Daily Deacon

Chris Caswell Profile — Eisert

Sophomore Chris Caswell seeks a future in finance but has pursued journalism as an extracurricular activity.

“Writing for the school newspaper was actually something I was looking for when I came to Wake,” said Caswell. “It’s something I like because I enjoy writing. I think writing for the newspaper is a good way to meet different people in the community here and learn more about Wake Forest and what’s going on that other people aren’t aware of.”

Caswell has written for Wake Forest University’s newspaper, the Old Gold & Black, since his freshman year and served as editor of the opinion section.

“I like opinion just because I like just writing what’s on my mind, and it’s less formulaic. Editing the section got kind of repetitive, though.”

Recently, Caswell has been writing more frequently for the newspaper’s news section, a section different not only in the content but also in the production process.

“In news, it’s a lot more about dealing with issues as they come up, issues that writers face, trying to get photographers to take pictures for each article. With opinion, I basically just used stock photos. There’s a lot more planning and responsibility in news, and it takes up more time. It’s also more thinking on your feet.”

Caswell still enjoys writing for both sections, as well as watching the newspaper’s weekly production.

“Sometimes doing homework feels like you’re learning all this stuff for no reason and forgetting it after the test,” according to Caswell. “But working on a newspaper, I can see the results of my work. It’s gratifying to see it come out every week and see all the work I put into that issue.”

Caswell hopes to enter the business school with a major in finance and continue his journalism interest writing for the Old Gold & Black.

Profile: Todd Gilbert // David Blue

Todd Gilbert doesn’t see himself pursuing a Journalism career, but in the last year he has developed a budding interest in the practice. The Wake Forest University senior explained that this interest stemmed from a documentary he watched.

“I never got much English or writing experience in college,” Gilbert said. “However,” Gilbert continued, “this past fall, I did watch a documentary (Trader, 1987), featuring businessman Paul Tudor Jones in which he recommended that all college students take a journalism class regardless of their major.”

Gilbert, an economics major with a minor in global trading commerce, is pursuing a career in the financial and business sector. He has already accepted a job for next fall with the New York City firm Chilton Investment Company, where he will be doing equity research. He explained that his job entails him researching and providing insight into companies and stocks in order to benefit his firm and its investors.

While Gilbert sees no future for himself in journalism specifically, he believes that taking a class in the subject could vastly improve the the skills needed to succeed in his career.

“Part of my job will be going to conferences or meetings and listen to people speak about their company, and then reporting the information back to my bosses” explained Gilbert. He also expressed the importance of research, and that he may even have to interview company executives in order to get information on their companies.

Gilbert never anticipated taking a journalism class during his time at Wake Forest, but after watching Trader, he felt that he had the requisite skills to succeed in journalism and thus his career in finance.

“I’m a very good analytical writer” said Gilbert, “which hopefully will serve me very well in my business career.”

Annabel Love Interview // Conte

As the editor of her high school yearbook and part of the news staff for her high school newspaper, Annabel Love has decided to continue her study of Journalism at Wake Forest University.

Having always had an appreciation for writing, Love decided to enroll in Introduction to Journalism for the spring semester of her sophomore year.

“I’m looking forward to being able to be the detective,” said Love, when comparing journalism to that of discovering a mystery.

Love expressed interest in magazine style writing comparing that career style to the popular 2004 movie, “Thirteen going on Thirty”.

“I just really want to work with people,” said Love, who is planning on majoring in Communications while minoring in Entrepreneurship and Journalism.

Love said she could easily see herself in a career involving advertising or public relations.

As an avid reader of “theSkimm” and other online news sources, Love remains up to date on current events while focusing the news she reads on subject matters she is interested in. While admitting that hard copy newspapers may be in a decline, she discussed how technology has helped her remain informed and how it has made news much more accessible for her.

Love said that many of her Wake Forest classes have incorporated current events and news sources into their curriculum. She said her Religion and Communication classes actively discuss the news and current events.

Brandon Liu and Journalism – Meg

“I’ve learned that journalism isn’t what I thought—I always thought it was people trying to tell a story, I thought it was supposed to cause controversy,” shares Brandon Liu, sophomore at Wake Forest University from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. A business major, Liu never thought he would end up in journalism until he found the entrepreneurship classes full and signed up for Phoebe Zerwick’s class.

In just a few weeks, his habits have changed. Before, Liu checked the news headlines maybe once a month, but now he has bought a subscription to The NY Times to browse daily. He finds the style of journalism interesting and different compared to the academic writing he is used to.

“I’m interested in world and business news,” Liu confides.

While he admits he is not interested in a career related to journalism, he hopes that the skills he learns, including precision and skepticism, will be useful in his future interests in marketing and business.

Profile: Merritt Enright // Katie Dickens

Merritt Enright knew she loved journalism when she was 12 years old and discovered the Instagram app.

“I became super interested in media and journalism and have been every since,” Enright said.

Enright, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, is currently a freshman at Salem College. She is planning on studying journalism at Wake Forest University while studying math and studio art at Salem College.

Enright said she knew that Wake Forest offered the journalism minor while Salem did not, and found out she was able to take classes at Wake. She browsed the bulletin online and found the first introductory class, Journalism 270.

“Coming to class at Wake was actually kind of a scary process,” said Enright. “You just show up on the first day, not registered or anything, and try to work it out. But it’s been such a great experience so far.”

Enright was the Editor-in-Chief of her high school paper, and followed her passion for journalism when she founded the Salem chapter of the Odyssey, a national blogging website designed for college girls. Enright said she liked the website because it reminded her of the similarly collaborative lifestyle blog HerCampus. She especially enjoys the media components of journalism that she incorporates into her work, including photography and video content.

She also recently became the media coordinator for the marching band at Wake Forest, where she will run the digital media platforms, putting together video and photo content and running website and social media for the group.

“My interest in journalism is pretty broad, but I’m definitely interested in all things media,” Enright said. “Conde Nast would definitely be the dream job. I love Vanity Fair; I love content creation.”

Briefs, Merritt Enright

1. Shots Fired in Vehicle Chase

Shortly after 9pm on Saturday, two victims, Darryl Myers Jr and Darryl Myers III (age 2),

received gunshot wounds in a vehicle chase on Rosie Street. According to a report from the

Winston­Salem Police Department, the suspects are 4­5 black males driving an unidentified

black vehicle.

A neighbor reportedly first saw the vehicle parked behind the Myers’ home and notified the

family, who was not home at the time. Upon their arrival, the Myers found the car parked

behind their house occupied by 2­3 black males and an additional 2 black males standing outside

the car. Darryl Myers attempted to block the vehicle behind the house, but the unidentified

driver managed to escape, leaving 2 males standing outside the car.

After a vehicle pursuit through several neighborhood streets, shots were fired at the Myers’ car

by an unknown assailant at the intersection of Ferndale Avenue and Lambeth Street. Darryl

Myers and his infant son were both shot in the foot and immediately transported to NCBH after

responding to a nearby convenience store.

The injuries were non­life threatening and both victims are expected to recover fully. Police

suspect the gunmen to be the 2 males left behind in the vehicle chase.

Questions: Is a further police investigation being carried out? Is there any supposed

identification of the car? Have there been any previous reports of a suspicious group of black

males in the area?

2. Daughter and Father Found Dead in Home

Wednesday afternoon at 3pm, Winston­Salem Police Department officers found and identified

the bodies of 6 year­old Iza Lily Morris and her father, Derek Morris, in the victims’ home on

5356 Old Rural Hall Road. Officers located single gunshot wounds on each body.

A Criminal Investigations Division report reveals that Derek Morris was enstranged from his

wife, Iza’s mother. The couple was undergoing divorce and child custody negotiations at the

time of the homicide.

Although no suspects have arisen, a full investigation and autopsies are underway with the

support of the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Questions: Did surrounding neighbors have any witness to the homicide? Is there any follow up

evidence from the police department? What was Mrs. Morris’ name and did she have any

reported hostility towards her family/history of mental instability?

Police Brief Edits

Good work with the police briefs. I’m not going to comment on individual work, but I will make some general observations that I hope will be useful to all of you.

1. Avoid police language, or jargon from whatever field you’re writing about. Try to write as though you were telling your roommate a story. Would you ever say, “upon arrival at the scene,” or refer to the “deceased,” or “an incident.” Instead of “the deceased,” you can refer to the dead woman. The word “incident,’ is vague. Refer instead to the fire, the shooting, the burglary or the death. Strive for precision and clarity.
2. Avoid the passive voice, whenever possible.
3. Those of us in the media shape our culture’s understanding of race. That means we all have a responsibility to make sure we are not perpetuating stereotypes or creating them. In general, there’s no good reason to mention the race of a victim or a suspect unless it’s of significance to the story. Is it relevant that the man who was electrocuted was black? If it’s not relevant, don’t mention it. When police are looking for a suspect, the race may be relevant. But make sure that police have provided a detailed description. A black man in his 20s is not a description that would help anyone find a suspect and only serves to make every black man in your community suspect.
4. In general, the name of a victim or a suspect doesn’t belong in the lede. The news is in the “what,” not the specifics of the “who.” But if the mayor is arrested, then the name belongs in the lede.
5. Find the news in whatever set of facts you’re dealing with. The story of the man who was electrocuted is extraordinary because he was salvaging copper wire. That’s unusual. (Good idea to try to expand the story, by the way, with on the growing trend to steal copper wire for resale.)
6. Check the spelling on all names. It’s up to you, the reporter, to get the facts straight, regardless of what the report says. The two clerks who were robbed at Hanes Mall worked for Buckles, not BUCKLES. When you make spelling errors you undermine your credibility.
7. Finally, avoid starting a story with the time element.

Phoebe Zerwick

Armed robbery at Hanes Mall

Last night the Winston Salem Police Department responded to a situation of armed robbery in Hanes Mall. The incident happened when two employees were leaving from work were approached by a man with a handgun, who demanded the bank deposit bag.

According to the police report Amanda Eversole and Didra Power are employees at the Buckles store which sells clothing apparel. The two were leaving for the day, walking down the mall corridor that leads to the UPS store and Military Recruiters when an african-american man, aged between 20 and 25, about 6 ft tall, dressed in a black hoodie and black sweatpants came out of the bathroom and pointed a handgun (possibly a revolver) at them. The suspect fled the area on foot and was last seen rubbing towards the wooded area near the Days In by locals at the mall.

The police report confirmed that the victims were not harmed and everyone was escorted to safety as soon as the police arrived. The culprit is still on the loose even after an extensive canine track search. Officials from the Winston-Salem Police Department requests that anyone with information regarding this crime contact Crime stoppers at 727-2800

Daughter and father found dead in a local residence.

This afternoon, the Winston Salem Police Department received a report from local residents of Rural Hall Road about two deceased persons (a 6 year old girl and her 33 year old father) found in one of the residences. According to the detectives present at the scene, the parties seemed to have suffered single gunshot wounds.

The police report also identified the preliminary findings. After her father Derek Morris’s estrangement from his wife Iza Morris, the discussion regarding the custody of their six year old daughter Lily Morris’s was in its early stages.

Lily and Derek, were found in their residence, 5456 on Old Rural Hall Road. The father and daughter shared the same residence. No one in the adjoining residence was harmed or injured

Although the detectives from the Criminal Investigation Division were able to find the cause of the death (gun shot wound), no suspects are being sought at this stage. Officials said that the autopsies are to be conducted at a later date, but meanwhile anyone with the information concerning this case is requested to contact the Winston Salem Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 727-2800.

Robbery at Hanes Mall

Early this morning, two Hanes Mall employees were robbed at gunpoint, according to a report from the Winston-Salem police department.

Amanda Eversole and Deidra Power, employees of the business BUCKLES, were leaving for the day and heading down a mall corridor when they were approached by a man leaving the men’s bathroom, the report said. The man, armed with a handgun, demanded that the employees hand him the bank deposit bag from BUCKLES. The man then fled the area on foot.

According to the victims, the suspect is about 6 feet tall and weighs between 150 and 170 pounds. He was wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled over his head, but his face was uncovered. He was wearing sweatpants and was armed with a handgun, possibly a revolver, the victims said.

Questions:

Did he leave with the bag?

What is a K-9 extensive track?