Learning and Living During a Pandemic: JTC 326
I’m taking life one word at a time.
I tried the whole, day-at-a-time thing that the health experts recommended, but I like this better.
It’s been stressful. It’s not very easy to go to school while COVID-19 runs rampant. Take it from me — I just completed my second semester of virtual learning at Colorado State University —in all its pandemic glory: mask-mandated classrooms, entirely virtual Zoom classrooms, and endless bottles of sanitizer.
Even with all of the anxiety, education has been radically rewarding. In an era where we’ve all heard “in these times of uncertainty” more times than anyone can count, making it through these semesters of education is commendable. To my fellow students, instructors, dining hall workers — everyone — I thank them all dearly for their unnerving commitment to safety.
My university has taken strategic caution every step of the way, even at the first flashing signs of danger — sending us all home mid-March, in early 2020, when the world first caved in. Then, administrators, staff, and public health professionals spent the summer implementing classroom safety protocols and social-distancing requirements, contributing to CSU’s title as one of the most successful universities in the nation for halting the spread of the novel coronavirus.
I couldn’t be more grateful. This past year, I’ve learned more about journalism and my own goals than I’d ever dreamt of. I can now create videos, podcasts, and effects using the Adobe Suite; something I had no inkling of before. I entered 2020 with a vague idea to do some sort of technical journalism, and goals to be an alright athlete on the side.
I’m leaving 2020 as a Fulbright Scholar, a professional runner for Lincoln Running Company in Omaha, NE, and as a staff writer for the Center for Science Communication at CSU. If I could teleport back in time and tell my former self of the way my life was shaping up heading into 2021, that 2019 Benjamin Randall would scoff. Now, if I told him that this all happened — amidst one of the bloodiest years and darkest winters America’s ever experienced — I’d fall silent.
It’s unbelievable, triumphant, and depressing all in the same. Ultimately, I wouldn’t have had it any other way — I’m a better man, an improved learner, and a more cognizant world-walker. One of the most integral aspects of my development was JTC 326, Online Storytelling, taught by instructors Michelle Ancell and Jesse Scaccia.
Throughout the class, we analyzed different platforms for media and the respective philosophies behind them — figuring out how we can best serve ourselves and our audiences as media professionals. To illustrate the value of education, even during times of trauma, I will explain three takeaways from JTC 326, my best and worst homework assignments, and how I can take all of these learned skills with me, into 2021 and beyond.
JTC 326; Lessons, Skills, and Takeaways
1.) There are times to be succinct, and there are times to be long-winded.
I’ve always had a tendency to write more than needed. This course helped me refine my wording to be concise for straight-to-the-point articles, and additionally offered my creative side the chance to shine in feature pieces.
2.) There’s immense power in physical, pencil-to-paper, writing.
Jesse Scaccia, cat-lover and reverent soul, was my lab instructor this semester. Through introductory free-writes, he taught the importance of physical writing early on. It not only helps contextualize ideas for storytelling but offers a deeper sense of meaning and introspection. Journaling has become a key component of my life.
3.) Why be a one-trick-pony when you can be a jack-of-all-trades?
I began this course as a willing essay writer and podcaster, but really had no understanding of alternative forms of media. Rather than specializing in one subset, JTC 326 taught me the virtues of being a multidimensional journalist —a web designer, videographer, or listicle writer, to name a few. This widespread approach has already begun laying down foundations for diverse horizons in my professional career.
Homework: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The Good: Medium. Yes, as in, THIS medium — the website I’m speaking to you through. Medium is essentially a free, flexible employer that gives writers of all types the chance to show off their content. While heavily integral in our journalistic-beat segment of assignments, Medium has been my calling card for promoting my own content, for work and fun.
The Bad: Discussion groups. While we’re working with tied hands due to the pandemic, encouraging classroom discussion seems like a great idea in concept. However, when seeing the overall disfunction and opaque authenticity of these Canvas conversations, discussion assignments quickly became obsolete. As universities continue to adapt to virtual life, instructors may look to conversation equivalents like Packback to aid in student engagement.
The Ugly: Ugly, in this sense, denotes the problems examined in the workload of a homework assignment. For me, our assignments on disinformation and misinformation, and the effects they cause, was extremely ugly. While an incredibly worthwhile assignment, fake news has gotten out of control. My assignment looked into Trump-propagated falsities on Joe Biden.
Looking Onward with Courage and Confidence
I will surely use this expansive toolbelt of media skills to my advantage for years to come, but some of the longest-lasting elements from this course are the lessons I learned. As I progress as an adventure journalist, a podcaster, and an athlete, I now know that I always have a right to stand up for what I believe in, even if I’m the only one who thinks so. Skills and qualifications go a long way, but implementing a sense of self-pride for my work and goals — that’s what I’ve learned most from this course. Turning the corner for my ventures down journalism, I can rest assured that I have the abilities and courage to write my way into the career of my dreams — one word at a time.
