4a
Opinion
Monday, May 7,2001
Perspective
For comments, contact Chris Borniger or Nathan Willis at 864-4924 or opinion@kansan.com
Kansan's quality may drop because of new curriculum
A year ago, Fall 1999 Kansan editor Julie Wood wrote a column sounding an alarm of caution against the new curriculum that was about to be implemented by the School of Journalism.
The new curriculum is based on media convergence the idea that journalists of the future will need to work in more than one platform simultaneously as print, Internet and broadcast media gradually blend into one Julie's concern was that the expanded breadth of journalism classes would come at the expense of depth.
As the first year of the revamped curriculum winds to a close, I'm convinced she was right. There is a harmometer by which the KU student body can judge the effects of the new curriculum: the Kansan. Monitor the quality of the Kansan during your remaining time here. Because of its reliance on students to report and edit as part of their journalism classes, the Kansan's quality will decline if the school's quality of education does.
quality of evaluation.
Like Jule, I was editor of the Kansan; my term was last semester. Being editor puts you in a unique vantage point as you evaluate talent coming into the paper. What I saw was disturbing. During the transition, classes from both curriculums are being taught. Students who emerged from the old curriculum's Reporting II class were ready to tackle the rigors of being full time reporters for the Kansan and formed the core of this semester's reporting staff. The students in Reporting II's replacement, Multimedia Reporting, largely emerged without well-developed research and writing skills
Nathan Willis associate opinion editor
opinion@kansan.com
Signs from other new courses are no more encouraging. The class Research and Writing replaced Reporting I. Reporting I focused on the basics of interviewing sources and writing accurate, complete stories. Research and Writing, in contrast, tries to incorporate broad cast print, public relations and advertising.
One of the assignments in Research and Writing was to write a "personals" ad — you know, "Single white male, 21, seeks intelligent female who enjoys walks on the beach and playing Parechesi." Future KU reporters may not be able to write a balanced, engaging story, but at least they can find that special someone.
Meanwhile, the ballyhoed Digital Jayhawk, which was supposed to showcase what the new curriculum could do, sputters. You've never heard of the Digital Jayhawk? Neither has anyone else outside the journalism school. You're not missing much. What was supposed to blend information from the Kansan, the school's KUJH-TV and other sources has turned into an unwieldy conglomerate of random class projects. If you access the site, you'll find all the relevant headlines — from April 25. As of yesterday, that was the most recent information the Digital Jayhawk had from KUJH. The most recent Kansan stories were from March 1.
That's a far cry from what Jimmy Gentry, dean of journalism, envisioned in 1990 as a cutting-edge source for news, complete with its own original content and staff.
Emphasizing convergence is not bad. The industry is gradually moving that direction. But the key word is "gradually." What the school needs is a gradual transition, not a headfirst plunge. For example, the dean recently hired by Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism arrived promising to emphasize more cross-platform collaboration, but he did so as one among many goals for the school. For the record, Northwestern has one of the best journalism schools in the country.
So does the University of Kansas. But the new curriculum ahandons much of what earned it its lofty reputation; refinement in reporting and editing. Like frenzied dot-com investors, the school got so caught up in the new medium of the Internet that it forgot that traditional rules still apply. For companies, those rules include turning a profit and following responsible fiscal policies. In journalism, they include rigor in writing and editing. The pummelming that Web companies have taken lately should serve as reminder that as you forge ahead in new directions, you can't forget time-tested principles.
I will graduate in two weeks as part of the last class under the old curriculum. Most of the students remaining in the school next year won't know what they're missing. In my time here, I received an excellent education. I hope future graduates of the school can say as much.
Willis is a Sterling senior in journalism.
Kansan.com poll
Last week's question: Do you approve of Bob Frederick's resignation from his position as Kansas athletics director?
Yes. Frederick made poor decisions during his tenure.
- Yes. The department needs a new leader to energize Kansas athletics.
- No. The last thing the department needs right now is a leadership shake-up.
- No. Frederick was a wonderful athletics director.
This poll is not scientific. Numbers do not add up to 100 percent because of rounding. Total votes: 134
Perspective
In and out of classrooms, teachers help shape lives
During my senior year in high school, I was enrolled in an Advanced Placement English class. The teacher was Sister
English class. The teacher was sister Eustasia Myers, an 82 year-old nun whose challenging (and sometimes confrontational) teaching style moved more than one student to tears. My senior year was the last year she taught the class before retiring, nearly 60 years after she started teaching.
She passed away about a year and a half ago. The news of her death struck me as no other person's passing ever has. That's because she
changed my life - she taught me and hundreds of students before me to write, to cherish both words and the people for whom we wrote them. She loved both her work and her students.
Sister Eustasia set me on a path that's only beginning to reveal where it will lead. In less than one week, I'll be on my way to New York City — working, of course, with words.
I've never learned much from any teacher who wasn't passionate about his or her students, or even worse, about the topic he or she was teaching. I had a handful of those instructors during my 17 years of schooling, from elementary school through this semester. Many were good teachers but never on the level of Sister Eustasia.
Chris Borniger
 opinion editor
 opinion@ksan.com
Nonetheless, I've learned so much for which I'm profoundly grateful — both inside and outside of the classroom. I've come to realize that you certainly don't need a certificate or an advanced degree to really teach someone a lesson. All you require is passion.
So in essence, I've learned a lot from myriad people. friend and foe.
people. I learned that laughing helps heal even the deepest wounds of the soul. I learned the true meaning of generosity. And I learned that having family is something for which I should be grateful.
I was lucky; not everyone has such a close family, and some don't have any family at all
From my friends, I learned that I shouldn't rush into adulthood. I learned that youth is a gift. I learned that I like beer. And I learned that in tough times, the support of a close friend provides an overwhelming sense of relief. Sympathy counts for a lot.
And in the case of J.D. Jenkins, my good friend and former roommate, I learned that people can maintain friendships amid highly public disagreements.
From my journalism professors, I learned that words matter. I learned that the media play important roles in an increasingly global society. And I learned that the media will survive only if they have intelligent, strong, compassionate and ethical people working for them. We shape people's perceptions of the world.
From my fellow students, I learned that college life is a blast. I learned not to freak out if I slept through class. And I learned to be open-minded about the incredible variety of backgrounds we share.
Reflecting on these lessons, I wish that I'd done more during my time here. People like Sister Eustasia had such an impact on my future that I feel as if I've received much more than I've given. The lesson I offer you is not to let the love people have shown you go unrequited.
From my enemies, I learned that hate is evil. I learned how to be resilient under pressure. And I learned that no matter how much kindness you offer people, some of them always will attack you.
As I bid you farewell, however, I call on you to change someone's life. We all can be teachers, whether it's in a classroom,a church,an underprivileged neighborhood or in our own homes. Seize the opportunity; all it takes is a little passion.
On the Kansan opinion page, I've lambasted drunk drivers. University administrators national political figures and even our former student body president. I've called for justice and accountability.
Editorial
Borniger is a Wichita senior in journalism.
KU graduates must give back to University
Tight budget times highlight the need for graduates to help keep the University alive.
On May 20, the Class of 2001 will follow tradition by walking down the hill during the 129th annual commencement ceremony at the University of Kansas. As KU graduates take their first steps into a 21st century workplace, they should remember their roots.
The road to graduation is difficult. Only 23.4 percent of freshman actually complete their education in four years. Obstacles such as low finances may sidetrack some students. For some, finding employment while enrolled becomes a necessity.
But no matter how long it takes to get a degree, graduates realize that the knowledge they have received during their college years can never be repealed. Through their educational journeys, graduates have accepted both the challenges and the perks the University offers its students.
For example, some students actually survived math class on the third floor of Strong Hall in 100-degree temperatures with no air conditioning. And remember when freezing temperatures closed every school in the state except for the University during the last two days of the fall semester? Determined students braved minuszero temperatures to attend class and get an education. Even more students have endured lectures in overcrowded classrooms, as in Fraser Hall.
Yet the good outweighs the bad. The University has the cheapest tuition rates in the Big 12 Conference. Unlike many other colleges, the University doesn't charge a graduation fee. In essence, we get a solid education at bargain prices.
At the University, students create lifelong friendships with people from all walks of life. Graduates know what it means to be Jayhawks.
As the Class of 2001 departs, the University's budget crunch worsens. With cuts probable for the next few years, graduates have an obligation to their alma mater. In return for the quality education we receive, we should contribute whatever we can
— whether funds or other gifts — to keep the University afloat.
The University will leave us all with many wonderful memories. We must not forget that.
Tiffany Knight for the editorial board
free
all for
864-0500
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. The Kansan reserves the right to edit submissions, and not all of them will be published. Slanderous statements will not be printed. For more comments, visit www.kansan.com.
if you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
I am a graduating senior. Please print me in the Free for All. This is my last day. I just want to save goodbye.
Nine months ago today, my friend Casey was killed by a drunk driver who had eight previous DUIs. Maybe instead of writing an article about students whining about what their DUIS cost them, you could write an article about what someone's drunkenness cost Casey's family.
if you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
To all the GTAs complaining about not getting paid enough: Why don't you go on strike? That'll tell them you want something.
if you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
I live in the Oliver dorm, and I usually have dinner at the Oliver dorm in the cafeteria, and I don't understand about the food thrown away in the trash, especially on Sunday. They could give it to Jubilee Cafe. That's a lot of food that could be used to feed the homeless in Lawrence.
I think the opinion that only minorities can add cultural diversity to KU is based on the erroneous assumption that all Whites share the same culture. One look down Wescoe Beach will dispel that myth in a heartbeat.
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Instead of spending $5,000 on an OUI or a DUI, to legal Services for Students and get it done for free.
Hey, Department of Student Housing, for once I have some constructive criticism for you. Just to let you know, the windowsills at GSP desperately need to be painted.
Matt Overstreet, I'm angry, too, man.
The last box of Cracker Jacks I bought only had a decoder ring instead of vast, incredible understanding of human spirituality and activism. So he, be happv, man. Be happy.
--if you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
I just wanted to say thank you to the undergraduates, the faculty members and the administrators who attended the GTAC grade-in on Thursday. Your support was tremendously appreciated. Thank you.
I would just like to say that the highlight of my day yesterday was seeing four naked frat boys streaking down Jayhawk Boulevard right before my chemistry test. It certainly put that in perspective. By the way, it must have been cold out there. Thank you.
if you have general questions or comments,
e-mail the page staff (opinion@kansan.com)
or call 864-4924.
I am saddened that Mike Cuenca has decided to leave the University of Kansas. He was a tremendous person and a phenomenal faculty member.
I think it's cool that our president's last name is Bush.
The KU paper is no place for opinions.
How to submit letters and quest columns
Letters: Should be double-spaced typed and fewer than 200 words. Letters must include the author's signature, name, address and telephone number plus class and hometown if a University student. Faculty or staff must identify their positions.
Guest columns: Should be double-spaced typed with fewer than 700 words. The writer must be willing to be photographed for the column to run.
All letters and guest columns should be e-mailed to opinion@kansas.com or submitted to the Kansan newsroom, 111 Stauffer-Flint Hall. The Kansan reserves the right to edit, cut to length or reject all submissions. For any questions, call C莉Borniger or Nathan Willis at 864-4924.
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