By Dioni L. Wise
The UNITY News Online

Being the new kid on the block can be hard. Here are some tips that will get UNITY newcomers through the action-packed convention.

1. KNOW THAT UNITY IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT: There will be an overwhelming amount of things to do and people to see. Don’t feel pressured to attend every workshop or party. Carefully select the activities that interest you most and govern yourself accordingly.
2. DRESS TO IMPRESS: How you present yourself says something about you. Wear your Sunday best, especially if you plan on hitting the Career Fair and Media Expo. That means heels for the ladies (optional, of course) and good ol’ ties for the men.
3. BE PREPARED: In other words, carry your business cards at all times. You never know who you’ll meet on the elevator. The editor of (insert dream organization here) could ask for your contact information and you’ll have to write it on a crusty napkin – not the best move. If you’re looking for a job, have your resumes, clips, tapes or CDs ready for handout.
4. BEHAVE YOURSELF- EYES ARE WATCHING YOU: Getting together with your friends and colleagues away from the office can be great fun, but don’t have too much fun. Be aware that people are watching you in the career fair and at the parties. UNITY is a convergence of professionals, so don’t get to loose with the Grey Goose or you’ll kicked yourself in the caboose.
5. DON’T BE SHY: Network! Network! Network! Ask those burning questions at workshops. Introduce yourself to your favorite writer or newscaster. In the words of Kool ‘n the Gang: “Get your back up off the wall.”

BONUS: HAVE AN OPEN MIND: Try new things. If you only dance to rave music, go salsa at the NAHJ Fiesta . Attend a Flash workshop if you’re only familiar with writing. We’re all here to learn from one another.

By CHANTAL DE LA RIONDA
The Unity News Online

About the Takeaway: In this feature, UNITY News Online takes to the streets to uncover which famous Chicago eateries have earned their reputations, and which ones should be put to rest. The second article in the series is Chicago’s delis .

On to our next challenge: the famous Chicago delis. The “Second City” is just as recognized for its mile-high deli sandwiches, as it is for the mustached natives who prepare them.

Perry's Deli attracts customers as ecclectic as its decor.

In fact, we didn’t think it would do justice to visit just one deli, as often the culture of north and south sandwich preparation has a tendency to vary.

While the congenial staff at Perry’s Deli on 174 N. Franklin is surrounded by high rise business buildings, the famous Manny’s Coffee shop & Deli is located at 1141 South Jefferson- a distinctly south side neighborhood- not far from Little Italy’s Taylor Street.

To be completely fair (this is, after all, a highly scientific study), I ordered the same sandwich in both locations, hoping not only to compare northside vs. south side sandwiches, but to explore the culture and differences between the two establishments. I was not disappointed.

Perry's is a lunchtime standard, where friendly conversation is welcome, so long as it's not on a cell phone.

Walking into Perry’s Deli, you’ll find white-collared businessmen taking advantage of their expense accounts, while sitting directly across from laborers on a short break from a hard day of construction. And regardless of the figures of your income, Perry employees will not hesitate to blast an alarm if they catch you on a cellphone. In fact, there are several signs posted along the waiting line walls warning against cellphone usage, as well as a scrolling marquee over the service counter which reads “Malts work better than Viagra.”

Since this was my first visit to a real Chicago deli, I was a overwhelmed by the choices available. While I enjoy the occasional steak, what was promised by Perry’s three-decker sandwich was nothing short of a side of cow.

Boris, the former pro soccer player who purchased the deli from Perry in 2003, instantly recognized my hesitance and narrowed my options from 30 variations to three. I eventually ordered

With orders stacked this high, it's no wonder female customers' sandwiches are half doggy bagged before they even get to the cashier.

As I forked over my eight bucks for a meal- which included a side and sizable pickle- Boris, in his jovial Russian accent assured me I had made the right choice. That was just before he dramatically hacked my sandwich in half and delicately placed a portion of it into a paper bag — a custom which apparently has carried over from it’s original owner as a courtesy to all female patrons.

My extremely positive (and filling!) experience was replicated in the southside cafeteria of Manny’s Coffeeshop and Deli, where an assembly line of jokesters throw slings and jabs as expertly as they do salami slices.

While I was expecting to find a different atmosphere at Manny’s, I again noticed that promises of a

Manny's cafeteria-style line offers pasta, pastrami, and personable jokesters.

Established in 1942, Manny’s offers a free valet and talkative staff. This makes up for their slightly shorter, yet higher priced sandwiches, (with a side dish the bill comes out to about $15).

The Takeaway:

Both of these establishments fully deserve their reputations, each claiming to be the “Best Deli in Chicago.” North side Perry’s, with its helpful staff and boisterous shuffling, gets a 4.5 out of 5 for their sandwiches, while Manny’s earns a 4 out of 5, for equally delicious food (try the potato pancakes!) but higher prices.

Patrons like Terry Buckley enjoy Manny's cornbeef and pastrami sandwiches.

Chantal de la Rionda works at National Public Radio and is a mentor in the online unit of The UNITY News.

By KEVIN DU and DIONI L. WISE
The UNITY News Online

8:23 a.m.

Kevin shows up late. For what? For a date with the White Sox and an introduction to Sports Journalism 101. We’re going to spend a day at U.S. Cellular Field with the White Sox. The coordinator of the class Justice B. Hill, MLB.com editor, and our mentor Jose Miguel Romero, sports reporter for The Seattle Times, greet us with a smile. Then we meet the other students and professional sports journalists working on the class, including ESPN.com columnist J.A. Adande.

9 a.m.

We arrived at the stadium, headed into the lobby and got our all-access press passes. Woo hoo! This means all-access to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams. The White Sox 2005 World Series trophy shined in the glass display.

9:15 a.m.

Next we headed into the conference room to get tips on sports reporting form J.A. Adande. He gave tips on how to improve our game stories:

1. “It’s all about context,” he said. Quotes add context. “Don’t quote just to quote.” Quotes should mean something.
2. “Write down something you know that will or will not happen” before the game starts so you can beat deadline.
3. Be prepared to write the story in advance. What happened? Who did what? Who was the hero? Who was the villain? What are the results and consequences?
4. Find out what is at stake for the athletes and what’s next.
5. “Try and give people something different.” Try to write a sentence that you’ve never seen before.
6. Find your own voice. Incorporate what your favorite writers have done.
7. “The lede is your one shot to get someone into the story,” Adande said.
   “The first sentence is crucial.”

10:15 a.m.

Kenny Williams, White Sox general manager, stopped by to discuss the relationship between media and baseball executives. He talked about the openness of his clubhouse. There is a strict no-lying policy as far as staff communicating with the media. But he does have boundaries of accessibility. He used to be accessible at all times to the media, even if that meant lying his phone by his bedside or carrying his phone to every workout station in the gym. But now he knows to leave business alone for family time.

10:30 a.m.

Ozzie walks in - the skipper of the White Sox. Ozzie spoke in his thick Venezuelan accent about some reporters who portray him in a less-than-stellar light. He enlightened us with his pet peeves, including reporters misinterpreting his statements, inappropriately addressing his work performance and typecasting him as a horrific guy on and off the field.

He encouraged any media journalists to step into his shoes and try to do his job and see how they would react to people like themselves. He also understands that some reporters are trying to make a name for himself and herself even at his expense. Ozzie, despite the negative portrayals by some media outlets, was a cool and open guy. He allows journalists to spend a week with him to really get to know him. Even if you don’t like Ozzie’s delivery, you have to respect his honesty.

Ozzie talking to student journalists about his relationship with the media

11:45 a.m.

Ozzie leaves with a big smile on his face. What a nice guy!

Next, Kenny discussed his relationship with journalists of color. Being one of very few general managers in Major League Baseball, Kenny recognizes the few journalists of color that cover his baseball team. Initially, the journalists of color stand out from the rest because he recognizes, like him, they had to jump through some hurdles to get to their current position. Then Kenny says he treats them just like the rest - with respect.

12:15 p.m.

Food. We leave for the dining area without Kevin, who is nowhere to be found.

12:17 p.m.

Kevin appears in the dining room. We didn’t ask him where he was.

Then we did what journalists do best - eat for free. After Kevin asked Dioni to pour some syrup on his pancakes, she accidentally saturated his entire meal - complete with eggs, bacon and smoked salmon - with maple syrup. Sorry, Kevin.

12: 51 p.m.

We finally headed for work. We picked up all the game notes, stats and team rosters that anyone could ever need.

The Press box over looking the field

1:05 p.m.

Game time! The first pitch was thrown. Ozzie gets ejected in the seventh inning after arguing balls and strikes - a no-no in the baseball world. Then his White Sox score five runs to end the game with a 10-8 victory. The drama was in full effect.

U.S. Cellular Field

4:45 p.m.

Dioni talked to the White Sox as hip hop music blasted in the clubhouse. Quentin, who had two homers tonight, including the three-run homer in the eighth inning for The Sox, had his entire torso wrapped in bandages and ice.

Kevin on the other hand, went to talk to the Texas Rangers.

“They were bummed,” Kevin said. Everyone was silent.

All you could hear was the equipment being packed up and the sounds of the players chewing their dinner. “They were really bummed,” Kevin repeated.

You could easily tell pitcher Kevin Millwood, who had to be taken out of the game during the second inning because of pain in his groin, was upset.

5:15 p.m.

We have 45 minutes to write our story coverage of tonight’s game and then send them to Justice to be reviewed and critiqued. We were all nervous.

6:11 p.m.

We finally leave U.S. Cellular Field. Our day with the White Sox is over.

By GERRICK D. LEWIS
UNITY News Online
Tuesday, I had the exciting opportunity to interview actor Wendell Pierce. See, when I’m not out reporting, I’m planted in front of a TV, catching up on my favorite shows, and Pierce just happens to star in one — the brilliant, but often ignored, “The Wire.”

The HBO drama, which aired its fifth and final season earlier this year, is often regarded as one of the best on television (Sen. Barack Obama even said so himself). With its rich and complex storytelling, the series was both eye-opening and thought-provoking — not bad for a show with an alcoholic detective and a drug kingpin as main characters. Unfortunately, the show was consistently overlooked each award season.

Pierce was in Chicago this week doing a voiceover for a new documentary about Renaissance Village, the largest FEMA trailer park set up after Hurricane Katrina. When I learned he was lending himself to another Katrina documentary, I was eager to hear more about his work in the efforts to rebuild New Orleans.

Anyone who saw Spike Lee’s excellent documentary, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” couldn’t help but be moved when hearing Pierce’s firsthand account of how his parents lost their home. Observing the emotional stories had a lasting impact on me as a person of color and was a substantial reason that I wanted to take on the ambitious task of writing about New Orleans’ public school system for a different student project.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the impact Pierce would have on me as a journalist.

When the actor walked in the room and greeted the student reporters, Piece’s warmth and congeniality dissolved. As he answered questions about New Orleans, education and his efforts of rebuilding, his compassion became more and more apparent, but it was his thoughts on journalism that stood out to me.

While experts predict the gloom and doom that journalism is facing — even here at UNITY — it seemed ironic that I hear this from an actor:

“Journalism is the place where you can have an impact of making sure things of great importance get out to people. That’s a great responsibility you have as journalists.”

It’s not that his comment was particularly original, as J-school students have heard this same thing from professors, mentors, reporters and other editors. Yet, I was taken aback when I heard it from someone who doesn’t make a living in this profession. As uncertainty hangs over all of our heads I think it’s easy for us — especially those still aspiring to land that first job — to lose track of why we love this industry.

The UNITY News' Gerrick D. Lewis interviewing Pierce Wendell from HBO's

I’m curious to hear from you. What keeps you going in this profession?

Shuttle Information
Complimentary shuttle service is provided between McCormick Place West and the hotels listed below. Shuttle departs convention center on the hour and half-hour.

Hotel Route Boarding Location

Chicago City Centre 2 Side Entrance on Fairbanks

Hyatt Regency Chicago 1 Curbside on Wacker Drive

Inn of Chicago 2 Curbside on St. Clair

Sheraton Chicago 2 Curbside on Columbus Drive

Swissotel 1 Walk to Hyatt Regency Chicago

Hyatt McCormick Place 3 Curbside on MLK

Wednesday, 7/23

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Field Museum

7:00 p.m. - 7:30p.m. *From McCormick Place and Field Museum

7:00 p.m. -10 p.m. *Between hotels and Field Museum

Thursday, 7/24

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Every 30 minutes

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Every 10 - 15 minutes

9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Every 30 minutes

12:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every 20 minutes

7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Friday, 7/25

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Every 30 minutes

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Every 10-15 minutes

9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Every 30 minutes

12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Every 20 minutes

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Saturday, 7/27
6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Every 30 minutes

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Every 10-15 minutes

9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Every 30 minutes

12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Every 20 minutes

4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Sunday, 7/27
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Every 20 minutes

Inter-Hotel Shuttle

Thursday, 7/24
5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Friday, 7/25
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, 7/26
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

For shuttle information and special assistance: (312)791-7001
Please call at least 30 minutes prior to pick-up.