To Dean Powers

If there was one thing that I found lacking at Seattle University it was the fact that the communications and journalism departments were somewhat lacking compared to the other departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. I do not condone splitting up the communications department and moving different majors to different departments (i.e. journalism will be moved to the English department). There is a reason why students specifically choose to go into a communications field--and that is to study and analyze it in depth and be able to walk out of four years with the skills to be able to think and speak critically and logically.

As a student of the media and journalism, I find that journalism has nothing to do with English. To write beautifully is one thing, but to do intensive reporting and being able to navigate the turbulent waters of the digital world is whole different genre than sitting and analyzing literary symbols in a novel. In order to excel in the world of communications, one must be out there constantly practicing it either on campus or actual field work.

I vote that we keep all different majors separate and in their own departments. But I am not stubborn, I am fully aware of the hard times that we are in and believe in making budget cuts that will not only improve the fiscal year but bring good change to the communications department.

I advocate that each journalism student be required to work for The Spectator for a quarter (to give them basic training) and be given at least 3 credits for it; this will not only save the school money by not having to pay student writers a stipend, but it will quickly get students faster towards a degree. Not only will this help improve their writing skills as a journalist but it will also help the community by giving fresh perspectives each quarter. I also would like to combine programs within the department. If I were to major in strategic communications, I would also like to get a degree in mass communications. Since there are only three majors offered in the department, I find it entirely possible to mix all three together to give students more of an education for their money--I could potentially walk out of here with a degree in journalism and say public relations with a minor in mass communications. By combining classes and getting credited 10 credits for that one class, it would save a lot of money and time for everyone involved. I believe that college should be three years and not four years, and by making classes larger but with professors that are willing to give in more time and students that are willing to do more work, we should all be able to graduate in three. I believe that we should make cut backs on ALL departments--meaning specifically the core requirements. I believe that every freshman should come into Seattle U and that their first year be devoted entirely to core courses and for the next two years, it should be devoted to their major and minor of choice.

For right now, the only things that I can really recognize as effects that the Communication and Journalism Department have on campus and in the community would be through The Spectator, The Spectator and Capitol Hill Seattle Blog's partnership, and the Gates Foundation Family Homelessness student fellowship as well as the up and coming SUTV. I think we should go beyond this. I am a big advocator of volunteering and working in our local community, reaching out and utilizing the communication skills that we've been able to acquire in our classes--but I also know that we should be given an incentive. Seattle U' mission is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation, and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world. And I believe that we are lacking that direction in the communication department--especially if there is a hypothetical scenario in which cutbacks will be made to our department. I vote give us class credit to be part of the community, make tuition for us lower and everyone will benefit from this.