Transformers transforms us

"I am Optimus Prime."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard these famous words in the last few months. With the # 1 DVD release this week to the top selling toys, Transformers are everywhere.

From the great review in the ars technica to the fantasic review from Monsters and Critics, Transformers can do no wrong.

In the movie an alien race of robots known as The Autobots, the good guys, and the Decepticons, the bad guys, are in search of the Allspark, their life source. Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots, needs the Allspark to restore their home planet Cybertron, while Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, needs it to take over earth and wipe out the human race. The one person that can help locate the Allspark is Sam Witwicky.

In my opinion this movie is amazing. The special effects alone are worth seeing. The plot may be a bit cut and dry but that's not why I saw the movie. The amazing transformation from a robot to a jet plane in less than a second is out of this world.

I recommend seeing this movie over and over again.

The Knox News Sentinel

When I walked into the Knoxville News Sentinel I didn't really know what to expect. I had never been to a publications office and I thought there might be some old time newspapers in the lobby or something. However to my surprise the building was very modern and equip with the latest technology.

I figured that most of the people in the newsroom would be running around like a chicken with their head cut off too but this was also not true. Everyone was quietly sitting at their computer doing their own thing.

The people we talked to were extremely knowledgeable about their fields. They talked mostly about the website which also surprised me. I would have thought that a newspaper wouldn't know much about running a website but they did.

The Knoxnews website is highly advanced and creative.

The amount of video the website uses is amazing. One particular video stood out to me. The Restoring a Treasure was very cool. I love watching restoration shows on television and to see one in Knoxville is very cool.

The only downside to the website is the amount of pictures, or lack there of. I did not see many pictures at all and that is one of my favorite parts of stories.

I learned a lot on my trip to the Knox News Sentinel and plan to apply for an internship next semester.

Contribute away

With the increase in the number of people with digital camera's, camera phone's and video camera's everyone is contributing their take on the changing media world. News will never be the same.

The internet has made it possible for virtually anyone and everyone to become famous and "give something back" to the digital news room. On April 16, 2007, 33 people were shot and killed in the Virginia Tech shootings in Blacksburg, Virginia. As the story was unfolding, one student sent reporters a video he took while on campus. The video, taken with the student's camera phone, shows VT's campus and sounds the loud bangs of the gunman's fire.

Without this video no one would have known the true horror of that day. Reporters can only capture so much. Once they hear about a developing story they rush to the scene sometimes to find it is already over.

Today's technology allows us to feel the heat of the story by eye-witness reports and in-the-heat reporting by people actually involved in it.

Although some people criticise the changing media world by saying everyone and no one are reporters, I think it is a good thing we are contributing our content. People can be part of the news like never before, and we are beginning to shape the news the way we want. I say contribute on people, and create the news you want to hear.

I have never personally contributed to a news story, but I encourage people to do so. News IS a conversation so talk back as much as you like.