Bubbles are everywhere.

An aerial view of my hometown.

Apologies to all who may read this blog. Since the end of my sophomore year at Beloit, I have been living in Smalltown, Minnesota. This bubble is proving to be equally hard, if not harder, to pop than that of the famed Beloit Bubble.

My hometown has one local newspaper, which focuses on community issues: the recent storm, the state of old buildings, and the upcoming events around "town." A nearby town provides a larger newspaper containing more regional news, and some national coverage, but little, if any, world news.

Most people in my hometown rely on the local town newspaper for all their news, and know little about the world beyond the city limits. Several people (myself included)have limited access to the Internet and cable television. I have accepted a summer job as a reporter for the local newspaper, and am trying to broaden the scope of articles we print. This, however, is no small feat.

In the fall, I will be studying journalism at American University, in Washington D.C. I will write about my experiences here as often as possible, and I expect that they will be quite interesting indeed. I am excited to live in a large city, have cable and Internet access, and to have a plethora of national newspapers to read.

It is important to consider the quantity (and quality) of the news that is accessible to you. How many local newspapers can you subscribe to? What kind of stories are featured? Local, regional, or world? What about your access to televised news coverage? Do you have cable? And the Internet. Do you have the Internet? Do you read on-line news venues? What websites do you visit? Do you read on-line newspapers, which feature stories from around the world... or do you prefer Facebook/Myspace, which shows you only what is going on within your social circle?

When speaking to people who have different opinions than that of your own, consider where they get their information. This may explain a great deal about that person's beliefs. If you know little about the world, it is hard to make educated decisions concerning world affairs.

It will be interesting to see what happens in my hometown this November. How many will vote? Who will they vote for... and what will they base their decisions upon?