He was right. Since I started this blog after transferring to UNC, I’ve never gone so long without writing. And if it weren’t for a new social storytelling website called Intersect – I wouldn’t have published anything since that fated January day.

Everyone tells you life picks up speed as you get older, but they don’t mention how fast it becomes. If I laid my head down this very moment I might blink, and believe Spring semester hasn’t even begun. I’ve never worked so hard in my life, nor sacrificed so much for my education as I did this spring.

All of my classes were journalism classes. I suppose I was feeling warrior-esque when I registered for classes because I truly overbooked myself.

My Intermediate Multimedia class was the hardest. From the first day to the last, I had mini-panic attacks as I watched my professor pace the room and begin talking about what we were going to learn or had learned. I dreamed about Flash, I wrote out ActionScript in doodles across my notebooks and I used other class times to find the time to complete my projects.

At the beginning of the semester I thought I’d be lucky to escape with a “C,” but by the end of the semester I was pushing hard for that “A.”

The final course in the Multimedia sequence gives students the option to take an advanced programming course or take a narratives course. Narratives is primarily a film course that focuses on telling stories through film and photography. They are both very difficult and time-consuming classes. Originally, I’d leaned heavily towards the narratives, but by the end of the spring semester I was ready to continue pushing myself.

I knew I wouldn’t be content filming – I wanted to take on programming.

There is a lot of satisfaction in working with computers – in learning how to design, how to create programs and find ways to lure users into interaction.

The hundreds of mini steps to any finished project was full of steps in the wrong direction, but for me, the challenge is the addiction. I’ve never been so challenged before, and I have never won so many victories. Sure they are small, mini-er than mini, but I can’t describe how good it feels to write code that throws your program into action – making your idea a reality.

Growing up my mother always told me I should become a graphic artist. I’d laugh at her, half-giggle really, and say there was no way you could get me to sit still for that long. But then I changed my sequence in the journalism school from Reporting to Multimedia, and I fell in love.

Part of its ease was the purchase of a new Apple Pro. I’d never had the patience with Windows operating systems – they drove and drive me crazy. But the Mac OS just seems to understand what I want – we speak the same language. Then came Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign and Flash. I despise Photoshop. I know, I know it’s a mortal sin for some designers, but I prefer Illustrator.

The last two semesters of school have completely changed me, or at least changed the way I thought about myself and my life direction. I pushed myself further than I had thought possible, I accomplished tasks I didn’t think I would, I worked harder than I thought I could and I regained my inner creative child – the one who owns pastels, acrylics, oils, colored pencils and myriads of other artsy stuff.

I thought I had lost her years ago, when I packed all those things away in boxes.

All of my suffering led me to some very big decisions about my life and the direction I am heading. It also sent me barreling into the Interactive Multimedia department at the News & Observer begging for an internship. They gave it to me and I don’t think it was because I was the best – I think it was because I was the hungriest.

I have a dedicated website portfolio now (that’s soon to be updated, again), and have begun the process of moving my entire online activity to its space. Which brings me to my question for you – what should I do with my WordPress blog?

If you have any advice on whether I should keep my website and blog separate, or blend the two – I’d love to hear it. Designers, programmers, developers, journalists….anyone, what do you think?

Truthfully, I’ve been too busy to be as diligent with my blog writing as I need or want to be, but I thought I had dedicated one blog to talking about the program and everything it has to offer.

The process of getting La Voz together has been, well, quite the process. I have wanted to write about the frustrations and issues all along, but a large part of me doesn’t like putting negative energy into the “blog-sphere.” (Yes, that’s one of my words…I think) But now the rough waters are beginning to calm, and I can see where I could have shared.

La Voz was a project I came up with over the summer while working with the Carrboro Police Department. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the meanderings I was doing mentally would turn into a solid idea. I worked there as an office girl, and part-time interpretor. I was able to assist the police officers and detectives when someone came in who could only speak Spanish – if they needed my help.

The police department does not have anyone on their staff who is fluent in Spanish, and with Carrboro’s Latino population resting at 9.1%, that’s a significant chunk of the community who is unable to communicate. To be fair, the CPD is actively looking for officers who are fluent, and would like to incorporate more Spanish speakers to the team.

But, this lack resulted in arrests for small tickets, or other time and money consuming activities which were often the consequence of simply not being understood. It is not natural for Latinos to appear in court for every ticket they are given.

I saw pain and frustration among the non-English speakers (some whom were not Spanish speakers), and the police department on money and time wasted in the court systems. I asked myself repeatedly how this could be solved. I knew there had to be a solution.

The solution came to me as most ideas or “solutions” (I call them Ahna solutions) do – at 3 a.m. when I am being an insomniac and can’t seem to turn my brain off. But, like all great ideas it was thought over, and then pushed aside because I didn’t have the time or the resources to begin such an endeavor.

The time came through a project in my Latina/o Media Studies class at UNC-Chapel Hill. We weren’t supposed to create a solution to the communities need, we were just supposed to create media products that would help Latinos. Of course, I took it to the extreme.

La Voz Translation Services is a volunteer-based program that will assist the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Police Departments in their communication with non-English speaking residents. It will also assist non-English speaking residents communicate with the police department. The program is to remain neutral in all its interactions, and remain “The Voice” between two languages.

La Voz Translation Services

The program has incredible potential to truly meet the needs of the community on several levels, and although we are initially going to begin working with the police departments, the goal is to reach out to other government and local organizations in the future. And I plan to extend the languages offered through the program.

La Voz has been featured in several publications, and was just asked to be interviewed by La Voz Presenta which is a television program in Kinston, North Carolina. The weekly show is shown across 26 counties, and seen by over three million viewers.

La Voz is currently in talks with two organizations heavily rooted in the Triangle, one with UNC-CH, and the other within the community. Both of these partnerships would enable La Voz the support and resources to elevate to a level where it could make an enormous impact. Exciting news will be coming….

I am including links to the articles published on La Voz, as well as our Facebook and Twitter accounts. I plan to create the website over my Christmas break, and will post that link as well when it is completed.

Please look into the program, follow us on Twitter, “like” our Facebook page (to stay up on news), and share your feedback and ideas. Programs such as these are conceived through one individual, but are given flight through the participation of many individuals. I welcome any ideas.

Latino Journalism and Media at Carolina (latijam)

Carrboro Commons

The Daily Tar Heel

La Voz Translation Services Facebook Page (please note, you will need to be signed into Facebook to access the page – if the link does not work you can search “La Voz Translation Services” and it will come right up)

@LaVozNC Twitter

Please feel free to contact us for volunteer opportunities at lavoztranslation@gmail.com