Let's Communicate!
Hello Soapbox Prophet world! Andrew invited me to participate a while ago, and I am finally doing it. I also posted this on my own blog, and even though Andrew said, "Enough babbling about the site and club," I am going to do it anyway:
I just got out of my Theater Arts 141 class. Yes a journalism student in a theater class. But not really. For some reason, the radio, TV, video & film department has a class on web-design (Internet Production and Performance is the official title) and the journalism and mass communications school does not. In fact, the old-fashioned paper journalism design class being offered right now is not even part of the regular curriculum. Don't worry, I haven't figured it out yet either.
As we went around the room and introduced ourselves, our introductions turned into a conversation of how these types of classes are not offered in other departments. Most of the people in the class are not from the RTVF department. There were TV people there, but also a ton of graphic design majors, as well as journalism, photography and art majors.
It was pointed out that there is a lot of duplication and lack of communication in the university. Apparently, the art department does not ever do anything with the photography department. And what about the photojournalism students? There are TV and radio facilities in the RTVF department and the same thing in the journalism school. Do we really need both? Why don't we work together?
The professor said that they radio station is starving for content. So why don't we journalists help provide it? Our building is only a couple yards away.
I think this should be one of our goals as we build a club for those of us that are interested in technology. We need a place that students can get together and talk about what they are doing, whatever department they may be in. Wouldn't it be great if the graphic designers can come tell the journalists what classes and professors they should take, and visa versa? The university is certainly not doing it.
Instead of penalizing students for taking classes in other areas, the university should be encouraging it. The TV major sitting next to me tonight said that this class on Internet production is not part of his "Communications in the Information Age" minor, even though it is in the same department.
The university needs to take a good look at what is being done. We need collaboration and modernization. The only way it is going to get done is if students will work together to make it happen.
