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Our place, your voices: Rediscovering Grand Rapids

Submitted 05-22-2015 under OPINION

I am at a crossroads in my life. For the first time in my 30 plus years of being a Grand Rapids resident, I am looking at moving out of state to complete the next step of my education- 543 miles away in Memphis, Tennessee. As I pack up the home my...

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Our place, your voices: Why I write for The Rapidian

Submitted 05-21-2015 under OPINION

On October 13, 2009, I officially became a citizen reporter. I submitted a video of the hip hop group Flying Without Wingz performing at Rock Out 2 Come Out, a large LGBTQIA event hosted by Speak Equal at Rosa Parks Circle. What I thought would...

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Our place, your voices: Finding my life's work at The Rapidian

Submitted 05-20-2015 under OPINION

For better or worse, my path to becoming a working journalist started with boredom.  Recently laid off from a job I didn’t care for but somehow believed would be my career, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Upon hearing about the soon-to...

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Our place, your voices: The Rapidian's citizen journalism provides rare guide to Grand Rapids

Submitted 05-19-2015 under OPINION

I moved to the greater Grand Rapids area as a freshman at Grand Valley State University in 2009. Besides the college visit, I had never been to Grand Rapids. My college years were mostly spent at the main campus in Allendale, with only three classes...

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Our place, your voices: The Rapidian is a necessary tool for community change

Submitted 05-18-2015 under OPINION

I remember well first learning about the concept for The Rapidian. It was in the Sparrows coffee shop that Laurie Cirvello - the visionary and then director of the Community Media Center - told me about this concept of a citizen-led online...

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Our place, your voices: Beers, words and oxford commas

Submitted 05-17-2015 under OPINION

When I applied for an internship position at The Rapidian, I did it with the expectation that they might give me an interview, but that they probably would not hire me. The only “real world” writing experience I had at the time consisted...

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Our place, your voices: Power of the people with citizen journalism

Submitted 05-16-2015 under OPINION

Written by Gretchen Vinnedge, Education Director at the Community Media Center   Citizen journalism is “the act of private citizens playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting and discussing news and information....

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Our place, your voices: A place to start the conversation

Submitted 05-15-2015 under OPINION

I like Grand Rapids. Really, I do. I’ve been here about thirteen years and most of that time has been spent living between Heritage Hill, Eastown and East Hills. I like my neighborhood. No. I love my neighborhood. Both my wife and I have been...

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Our place, your voices: Why I <3 The Rapidian

Submitted 05-15-2015 under OPINION

I <3 The Rapidian for its volunteer opportunities I have volunteered all around town, but no experience beats volunteering for The Rapidian. As a citizen journalist and especially as an editorial mentor, my hard-earned skills and experience as an...

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Our place, your voices: From there to here...Together

Submitted 05-14-2015 under OPINION

Editor's note:  This article comes to you from the creator and founder of The Rapidian, and former Executive Director of the Community Media Center. We consider her the mother of The Rapidian here, and will forever be grateful for creating...

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