Final Exam Office Hours

Because class schedules change during the final exam period, office hours change too. Your Humble Blogger will be in his office (SG315) at the following times...

Wed 12/6 Noon-1 p.m.
Thu 12/7 8-9 a.m.

Mon 12/11 Noon-1 p.m.
Tue 12/12 TBA

Shifting Out of Neutral

Imagine a privately-owned toll road. The owner claims it could make improvements to the road if it were allowed to sell different speed limits to different car makers: Lexus has paid for a 75 MPH limit and VW has paid for a 65 MPH limit. Cars over five years old are only allowed to go 40 MPH, which creates a real incentive to buy a new Lexus.

This is sort of similar to what will happen with the end of Net Neutrality. NPR reports.

Questions...

•How much control should Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have over the Internet, and why?

•Do you feel that allowing phone and cable companies to make more money will be good for investment and innovation? How?

•Should cities and counties take over Internet services the way many cities do with water and power?

•Is the end of Net Neutrality good for The Short Head or The Long Tail? Why?

SI and Office Hour

William will not be able to hold his SI session on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Lilit will hold her SI as scheduled on Monday, Nov. 27. Please note that Monday will be your only chance to review the Media Law chapter.

I will have to move up my office hour on Wednesday, Nov. 29. It will be 9:30-10:30.

Free Speech Case Hits Close to Home

It's easy to think that the big political protests, and the legal questions that they raise, are restricted to campuses like Berkeley or Harvard. However, sometimes major First Amendment battles are being waged at community college near us. A case in point is a matter involving L.A. Pierce College in Woodland Hills. The Washington Post reports.

Questions...

•Do you agree with the general idea of "Free Speech Zones" on campuses and other places?

•Is there anything wrong with Pierce College's free speech zone?

•Do students, faculty and others have a right TO NOT be drawn into protests?

•How would you like this case to turn out?

On Campus Field Trip Opportunity

The assignment connected with this field trip is due on Thursday, Nov. 16 at noon.

Looking for five extra points in MC101? Interested in reporting or public relations?

Here's an ON CAMPUS field trip opportunity ...

Thursday, Nov. 9, LB222, 12:30-1:30
Speaker: Drew Sugars, Director of Communications, Glendale College
What you must do to earn field trip credit...

1. Attend the lecture
2. Complete the short assignment that will be given out at the beginning of the lecture

Below is a summary of the lecture...

The Dark Side: A Matter of Perspective

Journalism and Law Enforcement. Two noble professions that are sometimes at odds as each strives to fulfill its mission.

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Rather than pick a side, this talk will explore the conflicting objectives that foster tension and how each profession can remain true to its calling.

GCC Director of Communications Drew Sugars understands both sides. He dedicated seventeen years to broadcast journalism before switching to government communications nearly a decade ago. His stints include time with the City of Burbank and several years as spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Transfer Workshops

Your Humble Blogger received the following email yesterday from Transfer Center Director Dr. Kevin Meza. You can earn two extra credit points by attending one of these workshops. Be sure to receive validation that you attended.

Hello GCC,

We are in our main transfer month and we need to make sure students get the help they need to be more competitive in the admissions process. We have our application and personal statement (now called Personal Insight) workshops for the UCs, CSUs, and USC on the link below. This revised flyer also includes some room changes, so please update your records. Even though we send this information directly to students through our Transfer Center Bulletin it helps to remind them in your class or office that we offer these services.

Workshops: https://www.glendale.edu/home/showdocument?id=35080

We will also hold CSU application open labs so students can work on their applications with help from our counselors. These will be held in both the Career and Transfer Centers on:

Wednesday November 8 from 12pm - 2pm

Thursday November 9 from 1pm - 3pm

Tuesday November 14 from 12pm - 2pm

Thursday November 16 from 4pm - 6pm

Thank you for for supporting our Transfer Center efforts.

Kevin A. Meza, PhD
Transfer Center Coordinator/Counselor
Academic Senator
Chair, Region 7 Transfer Center Directors

Anti-Social Media

The following is a Medianote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in Spring 2016.

At its worst, social media can be cruel, creepy and dangerous. Most of us are able to avoid the worst effects, but adolescents are disproportionately damaged by abusive posts, photos and texts. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Is the internet more dangerous for girls than boys? Why or why not?

•What is the line between acceptable and unacceptable online banter between middle school or high school boys and girls?

•What do parents, teachers and other older people not understand about cyberbullying?

•A Crescenta Valley student committed suicide a couple of years ago after being cyberbullies. The school district responded by hiring a company to scan student social media posts for mentions of drug use, gang membership, cyberbullying or suicidal thoughts. Was this a good idea or a bad idea? Why?