Frank Sinatra Had The Right Idea

By Lauren Smith (Los Angeles, CA)

“Start spreading the news. I’m leaving today. I want to be a part of it. New York! New York!” -New York by Frank Sinatra

I seriously tried to suppress the urge to break out into song as we walked down the street into Times Square, and if it weren’t for a minor cold, I probably would have. We were in New York, for Pete’s sake! I was so excited! I’m from Los Angeles, which is a major city in itself, so some people would probably wonder why I was so thrilled to be in another big city. The best way I can explain it would probably be that I was just as excited to see the actual steps where they filmed Glee in New York and the Good Morning America studio as someone who would be to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Man’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood (which is actually a train ride away from my neighborhood). 

The sites were not the only incredible part of this brief trip. It was also great to compare and contrast the different major news publications. We went to the New York Times, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, and New York magazine. After our visits I realized that if I were to be a part of the journalism industry, I would love to be a magazine journalist. The magazine industry seems to be, in all honesty, a lot more fun. The offices are open and lively and there seems to be a freedom to be really creative in all aspects of the publication process, from reporting to print.

We also went on an investigation that day. We split into groups and went to survey several local pharmacies about their knowledge of the new policies surrounding Plan B One Step. The FDA previously had regulations stating that anyone over 17 can get the Plan B pill with an ID, but anyone under the age had to have a prescription. Now, the new policies state that a woman of “child bearing age” can get the pill. My group was chosen to go to the Bronx. My group was awesome and dynamic (shout out to Bianca, Marin, and Shemaiah!). We put all our investigative knowledge to good use and the findings and reactions were really interesting.

Besides the hot muggy subway and its rather large rats (I actually saw a few), New York was a great experience. It was amazing to see the lights and the sights. I left the city that night wondering if I could visualize myself there, interning at Newsweek. But you never know, maybe Sinatra and I will be singing the same song someday.