An End to a Beginning

When my JMC 312 class of fifteen students suddenly turned into a class of eight, I was worried. Did I make the right decision to stay in the class? Is it even worthwhile if there are only eight kids here? I am happy to say that the class was worthwhile and that I did make the right decision.

This class is different from a typical college class. It meets only once a week, which is quite a change from the typical Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes. This class also has bi-weekly field trips to the City Council meetings. It is not the Denver Zoo, but it is a nice change of pace from the typical classroom setting. Sometimes the meetings are three hours long, something they are twenty minutes long. You never know what to expect from meeting to meeting.

I learned that City Council meetings are very boring. I also learned that the City Council members are very friendly people, completely different the politicians I see on Fox News. I really learned that a lot goes into writing a solid story and that one needs to check multiple sources to get the real story.

The most difficult thing about this class was not any assignment, but it was getting to and from the City Council meetings. Without a car of my own, I had to rely on the generosity of my roommates. The next most difficult thing would be staying awake in City Council meetings. In all seriousness, the only assignment I had trouble with was the feature story we wrote at the end of the class. It was our first real feature story of the semester, so I had trouble adjusting from the numerous blog posts and inverted-pyramid stories we wrote.

For those entering the class next year, be prepared to write. Notes, blogs, stories; there is a lot of writing in this class. Be ready to interview City Council members. They do not bite and are willing to help you out as long as you have interesting questions to ask. Do not be scared when Professor Klyde-Silverstein tells you that you will be covering City Council; stay in the class and enjoy. This class has helped me to become a better writer and I hope that it will do the same for you.