About

About the blog:

September Could Be Cooler was born September 2008  during an afternoon of leisure.

I finished my journalism degree in May 2008 and spent the summer looking for employment, which became a mostly frustrating search as the economy crashed. Eventually, I was offered a position in a small newspaper, which I accepted. September Could Be Cooler was created while enjoying the last few days of college-esque freedom, prior to starting the job.

In time, I came to realize that rather than a job, I had a nightmare on my hands. The paper’s employees had awful morale and the editor had no desire or staff resources to cover *real* stories. It paid a very low wage, and was continually cutting back on necessary supplies. There were no photographers or proper copy editors.  The boss, himself, was a maniac depressive control freak with ADHD.  On average, he worked about 65 hours a week. Depending on the day, he would mope around the office like Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh) or charge around like Yosemite Sam (Looney Tunes).

In the 11 months I worked at the newspaper I watched the owners cut benefits, refuse raises and force employees to work in OSHA-violating conditions daily. In short, that’s why I’m leaving the journalism field. My experience was so bad, and I’ve seen so many layoffs in the journalism field (I’m convinced other places are become more-and-more like the place I left), that I think it’s absolutely time for a career change.

I’ve always had a passion for teaching things to people.  In addition, in my reporting, I had a natural tendency to be interested in the local school systems. Both of those things combined convinced me to pursue obtaining an educational license. I am now working toward becoming licensed to teach English in grades 7 through 12. I’m also planning to substitute teach while taking the necessary classes.

The name “September Could Be Cooler” is essentially meaningless, although I do remember looking forward to grey, rainy (but warm) days during that time. If, September could have been cooler, It would have meant more of those type of days and/or a more successful job search.

About the author:

James is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in multiple daily newspapers in the Midwest.  He was featured on the National Journal’s Web site while in college. (He also considers himself a bit of a conservative intellectual, and that is likely littered throughout his various posts. He is unsure of how to reconcile that with the idea of an objective reporter.)

He enjoys technology, online gaming, commenting on the news industry, the Cleveland Cavaliers and politics.