“Dawg,” he said with a smile, “I didn’t pass my capstone.”
Capstone is an interview/evaluation exercise journalism seniors must pass in order to graduate.
I paused.
“Why is this negro always lying?” I thought.
I mean, he is raggedy at times, but he is thorough with his academics.
Guy Lemonier, does a lot in the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication.
Not trying to be on his “jock,” but he isn’t just the co-news director for WANM 90.5. He has won numerous awards in our field.
So, when he looked me in my eye and told me that he wasn’t joking about failing capstone, I got angry.
Not at him, but at the very program that I respect so much. I mean if he could fail this procedure – a procedure in which many students and faculty think is pretty useless – so could I.
With any academic program, there will always be less than stellar students. It amazed me that individuals who don’t have quality journalism work (and probably won’t get a job in this field) passed their capstone, and Guy didn’t.
Why didn’t he pass?
Because the individuals who evaluated him didn’t think his resume’ was up to par.
A resume’!
Now, I’ll admit that there was one blunder with the document. Guy misspelled a word. As a journalist, I don’t condone his negligence in that respect.
But, as a busy student, who happens to be a journalist too, I understand that things happen.
I mean I’ve received many documents from professors (some of whom were in Guy’s Capstone session) where there were many misspelled words. Why weren’t they penalized for this? Are they not journalists too?
And aside from the one misspelled word on his resume’, each of the three professors found fault with the format and layout of the document. There isn’t a uniform method/template to which they want the students to follow, so what right do they have to fail a student?
And while many students in SJGC value their professors’ advice, facilitators must realize that it is just that: advice. One can make recommendations on a plethora of things, but it is up to the students to adhere or reject that suggestion.
Wesley Martin is a senior magazine student from Miami. He can be reached at wes.n.martin@gmail.com.
2 comments
b) working on a GED
c) too stupid to press "spell check."I'm betting "Guy's" issues went beyond a single typographical error. He did something that pissed off at least one of the professors. Did he confuse "there" and "their?" Was his resume riddled with comma splices, fragments, run-on sentences, and idiotic fragments? Was their expectation that "Guy" take this ONE facet of his capstone serious enough... unreasonable? Cheers.