University of South Carolina Libraries
Journal BY RUSTY WRIGHT The news-editorial department of the USC College of Journalism is providing a newsroom experience for its students in the form of the senior-produced Practicum. The Practicum, which is the equivalent of a newsroom where students put together a newspaper from beginning to end, is the result of the needs that two teachers have seen for producing higher quality personnel in the field of the newspaper media. This is the second year that J. J. McElveen and Dr. Henry T. Price have combined the experience of the advanced reporting and editing classes to produce exposure to all areas of the newsroom. McElveen points out the im pbrtance of such a class, "This is a pre-professional period. We hope to get the students to make most of their mistakes here instead of out on their first job. We're here not simply to point out the errors they make, but also to present alter natives to problems they may face." The Practicum is set up with the same responsibilities as those of any city newspaper. The defining of the specific function of each position is "defined by the students themselves," says McElveen. "They should have already learned what the basic functions are in their other courses." Price says that he and McElveen do not pamper the students along. "If we supply them with 'crutches,' the students will do just a minimal amount of work and will not learn as much." "The media are not adequate," Photo The display picture on the front page was taken by Charles McCorkle, GAME COCK staff photographer. 0Cc A and I.L ism Practi says McElveen. "It will stay that way, tool, until the journalism schools begin to produce better graduates. Many schools stay at a mediocre level and don't want to break out the mold. They don't attempt to strive for perfection." The Practicum gets feedback from many sources. Professionals tell journalism schools about gaps they have and the USC department is trying to help fill those gaps with quality. McElveen says, "The Carolina Reporter newspaper is a showcase for the school of journalism. It is one of the results of the Practicum. It goes to editors, alumni and publishers all around the country. The feedback has been good which means the product must also be good." It is published four times a year. Price says, "The first issue is usually not as good as the second, and the second not as good as the third. It definitely gets progressively better." Rosalind Price, co-editor of Wesson w BY BETTY WOODRUFF "I'm hopeful that the USC Faculty Senate will be more creati :'e in the future-something apart from just reacting to reports. We want to move in the direction of creative education," Dr. William Wesson, president of the faculty senate, says. What the Senate does is dependent on the community strucuture of the University faculty, Wesson said. "We have several standing committees of the faculty such as curriculum and new courses, faculty welfare and admissions from which we receive reports and act on their recom mendations." Wesson said that another im portant part of the senate was the faculty-advisory committee. "At October 13, 14, 15 t Antiques Show & Sale Longest Antique Show ever in the Carolinas irolina Coliseum 'riday and Saturday 12:00-10:00 p.m. sunday 1:00-6:00 p.m. m. $2.00 Weekly $3.00 LROLINA STUDENTS Present this coupon i. card for special edition of admission $1.00 Cum: no i editorials says, "It's very good experience. It's a good idea to orient you into business. They try to prepare us for anything that might come up." Margaret Ginn, a reporter for the Carolina Reporter who worked in Charleston this past summer said, "One of the drawbacks of the six-hour course is that it takes up a lot of time. However, when I Aorked for the newspaper in Charleston I didn't have any problem with the assignments they gave me because of the experience I got here." Ginn wrote a front page feature on the drug problem for the Charleston Reporter, as well as other assignments. Another area of the Practicum is the critical analysis of other newspapers. The students evaluate the papers on the writing, content and depth. They then compare this to the standards which have been set up in the Practicum's own publication. ants facuIt cI A Wesson our last meeting this committee reported on what the campus oookstore should be like. They COLDSr COUNTI 18 Hole Champ 1-26 North 15 minutes fi Students STUDENT RATES Weekdays $3.30 9 holes $2.50 Weekends $5.50 9 holes $3.30 :rutch' ne% ROSALIND PRICE ANt EDIT PRACTICU1 senate 'CrE recommended that a permanent faculty bookstore committee be established to look into this on a permanent basis. Previous changes in the bookstore were made because of faculty recom mendations. "Our recommendations carry t weight, but not as much as we would like. Part of the weight of the senate depends on how well we organize our work efforts and how patient we are and willing to work," Wesson said. He said that he thought that the senate method, with the depart ment electing senate represen tatives in proportion to number of faculty members, was more "effective" than the old method of t faculty meetings. "I think this t provided a better way for the I faculty to express their opinions. t "When the University Senate d [REAM Y CLUB ionship Course Irmo Exit om campus Welcome vs roo m (Photo by charms McCorso) MIKE HEMBREE I STORY ative' dea came up last year, I did not ind any favor in the faculty for it. kt least none of them came up to ne and told me they favored it," he aid. Wesson said that he believed the ack of interest was due in part to he fact that the faculty senate has >nly been functioning for two ears. "Faculty members want to tabilize before considering :hange," he said. "Student -epresentatives weren't able to lemonstrate massive student upport. Student interest was ipparently confined to a relatively mall group of students. "Most university senates are orn out of crisis, and this is not the est way to come into being. deally, a senate would be formed ecause all groups think it's lesirable," Wesson said. P.C.E. exclusively representing Jacob Rardin Faiscroft & Mills John David Clark & Co. bands available: Dream Spring Satan Katanicus Touchstone August -More (803) 796-5610 P. W. Box 475 Columbia, S. C. 29202