Hello world! /  by Helen Arase

My, my! It has been a while since I've been active here!

USC has been crazy. I can't believe it's already October, but at the same time, it definitely feels like October. 

We have been working like crazy since July and it has not let up. I hope to be able to have some good work to show for myself by December.

I will say though, I feel alright about my midterm. It was totally falling apart and somehow I got it together at the last minute. I didn't take any photos though so that's a little disappointing. It's called "Mental health care and L.A. County jails: Are there resources to rejoin society?" and looks at some reentry services for those coming out of incarceration.

I'm really excited about the spring semester though. I have a crazy workload and am going to be an insane person but I'm ready for it. 

I really like the community here. There is a professor/photographer who is really supportive and seems to think my purpose on earth is to be a mental health reporter. I haven't formed an opinion about it but it's nice that he believes so strongly in us.

I hope to update my website more often. Stay tuned. 

Doing some freelance /  by Helen Arase

In the last couple of weeks I have been doing more freelance than usual. I don't freelance often - but recently it seemed like an alright idea to take these jobs while I'm waiting for school to start. 

So I've been in Pittsburgh for the last few days and it's been really nice seeing family. But coming here made me realize how much juggling full-time freelancers have to do to keep their income flowing. There are invoices to be generated, W-9s to be filled out, and people to remind - or harass - for responses, payment or any other thing. 

I brought some camera stuff and had all these plans with my sister to photograph everyone all week but I probably took 10 pictures and carried it around for no reason. Maybe if I were alone to explore I'd use my camera more but we're being shuffled to BINGO games and family events.

I'm glad that when I get back I have a little more than two weeks to get ready for school. I think doing this freelancing all at once has helped get some of that rust off before we do our month-long immersion. J-school here I come.

University of Southern California - here I come! /  by Helen Arase

Wow - it's been a while since I've even looked at my website. 

To be honest, I've been on a bit of a media and internet haitus since... maybe the end of April.

The avoidance of news - or lack of intensely following the 24-hour newscycle - was by choice. I am gearing up to jump into living, breathing and dreaming about journalism and decided I needed a recouperating period. 

The internet haitus was forced. I moved closer to USC and didn't have internet until three days ago. I haven't had TV since 2014 so this internet/TV bundle feels like the best thing to happen to me in a long time. I got to watch James Comey give testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee and then wall-to-wall commentary ALL DAY. So nice.

I took a freelance assignment that required me to transfer many gigabytes of data over multiple days so I had to drive back and camp out at my mom's house just to use her internet. So, it's better.

 

Now, USC. I've committed, gotten a scholarship, all that. I am now waiting to sign up for classes. The summer immersion program begins in July and I'm super excited. We all had to submit a headshot and short bio for a new student directory. I had my friend Meghan Attaway shoot mine in the studio at the University of La Verne. It's possible she did the last one too, now that I'm thinking about it. 

I submitted a tighter crop than this one. I think I look grown up? I don't feel grown up.