon, a little black boy from Decatur, Ga., - a role model?

This morning student project participants were required to attend a panel sponsored by ABC News. One of the panelists, Bob Murphy, Senior Vice President of ABC News, commented that with the media world being ever-changing, and there are no true role models to test oneself against.

“There is no curriculum right now,” he said. “It’s being written as we speak.”

But, think about it. My generation is learning to produce news in an environment that’s changing. As we grow and mature in our crafts, others will be coming behind us, watching what we do and how we do it.

Does that mean that I am a role model? Maybe.

Being a role model is not so bad, as long as you are responsible with the power it brings.

As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben put it, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Don’t know who Peter Parker is? Google him.

Hey, I like girls!

By Mashaun D. Simon

According to a few NLGJA conference attendees who witnessed the incident, one of Miami’s finest may have had one of the student project staffers under surveillance yesterday. A 30-something Miami Beach police officer took notice of the student’s change in footwear saying, “I see you took off those shoes that were tearing up your feet.”

When one of the project leaders asked what he meant he responded, “I saw her legs, I could see what she was wearing.”

Translation for NLGJA members: I … LIKE … GIRLS!

Oooh! Ouch! Umph!”

By Mashaun D. Simon

The age old print versus broadcast battle found new life yesterday during the “Playing Both Sides: How to Make Your Mark in Print & Broadcast Media” workshop.

Heated does not even begin to describe how two of the panelists quarreled like siblings as they defended their respective concentrations in the media.

“Broadcast is way easier than print,” said one panelists when asked why would a print journalist want to work in broadcast. “Why don’t you think you see a broadcaster running to print?”

I have witnessed a few battles in this industry: print vs. broadcast, pr vs. journalism, gay vs. straight. But I have never been in the presence of a battle so very personal that I was left feeling embarrassed.

The other panelist responded with “print journalists are clamoring to get into broadcast because broadcast is more impactful.”

The stabs reminded me of the old Batman television show fight scenes; “Oooh! Ouch! Umph!”

NLGJA Reporter staffers say cheese with
Vegas man.

Bet on Mr. Vegas

There are many, many bare-chested men walking around Miami, but only one wearing a large feathered cape and satin stretch pants.

Affectionately known as “the hot guy,” this bejeweled Casanova stands proudly in all his spangled glory at the Las Vegas booth at the Career & Community Expo, aka, the “job fair.”

I was slightly intimidated at the sight of a half-naked man with feathers that towered over me like the Miami skyline, but he was congenial and inviting.

But journalists aren’t shy, of course, so between handing over resumes, be sure to stop by the booth to have your picture taken with Mr. Vegas for free and show your co-workers back in the newsroom what they missed in Miami.
— Mark S. Luckie

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