What's my degree for again?

In a couple of months, I'll be sitting at my college graduation commencement with my graduating class.

We'll be sitting out on Memorial Field listening to someone talk about how it is our turn to make a difference in this world. They'll say something like "sure the economy isn't great right now, but you can still be successful. Be the change that you want. Make the world a better place."

A few months after that, I'll receive my degree in the mail and it will say "History." But what it should say is "bullsh*t."

One of my favorite musicians is the witty singer-songwriter Todd Snider. In his song "Statistician's Blues" he sings, "Seventy-four percent of what you learn in college is a bunch of bullsh*t you'll never need." I used to think that was the case more about high school, but sitting where I am today, I'd say Mr. Snider hit the nail on the head. And he didn't even have to go to college to know that.

I'll admit I've spent some nights at the bar when I should have been in Dimond Library doing work, but I also know I've spent many nights in the library when I should have just gone to the bar. Is it a lack of motivation? Probably. But at the same time I can get away with it, and it's not because I am particularly smart either.

A few weeks ago one of my professors went on a brief rant about the education system today. He's been around for a while and has experienced it from many different sides.

He quipped that the content of courses and the expectations and quality of work done by students and even professors has worsened over the years. A couple classes later, I handed in a 10-page rough draft of a research paper to him. When we sat down to discuss it, he said that I'm doing really well with it and he could tell I put a lot of time into the research and writing process. He even used my draft as an example to the class. I wrote the entire thing and did most of the research the day before I turned it in. Pot, kettle, black.

If the education system really isn't what it used to be, who is to blame and how can it be improved? I don't really know, but I do know this: here at UNH (and probably at the majority of public schools in the country) it definitely relates with the school's budget. When schools are short on money, big, broad lectures become more common because those classes are cheaper and easier to run. This is exactly what President Huddleston complained about to Concord when the budget cuts were being discussed last year. Experienced professors are pressured into early retirement and lecturers who haven't become professors yet and who are much cheaper replace them. President Huddleston makes about 10 times more a year than the lowest salaried lecturers at UNH.


In May of 1970, three well-known protestors from Chicago appeared at UNH. The most famous among them was Abbie Hoffman.

It was the day after the Kent State shootings, and the three men were originally scheduled to speak on the Vietnam War, but when the school's board of trustees tried to shut it down in fear of possible riots, their speeches became more focused on the freedom of speech and the university system.

One of Hoffman's partners, Jerry Rubin, stole the show.

He shouts "school is just an advanced form of toilet training! That's what school is! And taking an examination is just like taking a shit! That's what it's like! You know you gather it all in and gather it all in and you wait for the right moment when your fucking professor tells ya 'this is the moment' and then the moment comes along, you been conditioned and then you let it pour out, you just flush the toilet. All the shit comes out and boom it's over and you feel so good afterwards! It's got nothing to do with education."

I think he had a pretty valid point.

After the rally, UNH went on strike, the last two weeks of classes became voluntary workshops and finals were cancelled. UNH denies the strike ever happened.

I think it is important to really examine everything you have learned in college and think about what is really important. You can know all the names and dates and formulas you want, but if you can't actually learn from them and apply them to life and critical thinking, then it doesn't matter at all.

The most important thing I've learned at UNH is how to think. I've learned to pay attention to the things around me – the news, politics and life in general. Names, dates and formulas are for the textbooks Google. Use your mind – it can be a beautiful thing if you know how.

Stay classy, not UMassy

Instantaneous Comminution: The Rebirth of Journalism

This is kinda lengthy for a blog post and it doesn't have too much to do with UNH, but it is something I think anyone interested in journalism might like to read. It's just my some of my rambling ideas on the possible future of journalism.

In the late 1960's and early 70’s Abbie Hoffman, a leader of the yippie generation, wrote a book called “Steal This Book.” It was written to teach people how to survive in America with little to no money. Although many of the tactics are outdated it is still an awesome read to learn about the counterculture of America in the 1960’s and 70’s. (That link contains the entire book if you're interested.) In the introduction Hoffman wrote:

“There is a saying that ‘Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one.’ In past eras, this was probably the case, but now, high-speed methods of typesetting, offset printing and a host of other developments have made substantial reductions in printing costs. Literally anyone is free to print their own works. In even the most repressive society imaginable, you can get away with some form of private publishing… To talk of true freedom of the press, we must talk of the availability of the channels of communication that are designed to reach the entire population, or at least that segment of the population that might participate in such a dialogue. Freedom of the press belongs to those that own the distribution system. Perhaps that has always been the case, but in a mass society where nearly everyone is instantaneously plugged into a variety of national communications systems, widespread dissemination of the information is the crux of the matter.


Keep in mind Hoffman wrote that in 1971. Well before computers, cell phones, the internet, blackberries and iphones. It is pretty crazy to think that in 1971 people thought they were “instantaneously plugged into a variety of national communications systems.” Look what we have now with handheld internet devices that allow instant access to websites like twitter, wikipedia, youtube and various message boards and blogs. Literally anyone can write or read about an incident or event just seconds after it occurs, without publication issues. (For all I know someone could have blogged about this same thing, I wouldn't be surprised at all.) Take a look at this time lapse of the Wikipedia page for the Virginia Tech massacres. This 30 second clip shows how the page grew in the first 12 hours following the shooting.  

I think that is pretty crazy how fast updates can be made and the public can be notified. Students at UNH experience this first hand every time there is an emergency alert text sent out. Is this a good thing? Does it create safety or hostility? Currently, people discussing changes to the alert system because every time we get one of those texts or emails so does WMUR and other local news outlets who relay the message to the public. These outlets then become bombarded with calls from worried parents because the full story is still unknown. Anyways, back to my original point...

Hoffman talks about how new printing presses have created  low cost printing methods, which has allowed for anyone to private publish. Imagine if Hoffman had internet access? What would have become of  this generation in America if they were able to blog and truly have instantaneous communication?
They probably would have never printed that book, but created a blog or website. Maybe something like this: a "Steal This Wiki" page that has taken Hoffman's work and updated and expanded on it.

Hoffman says how the "freedom of the press belongs to those that own the distribution system." The internet completely eliminates the distribution system and while many people are calling this the downfall of journalism, I think it is just a rebirth. In 10 years there may be no more print newspapers and magazines left, but they will all be online with paid both free and priced services. Think about the possibilities for newspapers without having to spend money on printing and distribution. Plus they will be able to make advertising money just like any other website. William Randolph Hearst (the ultimate newspaper mogul and godfather of yellow journalism) will be rolling in his grave! I chose those last two links on purpose because they are prime examples of internet magic: Mini youtube documentaries by "watchmojo.com"... Who?

I just watched a full length piece on Hearst and the guy was crazy. To gain more readers he created his own news by paying people to jump into San Francisco Bay and then he would write the heroic story of their rescue, or how no bystanders helped them, and publish it on the front page! With online journalism propaganda and yellow journalism will be even more blended in with real statistics and research and it will be up to the people to decide who and what to believe. We already have this problem, but when journalism goes completely online it will be even more prevalent. Heck, even Stephenson Billings calls himself an Investigative Journalist!

I am not an expert on the history of journalism, or history or journalism. These are just some of my random and unorganized thoughts and opinions on what the future of journalism might become. With the advances of technology over the past thirty years, who knows what will become available in the years to come, but I want to be apart of it. This is some of the stuff I had to explain to my friends and relatives over the holidays when I told them I plan on switching my major to journalism. They all gave me that "your going to be poor, even if you can find a job" face...

Stay classy, not UMassy.