JACC Musings and the freedom of the press

I have decided I will continue to keep this blog more updated, despite my being busy with grad school.

I just got back from the Journalism Association of Community College's state convention held in Sacramento, CA this weekend. I had participated in this convention as a student in the past, even won a number of awards, and it was very interesting to do so as an editorial assistant for the journalism department at Mt. SAC where I currently work. There is a special feeling of having students go to workshops and learn about media law, public relations, editorial writing, social media and journalism and many other related topics. There is also something so awesome about getting there the first day and looking at the tables full of all the student produced publications in the entire state and later sitting down for dinner and watching an overhead slide presentation with the names of all these young people in journalism who are the future of our industry, most of whom are experienced and leaders in their respective campus publications.

Unfortunately our school did not receive awards this time around, on account of inexperience in our staff, high turnover of editors and a transition period with a temporary adviser who has nevertheless held the program pretty much together in the absence of our regular adviser. Speaking of leaves, I have been very troubled following the story of PCC's journalism adviser Warren Swil, who was placed on leave by Pasadena City College earlier this month. Most of us in the industry are concerned that this was a retaliation on the part of that campus' administration, even though the administration denies that.

It is troubling to even consider that our freedom of the press could be restricted by school administrators. I will continue to follow this case closely because I am intrigued by it and its possible repercussions. The latest report details that Swil is being helped by the Student Press Law Center, a representative of that organization also spoke at this weekend's convention.

A short and sweet one. Sorry about my long gap between blog posts.

Freedom of speech, it's such an important concept. Today my adviser at work was speaking about this specific news item, the Mesa Press publishing an article on a somewhat controversial topic, or is it really that controversial? Is the mainstream media making too much of what the student editors saw as an informative piece?
Personally, I thought it must have been a slow news day in order for the TV station to even bother reporting on this issue. At Mt. SAC for example, students have written about sex before, in different contexts, so I really see it as a non issue. You be the judge.

Northview 20-10 over host Pomona High

Does wealth and power or influence really make a big difference in society? I am not sure about the others, but it sure is nice to have the resources, so I am amazed how a little school like Pomona High School can still exist with the likes of more affluent programs in Diamond Bar and bigger districts.

Yesterday, as is my Friday M.O., I made my way to cover a prep football game for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. It wasn't even a full write up, but one of our football capsules to let the readers know what went on with that particular school. Upon arrival, I noticed how different things were at PHS than at those other Orange County venues, for one thing there is no press box. Some districts have put more money and resources into their Athletic Departments, but I guess some other schools put the funding elsewhere.

This is not a knock against Pomona though, I just observed that they perhaps are not used to getting a lot of media coverage. The lady at the gate had to check with a coach before letting me in with my CIF press pass. Then during the game, I covered things from the vantage view of the sidelines, something I mostly only do in the 4th quarter and if there is no box. It was a great game, if not a competitive one, as Pomona tried to get back into it late. (Northview prevailed 20-10.)

Yet, it's way more fun to be down in the field than up in a stuffy press box because you get the pulse of the game, how the players are feeling, and how the coaches are reacting. You truly get an inside look at the schools and their players. Bonus, in the end I don't have to race down in the final minute to get past security to the field to interview the winning coach and players.

Even in digital age, it amazes me how mainstream media still clings to some old and less efficient ways of getting the job done. For example, at the Tribune, sports writers and correspondents are expected to call in scores quarter by quarter and to call in the final score of the game, so they can update the scoreboard on the website. However, I also tweet the final score of the game and halftime, because I know that even though I don't have a large audience hanging by my updates, (It's not like I am ESPN or some big name covering the NCAA) there are still some die hards that appreciate the information.

I tried calling in the final score of games the last few weeks, but it's a hit and miss, sometimes the phone lines get clogged up and we are expected to keep calling back. In the age of instant information, this process to me seems dated and unnecessary, especially if there are disconnects like we have had the last 3 weeks. If any editors are per chance reading this, if you are waiting on a final score, jump on twitter and check our tweets, chances are that some of us have posted them there.

Back to work in prep sports

Well, it has been a long hot summer thus far and I regret the lack of blog posts. Truth is I have been battling a lot of personal demons and trying to fix family problems, but somehow I am still standing and looking forward to what promises to be a very busy time in my life.

My car has been running sluggish so I took it in to the mechanic only to find out I had to overhaul the entire break system (pads, rotor, drums) and the tires had worn out, down to 10 percent, so I had to change all 4 of them. The joys of driving a used car kids. Set me back nearly $700 parts and labor!

I am on my way to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune newsroom to pick up my CIF pass for fall 2012. Even though I start classes at Fullerton in less than 2 weeks, and am moving into the area to be close to school starting this weekend, I can still drive back on weekends to visit the parents and family and to cover prep games.

Week zero is just around the corner and I have written a football preview of Baldwin Park and Sierra Vista HS for patch.com. Tomorrow I am heading over to the field to take some snapshots of their scrimmage to go along with my story.

I am still struggling with trying to write more creatively and with trying to come up with a writing schedule and regiment in order to produce some literary work, but truth be told when it has been so hot in the valley, all I ever want to do is sit in front of my fan or escape to the local coffee joint to read the paper, sip some lattes and/or partake of the A.C. So what of my summer bucket list I formulated around early June? How faithful was I to my goals/wants/plans? Glad you asked:

• movies- saw a few blockbusters, the Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Ted (yea I know it was funny)
•  photography-I'd say 50/50 would have lot to have been further along by now, but I made quite a number of prints at the summer program @Tri Community and I also got more familiar with Adobe Light room.
• One trip to SD/Vegas/Portland- Comic con doesn't count, it was way too short, and most of these fell through because of the car situation and other financial demands. (books for school etc)  Stupid car problems!
• study chess: Every time I crack a book open to study I get sidetracked by wanting to play an mmo, so I go play DAoC or DDO. At least I got to hang out last weekend and play all day with my Citrus buds.
• 3 months to mmorpg: still mmorpging, but I want to try to level up my mage again, wow is so time consuming, I won't have time to raid once school starts up 
•  beach and other miscellaneous fun: haven't been out to the beach once. Gas is pretty steep, but now that I will be in Fullerton, it's at least a bit closer.
• local freelancing assignments and internship: Calwatchdog allowed me to do the story I wanted to write, and working on one more before the season ends.  I would say didn't work out quite as planned, especially this month because the Patch freelancing budget isn't what it once was, which is why I am glad:
  football is back!

I am looking forward to the fall season and to settling into completing my masters. I will also be brushing up on some skills I did not get to work on as an undergrad at the local JC such as video editing and page design, if all goes as planned. May the force be with me!!

Will there by any time left to write??

...That is the one question that I have been pondering this AM. Last night I got through one of the three articles I have been working on for patch and for calwatchdog.org. In fact, I made progress by completing one for Baldwin Park   and reaching sources and doing a lot of the research for one of the other two. It feels so good to complete one, like taking a big sledgehammer to a block of ice and smashing it out of the way.

This summer thus far has been a hectic whirlwind of activity, and it seems as I barely have taken a breather from working at Mt. SAC last fall, transitioning into a short-term assignment at the P.R. office at Citrus, to summer and into fall. Ever since I found out a few days ago that I had been admitted for grad school at CSU Fullerton, I have been running around making preparations, and now I have about a month's time to find a place to stay before I am immersed in academics again, becoming a semi professional student.

A week ago, I dropped everything and headed out with my brother to San Diego for a couple of days of sun and relaxation at the SDCC. I have an artist friend who was exhibiting at the convention, and he was able to get us professional passes for the con, but really before that little jaunt I had not even left the SGV for months, probably since my sister's wedding in Arizona.

I say all this because I am anticipating taking a short vacation, probably once July is mercifully over and I have secured my living arrangements at Fullerton for the fall. Orientation looms near, so it would sure be nice to take a breather before that new and exciting phase of my life begins! I am beyond excited over becoming at Titan and finally getting on with my educational career.

So what of writing? It was on my summer bucket list to actually take a few hours a day and come up with some creative writing project in addition to blogging regularly again, but photography has taken a more prominent role, not that I have even shot a whole lot, with the exception of a few assignments including a 4th of July celebration, but I have taken some courses, trying to get proficient at Adobe Lightroom and learning to use my Canon.

I know soon enough summer 2012 will be in the metaphorical rear view mirror, and I will be left with a lot of papers to write, projects and research, and frankly I am concurrently elated and scared to death. LOL. May the force be with me!

Unanswered Questions Raised by Proposed Enrollment Regulations at California Community Colleges

by Ariel Carmona Jr.
source: walnut.patch.com

According to information released by the chancellor's office last week, students planning to finish school will likely be allowed to register before others at California's 112 community colleges.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that a plan to give enrollment priority to students who have completed an orientation, taken English or Math skills tests, or filled out a plan for completing college has won preliminary approval.

The community college state board is expected to vote on the proposal in September, and the new rules would take effect in 2014, but under these new rules, colleges would penalize students who have completed far more units than they need to transfer to a four-year school.

It was not immediately clear how many of the state's 2.7 million or so students complete an educational plan, and it's also unknown at this time how educators who are grappling with an ongoing budget crunch, which has already slashed thousands of classes, can figure out how to help students plan their educational paths.

The Daily Democrat newspaper reports Paul Feist, in the California Community College's Chancellor's Office said the board also gave final approval to new regulations preventing students from repeating classes they have already passed.

KPGS news also reported that active-duty military, veterans and former foster children will still have priority standing. They will be followed by students who have completed education plans, are in good academic standing, and have fewer than 100 credits.

On the face of it, the proposed changes are good, theoretically getting rid of the professional student in favor of those who have clear ideas and are on track to graduate and join the professional ranks. 

On further inspection, these are proposed regulations which bring up more questions than they answer and which appear to be contrary to the traditional mission of community colleges: To give students another viable educational option, other than more expensive state schools and private colleges.

For example: will the new regulations exempt students retroactively, those who have amassed a great number of units sampling various career options, or will it punish them right away by not allowing them to register into classes?

And what of a program such as a school's journalism program? At Mt. SAC for example, we relied on student editors repeating classes for practice because it was impossible them to learn their craft in one semester's time. These new regulation fail to address specialized programs like a school newspaper, which are very important to the campus community and the individual students.

There are many other activity, non-academic courses which require several semesters to achieve proficiency, but these new regulations would prevent students from repeating "activity" courses, such as art or music, starting in Fall 2013.

In the end, if the regulations work out similar to the U.S. government practice of making federal mandates, and then giving states the autonomy to implement and interpret their own laws, at least in theory, state colleges would have the same ability to regulate their curriculums to fit the system's requirements. Yet, this seems a messier process, and it could be an expensive one, if counseling departments, some already affected by budget cuts, have to beef up their manpower to help current and future generation of students.

It will be a "wait and see" game for those who are choosing community college as their primary educational institution, but one thing seems clear, if law makers get their way, the days of repeating courses and sampling various educational tracks are over.

Blogging through the summer months

 Hello faithful readers. Well I have really neglected this blog, but mostly because I have been working at the college this spring and doing very little freelancing. This is about to change once more, even though the summer season is traditionally slower, news doesn't stop, so with the exception of maybe a week or two I take off for my personal sanity, I will be writing and blogging for patch.com and other local media once more this summer season.

I also have a couple of journalism related internships lined up for now and possibly fall through spring. The beat goes on!

Lately I have been thinking about the upcoming November ballot, specifically about the Governor's tax plan, which if it fails to pass, could have catastrophic results for our schools, especially on the community college side. I have detailed that sort of ad nasuseum in my previous blogs, including my most recent offering, but suffice it to say, it will have some serious repercussions and I am going to keep a close eye on it.

The hour grows late, I mostly checked in to say that I am alive and well, but rest assured, I will be back, so check back often.