Category: Uncategorized

Halloween At Iowa!

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I am so ridiculously excited for halloween. While it is one of the most fun holidays by far for everyone, it is the best for college students.

Firstly, because Halloween is on a Thursday this year, students across campus have unanimously agreed that it is the entire weekend along with Thursday. This means that not only do you get to wear multiple costumes throughout the festivities, but you can also miss a day if you need to get work done or aren’t feeling well. When we were young, if you couldn’t trick or treat, you were screwed, but that has changed for the better.

Second, there is so much fun stuff to do. Obviously college will always have parties and functions, but outside of that there is always something to do. Whether it is going to one of the several dorm hosted events involving pumpkin painting, or the haunted house at the IMU if you prefer, regardless of what you desire or want to do, your halloween spirit can be fulfilled without having to do anything you don’t want to/don’t feel comfortable with.

Third, being able to just spend time with friends is so much fun. Like I said, there is always something to do, but everyone gets into the halloween spirit around here, which means you and your friends can do whatever you feel like! Whether that is going out, doing a group costume, or just binge-eating candy (I don’t judge, lol), everyone gets into it, and it is a fantastic time to spend with your friends and have some fun!

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3 Things To Know About DITV!

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In my last blog post, I went in-depth about the sneaky advantages of Iowa’s journalism programs and extracurriculars that the university has, which others around the country do not. During that post, I mentioned DITV (Daily Iowan Television)- a branch of The DI that does live news broadcasts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and allows reporters many excellent opportunities unavailable to general students. There are a ton of really cool perks and things that DITV reporters and staff have that others may not, so I wanted to give you three of my personal favorites as a new freshman!

  1. Studio Space!

    The DITV studio is exclusive to DITV members, requiring a scan from your Iowa One card to get in, but it is added after you join, so no one can come in. The studio is always open if you have a card and offers many nice things. First, it’s a great place to sit, relax and edit. Second, several editing bays are noise canceling, so you can go and do work in private if needed (coincidentally, where I am right now as I write this). It’s a great, quiet, and exclusive place to study or work if needed, as long as no one needs to edit.

  2. Opportunities!

    When you join DITV, you’ll be a general reporter, covering local stories and learning. But as you advance at DITV, getting used to the flow and getting better at reporting, you’ll get opportunities to join the sports or political staff that cover specific things. I worked my tail off to start the year, and I am now a 50/50 split between sports and news, but I’ll have a multitude of opportunities to cover sports games for free, including both men’s and women’s basketball. It’s a great chance to explore different fields and areas of reporting while also getting to do it all for free.

  3. Social Life!

    While it is a workplace, DITV is a great place to meet friends. DITV is a massive time commitment, so you bond with those around you pretty hard and quickly. Everyone is genuinely amicable, creating a welcoming and fun environment that helps people feel like they belong. I’m incredibly extroverted and worked my butt off, so people got to know me quickly, but some of my other friends who are new to DITV aren’t nearly as out there or devoted as I am, but they would 100 percent agree that this place is welcoming and friendly.  You spend a lot of time here, but so does everyone else, and you all have some basic interest in journalism, which leads to bonding quickly and effectively.

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A sneaky advantage for Journalism at Iowa

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So, when I was looking at colleges, I looked intending to pursue journalism. I have always had a backup plan and a double major in economics, but my true love is and continuously will be broadcast journalism and social media. I looked across the internet, and no matter how far you looked, there are always differing opinions and thoughts about how good a school is or the opportunities provided. However, I have yet to see rankings for student organizations. If you seek it out, you’ll find it, but they aren’t something that most people think of.

I mention this because The Daily Iowan and DITV (where I work) are ranked incredibly high nationwide. Compared to Ivy League colleges, Iowa has one of the best-ranked student newspapers and TV stations of any college that will help prepare you for your future in journalism. I personally work for DITV, the student broadcasting station. We do live shows every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ve worked my butt off and actually got to anchor my first show on Friday (tiny brag), but DITV is also the #2 ranked student news broadcast in the country, only behind Baylor. But they pre-record their broadcasts, and we do them live, so we’re better.

The point is, when looking at schools, don’t just look at their rankings for specific schools and departments. Some schools might have better journalism schools on the surface, but the experience and hands-on work you get from a top-ranked station is second to none. It is one of the best things about U Iowa and one of the highest ranked. I urge you to check out a broadcast (specifically on October 4th, as some super handsome and charismatic guy is supposed to be making his anchoring debut).

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City Food Is The Best

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Hi everyone, I’m Dravin. In case you didn’t read my bio, I was born and raised in New York City (A small town in the Northeast; maybe you have heard of it?) But after COVID-19 hit, I had to move to a small town in Pennsylvania for high school.

The suburbs were a shock. I had been walking myself to school in NYC since I was eight or nine, in third and fourth grade. I had grown accustomed to not only being able to get anything I needed at any time but just anything being open past 9 p.m.

Pennsylvania was the complete opposite.

Everything shut down at a specific time, especially food. If you wanted food after 10 p.m., it was McDonald’s or starve (No hate to McDonald’s, but I like variety). This pushed me towards Iowa City, and Iowa City has not disappointed me.

Iowa City is widely known as one of the best college towns in America, and the central part of that is the food and nightlife. Off the top of my head, there is Cane’s (Chicken), China Star (Chinese), Saigon’s Corner (Thai), Chipotle and Pancheros (Mexican), Mesa’s (Pizza), Subway and Jimmy Johns (Sandwiches), and Insomnia (Late night sweets). That is all within a 15-minute walk from the west side, the furthest part of campus. The variety, late hours, and diverse pallets allow students to match any cravings they desire at any time.

As someone who grew up with this luxury, I miss it dearly. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to someone who hadn’t had this kind of experience before.

I may be a big back, but Iowa City is fantastic for allowing me to become one.

Till Next Time!
-Dravin

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