Tuesday, November 4, 2008

IT'S OVER!!!!!!!!

 What a night!!!!!!!! BARRACK OBAMA has been elected the new president!!! What a night for CU News!!! With a few small hiccups, we produced one heck of a show. I'm very proud of everyone on the show tonight. Words can't describe how cool this was!! Here's my TD Mike Faggett: Tonight has been an awesome night for CU News, Cameron University, the United States, and for me personally. We at CU News had the privilege of covering the most historic presidential election in the history of our nation. It was an unbelievable night to be able to cover live results (which was a a first in CU history) and to be able to do so in historic fashion. For me personally, it is a life-changing experience because I, as an African-American and first time voter, not only was able to help elect the United States' first African-American President, but I also was able to help others witness this historic moment. As the sole African-American on this staff who covered this election, I feel like I have played a role in American history, and more specifically Cameron history. This is the beginning of a new chapter for America, for Cameron University, and for CU News!

Comanche County voters have decided

Three hours after arriving at the Comanche County Courthouse, I finally return to work. After a mad rush of precincts returning to turn in their votes, thing quickly tapered off to a slow crawl of the occasional precinct coming in late. Midway through the evening, the major races had already been decided. Ken Stradley was still sheriff, Don Barrington retained his seat and T.W. Shannon won his race. Most were mere formalities.

Still, the one wildcard that remains is Elgin. Even at 10:45 p.m., the town of Elgin still hasn't turned in their votes yet. At 7 p.m., there were people still lined up around the voting area and stayed there through the night to cast their ballot.

At the end of the day, more than 80 percent of eligible voters in Comanche County had gone out to the polls between Friday and today to cast their votes. This is a turnout that has never been seen before, with ONE precinct turning in more than 1,800 votes in a population of 3,600 people.

The country has entered a turbulent time. It appears, perhaps for the first time, America decided to voice its opinion at the polls instead of around card tables over a beer and cigarette or while standing in line at Wal-Mart. Could this be the beginning of something special?

It's Over

It's been called and the election is over. Some people are hoping that the world is over too. Hopefully it won't come to that. This whole experience has been so full of emotion it's overwhelming. My heart is sad that it's over. It's been a historical race with the first African American president-elect and a potential first female Vice-president. But the best man won...i guess. We'll see how the next 4 years turn out...

AND HERE IT IS!


With 297 electoral votes, Barack Obama has won the 2008 Presidential Election!

inside peek- CUTV and bloggers at work

Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket

Predictions....

Any thought on my pick for the presidential race? BLOG about it now.....Please provide any predictions you may have with your indepth analysis.

This election night is soooooo exciting! I encourage you to stay abreast of these issues in the weeks to come---don't think your civic duty "ends" at midnight tonight.....we share common responsibilities......we must stay engaged!

I love Capt. James T. Kirk...Does anyone know what "T" stands for in his name?? I do.

Dr. W

9:33, vote update across America

CU Students at work

Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket
Photobucket

Reporters blog

Here's our three reporters, Brooke Whitely, Jacob Russell and Jorie Plamer with their thoughts: 

Brooke: 
Tonight was great. I am so happy to know that I was apart of Cameron's first convergent product and how my vote was history in the making. Every one who voted should be proud and excited that their voices were heard.

Jacob:
Tonight's experience really helped to bring the election to an audience that might not usually be able to receive the coverage they are able to obtain.  To be a part of Cameron's first convergent venture and such a pivotal election in a transition period of our nation was really a highlight in my life and an opportunity that I will not soon forget! Thanks everybody for voting! Every vote counts! God Bless! 

Jorie Palmer
I enjoyed being a part of a live broadcast.  It gave me a new perspective as a broadcast journalist.  The experience gave me a chance to overcome last minute obstacles and observe political issues first hand.  Furthermore, I was honored to be part of such an important Cameron University project.  

Recent live coverage segment

Though the halls in CU's Administration Building are bustling with CU students and professors, the live show still goes on without interruption.

Live election coverage from your CU students in real time...it does not get any better than this. If you are not in Lawton, OK we thank you for tuning in and commenting on the CU election coverage from your remote location. If in Lawton, you should be here experiencing it first-hand.

Stay tuned...more local and national excitement to come.

Presidential votes in Lawton

9:30 P.M.

McCain: 17,232
Obama: 12,791

Dr. Walton is the man!

We just finished the 9 pm break in and Dr. Walton provided flawless analysis. He is like my grandpa. " Everything is fine and tomorrow we will have candy after dinner." That is calm and cool and collected he is.

Three cheers to the crew! Michael the TD Jason and Monica on Audio Everybody on the studio floor.

I am looking forward to the field reporters checking in and providing some of the local coverage.

Jorie and Brooke and Jacob just rolled in with their field reports and I am looking forward to seeing them. I guess we will run them in our next segment.

This has been a pretty cool evening. It is really neat to see how immediate as an information society we have become.

During The depression FDR delivered talks to the people by radio. Television brought home the Vietnam war but it was still delayed. It is a fascinating experience to be able to describe what we did immediately after we did it. It is really cool to see Dr. Keller receive up to the moment updates from such students as Josh Rouse through his I Phone. We then can relay them to our audience through our website moments after we received them.

If I haven't mentioned a student's name who is working I am sorry you guys are doing a great job thanks for being so dedicated to this project.

Delirium at CUTV!!

Well, the delirium is starting to set in now. Everyone has been here for 4 hours or more and it's starting to show. It's not in a bad way though. The energy is still high, but the energy is starting to fuel delirious tendencies. The best moment in the night so far was Dr. Walton and Dr. Jenkins singing "We Are the World" and Kumbaya". It was a sight to see and hear. Even though it wasn't completely in tune though but that in itself kept people alert. If you weren't here to witness it, you missed a very humorous show. I'm glad I was in the studio for it so I could report it to everyone else.

On a different note, the discussion with Dr. Walton, Kyle and Cecilio was probably the most interesting part of the evening. Dr. Walton commanded the set and had a grace about him that kept viewers wanting to hear more. He also has made a prediction about the outcome of the election.This will be interesting to see at the end of the night to see how close to the truth he gets.


It's 8:51 and here we are...


35/43 Precincts are counted up.
15,984 for McCain, 11,526 for Obama.
With an hour left Erwin is leading by 160 votes.

(Keith) Erwin (D) and Barrington race referred to here is in Lawton, OK. The District 31 Senator's seat. Don Barrington (R) is the incumbent.

Live again from the NEWS DESK.

 Welcome back to our news desk. It's crunch time as a lot of the states a are coming in now. Hope everyone's enjoying, 

8:34 IN THE P.M. !!!





Lawton, OK: Six precincts are reporting McCain. winning. Obama is reported to have won a couple precincts. Mac Arthur had 1,800 people voting, which is more
than half of the eligible voters.

There were 6,072 absentee voters counted.
An insane amount!






YOU GO BOYS!

Where did the last segment go?

The night is moving by so fast. When we were in the control room it was much more quiet. I think the students are getting used to their positions. They remain serious about their efforts but it is becoming second nature to them.

Dr. Walton goes on next and he is such a gem of a guy. I am looking forward to his dry sense of humor.

I thought the two professors that were just on did a great job.

Katie the wikimaster/webmistress is keeping our site going and is singing at the same time!

I am proud of what our students are doing. It is truly a unique experience to have students from different disciplines working together in a combined effort. I look forward to future collaborations as we continue to work on convergence journalism.

The documentary portion of the evening is fun as well. I heard from former student Charles Stanley who lives in Washington D.C. and is enjoying the program. So in tribute to him we played one of his early productions "Dumb Game."

It was great to see the productions that students have done over the years. Allen Biffle's music video was great as well. I am hoping he works with us on our summer documentary this year over dirt track racing.

Now I have to go and see what documentary we are running next and what is going to happening in the next segment besides Dr. Walton's epic appearance.

I also am happy to see Dr. Keller running around taking all these pictures so everyone can see behind the scenes THanks!

It was supposed to be so close....

The months prior to election day have been distressing for me. I have worried about the our country's situation and our place in Iraq. I have been concerned with our imense debt to other countries and what we can do to put our country in a surplus again like when my man Bill was in office.
After the primaries passed, we were left with many undecided voters. Which way will the Hilary voters go? What if I don't like either of the candidates? Ultimately, each voter must make a choice. Or not vote at all.
This year voters were bombarded by more advertisements than ever. With Obama having his own television station on Dish Network along with the huge amount of money that he spent on advertising, many consumers are experiencing automaticity to the media, ignoring every commercial that runs across the television screen.
As an avid Obama supporter, I have been a little worried about his campaign. He has been up in the polls for the past couple of weeks, but what if the polls are off? Well, we know now that the polls were off-Obama is much farther ahead than expected.
I am relieved, but still anxious to see what will happen. Presidential candidates don't always do what they promise in thier speeches prior to election. Will they follow through?
I can say that I am satisfied with the results so far tonight, but I am still not at ease.
The atmosphere here is bustling. The difference in student opinion is evident. We have students that are leaning so far left that they are about to fall of the edge and students that have Republican blood running through thier veins. I think the difference of opinion is healthy and it is fantastic to debate about such topics. However, it should be done tactfully.
It is so wonderful to be a part of such a historical election and a college student at the same time. I feel like I will remember this experience for the rest of my life and I hope that it will be a story that I can tell my children someday.

8:20 IN THE P.M. !!!

Obama in the lead

I was very surprised to hear from my best friend today that she voted for John McCain. As a lifelong Democrat, I feel strongly about my points of view including topics such as gay marriage and abortion.
I feel like this election has split friends and family down the middle. I know many people who do not even speak anymore due to difference of opinion.
As an Obama supporter, no matter the outcome of the election, I hope that we can come together as a country to solve our nation's problems. I do not think that it is possible for one person to change the world. However, I do believe that the people of this country are strong enough to pull together and walk across party lines to help solve the each crisis that the United States has on its shoulders.
Right now it looks like Obama will be our winner.
I have heard many people mention that Obama will probably be assassinated shortly after inauguration. I really hope that our country has moved on since the times of assassination, since the times of JFK and Martin Luther King Jr. Our nation must accept that it is time for a change, and it is time for the our country to reclaim its status in the universe.

Behind the scenes

As I was sitting here listening to the student debate, I could not believe what I was hearing. Is it true that my fellow Republicans can not construct a simple sentence vocally? Was it really that hard for a McCain supporter to cite, with passion and conviction, the ideas of his candidate? It was so horrible that I was screaming to cut the supposed McCain's supporters microphone off while sitting in the control room.

After the debate was over and students were streaming out into the hallway to the blogzone, I overheard a horrific fact; The supposed McCain supporter was not a McCain supporter at all! The producer of the show didn't seem to have a bonafide Republican to speak, so he just got someone who was willing to "debate" on air instead.

These facts, understandably, got me worked into a frenzy. I screamed out into the control room, "THIS IS WHY I HATE TELEVISION! LIBERAL BIAS EVERYWHERE!"

I mean, seriously, by getting someone who can not even articulate the Right's stance on the issues, how does that make Republican's look, especially when standing next to a Obama supporter who is quite well versed in the Left's talking points?

For about ten minutes after the "debate" was over, I was left in a state of disbelief and anger. I demanded that CUTV write a retraction, stating that the supposed Republican supporter was not, in fact, a McCain supporter. I told the producer that if he needed a Republican that could articulate a sentence to let me know because I would gladly step up to the task.

Fortunately, the polls were already long closed before this fake debate was aired and anyone heard the snoozefest-filled fake Republican.

Another good thing to come out of this event is that I made a decision here and now that I would be more active within my University's Radio/Television department. Well, I guess the view that my increased participation is a good thing really depends on the view of the beholder. But at the end of the day, if this department ever needs a true Republican for a debate, interview or simply a sound-bite, they will have one. At least then the department can partake in real journalism instead of made-for-TV drama.

Creative Chaos (cont.)

Wow, the student debates were pretty much one sided. The Republican speaker was not able to get his point across and did not seem like he knew what he was talking about. While the Democratic speaker talked too much and even went so far as hitting the Republican with personal attacks in his rebuttal. However, the debate was cut short after Dr. Jenkins heard them. He was upset to say the least.

On the sidelines, everyone's energy is still as high as it was when we started. All the energy is making it really hot in the studio. Not to mention the 20-25 people running around like maniacs.

More to come...

First debate!

 What a success for our first debate! Both canidates did a great job. Yes that was my phone you heard ringing, thanks to the person who texted me haha!

it's getting hot in here

The control room is packed with people. We have just gotten through the debate and Cecilio is wrapping up this segment.

It has really gotten hot in here. But everything seems to be going quite well.

The student crew is responding well to Jenyann the director's commands. Both Cecilio and kyle seem comfortable in front of the cameras.

The set looks great.

I am impressed with the student turn out for this live production. They are taking this production seriously. Jack can easily jump in and expertly change the camera shot when necessary.

We even have Sharon Cheatwood from the Lawton Arts and Humanitiesvisitng with us and she brought pizza.

Kyle has done a great job producing tonights content and we are ready to go again at eight PM.

Monica Garner is wanting to know what is she going to do next and I think she will run audio.

Energy in the Air

How exciting this night is in American history. When this is over, we will have our first female vice-president or the first African American elected to the highest office in the land. I'm excited to spend this very special evening with the CU family.

Results as of 7:10 P.M. Central Time

Just ten minutes later we are 13 states in!




Also, the food table is thriving wonderfully.


Results as of 7 P.M. Central time

Election 2008

An intense and exciting night!



20 minutes to the next break in....

Organized chaos.
We are well underway into our coverage with about 20 to 20 students and three Comm Dept. faculty in the studio and out in the hallways working on the websites. The live stream is up and running, with only a few minor hiccups (the Windows Media stream doesn't like some of the browsers, so we put links on the main Wiki).

Dr. Walton just came in and said polls just closed in Ohio and North Carolina, both of which are critical for a McCain.

The most exciting thing in all of this is seeing the interaction among the journalists, and watching the traditional print folks work with the traditional TV folks, and do it well. This is unbelievable from an instructor perspective -- I am proud to work with these students and with my colleagues.

About to break in with the second livecast!

Creative Chaos

It's been about 30 minutes since the live election coverage started and the first segment has already been aired. Emotions ran high as the last minutes before production slipped away. Even though there are many more people in the studio than usual, everyone has a designated job and everything is running smoothly.

Being a college student during this exciting time is a once in a life time experience. Even though I was a first year college student during the last election, I was never involved with it. I cannot explain how great of an experience this has been so far.

Ten minutes until the debates start, which will be a very interesting to watch.

To be continued...


first segment

The first segment went extremely fast! It was over before we knew it. the students were a little unsure of switching the cameras at first and it probably threw the anchors off a little bit. But hey We went live with no other glitches and it was bunches of fun.

Our next election update is much more complex so I am looking forward to the next break in. The equipment is working well and the students are excited and doing a great job.

I am thinking of all sorts of possibilities for future live programming.

I appreciate the journalism students efforts and especially Dr. Keller working on this joint project.

Now to solve the lighting issue before it is time for the debate.

First update for the night from the desk.

 Well what a nerve racking expeirence!!! I can't describe how nerve racking  it is to be on LIVE camera, but Cecilio and I quickly adapted and our segment was a bit short but I think we will keep doing well throughout the night. Stay tuned!!!!!!

What a night.

What a groundbreaking night. This election has been a totally amazing experience for me but I am kind of glad that it is coming to a close. I will remember this experience for a variety of reasons. First, this is the first presidential election that I have been able to vote in. On top of that, no matter who takes office history will be made. I personally support Barack Obama.

The sun sets on an epic day

Photo By: Bennett Dewan



CUTV is streaming live and the sun is setting here in Southwest Oklahoma. The polls are closing up at 8 p.m. and the count will carry on through the night.
Things are moving quite fast right now. I think the students are ready and I hope it all goes smoothly with no equipment failures.

I am curious to see how the students will perform for an actual live production. We usually produce our shows live to tape so when mistakes occur we can correct them. But tonight it is all LIVE so viewers will see it all.

This also marks the first time that journalism and radio/tv students are working in a combined effort. It is exciting to see everyone work together and I am ready for it!

Convergapalooza!

The cameras are warmin' up and the computer keys are clicking away.
We have less than an hour left until Cameron makes history.

Stay tuned to CUTV!

The Puerto Rican Dream

I am the one they call Cecilio Ramirez. I will be anchoring alongside Mr. Kyle Luetters. Special thanks to him and the Cameron Collegian for putting this great Election Night together. Let's do this thing, time to make history...

180 Minutes



Photobucket


It's now 3:00 p.m. and there's only three wee hours until Cameron goes live!

Stay tuned folks!

Hello from the news desk.

 Hey everyone,



    Welcome to Cameron University's live election night coverage. I'm Kyle Luetters, one of the co- anchors tonight.  I'll be posting my thoughts on how the elections are going, how the show is going and anything else election related. Hope you stay tuned and enjoy our coverage this evening. 

Let the games begin.

1:30 p.m.
ALL TIED UP.




I hope you are all out voting.
Get that free coffee!

Indecision 2004: A Blast from the Past

Hard-hitting Journalism indeed....

cnn.com: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/03/palin.health/index.html

(CNN) -- Just hours before Election Day, the McCain campaign released a summary of Gov. Sarah Palin's health -- a physician's letter saying the vice presidential candidate is in "excellent health."

Cumbersome process

I voted early this morning, and the line was really long. It took me an hour to get to vote. It seems that there has to be a more efficient way to allow people more time to express their Constitutional right. If numerous days were allowed for the Iragi people to do the same, why is that not even a consideration here in Oklahoma?

Too few sites and a cumbersome process of waiting to sign one registration book just does not seem a logical approach in 2008. Rather than helping the electorate, the process limits it. The focus should be on opportunity.

The National Players, SNL Style

It's Election Day!!

The next person that asks me if I voted gets this free, tall Starbucks coffee in my hand dumped on their head.

Actually, I like coffee too much to waste it.

But seriously, did you vote? Wait long?

Get a free doughnut or cup of joe?