A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my third-grade son’s class for what was dubbed “A Writer’s Celebration.” What was remarkable to me, on top of the sweet, poignant and insightful writing that these eight- and nine-year-olds were sharing, was the fact that they used Adobe’s Audition software, a highly innovative program for audio, video and online production, for the first part of their presentation. It’s the same program that our journalism students at Saint Michael’s are using (see “Grasping the Future Now,” by staff writer Mark Tarnacki) in some of their classes, and it’s one of many technological tools that have become a huge part of the journalism curriculum.These skills are part of what is making our graduates in high demand even in a very difficult market. Students are honing their software skills early these days.
Knowing how to use technology to tell a story isn’t everything—you still need to know what makes a good story, and how to write the story and how to understand your audience. That’s what I think makes our journalism curriculum at Saint Michael’s so strong, and our professors, our students and our graduates all agree (see “Back Story” for a strong testimonial from Joanna Lord ’04 about the value she’s found in her journalism degree).
Zaf Bludevich (“The Good Sport”) knows how to tell a good story, and a great story, and a funny story, and a touching story, with no technology needed. Spending time with Zaf to write about him for this issue was a spring highlight for me. Despite his reputation for corny jokes, I’ve come to even more fully appreciate all he has done for Saint Michael’s.
As well, it’s with heavy hearts that the Marketing and Communications team is saying goodbye to our leader, Anne Conaway Peters, who has been a promoter for Saint Michael’s College for more than a decade, including the past six years as the director of marketing. Anne is relocating to San Antonio, Texas. All of us at Saint Michael’s have benefitted immeasurably from her presence, and she will be truly missed.
—Caroline Crawford
