Here Right Now: 'Tis the Season

Hello all! There are only about 2 weeks left in the semester, so I thought I would tell you a little about my classes for next semester. Crazy how fast time flies when you are here at SMC. I sit here now, preparing for my finals and Thanksgiving by sitting at my desk, painting my nails, listening to Michael Buble Christmas pandora, and sipping hot chocolate out of my Christmas mug. As you can probably tell, I am a Christmas freak and cannot wait for it to be here. But that is getting ahead of myself.
Registration this year proved quite difficult for me. I could compare it to the Hunger Games. I lost. Badly. But it all worked out in the end which I am very thankful for. It was a really stressful time, but the professors here are all amazing and helped me get the schedule that I really wanted. So what am I taking next semester? Well keep reading!!

Deviance, Norms and Social Control: (Mon/Wed 8-9:35): I am really excited to take this class. I think that if I really like it, I will finally declare a minor (Sociology!) This class seems really interesting and I heard that the professor is amazing. Even though it is at 8 am, I am still super pumped for it!
We live in a social world that is full of rules that govern our everyday actions, from formal laws about which side of the road we should drive on to unspoken rules about how and when to blow your nose. Sociologists call these rules "social norms" and the efforts to "police" those who deviate from them (deviants), we call "social control." Most of us follow the rules most of the time but all of us break the rules from time to time. In this course we will ask questions like: What is the purpose of social norms? What causes "deviance"? Why are some deviant acts considered "criminal" while others are considered "heroic"? What are some of the best (and worst) ways to reduce crime and violence? Along the way we will take a critical look at the U.S. criminal justice system and some of its most egregious crimes against poor, non-white, young males.

Communication for Social Good: (T/TH 8-9:35): Personally, this was one of my backups. But the more I read about it, the more excited I get. Yes, again, an 8 am, but I think it will be a really interesting class. Plus it helps for my major which is great!
Various topics, ranging from women in the mass media to advanced Web design and theory to literary journalism.

Reporting for Media: (T/TH 11:30-1:05): This was one of the classes that I struggled getting into. Thankfully, they opened up another section so I was able to get it. I have this class with Professor Cleary. I love her as she is so nice and extremely knowledgeable on the topic area.
In this course, we begin with an analysis of several exemplary print publications and a discussion of literary and media theories that will inform the student's work in creating their own stories. Students will learn the art of storytelling, from story idea through interviewing, researching and writing and ultimately, over a series of weeks, publish their own stories in the student newspaper and online publication. Course readings explore basic concepts pertaining to nature and design of interviews, ethical concerns, validity, and role of the journalist in a democratic society. Additional exercises focus on best form writing practices with an emphasis on AP style. The course is designed to be a broad, rigorous orientation for understanding basic elements of media writing as well as skills training in reporting, writing, editing and publication of news media.

Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Media: (T/TH 1:15-2:05): This is the class that I was looking forward to the most. I am so happy that I got in and I honestly cannot wait to take this class. I adore Professor Griffith and I know that this topic is something that she is really passionate about.
This course is an introduction to analysis of representations of identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation , and ethnicity in the mass media. We view, read about, analyze and discuss mass media like television, film, print, radio, music, sports, news, advertising, and the web to determine if and how race, gender and ethnicity are depicted. An underlying understanding within the course is recognition of the inextricable interconnections between/intersectionality of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, etc. Students will write response/reflection papers, present analyses individually in class, and work in teams to produce a research project analyzing the issues discussed in class.

So those are all my classes for next semester. As for the past couple of weeks, I have just been working on a lot of projects and basking in all of my free time now that rugby is over. I do really miss it though. We had our banquet on Friday and it was great to be back together again. I cannot wait for the spring season!
Oh! And it snowed yesterday! Just a little, but it is still snow! Emma, Candice and I got stuck walking across campus in it. It was quite painful with all the wind and when we got back we were dripping wet. It was all worth it though!