Journalism in a young man’s self-discovery

[First assignment for J109, a profile of a classmate]

It is not surprising for Jan Lorenz to be pursuing a degree in Journalism, being very politically-aware, opinionated, and almost always the first one to speak up in class discussions. It is surprising to note, though, that his interest and passion for the field was almost non-existent when he was in high school.

“It was just a whim,” Lorenz said of his being a part of his school organ in high school. He was a part of the paper for three years, but the highest position he got was as being the circulation manager during his senior year. “In short, tagadistribute ng dyaryo room-to-room,” he said rather bluntly.

He entered UP as a Mathematics major, but after a year, he knew it was not for him. He once said that as a kid, he was rather talkative; always had something to say be it on petty things or national issues. Politics fascinate him, and his position lies on center-left because he thinks the European model would be best for the country. He is also very much interested in Economics, particularly in macro-economics. He is of the opinion that the Keynesian model of economics, which is capitalism with appropriate government intervention, would be most effective. And so with all these ideas and drive for getting his message across, he had decided to pursue Journalism.

After a year in the degree program, Lorenz is doing well, doing what he is passionate about. He is bent on becoming a media practitioner in the near future. In fact, he is determined to become a television commentator on social and national issues. He said that he does not want to be the kind who feeds the viewers opinion, but as one who presents all the information needed for the viewers to form their own take on the issue.

It does seem that Lorenz is more inclined to be a part of the broadcast media. As early as now, he is keen on being a part of ABS-CBN’s Anime Council, making use of the anime otaku (a Japanese word roughly translated as “geek”) in him. This Anime Council is the television network’s circle of Japanese anime enthusiasts who would give their opinion and suggestion on the anime series to be aired on the station, and Lorenz has a lot to share, being an anime fan for years now.

This job is a tad far from his ultimate goal of becoming a television news commentator, but Lorenz is sure on his way there. He may have realized his passion on becoming a media practitioner a wee bit late, but he undoubtedly has the makings of a budding journalist.

<mantra> I will pull this sem off and write regularly. </mantra>

For my J109 class, I’m reviving this blog after almost half a year of not using it, mainly because I’m too lazy to undergo the process of creating a new one, which includes thinking of a new address, opening verification mails, fixing the lay-out, etc. It’s inherent, this laziness.

However, I think this is a wake-up call because I really hadn’t been writing since the last semester ended. I have all these thoughts that have receded into the back of my mind, unexpressed. Aside from the lack of motivation, I guess I rarely had the free time to ponder (and rant). I was recently employed for a part-time job that I do four times a week, five hours a day. And then, last semester I applied in an organization, and this semester would be the start of being a full-pledged member. These are aside from the fact that I am 18-unit student, yes. XD

Some two to three years ago, I blog regularly on multiply, and my posts were read only by friends who would know what I mean with “kyaa” and “hazukashii,” who also know Ueno Juri, Ikuta Toma, and L’Arc~en~Ciel among others, or who rant as profusely as I do.a

This time, I’d strive to become the journalist I am being tortured trained to be.