The Latest Feature in the CW...

Soooo...I haven't been updating this summer at all. I know, I'm terrible. But here's the latest story I wrote for the CW. I'll be updating on this summer later. It's been absolutely incredible and such a blessing. I've been having the time of my life. I'll be leaving for Honduras this weekend so I'm sure I'll have some great posts to come after that. I have so much to catch this blog up on...I'll work on it while I'm in PCB before I go back to Tuscaloosa. In the mean time....enjoy my latest journalistic endeavor!




As a dockhand at the Gulf Shores Marina in Fort Morgan, I have seen the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill firsthand. I can’t even begin to describe the helplessness I have felt while watching the coastlines I love become tainted by tarballs and oil slicks. For a while, I couldn’t even stand to watch the news. I got so aggravated with all of the “talking” and “planning” by BP and the government. I was ready to see something done. I wanted attention and awareness. I wanted action.

During one of my afternoon breaks in early June, I went upstairs to soak up some AC and talk to my co-worker, Carlee Griffin. We talked about how sick we were of empty promises from BP. Our home was being destroyed. It felt like the entire Gulf Coast was screaming for help, but the rest of the world just turned away. Carlee suggested organizing a benefit concert. I liked the idea, but had no clue how to plan anything like it. We decided to begin our grassroots efforts on Facebook. The massive social media site connects millions of people and has helped in launching political campaigns and numerous awareness groups. It was a start. We sent invitations to all of our friends, hoping that someone would know someone with a venue, a band or funding. The first day we gained more than 2,500 members; within the next three weeks, it exploded to more than 55,000 members.

Our group was growing faster than we anticipated. We received hundreds of emails from local bands, but still had no venue. The pressure to get something done, and done fast, was extremely overwhelming. We had requests for major headliners, especially Jimmy Buffett, that we had no way of contacting, but we wouldn’t give up. We didn’t want to let our supporters down. We emailed everyone we could possibly think of.

I decided to take a long shot and email Huka Entertainment, the company responsible for creating and promoting the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores in May, to ask for their help. One week later I received an email from one of Huka’s executives that changed everything: “Thank you for your interest in helping the Gulf Coast. Huka now has something in the works and is watching your Facebook page. I would like to have a coordinated campaign going across your page.” The email went on to detail the concert line-up, which included none other than Mr. Jimmy Buffett.

The next two weeks were filled with emails, phone calls and Facebook updates. Our Facebook page became a means of communication between Huka and the public. We notified our members of the bands to be performing, times and places to order tickets, and even organized a carpooling system.

The 35,000 free tickets were all claimed in less than 6 minutes. The benefit concert was finally taking shape. There was a nearly tangible reward for all of our hard work.
There were some minor setbacks along the way. The concert was postponed 10 days because of Hurricane Alex. The Zac Brown Band and Kenny Chesney had to pull out of the line-up because of previously scheduled commitments.

On July 11, however, the public beach in Gulf Shores was packed with Parrotheads and tourists. Buffett gave a great performance and brought much needed encouragement to the Gulf Coast locals. Buffett’s island tunes could be heard nearly a mile away from the venue. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget. I was proud to know that I played a small part in promoting the event.

The goal of our Facebook group was to raise awareness surrounding the oil spill and to support the Gulf’s tourism-based economy. Hopefully, the support for the Gulf will continue to pour in. Our beaches are still beautiful and we are working around the clock to keep them that way.
The Gulf Coast needs your continued support. Huka Entertainment has a few more concerts in the works. Though details have yet to be released, you can visit our Facebook page, Gulf Coast Oil Spill Benefit Concert, to stay updated on all of the benefit efforts along the Gulf Coast.

Hopefully This Will End Up in the CW

Gulf Coast Residents Face Uncertainty

Jim Burkhart, a representative of the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge, said that the Gulf Coast oil recovery process is going to be long and drawn out, but that residents are strong, capable, and

up to the challenge. "The people here are extremely resilient. It's been encouraging. They know we're facing a daunting task, but they're willing to do anything," said Burkhart.

Mobile residents Sandee Kelly and Debbie Clark were willing to continue vacationing on the beach, even as tarballs washed onto the shore. "The businesses need us and our money. We're staying here until someone tells us we're not allowed to or that it isn't safe," said Kelly. “If we stop coming here, who knows what will happen to the economy.” Realty agencies, souvenir s

hops and other ecotourism businesses are pleading with tourists to continue visiting the white sand beaches.

Other businesses are adapting to salvage profits. The Gulf Shores Marina at Fort Morgan would typically be entering its peak season this month. It was expected to be a record year for fishing, but now, all state and federal waters are closed to fishing. The Marina

now caters to contracted BP workers by providing fuel for the boats and slips to dock in at night. They have also altered operations in the dock store by stocking energy drinks, work gloves, and many other essential items for the BP workers. Manager and UA alum Jason Pepperman says he will do all he can to keep the Marina in operation. “I look at it like every other challenge I face: we’ve gotta figure out a way to survive through it. I have to recognize what opportunities are out there and make decisions to move forward. I’d love to tell you what exactly is going to happen, but I just don’t know,” said Pepperman.

Through the uncertainty of what is to come, many seasonal visitors and citizens are left wondering what will become of their lifestyles. Birmingham native Sonja Daniel donned a gas mask while sunbathing to poke fun at the situation, but became emotional when asked how she felt about the uncertainty surrounding how long it will take to clean the tarred coastline: "I've been coming here since I was 3 years old. I'm 46 now. This may take 20 years to clean up. What if I don't have 20 years? They're taking away my youth. This may never be the same in my lifetime, so I'll be here everyday until I can't anymore."

CW

Tomorrow, I will have my first photograph (^^^ that one) published in the Crimson White! To most people it may not be a big deal, but I am very excited. I'm also covering the Show Choir performance tomorrow night AND I got put on the list for Sports Writing. Journalism just makes me so happy. *contented sigh* I love it. At the top are some other shots I got that I really like.

Info, Lies and other Things News Related

I keep making promises to write more. I keep breaking those promises. So, no more promises and maybe I will be able to maintain the blog more. In the mean time, I will once again try to catch everything up Cliff Notes style...

I must be honest. A lot has happened in my life...I think that's why I've been putting off the update edition for so long...

Well, as my freshman year of college is coming to a close, I am left to ponder the great questions of life: which beach will I spend my time at? Which movies do I want to see this summer? Exactly how late will I allow myself to sleep in?

Lies. All lies.

I really am facing some tough questions and epiphanies. Internships, jobs, freelance writing...it's all very overwhelming. I need experience, and I need money. A job this summer is not optional since I need to save up for Ireland in the spring. (I cannot believe that is less than one year away...holy cow) I'm sending my resume everywhere. Hopefully my dedication to the search will pay off. I want to freelance this summer. I need to build up my portfolio. I may job shadow with the BayBears for a few days (Pensacola Pelicans never called back about the internship...I figure it's just as well. I have more time to make more money and do other things.)

Those are some of the tough questions. Now onto the juicy, meaty stuff: the epiphanies.

1.) Home. This is a very relative and almost foreign term to me now. Home is where the heart is never made sense until now. I also know that my heart is in two places. It's hard to balance. Loxley isn't home anymore. My house and family are home, but Loxley is not. I love the beach. I love Baldwin County. Growing up there was a great experience that I am happy to have had. But in all honesty, there is nothing there for me considering what I want to do with my life. Tuscaloosa is semi-home. It's where I live my life. It's where my friends are. It's where I spend 9 months out of the year. However, after college, this is not where I will be. It's a strange, strange feeling. It's like I'm just living wherever the wind blows me.

2.) Friends. I now put a new definition beside this term. I live with my best friends. They are my family. The love and loyalty we have for each other is incredible. I cannot compare them with the old friends from back home. It's a totally different situation and a comparison isn't even fair. I don't know how I'm going to handle going back to Loxley. It's going to be a very emotional day when I leave T-town. I'm sure I will be fine this summer. I haven't divorced my old friends. They'll be there like always, but these days, all the old friends are growing up. As we grow up, we go in different directions. It's how life goes. I'm not really close with them anymore. We've all changed. I'm experiencing more of life as are they. I really don't know how things are going to go. I'm not depressed, I'm just growing up and apart from the old days. I'm talking in circles and I don't want any friends from home to be upset by this. It's growing pains. we all still love each other and I'm sure we'll hang out just like old times. But over the previous breaks you could already tell the difference in all of us. I'm not choosing my T-town friends over you. I'm not replacing you. These things just happen as you grow up. That's the best way I know how to put it. We will always be friends-we just won't always be the same.

3.) Growing up. Painful. Exciting. Amazing. Crappy. Necessary. Slow. Fast. All of these things combined are what I'm feeling-at once. College is amazing. These ARE the best years of my life and I intend on living them to the fullest and taking advantage of every opportunity I get. Sometimes I seem all over the place. I don't want to miss anything. I want to live with no regrets. At my funeral, I want there to be no stone left unturned. I want to do it, live it, experience it all. Skydive, cliff jump, watch a movie outside, study on the quad, road trip, baseball games, football games, swim meets, make friends, lose friends, love, heartbreak, explore, adventure, write, take too many pictures, laugh too loud, run down the halls, swim at night. This is what college is about. I'm trying it all. Trial and error. The end result will be me in my purest and rawest form. Me will be awesome.

Geeeeeeez. I've got to stop rambling. Really quickly, here's the headline newsfeed update of the details of my life:

-Pickett hired on as Crimson White Photographer/Contributing Writer

-A-Day Game is a Smash

Students Realize their Passion for the Game and Love for their School

-The Agonizing Duty of Being a Red Sox Fan Begins

-Champ Survives Hardest Week of College Career

Averaging 4 hours of sleep a night, she aces the tests and makes the grades

-Spring Retreat in Destin Results in Spiritual Growth and Tanlines

Aight. It's lunch time people. Peace out.

Da Champs

Tonight I was able to experience the rush of a great win again. It seems to come par for the course being a student at UA.

One of my great friends in Tuscaloosa, Kelvin Williams, helped his team earn the championship title of intramural basketball. It was a great game. The players were very physical and vocal which made it even more fun for our fan section. Most of the fans were there for Da Champs...Kelvin had his own section of about 15.

The majority of the game was pretty standard. Two points here, three points there. Throw in a few fouls and some testosterone induced temper tantrums and there you have it. When the last few minutes of the second half ticked down, though, it was just a three point game with Da Champs in the lead. The crimson clad players gave their all and maintained their lead--Kelvin got in some last minute free throws and helped to maintain the lead. Then, the black team was fouled and received two free throws. At this point, our entire section was standing. One look and slight gesture from Kelvin resulted in a massive eruption of screaming. The player missed the shots. **I knew our loud skills would be useful one day.

Da Champs were then in possession of the ball and let the clock wind down to zero. All of our 'little white girls' ran to give Kelvin a congratulatory group hug. It was a great moment for all of us. We were all so proud of 'our' Kelvin. He's always there for us. In him we have a shoulder to cry on, hands to help carry bags to our cars, height to reach the top cabinets, and a heart that loves us and our craziness. He's a great guy and we loved seeing him have his shining moment.

We may look odd walking down the street; it's not every day you see one tall black guy with 10 white girls. But what's really unique is what we have that you can't see. It's a bond not many people experience. I love my Tuscaloosa brothers and sisters. We may be a strange group, but it's that one-of-a-kindness that I love so much.

I can only end this with a Roll Tide. :)

More Reasons to Love the Red Sox...

So I know this is an old story, but I haven't been writing to I've gotta update everything. I will now be taking my Garciapara jersey out of the closet. I'll actually probably wear it for opening day. What a classy guy.

**Background: After fourteen seasons, Garciapara signed a one day contract with the Red Sox and then retired. He had to wear the uniform one more time and finish his career where he was most loved. Here's a link to the story.

http://www.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/03/nomar-garciaparra-retires----as-a-red-sox/1

Never Going that Long Without a Post Again

SO many things to cover in this entry. I have no clue how I let an entire month go by without writing a single thing. This week the posts will more than likely be sporadic as I try to fill in the blanks to connect my last posts to now. Yikes.

First off. I'm sorry!!!! It has been entirely too long, I know. My focus has been pulled into a million directions in the last month, but I am finally regaining focus and motivation.

Now to catch everyone up on my life...

As I mentioned above, I'm at a turning point with my efforts and focus in life. I'm really trying to put my all into a few things that are centered around furthering my future career. I'm cutting out all of the noise and distractions of meaningless clubs and activities. Not to say I'm quitting the things that I love. I will continue to play music and tutor kids (I totally just realized I haven't written about LITE. It's a literacy program I'm involved in and I tutor a precious little girl named Ali once a week. I love it), but I have a new perspective for my future endeavors. I know that I want communications to be my life. I absolutely LOVE it. I wake up in the morning craving my daily dose of newspapers and the Today show. I walk into my MassCom class eager to learn the basic fundamentals of all that is communications. Like dad has always said, I was born with ink in my blood.

All of this leads me to my fantastic news of my acceptance into SEC (Student Executive Council). It is a group of 12 students from the College of C&IS who work to promote unity and service between the students and faculty within our school, the campus, and the community; somewhat of an ambassadorial/service oriented body. I was one of 20 interviewed and 12 chosen. I am very proud of this accomplishment as are my roommates (my acceptance letter is highlighted and stuck to our refrigerator). I'm excited to see where I go within the organization.

I am also in the process of applying to be a contributing (possibly, hopefully, even a staffed) writer for the Crimson White. I should have done this a long time ago, but I didn't for fear of failure. I can't resist it anymore, though. My desire to write and report is too strong to stifle any longer! Many people waste their time online on Facebook and playing games. My biggest form of distraction? News blogs and blogs for journalists. I can't get enough of it. I love learning about the world around me. I'm essentially a talking newspaper for my roommates, and it is a role I love to take on. It would be an infinitesimally greater joy to be a news source for the campus. I'm hoping this works out.

I just got off of Spring Break. It was a pretty good break, nothing of too much significance to report on. I went to the beach a couple of times, but overall it was simply too cold and windy. I spent a lot of time with my family. I did spend time with friends. I love them all very, very much, but it is easy to see how things are slowly changing. The growing pains of becoming adults are starting to take effect. I know that my future is not in Baldwin County. After I leave UA, I will go to grad school and move on. It's a strange feeling to go 'home' and have it feel like a vacation spot. Outside of the house with my family, it doesn't feel like home anymore. I think this is a coping mechanism within me making it easier to move away. It's crazy and cool how every time I go back to Baldwin County I learn a little bit more about myself. College thus far has been an amazing experience. My first year is almost over. It's flying by even faster than high school did. I think this realization is part of my push in motivation and focus. I want to take advantage of everything and not waste a single moment.

I did not realize how difficult it would be to go back to class after the week of nothing. While I was ready to get back on campus to be with my Tuscaloosa family, I was not ready to start studying for my math and geography tests. I looked at my calendar yesterday and realized that April is a longer and scarier February. I only have six weeks left, but I have to get more accomplished in those six weeks than the past twelve. It will be a challenge, but I've never been one to shy away. I do my best work under pressure and deadlines. I suppose it's the journalist in me coming out again. :)

I could go on and on about all of these things, but I think this one is long enough already. Gotta get ready for class anyway.