An Achiever vs. A Slacker

Hello fellow few. Good evening.

I am writing as of late for a valid reason I want to convey. A month later and it shows I have to update my blog because, well, I have to.

Here's the situation. As (if) you've all heard, our Journalism program got suspended for next year which means no new entries; no more first years for us to shadow over. And a lot of my fellow classmates have been taking advantage of this. A point was brought up in class concerning what will we do if we fail a class, we can't go back and repeat the same class seeing how it won't be taught again once we've finished it. No one appeared to have the answer, not even the president, George Burton. Many of the profs were left with little, if any, information to work with and therefore couldn't provide any necessary answers as to what's being arranged for us next year. In fact, when I sat in with the president for a meeting, he ensured us that the program "will have the same quality, the same expectation when it comes to completion and the exact same likelihood of getting a job." There's a reason why I believe that statement is total bullshit. For one thing, in the same interview, he stated as believing there won't be any dropouts/transfers from the suspended programs on account of this taking place. No dropouts or transfers, huh? Well, let's take a minute and recall who dropped out since the start of this program last year; 1, 2, 3, 4...4 people decided to dropout and/or transfer before the first year ended and quite possibly, even more won't likely be returning next year.

Secondly, the whole idea that our program will have the same quality throughout the next 2 years is simply just a run for our money. There's a reason it won't be the same, and that's because we're losing two of the college's well-trained TV and radio professors and replacing them with who? Other unskilled professors who are being trained during the summer to gain the "little" experience required for teaching us the next two years. Is that not wrong? Yes, they will likely have some experience with TV and radio, but just not the same amount of 'air time', or as we call, career experience. And there is no way we are going to receive the same kind of deal than if the professors were staying. Therefore saying, we're not going to receive the same kind of expectation when it comes to completion and will possibly get that second glance after an employee reads our resume. "You're program got suspended?" "Yeah, and then we suffered for 2 years because we just never had the same experience of having a full traditional Journalism class."

Here's another situation I have, and it's not regarding the faculty or the heads, but my own fellow classmates. Many of the students in my program, (makes me sound like a prof), think that because our program got suspended, they have the entitlement to pass with flying colours, receive A's and never show up for discussion classes. Thus, classes are empty on what's become a regular basis, assignments are still being handed out, but has anyone completed ALL of them? Simply not, and the atmosphere in each class doesn't seem to be taken with the same seriousness as we first started out with.

So Burton is wrong; the quality of this program in the next 2 years IS going to change, and with more students transferring out next year, the classes will only get smaller, the same prof(s) will have to teach more classes and we will have a thrilling, if I do say so myself, 2 final years here at Canadore.

So what do I think of the students who are taking advantage of the free pass? (Violently shakes head in disagreement). Here's how I see things. I'm more compelled about learning and doing than having to sit and mope in boredom day in and day out. I was offered this chance, this experience with my money, and some help of course, and I'm sure not going to let it go to waste. I came to college to learn hands-on what it requires to become a Journalist, and gain the knowledge...most of what I won't find anywhere else. The true Journalists with passion and desire go on to become the great ones. They're up there now living in the spotlight, and they all graduated college or university, and came a long way just to get where they are, which I can see myself one day. I have that drive to go out and create a story if I have to. And I'm getting the marks for it; I'm receiving the credit for all of the work I complete on time, and in my shoes, right now, okay not the dirty, old stinky, full-of-holes pair, I can see myself completing this program with high enthusiasm to grow beyond what I was set out to accomplish, and that's saying a lot. I don't think I'm ready to start thing of that yet.

So what does this mean? It means I'm applying myself in every aspect possible. I'm getting the shit I need to get done. Others who are leaning or falling toward the free pass, well, let's just say employees will want to go after the achiever, not the slacker.

It's funny because just a few minutes ago before I logged on and started typing, I was writing this all down like a flow chart on where I wanted this blog to go. I wrote like a good 5 pages worth of stuff I would like to share with you, but just don't know where to fit it in. That's possibly another post.

So, I will end on that note and leave you with a question for consideration, who am I to you?

-Drew