I look forward to my meeting Monday to interview the Acting Associate Dean of Students, our GSA Faculty Advisers, and hopefully Counselor Mark Weiss, if I can get a chance to sit down with him.
I will post information on my process as it continues from idea to completed story.
Update - 10-2-2011: I have secured an interview on Wednesday with Mark Weiss, who has been an active advocate for students on campus, and has joined GSA meetings and events a few times. as of now, I have meetings Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so I guess this is as close as I can expect to get for 'going down to the line' in my journalism class... I hope. I am going to try to work on some leads and statistics about my topic on Monday evening to have some pre-written passages rough drafted, then work on intigrating quotes and new information from each of my interview as I get them.
This is already turning out to be vastly different from my work in fiction, where I tend to get all my details and information bits before I do any writing on a scene itself.
Update - 10-5-2011: Feeling sick, but still trudging ahead regardless. I conducted my interview on Monday with Sandra Shinkle, the current Acting Associate Dean of Students here at Linn Benton Community College, and am currently waiting on a email response from the GSA Faculty advisers, and my 4pm meeting with Counselor Mark Weiss to wrap up my quote and information gathering. I have a good bit of information already, and have started to rough draft my story for Friday, but until I get all my quotes, I do not want to commit to where, and in what order, the ones I select will appear in my story.
This is a early draft of what I do have pre-written:
In November of 2010, flyers were posted on campus, and caused quite a stir. The flyers themselves, which appeared on the boards around the courtyard, denigrated both a faculty member, and a whole group of students within our college community. In the Diversity Achievement Center, students had gathered to watch a documentary titled 'Out in the Silence', about the challenges of being gay in small rural town. The filmmaker, Joseph Wilson, who had come to LBCC to speak with the audience, was as surprised as the students were to learn of the incident. The flyers were a reminder of attitudes shown in the film they had just finished watching.
The posting of the flyers was an act that happened quietly, but the response that surged through the Linn Benton community as a result was anything but. Articles appeared in the Commuter, bringing about passionate discussions about the rights of students, Freedom of Speech, and the effects and consequences of such behavior as demonstrated by the flyers themselves.
Update 10-6-2011: here is the first full rough draft. I feel there are moments where I am being redundant, which seems like a good opportunity to find easy places to further tighten my writing, and make it more concise. it is 590 words, and think my teacher was hoping for around 500, so hopefully I am in the right direction. I am going to snack, go work out to clear my head (and enjoy not being sick anymore), then sit down with it to see where I can really make some changes.
"In November of 2010, flyers were posted on campus and caused quite a stir. The flyers themselves — appearing on the boards around the courtyard — denigrated both a faculty member, and a whole group of students within our college community.
The posting of the flyers was an act that happened quietly, but the response that surged through the Linn Benton community as a result was anything but. Articles appeared in the Commuter, bringing about passionate discussions about the rights of students, Freedom of Speech, and the effects and consequences of such behavior demonstrated by the flyers themselves. Students were discussing it in their classes. It even made the MSNBC news ticker crawl.
Now as we begin a new year here at LBCC, we face the prospect of an already highly charged and divisive election cycle. Passions run deep, and in such a large campus community, opinions are as diverse as the student body itself, especially with issues that asks us to define who we are, and what we believe. It can be easy for people to feel threatened, or their rights infringed upon when we move beyond the realms of simple disagreement.
As we look to the year ahead, we now as a student body, have an opportunity to use the example of past incidents to help us come together, even in the face of differing opinions and values. We as students are not powerless in shaping the experience we have here at LBCC. The Diversity Achievement Center is always looking for interesting topics that can help broaden students understanding of the issues. As the current Dean of Students, Sandra Shinkle said, "Everything we do in the D.A.C. is about learning, teaching, and experiencing different aspects of diversity. Get involved. Get engaged. There are lots of opportunities: volunteer, participate, and come to events."
Counselor Mark Weiss summed it up as such when discussing the experiences our diversity can bring to us, "I always hope education brings us to a higher state of being."
The aftermath of the flyers last year is an example not simply of intolerance and intimidation, but also the resilience of our student body. They gathered, speaking out against the mentality expressed by the flyers. They signed letters renouncing the attack on members of our faculty and student body. However, we must remember that the strength of our campus lies in the ability of all to feel safe and welcomed. We can disagree passionately on controversial issues without being disagreeable.
In the coming year, if you feel as a student that you are being harassed for who you are, or what you believe in, or if you feel, as some felt in the immediate aftermath of the flyers, that your safety is in question, know that you have a campus that supports you, whoever you are. Students who witness, or are the victim of discrimination or intimidation can contact the counseling office, or the office of the Dean of Students.
Whoever posted the flyer may have thought they were the one welding the power, however, in the end the students stood up against the incident. We may not always feel that way, but no one is powerless.
Update 10-7-2011: Will post final draft after class.
At a Glance: 'Understanding Campus Diversity'
What: The roles and opportunities students have in promoting and dealing with issues of diversity on campus.
Why: Past incidents involving issues of discrimination and intimidation, and the consequences and responses to such actions.
Resources: Counseling Center, Dean of Students, Offices of Campus Security, and Diversity Achievement Center.
Extra Quotes: "Prejudice tries to rationalize things." - Mark Weiss.
Why it matters: It is the goal of the college to welcome and encourage civil discourse among the students and faculties to help build community and understanding.
At a Glance: 'Understanding Campus Diversity'
What: The roles and opportunities students have in promoting and dealing with issues of diversity on campus.
Why: Past incidents involving issues of discrimination and intimidation, and the consequences and responses to such actions.
Resources: Counseling Center, Dean of Students, Offices of Campus Security, and Diversity Achievement Center.
Extra Quotes: "Prejudice tries to rationalize things." - Mark Weiss.
Why it matters: It is the goal of the college to welcome and encourage civil discourse among the students and faculties to help build community and understanding.
