1. Mack Lundstrom here in the waning days of Spring 2006. If you've enrolled for Fall 2006 and been here before, scroll down to paragraph No. 3. Otherwise, read on.
2. You have reached the entry page for the online section of the beginning news writing course of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The prerequisite is English 1A and 1B or instructor consent. Jour061A is a requirement for reporting/editing, photojournalism and public relations majors, and it's an elective for any student who wants to think and communicate better. This Section 80 is taught online, although you'll have opportunity to get some individual coaching if you can get to campus. The other sections of the course are "on ground," as we say in the eCampus community, and are accessible in the Fall 2006 Schedule of Classes. If that’s enough information and you are ready to enroll, the only thing stopping you would be if the section is full. Students do drop, so please send your e-mail address to me at mlundstrom@casa.sjsu.edu. If I'm able, I'll add students on a first-come, first-served basis, with one proviso: Any student who can supply a December 2006 graduation date cleared by Kathleen Martinelli will rate priority status. I'll e-mail you as soon as I know.
3. The class roster will be in place and you'll receive access on Wednesday, Aug. 23, the first day of classes for the Fall semester. The people at eCampus will be sending out your sign-in instructions. Here are some things to do in the meantime:
# Go to eCampus and check out the NEED HELP? and STUDENTS columns on the left of that home page. That will give you the computer and browser downloads you'll need, plus other vital information.
ALERT: Microsoft Word is the first choice for your word processor. I can also handle AppleWorks, but I can't convert Word Perfect. If you don't have one or the other of the first two word processing programs, let me know. We'll have to work something out.
# Your first assignment will be a novel. Get a head start by reading Edna Buchanan's "Contents Under Pressure." It's a murder mystery by a longtime police reporter for the Miami Herald. Buchanan won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting, and the book will give you a good feel for how a beat reporter covers police. Besides it's a page turner. I did not order it for the Spartan Bookstore. The new King library on campus and the Cambrian branch have copies for checkout, but you can also buy it used for a buck and change at amazon.com or bookfinder.com or eBay.
# Because the semester begins on a Wednesday, I'm going to set up an optional orientation session for 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26. The only place we can meet is the Spartan Daily newsroom, Dwight Bentel Hall 209. So, send your e-mail address to mlundstrom@casa.sjsu.edu to tell me whether you will come to the meeting and I'll send back instructions. It's not a problem if you can't meet. I'll use your e-mail address also to alert you when the course is open. Looking forward to a new semester. We'll read and write and have some fun.
