Category: Friday Five

Friday Five: Pomp and Circumstance edition

mortarboard.gifIt’s Commencement Weekend for our university, as it is for many others. What better time to wax nostalgic about my own graduation, 24 years ago, from the storied Missouri School of Journalism? Here are five things I remember about that time in my life.

  1. Linda Ellerbee delivered the commencement address. At that time, she anchored an innovative late-night news program, NBC News Overnight, and she had attracted quite a cult following among us young J-schoolers. We thought it was pretty cool to have such a hip news anchor speak to us about the future of news, the state of the world, and such. But all I remember from her speech was that she told us something along the lines of, “You don’t need a journalism degree to work in the news business. I don’t have a journalism degree, and I’m doing just fine.” So much for five years of college.
  2. Commencement was held in a Methodist church that was off campus. My grandmother was unable to find the church and so missed the big event. From seventh grade until I went off to college, I lived with my grandmother. She had to drop out of school after eighth grade to raise her five younger siblings after her own mother died. She valued education, even though hers was limited, and she was looking forward to watching me, the youngest of five, become the first in my family to receive a college diploma. To this day, i regret that she missed out.
  3. My classmates from 1983 include a guy who went on to work for the Wall Street Journal and write a book about one of the major corporate business scandals of the 1980s, a guy who does PR for the 2006 World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals, and a slew of lesser lights who have since moved on to a variety of jobs in PR, marketing, corporate communications, law, and even the news business.
  4. Popular dance club music, circa May 1983: David bowie’s “Let’s Dance” (the single and the album), Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science” and “Hungry Like the Wolf,” by Duran Duran.
  5. After the post-graduation celebrations of Commencement Weekend, I returned to my part-time job as a waiter at a Columbia, Mo., restaurant. I didn’t get a real journalism job until almost a year later.

Friday Five: Cinco de Mayo Eve edition

Happy Cinco de Mayo Eve, gentle reader. I don’t know about you, but all week long I’ve been thinking about kicking back on Saturday with some homemade guacamole, a few cervezas and some appropriate music (or, better yet, some Los Straitjackets!) for the holiday. Perhaps it’s more spring fever than anything. Anyway, in honor of this special day, I offer cinco cosas to ponder this Friday:

  • Katie Couric rated ‘most negative’ among network news anchors. So says a new poll (link via I Want Media). Who would’ve thought that perky Katie Couric would be a nattering nabob of negativity? Well, she isn’t, despite the headlines. A full 51 percent of those surveyed said they had a positive view of CBS’ Couric. It’s just that more people surveyed think more highly of NBC’s Brian Williams and ABC’s Charles Gibson.
  • EducationPR provides some good blog coverage of the National Education Writers Association conference in L.A.
  • Three higher ed blogs I’d like to see updated more often: College v2 (last updated in February), University Web Marketing and Usability (last updated March 22) and, of course, eRelevant (silent since March 30).
  • Fuzzy Content discusses social networks growing up and sheds light on a couple new networks. (While we’re on the topic of social networks, don’t forget about the latest one for higher ed PR/marketing practitioners, Higher Ed Experts, which combines social networking with professional development.)
  • My top five albums of 2007, thus far:
    1. Living With the Living, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Rock and roll and politics.
    2. Neon Bible, Arcade Fire. I never thought they could improve upon their debut, Funeral. I’m happy to say I was wrong. More Springsteen than the Smiths, but I’m OK with it.
    3. Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Of Montreal. Fun, experimental, ebullient stuff from Athens, Georgia’s quirkiest band since the B-52s.
    4. Sermon on Exposition Boulevard, Rickie Lee Jones. A beautiful ragamuffin interpretation of spiritual concepts.
    5. We’ll Never Turn Back, Mavis Staples. Mississippi Delta blues and gospel at its core from one of the Staples Singers.

      6. Interestingly, all are available for download at eMusic, which offers the best deal for independent music lovers. Better than iTunes, IMNSHO.