Um...Well...I...I am at a loss for words.
It all started out innocently enough. A field trip to the Medical Examiner's office to learn what public records were available to us there, and how we could go about obtaining them. Sounds great!
Vernard Adams, Chief Medical Examiner for Hillsborough County, spoke to us in board room setting. Innocent.
Dick Bailey lead my half of the group around the facilities to show us how they operate. Innocent...
No! Not at all innocent.
As we made our way through the actual morgue unit, an eerie air crept over the group.
You could almost reach out and grab a handful of the uneasiness that hovered around us.
The first sense of that feeling came as we entered the cooler where the bodies were stored. Fortunately there were no bodies, but it was an awkward foreshadowing of what was to come.
As we exited that cooler, Bailey slipped a key card from his side. He swiped it over a scanner and two metal doors slid open, allowing us access to what, three days later, is still vividly playing in the theater of my mind.
Through a few more doors we came to the morgue. At first it seemed empty, but looking to my left I noticed an operating table complete with tiny chunks of what could only be human meat particles...oh and yes a red watery substance that trickled down to the drainage hole at the bottom.
We continued on, thinking we had made it passed the gore.
Then...there it was!
Like a scene from one of the famous Saw movies, a body lie torn apart on a gurney. Its rib cage sliced open and pulled aside, revealing an empty chest cavity. It looked like a fresh kill you might see on the Discovery Channel.
My gaze moved up toward the head, revealing an even worse horror. The skin of the man's (from what I could tell it was a man in his early 60's) face had been peeled from its skull and lay in a mess, covering the chin area.
The skull and brain seemed to have been removed, as though the victim had the innards of his head sucked out by a powerful vacuum.
Bailey continued on as though the elephant in the room was not there.
Gasps and groans could be heard from the group, but no one appeared to want to be the first to speak up about their disgust.
Mercifully we were lead away, into the safe haven, or so we thought, of the x-ray room.
As Bailey informed us of how the room operated, a mad scientist (at least that's how he looked in my mind) waltzed through the door. He may as well have been whistling while he worked with that sly grin.
It was not him that was unnerving, but what he was carrying. In his left hand he held the cap of what looked like a skull, complete with various substances dripping from it.
He quickly apologized, claiming he didn't realize we were in there. This was clearly a lie.
Again Bailey wrapped up his speech as though this were all routine and then lead us back out into the den of horrors.
One last time we scampered passed the remains of the poor soul that lie sprawled across the cold, plastic table.
Finally out into the fresh air, I was able to catch my breath again.
Unfortunately the traumatic nature of that situation left me unable to grasp any of the public records concepts that were the ultimate goal of the trip.
I did however take one public records anecdote with me. Autopsy photos are not available as public record, yet Bailey and his associates had no problem leading us into the depths of their strange lair, hiding nothing.
I spent the rest of that day trying to shake the image of that sliced up cadaver. I kept wondering what happened to him.
Was he the victim of a homicide? Did he perish in a terrible car accident? I guess if I really wanted to I could go back there and request the records on him, but I am not going near that place again unless absolutely necessary.
What a strange day. My advice to you: If you are ever in a class that offers a field trip to the medical examiner's office, call in sick that day.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Cheryl McCoy: The real McCoy
Growing up, librarians were the enemy. They were cold, harsh, and heartless and only wanted to ruin the lives of children.
As the years went by though, that opinion changed. They became crucial tools in the completion of my goal of earning a bachelor's degree.
Until just recently, however, I never knew how truly important a librarian would be in my schooling and in my future career.
As a journalist I aspire to do great things. Great things, however, can not be obtained without great people at your side.
No matter how much we want to think that we can make it in this world all alone, there will always be people that help us through from time to time.
Cheryl McCoy, Coordinator of Collection at the University of South Florida Library, is one of those helpers.
As sat down, during our recent excursion to the USF library, for McCoy's presentation, I fully expected to be bored to tears. In the end I left the room confident and ready to take on the world (of journalism).
In Public Affairs Reporting we have been taught numerous methods of obtaining public records. We have been bombarded with places from which to obtain these records. It has been enlightening, yet thoroughly overwhelming.
McCoy acted as a lifesaver that day. She had compiled all of the online sources available to use into one place.
"Sometimes you find everything, sometimes you find nothing," McCoy said.
Was she unaware of how much easier she had made it for us to find "everything"?
Until that day I had been struggling a big with my profile assignment that asks us to profile a public figure by researching and compiling public records about them. It has been a battle, but McCoy had just handed me the weapon that I needed to win.
We have heard a lot about people being difficult to deal with. McCoy re-instilled my faith in the human ability to go out of their way to help other. She didn't have to do this for us, but she did and we are now only a few clicks away from all of the information that has been tossed at us all semester.
She cited everything from hillsclerk.com, where we can locate documents on a person's civil transgressions, all the way to google newspaper archives which allows us to find old newspaper articles that can be used to generate leads and verify information.
So to sum it up, Cheryl McCoy, I salute you. Thank you sincerely!
As the years went by though, that opinion changed. They became crucial tools in the completion of my goal of earning a bachelor's degree.
Until just recently, however, I never knew how truly important a librarian would be in my schooling and in my future career.
As a journalist I aspire to do great things. Great things, however, can not be obtained without great people at your side.
No matter how much we want to think that we can make it in this world all alone, there will always be people that help us through from time to time.
Cheryl McCoy, Coordinator of Collection at the University of South Florida Library, is one of those helpers.
As sat down, during our recent excursion to the USF library, for McCoy's presentation, I fully expected to be bored to tears. In the end I left the room confident and ready to take on the world (of journalism).
In Public Affairs Reporting we have been taught numerous methods of obtaining public records. We have been bombarded with places from which to obtain these records. It has been enlightening, yet thoroughly overwhelming.
McCoy acted as a lifesaver that day. She had compiled all of the online sources available to use into one place.
"Sometimes you find everything, sometimes you find nothing," McCoy said.
Was she unaware of how much easier she had made it for us to find "everything"?
Until that day I had been struggling a big with my profile assignment that asks us to profile a public figure by researching and compiling public records about them. It has been a battle, but McCoy had just handed me the weapon that I needed to win.
We have heard a lot about people being difficult to deal with. McCoy re-instilled my faith in the human ability to go out of their way to help other. She didn't have to do this for us, but she did and we are now only a few clicks away from all of the information that has been tossed at us all semester.
She cited everything from hillsclerk.com, where we can locate documents on a person's civil transgressions, all the way to google newspaper archives which allows us to find old newspaper articles that can be used to generate leads and verify information.
So to sum it up, Cheryl McCoy, I salute you. Thank you sincerely!
APME: A missed opportunity
by: Anthony Gaenzle
When I graduated from film school, a few years back, I was told that the contacts that I meet and keep would be the key to my success. I took that advice and I ran with it and I enjoyed a fairly decent career in the film and television industry.
Four years removed from that world, I am about to graduate with a degree in Mass Communication. My focus is news editorial, which affords one the belief that I should be jumping at every opportunity to meet with people in my field who might end up being a lifeline to a job.
With the APME Convention only one day away, I drove home to Orlando, where I live, with the intention of waking up early, doing a little pre game preparation to make myself look presentable, and then driving to St. Petersburg with high aspirations. The plan did not go as expected, and I ended up missing an excellent opportunity.
I am using this forum to express, to anyone who might read this, the importance of making contacts and not missing chances. I am sure those of you who were able to attend made the most of it, but I was unable to.
My car, actually my girlfriend's car, seems to experience issues with the transmission about every 6 months. Overconfident due to nearly 8 months with no issues, I decided to take her car to St. Pete, while she drove my car to work (my car that works 100% with no isssues, knock on wood).
Long story short, the transmission issued reared its ugly head and prevented me from making the drive. I missed out on the perfect chance to make the contacts that might just help me make a smooth transition from college to career.
The lesson that I learned is to always be prepared. If I had been prepared and taken the right automobile, the story that I am telling you now would be different.
And on top of that, I now risk earning a P - on my blog. Woe is me! So please, heed my warning and make sure that you take every opportunity that is handed to you!
When I graduated from film school, a few years back, I was told that the contacts that I meet and keep would be the key to my success. I took that advice and I ran with it and I enjoyed a fairly decent career in the film and television industry.
Four years removed from that world, I am about to graduate with a degree in Mass Communication. My focus is news editorial, which affords one the belief that I should be jumping at every opportunity to meet with people in my field who might end up being a lifeline to a job.
With the APME Convention only one day away, I drove home to Orlando, where I live, with the intention of waking up early, doing a little pre game preparation to make myself look presentable, and then driving to St. Petersburg with high aspirations. The plan did not go as expected, and I ended up missing an excellent opportunity.
I am using this forum to express, to anyone who might read this, the importance of making contacts and not missing chances. I am sure those of you who were able to attend made the most of it, but I was unable to.
My car, actually my girlfriend's car, seems to experience issues with the transmission about every 6 months. Overconfident due to nearly 8 months with no issues, I decided to take her car to St. Pete, while she drove my car to work (my car that works 100% with no isssues, knock on wood).
Long story short, the transmission issued reared its ugly head and prevented me from making the drive. I missed out on the perfect chance to make the contacts that might just help me make a smooth transition from college to career.
The lesson that I learned is to always be prepared. If I had been prepared and taken the right automobile, the story that I am telling you now would be different.
And on top of that, I now risk earning a P - on my blog. Woe is me! So please, heed my warning and make sure that you take every opportunity that is handed to you!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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