For our next project in #loweclass #digital, our class will work in collaboration with Meg Kissinger on reporting about various aspects of the city of Milwaukee's mental health care services. Kissinger has already visited the class and shared about her experiences with her family regarding mental health and about investigating what mental healthcare services Milwaukee offers its population. The class was assigned to research, interview and create an audio slideshow of someone occupying a particular position or role in Milwaukee's mental health care system. My partner and I were assigned to interview a social worker. 

The National Association of Social Workers, in its website, states that social workers "provide most of the country's mental health services," with nearly 60 percent of health care professionals being clinically trained social workers. This overview continues to harp on the different skills social workers should be trained and capable of performing, including "assessing, treating, and preventing psychological, behavioral, emotional, social and environmental problems affecting individuals negatively." Mental issues or concerns and their causes may vary, so social workers must be ready for anything. The website highlights one event which was crucial for social workers to cooperate: September 11. Social workers were among the first who were present on the scene to aid victims and family members of these vicious attacks. 

When I research for social workers in Milwaukee, most of what I saw were job offerings and advertisements for people possibly interested in working as a social worker in hospitals or mental health care centers. The Milwaukee County official website has a section on the Behavioral Health Division of the city, located in 9455 Watertown Plank Road. According to the website, the center is an important aspect of city health and "provides care and treatment to developmentally, emotionally and mentally ill adults, children and adolescents through both County-operated programs and contracts with community agencies." My research of social workers and mental health care throughout Milwaukee in general led me to find the Mental Health and Wellness Resource Guide for Milwaukee County for Mental Heatlh America Wisconsin. In it is a list of the several organizations committed to treating mental health in Milwaukee County. Many of them require the health of social workers including the Salvation Army Emergency Lodge, located on 1730 N. Seventh Street in Milwaukee, in which social workers "provide case management services that will help alleviate factors that cause homelessness." This is just one of the cases in which social workers contribute to the community by being directly involved and reaching out to the people. 

I believe that social workers carry a very heavy weight on their shoulders. Doctors could prescribe medicines, but they probably cannot reach an emotional or provide sympathy to mental health patients as much as social workers can achieve. Social workers are a key component to Milwaukee's mental health care system and hopefully through this project, I will discover the different happenings and

 

 
Picture
Kissinger, third from left, with her siblings.
Last Wednesday during #loweclass, Meg Kissinger, a journalist at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, spoke about the trials and tribulations about her life and her career. These aspects have been filled with high points and low points, but you do not notice this right off the bat given her friendly disposition. She arrived to the class and quickly wanted to get to know us. I introduced myself and said I was from Puerto Rico. She replied, "I've been to Puerto Rico!" and for some reason, that just made my day. 

She went on to speak about her life, her family, and how a series of events has led her to now focusing on reporting mental health issues. She spoke about Milwaukee and how she feels that the city needs more resources in order to deal with patients who might be suffering from mental health issues, and how it has a long way to go. She delved into her personal life; her brother committed suicide, and via letter, admitted that he did in fact have mental issues. This shook her whole family, but by the looks of it, they seemed to remain close and supportive to each other, even during a difficult time.

She went back to her beginnings and remembered the days when she felt like the hot-shot at her small, liberal arts college, and then faced the harsh realities of the real world. She started out writing obituaries and later covering court cases and then was hired at the Journal-Sentinel. She has since worked there for 30 years and states: "I've never been bored."

Meg Kissinger's talk was a great one, as simple as that sounds. I never would have expected someone to be so open about her life and what it has taken her to reach her goals. She gave a warm-heared and interesting talk and made me realize that you never know where life may take you, but with a great mindset, passion, and dedication, you will be successful, and most importantly, you will always have a story to tell. She is a vivid example of great journalism, and success can be reached both personally and professionally through hard work, even through the toughest times. 

 
If I have learned anything in my short time at Marquette, it's that there is a strong possibility that 6 out of 10 people you'll meet are from the suburbs of the Chicago. So many questions come to mind. What makes so many people from that specific area come to Marquette? Just how highly populated is Chicago's suburban area? No matter the population density or where they got their college degree, the Chicago Tribune covers a variety of news in the more than 50 suburbs of the Chicago area, in a section called TribLocal. This coverage features community news and a chance for readers to send pictures. 

I think it is an interesting tool for the Chicago Tribune to cover the suburbs because Chicago is such a big city with millions of people, and it is great to see a large news corporation covering each part of the city and all facets of news. The large list includes suburbs such as Lake Bluff, Park Ridge, Wheaton, and Des Plaines. For the most part, each suburb features relevant news concerning their area. 
 
In the age of citizen journalism and when anyone can post anything on the Internet, some news journals shy away from featuring opinion content, but not the Chicago Tribune. On its website, this newspaper contains a wide variety of articles which are actually opinion pieces from several Tribune staff members. The topics range from local and national news to sports and arts and entertainment. These also include guest commentaries, cartoons and editorials. For a newspaper as nationally-recognized as the Chicago Tribune, it is important to maintain its contact with readers, which are able to send letters, and provide freedom of speech to its employees. 

The articles which appear on the main 'opinions' opening page deal with either local or national news. Some examples are those which appear in the photo above. Shortly afterwards, you find editorial cartoons, particularly from other news journals as well. Later, you find guest commentators which are part of the Tribune staff and they write about their personal views on any topic. I believe this is a unique part of the Chicago Tribune because it provides it with a certain degree of connection with their readers in a very unique way different from other newspapers. 
 
I learned about the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service through the JOUR 1550 class. Sharon McGowan supervises the news service, which has grown from covering news other than crime in distressed communities around central Milwaukee. This service has grown from only covering three communities to now covering 15 throughout the city. In association with the Diederich College of Communication, the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service covers other aspects of this community which are news-worthy, such as arts and recreation, education, and public safety. Through the use of online multimedia such as videos and photos, readers can browse through information regarding these parts of the city. 

I believe that this online news journal has taken the right initiative and this is a wonderful tool to highlight communities which are sometimes shown in a negative light. The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service has been rewarded for their hard work , as it was awarded the Edward R. Murrow Award, from the RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association), last year. Sharon McGowan seemed astounded when referring to how far it has come. 

"When we started, nobody knew who were where," she stated in class. 

The Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is available on Twitter, and is an incredible opportunity for communication students at Marquette to gain experience through writing and recording multimedia and get more involved in the community. This sounds like a great opportunity for an internship and I am pleased to be a part of it and provide my contribution thanks to the JOUR 1550 class. 
 
As one of the major news publications in the nation, it is no surprise that the Chicago Tribune's website contains a significant amount of multimedia such as pictures and videos which helps readers go through news stories better. The Tribune has numerous photos and galleries concerning all areas of news, including politics, entertainment, and sports. The newspaper's photojournalists each have blogs in which they display their work. Most articles are accompanied by at least one picture which captures the general idea of the story. The digital membership of the newspaper offers even more multimedia from the newspaper's writers and photographers. 
The Tribune also has a significant amount of videos, but while browsing through the number of the website's articles, video are not as prominent as photos. Many articles contain no photos, much less videos. However, just as with photos, videos have a special page on the website and there are videos for many areas of news, such as sports and local news. Some videos are short and others have a long duration, but they also help in visualizing and understanding a story in a more effective way. Commun
 

Highlights

  • Claudia Pessarelli in an adjunct faculty member at Marquette who teaches Italian. 
  • Pessarelli was born and  raised in Italy, and teaching has always been a part of her life.
  • Her goal is to help and connect with her students as much as possible in order for them to learn Italian well.

Teaching a native language in a foreign land

She went from being a pharmacist in a small Italian town to an Italian professor at Wisconsin's largest private university. Claudia Pessarelli is one of only two women who teach Italian at Marquette University. She firmly believes that nowadays, learning another language is much easier

“If you are able to speak even a bit of another language, it makes it more welcoming,” says Pessarelli. 

The adjunct faculty member was working as a pharmacist in Italy, where she was born and raised, when her husband was offered a better job, and in 1995, she arrived to Pittsburg. She was hardly able to speak English. 

“It was a nice change, and I knew it was going to be an experience to live a different life,” remembers Pessarelli. 

She moved to Wisconsin when she had her now-teenage daugther, started teaching Italian privately, and was later offered a job at Marquette. 

Eight years later, she continues to teach different types of students the basics of the Italian language in a foreign language department she believes is constantly growing. Pessarelli mostly urges her students to always try and even make a few mistakes, because if you do not, “you still won't learn the language.”

“I understand the struggle my students go through, so it makes me more open and understanding because I had people who helped me,” says Pessarelli, whose parents were also professors. 

“You do your job and I'm nice to you, so don't expect to run over me,” she says.

Gabby Kailas, a sophomore in the College of Communication, says: “I love her. Most teachers don't know anything about the culture, and she's just overwhelmingly Italian. She is also very understanding.”

Pessarelli genuinely states that she is “extremely proud” to be a part of the Marquette community.

“I didn't think I was going to be so involved. I talk about my job, and I can't help but feel happy.”

 
Picture
The Chicago Tribune highlights the Bears' victory.
It was a great start for the Windy City's football team, as their debut on Sunday resulted in a 41-21 victory over the Colts. The Chicago Tribune had extensive coverage of all the NFL action this past weekend and provided extensive coverage on the local team, the Bears. The coverage was both pre- and post- game. Several articles were posted on the newspaper's website which highlighted star players, provided experts' opinion on how the Bears stood before the game, and gave full reviews after the game including what the Bears did good and bad as they look to their next game against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. 

As a preview to the game, Tribune writers gave their predictions, which were only available online through digital membership. One article highlighted how ex-Bears wide receiver Roy Williams has retired and another noted how Brian Ulracher, Chris Conte and punter Adam Podlesh would be present in the lineup after recovering from former injuries. 

During the game, David Haugh, Dan Pompei and Vaughn McClure (writers for the Tribune) all gave their input throughout the different quarters of the game. Before and after the victory, the Tribune included photos and videos with key moments of the game, including backstage interviews with some of the players including Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, whose teamwork was commended by the Chicago press. 
Picture
Quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Earl Bennett during the game on Sunday.
Picture
Brandon Marshall scores a touchdown for the winning team.
The coverage continues and as one article exclusively for digital members of the Tribune featured "10 thoughts after Bears' win over Colts," another gave a quick look at the Bears' next rivals: the Green Bay Packers. One fun fact: "The Bears haven't beaten the Packers in four tries, and they haven't won at Lambeau Field since 2007. The Packers have won seven of nine from the Bears." Overall, though somewhat limited and some articles exclusive for digital members, the Chicago Tribune offered plenty of coverage in regards to the Bears' performance before, during and after the game. They keep a watchful eye on their team's every move, on and off the field.
 
For my JOUR 1550 beat assignment, I was assigned the Chicago Tribune. As one of the Windy City's most influential news journals, the Chicago Tribune offers a range of local and international news. It has many sections which appeal to all types of interests. However, in comparison to other newspapers' websites, I found the Tribune's online to be somewhat limited in terms of the amount of news it offered. However, it is still very useful for news on-the-go and the stories were very high-quality. It is very accessible the headlines are organized in a concise way so that anyone browsing through the site could be fully informed. 

The website does not throw a lot of news at you all at once, but the whole site is divided into numerous categories. This makes the reader really get into it if they are interested in looking up any news. Once you open up the page, it headlines mostly local news, but once you scroll down, it takes you into news which varies from entertainment to sports to business. 

    About me

    I am a sophomore majoring in journalism at Marquette University. I was born and raised in Mayagûez, Puerto Rico. Yes, I left paradise for the frozen tundra. But I always keep home in my heart. 

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