Ruben Navarrette Jr: Latinos and Politics

Ruben Navarrette Jr is a Mexican-American columnist for the Washington Post Writers Group. At the age of 28, he has reached great heights in his career. His columns are published in over 175 newspapers in the nation. He is both one of the few Latino syndicated writers and one of the youngest.

He is an editorial writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune. At the age of 26, he published his first book, “A Darker Shade of Crimson: Odyssey of a Harvard Chicano,” which focuses on his experiences at Harvard. Vindication, an essay he wrote about his struggles when beginning his writing career, was published in the “Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul,” the most successful Chicken Soup book.

It was difficult to center on one editorial from his archive of works. However, I found it quite appropriate to focus on the editorial “A bridge to Hispanic voters,” which focuses on one man, Juan Hernandez, a Hispanic volunteer for presidential candidate John McCain. Hernandez was known as the director of Hispanic outreach and his primary goal was to draw interest from the Hispanic community to support McCain.

His writing is rich with detail and long sentences. I found one of the most effective elements was the juxtaposition of Hernandez’s interests and the interests of the conservative Republicans. Both groups were focused on distinct goals. The goals were contradictory to say the least. “Meanwhile, down the hall, another portion of the campaign was hard at work…de-emphasizing his record of championing comprehensive immigration reform.”

This sentence gives a clear picture. The words down the hall bring attention to working in the same building, the same company, the same objectives. However, the rest of the sentence shows that this team in reality was pulling in different directions. The following paragraph is one word long, “Brilliant.” Its lack of length however, doesn’t take away from it power. Navarrette wants the reader to pause and ponder this inconsistency in McCain’s political strategy. The word brilliant is loaded with sarcasm, sarcasm captured by all readers.

Navarrette also describes Hernandez as being “roped” into a meeting focused on increasing Hispanic votes in McCain’s favor. One image of roped is that of herded cattle. Hernandez was not chosen to attend the meeting. He was compelled.

One of the simplest sentences in this editorial had the most significance for me. “They should have let McCain be McCain.” This sentence is placed towards the end to influence the reader. For me, the sentence suggested that years of political parties have forced people to support and view concepts from one side of the fence. Compromise is no longer an attribute for a politician. It’s all or nothing, an idea that could never be attributed to society. There are infinite shades of gray, shades of gray that political parties do not have room for or have carelessly ignored in their campaigns.

Navarrette’s editorials are simple. His meaning or opinion is not hidden in any form. He appeals to all groups and his readership is general. He is currently fighting for the Latino minority and breaking its barrier in the political field. Check out his opinions in the video below.

Lisa Nelson: Children & Carnival Fish

Lisa Nelson is a former screenwriter and now a feature writer. She writes about the comedic stints associated with family. Her column “One Fish, Two Fish, Dead Fish, New Fish” was published in the Southwest News-Herald in Chicago. I rather enjoyed it despite the strange subject: carnival fishes.

No, not fishes that are put on display and do things like circus tricks…because frankly, can you train a fish to do those things and captivate an audience long enough for it to be remembered?



Her column focused on the lesson she learned from years of taking her children to carnivals. They lived to win fishes. Her fear was that her children instantly cared for these creatures, creatures she was almost certain would not survive more than 24 hours in her home.

Her details are entirely appropriate. “But my 5 and 7-year old were drawn to the win-a-fish game like cartoon characters to a pie in the windowsill…” She uses an analogy to relate her children to cartoon characters because she wants to point out the factors of the situation. The pie in the windowsill suggests childlike temptation; it implies that because it is seen in an unbelievable apparent spot, it has to be eaten. Winning a fish is not the actual temptation; the temptation lies in the physical aspect of constantly seeing others win the fishes. In this context, the pie is the fish but it is more than that.

After two of her sons each won a fish, Nelson explained the life or death situation the easiest way she could muster. “That said, I was determined to do everything in my power to keep these suckers alive.” The connotation of suckers in this sentence forebodes their ultimate death (not that it isn’t obvious from our own carnival experiences). However, these actions—explaining the fish’s situation and then fighting to keep them alive—are juxtaposed. The purpose behind the juxtaposition could lead us to one of the column’s messages. Even though she understands the realities of death, she cannot bear to teach that lesson to her children, a mother’s endless plight. She defends her children from pain even if she has to care for the fish as if it were a “liver for transplant.”

After their deaths’, the boy’s “reactions were equally heart-wrenching.” The word heart-wrenching indicates the fragile emotional state of the boys. However, because of the difference in their ages, it is implied that growth does not actually soften the experience of death. The only thing that comes with growth is acceptance. Witnessing death is inevitable—just as the boy’s watching others win fish was inevitable at the carnival. People merely move on. The pain becomes a like second-hand smoke. We inhale even though it’s bothersome. We just prepare for cancer.

Bill McClellan: Simply Direct

I decided to start with Bill McClellan’s columns. McClellan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Though I know little about his background with writing, I understand that he is an inspiration to those in the community. He reimburses their time with editorials and columns seemingly strange and paradoxical at times.

However, his strength seems to lie in his endings. For example, in the article Why wait till the last minute used to be my motto, McClellan explores people’s social changes. Groups and routine behaviors lead us to certain habits. “Obviously, I don't yet know how to talk with my new crowd.” McClellan highlights the sense of comfort we build on from these groups; when we choose to leave that zone, we encounter difficulties. Just as high school cliques suggest, we must then adapt and this ever-changing adaptation creates disruption. Yet, it seems infinite. And infinitely complicated.

The article Man wearing a winter coat greets spring with a smile explores the process of human mentality. He judges a man by his physical appearance. His thoughts are negative (surprised?) and it sparks false inferences. “Just standing there grinning, as if a beautiful spring day were a gift from God and well deserving of a smile. And I figured he was mentally ill.” He ends the column with this short sentence to emphasize his automatic response, a response imposed from years of living in a self-centered society. The term mentally ill implies that the smile was not only a strange occurrence, but a disruptive one that should be locked away in those padded white rooms.

Proof the world is not a rational place, an article about the job market, employs a valid comparison to make its point. The article is saying that the choices we make are not rational for many reasons. To illustrate his position, he discusses the absurdity of money exchange. He shows two different perspectives. On one side, a mayor will not trade his unpleasant job for a higher-paying career in another field and politicians raise billions of dollars for a position that doesn’t pay half of that. And though that rationalization does not upset anyone, the opposite does.

Top employees, like Ameren Chief Executive Gary Rainwater, of large companies are paid billions of dollars when the profits of their company suffer and decline substantially. “Finally, how tough can it be to run Ameren? It isn't as if consumers have much of a choice. It's Ameren or candles. Most of us prefer electricity, and Ameren has a monopoly on that. Actually, I could understand if somebody were willing to pay $2.8 million to get Rainwater's job. That would be the sign of a rational market.” He’s direct. Despite the comparisons and examples throughout the column, he asserts his opinion in the last two sentences. It might be easy to simply say in two sentences, but the message wouldn’t have stayed with the readers had he not used different cases.

Anyone interested in his best articles, can purchase his book, Through the Glass Darkly, at the Post-Dispatch Store.

Introduction to Column Writers

As an aspiring journalist and currently an opinion writer for The Legacy, LU’s student newspaper, I became really interested in reading successful and experienced column writers. Columnists are known for their great and thorough reporting and researching skills.

These writers understand the intricacies of investigative journalism and writing hard news stories yet they can portray subtle meanings through metaphors, detailed images, and simple diction. Their writing is an art. Their art however, is portrayed to a dwindling number of readers.

But they continue to see. And they continue to write. Most importantly, they continue to make sense of the world we all seem to survive in.

For my final project, I chose to study the works of modern columnists. These articles cover ordinary acts, everyday people, current issues, and life lessons among other topics. Each is different and therefore uses a distinct style of writing to deliver their messages.

They are amazing because they can interpret events as ideas. Abstract thought in the modern world is hidden in the opinion pages of the newspaper. We look, yet we can’t seem to find it. It remains in the driveway, the desk, and underneath stacks of pages we might never go through. It lingers.

Rift Fournier

Our guest speaker for today was Rift Fournier, a professor here at Lindenwood University. Before entering the education field as a university professor, he traveled and worked in various parts of the world. He was a writer, a Hollywood writer to be precise. He wrote television programs and movies and along the way he met some very important people. His network probably grew thanks to his great personality and ability to relate to people.

Most importantly however, he said that he loved his work because he was passionate about it. He stuck with writing in the years where he made a great amount of money but also in the years where he made nothing. I believe I have that drive and desire for reading and writing, and essentially reporting.

I was struck by fear when he mentioned that we would change our major during our college years. I started dreaming of becoming a reporter when I was ten-years-old. During the next five years however, I forgot about that dream and focused on other fields: Law and Criminal Justice; Psychology and Philosophy; even Business and Administration. However, I realized that writing is what I love doing. I may not be the best writer, but I want to improve and use its art to relate to people.

He improved his writing and became more passionate about it during law school. It’s strange to think that law school would be more about writing than reading and researching, but then again they are siblings. This gave me an idea. I don’t need writing assignments or required writing to develop my writing skills. I just need a paper and pen…even though the modern world may dictate that writing is now only efficient on a computer.

His presence in class was amazing. He’s so real and charismatic. His easy-going nature is considerably reassuring to say the least. And he never spoke to us just as students. I’m looking forward to finding my “writing talent” in his Writing for Electronic Media class next semester. I might not write the next Hollywood movie, but I’m sure I’m going to receive much needed constructive criticism.

Gary Vaynerchuk and Brazen Career Bloggers

I’m now following Gary Vaynerchuk on Twitter. Vaynerchuk is known for his Wine Library TV video podcast. He uses podcasts to cover wine tasting and any other wine related subject. He began his wine tasting career through learning and tasting every wine that was a potential candidate for sale in his parents’ store. Soon, his suggestions as a wine expert radically increased the number of customers, making the previous 4 million customers nothing compared to the 40 million customers his parents’ shop had four years later.

However, his wine tasting ability is not his only asset. His use of podcasts is incredible as he can reach about 80,000 viewers. He will soon publish the book, “Crush It! Turn Your Passion into Profits in a Digital World,” in September of 2009. The book is not his first—he wrote a book about 101 amazing wines—but it does cover his success in the media world through blogging, podcasting, and of course who could forget Jill’s famous Twitter.

At a Blog World Expo, Vaynerchuk revealed a few tips to blogging. My favorite was “content is king but marketing is queen and the queen runs the household.” This tip is based on the sole idea that if a person is good at networking, they are going to succeed in the media world. It’s all about the people you know, not the information you place on sites that won’t receive any attention. For more tips on successful blogging, check this out.




Continuing our keyword search, Brazen Careerist Bloggers is a term that for some reason kept linking to the name Penelope Trunk. I didn’t realize she had invented the company Brazen Careerist let alone understand that it is another social networking site. However, this one is focused on finding young professionals that are apt at using new media tools and that take the initiative to start something unique.

An article mentioned the various careers Trunk has had throughout her quite young lifetime. Some of these include a software executive, founder of two companies, professional columnist and author. She has changed the idea of the workplace through her blog posts.

Trunk focuses on ideas that normally would not be promoted or used as advice, especially in the professional work area. They are usually standard themes that can be applied to any general work situation. She even writes about her personal life.

This Brazen Careerist Blog probably has me hooked already and I haven’t even finished the first blog.

Her ideas are incredible, not only because I have probably never heard them before and yet they make perfect sense. Why didn’t someone tell me these things before? Her book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, is appropriate for Generation Y’s work ethics and expectations.

She understands Gen Y’s ideal of the “What am I worth concept?” It’s used to market oneself and even more difficult to earn the money one thinks he or she deserves. “We are NOT equal. We do NOT deserve to be paid exactly the same for every job.”

Though she is quite blunt, her honesty is appealing. For more of her honesty, check out this interview.

For me it's a hassle, and NOW they're necessary?!?!

Social Media is quickly becoming not only the standard for international communication between friends, but also a tool for advertising and education among other options. Careers are suddenly popping up that are focused on social media instruments and the benefits they can provide to large and quite established as well as new companies. According to GotSocialMedia.com, "Professionals in Marketing, PR, Advertising, and Journalism are incorporating Social Media strategies into their messaging."

Before college life, social media was not a priority in my life. Now, if I go more than a few days without checking all of my accounts (and believe me, I have quite a few), I can’t function correctly. I feel like I’m cut off from the world—which is technically true because I do not have a direct connection to my family in Mexico or my friends in Europe—but it’s becoming more than a dependency. In this technological and information era, social media is absolutely NECESSARY to understand and use.

I was probably about 14 when I started my first social network account. I opened a hi5 account and for those that don’t recognize the name, it’s used quite often in other countries like Mexico, which is the reason I opened it in the first place.

Then came MySpace. That I began when I was 16. That was an addiction for me for about six months. After high school, my friends practically DEMANDED that I get a Facebook account. They told me it was created primarily for university students, but now it seems EVERYONE has one.



But social media is not just social interaction between friends. YouTube has created an entire visual dimension available worldwide. People can build on a foundation, on just a simple idea and create something entirely innovative in the most creative fashions. It can be an instant rise to fame, like those users on MySpace that upload their personal songs and then get discovered.

For this class, we had to start these social media networks: Twitter, Blogger, and LinkedIn. Blogger is actually one I enjoy because I created a shared account with four friends and since we’re all in different places right now, we have the easiest way to communicate.

My problem with Twitter—and probably many people’s problem with it—is that we don’t have Internet access on our phone. To constantly post ideas and status updates on our Twitter, we cannot be sitting at our desk on the computer doing the same things (like homework for example) and be able to create interest for our followers. For example, I have to recap the day’s events into one post because I’m not actually doing anything that is worth mentioning at the exact moment I’m posting it.

LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Users can post their work experience and current positions as well as their interests in certain fields. However, I have no “valuable” work experience. (For some reason, I have never been hired for a job except for a Wal-Mart Remodeling Associate and I worked for less than two months). Because I have no real work experience, my profile on LinkedIn is virtually worthless right now. I have to build that before I can start connecting to people.

Currently, I have these social network accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Blogger (two accounts) LinkedIn, MySpace, Hi5, Metroflog, a subscription to a daily blog about life lessons entitled “Things I wish I had taught my son…and still can,” UNYK, Bebo, Tagged, Netlog, etc. Keeping up with everything is becoming a hassle, not to mention I use it frequently at the beginning and then lose interest—like many of the social media users of today. Will it ever end?

It might not, but these six myths about social media need to be taken into perspective as well. The myth I found most disappointing to find on the list the belief that when some project or interesting person is using social media, it might never get discovered. “Until you can drive traffic to your social media effort, you've got a tree falling in the forest, heard only by those standing nearby.”

Generation Diva: Perfecting Beauty

The article “Are We Turning Our Tweens Into ‘Generation Diva’?” written by Jessica Bennett focuses on the impression of the ideal beauty on young girls—including those impressionable toddlers that are just beginning to read—and also their personal use of beauty products. These products are used to enhance their level of beauty even though they have barely commenced to grow. Furthermore, this group of young girls is exposed to billions of advertisements and retouched photographs in magazines and television.

Check out this video for information about Toddlers and Tiaras, a program about young girls in pageants:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAkjXdtzOSw

I’m not surprised this is occurring in Generation Y and Z. It almost seems inevitable with the constant advertising. However, I find this occurrence depressing because mothers are allowing and at times encouraging this path to perfected beauty. For young girls, mothers are the most significant role models both in and out of the home. Instead of encouraging these beauty products at a young age, mothers should encourage HEALTHY LIFESTYLES and guide their daughters; mothers should demonstrate that these products can be used but at an appropriate age, with an appropriate quantity, and possibly only for certain events or occasions. “There is a time for everything.” -Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am definitely part of Generation Y because as a toddler my parents always told me I was beautiful no matter what—something they continue to do even though it bothers me now. However, I think this gave me the confidence to reject beauty products. Now, at the age of 19, I continue to stay away from beauty products the majority of the time—including makeup, hair serums and technological devices like straighteners, rejuvenating-type skin creams, manicures and pedicures, among others of course.

I do use these products but not the extent that my friends do. I have often heard them saying they can’t walk out of the room to go to class without at least eyeliner or mascara, if not both. I don’t find the need to “perfect” myself before going to class. Despite I find this influx of Generation Diva inevitable and normal, personally it is an extremely difficult concept to grasp.

The worst part is the amount of money these girls spend on beauty products. Call me frugal but I wouldn’t be caught dead spending almost 500 thousand dollars throughout my life for these products. I’ll pass, thank you very much.