Opinion
Photographer reflects with words, not pictures
May 8, 2008
I look back on the time and laugh a bit about how I made it as a journalism major, mainly because I don’t have the strongest writing ability.
Growing up, I was diagnosed with dyslexia, by all means which made things interesting. My friends find it humorous that I made it this far without writing for the paper, and managing to make it by with the papers I wrote for classes.
I remember as it if it was just the other day, when I first came to UW-River Falls in the spring semester of 2005. I transferred to UWRF because I needed a change of scenery and to start over, but I have to admit, when I first came, I wanted to leave right away.
Knowing hardly anyone, I just sat in my dorm room, lonely and bored. But I sucked it up and ended up staying here. I would have never thought I would end up in the position I am in today.
I would have never thought I would of made many friends, take pictures for the DTS fraternity calendar and be involved with the Student Voice for four semesters as chief photographer.
It started off with meeting with the head of the journalism department, Colleen Callahan, at the old Rodli Commons.
I asked her if there was a photography major on campus. Unfortunately, there wasn’t, But that didn’t stop me.
I went on and started to pursue becoming a photojournalist. The only way I could get experience was to be part of the Student Voice. Eventually my time came, and I got really lucky in the fall of 2006, when the head photo editor quit in the middle of the semester. I got the opportunity to take pictures and eventually move on to hold the photo editor position the following semester.
Along the way I met lots of people—ones who were quite the characters as well. I met one of the most memorable individuals during this past homecoming football game, when a naked student sprinted across the field.
Running into him at the bars that night, I told him that I got a picture of him. His first words to me were “you took a picture of my wang!” That’s just one of many examples of how I ended up meeting people on campus.
The part that surprised me since I came to UWRF was that since I started to work for the Student Voice, I found myself becoming responsible. It kind of pains me to say this, but I started to become a workaholic. It’s pretty bad when you decide to postpone or cancel a date just so you can take pictures at a sporting event. It’s a little sad, but funny, when I look back on it.
So as I come close to the end of my college days, I am sincerely going to miss staying up all night, whether or not it includes alcohol.
I’m going to miss the times I woke up and harassed whomever I ran into that day on campus—thanks to those who put up with me when I did that, you know who you are.
I’ll always remember the brutal drunken walks back from the bars, and all the pranks I pulled throughout the past few years, and the RAs and hall managers who didn’t fine me for it.
I went from basically kicking and screaming when I first got here, to not wanting it all to end.
Kenny Yoo is a journalism major and art minor with an emphasis in photography. He has aspirations to pursue a career in photojournalism.