A Journalist Finds Teaching College Students Rewarding

By: Elizabeth Lucas

Pacific Tribune Staff Writer

Jerry McCormick, having worked in journalism throughout his whole career, now inspires a classroom of college students seeking to know what he does.

Having worked at Southwestern Community College for three years, McCormick, 42, originally from a small town in South Carolina named Dillon, has been a part of the journalism world since he was young. He came to San Diego for a job at the San Diego Union-Tribune, which, after ten years, had left him.

“I’ll never forget that day,” McCormick stated. “I was here, at school. I was teaching my class, and my friend called me, and said, ‘They’re laying people off.’ And driving from here to Mission Valley was one of the longest drives I’ve ever had to do, because I was trying to convince myself that I wasn’t going to get laid off. But when I got in the parking lot, and I saw all the people who had already gotten laid off, and they were crying in the parking lot, I knew. I went upstairs, I talked to my coworkers, and I said, ‘Do I even need to sit down?’ And that’s when my former boss appeared behind me and said, ‘Come with me.’ So I knew. And when you hear those words, ‘your job has been eliminated,’ it does something to you. This whole experience, the laid off experience, even though it was only six weeks for me, it showed me that I’m not my job.”

Luckily for McCormick, there was an opportunity that had opened up for him at one of the biggest news stations in San Diego, NBC 7/39.

“I started as a writer July 8^th, 2009, which was exactly six weeks after I left the U.T.,” he explained, even though now he works as an Associate Producer for NBC 7/39. “My job is to support the producer….Basically everything they can’t do, I do.”

As an Associate Producer, McCormick has seen the world of broadcasting as much different from the newspaper business, and explained the long hours that he works.

“It’s a long day,” he stated. “I leave my house at 11:35. I get back home at 11:35. So I work from 11:35 p.m. to 11:35 a.m. So it’s twelve-hour days. But [teaching] does not feel like work to me, even though it is. That job at NBC is a lot of work in a short period of time….In broadcast, I’ve learned this the hard way, now is five minutes too late.”

Although he is obliged to work forty hours a week, McCormick explained that it really seems more like fifty to fifty-five hours. However, his job at NBC seems to work with his schedule at Southwestern College, which he said is more rewarding, because “I get to pass on everything that I know. Over there I work with everybody who knows everything.”

“Here’s the thing, I’ve had some fun. And I’ve had some not so fun times in this,” McCormick further explained. “I believe in order for us to help support good journalism, we have to educate each other. And the reason I teach is because I don’t want my [students] to go through everything that I’ve gone through. This career has had me smiling like I knew a special secret, and crying in the corner with ice cream. It has had me going to those extremes. But I wouldn’t trade anything about it. It’s a high. The adrenaline, the storytelling, I mean, every day, when I go to work, in the middle of the night, I think, ‘oh, God, why am I getting up at this time?’ But then, I leave that shift, it’s like, ‘I did good work today.’ I helped somebody. I changed somebody. I educated someone. And I want my students to know that feeling, too.”

In teaching his classes, McCormick never falters on informing his students about experiences that he’s had in the business, having even shared with his students of an interview he had with the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, which he described as “a difficult experience, but I got through it, and that particular story showed me that I can write anything, I can do anything….”

As he further went on to describe it, “Here is a man who clearly hated me and everything that I stood for. And I was responsible for telling his story….I’m black, and I was a young black man, and during the course of the interview, he said the people he hated the most were young black men. And I don’t know if that was intentional because I was a young black man looking at him, or that is how he really felt.”

While McCormick shared this story, he also shared what the experience had showed him, and, in turn, shared the lesson with the class.

“I was angry. I was hurt. I even felt doubtful, because I had this man telling me, or trying to tell me, who I was. But, inadvertently, he showed me who I was,” he said.

As he continued, he also revealed that, when he had worked at the Union-Tribune, he had felt this way practically every day.

“The thing of it is, here’s the dirty side to journalism,” he said, “It’s a competition. And in order for people to feel more than, sometimes they have to make you feel less than. And, here’s another thing about journalism, you’re only as good as your last story….If you wrote a wonderful story, you’re going to feel good for that moment, but then they’re going to say, ‘what else can you do?’”

As he further went on, he also shared that he still enjoys the newspaper business.

“Had this job [at the Union-Tribune] not be taken away from me, I would still be doing it,” he said. “I’ve read newspapers since I could read. I still read newspapers….And that’s where my heart is. Newspapers are the love of my life. [Teaching] is like the new person in my life….”

Despite his enjoyment of the newspaper business, McCormick explained that he will not go back into it, stating, “The newspaper industry is trying to figure out what it’s trying to do. And they don’t know. And so, I can’t be in an unstable environment. And broadcasting seems to be a little more stable.”

As those in the field can see, the business is shrinking, especially with newspapers, and McCormick shared it from his own point of view.

“It’s not a thriving business anymore. I mean, let’s just face it, I have students who tell me, ‘I get my news through Facebook.’ And that troubles me,” he stated. “Because any and everybody can put any and everything on there. But at the same time, I’m no fool. I recognize this person isn’t the only one, a lot of people are moving in that direction.”

As he went on to explain, he provided his view of how he would change the field of journalism.

“I would just get back to telling good news stories,” he said. “I mean, we live in a Facebook-Twitter-TMZ world. And we don’t seem to care about things that are worth caring about.”

For this, teaching seems to provide an opening to changing the industry. McCormick eagerly added that, for the three years he has taught at Southwestern College, he has taught a rough estimate of 250 students.

“A lot of them are doing well. And some of them it’s to be determined. And some of them, it’s like, I can’t wait to see how they turned out, because there’s some movers and shakers in the bunch,” he said. “And some day, I’m going to look up on some TV or read some byline, or get some press release, and I’m going to recognize the name. And I’m just going to smile to myself, because someone else made it. And to me, that’s worth more than any paycheck. Somebody else made it. Because, here’s the deal, this business is shrinking. And if I can help you get in, I’m going to do it, with the hope that you help somebody get in, and so on, and so on. So, even though my old, dusty bones will be long into the ground, I can go to my deathbed knowing that good journalism will thrive through me, and the work that I do, and the people that I’ve touched.”

And it is through his students that he might see the change of journalism, and the inspiration that they take from him to go out into the field and change someone else’s life, as he has changed many.

                                                             -30-

Canadian Military Commander Gets Life

A highly decorated Canadian military commander Col. Russel Williams has been sentenced to two consecutive life sentences on Thursday for the murders of two women, several sexual assaults, and many so-called fetish burglaries, as reported from Paula Newton of CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/10/21/canada.colonel.killings/index.html?hpt=T2)

First off, I need to state that this story makes a lot of people just cringe and scratch their heads for the whole reason that it is a "decorated military commander" that has been convicted of such gruesome crimes. Not only are the victims on my thoughts, but I can't help but think to myself, "What was going through this man's head? What was he thinking?" I can't answer that (personally, I don't even think the shrinks can answer that). It just doesn't make sense, but I would like to know what had caused this man to do it.

As any loyal audience that follows court cases, there are only certain questions you would want to know, other than the typical, "who, what, when, where, why, and how." But I want to know the story before this. I want to know if this man had shown signs or behaviors prior to the killings that something was wrong with him. And the fact he was the kind of killer who, according to CNN.com, "saved and catalogued hundreds of photos, videos and hundreds of pieces of lingerie as 'trophies' of his crimes," tells me something was highly wrong with this man, that he possibly even obsessed with his crimes.

Personally, I don't even believe that he is even remorseful for his crimes. Again, according to CNN.com, Williams had stated, "I have committed despicable crimes ... betraying my family, my friends and colleagues and the Canadian Forces. I shall spend the rest of my life regretting that I have ended two vibrant, innocent and cherished lives." It's also important to add that Williams had told the victims' families he pled guilty to spare them more pain. It's sounds like a pretty bad sob story, but I don't think it's even the truth. I think he pled guilty because he knew he was going to lose the case, that whether or not he fought it, he still was going to be found guilty. A person who is remorseful for their crimes would not keep trophies of the crimes committed, (that's just sick, and tells me he enjoyed the act of committing them a little too much).

Another thing that I'm dancing over is the fact that this man is a commander for the military. I'm sorry, but don't they give psych-exams in the military? Wouldn't you recognize if something was wrong with one of your soldiers? I want to know exactly what would cause this man to go out and do these things. Was it an aftereffect of him being in the military? A PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) result of him seeing battle? Or could he be a sociopath? Could this have been a collapse of his entire life come down into one huge attack? I want to know what's going on with him mentally, but, unfortunately, with him going for life in prison, we might never know.

Trapped Chilean miner meets more than what he's bargained for at the surface....

First off, my heart goes out to the 33 miners who had been trapped 2300 feet underground in Chile for the past 69 days. Although they have been rescued, they now face some serious adjustment back into the world that they haven't had the opportunity to be a part of for the past couple of months. Another that I would like to send out to one particular miner that he's now facing another drama that he might not want to have accompanied him down to the mine.

Yonni Barrios, 50, is now faced with a dilemma that his wife, Marta Salinaz, 56, and his mistress for five years, Susana Valenzuela, now are fully aware of each other, and both will confront him upon his arrival back to the surface. Salinaz and Valenzuela came to know each other at a vigil held for the trapped men. Now, after the men have been freed and the madness is over with, the scandal will unleash itself onto Barrios, and his family.

There's nothing better than after a horrible tragedy is concluded than a scandal to break the tension. Absolutely nothing better. It pulls people in, asking questions of "who will he pick?" and "what will his wife do? Will she leave him? Will she stay with him?" And of course, let's not forget about his special mistress. "Will she want him after this?"

Afterall, no one really cares about the 69 days that these poor men have suffered underground in 90 degree heat, in the dark, sweating, with little food and water other than what had been provided for them, in horrible conditions, panicking on if they'll get out alive or if they'll ever get out at all. Yes, no one cares about that. Everyone's just interested in the superficial scandal that broke at the end, of this poor man having to choose between his wife and passionate mistress. That's what is news, that is what makes headlines. Who knows, he might even get a special on Larry King to tell the whole world about his affair and how he has to choose between the two women. Someone might even write a book about it, make millions of dollars, and he could become the next Tiger Woods holding a press conference to pull off the facade of an apology. Who knows? Maybe his wife might even take him back?

By now, for those who already know me well enough, you can tell that I'm being seriously sarcastic here. This man has endured horrible conditions, agonizing days of wondering if he will ever get out to see his beautiful wife and loving mistress. Who cares that he had an affair? He must be traumatized by the ordeal he's just suffered and wants to just be with his family. Who cares about his personal life? That's his deal, his life, he should be thankful that he still has it. And we should just be happy for him that he's able to get out of there alive and see everyone that he loves -- his wife and mistress included -- again.

Leave the poor man alone. This scandal is enough to make the experience even more tragic. Despite the fact that he's been in the public, there's certain things we shouldn't expose drastically to the world. Because then it will only make his life, and the lives of everyone that he cares about, even more difficult. He's a human being, treat him like one, and let his private life be his private life.

Miracle To Hear

There's always new miracles appearing now thanks to advances in technology, science, and medicine.

There are some people out there who don't believe in miracles. There are some people that don't think anyone does something to change a person's life for free. Here's a story to prove them all wrong, to prove to these nonbelievers that there is something to witness to as one boy's life is dramatically changed and he is given a miracle.

 A twelve-year-old boy, Diego Neumaier Ortiz, is a miracle in his own way. After being born with a birth defect that leaves rather deformed ears and his world practically silent, Diego is now capable of hearing out of his right ear thanks to the generosity of doctors and advances in surgery and technology. Diego is now fully looking forward to a life of being able to hear and listen to things he hadn't been able to beforehand. The simplest things that we take for granted as the blare of a car horn, rushing water, and music is now a new world to him.

Can you imagine the shock in his mother's face, who had been taken aback by the caring doctors willing to operate on him for free, when they unwrapped the gauze from his ears, and she says hello to him, and he replies right back? Just the thought of it brings awe to me, knowing that such a miracle can exist, and that this boy now has the world at his fingertips.

This opens people's eyes. It's incredibly breath-taking story, showing disbelievers, skeptics, and critics of any form of miracles in the modern world that, not only are they wrong, but here is a perfect example of it. Certainly it is not a "spiritual, holy, God-like" miracle blessed by angels and saints and changing everything in a matter of seconds, but it is a miracle, in itself. For instances, what kind of coincidence is it that a doctor would happen to watch this child win at Mexico's gymnastic tournament, for this doctor to contact a pioneer in ear reconstruction who offers to take the complex case for free? And then for this professional and another doctor, an ear, nose and throat specialist, who also works for free and will actually create an ear canal, allowing Diego to hear? It says a lot, more about people than about any form of spiritual miracle.

Add on top of it, it shows a lot about these doctors who take the time, effort, and money to help this child. It opens people's eyes that there are certain individuals out there willing to give help where it's needed, willing to change people's lives. It also wakes up the fact that technology is advancing, medicine is advancing, and this only proves a point that eventually there will be cures, procedures, and surgeries to help what used to be thought of as inevitable and inescapable. If this twelve-year-old boy is now able to hear after his lifetime being submerged in quiet, what does it say about the future for any other deaf individuals who seek to hear again? Or the blind? Could Lasik actually save a person's eyes and give them their sight back? After seeing this, there's no doubt of what can be done.

It's surprising, and I would love to be in the boy's shoes when the doctor removes the bandages and he hears his mother's voice for the first time. I would love to know what went through his head, what went through his mother's head, and what thoughts the doctors shared after knowing that they changed this boy's life. I wonder what these professionals would think knowing this. Would they consider that this could work for other patients suffering from deafness? What about blindness? Would this open the door for surgeries and medicines to cure certain ailments and diseases?

This story is nothing short but a bright, and delighted miracle that is not touched by mythical and paranormal influence. Simply the personal whim of several individuals, the advancing in technology, and the hopes and wishes of a simple boy.

Meg Whitman and The Illegal Immigrant "Smere Campaign"

After Tuesday's governor debate between Republican candidate Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown, a new source of news came out about Meg Whitman's hiring and firing of an illegal immigrant from her household as a maid.

The illegal woman, Nicky Diaz Santillan, has now hired Democratic supporter and attorney, Gloria Allred, in an attempt to file a lawsuit against Whitman. According to the statement given by the attorney, the woman felt she was "exploited, disrespected, humiliated and emotionally and financially abused." (Source: Whitman: "We Did Everything That We Could" | NBC San Diego )

In response to this, Whitman said, "We were stunned when Nicky told us she was illegal....My husband and I did everything we could to hire someone who was documented to work here. When I found out this woman was not here legally, we let her go. It's a tough thing to do when you hve a personal relationship, but it's the right thing to do...." (Source: Whitman: "We Did Everything That We Could" | NBC San Diego )

Okay, now that I'm done with this brief summation of what's going on with Meg Whitman and this sudden smere on her name and campaign, there's something I'd like to point out to everyone reading this: We have all been guilty of hiring an illegal immigrant at some point or another to do a work around the house or somewhere else for us, whether it be someone we pick up from the Home Depot parking lot, or we know someone who has done it. Granted, we're not supposed to, but we've all done it, even the officers who come by and check a person's legal status is guilty of doing it (that's right, I called THEM out). Members of the Homeland Security and the organization that checks for people's legal status in this nation (I forgot the name of it, something like IRN) are guilty of doing it.

So why is this such a huge surprise? Granted, Meg Whitman actually hired an illegal woman to work in her house for the years from 2000 to 2009, (which is different from hiring a person for a day to come do the job), and that she's a public figure, a running-candidate for the position of governor for California, but the fact that she's done this shouldn't be created as such a huge surprise. What should be a huge surprise is the fact that she's lying about it, either that, or she's plainly stupid about this, (which isn't possible, considering she was the CEO of E-Bay for such a long time).

One thing that stands out, however, is that the attorney for the woman that Meg Whitman had fired is a Democratic supporter. Quite frankly, that raises some red flags, as it says to me this attorney has an ulterior motive, being a Democratic supporter, and quite possibly trying to support the Democratic governor candidate. Gloria Allred is also well-known for taking on public cases and turning them into celebrity scandals and drawing in so much attention from both the public and the media. And with her taking on a case against Meg Whitman, it says a lot that, (well, as attorney period), she's looking for a case that will not only take on attention, but rake in money for her.

Gloria Allred, personally, is just an attorney taking on a case she feels she can win, (and she might). What doesn't make sense to me is that Meg Whitman is spinning this situation, claiming that she had fired this woman after finding out about her legal status in the country, even though this woman had worked for her for nine years. Another concern for me is that she is referring to having a personal, close relationship with this woman, and she still didn't know about it. It does not make sense, and this is blatant evidence that she is lying.

Meg Whitman, who is in the running for governor, should not be throwing her credibility under the bus because of what she calls a "smere campaign" against her. She should come right out and say "yes, we hired her, we thought she did a great job despite being an illegal immigrant, and we grew close, though we had to let her go for the sake of the campaign." Might sound heartless, but at least she's coming out and telling the truth.