Finding my way back home

Winter term has been insane. On top of classes, my 20+ hours a week job and work as news editor of Transylvania University's student newspaper, The Rambler, I have had a bit of a personal dilemma, one that I feel free to share with you all here now.

Over Christmas break I thought a long time about my future. I had been, and continue to be, pretty engulfed in my work on The Rambler. I found myself reading books on journalism, searching the internet on the different career paths, and seeking out guidance of professionals in the field. Then I came to a conclusion. I realized that I had found what I really wanted to do with my life. I want to make a career out of writing, out of telling the events of every day, out of writing the first draft of history. While the medium may change, and I don't know where it will print-- newspaper, computer screen, cell phone, or iPad-- I know that is the career I want to pursue.

You'll notice this semester my blogs have been lacking. A weekly update turned into sporadic postings. When I decided on what I wanted to do with my life I started worrying about the path I was on. Transy doesn't offer journalism as a major. I considered transferring. I felt less comfortable blogging about my experience at a college where I wasn't sure I saw myself graduating from.

I went pretty far in these thoughts. I applied for transfer admission to two different large, research universities with established journalism departments. I spoke to my parents about it, sent my FAFSA elsewhere, and started looking at living arrangements.

Then it came down to making the decision. I started looking back at my two years on this campus, two great years in the Transy Bubble, and the road that led up to this point. I remembered my first day of classes and how during open hour (an hour long period on Tuesdays and Thursdays where no classes are scheduled in the middle of the day) on that first day I went into The Rambler office and announced my desire to be a news writer; my blind desire that turned into the passion that defines me now.

I started thinking about my experiences with The Rambler, the stories I had written and the people I had interviewed. Then it hit me: I owed everything to Transy.

I came to Transy having never written a news story and without the slightest thought that I would want to go into this field. Had I went anywhere else I would never have discovered this talent, this aptitude and this passion about myself. Furthermore, the small Transy environment allowed me complete immersion into this. I write one or two stories for every issue and have since I walked in the door. I have interviewed numerous people: celebrities, legislators, city officials and more. I have brought untold stories to the attention of campus. I have made mistakes along the way, learned from those mistakes, and I continue to develop a skill in a hands-on way that I couldn't take advantage of anywhere else. The hands-on method has worked, this semester I received two first-place awards for news writing from the Kentucky Intercollegiate Press Association.

This would have been utterly impossible at a larger school. There are too many people and too much competition. Transy's small environment has allowed me to not only to discover a passion I had no idea I had, but to build that passion into a enjoyable, marketable skill.

On top of that, I am learning stuff that will set me apart. I had an interview at The Lexington Herald-Leader today for a paid internship as a reporter for nighttime crime stories (I hope I got it!). The editors I spoke with talked about how the fact that I was studying general skills in writing (my major is Writing, Rhetoric, and Communication) with a broader range of studies in other areas made me a great candidate. With a liberal arts background, I bring a wide range of knowledge to the news room, along with my practical experience on The Rambler.

Since I made my decision and decided to stay here, my home, things have only been reaffirmed. I am in the process of designing an independent study course in journalism that goes beyond the Intro to Journalism course Transy already offers. In this course, I hope to be able to, with the one-on-one guidance of a professor, study advanced methods of the field. I've joined the Society of Professional Journalists, the leading group that professional journalists worldwide subscribe to. I am receiving, and in fact owning, my education in the way that works for me.

So, the road was tough this semester. I almost lost my way, but in the end I rediscovered what I realized when I was sitting in the same shoes you are in as a prospective student. Transy is a community of students, learners, and friends. While our majors may differ, we unite in the same goal: bettering ourselves. We don't define ourselves by our major, we define ourselves by the fact that we are all students.

A Perfect Storm...

So as the first thunderstorm of Spring (yes! I love storms.) is brewing outside, I came across an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education that offers a critique of college in America. It was a very interesting read, and I highly encourage you to check it out.

I was happy to notice, though, that so many of the things that the author Thomas Benton (a college professor) pointed out as flaws with American universities just don't apply at Transy, while other critiques of culture in general are valid, I see Transy as a college that does everything it can to counteract the perceived flaw.

For instance, Benton discussed the changing forms of literacy in students entering college. I definitely agree with this statement. I came into college and considered myself a very good writer (I had received the highest score in my school on my Kentucky writing portfolio, and distinguished in On-Demand writing). The thing is though, writing for a standardized test, I quickly learned, is much more superficial and generic than writing, say, a well thought out research paper. Transy understands this knowledge gap, and because of that we have the Foundations of Liberal Arts program -- a two part program taken during first-year that teaches you how to write for college.

Benton also mentioned an alienation from professors that college students face. Honestly, this is a completely foreign concept. I sometimes find myself wishing I could be more alienated from professors (Full disclosure: I was behind and skipped a class last week, and hour later the professor saw me. Totally busted!). Transy professors are insanely available; I've even called one at 7p.m. and felt perfectly comfortable in doing so.

Another concept, declining academic engagement, also doesn't seem appear at Transy, and perhaps this is just among my circle of friends. I find myself discussing class topics, current events, and other academic matters much more often than I find myself discussing the latest episode of "Glee" (though I do love Glee...). Any time I watch T.V. I find myself thinking "That would make a great artifact for a rhetorical analysis", or "Wow, that commercial reinforces the gender dichotomy present in the western world...".

I'm not saying Transy is perfect, but when looking at the list I think Benton might reconsider some of his points.