Journalism Class - Wednesday, September 7

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

((OOC - This is a lecture and Q/A session. It'll be open daily and Spider will always have something to say... if he's actually there. For student reference at the end of a class session - ie when I get home at night, the entire thing will be considated as coherently as I can manage and placed behind an lj-cut.))

***

The renovations done in the classroom set aside for Journalism lecture and discussion are obvious, beginning with the giant, floor to ceiling video screens which are, for the moment, mercifully dark. There are fairly comfortable chairs scattered across the room, two or three to a table, with the maximum capacity looking to be about thirty. There are plugs set in the floor beneath each table for laptops... and other than the minimal furnishings and the professor's desk at one end of the room, there is no other furniture.

The professor looks as if he spent the night sleeping behind the desk, sprawled back in his chair, feet propped on a laptop set atop the desk and a two-faced cat with a cigarette in one mouth leaning on his feet. There is a trashcan beside him overflowing with cans and an open pizza box with half a congealed pizza in it beside him.

There is a note taped to his foot reading, “Someone wake me at 1100”.

Comments

[jayne-serenity.livejournal.com]

*kicks teachers foot and takes a piece of pizza*

gorram early classes

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe enters behind Jayne and shakes Spider's shoulder gently.

"Professor Jerusalem...wake up, the students are arriving."

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Having kicked back at Jayne and only succeeding in knocking the ash off the cat's cigarette, Spider hadn't even registered the theft of a slice of his cold pizza.

At Phoebe's touch he muttered something that was probably far ruder than it sounded and cracked one eye. After a moment, he tipped his head backward and looked up at Pheobe over the top of his glasses. "... remind me to give you a raise."

[jayne-serenity.livejournal.com]

*takes a seat and hopes the cute chick sits nearby*

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe smiled at him.

"Often," she said as she quickly cleaned some of the stuff off of his desk.

"Here are those forms you were waiting for."

[caroline-todd.livejournal.com]

Caroline walks in tentatively and finds the comfy chair she thinks will make her the least noticeable.
Setting her laptop on the table in front of her she rocks in the chair slightly, mentally noting all exits.

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

I lIke your drEamS.

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

"I'm going to run a check before the first damn fieldtrip. If enough people forget it might actually turn out to be less of an episode of babysitting and more one of getting things done...." Spider scanned the forms, pulling out a fresh cigarette. "Have any comments before we get things started?"

[the-envious-sin.livejournal.com]

*walks in and sits down while eating red stones*

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Abandoning his desk and the cat, Spider moved to stand where the small group of scattered students could see him easily.

"Welcome to Journalism, boys and girls. Most of you are strangers, although I'm relatively well aquainted with the young lady," he squinted over the top of his glasses, tilting his head to one side, "with the halo of what appear to be butterflies. That could just be me, however."

A sweeping gesture of one tattooed hand indictes Phoebe Halliwell. "This is my Assistant. If you want or need anything, feel free to ask her to approach me. That's what she's for. I intend to make this as painless as possible all the way around unless sterner measures are called for, so let's begin with a few class rules."

"You may eat in my class, you may pass notes, you may play computer games and you may make little kamikaze paper airplanes if that's what makes you happy. My only rules are that you don't talk when someone else is talking and that you leave all mocking of your classmates to me."

Surveying the room, Spider continued, "I hate my job and everyone in any way affiliated with it, so don't take it personally. Are there any questions before we begin?"

[thehurleyabides.livejournal.com]

Whew. I made it.

I got lost, dude. This place is HUGE.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

Rory glances around before selecting a seat located in the middle of the classroom - far back enough that she wouldn't be noticed unless she wanted to be. She opens her laptop in front of her, and takes in the class around her.

[marieann-d.livejournal.com]

Rogue rushes in, having run all the way from her English class. She scans the room for an empty seat, and settles in the row farthest from the door. Plopping down in the chair, she whispers to the student next to her, "Did I miss anything?"

[the-envious-sin.livejournal.com]

Hm? You didn't miss much, just got started. He was just mentioned some stuff that was on the syllabus thing. *nods and keeps eating red stones* *mutters to himself "Should have eaten some breakfast.."*

[marieann-d.livejournal.com]

"Oh good." Rogue clicks her pen, and starts scribbling down notes. Her classmate is eating some sort of rock, and rather loudly. Rogue can't help but be distracted. Having heard the last bit of Spider's speech, she quickly writes a note and passes it to Envy.

I'm Rogue. Who are you and what are you eating? - R

She knows it's not polite, and her ma would be very disappointed, but Rogue just has to know.

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*watches for a moment*

*starts eating red smarties*

DoeS iT Count as eating theM Last if you DON't eat any OTHer oneS?

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

"I'll take that resounding silence as a no." Spider ignored Delerium. Talking over, under, around and even through her was something he was well used to... and he wasn't certain entirely certain that anyone else could hear her anyway.

"Journalism has a wide number of definitions and as this is my course, we'll be using mine. Very broadly, journalism is the act of collecting and/or writing news. News is in and of itself a word that's difficult to define and which everyone has a definition of." Spider raised his voice slightly. "Newsfeed - muted."

The seven huge screens sprang to life, showing various people staring fixedly outward, their mouths moving. "This," Spider told them, sneering at the closest one, "is not journalism. It's barely even news. It's certainly not particularly interesting. Sound."

"... prices fell for the popular fast food chain...."

"The President responded...."

"... for the relatively reasonable price of $19.99...."

"... sports figure...."

"Mute." The talking heads fell silent again as Spider jabbed his cigarette at the young man on the screen closest to himself. "This is predigested pap, garbage for those who are only interested in being told what to think. The job of a journalist is to present the facts in such a matter as to force thought. Empires have been won and lost through control of the media, murders have been lynched or have walked free."

Spider stalked across the room to another screen, staring up at the overly made-up woman, ten feet high, who was babbling on silently. After a moment, he whirled on his students. "You are here to learn how to communicate with the brain-dead horde of your fellow..." His eye fell on Envy and Delerium, "... beings. You will learn how to attract their attention, how to influence their decisions with your choice of words and how to express yourself eloquently. At least that's my hope."

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*raises her hand in the air*

*waves it around*

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Blinking over the top of his glasses, Spider pointed at Delerium. "You. Speak."

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*grins*

I Attracted YouR atTention!

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

Blinking again, Spider counted to ten and reminded himself that it was this or writing a book of political propaganda. "You did. Very good. Unfortunately, I'm hoping that you'll be able to do the same thing with a piece of writing... and not by folding it into a paper airplane and sailing it at my head," he added.

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

Does this meAn I CAn haVe a 'B'?

[youngest-sister.livejournal.com]

*grins happily*

*whether anything Spider just said penetrated is anyone's guess*

[jerusalem-s.livejournal.com]

"You can have an entire hive full." Spider waved his hands at her. "Does anyone else have anything to say at this juncture?"

[jayne-serenity.livejournal.com]

Hey man... *nods, grinning*