1. What did you know about journalism, citizen journalism, and blogging before you took the course? I knew Journalism was an important industry, and that newspapers were steadily declining. I knew of blogging as being more personal perspective of certain issues.
2. What did you learn about journalism, citizen journalism, and blogging through readings and discussions? What do you remember most from the readings? What do you agree with/disagree with? I learned how little certain content is filtered, and I think that is a great thing. I disagree with the need to find sources when reporting certain issues. Blogging is intended for people to put their message out there. If there was a deadline that any facts we used needed to be cited, that is fine, but finding sources made this site a journalist site for Albright, and not blogging.
3. Describe your experience with the hands-on element with a focus on what you learned, the educational value, and the application to the real world. Be sure to discuss:
a. Use of technology
There needs to be more time spent on learning the technology. There were many struggles within the class trying to use the equipment, and it was a disaster.
b. Covering stories/event/issues relevant to Albright/Reading community
We should have been allowed to cover our written blogs on any issue, local, state, national, international, so be it. The Albright Campus is very limited in stories, and makes it very hard for everyone to cover something. Second, as I stated earlier, this was reporting, not blogging. We were not allowed to cover the issues with the spins we wanted to, or to be as critical as we wanted to.
c. Class critiques of blogs/podcasts
The Critiques were very helpful, it is a fresher set of eyes, and allowed those being critiqued to gain input and ideas. I think the technical issues we experienced did take away from the quality of the stories, but having classmates give different ideas was very helpful.
d. Responsibility/freedom of blogging
The responsibility of blogging was too high for this class. If I wanted to do a video blog on our country's economy, I doubt I'm going to be able to have President Obama appear on it. Let's put that on scale, if I wanted to cover Albright's tuition, I doubt President McMillan has the time to help for a video blog. Blogging is not about reporting, it is about reaction. I fully agree we should check our information, and points should be deducted for false information, but the source requirements made this class non-blogging. Also, we are not reporters, we are students. We do our written blog, and if it gets noticed, great. Yes, it is good reporting to interview those who comment, and then post a follow-up story, but we are full-time students, who have other work to do for other classes, as well as moving on to the next story for this class. If there was extra credit offered to follow up that is a different story, but this class has 8 assigned blogs, and expecting more out of anyone because they got noticed is not completely fair.
4. Discuss what you now think/feel/believe about the role citizen journalism and blogging play in communication. Is blogging a form of journalism? Citizen Journalism is a great way of revealing issues that others would not otherwise be aware of. However, the fact remains blogging is not a form of journalism. Blogging is not about reporting the news. It is about stating how you feel about the news, and why you feel that way.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Update: The Trouble with Digital Media
I realize that in my very first blog about Digital Media, I may have written rather harshly and in a rather heated manner. This is all due to my growing frustration with the department and the college. I decided to write this optional update because a surprising amount of things has happened since my blog was posted. That Friday, when I entered Alumni Hall for my Digital Literacy class, I found the class delayed due to a meeting that the DM department was having. When I actually did enter class, I was approached by Dan Falabella, the head of the Digital Media department, who told me that he had read my blog. He told me that he had been made head of the department to "help resolve some of the issues addressed in the blog." The meeting they were having was, in fact, to discuss installing lab monitors, so the lab could stay open later and be easily accessible to its students.
Once in class, my professor, Jocelyn Kolb, explained that lab monitors would have 24-hour access to the lab. The lab is open until 1 a.m. on weekdays for students, but if the monitors are there later, it is at their discretion whether to let students in. She also explained the extended weekday hours, a great improvement over its current hours. Lab monitors, however, will also have a great responsibility, and will be held accountable if anything goes wrong or if the lab is left unattended, which is understandable. However, in the past students, were allowed in the lab unattended and simply had to wait for public safety to let them in. This was often an annoyance for both students and public safety, and students often waited for up to an hour. However, once in the lab, students remained unhindered to do their work until about 3 a.m. There have been many improvements, but there are also still many hindrances. I have actually found that getting into the lab is still far too much of a hassle; half the time, I find myself going to the computer center instead, and I often see many other DM students there as well. One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me, “It is just easier this way.” I may have made a big fuss about getting into the labs, but is still a hassle, and so I agree that sometimes it is just easier not to go there. However, this is only if the computers in the Computer Center have the programs you need. There was one occasion when my group for class needed a specific lab to do a project (because it is the only one on campus with the program) and public safety refused to open it until 10 p.m. They said this was because that is when the lab monitor started, but the person with whom I was working, John Smucker,’10, was the lab monitor that night, and despite telling them this, they still refused to open it. I know they are trying to make improvements, but it is all very frustrating. I found out it is really not up to public safety when the labs are open; that authority lies with Dr. Falabella.
I spoke with Dr. Falabella, who told me that the lab is now open Monday-Thursday until 1 a.m., under supervision of a monitor. They are not open during the weekends at this time, which I found out about the hard way when I attempted to go the lab and do work on a Sunday, only to call public safety and be refused entry to the labs. I found this rather annoying, and I know many other students have as well. Dr. Falabella explained that it is all about funding; there is not enough money to keep the lab open on weekends or later at night. He explained that he would like to follow the hours of the Computer Center, which is open for students on the weekends. I was informed that the reason for locking the doors and having so many precautions is all about safety. There have apparently been reports of people coming in off the streets or of non-DM students fooling around in the lab. I have never heard of such incidents or heard of problems, but I understand the need for safety. Instead of calling public safety and having to wait long amounts of time for entry, the lab monitor is now given a radio and public safety will radio them to let students in. It can also be used to radio public safety in case of an emergency. The labs had apparently become more of a hang-out than a professional workspace. I never saw much of a problem with this, but either way, it all seems to come down to funding, and I am disappointed that DM cannot obtain more of that.
What I am sure everyone would love is to have key-card entry to the lab. This way, only Digital Media students could get in, there would be no need to call or to radio anyone to gain access, and work would be accomplished more enthusiastically. Many colleges have this for their buildings and departments, but unfortunately somehow Albright College just does not seem to have the money. This semester will be my last at Albright, as I am transferring in the fall to Drexel University in Philadelphia. I told Dr. Falabella, and despite his efforts to improve the department, I simply have not been impressed or convinced enough to stay. Were it not for Dr. Falabella, the Digital Media department might not even have been kept in existence, as there was talk of shutting it down last year. I do have hope for the Digital Media department, and I know it can improve, but its progress is slow, and the lack of money just does allow for all the opportunities that are available.
Once in class, my professor, Jocelyn Kolb, explained that lab monitors would have 24-hour access to the lab. The lab is open until 1 a.m. on weekdays for students, but if the monitors are there later, it is at their discretion whether to let students in. She also explained the extended weekday hours, a great improvement over its current hours. Lab monitors, however, will also have a great responsibility, and will be held accountable if anything goes wrong or if the lab is left unattended, which is understandable. However, in the past students, were allowed in the lab unattended and simply had to wait for public safety to let them in. This was often an annoyance for both students and public safety, and students often waited for up to an hour. However, once in the lab, students remained unhindered to do their work until about 3 a.m. There have been many improvements, but there are also still many hindrances. I have actually found that getting into the lab is still far too much of a hassle; half the time, I find myself going to the computer center instead, and I often see many other DM students there as well. One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me, “It is just easier this way.” I may have made a big fuss about getting into the labs, but is still a hassle, and so I agree that sometimes it is just easier not to go there. However, this is only if the computers in the Computer Center have the programs you need. There was one occasion when my group for class needed a specific lab to do a project (because it is the only one on campus with the program) and public safety refused to open it until 10 p.m. They said this was because that is when the lab monitor started, but the person with whom I was working, John Smucker,’10, was the lab monitor that night, and despite telling them this, they still refused to open it. I know they are trying to make improvements, but it is all very frustrating. I found out it is really not up to public safety when the labs are open; that authority lies with Dr. Falabella.
I spoke with Dr. Falabella, who told me that the lab is now open Monday-Thursday until 1 a.m., under supervision of a monitor. They are not open during the weekends at this time, which I found out about the hard way when I attempted to go the lab and do work on a Sunday, only to call public safety and be refused entry to the labs. I found this rather annoying, and I know many other students have as well. Dr. Falabella explained that it is all about funding; there is not enough money to keep the lab open on weekends or later at night. He explained that he would like to follow the hours of the Computer Center, which is open for students on the weekends. I was informed that the reason for locking the doors and having so many precautions is all about safety. There have apparently been reports of people coming in off the streets or of non-DM students fooling around in the lab. I have never heard of such incidents or heard of problems, but I understand the need for safety. Instead of calling public safety and having to wait long amounts of time for entry, the lab monitor is now given a radio and public safety will radio them to let students in. It can also be used to radio public safety in case of an emergency. The labs had apparently become more of a hang-out than a professional workspace. I never saw much of a problem with this, but either way, it all seems to come down to funding, and I am disappointed that DM cannot obtain more of that.
What I am sure everyone would love is to have key-card entry to the lab. This way, only Digital Media students could get in, there would be no need to call or to radio anyone to gain access, and work would be accomplished more enthusiastically. Many colleges have this for their buildings and departments, but unfortunately somehow Albright College just does not seem to have the money. This semester will be my last at Albright, as I am transferring in the fall to Drexel University in Philadelphia. I told Dr. Falabella, and despite his efforts to improve the department, I simply have not been impressed or convinced enough to stay. Were it not for Dr. Falabella, the Digital Media department might not even have been kept in existence, as there was talk of shutting it down last year. I do have hope for the Digital Media department, and I know it can improve, but its progress is slow, and the lack of money just does allow for all the opportunities that are available.
Final Reflective Blog
Frankly, before I took this class, I was not all that interested in journalism, citizen journalism, or blogging. I found this class to be a lot of work, but it really opened my eyes and made me more aware and knowledgeable about these things. I was never all that interested in journalism because I always thought of newspapers, or nosy reporters, or invading people’s privacy, but I learned that it was so much more than this. I never really thought of bloggers as citizen journalists, and I never knew that websites existed solely for this purpose. I had read blogs on previous occasions, but I had never really considered them newsworthy; they were more just for fun, but when I go back and look at them now, they actually are very informative. After this class, I am actually much more interested in journalism and blogging. I have seen all the possibilities it can create, and even just from this one class’s blog, it still managed to spark controversy on campus. I really learned how to seek out sources, obtain permission to film or record things, and especially how to edit. I am really glad I was able to learn how to edit, because it is a skill that I know I will need, but with which I have not yet had a lot of experience. When Deborah Horan came to speak to us and told us about her experience reporting in the Middle East, she told us that it was very important to be well-rounded and to know how to do a little bit of everything. The more you can do, the more employable you are, and the more you can further yourself in your field and for your own personal gain. As for the readings, many of them I did not find all that useful or relatable to what we were doing in class. They often did spark discussions in class that were interesting, but sometimes I failed to see how they related back to the focus of everything. They often did create discussion about ethics, which I do think is useful, because being in Communications, this question of what is moral or what is allowed is constantly arising. I did learn about some citizen journalist websites of which I was previously unaware and I actually found them quite interesting. It showed that you don’t necessarily have to have a career in journalism to report on the news or on something that you feel is important. I especially liked them because they often focused on more local or smaller things that would not normally make headline news. I also found one particular article we read early on about blogging, and about how it is different from other types of writing; I the aspect of blogging that it is more conversational and personal than other types of writing. I also found discussions about freedom of speech and things like comments very interesting, and how some bloggers allow for comments while others do not.
Sometimes going to campus events or setting up interviews could be a little nerve-racking, and I found I had to leave my comfort zone quite a bit, but this is all part of the real-experience. I did not realize at first that other faculty or administrators would be reading the blog, and so I was very surprised with my first blog that Dan Falabella, the head of the Digital Media department, approached me after reading my blog. I think that making videos and podcasts was a really great experience, and although it was a lot of work, I am really glad I was able to learn different techniques. I wish the equipment from the library was a little better quality and that it was more available, but it is good that we got to use the technology at all. I found good opportunities being presented to me because of this class and the events I covered. As I said, I was approached after writing my first blog, and I believe that it helped lead to a change in the way Alumni Hall was handled, where the DM department is. Also, when I filmed the student peace demonstration, I interviewed a member of Silent Witness, the protest group from the community, and the Executive Director, Alanna Berger, asked me if I could give them a copy of my footage, which they would use and for which they would give me credit. This class presented a lot of opportunities to me that I had not originally anticipated. Although I liked posting these things on a blog, I felt that our freedom with it was slightly limited. Blogs are all about saying what you want to say, and being open and conversational. I know this was a class, but there were requirements to be met, and sometimes it felt difficult to keep it true to blogging style, while still trying to remain professional for class.
Class critiques were also sometimes embarrassing or nerve-racking. I think they were a good idea, though; it was good to hear what my peers had to say, as opposed to just hearing from the professor. Sometimes they could relate better to the event or the trouble and could offer a different kind of perspective or critique. Just as we need well-rounded sources for our blogs and podcasts, it was good to have well-rounded opinions, advice, and critiques. I also liked watching other people’s blogs in a classroom setting rather than in my own room, because sometimes I noticed things that I had not noticed before, and we could have more of a discussion and listen to what other people had to say. This was helpful because it was often done before we had actually received a grade, and we could hear things that we could remember for the next time before actually learning what we had earned. However, sometimes it was more difficult to hear podcasts in class and sometimes this made it difficult to critique it properly. Overall, however, although class critiques could sometimes be stressful for those being critiqued, I think they are a good idea and worked out well so that people could get varying views and opinions.
My opinions of citizen journalism and blogging have certainly changed after this class. I pay a lot more attention to it and actually respect it more. There are lots of things that can be done with either of them, and they can definitely have some kind of impact. I think that they are often overlooked, and now that I see the impact that they can have, I believe people should start paying attention. Blogs and citizen journalist websites as well as the comments that people have left, have the ability to share news and so they do appear as a form of journalism. They can inform people, cause controversy, have a significant influence, and create bigger stories. We even read several accounts where businesses have considered using blogs to transmit information, and certainly, with TV shows and spoiler blogs playing a big role, some have even become famous. There are lots of well-known blogs, and while some are news, others have made the news. They are a new form of communication, and as the culture converges and moves even more towards the Internet, I think they will only become more popular and more common. A lot of people prefer to get their information this way, rather than read a newspaper or watch the news; the power is at their fingertips, and they have the freedom to do and say almost anything they want. If you have something to say, a blog is a great way to do it. Not everyone may see it, but the Internet is so vast that there are ways to get yourself out there and have your voice heard or read.
This class forced me and allowed me to do things and to speak to people that normally I would not have. I think this was a good experience that could be helpful in a real-world situation, not just dealing with journalism. There was a lot of work involved, a lot of organization, and a lot of planning, all skills that someone should have. I found out a lot of things about the campus and the community that I never knew before, and was able to see a different side of things. I know it was an experimental class, and I think it does need some tweaking and I often found the workload stressful, but I really enjoyed doing most of it, and am so happy with the things I can take away from it. I know I have progressed from the very first blog I wrote until now, and hopefully I will continue to do so.
Sometimes going to campus events or setting up interviews could be a little nerve-racking, and I found I had to leave my comfort zone quite a bit, but this is all part of the real-experience. I did not realize at first that other faculty or administrators would be reading the blog, and so I was very surprised with my first blog that Dan Falabella, the head of the Digital Media department, approached me after reading my blog. I think that making videos and podcasts was a really great experience, and although it was a lot of work, I am really glad I was able to learn different techniques. I wish the equipment from the library was a little better quality and that it was more available, but it is good that we got to use the technology at all. I found good opportunities being presented to me because of this class and the events I covered. As I said, I was approached after writing my first blog, and I believe that it helped lead to a change in the way Alumni Hall was handled, where the DM department is. Also, when I filmed the student peace demonstration, I interviewed a member of Silent Witness, the protest group from the community, and the Executive Director, Alanna Berger, asked me if I could give them a copy of my footage, which they would use and for which they would give me credit. This class presented a lot of opportunities to me that I had not originally anticipated. Although I liked posting these things on a blog, I felt that our freedom with it was slightly limited. Blogs are all about saying what you want to say, and being open and conversational. I know this was a class, but there were requirements to be met, and sometimes it felt difficult to keep it true to blogging style, while still trying to remain professional for class.
Class critiques were also sometimes embarrassing or nerve-racking. I think they were a good idea, though; it was good to hear what my peers had to say, as opposed to just hearing from the professor. Sometimes they could relate better to the event or the trouble and could offer a different kind of perspective or critique. Just as we need well-rounded sources for our blogs and podcasts, it was good to have well-rounded opinions, advice, and critiques. I also liked watching other people’s blogs in a classroom setting rather than in my own room, because sometimes I noticed things that I had not noticed before, and we could have more of a discussion and listen to what other people had to say. This was helpful because it was often done before we had actually received a grade, and we could hear things that we could remember for the next time before actually learning what we had earned. However, sometimes it was more difficult to hear podcasts in class and sometimes this made it difficult to critique it properly. Overall, however, although class critiques could sometimes be stressful for those being critiqued, I think they are a good idea and worked out well so that people could get varying views and opinions.
My opinions of citizen journalism and blogging have certainly changed after this class. I pay a lot more attention to it and actually respect it more. There are lots of things that can be done with either of them, and they can definitely have some kind of impact. I think that they are often overlooked, and now that I see the impact that they can have, I believe people should start paying attention. Blogs and citizen journalist websites as well as the comments that people have left, have the ability to share news and so they do appear as a form of journalism. They can inform people, cause controversy, have a significant influence, and create bigger stories. We even read several accounts where businesses have considered using blogs to transmit information, and certainly, with TV shows and spoiler blogs playing a big role, some have even become famous. There are lots of well-known blogs, and while some are news, others have made the news. They are a new form of communication, and as the culture converges and moves even more towards the Internet, I think they will only become more popular and more common. A lot of people prefer to get their information this way, rather than read a newspaper or watch the news; the power is at their fingertips, and they have the freedom to do and say almost anything they want. If you have something to say, a blog is a great way to do it. Not everyone may see it, but the Internet is so vast that there are ways to get yourself out there and have your voice heard or read.
This class forced me and allowed me to do things and to speak to people that normally I would not have. I think this was a good experience that could be helpful in a real-world situation, not just dealing with journalism. There was a lot of work involved, a lot of organization, and a lot of planning, all skills that someone should have. I found out a lot of things about the campus and the community that I never knew before, and was able to see a different side of things. I know it was an experimental class, and I think it does need some tweaking and I often found the workload stressful, but I really enjoyed doing most of it, and am so happy with the things I can take away from it. I know I have progressed from the very first blog I wrote until now, and hopefully I will continue to do so.
Final Blog
When coming to this class I thought I knew something about journalism and citizen journalism and everything else we were going to talk about but I really had no clue. I knew what journalism was but was unclear about citizen journalism, I never heard it. As for blogging I heard of it and knew what it was but had never done it.
Through reading the book and the articles that we were given I have learned that citizen journalism is a lot of hard work and time it took to get the stories. I have learned that you need to back your sources and the more proof you have the better off you are. The examples that Professor Bekken has talked about helped me understand what citizen journalism really is. The thing I remember most from the readings is the “potter wars.” All of the confrontation over something that seemed so simple but to some it was a very big deal. I did enjoy the book because he talked as if he was blogging and not writing a book. It made it more interesting to read.
The technology as the hardest part of the whole class, the use of the camcorders and voice recorders will be a huge help in the real world. Since the real world is depending on technology this class helped prepare me for the use of technology and able to edit it. Being in college I thought it was a good idea that we covered issues about Albright. Having people, like any professor that read the blog, respond to the blog I think will help Albright in the future. The topics presented are situation that students feel very strong about and hopefully it will benefit Albright.
When we had to critique someone else blogs and podcasts, I was a little nervous because I did not want to be mean in my opinion and have someone get mad at me. The way that Professor Rakus made us write the critique and not write our names I thought it was very smart and enjoyed doing it. I believe it really helped out to get a students opinion on what they thought. We had many responsibilities and that is what it is like in the real world, so in that sense it was good. I found every topic that we all picked were good topics because we were not assigned it, we had the freedom to make our own choice in what we found interesting.
Blogging, I do not care what anyone says, is a form of journalism. People that do it may not have a masters is journalism or communication but it is a form of journalism in the sense there is research behind it and write it. If they are blogging about something the bloggers must research what they are talking about. If it was not for bloggers society would not be able it state their opinions in a fast, non-formal way.
Through reading the book and the articles that we were given I have learned that citizen journalism is a lot of hard work and time it took to get the stories. I have learned that you need to back your sources and the more proof you have the better off you are. The examples that Professor Bekken has talked about helped me understand what citizen journalism really is. The thing I remember most from the readings is the “potter wars.” All of the confrontation over something that seemed so simple but to some it was a very big deal. I did enjoy the book because he talked as if he was blogging and not writing a book. It made it more interesting to read.
The technology as the hardest part of the whole class, the use of the camcorders and voice recorders will be a huge help in the real world. Since the real world is depending on technology this class helped prepare me for the use of technology and able to edit it. Being in college I thought it was a good idea that we covered issues about Albright. Having people, like any professor that read the blog, respond to the blog I think will help Albright in the future. The topics presented are situation that students feel very strong about and hopefully it will benefit Albright.
When we had to critique someone else blogs and podcasts, I was a little nervous because I did not want to be mean in my opinion and have someone get mad at me. The way that Professor Rakus made us write the critique and not write our names I thought it was very smart and enjoyed doing it. I believe it really helped out to get a students opinion on what they thought. We had many responsibilities and that is what it is like in the real world, so in that sense it was good. I found every topic that we all picked were good topics because we were not assigned it, we had the freedom to make our own choice in what we found interesting.
Blogging, I do not care what anyone says, is a form of journalism. People that do it may not have a masters is journalism or communication but it is a form of journalism in the sense there is research behind it and write it. If they are blogging about something the bloggers must research what they are talking about. If it was not for bloggers society would not be able it state their opinions in a fast, non-formal way.
Final Reflective Blog
Before taking this class, I knew a little bit about the journalism process and the different types of writings and styles associated with it, things that I learned from a journalism class I took last semester. In that class, we learned about the different types of articles (feature, interview, etc.) and wrote several articles in different styles. So, from that, I knew how to write certain types of articles and knew the general principles involved with journalism.
Before taking the class, I knew little to nothing about citizen journalism. We talked about it, briefly, last semester in the journalism class but the coverage was not as in-depth that it was in this class. I knew that citizen journalism was a newer type of journalism that allowed people that were not professional journalist to publish stories that they felt were newsworthy and caught their interest. I also knew that this was a type of journalism that was taking over traditional journalism because online journalism is now more popular than print.
I had visited numerous blogs before taking class. While, they were not focused around world news or politics, I knew that blogs gave people the power to speak and get their voice out there on their own. I visit almost 10 celebrity gossip and news blogs daily so I was familiar with how they work and what they were.
From this class, I learned a lot about citizen and online journalism. With citizen journalism and blogging, I learned about the origins and how they became popular. I also gained a greater perspective on why it is important and the power it gives people. For decades, people have relied on TV and news publications to deliver news and were basically told what is important; now, people decide what they want to discuss and now have a bigger voice. It truly shows the evolution news has had over the years and tells us where we’re going.
With all that said, I wonder if one day, news in print will no longer exist and online publications will dominate completely. As an aspiring journalist, I worry about how secure my future is, given the transition from print to online publications and the fact that so many major newspapers are ending their publications and are experiencing debt and other financial problems. I know that a lot has to do with the recession, but a lot of it is the fact that most news has gone online. I guess the brighter side of things is that the people that these newspapers are hiring have to be very capable of handling online tasks and have to know how to work with technology—I have been exposed to all of the technology used today as well as the fact that I grew up in the age of computers and internet. It’s comforting to know that some of the things that I learned in this class will come in handy one day.
I don’t feel like I necessarily learned anything about journalism—I did, however, see print journalism in a different light because this class takes more of the online perspective and I had the print perspective last semester. So, comparing these two and looking at journalism from each standpoint, I gained new opinions. I basically feel that print journalism is not as effective as online journalism because online journalism is very convenient and so much that people do everyday (email, Facebook, shopping) is online, it is no wonder why this type of journalism has become so popular.
Some aspects from the readings that stick out to me are when the readings discussed whether citizen journalism and blogging are real types of journalism. This really made me think because I think it is tough to call. Some people write because they are just expressing an opinion while others are actually delivering some type of news—so, for that reason, I feel that citizen journalism is real journalism, is just depends on the content and delivery. Another part is that in the readings talks about why citizen journalism and other aspects of online happenings (like the fan groups and Sims games) is so important and encourages it. Those readings encourage it and say that it gives people a voice and a sense of community. This is an aspect I agree with because I think it is such a powerful thing to be able to write about whatever you feel and say whatever you feel; news is no longer necessarily dictated by the media. I also think it’s a way for people to feel more included and apart of a world they were formerly on the outside of.
My experiences with:
- Use of technology: I’ve always been comfortable with using technology—computers, internet, etc. so I never had an issue with the things that we had to use in this class. I learned a lot—I learned how to make a movie which is one of the biggest things I think I’ve taken away from this class and podcasts which I had heard about before but never really knew what they were prior to the class. Like I stated before, these are all advantages because when I get out there in the real world, looking to build my career, these are the type of capabilities that employers look for and I feel like I’ll be up to date and prepared for the tasks that jobs in the journalism field entail. The only thing is that sometimes the applications (Audacity and Movie Maker) would stop working or not save work which was VERY frustrating. The podcasts, audio and video, are extremely time-consuming. But, on the way, I’ve learned how to make sure certain mistakes wouldn’t occur and how to make it better.
- Covering stories/events/issues relevant to the Albright/Reading community: There were pros and cons about covering issues surrounding the Albright and Reading community. The pros were that I was able to really dig deep into Albright events and meet so many different people—whether they were my fellow students or members of the administration and really get a feel for what the school stands for. I felt more apart of the community and more knowledgeable about some of the things that happen on campus. Most of my posts surrounded issues of diversity and gave voice to minorities on campus (gay people, people of color) which I was proud of because I feel like these voices need to be heard. I was happy that I was given the opportunity to help give the platform for their voices. The cons are that sometimes, it was very difficult to select a topic—there is not that much going on campus that is really interesting and there was always the issue of someone already picking a topic that you had in mind. I felt that we should have been given topics or that we should have been able to step out of Albright and Reading for an assignment or two just to add variety.
- Class critiques of blogs/podcasts: I’ve never enjoyed critiquing other people’s work or having my own work critiqued…but, it is always beneficial to get an idea of how people are receiving your work. This aspect of the class taught me even more how to accept constructive criticism and just being open to improving and growing as a writer.
- Responsibility/freedom as a blogger: Looking back on it, I am very satisfied with my blogging experience and proud that I was apart of a blog and was exposed to so many types of things. I loved having to take on the responsibility of a blogger and writer because I felt like it was preparation for the career I hope to have one day. I also enjoyed being able to talk about the issues I found important and crucial to the campus.
Now that the class is over, I have a true perspective and idea about what blogging and citizen journalism truly is. And, given this perspective, it has impacted the way I view blogging. And, with all that said, I do feel that blogging/citizen journalism is a type of journalism. Like I said above, it is all about content and the way it is delivered—if a person is delivering a piece of news, than yes, it is journalism. You don’t necessarily have to go to school to be considered a journalist. While, school and training helps you become a better writer and helps you survive through the industry, a person reporting on news and writing about it is a journalist, in my opinion. Everyone deserves to be able to express their ideas and thoughts. Citizen journalism and blogging helps with allowing people to speak and to get their voices heard. News doesn’t always have to be provided by TV or a newspaper—now, people can determine their own news and have it all out there. And, that’s the way it should be.
Before taking the class, I knew little to nothing about citizen journalism. We talked about it, briefly, last semester in the journalism class but the coverage was not as in-depth that it was in this class. I knew that citizen journalism was a newer type of journalism that allowed people that were not professional journalist to publish stories that they felt were newsworthy and caught their interest. I also knew that this was a type of journalism that was taking over traditional journalism because online journalism is now more popular than print.
I had visited numerous blogs before taking class. While, they were not focused around world news or politics, I knew that blogs gave people the power to speak and get their voice out there on their own. I visit almost 10 celebrity gossip and news blogs daily so I was familiar with how they work and what they were.
From this class, I learned a lot about citizen and online journalism. With citizen journalism and blogging, I learned about the origins and how they became popular. I also gained a greater perspective on why it is important and the power it gives people. For decades, people have relied on TV and news publications to deliver news and were basically told what is important; now, people decide what they want to discuss and now have a bigger voice. It truly shows the evolution news has had over the years and tells us where we’re going.
With all that said, I wonder if one day, news in print will no longer exist and online publications will dominate completely. As an aspiring journalist, I worry about how secure my future is, given the transition from print to online publications and the fact that so many major newspapers are ending their publications and are experiencing debt and other financial problems. I know that a lot has to do with the recession, but a lot of it is the fact that most news has gone online. I guess the brighter side of things is that the people that these newspapers are hiring have to be very capable of handling online tasks and have to know how to work with technology—I have been exposed to all of the technology used today as well as the fact that I grew up in the age of computers and internet. It’s comforting to know that some of the things that I learned in this class will come in handy one day.
I don’t feel like I necessarily learned anything about journalism—I did, however, see print journalism in a different light because this class takes more of the online perspective and I had the print perspective last semester. So, comparing these two and looking at journalism from each standpoint, I gained new opinions. I basically feel that print journalism is not as effective as online journalism because online journalism is very convenient and so much that people do everyday (email, Facebook, shopping) is online, it is no wonder why this type of journalism has become so popular.
Some aspects from the readings that stick out to me are when the readings discussed whether citizen journalism and blogging are real types of journalism. This really made me think because I think it is tough to call. Some people write because they are just expressing an opinion while others are actually delivering some type of news—so, for that reason, I feel that citizen journalism is real journalism, is just depends on the content and delivery. Another part is that in the readings talks about why citizen journalism and other aspects of online happenings (like the fan groups and Sims games) is so important and encourages it. Those readings encourage it and say that it gives people a voice and a sense of community. This is an aspect I agree with because I think it is such a powerful thing to be able to write about whatever you feel and say whatever you feel; news is no longer necessarily dictated by the media. I also think it’s a way for people to feel more included and apart of a world they were formerly on the outside of.
My experiences with:
- Use of technology: I’ve always been comfortable with using technology—computers, internet, etc. so I never had an issue with the things that we had to use in this class. I learned a lot—I learned how to make a movie which is one of the biggest things I think I’ve taken away from this class and podcasts which I had heard about before but never really knew what they were prior to the class. Like I stated before, these are all advantages because when I get out there in the real world, looking to build my career, these are the type of capabilities that employers look for and I feel like I’ll be up to date and prepared for the tasks that jobs in the journalism field entail. The only thing is that sometimes the applications (Audacity and Movie Maker) would stop working or not save work which was VERY frustrating. The podcasts, audio and video, are extremely time-consuming. But, on the way, I’ve learned how to make sure certain mistakes wouldn’t occur and how to make it better.
- Covering stories/events/issues relevant to the Albright/Reading community: There were pros and cons about covering issues surrounding the Albright and Reading community. The pros were that I was able to really dig deep into Albright events and meet so many different people—whether they were my fellow students or members of the administration and really get a feel for what the school stands for. I felt more apart of the community and more knowledgeable about some of the things that happen on campus. Most of my posts surrounded issues of diversity and gave voice to minorities on campus (gay people, people of color) which I was proud of because I feel like these voices need to be heard. I was happy that I was given the opportunity to help give the platform for their voices. The cons are that sometimes, it was very difficult to select a topic—there is not that much going on campus that is really interesting and there was always the issue of someone already picking a topic that you had in mind. I felt that we should have been given topics or that we should have been able to step out of Albright and Reading for an assignment or two just to add variety.
- Class critiques of blogs/podcasts: I’ve never enjoyed critiquing other people’s work or having my own work critiqued…but, it is always beneficial to get an idea of how people are receiving your work. This aspect of the class taught me even more how to accept constructive criticism and just being open to improving and growing as a writer.
- Responsibility/freedom as a blogger: Looking back on it, I am very satisfied with my blogging experience and proud that I was apart of a blog and was exposed to so many types of things. I loved having to take on the responsibility of a blogger and writer because I felt like it was preparation for the career I hope to have one day. I also enjoyed being able to talk about the issues I found important and crucial to the campus.
Now that the class is over, I have a true perspective and idea about what blogging and citizen journalism truly is. And, given this perspective, it has impacted the way I view blogging. And, with all that said, I do feel that blogging/citizen journalism is a type of journalism. Like I said above, it is all about content and the way it is delivered—if a person is delivering a piece of news, than yes, it is journalism. You don’t necessarily have to go to school to be considered a journalist. While, school and training helps you become a better writer and helps you survive through the industry, a person reporting on news and writing about it is a journalist, in my opinion. Everyone deserves to be able to express their ideas and thoughts. Citizen journalism and blogging helps with allowing people to speak and to get their voices heard. News doesn’t always have to be provided by TV or a newspaper—now, people can determine their own news and have it all out there. And, that’s the way it should be.
My Final Reflective Blog
Before I started this class, I think everything I knew, or what I thought I knew, was based off of misconceptions. I assumed that journalism, meant solely print journalism and broadcasting; I didn't think a journalist was anyone whose work wasn't in a magazine or newspaper, or wasn't reported in the evening news on television. I assumed that blogging was something that people did when they wanted to chronicle their daily lives, like an online journal, which I think had been put in my head by movies and television shows that I've seen. Any other form of blogging was assumed to be entertainment blogs, about celebrities, like Perezhilton.com, or other forms of pop culture. And I had no idea was citizen journalism was, so I had no prior thoughts about it, before the class. Overall, I think I had a black and white thought of what journalism was, and wasn't, and obviously I was wrong.
After taking this class, I learned that journalism is basically the action of writing. I learned that a person does't have to be Diane Sawyer, or a famous novelist, to be a journalist. If a person writes, whether its a blog, or an article, they can be a journalist. This proves true with the phenomena of the citizen journalist. These people are writing their thoughts, opinions, and experiences, often times without having any professional background, but a keyboard and a message, and allowing other people to see their work, which I learned, makes them journalists. One of the outlets for this work can be blogging, which I learned doesn't always have to be about the latest tabloid gossip, but about important events, like politics, and other serious issues. The thing I remember most from the readings, which was probably my favorite section, was the issue in Convergence Culture. The Harry Potter issue really hit home to me, because when I first heard that the section was about him, I assumed it was going to be something that glorified the books, movies, or JK Rolwing, and what the franchise has done for pop culture. No, alas, there was a conflict, one between adults and children, that really intrigued me, and opened my eyes to how things in our society can be perceived and written about. And maybe because it was formally written about, rather than on television or a gossip blog, but in a well-known book, I liked it even more. I didn't disagree with anything in our readings, in neither Convergence Culture, or We The Media. Especially in We The Media, I felt like everything discussed always came from a valid and relevant place; I never wondered why I was reading a particular section, or if I would be able to apply it to the class. And the events discussed were actual and true, so I didn't really feel like I could necessarily disagree.
The hands-on element of the class was by far the hardest part. I learned a lot, which was good, for more than just an education value. I learned how to film and post videos, which helps me a great deal, since I was want to be a newscaster. I also liked the audio portion of the class; I had used voice recorders before, but I never used them for any substantial record keeping. Journalists use recorders to record their subjects so they can go back it later. I know really learning how to use it was also more than just for education. In the real world, at my job, I'll more than likely have to use a recorder at sometime, and learning how to pull quotes and information from the data, and edit will undoubtedly help me with my job. The writing portion, which I was the most comfortable with, was probably the portion that I learned the most from. I had to learn how to use my sources to write a good article, and also be able to interject my own thoughts and ideas into it. I was used to writing opinion pieces, and I have never interviewed anyone for anything before. For once, Jacara was not my only source, but I had to find two others. Obviously learning how to have outside sources will help me in the real world with my other classes, outside of those for my communications major, and when I finally become a journalist. Covering stories that happened on the Albright Campus and around the Reading area, I must admit, was a pain. It was fun in the beginning, to interview people I knew, and people I didn't know, but after a while it got to be extremely tedious...and a bit boring. I think that we still should have been limited to the Albright community to interview, since outside sources may have be difficult to reach, but we should have been able to discuss topics that we wanted to choose. I was itching to do a video piece on effect of Barack Obama on the campus, and/or how Michelle Obama has influenced fashion, and interview Albright students (mainly those majoring in fashion), and I never got the chance to do that, which was a disappointment. The class critiques of the blogs and podcasts were okay; I was never uncomfortable to do them, or the possibility that someone would critique mine, because they would be posted on such a public site anyway. I sometimes thought that the grades of the critiques were a little harsh, especially since this was the first class, of its kind, for a lot of us that demanded so much work and dedication. Although I said I didn't like that we didn't get to choose topics beyond the Reading area, I did like how we could choose the topics. Granted, I had to do my projects on somethings I was less than ecstatic to do, but I didn't hate any of them. I'm glad the professors didn't choose them for us; it would have made it extremely boring, and by choosing our own topics, we were able to freely choose the angles that we wanted to focus our stories on, and do it on our own time. of course, we had to be responsible for our stories and make sure that they "balanced", which I hated having to concentrate so hard on in the beginning, but enjoyed challenging myself towards the end. The way I look at it is, when I become a paid journalist, I won't always be able to choose my topics, and even if I do, I won't always like them. I detest extreme discussion of politics and foreign affairs, but my job may ask to research that, so I'd have to do it. This class prepared for having to deal with that situation.
In conclusion, this class taught me a lot about the role of the journalist, especially the citizen blogger. I know think that citizen blogging is a part of journalism, and I understand the importance of the voice of the people. These random, freely speaking people have something to say, and I now think they have the right to say it. People can read anything online, and now they have not only the opportunity to read the Daily News but Joe Schmoe's thoughts too. I like that, and since this class, I have been reading more citizen blogs. Blogging plays a big part in the role of communications. Not only is it an open range for people to tell how they feel, but they can join with people who feel the same way that they do, and talk about their thoughts. I don't think if people have an outlet to discuss how they feel, then they may as well not write anything. Whats the point of writing, when you have to be censored all the time?
After taking this class, I learned that journalism is basically the action of writing. I learned that a person does't have to be Diane Sawyer, or a famous novelist, to be a journalist. If a person writes, whether its a blog, or an article, they can be a journalist. This proves true with the phenomena of the citizen journalist. These people are writing their thoughts, opinions, and experiences, often times without having any professional background, but a keyboard and a message, and allowing other people to see their work, which I learned, makes them journalists. One of the outlets for this work can be blogging, which I learned doesn't always have to be about the latest tabloid gossip, but about important events, like politics, and other serious issues. The thing I remember most from the readings, which was probably my favorite section, was the issue in Convergence Culture. The Harry Potter issue really hit home to me, because when I first heard that the section was about him, I assumed it was going to be something that glorified the books, movies, or JK Rolwing, and what the franchise has done for pop culture. No, alas, there was a conflict, one between adults and children, that really intrigued me, and opened my eyes to how things in our society can be perceived and written about. And maybe because it was formally written about, rather than on television or a gossip blog, but in a well-known book, I liked it even more. I didn't disagree with anything in our readings, in neither Convergence Culture, or We The Media. Especially in We The Media, I felt like everything discussed always came from a valid and relevant place; I never wondered why I was reading a particular section, or if I would be able to apply it to the class. And the events discussed were actual and true, so I didn't really feel like I could necessarily disagree.
The hands-on element of the class was by far the hardest part. I learned a lot, which was good, for more than just an education value. I learned how to film and post videos, which helps me a great deal, since I was want to be a newscaster. I also liked the audio portion of the class; I had used voice recorders before, but I never used them for any substantial record keeping. Journalists use recorders to record their subjects so they can go back it later. I know really learning how to use it was also more than just for education. In the real world, at my job, I'll more than likely have to use a recorder at sometime, and learning how to pull quotes and information from the data, and edit will undoubtedly help me with my job. The writing portion, which I was the most comfortable with, was probably the portion that I learned the most from. I had to learn how to use my sources to write a good article, and also be able to interject my own thoughts and ideas into it. I was used to writing opinion pieces, and I have never interviewed anyone for anything before. For once, Jacara was not my only source, but I had to find two others. Obviously learning how to have outside sources will help me in the real world with my other classes, outside of those for my communications major, and when I finally become a journalist. Covering stories that happened on the Albright Campus and around the Reading area, I must admit, was a pain. It was fun in the beginning, to interview people I knew, and people I didn't know, but after a while it got to be extremely tedious...and a bit boring. I think that we still should have been limited to the Albright community to interview, since outside sources may have be difficult to reach, but we should have been able to discuss topics that we wanted to choose. I was itching to do a video piece on effect of Barack Obama on the campus, and/or how Michelle Obama has influenced fashion, and interview Albright students (mainly those majoring in fashion), and I never got the chance to do that, which was a disappointment. The class critiques of the blogs and podcasts were okay; I was never uncomfortable to do them, or the possibility that someone would critique mine, because they would be posted on such a public site anyway. I sometimes thought that the grades of the critiques were a little harsh, especially since this was the first class, of its kind, for a lot of us that demanded so much work and dedication. Although I said I didn't like that we didn't get to choose topics beyond the Reading area, I did like how we could choose the topics. Granted, I had to do my projects on somethings I was less than ecstatic to do, but I didn't hate any of them. I'm glad the professors didn't choose them for us; it would have made it extremely boring, and by choosing our own topics, we were able to freely choose the angles that we wanted to focus our stories on, and do it on our own time. of course, we had to be responsible for our stories and make sure that they "balanced", which I hated having to concentrate so hard on in the beginning, but enjoyed challenging myself towards the end. The way I look at it is, when I become a paid journalist, I won't always be able to choose my topics, and even if I do, I won't always like them. I detest extreme discussion of politics and foreign affairs, but my job may ask to research that, so I'd have to do it. This class prepared for having to deal with that situation.
In conclusion, this class taught me a lot about the role of the journalist, especially the citizen blogger. I know think that citizen blogging is a part of journalism, and I understand the importance of the voice of the people. These random, freely speaking people have something to say, and I now think they have the right to say it. People can read anything online, and now they have not only the opportunity to read the Daily News but Joe Schmoe's thoughts too. I like that, and since this class, I have been reading more citizen blogs. Blogging plays a big part in the role of communications. Not only is it an open range for people to tell how they feel, but they can join with people who feel the same way that they do, and talk about their thoughts. I don't think if people have an outlet to discuss how they feel, then they may as well not write anything. Whats the point of writing, when you have to be censored all the time?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Greater View of the Arts
Albright AM released their Third issue of the school year on Friday, May 1st. The event showed a gathering at the pond, as well as the disbursement of magazines all across campus.
From a personal standpoint, I feel as though many of the students at Albright are not very active in the Arts. Therefore, I feel as though the magazine is not very popular amongst the student body. Sophomore Editor-in-Chief Sarah Bruno had a different standpoint. "I do think we attract a lot of student interest, simply because we appeal to so many different aspects of the arts, Albright, and the greater community, as a whole. There's something for almost everyone, basically."
In an interview with senior Tim Zachwieja, he drew a line between Sarah's and my point.
"Is it popular among the whole student body? No. But towards its target audience, it is probably very popular. The Artists will read it, and anyone outside of that group who does is a plus for the magazine," Tim stated.
The magazine is also free to all students, which has to be assumed would help reach more readers. The publishing is made possible through SGA and a grant from Berks County, according to Faculty Advisor Margaret Rakus, and sophomore Vice-President Jessica Taylor.
As for content, the magazine features numerous aspects including featured writings, AGON Coffeehouses, Domino Players Productions, the Berks Jazzfest, Earth Week, and a popular new Artist of the Month segment.
"The Artist of the Month is a relatively new feature, but one of our favorites. Basically, we encourage people to nominate a potential Artist of the Month based on the candidate's major contributions to any area of the arts and a continued interest in that area (or those areas, as the case sometimes may be)," stated Sarah Bruno.
The Artists featured in the latest issue were Elliot Wallace (March) and David Wellman (April). Wallace was showcased for his written production "Faith Eats the Soul," which is a part of Albright's "Green and Growing Festival," a collection of student productions. Wellman was selected for his contributions to AGON, MEISA, and his senior thesis album "Lifeboat." Two different styles, equal impact.
The Arts Magazine is a great example of student dedication here at Albright College. With Rakus taking her "hands off" approach to advising, the students run this magazine completely, and with the many stories they cover, the Arts Community at Albright has yet another source to display their work.
I would like to thank Margaret Rakus, Jessica Taylor, Tim Zachwieja, and Sarah Bruno for their time in answering my questions.
From a personal standpoint, I feel as though many of the students at Albright are not very active in the Arts. Therefore, I feel as though the magazine is not very popular amongst the student body. Sophomore Editor-in-Chief Sarah Bruno had a different standpoint. "I do think we attract a lot of student interest, simply because we appeal to so many different aspects of the arts, Albright, and the greater community, as a whole. There's something for almost everyone, basically."
In an interview with senior Tim Zachwieja, he drew a line between Sarah's and my point.
"Is it popular among the whole student body? No. But towards its target audience, it is probably very popular. The Artists will read it, and anyone outside of that group who does is a plus for the magazine," Tim stated.
The magazine is also free to all students, which has to be assumed would help reach more readers. The publishing is made possible through SGA and a grant from Berks County, according to Faculty Advisor Margaret Rakus, and sophomore Vice-President Jessica Taylor.
As for content, the magazine features numerous aspects including featured writings, AGON Coffeehouses, Domino Players Productions, the Berks Jazzfest, Earth Week, and a popular new Artist of the Month segment.
"The Artist of the Month is a relatively new feature, but one of our favorites. Basically, we encourage people to nominate a potential Artist of the Month based on the candidate's major contributions to any area of the arts and a continued interest in that area (or those areas, as the case sometimes may be)," stated Sarah Bruno.
The Artists featured in the latest issue were Elliot Wallace (March) and David Wellman (April). Wallace was showcased for his written production "Faith Eats the Soul," which is a part of Albright's "Green and Growing Festival," a collection of student productions. Wellman was selected for his contributions to AGON, MEISA, and his senior thesis album "Lifeboat." Two different styles, equal impact.
The Arts Magazine is a great example of student dedication here at Albright College. With Rakus taking her "hands off" approach to advising, the students run this magazine completely, and with the many stories they cover, the Arts Community at Albright has yet another source to display their work.
I would like to thank Margaret Rakus, Jessica Taylor, Tim Zachwieja, and Sarah Bruno for their time in answering my questions.
My Reflection
Before taking this class I knew little to nothing about citizen journalism and blogging. Other than a few other blogs on which I’ve written, I never knew of the all the capabilities that a blog could have, such as an audio or video portion. The other blogs I took part in were never for anything else but for enjoyment, the thought that anyone else would read it never crossed our minds, but I now know that blogs and citizen journalists can write or create a work which can change things.
Through this class I’ve learned that blogging and citizen journalism takes on many forms than those we’ve created in our minds. Things like spoilers, democratic campaigns, and even unpublished news all take place on blogs and are done by citizen journalists. This class has really opened my eyes to the possibility that blogs can serve a higher purpose than just posting your things on the internet. The readings that we had to do for this class really wanted to take blogging out of the stereotype that it really isn’t that important. The author used many examples which encompassed a lot of the movements, campaigns, and news stories which began because of a blog or a story written by an average person. After seeing all these examples I do agree that people should not count out citizen journalism, it could be the way of the future.
The hands-on portion of this class was the hardest part, by far. I’ve had good experience with the technological equipment needed each component to complete my projects I found each project easier and easier the more frequently I did them. Most of my interviews with people have been pleasant, and most of the Albright faculty made themselves available for my needs. There have been some ruffled feathers because of some of the projects that I did, but I never received any problems from any of my interviewees. The class critiques were the hardest part of this class for me. For this portion of the class we had to go to sites, or review a work and evaluate it on a given criteria. Critiques were the hardest part for me because for some of them we did not have anything to grade each one on, and when we did have the criteria, the body of my work was very offhanded and unstructured trying to hit every question. Blogging in this format, about the college, there is a responsibility that comes along with it, you can’t just post anything you want because people will be reading it. After interviewing people it’s very important that you represent them in the way they actually answer the questions you ask, and it is required that you give everyone involved in the story a voice to speak on the situation.
I believe that in this state we’re in, where print journalism is going through a transition and many don’t trust their news anchors, citizen journalism has become a crucial part of communication. I believe that anyone can be a journalist in this day, it all comes down to what journalism is. Journalism is writing that reflects superficial thought and research, which is exactly what we’re doing. For this class every writer on this blog became a journalist when we began to write about subjects that required research and digging up. This class helped me see that a reporter is more than what we perceive as a journalist, it’s someone who executes the story in the way which it needs to be told, which I felt we did, and what every blogger does when he/she does a story that involves more than just themselves.
in this class, for the most part they were readily available at the Gingrich Library. After getting the hang of each camera, digital voice recorder, and the software needed, and after shown how to use
Through this class I’ve learned that blogging and citizen journalism takes on many forms than those we’ve created in our minds. Things like spoilers, democratic campaigns, and even unpublished news all take place on blogs and are done by citizen journalists. This class has really opened my eyes to the possibility that blogs can serve a higher purpose than just posting your things on the internet. The readings that we had to do for this class really wanted to take blogging out of the stereotype that it really isn’t that important. The author used many examples which encompassed a lot of the movements, campaigns, and news stories which began because of a blog or a story written by an average person. After seeing all these examples I do agree that people should not count out citizen journalism, it could be the way of the future.
The hands-on portion of this class was the hardest part, by far. I’ve had good experience with the technological equipment needed each component to complete my projects I found each project easier and easier the more frequently I did them. Most of my interviews with people have been pleasant, and most of the Albright faculty made themselves available for my needs. There have been some ruffled feathers because of some of the projects that I did, but I never received any problems from any of my interviewees. The class critiques were the hardest part of this class for me. For this portion of the class we had to go to sites, or review a work and evaluate it on a given criteria. Critiques were the hardest part for me because for some of them we did not have anything to grade each one on, and when we did have the criteria, the body of my work was very offhanded and unstructured trying to hit every question. Blogging in this format, about the college, there is a responsibility that comes along with it, you can’t just post anything you want because people will be reading it. After interviewing people it’s very important that you represent them in the way they actually answer the questions you ask, and it is required that you give everyone involved in the story a voice to speak on the situation.
I believe that in this state we’re in, where print journalism is going through a transition and many don’t trust their news anchors, citizen journalism has become a crucial part of communication. I believe that anyone can be a journalist in this day, it all comes down to what journalism is. Journalism is writing that reflects superficial thought and research, which is exactly what we’re doing. For this class every writer on this blog became a journalist when we began to write about subjects that required research and digging up. This class helped me see that a reporter is more than what we perceive as a journalist, it’s someone who executes the story in the way which it needs to be told, which I felt we did, and what every blogger does when he/she does a story that involves more than just themselves.
in this class, for the most part they were readily available at the Gingrich Library. After getting the hang of each camera, digital voice recorder, and the software needed, and after shown how to use
Stalkers in our Mailroom
"I like what you wore on Friday"
to...
"You shouldn't walk alone at night, I know where you live"
to a blatant...
"I'm going to kill you!"
The mailroom at Albright College is a simple direct instrument to use to communicate with your friends, all you need is their mailbox number which is provided by the Albright Directory, or what many students call "the stalker book". Once a person has a student's mailbox number the sky is the limit of what could be sent to them, the best part about it, they don't have to know you sent it. Jackpot for those who wish to stalk or send gross messages to you.
A couple of girls reported, amongst themselves, having recieved nasty letters from an anonymous source. One of the girls gave the full story in the audio interview (link in title). The biggest part of the of this story is the fact that none of these victims reported the abuse of the mailroom to anyone, so many of those who were interviewed knew nothing about it, and it was the first time hearing about it.
Nikki Detwiler, the secretary Multi Ethnic Student Affairs said that she was shocked, she was oblivious that students were recieving these types of letters. "These types of letters should have been taken to Public Safety immediately. Anything threatening that is recieved should be taken seriously, all thes letters should have been kept and reported, that's what the public safety officers are here for". Detwiler encourages all students to be careful no matter who you are, "Students should be aware of their surroundings, be aware, and stay close to friends".
RAD classes are also available to students so that proper self defense techniques can be learned, and Detwiler hopes that Albrightians across genders will grasp ahold of this oppurtunity. These precautions are all in place that there will be no victims at this college, and to make this school a safer place.
Feiler Knows Best: 2009 Baseball Season
I based my multimedia package, "Feiler Knows Best", off of an article in the Albrightian titled, "Improvement is key for men's baseball team", by Kayla Waldrup. The article, was about the men's baseball coach, Jeffrey Feiler, and how he details his plans for the 2009 season, before it started. He discussed how he planned to help the team adjust as six new freshman entered the team, and two seniors were preparing to leave. I expanded on the article, and interviewed different people from the team. My video portion, "Feiler Knows Best: A Senior Reflection", was a reflection, about the two seniors graduating, Jason Dunkelberger, and Tim Flannery. Because I was unable to get in contact with Flannery, his good friend Kevin Butler stands in his place, and talks about Tim. My audio component, "Feiler Knows Best: Confessions of the Freshmen", was with two of the six freshman who became Albright Lions this season, Tom Casuno, and Ben Koch. I discussed various things with them, like adjusting to the team, differences betwen collegiate football and high school football, and what influences Feiler has had on their first season. Lastly, for my written portion, "Feiler Knows Best: Coaches' Dreams", I interviewed Coach Feiler, and one of his assistant coaches Gary Yeager, asking them questions about how the goals for the team have been fulfilled post-season. I also included a chart of Jason Dunkelberger's statistics, which is supposed to be an addition to the video portion.
"Feiler Knows Best: Coaches' Dreams"
Teamwork. Encouragement. Improvement. Championship. These four words are extremely important to Albright’s men’s baseball team’s head coach Jeffrey Feiler, and his assistant coaches, Gary Yeager and Kyle Wenrich, as far as plans for the team next season. Reflecting on the 2009 season, the coaches saw promise in his team, especially with six freshmen, Tom Canuso, Ben Koch, Doug Mace, Matt Rehrig, Tyler Storms, and Brandon Wiegand, joining, and his two seniors, Jason Dunkelberger and Tim Flannery, preparing to graduate. In the article in the Albrightian, “Improvement is key for men’s baseball team”, by Kayla Waldrup, about Feiler’s hopes for improvement for the team during the 2009 season, he shared some goals that he would like the team to reach by the end of the season. By the end of the season, some goals were met, and some have yet to be attained, but one thing is certain: the coaches are proud of the team, and look forward to their ride to the top.
One of the main goals that Coach Feiler stated in the article for this season was to help the incoming freshmen adjust to collegiate baseball, and, along the way, become better players. To do so, he “tried to help the freshmen and players who don’t play much get prepared for games. I tried to put them in game-like situations, and I didn’t just put them all on the same team. I made mix-matched teams, so that everyone was intermingled. It really helped team building.” Assistant coach Yeager felt that to help the freshmen become comfortable on the team, it had to be a sense of family between the players, on and off the field, “We make every effort to challenge the entire team to push one another and gel together like a family.” Once this ‘gel’ happened, the team had to start playing together, and pushing each other, even the underclassmen to the older players, which is important to Yeager, “No matter what class level, I personally engage every player to become a leader in some capacity.”
Before the season even started the coaches all clear ideas of what they wanted the team to accomplish. In the Albrightian article, coach Feiler stated that with a younger team, he feels as though it is their chance to re-develop. He wanted to put players in new positions and let them all know that their roles would be expanded. Yeager concurs, “Some of our goals that we laid out in the beginning of the season included playing a style of TEAM-oriented baseball every day that highlighted our strengths and allowed us to gain an identity. By doing this, we challenged each Lion to get better at some aspect of the game every single day. Ultimately by playing Albright baseball as a unit, we expected to win enough ball games to return to the playoffs.”
With all of the things that Coach Feiler stated that he wanted the team to improve on, the question, of course, if the coach was pleased with the season’s results. Feiler was satisfied, to an extent, “I was pleased with the season. The freshman played pretty well. But the team started off played well, and then we got tight, for some reason”. When asked why he thought this ‘tightness’ happened, he stated that because a lot of things go wrong in baseball, players need to know how to deal with them, and adjust quickly during the games, physically and mentally. He thinks that at time his team go ‘beat down’, and it affected how they played. But fortunately, he said, “We got out of the funk, and got into the playoffs.” Reaching the playoffs was clearly something that coach Yeager was proud of too, “By the end of the season, a majority of our goals were accomplished as we restored the confidence that we had at the start and jumped back into the postseason chase for the Commonwealth Conference Crown.”
Discussing the next season was a moment of reflection for the coaches, as they realized what the team managed to accomplish, and what goals they think should be set for the 2010 season. Coach Feiler has high hopes for his team, “I definitely want to get to the playoffs, and get to the Conference Tournament again, like we did this year. I want to win the tournament, and advance to a higher level. But overall, I want to be a better team at the end of the year, than we were at the beginning of the year.” While Coach Yeager undoubtedly shares these sentiments, he desires an array of things, “Some of the things we definitely need to work on for next season is to execute offensively particularly with runners in scoring position, improve our defensive play, and to consistently work together to become a family that exudes confidence.”
Post-season, it is important for the players to continue their skills once they leave Albright’s baseball field, and go home for the summer. To help them polish their skills, coach Feiler expressed that he encourages his players to continue to practice even when he isn’t their coach, “I encourage them to play summer baseball and try out for teams, so they can practice even after the season is over.” He also commented on how he allows the players to know that they have room for improvement, and what to do to fix their flaws. He and the other coaches are currently in the process of meeting with each player individually for discussion on improvement, and things they should continue to work at. He believes that this will “make for a stronger club”, for the upcoming season.
College athletic teams are like revolving doors; as players leave, new players come in. And the coaches of the Albright baseball team are well aware of this, which is why they strive so hard to set goals for the team, and help those that are there for the season, to lead their team, both individually and collectively. It’s a group effort, for the players and coaches, and as coach Feiler said, “From a coaching standpoint, the season’s outcome is a question of why did certain things happen, when sometimes there isn’t necessarily a reason.” The only thing he, and his assistant coaches, can do is encourage teamwork, and improvement, and hopefully, bring a championship trophy back to the Albright campus.
Bringing the Troops Home One Protest at a Time
Protesting and peace? These are two words that you usually do not hear together but that is exactly what one group of people in the city of Reading are doing. They are protesting for peace against the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, in hopes to not only bring about peace but also to bring the troops home. Every Friday at 5pm you can see this group of people protesting the war on the Penn Street Bridge. Although, not many people know about the protest, it has been going on for three years and will continue to go on as long as there are people to support it. The main supporters and leaders of the protest are Lisa and John, who preferred to have their last names kept private.
The protest is not trying to insult anybody, but it is in fact just trying to inform the people of Reading about the war. They are also trying to spread a message of peace instead of a message of war. The protest is not limited to a certain group of people, in fact anybody can join in and they encourage people who feel that it’s right to join them on the bridge and help spread the word.
Although some people might think that this is offensive to the troops that are over fighting the war, there are also those who support the cause. This can be both seen and heard in the number of honks and peace signs thrown up by the cars that drive by on the bridge. There are also war veterans who participate in the protest. So it is possible to both fight in the war and still want peace and to bring the troops home.
Melvin Domgiphe, an Iraqi war veteran used to think that the protests were offensive but now feels indifferent to them. More can be heard about this in the audio cast, where he talks about both his time in Iraq and how he feels about both protests in general and this particular protest.
There may be lots of support but there are also the people who do not support the people on the bridge and occasionally will tell them to “get a job”, give them the finger, or call them other degrading names.
Surprisingly there has not been much news coverage or support from the city of Reading. The only news that covered the event was Berks 69 News and that was only because it was John Lennon’s birthday. In fact, about a year ago the city of Reading did not allow the group to have their parade on the street, because they were using the word peace. Since the group refused to listen to the city of Reading and who wanted them to not use the word they were moved to the sidewalk instead of being allowed to march in the street.
The city of Reading could not be reached for any further information on the subject.
So is it possible to protest for peace? One group of people seem to think so and they are out their proving it to Reading every Friday that it is possible. And despite the few people who are angered by their presence there is a surprisingly warm welcome.
Diversity Week: Retrospect, Present and the Future of Diversity at Albright
Even though its been almost a month since Diversity Week arrived on the Albright campus, people are still talking about some of the unforgettable moments that occured during that special week and planning a possible follow-up, slated to run next year. In this blog post, articles published in the May 7th issue of The Albrightian about DW are followed-up and reflected upon. In first part (the audio component), I spoke with sophomores Amanda Irizarry and Sheron Au about thier involvement with DW and why diversity is an important issue to spotlight. In the second part, the video titled "Diversity Week: Adminstrators Join the Students' Quest for Diversity," the administration's perspective is given on diversity and the reaction to DW. Lastly, in the third component, provided below, titled "Diversity Week: Students Respond to a Celebration of Difference," three students (sophomores Gina Sarno and Meaghan Washington as well as freshman Jamal Ishamel) discuss their feelings on DW and the signifcance of celebrating such an event on campus. Each component provide a different perspective but ultimately all discuss the same issue--diversity--and why it is important to have in the Albright community. "DIVERSITY WEEK: STUDENTS RESPOND TO A CELEBRATION OF DIFFERENCE"
Diversity Week kicked off on April 27th and was a jam-packed with several events all designed to encourage people to embrace each other’s differences and uniqueness. Some memorable events included “Building Bridges,” which exposed students to other students from different backgrounds of their own, the open-panel discussion of race in “Race in
On a personal note, I pleased to hear about Diversity Week and appreciated that Albright cared enough to devote an entire week to recognize our differences and to unify the members of the community. While, I think that there is always more room to keep the community more diverse and even more full of people that are different from each other, I also feel that Albright is made up of a fairly diverse group of people. And, for this reason, it makes it just as important to highlight this and to not recognize it. We are all not from the same place, experienced the same things in life nor lead the same lives—I think that shedding light on this is extremely necessary and vital to have on campus.
I loved all of the events devoted to talking about race but was mostly moved by the Judy Sheppard event as well as the “Stand Up for Love” demonstration. I feel that little attention is paid to the lives of gay people at Albright and to have the most publicized and visited event of the week was shocking and touching to me. I know that much of the turn-out was due to all of the hype received from the visit of the controversial
Based on my positive reaction to Diversity Week, I wanted to talk to members of the Albright community (all of different genders, races and other aspects of background) and get their opinions on Diversity Week and diversity in the community in general. After speaking with the presidents of the DW staff (as heard in the audio portion) and hearing their optimism about DW continuing on in the future, I wanted to know if the student population joined them in their enthusiasm and want it to become a permanent part of the community.
For Gina Sarno (class of 2011) and Jamal Ishmael (class of 2012), Diversity Week was an enjoyable and unforgettable week. “I did enjoy Diversity Week. One highlight of Diversity week for me was when Judy Shepard. She is such a strong woman and for her to keep speaking out to schools about her son's death is remarkable,” says Sarno. Ishmael had the same sentiments: “I liked diversity week because it was a nice way to educate and show how different everyone and every culture and nationality are. I really enjoyed the Judy Shepard lecture and the icebreaker. The icebreaker showed how different we are but it also showed how we all had something similar to each other such as goals, favorite show, movies and music.”
While, Meaghan Washington (class of 2011) enjoyed the week along with Sarno and Ishamel, she felt that more time devoted to the event could of benefited the way it turned out. “I did enjoy the activities and stuff they had. I thought it could have been better but I liked what I went to. I think if more time was put forth by the committee, it would have been better,”
No matter how each felt about the week, each felt the week was still important and necessary to the campus’ growth. “Its important because it embraces not only people’s racial backgrounds, but their sexual backgrounds and genders. We all come from different places and we should want to share that,” states
I also wanted to know if they felt that administration does enough to highlight diversity at Albright and make sure its noted in the community. Sarno felt that administration cares about diversity, mainly because there was a whole week dedicated to diversity and spotlighting it. But, she feels like DW needs to be spread throughout the year and be more than one.
I then asked about the future and if they wanted another DW in the future. Gina optimistically replied, “Yes, another Diversity Week would be amazing! We should make sure that this continues in the future.” Ishmael and Washington both would like to see DW continue but both worry about it becoming repetitious. “It would be nice for them to have that again. I would like it if they found different facts and information about different cultures each year so it wont seem old and repetitive,” declares Ishmael. “I would like to see another one but I think it should be only for the fall semester so it would be a way for the new students to meet the old ones. I like the idea of it being every year but I don’t want it to get monotonous,”
Regardless of the different responses DW received, it is indisputable that it existed without being noticed. Whether you liked it or not, DW was one of the most major events of the 2008-2009 year and provided memories for years to come. I think an annual DW would do the community good and help everyone feel apart of the community. However, everyone needs to be involved and not just on the outside looking in. That would be a true celebration of diversity and proof that the week is making a change and statement.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Annual Student Juried Art Show
Every year Albright hosts the Annual Juried Student Art show held in Albright’s own Freedman Gallery. I look forward to this event because it gives me an opportunity to try to display photographs I have taken, and it also allows me to see the other art produced by students here at Albright. This year’s show was displayed from May 8th to May 14th and the opening reception took place from 3-5pm on May 8th. Any student at Albright can submit pieces to show; it is not limited to art students. I myself am not an art student but a Digital Media major, and so my concentrated area focused on photography. After speaking with Michael Howell, the Director of the Freedman Gallery, I was able to learn about how and why the show exists, and about the organizational process of it all:“Like all institutions that teach art, it is important that the educators and students be given the opportunity to showcase the works of the student artists for a number of reasons. The first, and perhaps the most vital to the mission of the institution, is to offer the students some real world experience in the intricacies of professional competition. Second, but not necessarily in importance, is to offer the students the opportunity to show their work(s) to the broader community of the campus and the region (we do get many people from outside that come here to see what our students are creating). It allows the best of our young artists the chance to show their work to a much broader audience beyond the classroom environment.”
Each student can submit up to 7 pieces, which are then assessed by an outside artist whom the gallery invites to be the juror. The juror is an artist who has either shown at the gallery or will be showing there in the near future. This year, that artist was Beverly Leviner,(Click to see an example of Beverly’s work) a sculptor and ceramic artist who helped found the Hilltop Studio in Reading, PA, where she works with fellow artist Nancy Sarangoulis to make mosaic and tile art pieces. Nancy now works at Albright as the Collections manager and Preparator for the Freedman Gallery. Nancy also currently works at Penn State Berks. Michael told me that the reason for the outside juror is also because it ties in with real world experience. Every artist, in every medium, benefits from criticism by people outside of their peers and those whom they know. It is also thought to be more objective if the juror has no direct ties with the submitted work. It also helps students and artists to learn about the diversity of opinions: a different juror may have picked different works, or they have picked the same ones; it is impossible to say. The juror also decides which pieces or individuals are to receive awards.
There were many other awards that were given out as well, and although not every artist could receive one, their art and talents were still very much appreciated. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to have their works displayed for the public to see and appreciate. If they wish, students can even choose to price their works for sale, giving them an even bigger taste of the real-work experience of having artwork in a gallery. It is very generous for the gallery to hold such an event and showcase the work of the students. In the Albrightian article written by Esther Lam, a freshman at Albright, another freshman, Ruby Chu, was quoted as saying, “I am not an art major, but I’ve loved art since I was young. I look at everything’s colors, shapes, curves, mediums, textures, and so on. I am so glad Albright is holding this art show, giving me an opportunity to get in touch with art again.” I think that this is the main focus of having such a gallery show, and it works wonderfully, not only for students who wish to submit pieces, but also for those who would just like to come to appreciate some art. It is especially exciting for students to see their friends’ works displayed in a gallery.
Reading community member Stephanie Cromwell comes to the show every year because it allows people to see Albright students’ talents in the arts, and it’s a good opportunity for students to see other students’ works. Stephanie has many friends at Albright, and she told me “I am not an art student, and so this is a unique chance to see the work the students have been working on all year.” The show allows students to learn, and for the work that is not accepted, they can submit it again next year. Everyone learns from experience. The show is very effective because a wide variety of people come to the show; it showcases Albright students’ hard work and how creative they are.
For my podcast I chose to focus on the organization of the show and especially on the awards ceremony, as this is the highlight for many people. The awards ceremony also takes place every year when certain artists are awarded for certain art pieces. I won the Digital Media award for the three photographs that were accepted, and Heather Martell, one of the interviewees in the my video, won the Art Department award for her sculpture “Fashion Stinks.” I spoke with Lisa Korecky, the secretary for the Center of the Arts who handles all the contacts for the awards, as well as helps with the organization. I also spoke with student Esther Lam, who wrote the Albrightian article, who did not have works in the show, but was able to share her opinions on the awards and the show.
My video is of the gallery opening night and of the wide variety of pieces on display. I spoke with Heather Martell ‘11, whose sculpture won an award, along with Kevin Vogrin, an alumnus of Albright who had works in the show in previous years. There was a wide range of pieces in the gallery and the opening reception was a huge success, filled with students, professors, and community members.
Final Reflective Blog
1. What did you know about journalism, citizen journalism, and blogging before you took the course?
Before taking this class I knew very little about citizen journalism and blogging. To be honest I never read a blog until now. My understanding of blogging was minuscule. My perception of blogging was that it was a way for people who weren’t professional journalist to voice their opinions. I never took much thought as to what citizen journalism and blogging are until I took this lovely course. I guess I was sitting under rock while all of my friends were creating live journals and such because I really didn’t know what a live journal was until I met Tal. After taking this class I now know much more about citizen journalism and blogging.
2. What did you learn about journalism, citizen journalism, and blogging through readings and discussions?
I learned a great deal of information on citizen journalism and blogging through the readings and discussions. Being a communications major I knew pretty much what journalism was but what I did not know what citizen journalism and blogging were all about. Through this class I learned that anyone can be a reporter technically. If you want to write about an issue you feel strongly about you can do it on the Internet. You can start a blog and write whatever you want to write about on it. Through the readings and discussions I learned that sometimes citizen journalists and bloggers capture the news before a news organization can. I also learned that citizen journalist and bloggers can many times obtain information that the news organization would not have access to.
Before taking this class I didn’t know what citizen journalism was. I know have a better understanding of citizen journalism after having to complete the assignments. The discussions and readings brought about a number of topics including are citizen journalist really journalist. Some people think they are while others believe they are a branch of journalism. I think many people are really just unsure of what citizen journalism is and they have trouble trusting it because it is not always reliable.
When it came to blogging I really only knew it as a way people expressed themselves. I looked at blogging as an online diary for people to write about their lives for all to see. After taking this class I learned that blogs serve as more than just a diary. Blogs are used when people want to give their opinion, inform others on a topic they care about, as well as provide feedback and suggestions to give a few examples. Blogs are on the rise. Through the readings and discussion I think that blogs are going to become the next big thing. They are going to become a form of communication that people use on an everyday basis like checking their e-mail, people will also be checking their blogs.
3. Describe your experience with the hands-on element with a focus on what you learned, the educational value, and the application to the real world.
a. Use of technology
When it comes to technology I can say I never want to work in a field with computers. However; I thought having to do the audio and video podcasts were a nice change from paper writing and test taking but I did not enjoy all the problems that came with the technology and programs. It was just frustrating when you would complete an audio podcast and then it would not work and there was nothing you could do about it. However; besides the technical difficulties I thought learning how to create these projects will definitely help me in the future. Knowing how to make movies for example is a great tool to have in the workplace and even out of the workplace. I thought it was also cool that what we learned about technology in the classroom we were able to practice outside of the classroom. In our discussions we were constantly talking about how technology is advancing and if you do not know how to use it you will be lost. Technology is also becoming a huge part in journalism and many other careers so knowing how to use it can give you an advantage over someone else. This class really broadened my skills with technology and the software programs that I think will really help me when I start looking for jobs in a few short days
b. Covering stories/events/issues relevant to Albright/Reading Community
I thought covering stories/events/issues relevant to Albright and the Reading Community was a great idea because it made it interesting to write about. I didn’t mind covering the stories or events because many of them involved me, my friends or just Albright in general. It was fun finding out interesting events happening at Albright and what issues were being discussed. It was much easier to cover stories these stories too because we could get information from the sources we needed. I also met a lot of new people on Albright’s campus by having to do these assignments. I met faculty members, administration and even more students. It is funny to say this but I graduate soon and now know even more people especially the administration than I did before. Contacting sources and conducting interviews provided me with a ton of information for my assignment. As the semester went on I could tell my interviewing skills were getting better each time. I felt less nervous each time I did an interview and felt more confident as well. Doing these assignments and conduction the interviews made me really feel like a journalist. I think it was good practice if someone wanted to have a profession in the journalism field.
c. Class Critiques of blogs/podcasts
At first I was not too fond of having my work critiqued in front of the class. It made me feel like I was in middle school again when the teacher would make you go to the board and do a math problem while the rest of the class watched. And if you didn’t know how to do the problem it was the most embarrassing experience. This is how I felt about the critiques at first. I was a little worried that anyone could look at our work on the Internet. I am really self conscious and worry that people will not think my work is good so I really did not like the idea of all of our assignments being posted on the Web. I do know that this is the point of the class though and after a few weeks I learned to not mind as much. Maybe it was the fact that not many people read the blogs or that I was becoming more comfortable with the work I produced, I am not really sure.
What I do know is that after surviving the first critique I really did not mind the rest. I did think it was helpful to see how others went about doing their projects and it game me ideas for my future assignments. I thought that everyone gave great feedback and were respectable when critiquing someone else’s assignment. It made me feel good when people would give me supportive feedback and told me that they thought I did a nice job. I think the critiques were helpful because they provided for the most part positive feedback.
d. Freedom of blogging
I really enjoyed the freedom of blogging. I liked picking topics that really related to us. I think picking our own topics made it easier for me to really get into what I was doing my assignment on. I never really minded doing the assignments; sometimes they were actually kind of fun! Seeing the finished product was always something I looked forward to.
In the real world if you are a blogger, usually you are allowed to pick your topic so I think choosing our topics was a good way to prepare us for the real world. The fourth hour assignments were the only time that I felt like we were being forced to write about a particular thing. I just figured this was fine because we are still in a class and we have to cover certain issues.
4. Discuss what you now think/feel/believe about the role citizen journalism and blogging play in communication. Is blogging a form of journalism?
This class has opened my eyes to the fact that journalism is changing very quickly. Citizen journalism and blogging are also becoming very popular fields to get into. More and more people are becoming bloggers and citizen journalists than ever before. I think without them there would be a lot of news and information that is not covered. I think they help to provide information, opinions and new topics.
I think that blogging is a form of journalism but I do not consider it the same journalism as I do a newspaper. I think that people who work for a newspaper are journalist but those who are bloggers I consider a branch off of journalism.
Before taking this class I knew very little about citizen journalism and blogging. To be honest I never read a blog until now. My understanding of blogging was minuscule. My perception of blogging was that it was a way for people who weren’t professional journalist to voice their opinions. I never took much thought as to what citizen journalism and blogging are until I took this lovely course. I guess I was sitting under rock while all of my friends were creating live journals and such because I really didn’t know what a live journal was until I met Tal. After taking this class I now know much more about citizen journalism and blogging.
2. What did you learn about journalism, citizen journalism, and blogging through readings and discussions?
I learned a great deal of information on citizen journalism and blogging through the readings and discussions. Being a communications major I knew pretty much what journalism was but what I did not know what citizen journalism and blogging were all about. Through this class I learned that anyone can be a reporter technically. If you want to write about an issue you feel strongly about you can do it on the Internet. You can start a blog and write whatever you want to write about on it. Through the readings and discussions I learned that sometimes citizen journalists and bloggers capture the news before a news organization can. I also learned that citizen journalist and bloggers can many times obtain information that the news organization would not have access to.
Before taking this class I didn’t know what citizen journalism was. I know have a better understanding of citizen journalism after having to complete the assignments. The discussions and readings brought about a number of topics including are citizen journalist really journalist. Some people think they are while others believe they are a branch of journalism. I think many people are really just unsure of what citizen journalism is and they have trouble trusting it because it is not always reliable.
When it came to blogging I really only knew it as a way people expressed themselves. I looked at blogging as an online diary for people to write about their lives for all to see. After taking this class I learned that blogs serve as more than just a diary. Blogs are used when people want to give their opinion, inform others on a topic they care about, as well as provide feedback and suggestions to give a few examples. Blogs are on the rise. Through the readings and discussion I think that blogs are going to become the next big thing. They are going to become a form of communication that people use on an everyday basis like checking their e-mail, people will also be checking their blogs.
3. Describe your experience with the hands-on element with a focus on what you learned, the educational value, and the application to the real world.
a. Use of technology
When it comes to technology I can say I never want to work in a field with computers. However; I thought having to do the audio and video podcasts were a nice change from paper writing and test taking but I did not enjoy all the problems that came with the technology and programs. It was just frustrating when you would complete an audio podcast and then it would not work and there was nothing you could do about it. However; besides the technical difficulties I thought learning how to create these projects will definitely help me in the future. Knowing how to make movies for example is a great tool to have in the workplace and even out of the workplace. I thought it was also cool that what we learned about technology in the classroom we were able to practice outside of the classroom. In our discussions we were constantly talking about how technology is advancing and if you do not know how to use it you will be lost. Technology is also becoming a huge part in journalism and many other careers so knowing how to use it can give you an advantage over someone else. This class really broadened my skills with technology and the software programs that I think will really help me when I start looking for jobs in a few short days
b. Covering stories/events/issues relevant to Albright/Reading Community
I thought covering stories/events/issues relevant to Albright and the Reading Community was a great idea because it made it interesting to write about. I didn’t mind covering the stories or events because many of them involved me, my friends or just Albright in general. It was fun finding out interesting events happening at Albright and what issues were being discussed. It was much easier to cover stories these stories too because we could get information from the sources we needed. I also met a lot of new people on Albright’s campus by having to do these assignments. I met faculty members, administration and even more students. It is funny to say this but I graduate soon and now know even more people especially the administration than I did before. Contacting sources and conducting interviews provided me with a ton of information for my assignment. As the semester went on I could tell my interviewing skills were getting better each time. I felt less nervous each time I did an interview and felt more confident as well. Doing these assignments and conduction the interviews made me really feel like a journalist. I think it was good practice if someone wanted to have a profession in the journalism field.
c. Class Critiques of blogs/podcasts
At first I was not too fond of having my work critiqued in front of the class. It made me feel like I was in middle school again when the teacher would make you go to the board and do a math problem while the rest of the class watched. And if you didn’t know how to do the problem it was the most embarrassing experience. This is how I felt about the critiques at first. I was a little worried that anyone could look at our work on the Internet. I am really self conscious and worry that people will not think my work is good so I really did not like the idea of all of our assignments being posted on the Web. I do know that this is the point of the class though and after a few weeks I learned to not mind as much. Maybe it was the fact that not many people read the blogs or that I was becoming more comfortable with the work I produced, I am not really sure.
What I do know is that after surviving the first critique I really did not mind the rest. I did think it was helpful to see how others went about doing their projects and it game me ideas for my future assignments. I thought that everyone gave great feedback and were respectable when critiquing someone else’s assignment. It made me feel good when people would give me supportive feedback and told me that they thought I did a nice job. I think the critiques were helpful because they provided for the most part positive feedback.
d. Freedom of blogging
I really enjoyed the freedom of blogging. I liked picking topics that really related to us. I think picking our own topics made it easier for me to really get into what I was doing my assignment on. I never really minded doing the assignments; sometimes they were actually kind of fun! Seeing the finished product was always something I looked forward to.
In the real world if you are a blogger, usually you are allowed to pick your topic so I think choosing our topics was a good way to prepare us for the real world. The fourth hour assignments were the only time that I felt like we were being forced to write about a particular thing. I just figured this was fine because we are still in a class and we have to cover certain issues.
4. Discuss what you now think/feel/believe about the role citizen journalism and blogging play in communication. Is blogging a form of journalism?
This class has opened my eyes to the fact that journalism is changing very quickly. Citizen journalism and blogging are also becoming very popular fields to get into. More and more people are becoming bloggers and citizen journalists than ever before. I think without them there would be a lot of news and information that is not covered. I think they help to provide information, opinions and new topics.
I think that blogging is a form of journalism but I do not consider it the same journalism as I do a newspaper. I think that people who work for a newspaper are journalist but those who are bloggers I consider a branch off of journalism.
Women's Lacrosse Club at Albright
Everyone loves college for their own reason, one reason why I love college is for the sports. I like waking up on a Saturday morning knowing that in two hours there is a football game in Shirk Stadium or a final four game in the Bollman Center. That is why i think the issue of the Women's Lacrosse Club is so important. If the club is able to be started Fall of 2009 is when tryout will be. I interviewed a variety of different people to get an idea of what the student body and facility think about the club. I interviewed Athletic Director Janice Luck, Athletic Director and previous Director of Club Sports Rick Ferry, volleyball player Melissa Guida, lacrosse player and starter coach of the women's lacrosse club Andrew Brehm and two girls who will hopefully be joining the team in the fall Sarah Rowe and Christi Wilson.
Ball or ball down, Change plans and face-off are just some of the terms in the game of lacrosse. Here at Albright College lacrosse is not a varsity sport and gets looked over, it is a club sport. Being a club sport is different than a varsity sport. The main focus right now in club sports is the Girls Lacrosse Club Team that is trying to be organized. Students are taking the initiative to form a team so the girls do not have to play with the men’s team anymore. “I think it is awesome that students are stepping up to the plate to start a club sport that they are interested in, being a female myself even though I do not play a sport I do think the guys sports get more recognition for their sport rather than girls do. For example students will go to out to see the men’s football and basketball game but the girls basketball games do get low attendance,” say Brittani Kelly a senior and member of a sorority here at Albright.
There are a total of twenty male and female sports here at Albright. In addition there are five club sports men and women’s rugby, men’s lacrosse, badminton and ultimate Frisbee. The girls here at Albright are determined to make a team “good for them, I know I wouldn’t play but to hear about people that have the passion to do that good for them,” says Kassie Budzski a Junior and Vice President of a Sorority here at Albright.
The girls came across this idea of starting a club team when they realized that there was no women’s lacrosse at Albright at all. In the up and coming year they are hoping to take the idea of a lacrosse club team and make it reality. “I don’t know anyone that would or should be against the students to try and make something. I know I can’t play because I am a boy but it is something that I give a lot of credit to. I mean it is time consuming but if it is what they want then good for them,” says Kevin Zinzel a Junior football player here at Albright.
The task of starting a new club is very hard but many are hoping that it will pay off in the end. When it comes down to it there are several challenges that students had to face is make the club. One challenge was funding, the head Athletic Director and previous director of Club sports goes into detail of how the finances are handled and the difference between club and varsity sports in my interviews in the blog. The girls are in high hopes of finding a coach and ready to play next year. They feel that the future is looking bright and are excited to see what will happen over the next couple of months.
With all these bumps ahead of them the students still are not giving up. By next spring some of the Lady Lions are hoping to be playing Lacrosse in Schirk Stadium on the turf, right where the football, men’s lacrosse and many other Albright sports are played. This is Jay Warker for AC Studentvoices.
Final Reflective Blog
Before taking this blogging course I knew more about journalism than I did citizen journalism or blogging. I’ve written for my school’s newspaper since high school, so I was familiar with AP style and how stories were reported and framed in journalism. My knowledge of blogging was very limited. I very rarely read blogs, but I knew they existed and that ordinary people were the main writers. What I didn’t know was that they are written using some of the same elements of journalistic stories. I was always under the impression that a blog was almost like a diary entry of the person’s opinion of certain issues. I didn’t know that a major component of blogging was quoting sources and linking to different stories on the web that describe the issue the writer is referring to. I think the main misconception I had about blogging was that it isn’t a serious form of journalism. I really thought it was just random people who had something to say that created a blog to strictly voice their opinions. I didn’t think that they became citizen journalists in the fact that they quote sources and refer to different articles to support their opinions. I also never really thought about audio and video blogs in association with blogging. When I came into this course I really only expected to be writing blogs and never realized that there were two other forms of blogging that have become popular among citizen journalists.
The biggest thing I learned about blogging and citizen journalism is that they are framed much like journalism, but with a more relaxed tone. There is room for bloggers to voice their opinions in their posts, but they get sources to back up their opinion while also quoting sources that don’t. They are sure to balance their stories with the sources they quote much like journalists do to create credibility for their readers. By balancing their stories and making sure they are quoting reputable sources, they create credibility not only among their readers but among the mass media as well. I remember in the Newswar documentary, that bloggers were the driving force behind the Trent Lott ordeal. They were the first to cover the story that Lott had said he supported Strom Thurman’s prejudiced presidential campaign during Thurman’s birthday celebration. Only after bloggers who had shaped a credible reputation brought the story to light did the national media pick up on the story that eventually led to Lott’s resignation. In We the Media, Dan Gillmor suggests that the approach of credible bloggers to reach the masses is more effective than magazine advertisements. He said that companies and politicians should now remember to tell the truth because there are well informed, expert citizen journalists taking to the Internet to make sure the truth is reported. And there are many bloggers who have established their credibility like the ones who picked up the Trent Lott story and those that found Dan Rather’s documents showing President Bush’s military records to be fake. I think this showed to the masses that there are bloggers who are doing a better job at finding the facts then the national media is doing. In my opinion this gave bloggers a little more credibility over that of the national media and showed that citizen journalists were on the side of those just like them.
Another thing I learned from the reading is the ridiculous things people become experts in and credible for. In this particular instance I’m referring to the Convergence Culture reading about Survivor bloggers. There are people who in some ways undermine the idea of citizen journalism to report and become experts in predicting the winner of a reality television show like Survivor. I realize that Survivor is one of the most popular reality shows on television, but the idea of stalking people they believe are contestants and places they think the show is filming, undermines the credibility of citizen journalism. In a way the Survivor bloggers create a mockery of the idea that ordinary citizens can report the facts about specific topics by choosing ridiculous topics like the winner of Survivor. However, at the same time I understand that one of the benefits of this is people coming together to share information no matter how ridiculous the topic. This can also be seen in the chapter about the Harry Potter wars; although I think young kids learning to become better writers is a more just reason for their foray into blogging then those just trying to be the first to figure out the winner of a reality show. In the Harry Potter instance, young kids are coming together to publish fake school newspapers about something they read in a book, which not only helps them become better writers but engages them in reading. The idea of kids being interested in books when they have video games and television to occupy their time is something that should be celebrated not shut down by corporations like Warner Brothers. Blogging gives these citizens the chance to engage themselves further in media and that is a huge benefit from the evolution of the Internet and the creation of blogging.
From all of the hands-on work in creating many different types of blogs I learned a lot about blogging and citizen journalism. The most difficult aspect of creating the blogs for me was the different technology we used. I’m not the most technology savvy, but I learned how to use things like audio recorders and video cameras, which I had never done before. I also learned how to use the programs associated with each to edit and create both audio and video casts, something I never thought I would be able to do by just knowing the basics. I also learned how to use a Mac to create my first audio cast, which I think was my biggest technology struggle during the class. However, the more I used the different forms of technology the better I understood them and the more comfortable I felt listening to the sound of my own voice or being on camera. Learning to use the different forms of technology to produce audio and video casts is going to be very useful when I find a job in the communications field. Many of the jobs I have already applied for want someone with blogging knowledge. Not only do I have the knowledge of written blogs, but I also know how to create audio and video blogs after taking this course, which will help in the application process for companies who want a person with an understanding of the new forms of media used today.
Finding things to cover around the Albright campus was sometimes difficult because in order for me to do my best work I had to have an interest in the story I was producing. I tried to cover events or stories that not only I had an interest in, but that I thought other students would also have an interest in. Sometimes that was hard because with the way certain breaks fell there weren’t many events being held on campus. It was also difficult to find sources that were willing to be recorded or videotaped. This could have been because they were shy but it also could have been that they feared the repercussions of having their opinion about college events or issues on the web where fellow students, faculty, and administration could possible view them. I know that there will always be people unwilling to make themselves a source, but for the purpose of this class it made it frustrating to not have their cooperation or sometimes understanding. I think if more people understood the purpose of this class was to develop students as citizen journalists and not to get them in trouble or criticize the college in any way, people would have been more willing to become sources.
The class critiques of our work were really beneficial. I know that I learned a lot from the feedback that the other students gave me and also from the feedback that I received from the grader of each project. I think that everyone in the class always had constructive criticism for the blogs that we critiqued and never attacked the work we put into our projects. I think the feedback we received on all of our projects helped to make the next one that much better and really helped when putting together the two multimedia blogs. Without knowing what others wanted out of an audio cast or a video cast, it would have been hard to create better second projects and comprehensive multimedia blogs. In the real world there are always going to be people critiquing your work and its best to take in their feedback and learn from it to improve upon your future projects. And there will always be someone there with negative criticism, but so long as we use that constructively, our future projects will become better and better.
I really liked the freedom associated with blogging because it gave me a chance to tell my opinion. I’m so used to only having to report the facts that it was refreshing to be able to incorporate my opinion into the blogs. I don’t think that as someone covering an event or an issue that we don’t have some kind of opinion, even if that opinion is that we don’t care. It was nice to be able to show that opinion that is so rarely done apart from commentaries and editorials in journalism. I also liked that we were able to pick any topic that we wanted. I think that if we were assigned topics that would in a lot of ways go against one of the fundamentals of blogging, which is freedom. Bloggers are not assigned stories or events to cover. They cover issues or events that interest them. So I liked that this class stayed true to form because in the real world of blogging there are no restrictions on topics one can cover.
At the beginning of this course I didn’t think that blogging was a form of journalism. However, after creating written, audio, and video blogs, I realized that blogging is a form of journalism. These everyday citizens find sources and other stories that have been written about the topic and use that in a relaxed journalistic narrative that tells their story. These bloggers take the time to find sources that back up the information they find or the opinions they have while also finding sources that disagree. They make sure to have their facts straight and their stories balanced in the same way that journalists do. The only real noticeable differences are they don’t have a title from a national media outlet and they incorporate their opinion into their writing. I think that blogging has become an important form of communication. These citizen journalists build credibility and are seen as experts on the topics they discuss within their blogs. Some of the expert bloggers have become influential in their discoveries, like those in the Trent Lott case, and have given bloggers everywhere credibility among the masses. These citizen journalists have taken on the role of gatekeepers to the national media, corporations, and politicians by researching their claims for verification. If they find something to be untrue, they will tell the masses through their blogs and those bloggers that are considered experts will be believed. Citizen journalist bloggers have become an influential part of media today and as they break more stories or find more things to be false, their influence and credibility will only continue to grow.
The biggest thing I learned about blogging and citizen journalism is that they are framed much like journalism, but with a more relaxed tone. There is room for bloggers to voice their opinions in their posts, but they get sources to back up their opinion while also quoting sources that don’t. They are sure to balance their stories with the sources they quote much like journalists do to create credibility for their readers. By balancing their stories and making sure they are quoting reputable sources, they create credibility not only among their readers but among the mass media as well. I remember in the Newswar documentary, that bloggers were the driving force behind the Trent Lott ordeal. They were the first to cover the story that Lott had said he supported Strom Thurman’s prejudiced presidential campaign during Thurman’s birthday celebration. Only after bloggers who had shaped a credible reputation brought the story to light did the national media pick up on the story that eventually led to Lott’s resignation. In We the Media, Dan Gillmor suggests that the approach of credible bloggers to reach the masses is more effective than magazine advertisements. He said that companies and politicians should now remember to tell the truth because there are well informed, expert citizen journalists taking to the Internet to make sure the truth is reported. And there are many bloggers who have established their credibility like the ones who picked up the Trent Lott story and those that found Dan Rather’s documents showing President Bush’s military records to be fake. I think this showed to the masses that there are bloggers who are doing a better job at finding the facts then the national media is doing. In my opinion this gave bloggers a little more credibility over that of the national media and showed that citizen journalists were on the side of those just like them.
Another thing I learned from the reading is the ridiculous things people become experts in and credible for. In this particular instance I’m referring to the Convergence Culture reading about Survivor bloggers. There are people who in some ways undermine the idea of citizen journalism to report and become experts in predicting the winner of a reality television show like Survivor. I realize that Survivor is one of the most popular reality shows on television, but the idea of stalking people they believe are contestants and places they think the show is filming, undermines the credibility of citizen journalism. In a way the Survivor bloggers create a mockery of the idea that ordinary citizens can report the facts about specific topics by choosing ridiculous topics like the winner of Survivor. However, at the same time I understand that one of the benefits of this is people coming together to share information no matter how ridiculous the topic. This can also be seen in the chapter about the Harry Potter wars; although I think young kids learning to become better writers is a more just reason for their foray into blogging then those just trying to be the first to figure out the winner of a reality show. In the Harry Potter instance, young kids are coming together to publish fake school newspapers about something they read in a book, which not only helps them become better writers but engages them in reading. The idea of kids being interested in books when they have video games and television to occupy their time is something that should be celebrated not shut down by corporations like Warner Brothers. Blogging gives these citizens the chance to engage themselves further in media and that is a huge benefit from the evolution of the Internet and the creation of blogging.
From all of the hands-on work in creating many different types of blogs I learned a lot about blogging and citizen journalism. The most difficult aspect of creating the blogs for me was the different technology we used. I’m not the most technology savvy, but I learned how to use things like audio recorders and video cameras, which I had never done before. I also learned how to use the programs associated with each to edit and create both audio and video casts, something I never thought I would be able to do by just knowing the basics. I also learned how to use a Mac to create my first audio cast, which I think was my biggest technology struggle during the class. However, the more I used the different forms of technology the better I understood them and the more comfortable I felt listening to the sound of my own voice or being on camera. Learning to use the different forms of technology to produce audio and video casts is going to be very useful when I find a job in the communications field. Many of the jobs I have already applied for want someone with blogging knowledge. Not only do I have the knowledge of written blogs, but I also know how to create audio and video blogs after taking this course, which will help in the application process for companies who want a person with an understanding of the new forms of media used today.
Finding things to cover around the Albright campus was sometimes difficult because in order for me to do my best work I had to have an interest in the story I was producing. I tried to cover events or stories that not only I had an interest in, but that I thought other students would also have an interest in. Sometimes that was hard because with the way certain breaks fell there weren’t many events being held on campus. It was also difficult to find sources that were willing to be recorded or videotaped. This could have been because they were shy but it also could have been that they feared the repercussions of having their opinion about college events or issues on the web where fellow students, faculty, and administration could possible view them. I know that there will always be people unwilling to make themselves a source, but for the purpose of this class it made it frustrating to not have their cooperation or sometimes understanding. I think if more people understood the purpose of this class was to develop students as citizen journalists and not to get them in trouble or criticize the college in any way, people would have been more willing to become sources.
The class critiques of our work were really beneficial. I know that I learned a lot from the feedback that the other students gave me and also from the feedback that I received from the grader of each project. I think that everyone in the class always had constructive criticism for the blogs that we critiqued and never attacked the work we put into our projects. I think the feedback we received on all of our projects helped to make the next one that much better and really helped when putting together the two multimedia blogs. Without knowing what others wanted out of an audio cast or a video cast, it would have been hard to create better second projects and comprehensive multimedia blogs. In the real world there are always going to be people critiquing your work and its best to take in their feedback and learn from it to improve upon your future projects. And there will always be someone there with negative criticism, but so long as we use that constructively, our future projects will become better and better.
I really liked the freedom associated with blogging because it gave me a chance to tell my opinion. I’m so used to only having to report the facts that it was refreshing to be able to incorporate my opinion into the blogs. I don’t think that as someone covering an event or an issue that we don’t have some kind of opinion, even if that opinion is that we don’t care. It was nice to be able to show that opinion that is so rarely done apart from commentaries and editorials in journalism. I also liked that we were able to pick any topic that we wanted. I think that if we were assigned topics that would in a lot of ways go against one of the fundamentals of blogging, which is freedom. Bloggers are not assigned stories or events to cover. They cover issues or events that interest them. So I liked that this class stayed true to form because in the real world of blogging there are no restrictions on topics one can cover.
At the beginning of this course I didn’t think that blogging was a form of journalism. However, after creating written, audio, and video blogs, I realized that blogging is a form of journalism. These everyday citizens find sources and other stories that have been written about the topic and use that in a relaxed journalistic narrative that tells their story. These bloggers take the time to find sources that back up the information they find or the opinions they have while also finding sources that disagree. They make sure to have their facts straight and their stories balanced in the same way that journalists do. The only real noticeable differences are they don’t have a title from a national media outlet and they incorporate their opinion into their writing. I think that blogging has become an important form of communication. These citizen journalists build credibility and are seen as experts on the topics they discuss within their blogs. Some of the expert bloggers have become influential in their discoveries, like those in the Trent Lott case, and have given bloggers everywhere credibility among the masses. These citizen journalists have taken on the role of gatekeepers to the national media, corporations, and politicians by researching their claims for verification. If they find something to be untrue, they will tell the masses through their blogs and those bloggers that are considered experts will be believed. Citizen journalist bloggers have become an influential part of media today and as they break more stories or find more things to be false, their influence and credibility will only continue to grow.
What's your handicap?
Have you ever thought about how hard it is for a handicap person to get around Albright’s campus? You most likely answered “No” to that question. The truth is most students don’t think twice about the accessibility of our campus because it does not affect them personally. Professor Bonnie Hamwi of the education department believes that this is an important issue that should not be ignored. Professor Hamwi took this issue and applied it to her intro to elemtary education class. I spoke to one of Professor Hamwi’s former students about her experiences while taking the class. Ashley Gaynor is a senior special education and theater major. “That one exercise really opened my eyes, I never really thought about whether it was easy or hard for handicapped people,” said Ashley when I asked her what she remembers most about the class. One part of the intro to education class experiment requires the students to take turns riding a wheel chair and maneuvering through campus. The students have a list of places they must attempt to access; Grinrich library, campus center, Masters and Selwyn hall to name a few. “I remember the worst place to get around in was Jake’s Place because of that ramp by the bathroom. It’s like a 180 degree turn,” stated Ashley. Although there are ramps in many places on campus some can be hard to maneuver depending on what type of wheel chair that is used. Professor Hamwi’s class is one of the few ways that students can learn about the accessibility of our campus. The admissions office does have a tour route designated to accommodate people who are handicap. Albright Ambassadors are responsible for providing prospective students and visitors with a fresh, fun, and personal experience on their college tours. The admissions office mandates that all ambassadors be proficient in giving a handicap campus tour. The normal campus tour takes about an hour and makes stops at all the major landmarks of the college; Grinrich library, Masters Hall, Memorial chapel, and computing and mathematics just to name a few. During the handicap tour the tour guide relays all the same information as in a normal tour and points out all the major landmarks. However, the handicap tour does take a half hour longer than the normal tour. This is due to the extra walking around buildings and the estimated time for elevators and maneuvering up and down ramps. “I had to give a handicap tour a couple weeks ago and it was tough,” said Jared Epler a senior ambassador. Jared has been an ambassador since the spring semester of his freshman year. “Since I don’t normally give the handicap tours I had to bring the manual with me to remember the path, it’s hard because I have to deviate from my normal tour route and walk around everything,” said Jared about his latest tour experience.
Although Albright is not an easily accessible campus there are services that are offered free of charge for students who request them. Students can request to be shuttled by public safety to different locations. Jen Bonnes a sophomore said, “Public safety did use to drive me to my physical therapy three times a week since I couldn’t drive myself.” On top of the shuttle service public safety can also provide an elevator key if the student follows the proper procedures to procure the key.
Want to know what else public safety and other departments on campus do to assist handicapped students? Be sure to listen to the audio podcast version of this post. Also step into someone else’s shoes and check out the mini documentary, “day in the life.”
Want to know what else public safety and other departments on campus do to assist handicapped students? Be sure to listen to the audio podcast version of this post. Also step into someone else’s shoes and check out the mini documentary, “day in the life.”
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