It's the end of the semester, the end of Advanced News Writing, and the end of this blog as well. Over the few months that we've been writing these, we've covered more topics than I even thought possible. I've written about everything from Wittenberg's financial crisis to my opinion on the annoyingly loud drunks from across the street, and everything in between. Along with the stories I've written, I like to think that I got quite a bit done this semester.
The Beginning Journalism class that I'd take my Freshman year was sort of the "fun" intro into journalism, but Advanced News Writing really did a good job of telling me what this profession is all about. I know I've said it before, but I don't want to be a Journalist. I want to be an editor. But taking this class has given me so much respect for the art of journalism. It's hard, it takes dedication, and it takes dealing with alot of bullshit to get that end-result in the form of a decent story. So to everyone out there who actually has the passion for this thing, I am extremely impressed. I've enjoyed the learning experience and I've enjoyed having this blog.
-Fran
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Thanksgiving Catch-Up
(Since I forgot to do one over break. Whoops!)
I think most Witt students, including myself, would agree that Thanksgiving Break is a much needed pause in the intense work load that classes drop on their students. It's not exactly Christmas break, but it does give us a chance to catch our breath before diving into the deep, torrential abyss that is finals. It's both a time to forget about school and to enjoy time with our families. And a time to eat delicious food as well.
However, some professors don't seem to want to grant their students this luxury. Kappa Delta sister, Megan Smith, said that she had a 6 page paper assigned over break. Other members of the sorority shared similar stories, saying that the assignments they were given were scheduled (and expected) to be done before students returned for their final weeks of class. When asked why she thought professors did this, she said that just assumed that her professor wanted to "ruin her life".
Personally, I didn't have to face this problem over break. And in my opinion, no-one else should have to either. It's bad enough that some professors seek to assign a final project on top of a final exam within days of each other, but for the love of gods! At least give us this one, if not brief, chance to relax.
-Fran
I think most Witt students, including myself, would agree that Thanksgiving Break is a much needed pause in the intense work load that classes drop on their students. It's not exactly Christmas break, but it does give us a chance to catch our breath before diving into the deep, torrential abyss that is finals. It's both a time to forget about school and to enjoy time with our families. And a time to eat delicious food as well.
However, some professors don't seem to want to grant their students this luxury. Kappa Delta sister, Megan Smith, said that she had a 6 page paper assigned over break. Other members of the sorority shared similar stories, saying that the assignments they were given were scheduled (and expected) to be done before students returned for their final weeks of class. When asked why she thought professors did this, she said that just assumed that her professor wanted to "ruin her life".
Personally, I didn't have to face this problem over break. And in my opinion, no-one else should have to either. It's bad enough that some professors seek to assign a final project on top of a final exam within days of each other, but for the love of gods! At least give us this one, if not brief, chance to relax.
-Fran
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Arts Turning on Arts
When Witt announced that it would be looking into cutting some of the offered programs, it probably came as no surprise to anyone that art programs were on the list. Since practically the dawn of schooling, arts programs have been getting the shaft. And it looks like even a school that claims to be a "Liberal Arts" university isn't above cutting the programs it's so proudly advertised in the past.
Mike Waring recently made a post stating that the reason arts programs are getting cut over sports is because sports bring in more revenue. And while that may be true, Wittenberg has never been a school that, in my opinion, is centered around sports. I have friends who graduated from highschool and who are now heading towards careers as professional football players at schools like Notre Dame or Kansas State. And while Wittenberg's football may be good for their division, I don't think the school sponsors kids with the intent of sending them into the professional leagues.
Then again, coming to Witt for dance isn't exactly guaranteed to get you anywhere in the professional dance world either. But it's still a budding program, which means that it definitely has room to grow. One of the reasons I came to Witt was because I was tired of being in a school that consistently denied funding to its arts programs despite the fact that our theater performances always sold out and that our art shows were constantly packed. It instead fueled thousands of dollars into the sports programs year after year and gave the cheerleaders new uniforms for every season.
I came to to a "Liberal Arts" school for the arts.
-Fran
Mike Waring recently made a post stating that the reason arts programs are getting cut over sports is because sports bring in more revenue. And while that may be true, Wittenberg has never been a school that, in my opinion, is centered around sports. I have friends who graduated from highschool and who are now heading towards careers as professional football players at schools like Notre Dame or Kansas State. And while Wittenberg's football may be good for their division, I don't think the school sponsors kids with the intent of sending them into the professional leagues.
Then again, coming to Witt for dance isn't exactly guaranteed to get you anywhere in the professional dance world either. But it's still a budding program, which means that it definitely has room to grow. One of the reasons I came to Witt was because I was tired of being in a school that consistently denied funding to its arts programs despite the fact that our theater performances always sold out and that our art shows were constantly packed. It instead fueled thousands of dollars into the sports programs year after year and gave the cheerleaders new uniforms for every season.
I came to to a "Liberal Arts" school for the arts.
-Fran
Saturday, November 10, 2012
The Social Issues That Won the Election
While there were certainly several factors that contributed to either candidates chances of winning, I think one of the biggest in this year's election was social issues. Both Democrats and Republicans alike boasted their candidates views on abortion, gay rights, medicare, and the likes. And people from either side seemed unwavering in their stances. In class we discussed the more economic issues that concerned voters and lead their decisions in voting, but I'd like to focus on the social.
For me, personally, women's health and gay rights played a huge part in deciding who I voted for. Romney promised to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood and to repeal the repeal on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" while Obama promised to do just the opposite. While I've never used Planned Parenthood's services, I know plenty of people who have and I've seen the benefits of having it around. And the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was such a major step forward in the gay pride movement that I'd hate to see it take another two steps back.
So yes, while I think the state of the economy and our futures played a big role in deciding the election, I think people had much more on the line than that.
-Fran
For me, personally, women's health and gay rights played a huge part in deciding who I voted for. Romney promised to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood and to repeal the repeal on "Don't Ask Don't Tell" while Obama promised to do just the opposite. While I've never used Planned Parenthood's services, I know plenty of people who have and I've seen the benefits of having it around. And the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" was such a major step forward in the gay pride movement that I'd hate to see it take another two steps back.
So yes, while I think the state of the economy and our futures played a big role in deciding the election, I think people had much more on the line than that.
-Fran
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Aaaaaaaaaaaand the Winner is...!
Barack Obama!
Tuesday evening, the night of election night, was, without a doubt, a huge deal on campus. Starting at around 6:30, students were gathered around their televisions or laptops watching the news and keeping track of voting polls since the very moment results began to pour in. Obama and Romney supporters alike were eager to know how things were going to turn out, and up and down the streets you could hear the partiers at Witt already going crazy.
Facebook and Twitter, especially, were blowing up with election news. Some people were threatening to move to Canada or England depending on who won, while others were just making status updates every five minutes about who was in the lead. Arguments broke out and friends were un-friended, but a little after 12:30am most everyone knew who the winner was.
Again, supporters on both sides began to blow up their social network feeds with either joy or disdain, though it's unclear on how many of them actually decided to pack their bags and emmigrate out of the country. In reality, it was probably very few of them. But as of November 8th, two days after election day, things have seemed to calm down.
Yeah, there's still a Facebook status or two popping up on my feed, but Wittenberg University seems to have already moved on.
-Fran
Tuesday evening, the night of election night, was, without a doubt, a huge deal on campus. Starting at around 6:30, students were gathered around their televisions or laptops watching the news and keeping track of voting polls since the very moment results began to pour in. Obama and Romney supporters alike were eager to know how things were going to turn out, and up and down the streets you could hear the partiers at Witt already going crazy.
Facebook and Twitter, especially, were blowing up with election news. Some people were threatening to move to Canada or England depending on who won, while others were just making status updates every five minutes about who was in the lead. Arguments broke out and friends were un-friended, but a little after 12:30am most everyone knew who the winner was.
Again, supporters on both sides began to blow up their social network feeds with either joy or disdain, though it's unclear on how many of them actually decided to pack their bags and emmigrate out of the country. In reality, it was probably very few of them. But as of November 8th, two days after election day, things have seemed to calm down.
Yeah, there's still a Facebook status or two popping up on my feed, but Wittenberg University seems to have already moved on.
-Fran
Baby's First Vote
While I know that my second blog for this week is going to be about the election, I felt as though I needed to make a post about what it was like to vote for the first time. Back in 2008, I can remember sitting in class and thinking about how badly I wanted to vote. Regardless of which party you affiliate with or which candidate you support, voting is an essential privilege when it comes to being an American. Without our votes, Barrack Obama wouldn't have gotten re-elected as president, and Mitt Romney would never have even gotten the chance to run.
So needless to say, when I drove out to the Springfield Government Center on Sunday afternoon to vote, I was very excited. Despite the cold weather and the (semi)long line, I was pumped and ready. Being able to stand outside the building and talk to the other voters was just an experience itself. Nobody was bashing candidates or arguing and it never really became clear who was voting for who. Everyone in line was just your average American citizen going out to exercise their right to vote. And it seemed as though everyone really respected that.
-Fran
So needless to say, when I drove out to the Springfield Government Center on Sunday afternoon to vote, I was very excited. Despite the cold weather and the (semi)long line, I was pumped and ready. Being able to stand outside the building and talk to the other voters was just an experience itself. Nobody was bashing candidates or arguing and it never really became clear who was voting for who. Everyone in line was just your average American citizen going out to exercise their right to vote. And it seemed as though everyone really respected that.
-Fran
Thursday, November 1, 2012
The Bi-Weekly Night of Your Life: Witt's Party Scene
For a campus that parties at least twice a week (usually more), Wittenberg students sure do treat every weekend and Wednesday like it's something special. Obviously there's something at these house parties and McMurray's that keeps bringing kids back like a religious beacon. As to what exactly that is, I have no idea.
Being a Junior, I can't exactly say that I've never hit up the party scene before. I've been to frat parties, house parties, closed parties, open parties, you name it. I've even managed to squeeze myself onto the McMurray's dance floor a couple of times. But even so, I've yet to see what makes going out every weekend and Wednesday so desirable that some students can't think to talk of anything else.
No matter where you turn at Witt, somebody is talking about their weekend or how drunk they got the other night. If Wittenberg had its own economy, it'd probably be based on Natty Light and slurring, stumbling jocks. Even Mondays can become a party night on this campus and it seems like a decent amount of students have tried to make it work.
Regardless, by the first semester of my sophomore year, I was rather bored of on-campus parties. I've only been to one this semester so far, and with the colder weather coming through, I can't say that I'll be tempted to go to another. But I'm more than willing to let every other 'party-hardy' college kid go in my stead.
-Fran
Being a Junior, I can't exactly say that I've never hit up the party scene before. I've been to frat parties, house parties, closed parties, open parties, you name it. I've even managed to squeeze myself onto the McMurray's dance floor a couple of times. But even so, I've yet to see what makes going out every weekend and Wednesday so desirable that some students can't think to talk of anything else.
No matter where you turn at Witt, somebody is talking about their weekend or how drunk they got the other night. If Wittenberg had its own economy, it'd probably be based on Natty Light and slurring, stumbling jocks. Even Mondays can become a party night on this campus and it seems like a decent amount of students have tried to make it work.
Regardless, by the first semester of my sophomore year, I was rather bored of on-campus parties. I've only been to one this semester so far, and with the colder weather coming through, I can't say that I'll be tempted to go to another. But I'm more than willing to let every other 'party-hardy' college kid go in my stead.
-Fran
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Wittenberg Admin: Keeping Us on the Blind Side
More than a week after a Wittenberg professor was arrested for multiple accounts of rape and kidnapping, there's no doubt that the entire campus (and probably much of Springfield, Ohio) knows about the incident. Whether it was from Facebook, the Springfield News Sun, or the word of mouth, students found out. And with no help from the Administration at all.
So say that you were some Hobbit of a student who had access to none of those sources. You'd still be receiving the (two) emails that the school sent out, but with the bare minimal amount of information to go off of, you'd feel left in the dark. All you'd know was that a Wittenberg professor had been arrested and put on permanent leave. But for what?
It's highly likely that the Administration knows that we know about it. They probably assume that not everyone is a Hobbit and that news spread relatively fast the day after their first lack-luster email was sent out. But would it really be that difficult for them to be brutally honest with the student body? Despite knowing the details of the incident, I've overheard that most students would generally feel more comfortable if the school was frank with them about what happened. Even just one detailed email about the professor and his crimes would be enough but it seems as though the Admin would rather just cover things up.
Needless to say, their decisions seem to be causing more unrest and distrust from the students than anything, which really reflects poorly on them as a whole.
-Fran
So say that you were some Hobbit of a student who had access to none of those sources. You'd still be receiving the (two) emails that the school sent out, but with the bare minimal amount of information to go off of, you'd feel left in the dark. All you'd know was that a Wittenberg professor had been arrested and put on permanent leave. But for what?
It's highly likely that the Administration knows that we know about it. They probably assume that not everyone is a Hobbit and that news spread relatively fast the day after their first lack-luster email was sent out. But would it really be that difficult for them to be brutally honest with the student body? Despite knowing the details of the incident, I've overheard that most students would generally feel more comfortable if the school was frank with them about what happened. Even just one detailed email about the professor and his crimes would be enough but it seems as though the Admin would rather just cover things up.
Needless to say, their decisions seem to be causing more unrest and distrust from the students than anything, which really reflects poorly on them as a whole.
-Fran
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Getting Caught Up: The Times They are A-Changin'
Over the past couple of months, Wittenberg has seen more (public) criminal activity than I've seen in the two (soon to be two and a half) years that I've been here. With 4 sexual assault issues on behalf of the students and now a case involving a professor, students are buzzing with talk about what has happened to our dear old Witt.
One comment on a facebook status even said that everything has gone to "Shittenberg" and that this year in particular just seems to be a bad one.
"Everyone is just so out of control", my roommate commented after reading the Springfield News Sun article regarding Prof. Adrian.
There was a chance that Adrian would have been my French professor last year had I not received Prof. Wilkerson instead, but I do know students who took his classes. This in itself is scary because it means that people I know could have been in danger and not even have known it. And while partying on campus has always been a major part of the weekend at Witt, friends have become far more cautious about going out as well. I think students have begun to realize that anyone can be a victim to sexual assault crimes, and that these sorts of problems exist within our precious Wittenberg Bubble.
-Fran
One comment on a facebook status even said that everything has gone to "Shittenberg" and that this year in particular just seems to be a bad one.
"Everyone is just so out of control", my roommate commented after reading the Springfield News Sun article regarding Prof. Adrian.
There was a chance that Adrian would have been my French professor last year had I not received Prof. Wilkerson instead, but I do know students who took his classes. This in itself is scary because it means that people I know could have been in danger and not even have known it. And while partying on campus has always been a major part of the weekend at Witt, friends have become far more cautious about going out as well. I think students have begun to realize that anyone can be a victim to sexual assault crimes, and that these sorts of problems exist within our precious Wittenberg Bubble.
-Fran
Monday, October 22, 2012
Story Ideas
1. "I Heart Women's O" is taking place this week and alot of students and student organizations are involved. Maybe do an overall cover-story, interviewing people who are part of the events (like the "Vagina Monologues") or the higher-ups in charge of putting it all together. Go to an event. Take notes of what happens and the atmosphere, then write an article on it.
2. It seems that most students came back from fall break more exhausted than rested. Are students already on the slide this semester? Does this atmosphere really exist? Maybe interview students from different grades and ask how they feel about this semester, if they feel on the "slide". Perhaps ask if professors can see it in their classes.
3. Regardless of not being directly related to Witt, students feel as though the elections are a big impact on them. Talk to students about what they think is riding on this election. You don't even have to ask who they're voting for, just what they feel are important topics. Maybe ask their opinions on the debates or the fact that this election is so heavily advertised. Find out what students want in their ideal candidate even.
2. It seems that most students came back from fall break more exhausted than rested. Are students already on the slide this semester? Does this atmosphere really exist? Maybe interview students from different grades and ask how they feel about this semester, if they feel on the "slide". Perhaps ask if professors can see it in their classes.
3. Regardless of not being directly related to Witt, students feel as though the elections are a big impact on them. Talk to students about what they think is riding on this election. You don't even have to ask who they're voting for, just what they feel are important topics. Maybe ask their opinions on the debates or the fact that this election is so heavily advertised. Find out what students want in their ideal candidate even.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Drinking: And How Witt Makes You Realize That You Need It
Okay. So maybe that title isn't completely accurate. But that really is what it's felt like to be a student here at Witt.
Before college, I have absolutely no interest in drinking. My parents always had wine with dinner on weekends, and they had a pretty decent store of liquor in the house that I was never denied access to. Then again, I never actually "broke into it" for some rowdy late night whisky drinking either. So coming to Witt, I had absolutely no plans to become a hardy or frequent drinker. And so this day, that has stayed true.
I'm a junior now, and I can honestly say that I've never been black-out "drunk". I've gotten "tipsy" and "fun" but never to the point where I've passed out. I've never even had a hang-over. And honestly, I'm not really interested in getting one either.
I understand that this is college and that partying is something that alot of people spend a good 4 days out of their week doing. But personally, I don't see the point of doing it that often. It just gets boring and repetative in my opinion. Why do something so often and run into the ground as opposed to doing it more sparingly and actually getting the chance to remember the night past 10pm?
Maybe I'm the minority here. Maybe I'm just missing out on this thing that everyone seems to think is so necessary. But unless not-getting smashed every weekend is going to kill me, I don't think I'll be doing it any time soon.
-Fran
Before college, I have absolutely no interest in drinking. My parents always had wine with dinner on weekends, and they had a pretty decent store of liquor in the house that I was never denied access to. Then again, I never actually "broke into it" for some rowdy late night whisky drinking either. So coming to Witt, I had absolutely no plans to become a hardy or frequent drinker. And so this day, that has stayed true.
I'm a junior now, and I can honestly say that I've never been black-out "drunk". I've gotten "tipsy" and "fun" but never to the point where I've passed out. I've never even had a hang-over. And honestly, I'm not really interested in getting one either.
I understand that this is college and that partying is something that alot of people spend a good 4 days out of their week doing. But personally, I don't see the point of doing it that often. It just gets boring and repetative in my opinion. Why do something so often and run into the ground as opposed to doing it more sparingly and actually getting the chance to remember the night past 10pm?
Maybe I'm the minority here. Maybe I'm just missing out on this thing that everyone seems to think is so necessary. But unless not-getting smashed every weekend is going to kill me, I don't think I'll be doing it any time soon.
-Fran
Thursday, October 4, 2012
When It's Good, It's Good. When It's Bad...
At the beginning of this school year, I began my fifth semester of class here at Wittenberg University as a Junior. This means that, since my Freshman year, I've taken sixteen classes; some of which were good, and some of which were quite the opposite.
Unfortunately, one of my experiences with a "bad" class occurred the first semester of the my Freshman year. The class was called "Cave Ecology", and I was taking it as a science credit which the intent of avoiding taking something like "Biology". I found the content interesting enough, but one, the class was an hour and a half, and two, it was an entirely lecture-based period that was done in a large, cold room in the Science Center. Anything we learned came from whatever the professor said about the Powerpoint and all of our grades, saver one project, were based around tests and quizzes. Granted, I already found it difficult to take lecture notes based off of what someone is speaking, and I'm also not terribly good at test-taking; especially when I'm studying from half-assed notes.
Needless to say, I dropped the class before I had the chance to actually fail it.
But my sophomore year was completely different. My first semester, I took English 290 with Professor Davis, and I couldn't have been more happy. Not only were we reading some of the most interesting American literary pieces in history, but all of the other students in the class were English Majors who were as genuinely excited about this kind of stuff as I am. We had engaging classroom discussions, thought-provoking paper assignments, and projects that were complicated, but fun. Even studying for my exams for that class was cool just because it gave the students the opportunity to just sit down in Post and talk about books for a few hours.
I think every college student will experience a bad class at some point. But the truth of the matter is that the majority of the college-level courses that I've taken have been interesting and engaging. A couple of "bad apples" in the bunch haven't changed that.
-Fran
Unfortunately, one of my experiences with a "bad" class occurred the first semester of the my Freshman year. The class was called "Cave Ecology", and I was taking it as a science credit which the intent of avoiding taking something like "Biology". I found the content interesting enough, but one, the class was an hour and a half, and two, it was an entirely lecture-based period that was done in a large, cold room in the Science Center. Anything we learned came from whatever the professor said about the Powerpoint and all of our grades, saver one project, were based around tests and quizzes. Granted, I already found it difficult to take lecture notes based off of what someone is speaking, and I'm also not terribly good at test-taking; especially when I'm studying from half-assed notes.
Needless to say, I dropped the class before I had the chance to actually fail it.
But my sophomore year was completely different. My first semester, I took English 290 with Professor Davis, and I couldn't have been more happy. Not only were we reading some of the most interesting American literary pieces in history, but all of the other students in the class were English Majors who were as genuinely excited about this kind of stuff as I am. We had engaging classroom discussions, thought-provoking paper assignments, and projects that were complicated, but fun. Even studying for my exams for that class was cool just because it gave the students the opportunity to just sit down in Post and talk about books for a few hours.
I think every college student will experience a bad class at some point. But the truth of the matter is that the majority of the college-level courses that I've taken have been interesting and engaging. A couple of "bad apples" in the bunch haven't changed that.
-Fran
Monday, October 1, 2012
Facebook: Who Cares?
Upon waking up every morning, I usually check my iphone for text messages, important emails, and any other notifications that I may have received. However, one more thing I find myself obligated to check is Facebook. Let's face it, anyone who doesn't have a Facebook in this day and age might as well not exist. I keep my Facebook for social obligations, to keep in touch with "old friends" and to make sure that I'm up to date with all the buzz. But lately, I've been feeling as though my status updates are made more so to keep appearances up for the sake of reminding my 300+ Facebook friends that I'm still alive somewhere, than they are for the sake of my enjoying 'blogging' my personal thoughts.
I mean, don't get me wrong. I used to be all about Farmland and Island Farm and all those other crazy game apps back in highschool. I can even remember kids discussing such things in class. But surely my virtual crops are suffering because I haven't played those stupid games in years now. Again, I just feel like those silly things are a burden.
Perhaps I'm just getting older, or perhaps Facebook has started to feel the way Myspace did before everyone jumped the internet ship. But either way, I'm beginning to care less and less about this website that's pretty much been deemed a necessity by our entire American culture.
-Fran
I mean, don't get me wrong. I used to be all about Farmland and Island Farm and all those other crazy game apps back in highschool. I can even remember kids discussing such things in class. But surely my virtual crops are suffering because I haven't played those stupid games in years now. Again, I just feel like those silly things are a burden.
Perhaps I'm just getting older, or perhaps Facebook has started to feel the way Myspace did before everyone jumped the internet ship. But either way, I'm beginning to care less and less about this website that's pretty much been deemed a necessity by our entire American culture.
-Fran
Thursday, September 27, 2012
To Blog or Not to Blog: That is the Question
When it comes to blogging, I've been involved in the online "art" for a few years now. Even back when Myspace was still a thing and Facebook and 'status updates' hadn't yet come into focus, I was making blog entries about whatever little asinine thing had caught my attention that day. It was a way of self expression that somehow became more interesting simply because other people could read my thoughts and submit their own ideas about what I was discussing.
Nowadays I do most of my blogging through Tumblr. Sometimes I'll just sit and reblog pictures or make little "Slice of Life" posts, but sometimes I'll get in the mood to make long, flourishing paragraph entries or extensive opinion posts like I used to. Really this Journalism blog sees more real 'blogging' action, but only in the sense that I'm consecutive and consistent with it.
But regardless, I think blogging is something that everyone should try at least once, if only to say that they've done it. Really, it's a great way to get your thoughts out there, and if you're comfortable with the entirety of the internet having access to it, you may even come into contact with people who agree with you; or disagree. Even if it's just for a class like this, blogging can be a very relaxing and productive way to pass time, and I think having this blog in addition to my work for Journalism has been a great value to me.
-Fran
Nowadays I do most of my blogging through Tumblr. Sometimes I'll just sit and reblog pictures or make little "Slice of Life" posts, but sometimes I'll get in the mood to make long, flourishing paragraph entries or extensive opinion posts like I used to. Really this Journalism blog sees more real 'blogging' action, but only in the sense that I'm consecutive and consistent with it.
But regardless, I think blogging is something that everyone should try at least once, if only to say that they've done it. Really, it's a great way to get your thoughts out there, and if you're comfortable with the entirety of the internet having access to it, you may even come into contact with people who agree with you; or disagree. Even if it's just for a class like this, blogging can be a very relaxing and productive way to pass time, and I think having this blog in addition to my work for Journalism has been a great value to me.
-Fran
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Finding New Things
If there's one thing that I've found enriching about this Advanced News Writing class, it's all the information and, well, news. As much as I hate to admit it, I tend to suffer from Wittenber Bubble-itis. I try to read the news every now and again but sometimes stuff just slips under the radar.
For example, until Maggie brought it up the other day in class, I had heard nothing about the Christain video that was slamming in the Muslim faith. Now I have to wonder how I ever missed such a thing. And I'm very interested in reading the story that's going to be written about it, as well as the story on Wittenberg students being unimformed.
In fact, I had no idea that the topic iof the story I'm currently writing was even a problem until it was mentioned in class. I mean, last year I kind of wondered why the fountain was never on or why there was always water on the ground around it, but now that I know that it was in ill-repair, I'm very much looking forward to writing about it in my next story. If anyone has any more info on it that they'd like to share please feel free to leave a comment or two. Thanks!
-Fran
For example, until Maggie brought it up the other day in class, I had heard nothing about the Christain video that was slamming in the Muslim faith. Now I have to wonder how I ever missed such a thing. And I'm very interested in reading the story that's going to be written about it, as well as the story on Wittenberg students being unimformed.
In fact, I had no idea that the topic iof the story I'm currently writing was even a problem until it was mentioned in class. I mean, last year I kind of wondered why the fountain was never on or why there was always water on the ground around it, but now that I know that it was in ill-repair, I'm very much looking forward to writing about it in my next story. If anyone has any more info on it that they'd like to share please feel free to leave a comment or two. Thanks!
-Fran
Monday, September 17, 2012
Who's the Guy or Girl Nextdoor?
A couple days ago, as I was reading through some of my fellow classmate's blogs, I came across a particularly interesting entry by one Jessica Batanian. In her post, titled "Noisy Neighbors", she describes how she and her housemates were rudely awoken by some loud Springfield citizens having a party just behind the FIJI house. So this got me thinking....exactly how close are we mingled with the city of Springfield? Turns, out pretty close.
I live in the Kappa Delta house located on North Wittenberg Ave. From there, I decided to do a quick perimeter of the houses close by to see if they were all occupied by Witt students. All the houses immediately to the right, left, front, and back of us checked out fine. But across the street to the left and two houses down, I discovered that the house was actually occupied by three young gentlemen; all residents of Springfield, but none of them students of Wittenberg University.
I was genuinely surprised by this. After asking a couple girls in my house if they knew any of them,
I live in the Kappa Delta house located on North Wittenberg Ave. From there, I decided to do a quick perimeter of the houses close by to see if they were all occupied by Witt students. All the houses immediately to the right, left, front, and back of us checked out fine. But across the street to the left and two houses down, I discovered that the house was actually occupied by three young gentlemen; all residents of Springfield, but none of them students of Wittenberg University.
I was genuinely surprised by this. After asking a couple girls in my house if they knew any of them,
Semester-Story Progress
Earlier on today, I had the opportunity to sit down with my roommate, Angela Chen, who is an art major at Witt. I asked her to tell me everything she knows in regards to the condition of Koch Hall, and her immediate response was, "Get ready." And boy was I in for a list.
According to her, the ancient building has no humidity control, no air-conditioning, and peeling walls all over. Not only that, the cracks in the basement floor allow bugs such as centipedes, silver-fish, and ants to enter into the building which can be more than a little surprising for art students trying to do their work. "It's just an ill-equipped building." she says.
With all the art and photography majors that occupy the hall, there's hardly enough room. Seniors are supposed to have their own personal studios, yet there aren't enough to go around. Angela describes the building as "crowded" and "uncomfortable", and says that the only redeeming quality lies in the 2nd floor lounge where comfortable couches and fresh tea and coffee are always readily available. However, these small luxuries are minuscule compared to the major problems above.
She has recommended that I speak with Prof. Mann and Prof. Charney to get more information, so I intend to speak with one or both of them sometime later this week.
-Fran
According to her, the ancient building has no humidity control, no air-conditioning, and peeling walls all over. Not only that, the cracks in the basement floor allow bugs such as centipedes, silver-fish, and ants to enter into the building which can be more than a little surprising for art students trying to do their work. "It's just an ill-equipped building." she says.
With all the art and photography majors that occupy the hall, there's hardly enough room. Seniors are supposed to have their own personal studios, yet there aren't enough to go around. Angela describes the building as "crowded" and "uncomfortable", and says that the only redeeming quality lies in the 2nd floor lounge where comfortable couches and fresh tea and coffee are always readily available. However, these small luxuries are minuscule compared to the major problems above.
She has recommended that I speak with Prof. Mann and Prof. Charney to get more information, so I intend to speak with one or both of them sometime later this week.
-Fran
Monday, September 10, 2012
Dead and Decaying: Is Age Catching Up With Witt Buildings?
As opposed to my original story idea about fear on campus, some comments made by a couple of my sorority sisters has driven me to change directions and instead focus on something else: the buildings on campus.
Walking to Hollenbeck five times a week for a class, I'm always reminded that the building was built in the year 2000. It says it right out front. However, according to a couple professors, the twelve year-old structure has had problems in the form of a leaky ceiling for over a year now.
So if Hollenbeck has these problems, then how well are other buildings on campus fairing?
After talking to my roommate (who's an art major) I've discovered that Koch Hall lacks air conditioning and climate control. Another friend of mine claims that Krieg has a leak problem similar to the one discussed above which can put expensive instruments in danger. And my own personal experience with Carnegie shows the building to be crumbling and wearing down from the inside out.
These aren't the only buildings on campus in this condition, and for my story I'm determined to find out more. Hopefully by talking to one or two people who have experience with each I'll be able to get the information I need, and maybe even get down to the bottom of why nothing seems to be getting done about all these problems.
-Fran
Walking to Hollenbeck five times a week for a class, I'm always reminded that the building was built in the year 2000. It says it right out front. However, according to a couple professors, the twelve year-old structure has had problems in the form of a leaky ceiling for over a year now.
So if Hollenbeck has these problems, then how well are other buildings on campus fairing?
After talking to my roommate (who's an art major) I've discovered that Koch Hall lacks air conditioning and climate control. Another friend of mine claims that Krieg has a leak problem similar to the one discussed above which can put expensive instruments in danger. And my own personal experience with Carnegie shows the building to be crumbling and wearing down from the inside out.
These aren't the only buildings on campus in this condition, and for my story I'm determined to find out more. Hopefully by talking to one or two people who have experience with each I'll be able to get the information I need, and maybe even get down to the bottom of why nothing seems to be getting done about all these problems.
-Fran
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Next on the Agenda
With my first story (hopefully) finished and nearly ready to be turned in, I'm already looking forward to my next story. Or, more specifically, my big story of the semester. After discussing several topics in class, I think that my interest still lies in the idea of safety on campus.
Coming into Witt, I really had no opinion on the surrounding area of Springfield. But after a few months, I found myself fearing walking out of the "Witt Bubble". Upperclassmen and other freshmen had told me that I'd be mugged, stabbed, raped, killed, and everything terrible under the sun. I remember having to walk down to the museum for one act practice, only to have a friend volunteer to drive me for the benefit of my 'safety'; you know, despite the fact that the museum was less than half a mile off campus.
Where does this fear come from? Is it really as bad as most people think? Do most people even see it this way? What do the Witt police have to say about it? With all these questions unanswered, I really think that I could make a story out of this.
Where does this fear come from? Is it really as bad as most people think? Do most people even see it this way? What do the Witt police have to say about it? With all these questions unanswered, I really think that I could make a story out of this.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Complications
With our first assignment underway, I began writing my first story with the utmost confidence. I knew what I wanted to say and that I had a good start with two interviews and some statistical information that I got offline. The only thing I needed to wrap the whole thing up in a nice little journalistic package was some help and a few words from the good old Registrar office not even 5 minutes from my house and I'd be done. I expected to be handed a couple numbers and maybe a comment or two.
What I did not expect was the exact opposite.
Having been to the Registrar twice now, I've found myself turned away on both occasions. The first time I went, I was told that I required permission from Prof. Mac via an email sent to the office. So, after asking him to do so, I assume that my second visit would be a bit more fruitful.
It was not.
The same woman who had shooed me away the first time (I now know her to be called "Pam") informed me upon my second visit that my professor needed to be more specific. She'd gotten the email from him alright, but suddenly she needed to know even more about the information that I needed than before. It'd have been really great if she'd told me all this the first time, but apparently she felt it necessary to leave that little bit out.At this point, I'm just hoping that she actually did manage to speak with Prof. Mac again and that I'll at least have the stats I need to finish my story by Thursday morning because without, I'm pretty much stuck between a rock and a Registrar secretary who probably likes me as much as I like her.
-Fran
What I did not expect was the exact opposite.
Having been to the Registrar twice now, I've found myself turned away on both occasions. The first time I went, I was told that I required permission from Prof. Mac via an email sent to the office. So, after asking him to do so, I assume that my second visit would be a bit more fruitful.
It was not.
The same woman who had shooed me away the first time (I now know her to be called "Pam") informed me upon my second visit that my professor needed to be more specific. She'd gotten the email from him alright, but suddenly she needed to know even more about the information that I needed than before. It'd have been really great if she'd told me all this the first time, but apparently she felt it necessary to leave that little bit out.At this point, I'm just hoping that she actually did manage to speak with Prof. Mac again and that I'll at least have the stats I need to finish my story by Thursday morning because without, I'm pretty much stuck between a rock and a Registrar secretary who probably likes me as much as I like her.
-Fran
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Elephants and Asses: They're All the Same
Despite the buzz of the upcoming presidential elections on the news, Wittenberg students seem less than raring to go in terms of rooting for their preferred candidate. This couldn't have been more obvious during the interviews we did in class on Tuesday, where person after person repeated the same phrase: "Students just don't care". Even the ones that said they supported a particular candidate claimed they were either "less informed than they'd like to be" or that they weren't terrible involved with the current on-goings of the campaign.
This surprised me greatly, since I recall the 2008 elections being a big deal my Junior year in high school. In fact, I remember kids getting into all-out fights in the halls just because one person supported a candidate that they considered a "douche". Ah, the days of Catholic high school. But no such quarrels are being fought at Wittenberg University; at least not ones that you hear (or care) about anyway.
Perhaps this is simply a sign that people as a whole have become relatively detached from the political world. The amount of students who either considered themselves independent voters or who claimed that they felt strongly towards neither candidate consisted of half the group I interviewed. The other half expressed support for one or the other, but also stated that they felt that they weren't as informed about the election as they'd like to be.
I really felt that college students would be more aware of these things, but I suppose I was wrong. Not that I can blame them. With classes, work, and social commitments, something as grim and negative as domestic politics can really put a damper on one's day. As for whether or not students will begin to pay closer attention by the time the Novemeber elections roll around is still to be decided.
This surprised me greatly, since I recall the 2008 elections being a big deal my Junior year in high school. In fact, I remember kids getting into all-out fights in the halls just because one person supported a candidate that they considered a "douche". Ah, the days of Catholic high school. But no such quarrels are being fought at Wittenberg University; at least not ones that you hear (or care) about anyway.
Perhaps this is simply a sign that people as a whole have become relatively detached from the political world. The amount of students who either considered themselves independent voters or who claimed that they felt strongly towards neither candidate consisted of half the group I interviewed. The other half expressed support for one or the other, but also stated that they felt that they weren't as informed about the election as they'd like to be.
I really felt that college students would be more aware of these things, but I suppose I was wrong. Not that I can blame them. With classes, work, and social commitments, something as grim and negative as domestic politics can really put a damper on one's day. As for whether or not students will begin to pay closer attention by the time the Novemeber elections roll around is still to be decided.
Monday, August 27, 2012
First Story
So last Thursday in class we, as individuals, selected ideas for our first story after several group discussions. Honestly, I don't think I could have flushed out anything decent without the opportunity to bounce ideas off of everyone else in the room. I mean, I had a fledgling idea of what I wanted to do, but it had no substance. I didn't know where I wanted to go with it. But now I'm full of ideas.
My first story for Advanced News Writing is going to be about school drop-outs. No, not the high-school ones, the college ones. I want to find out more about these kids who come to Witt for no more than a single semester and then suddenly jump ship. Some of these kids even have scholarships provided by the school but even that isn't enough to keep them sometimes. Honestly, this is something that I've always wondered about, so I'm really excited to find out the details.
Then again, I'm also nervous because this is my first story after all. Yeah, I wrote stuff for Beginning Journalism, but I'm going to assume that the grading for this class will be a bit tougher. I usually treat my first class assignments as experiments. After getting a feel of what the teacher expects of me, I can easily work to improve on my next project. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try my best with this story.
-Fran
My first story for Advanced News Writing is going to be about school drop-outs. No, not the high-school ones, the college ones. I want to find out more about these kids who come to Witt for no more than a single semester and then suddenly jump ship. Some of these kids even have scholarships provided by the school but even that isn't enough to keep them sometimes. Honestly, this is something that I've always wondered about, so I'm really excited to find out the details.
Then again, I'm also nervous because this is my first story after all. Yeah, I wrote stuff for Beginning Journalism, but I'm going to assume that the grading for this class will be a bit tougher. I usually treat my first class assignments as experiments. After getting a feel of what the teacher expects of me, I can easily work to improve on my next project. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try my best with this story.
-Fran
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
First Post
Last year during my Sophomore year in college I decided that I wanted to use my English major to become an editor. I wanted to help other people get their works published and spend my time reading their thoughts, their stories, and their hopes for success rather than create my own because let's face it, I'm not exactly into forced writing for myself as much as I thought. But I still love reading, and my wonderful advisor, Darcy Fallon, suggested that a Journalism minor was the way to go in the path to my career of choice.
So here I am in Advanced News Writing 321, hoping that I'll be able to gain the experience I need. Upon first glance, the syllabus seems kind of intense. Then again, I usually tend to make everything look way more difficult than it actually is. But the professor seems like he'll be a real help in guiding us through all this, and I really did enjoy my beginning Journalism class with Darcy so maybe this will be just the amount of work I need to get a feel of things.
Then again, the number 321 when applied to a class is pretty intimidating. I've never taken a 300 level course at Wittenberg before, though I know I'll be taking more in the future. 300 implies a lot of work, a lot of studying, and a lot of time and effort put into getting a good grade. But this is a class I need for my minor and it's a subject that I'm interested in so I should probably just suck it up and get over it.
Regardless, I'm looking forward to listening to everyone's ideas and reading their stories. Like I said, I love reading and I've got no problem having newspaper readings as required homework. I'm still 50/50 on the class as a whole, but here's hoping this turns out to be a good decision on my part.
-Fran
So here I am in Advanced News Writing 321, hoping that I'll be able to gain the experience I need. Upon first glance, the syllabus seems kind of intense. Then again, I usually tend to make everything look way more difficult than it actually is. But the professor seems like he'll be a real help in guiding us through all this, and I really did enjoy my beginning Journalism class with Darcy so maybe this will be just the amount of work I need to get a feel of things.
Then again, the number 321 when applied to a class is pretty intimidating. I've never taken a 300 level course at Wittenberg before, though I know I'll be taking more in the future. 300 implies a lot of work, a lot of studying, and a lot of time and effort put into getting a good grade. But this is a class I need for my minor and it's a subject that I'm interested in so I should probably just suck it up and get over it.
Regardless, I'm looking forward to listening to everyone's ideas and reading their stories. Like I said, I love reading and I've got no problem having newspaper readings as required homework. I'm still 50/50 on the class as a whole, but here's hoping this turns out to be a good decision on my part.
-Fran
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