The Struggles I Have Faced

Well lets just say, picking the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with veterans was probably not the easiest story to choose. It has now been three weeks since my topic was approved and have I found one veteran to interview? No. Have I found one therapist to interview? No.

I have less than one week until my deadline is standing in front of me. What the hell am I going to do?

Well thankfully, I am going to take this story in a slightly different direction. Since I don't know any veterans in the area and if I did, they probably would not want to discuss their PTSD with a strange reporter, I am going to focus my story on what PTSD actually is. I am going to interview therapists, if I find them, to discuss signs of a person who may have PTSD and the different approaches they offer to help these diagnosed patients. I think finding a therapist to speak on the subject is more realistic than finding a veteran at this point. Hopefully experts in the psychology department, the nursing department and the student counseling center at Salisbury University will agree to do interviews. I have reached out to therapists in the area but most therapists are booked solid each day. Pray the other therapists I have called, answer my voicemails.

I need this to all work out in the next day or I too will have PTSD.


If you have any suggestions, please comment below.

First Day of Military Affairs Reporting

I am a student who dreaded the current event quizzes distributed by my professor in my previous media production class. I prefer to avoid politics and I despise the dreadful stories about war. I also hate hearing our country's economy is on a constant downfall because it makes me sick. On the first day of my reporting class I found out we will be focusing specifically on military affairs. I almost removed myself from the classroom.

                When my professor made the announcement this is a military affairs class, my jaw dropped and I thought to myself, "There is no way I can do this! I know nothing about military affairs since I have always kept this hard news subject out of my radar." Before I jumped out of my seat to leave, I argued against myself, "This will be good for me. I always choose to do the lighthearted, uncontroversial stories. I should change this characteristic about myself. This class will force me to think outside of my little world of butterflies and rainbows."

                 When the first day of class was over, I caught up on the issues going on with Syria. I did know before starting this class we were going to war Syria but did not know the details or realize the lack of communication between Congress, Kerry and Obama. A friend, who is well educated in Political Science and the issues brewing in Syria, informed me of the issues between the three politicians. I browsed the web and read up on the congressional hearing and also watched this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UNtIoxbbhM.

                This video caught my attention. Not because John Kerry sounds like he has no idea what he's talking about and Rand Paul is verbally challenging him and putting him in his place, but the light bulb that went off when I finished watching it. The light that shined in my mind was the realization I never would have known this mess was going on in our country if it wasn't for this class. I would continue to be ignorant to our country and the world around me. I have always wished I knew everything going on around me but I found it so complicated.

                 My change of thought will include hard work and time to catch up on what I have avoided my whole life. My new interest to learn will benefit my career as a student, my career when I enter the real world and also my security as a citizen.

                I am glad I talked myself out of dropping this class. I now can face my fear of learning the secrets to this country and on the brighter side, learn more about our very own soldiers, the military lifestyle, and the military affairs our country is currently involved in.

How do you feel about the video mentioned?

What do you think my first step to learning Military Affairs should be?