GrizGrads

Meet Your Peers: Ann Fleischli

2010-08-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

Imagine a Baptist church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1968, a few weeks after Martin Luther King Jr. was shot in Memphis. His widow is speaking at night to an overflow crowd of striking hospital workers and their sympathizers. At least ten thousand union supporters from throughout the United States are in Charleston, marching for these workers. The streets are cordoned off by armed South Carolina National Guard troops standing next to their troop carriers.

I am one of the few white faces in the church crowd. I am here to witness this historical event. I am a poverty lawyer, representing the poor of Charleston for free. I am part of President Johnson's War on Poverty during the civil rights/Vietnam War era of U.S. history.

This lengthy Charleston struggle was never reported by the local paper. When I returned to my hometown in the Midwest, I looked up this time period in the New York Times. That paper had covered the union struggle, marches and the arrests, in full.

The failure of the local media to fully report the events of our times has occurred over and over in my forty-some years of law practice. I have decided to try to contribute to a better coverage of these events, especially as the environmental stresses grow. That is why I have enrolled in this environmental journalism program.

(I wish I had a photo from South Carolina. As a substitute, I do have the Missoula photo above, with Honey, an Austrian Haflinger.)

Meet Your Peers: Kevin Radley

2010-07-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Until the age of 18, I lived in Sammamish, Wash. Twenty-five minutes from Seattle and an hour from the mountains, I spent most of my childhood outdoors, partaking in various activities from snow skiing to water sports.

After high school, I followed my brother’s advice and moved to Missoula, Mont., for college. The University of Montana brought out my passion for the surrounding natural environment and for capturing it through photography. My education focused on international resource conservation, with a minor in Media Arts.

Fresh out of college and only 22 years old, I chose environmental journalism because I believe it is the next step to advance my knowledge about society and conservation while simultaneously furthering my creative skills with different media. Also, I am not ready for a real-life job just yet.

I am excited to expand my knowledge of the field of journalism. My current interests are the climate change debate and the sustainable development movement. Whether it’s making environmental documentaries or photo stories, I want to visually share captivating stories from around the globe.

Currently, I live at Flathead Lake Lodge, where I work on the waterfront, taking guests sailing and waterskiing. It could be the best summer job in Montana or even the country. I also enjoy Karaoke and moonlight bike rides in Glacier National Park.

Meet Your Peers: Montana Hodges

2010-07-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

My name is Montana Hodges (ironic, I know), but I was born that way, and couldn’t be happier with the decision from my hippy parents. I always say, if they had named me Virginia, things would have turned out so differently. The Appalachians were once as high as the Himalayas, but that billion years sure has worn them down! I am honored to be named after the mountainous 41st state and her admittedly more humbling peaks.

I am originally from Northern California where the Sierra Nevada Mountains make a decent playground for the outdoor junkies. My time in the natural world led me into my two biggest passions—rocks and writing. With a double bachelor’s in journalism and geology from CSU Sacramento, I found my niche writing outdoor travel guides after college.

I’ve spent the last several years penning books between Alaska, Montana and my hometown of Sloughhouse, California. I am deeply enthralled with the geology of the west and the great writers and scientists that have been influenced by the University of Montana. I look forward to the time with my classmates and professors and hope that through this program I can help humanity to appear as more than just a brief oil slick in the geologic record. When I’m not busy researching my thesis, I also plan to unravel the mystery of why hay bales are rolled in some states and packed squarely in others.

Meet Your Peers: Breeana Laughlin

2010-07-16T12:20:00.000-07:00

As a child, I loved to explore, swim and play, and today, you can find me doing much of the same.

I still revel in the simple things in life and want to explore and learn as much as I can.

Journalism is the ideal career to feed my curiosity because it puts me in new situations. It inspires me when I meet people from all walks of life and challenges me to present each story with the care it deserves.

I got my undergrad degrees at the University of Washington, where I majored in journalism and Community and Environmental Planning. Since then, I've worked at weekly and daily newspapers in Washington and California. I also worked at an Internet company, Care2.com, writing campaigns for nonprofit organizations. Right now, I have a weekly article with the Missoulian, and I'm an intern at the Outdoor Writers Association of America. I'm thrilled to be part of the Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism program and excited for all of the opportunities that come with it.

I was born in Montana, and although I've spent most of my life away from the state, I've always considered it home. Now that I'm back, I'm happy to be close to my grandparents in Polson. Besides outdoor activities, I like going out to dance and finding the places that give Missoula its charm. I also spend a lot of time being entertained by my dog Boomer.

Meet Your Peers: Taryn Chuter

2010-07-13T12:45:00.001-07:00

Hello. I'm Taryn Chuter and I am a 22 year-old native of Corvallis Montana.

Unlike many others, I cannot say that I have always had a desire to be a writer, nor have I ever particularly enjoyed sitting down to "just write". On top of that, I'm a bad speller. For me, journalism is an art, and that is something I have been attracted to for most of my life. Everything from the poetic flow of a beautiful lead, to the crisp design of a page, to the dramatic pop of color in a well organized photo attracts me, and I cannot wait to peruse it further.

Being possibly the youngest member of my program, I am thrilled to be surrounded by peers that I can learn from (and try to keep up with).

I recently graduated from Gonzaga University with a BA in Journalism and am excited to be back in my home state. I began my college career in 2006 at the University of Montana, running track and studying biology. I started dipping into journalism classes when I decided to follow a childhood dream of attending a Jesuit school. While I did miss my friends and teammates at UM, I am grateful for the inspiration and support I received as a member of the GU community. I applied for this program because I wanted to fuse my old passion for biology and nature with my new found love of journalism, particularly editing and photography. I am also interested in learning some more about broadcast, as soon as my public speaking skills improve (fingers crossed).

As is typical of my generation, here are a few things about me:
- I enjoy snowboarding, rock climbing, ballet, Griz football, 30 Rock, country music, pageants, watercolor, the Bitterroot River, roasted red pepper, and becoming the most well-rounded person I possibly can.
- I do not enjoy cilantro. But that's about it.
- About once a month I debate dropping out and going to culinary school. Then I order a pizza.
- I'm working on developing an inside voice.
- This summer, I may have discovered a new species of insect. More on that later.
- I firmly believe that if you work hard enough, you can achieve absolutely anything. On that same note, I'm never without at least 2 backup plans.

Thank you for reading. I can't wait to meet you all this fall.

PS: I have embedded several AP Style mistakes. See if you can find them all.

Meet Your Peers: Jason Kauffman

2010-07-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, my name is Jason Kauffman. I am currently working as a freelance outdoors and environmental writer and photographer here in Missoula. I’m really excited to get started on our program this fall. I’m happy to be a part of a new program that’s attracted people with such varied backgrounds—I’m certain that we’ll learn a lot from each other over the course of the next two years. I chose the University of Montana’s environmental journalism program in large part because of its wonderful location in western Montana. That, as well as the school’s strong forestry, wildlife and environmental science programs, will make for an interesting education.

For the most part, my work as a journalist has focused on topics like endangered wildlife, the management of public lands, the preservation of wildlands, backcountry and adventure travel, food and sustainable living. Until last fall, I was the environmental-public lands reporter for the Idaho Mountain Express, a small mountain town newspaper in Sun Valley. I really enjoyed my work there. It placed me front and center on controversial issues like the recovery of gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, how we manage wildfires here in the West and salmon and steelhead restoration.

Before becoming an environmental journalist about seven years ago I worked a number of odd jobs, including wildland firefighter, whitewater rafting guide, cannery worker in western Alaska and handyman at a backcountry lodge next to Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming. I like to think that these jobs have influenced my work as an environmental journalist.

My hope is that this program will strengthen my credentials as a freelance environmental writer and photographer. I’ve already done some coverage on environmental issues during my travels both here at home and abroad and hope to do much more in the future.

Beyond my work as a staff writer, I’ve also been published in Backpacker Magazine, Newwest.net, Sun Valley Magazine, The Idaho Statesman, the Twin Falls Times-News and a number of other publications. In my free time, I like to hike, backpack, fly-fish, mountain bike, trail run, grow my own vegetables and cook with my wife, Elizabeth.

Have a great summer and see you all this fall!

Meet Your Peers: Meredith Gibbs

2010-07-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

My name is Meredith Gibbs. While I was not born in Whitefish, Montana, I do feel that it is truly my hometown. I was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When I was seven years old, my family moved to a town just outside of Yellowstone National Park, eventually relocating to outside of Glacier National Park. My childhood was spent exploring the fields, forests, and mountains outside my house, playing never ending "Oregon trail" pretend games. Ever since then, I have not truly been comfortable anywhere away from the mountains. Living in northwestern Montana for the greater portion of my life has taught me to love sunshine when I see it, to embrace the snowy winters, and to swim in frigid mid-June lakes.

I recently completed my undergraduate career, receiving a degree in English Education. Now, after spending a full year with the crazy kids and their hormones, I am thinking about taking some time until I hop back into the educational pool! I am returning to Missoula for a fresh jump into new and old areas of interest. I am positive by the end of my time in Missoula, I will have much more to teach the kids, whenever it is I am ready to return to them.

In addition to hiking, skiing, and swimming (all things Montana), I also enjoy writing, reading, painting, and sewing silly hats.

Meet Your Peers: Tim Kukes

2010-07-11T14:30:00.001-07:00

Well, let's see if I can give some reasonable information about myself without making this sound like a dating profile. I graduated from Central Washington University in the winter of 2008 with a degree in geography. During the last two years of my undergraduate career, I got the opportunity to be on the staff of the Observer – Central's weekly student newspaper. This experience created a love for writing for other people. In addition, I have worked at several jobs over the course of the last ten years that have involved natural resources.

I believe there is a magic in what we call the environment or nature. No hocus-pocus; just a pervading sense of rightness with the world. Nature is balance. It goes with the flow and it works with what is has. It doesn't surprise me that people feel a calmness or sense of being at one with themselves when in the woods or mountains. Nature provides an example of being.

You can even see it driving across Eastern Washington on I-90. A landscape that many would describe as desolate still catches my eye. Large expanses of land dotted by sagebrush or farm fields, broken by a periodic outcropping of basalt is the theme of this area. Yet you can't help but be drawn into the solidness of it all. There is a feeling of permanence to it that I find grounding.

And that is what has drawn me to pursue a graduate degree in journalism. It is a way to do something I love while paying homage to the natural environment we live in. I keep having the recurring idea that the health of a society is reflected in the health of the environment it lives in – both natural and cultural. That is what I want to talk about.

So if the above three paragraphs don't tell you I am something of a romantic, then I do not know what will. In addition to writing and being outdoors I enjoy reading, eating out, traveling, and exploring new places. I am also an avid gamer, mostly rpg's – both computer and tabletop – but I also enjoy various tabletop strategy games.

I view this move to Missoula and the University of Montana as an opportunity, not only to further myself academically, but to develop myself as a human being through the experiences I will have there. I am looking forward to it and to meeting you all.

Meet Your Peers: Carmen Daye Irish

2009-06-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

"There is so much to be inspired by. And for this reason, photojournalism is the heartbeat of photography for me. Photography may be selective, but in a mysterious way it manages to incorporate what is outside the frame, before and after. There is no beginning and no end. In a world that I endlessly seek to understand and describe, it is in this instant of a photograph where I most often find the deepest meaning of life.

"I have spent hours upon hours in attics and museums, lost in time, while elbow deep in boxes of old photographs and archives. I have always been amazed by the powerful impact photography makes on my perception of humanity through the lenses of the photographer, the photographed, and myself, the viewer. This dynamic relationship has created such an excitement for storytelling, and I believe it to be both an honor and privilege to share the stories of people who otherwise might not be heard. I strongly believe in its ability to increase social awareness, and for this reason I am pursuing higher education within the field of journalism.

"For the last three years I have lived in Paradise Valley outside of Livingston, Mont., where I have worked as community and arts editor for the Livingston Enterprise, a fly-fishing guide, associate photographer for Montana Wedding Photographer, and have started a photography business that concentrates on wedding, product and editorial photography. I am a 26-year-old Montana native who loves the mountains and rivers, traveling, drinking wine, eating sushi, and of course, photographing it all!"

Meet Your Peers: Cody Bloomsburg

2009-06-23T08:46:00.000-07:00

"Don't worry. I don't live on a compound or anything. The picture was taken after I finished an interview with some Idaho Army National Guardsmen. As it turns out, the government will let you hold a machine gun as long as you promise you're a good American. I grew up watching too much G.I. Joe, so I couldn't turn down a chance to put on my war face.

"I'm Cody Bloomsburg and I currently write for the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello.

"This is my first gig as a reporter. The short version of my story is I quit a job managing an insulation company and moved across the state because the managing editor of this paper said there was a chance I could do a little writing for them.

"After I moved to Pocatello, I didn't have anything better to do so I just kept showing up in the newsroom every day and asking to do stories. I don't have any formal training in journalism, but now that I've been here for 6 months I at least have a vague idea about how this business works.

"I'm from Lewiston, Idaho. Other than brandishing automatic weapons and wearing rock & roll t-shirts, I try to spend my time fishing, hunting, brewing beer or painting with watercolors.

"All of that is true except for the part about watercolors — I've never enjoyed painting.

"I look forward to meeting you all soon."

Meet Your Peers: Tetona Dunlap

2009-06-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

"My name is Tetona Dunlap and I a member of the Eastern Shoshone tribe from the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. I graduated from Creighton University in 2004 with my bachelors in journalism. I am also a 2003 graduate of the American Indian Journalism Institute. I have had the opportunity to intern at several newspapers. I have interned at the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; The Associated Press in Seattle; The Lincoln Journal Star in Lincoln, Nebraska and The Washington Post. I worked at the Kansas City Star in Kansas City, Missouri for three years as a photojournalist. I currently freelance for my local hometown newspapers the Lander Journal and the Riverton Ranger, as well as Reznetnews.org. My decision to attend graduate school stems from a desire to gain more knowledge and skills in the journalism world. It is my hope that by attending Montana I can learn about all aspects of journalism such as writing, editing, video, radio, in addition to continuing with photojournalism."

Meet Your Peers: Brandy Kiger

2009-06-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

"Hello everyone! My name is Brandy Kiger. I was born and raised in North Carolina, and have been trying to get out of this state (as beautiful and wonderful as it is) for as long as I can remember, so I'm super excited to be moving to Montana this fall. I fell in love with Montana the moment I stepped off the plane in October 2008, and saw it in all its blustery early winter glory. My only fears about moving there are frostbite and grizzly bears. Other than that, I think it's golden.

I'm 24 years old and I love to laugh. I'm a very happy person, and when I'm excited about something most everyone else knows it, too. I think joy is one of the greatest gifts of this life, and I've been given an extra measure. I find it comes in handy, especially when the rest of the world seems to be falling apart. For fun, I dance (albeit badly), play guitar, write, hike, and am an all around river rat. I love being outdoors, especially if I can be on or near the water. Sun + Water + Hammock/Raft = an excellent life. I finished my undergrad degree at Western Carolina University in 2006,with a B.A. in English (Professional Writing) and a minor in Art. That fall I started teaching high school as a lateral entry teacher, and began working on my M.A. in English at WCU in 2007. I just complete that degree in May, and will have my teaching license by August. This is my last degree, I swear. (Except for maybe that doctorate ... but who's counting?)

"Over the past few years, I've been (in no particular order, and sometimes at the same time), a waitress, a teacher, a full-time student, a trip leader on the Nantahala River, a wedding coordinator/planner/caterer/photographer, an editor, and a writer. I've also gotten the opportunity to live in Spain and travel through France and most of the East Coast. I love traveling and opening myself up to new experiences and immersing myself in culture. I think we can only truly love people by getting to know them and accepting who they are, and it's my mission in life to try to love everyone I meet -- and yes, sometimes I fail miserably, but at least I try!

"Right now, I hope to work for an outdoors magazine and also photograph weddings once I graduate, but I learned a long time ago that when you make plans, God laughs, so I'm up for pretty much anything at this point. I think it's going to be a pretty awesome ride. I'm super excited to meet you guys, and I totally intend on having you over for dinner sometime! I love to cook, so if you're ever hungry, just come to my house!"

Meet Your Peers: Neil LaRubbio (and a friend)

2009-06-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Neil with his dog, Winsten Dan

"Six years have passed since my undergraduate studies, but they have been the most transformative and enriching of my life. I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, to blue-collar Slovak and Italian American lineages. My parents raised my three brothers and me in Houston, Texas, through the energy boom of the 1980s and 90s. These rather enjoyable years in suburbia familiarized me with tales of middle-America yet coaxed my mind to dream of exodus.

"In 2003, I graduated from the University of Texas as a film major, but a ramble through Europe after high school had convinced me that the world was vast, complex and in need of my explorations before I could adequately write about it. Since then, I have been a night porter in Yellowstone, a log home chinker, plumber, hospital chef and wildland firefighter in Montana, a foreign language instructor in the Czech Republic and South Korea, a sailor through the New York canal system and a ranch hand in Hawaii. During these years, I recorded the many people and places in tales of fiction and nonfiction.

"Montana, its wild spaces and culture, rooted in my heart the moment I stepped into its borders. I married here last summer to Jessica, who is a grower of organic produce and involved in local agricultural movements. We explore the forests and rivers together with our Australian cattle dog, Winsten Dan.

"Through my graduate work, I hope to establish myself within the professional world of journalism. I believe that UM’s J-School is uniquely positioned to influence the shape of our emerging media channels and to help guide the success of our future press. After six years away from academia, I am happy to be back in its halls.

"There are countless stories to scribe."

Meet Your Peers: Gillette Vaira

2009-06-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

"Growing up in Lambert, Montana, I dreamed of becoming a broadcast journalist. I practiced news delivery skills by using flashlights and lint rollers as microphones. Later, with the support of my parents, Mary and Collin Vaira, I honed these communication skills through 4-H and Business Professionals of America, where I was successful in public speaking contests. As an undergraduate, I interned at KULR-8 Television, which further reconfirmed my goal to pursue broadcast journalism.

I graduated from Montana State University Billings in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and a minor in International Studies. I have interned with the National 4-H Council in Washington, D.C. and the March of Dimes in Billings, Montana. I aspire to work as a broadcast journalist for a national news network and then move into public relations."

Meet Your Peers: Passang Norbu

2009-06-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

"Hi everyone. I am Passang Norbu, an avid basketball player, born in 1982 in a small town called Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan.

Although raised in Bhutan, I graduated in Commerce from Brihan Maharastra College of commerce in Pune, India. I joined the the National Newspaper Organization ‘Kuensel’ in 2006, and within a few months I was posted as the paper's correspondent for southern Bhutan, covering politics, economics, youth and sports. My home for two years was Phuentsholing, also known as Bhutan’s commercial hub, on the border with India.

Besides producing the occasional scoop about issues and impacts of development and writing profiles of the rural populace and vanishing traditional practices, I enjoyed traveling and meeting different people while in pursuit of agood story. Working with local communities in rural areas, a childhood interest, led to many interesting and pertinent stories that publicized their conditions.

In the year 2008, Bhutan became the youngest democracy in the world, an ideal era and place for a journalist. Having covered the first-ever election in Bhutan, I contributed significantly to the democratization process of Bhutan.

I am really looking forward to an interesting phase in life when I will be joining the University of Montana to pursue my Masters in Journalism. I believe that the experience and knowledge I will gain at Montana will prepare me for this formidable responsibility. How well a democracy succeeds depends, you’d agree, on how well the media succeeds in Bhutan."

Meet Your Peers: Rebecca Malewitz

2008-08-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

“I like to think of my home state of Michigan as the hi-five to the Midwest. Growing up in the mitten shaped state has given me several very important things: my amazing family (mom, dad, and three brothers), an unparalleled love for the Detroit Tigers, and the ability to show people where my hometown is located just by pointing to my hand.

“My experience with photography began as a kid when I got my first camera using points from saving macaroni and cheese UPC’s. It was a 110mm film bright orange camera with a dinosaur sticker. (I’m almost positive they called him Cheeseasaurus Rex and that he probably lives down the street from the Kool-Aid Man.) Other than that, I had a typical childhood and high school was a bit awkward, so let’s just skip that part.

"I started college in the fall of 2003 at Valparaiso University in northwest Indiana. I spent a lot of time “on air” at the campus radio station as a DJ, news anchor, and sports broadcaster, but the campus newspaper was my true home away from home during my college years. I was the assistant photo editor my junior year and the photo editor my senior year. My four years at Valpo also contained a couple of Habitat for Humanity trips, weekend excursions into Chicago, an attempt at ghost hunting, and a lot of other stuff that can be explained after people have met me and embraced my weirdness.

“It’s been a year since I graduated from Valpo, and living at home and working in retail trying to save money was not so fun. On the bright side, I’ve become even more determined to have a career as a photographer. I really appreciate everything my parents have done for me, and working at a clothing store has given me excellent clothes folding skills which came in handy when I moved from Michigan to Montana. I should add that my guinea pig Ollie also made the trip to Missoula. His life story could probably summed up by his love for carrots, lettuce, and the Def Leppard song Photograph. (I swear I’m not making the last one up.)

“So that’s pretty much my life story minus some boring parts and a few embarrassing moments that I choose to block out. My best friend summarized me once by saying, ‘If your camera and I fell off the edge of a cliff and you had to save one of us, I'm pretty sure you would pick me, but you would have think about it first.’ I’m a little unclear of the meaning or her remark, but choose to assume it as positive.”

Welcome to the University of Montana

2008-08-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

On behalf of the School of Journalism, welcome to UM and grad school. I've designed this site to help you learn about each other and the program, so I hope you find it useful. You'll need to register with Blogger.com if you want to comment on the posts, but that's easy and it helps keep the spammers at bay.

If you haven't submitted a photo and biographical blurb, please do so. We're eager to get to know you.

Meet Your Peers: Kip Sikora

2008-08-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

“I was born and partly raised in Texas, and while I proudly claim my home state for the likes of Townes, Willie and BBQ, I denounce it for anything having to do with the fortunate son in the Oval Office. I moved to Missoula last summer after spending two and a half years in Saraguro, Ecuador, with the Peace Corps, and before that, I lived in New Mexico, where I settled down for a spell after six months in Central America following graduation from college. I did my undergraduate work in Sewanee, Tenn., where I studied religion and anthropology, but it was Guatemala in particular that really turned me on to photography, as it seemed there were manifestations of these fields in even the most ordinary moments.

“Photojournalists/journalists/travel writers I admire include Steve McCurry, Seanie Blue, James Natchwey and Eric Hansen. Thanks to Netflix, I have stuck my foot into the documentary pool recently, and while there is a lot of good stuff on there, two of my favorites have been ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye’ and ‘A Place Called Chiapas.’ The fusion of fine art, travel photography and photojournalism, especially as it relates to immigration and Latino issues, interests me quite a bit. I look forward to meeting y’all and learning a lot more about photographic technique and the profession of photojournalism.”

Meet Your Peers: Adrienne Barnett

2008-08-12T08:27:00.001-07:00

“My name is Adrienne Barnett and I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. I started taking photographs my freshmen year of high school and have continued shooting until the present.

“While an undergrad at The University of Texas, my biggest fear was that I was going to wind up in a job where I sat in a cubicle. My other great fears were having cockroaches, eating mayonnaise and owning furniture. So, after I graduated, I began my quest to avoid all of those things.

“My adventure began when I moved to London, where I learned that cockroaches are nonexistent and mayonnaise is even more prevalent in Europe than it is in the United States. After living and traveling overseas, my visa ran out and I returned home.

“During the next few years I was working part time for wedding/event photographers, and working retail while living at home with my parents. After hours of surfing the Web, I finally landed a photo internship at Glimmerglass Opera in upstate New York. When the internship was over, I ended up right back home in San Antonio with my parents.

“Two months later, I decided I did not want to turn 25 while living with my folks. Moving to NYC and living on my friend’s sofa sounded like a much better idea. So I did.

“Shortly after my arrival in NYC, my luck changed. I found a roommate and she knew of a job as a photo assistant for two theater photographers. So, for the next two years I worked in NYC and life was good. Eventually, I started to conquer my fear of owning furniture. I think this was due to living in an 8 X 10 bedroom and essentially having no personal possessions.

“I ended up moving to Austin, Texas, and there I began to figure out my photography goals and I started my own business. The past few years have definitely been an adventure involving weddings and portraiture.

“However, I realized I wanted to get back to photojournalism. The University of Montana is giving me opportunity to follow this dream. On this adventure, I am bringing my own dishes and a bed. I hear there are no cockroaches.”

Meet Your Peers: Laura Lundquist

2008-08-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

“My primary passion in life has always been nature and wild places. Growing up in Montana, I spent a lot of time in the unpopulated spaces near Bozeman. As a Campfire Girl, I not only learned camping skills but an appreciation for the forest and its inhabitants. When my professional life saw me living in large cities (Chicago, San Francisco) and working in technical jobs (scientist, airline pilot), I felt something was missing. The opportunity to get away to the wilderness brought me back home to Montana where doing what I can to preserve wild places has become a personal mission.

“My other passion is music. I played flute and saxophone during my secondary education and later joined community bands. I always enjoyed Irish music but, until seven years ago, it had not occurred to me that I could play it. Irish music is characterized by a particular style that I needed to learn. Even with my classical training and experience, I have felt like a beginner as I work to develop the style. But it has become an obsession and I play whistle and flute in Irish sessions every chance I get. I have also been inspired to learn fiddle.”

Meet Your Peers: Melissa Jensen

2008-08-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

“My name is Melissa Jensen. I’m a 1998 U of M graduate in broadcast journalism. I return to Missoula, rather unexpectedly, after spending the last 10 years working in various television newsrooms. I’ve done just about everything there is to do, from reporting to assignment editing to managing the newsroom. But my passion is producing and anchoring newscasts. I have a wonderful husband and an amazing 2-year-old boy. My husband was offered a job in Missoula last fall to do a job he loves for State Farm Insurance. So here we are… and the stars aligned to bring me back to U of M. I’m excited to get back into the classroom and further develop and expand my skills. My husband will be the first to tell you that I miss the day to day stress, deadlines and frantic atmosphere of being in a newsroom. It’s a great job that I love and I do miss. But I have no doubt there will be plenty more of that to go around once classes begin!”

Meet Your Peers: Drew Vetere

2008-08-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

“I am Andrew Vetere, but you can call me Drew. I grew up in a small, coastal town in Massachusetts called West Newbury. I recently (May 15, 2008) graduated from St. Michael’s College in Vermont where I majored in journalism and mass communications with a concentration in language and linguistics. This past year I held the position of outdoors editor for the school newspaper. As a sophomore I was an intern with the Eastern Ski Writers Association where I travelled to different ski areas on the East Coast and created articles for different forms of media.

"During my junior year I lived and studied in New Zealand for the year at the University of Otago. I often think about my time in New Zealand.Skiing, surfing and stirring the rad pot are my passions. I like adventures. I hope to include my passion for the outdoors and travel into my life and career path. I look forward to meeting and getting to know my colleagues at the University of Montana and hope this year brings a lot of snow!”

Meet Your Peers: Kelly Rothlisberger

2008-08-11T12:24:00.000-07:00

“I was born and raised in Evergreen, Colo. My passions include hiking, snowboarding, running, Frisbee, and pretty much anything outdoors. I have played the highland bagpipes for over 13 years and have traveled around the world competing with them. Through playing the bagpipes I became involved with St. Andrews Presbyterian College in North Carolina. While there I worked for The St. Andrews Press department where I discovered and pursued my true interests in writing, editing and publishing. This summer I plan on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which I hope will produce many adventures to write about in the future.”

Meet Your Peers: James Grant

2008-08-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

“I was born and raised outside Denver, Colo., and in 2002 graduated from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., with a bachelor’s degree in natural resources. Since college I have held a variety of jobs that have not only kept me outdoors and challenged me physically, but have also immersed me in rural America. The work, little of which has directly pertained to my education in geology and forestry, has been largely agricultural- farming, ranching, and training horses.

“Most recently, I leased a ranch north of Dallas, Texas, where I established and ran a horse training business. I was there for four years, learned much of the trade and the land, and am now quite ready for the cooler Northern climes.

“Drawing from my education and my experience within the natural world, I intend to pursue environmental journalism.”

Meet Your Peers: Michael Webster

2008-08-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

"Hello, I’m Michael Webster. I grew up in an old gold mining town in the Sierra foothills of Northern California. My childhood was spent in the surrounding woods fostering a love of the outdoors and exploration. Fascinated by human anatomy and physiology, I earned my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2002 from Gordon College, just outside of Boston, Mass. After two years of ski-bumming in the winter, attending friends’ weddings seemingly full-time in the summer, and collecting a few stamps in my passport, I moved to Bozeman, Mont., in 2004. Primarily out of convenience and lack of a better plan, I earned a master’s degree in exercise physiology at Montana State in 2007.

"Many people are surprised that I’m making the change to journalism, but I’m a big believer in striving for a “D-plus” knowledge of the universe. It’s the idea of having a passable understanding-- or at least a vague comprehension-- of everything. I have too many interests to pigeonhole myself into a career limited in scope, so I’m excited about journalism’s potential to promote my love of researching and learning about many topics and then sharing those stories. I think any subject can be fascinating if its story is well told. I’m excited to move to Missoula and learn how to write those stories while enjoying an active, outdoor lifestyle in another Montana mountain town. My other hobbies include cycling, hiking, camping, photography, and, when I get a chance, scuba diving."

Meet Your Peers: Cate Oliver

2008-08-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

“Hello, hello I am Cate Oliver. I'm 23 years old and was born and raised in Rock Springs, Wyo. Eighteen years there was much too many, and my desperation to get out brought me to Spokane, Wash., to attend school at Gonzaga University. I studied broadcasting and general business there and graduated last May. I was lucky enough to study abroad my junior year in Florence, Italy. Throughout those nine months I learned more about humanity, our world and myself than I could have EVER imagined! I visited so many different countries and experienced such diversity in each of them, and that experience changed the way I look at the world.

“I (obviously) love traveling and embrace extraordinary adventures. Occasionally this sense of adventure gets me in trouble, but it always develops great stories and memories! I dig the outdoors and outdoor activities (snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, biking, running…) which is part of the reason I came to Missoula.

“Music is also something I am very passionate about. When I am stressed, anxious, or just down there is nothing more soothing than putting on a great vinyl or sitting down and strumming my guitar. My summer plans basically involve attending various concerts and festivals, and spending time at the Gorge.”