When I was a little kid, I used to write fake newspapers for fun. A few Christmases ago, my uncle brought over an ancient cassette of fourth grade me conducting mock broadcast news reports and interviewing various household items on my Fischer-Price tape recorder. You could say that my journalistic "experience" goes way back, but I'd prefer to just think of it as proof that I'm meant to be a journalist. I've been dreaming about it for a long time.
I am excited to blog for Lincoln Park Now because I am passionate about community-based news reporting. Fourth grade Jenn never could have imagined the journalistic possibilities the internet would reveal, but blogs are a great way to build and engage communities. And the fact that Lincoln Park is one of Chicago's greatest neighborhoods makes the opportunity even better. I know that we will build something great here on ChicagoNow, and I am delighted that we get to build it together.
As a fresh graduate of DePaul University's journalism program, I have become quite familiar with the Lincoln Park neighborhood. I lived in DePaul's residence halls my first two years at school, and I have worked on campus for the past three. I am also a freelance reporter for The DePaulia. Although I have called Lakeview home for the past year and a half, I continue to interact closely with Lincoln Park. It is the community where I work, go to school, meet friends for drinks, and even volunteer. My experiences as an overnight volunteer at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter have helped me to see the neighborhood through an entirely new lens. I want to continue to chase new perspectives and discover different ways to understand this particular section of the city. I am confident that Lincoln Park Now will help me reach that goal.
With all that being said, I hope that we can learn about Lincoln Park and grow together! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for Lincoln Park Now, don't hesitate to send them my way. You can also follow me on Twitter, @jennkloc. I am always looking for fresh ideas and new ways to interact with the community, and I'd love to hear from you!
Me, grilling veggie burgers in Jonquil Park at Sheffield and Wrightwood.