Story by Gabby UrendaWhen I tell people that I hold my office hours inside of the Casanova Center at Autzen Stadium and at the Matthew Knight Arena, the first thing they ask me is, “Can I come?”  

Multimedia Journalism Master’s students get to the bottom of a Forest Service map that shows Portland as a toxic-air hotspot.

Story by Margaret Connors Photos by Polly Irungu Graphics by Karly DeWees I vividly remember taking The Creative Strategist my first year as a declared advertising major. I’d heard so much about it from other students, but I still didn’t know quite what to expect. Everyone who had taken it seemed to have a different outlook, a different side to the story about the class. But all their perspectives had one thing in common: sheer excitement and fervency about taking their first steps into the intensive upper-division courses in the SOJC.

Story by Carleigh OethPhoto by Karly DeWeesOne thing has really stuck with me from the beginning of my studies in the UO School of Journalism and Communication: I’ve been told repeatedly — and by multiple professors — that experience is what will get you far, at least farther than grades alone. This terrified me. But it also invigorated me, because like many students, I’ve always despised sitting in classrooms. The SOJC places an emphasis on spending time in the field to perfect your craft, and I was ready to live by this.

Story, video and photos by Ryan Lund If there is one thing I learned this summer, it’s that you need to take chances and follow your gut, whether it tells you to take a job, start a relationship or accept an invite out of the blue to go to Alaska. The prospect might be scary, but you’ll never know what’s on the other side if you don’t climb up.

Story and photos by Aaron Weintraub“How was it?” Ever since I returned from studying in Jordan, I get irritated when someone asks me that question. My irritation is not with the person who asks the question — they’re just curious. It lies more with myself for not having the perfect adjectives and stories to describe living in the Middle East. I study journalism and I can’t describe a country to a friend?

Story by Gabby Urenda Ask me who I am and where I’m from, and I will probably tell you I am a UO School of Journalism and Communication senior from Salem, Oregon. But if you want to know where I’m really from and who I am, I will tell you that my family migrated from Michoacan, Mexico, and I identify as a Mexican-American.

Story by Hannah Steinkopf-FrankPhoto by Aaron WeintraubIt was during a rare quiet moment when we saw the tweet about the shooting. Immediately, we delegated tasks: contact the person who had sent the tweet, look for other social media posts about the incident and use Google Maps to pinpoint the exact location.