And this shall be the sign to you (Exodus 3:12)

This is for the J-school kids out there. As with any job change, I felt a little apprehensive after I signed my contract. My nerves were assuaged, though, when I received some files from the journalism adviser I would be replacing. On the cover of the school newspaper's staff manual was a quote from a familiar name: “Good writing is clear thinking made visual.” Can you guess said this? Here's a hint: Some of us suspected that he took quick naps during our tutorials. That's right, it's ...


Guido Stempel III, my first adviser at Ohio University. I thought maybe the journalism adviser was a fellow Scripps grad, but it turns out she just read the quote somewhere and thought it was a short and apt description of her philosophy on journalism. Now, I'm not a huge believer in fate or omens, as the title of this blog belies, but I have to admit this was pretty reassuring, especially considering that the very same day, I was briefed about my new school's safe area guidelines and procedures, which outline what to do in case a new Six-Day or even Six-Decade War breaks out. But more important, I am happy that good ol' Stempel is getting the international recognition he deserves. It's like Tel Aviv is just another Athens, Ohio, except with more firepower and less pork.