Express Yourself

Casey Parks is a graduate student in journalism at the University of Missouri. She recently won a contest sponsored by the NY Times. The award was a trip to Africa with journalist Nicholas D. Kristof.

This week the NY Times is offering a free trial of their Times Select feature which can be found on line. Click here to read Casey Park's blog postings that discuss her trip with Kristof.

Below is an excerpt from her September 27 post. The written word is powerful. Consider taking a writing or journalism class to improve your skills as an author. The world needs our votes and our voices.
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Casey Parks
On the Ground with Nicholas D. Kristof
The Unknown Story

I keep thinking about the stories I didn’t write.

There wasn’t time, I tell myself, and really, there wasn’t. We had so many bad roads to drive to get to the next place. And it takes time even just to start one story. We’d pull off a red clay road, randomly, and walk up to a village, waving and saying hello.
Those first few moments always scared me the most. “Okay,” I’d tell myself. “Speak French; speak French.”

Everyone in those countries shakes hands, often using both of their hands. I shook so many sweaty, work-hardened hands. I shook the hands of people I never really spoke to beyond “Bonjour.” I felt them envelop my one small hand with two of theirs. Soon I began shaking with both of my hands, too.