Billie Moorehead
Editor

Last week, I found myself surrounded by journalists.

Scary thought, eh?

I wasn't a part of a big media scam or even a part of something famous but I took part in a journalism convention in Orlando, Florida.

From the sessions I attended, I learned a lot about how to write more effectively for my audience. This would be you, yes you.

One of the most interesting sessions I attended talked about the interviewing process, not only conducting one but being interviewed also.

This benefits everyone; not just journalists.

First, the instructor talked about body language. According to this instructor, humans have around 700,000 gestures. This ties in with body movements.

One of the most important things in this category is shaking hands. Some people might believe that this is the easiest part of the interview, but a handshake reveals a lot about a person.

When shaking hands, it is important that the tendons between your thumb and index finger meet with the other person's.

Don't shake hands too flimsy or too firmly. And remember to keep the handshake brief. It is also important to be aware of nervous body movements; they should not be a distraction. Another important part the speaker brought up was posture.

Now, posture is definitely not my strong point, but during an interview this is really important.

Good posture shows confidence so be aware of it.

Facial movement ties into the interview process in the fact that it's the strongest communicator and shows interest.

On the face rests the eyes. Eye contact is good, but it is important to not overdo it. When eye contact is made, it shows you care and are listening.

Physical characteristics such as height, weight and attractiveness apply in making a first impression. How you use what you have will display your image.

What to wear during a job interview is probably one of the most frequent questions people ask. According to this speaker, clothing can intimidate. One should be aware of piercings and jewelry and dress in a powerful and confident color.

The most powerful color is black. And if black doesn't suit you, I suggest picking whichever color you like and wear it with confidence.

During an interview, talking is necessary. People sometimes forget that a lot of elements pull into their questions and answers during an interview.

The rate at which you talk is how fast you speak and this may vary considering region and culture.

Other things to consider include volume, pitch and tone of voice.

A good word of advice is to take your time when answering questions. This way, you can say exactly what you want to say and not blurt out a nonsense answer.

Be sure to use correct grammar to show intelligence, and remember not to interrupt or stutter. Silence is OK, take the time to answer correctly.

Another really important thing that the speaker brought up was smell. A lot of us like to smell good. According to this instructor, the best smell is no smell.

The interviewer might be distracted or even allergic to your perfume or cologne.

Most importantly, be on time for an interview whether you are conducting or participating. If you are running late call at least ten minutes before and re-schedule an appointment, otherwise it looks bad.

This information should be helpful to anyone who applies for a job, or needs to interview someone for a class project. Be aware of these points for success.

Lindsay Kalvig
Feature Editor

Thanksgiving is soon approaching and it's a time to be grateful for what you have.

But Thanksgiving is growing even more popular for the anticipation of being thankful for what is to come like Christmas.

More often than not, the day after Thanksgiving is what most people look forward toÑthe "busiest shopping day of the year."

Large department stores often offer consumers great buys at rock-bottom prices.

Businesses open at the crack of dawn and lure their customers in with promises of "freebies" and "doorbuster" items (for a limited time only, of course).

A tradition among my family members is to eat our meal on Thanksgiving Day, look at the sale ads after we've stuffed ourselves like the turkey we just ate, make our shopping lists and strategically plan the order of stores in which we will visit on the "big day."

The next morning, we wake up at 4 a.m. (ridiculous, I know) to get ready for the first store that opens at 5 a.m. By 10 in the morning, I'm spentÑliterally.

The past few years, I haven't been able to enjoy such an exhausting morning because I've had to workÑin retail.

When you know you have to get up at 5 a.m. to go to work instead of shop, it makes you even more thankful for the previous day.

The day after Thanksgiving just isn't the same when you have to be a slave to the holiday shoppers who would fight tooth and nail for the last television set on sale or the free Christmas ornament your store is offering as an incentive to shop there.

I got smart this year and decided to take this hectic day off from work. Unfortunately, I was informed that if I got this morning off, it would be nothing short of a miracle.

Not only is this upsetting, but it makes it that much worse that I'll have to work because this year, the "busiest shopping day of the year" is on my birthday.

What a lousy way to spend your 19th birthday huh?

Oh well, I guess there's always next year.

Ben Bramsen
Assistant Editor

Mmmmm, do you smell that? Well, I guess it depends on where you are reading this.

If it's outside of McAllister Hall, you probably smell tobacco but that's not the smell I'm referring to. That smell would be the wonderful smell of turkey.

I could go on and on about Thanksgiving and I will too.

For those of you that read my last column, I'll keep you up on some lingo. That last column that I wrote could be considered a "lead-in" to this one.

Anyway, back to my obsession with food and Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the most forgotten holiday of all. Right after Halloween is over, stores prepare for Christmas, with my beloved Thanksgiving nowhere to be found.

I've thought long and hard about why Thanksgiving is always so forgotten and I have yet to come up with a reason.

Where else can you stuff your face full with food for a whole day and not be looked down on? In my case, I have several Thanksgiving dinners that I can attend and not feel ashamed for going back for seconds at any of them.

There are still more reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving than just embarrassing yourself at family get-togethers and football games.

Sure, many people think the only good that comes out of Thanksgiving is the couple of days they get off of school.

But let's look at the real reason Thanksgiving is supposed to be celebrated.

Food. Plain and simple, food is the reason Thanksgiving is celebrated. Turkey, mashed potatoes, candy yams, pie, corn and every other delicious things you can think of are the reason we celebrate.

Just thinking of this wonderful feast of a meal, I am already drooling all over the newly souped up computer that we just got back in the office.

Oh yeah, it's also a time where the pilgrims and native Americans joined together for a feast or something like that.

But that's not as important as the turkey.

For those who are celebrating the wonderful holiday of Thanksgiving tomorrow, I hope you enjoy it half as much as I do.

Ashley Sindergard
News Editor

This past weekend I decided to curl up in front of our fireplace and become immersed in the wonderful world of literature.

A friend from back home requested me to read The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans. With Christmas approaching quickly, I thought this would be just the book to read. This book was so wonderfully written I decided to share it with all of you.

The Christmas Box is a touching story of a widow and a young family who moves in with her. Together they discover the first gift of Christmas and learn what Christmas is really all about.

When the family was moving in to the Widow's mansion, the man decides to move some furniture into the attic for storage.

The man then finds a small box with a hand crafted Nativity Scene on the top. This is what the story is then based on.

Through this man's story, he begins to get caught up in his work and lose touch with his wife and most of all his daughter.

The old widow begins throwing hints at him to enjoy every second with his daughter and to put his work aside.

The man begins to have dreams about an Angel singing. The sweet tone of the music leads him to the attic and comes from the box he had found months before.

He then opens it, but it has no mechanism to play the music he had been hearing.

He opened the box and found old letters written to a person many years before her husband had died.

Time passes and Christmas begins to near, the old widow learns that she has cancer and slowly begins to wither away.

One night the old widow asked the man what he thought the first gift of Christmas was. He answered by saying one of the gifts the wise men had brought to baby Jesus. The woman became upset and left.

The cancer began spreading and the woman was taken to the hospital to spend her last days there. Meanwhile the man was trying to grasp the question the woman had asked him days before.

He then asked a neighbor who explained some missing details of the women's life.

He was taken to a cemetery with a large angel. He looked down and read the stone it said my little angel.

This turned out to be the widow's child who had never made it.

He then figured out the first gift of Christmas was love. The old woman had given this father the greatest gift of Christmas, his daughter's childhood.

I hope everyone's Christmas is splendid and that everyone remembers the true meaning of Christmas, each other.