Reflecting and analyzing first impressions

This blog got me through the first semester. 

On Mount Washington during the Honors Program orientation

I always knew that I had people at home reading and supporting me. I always knew that I had somewhere to put my thoughts and feelings down and get them out of my head. Sometimes, quiet is violent. I don't like keeping quiet. My friends know this. I wasn't as consistent this semester and on one hand, I apologize. On another, I don't. When I set out to create a blog, I did so to remember things. I did so to vent frustrations and share feelings with whoever stumbled upon this. The first semester was a crazy one with a lot of changes and the second was the busiest time of my life, hence my lack in posts these past couple months. I want to go back and now compare my first impressions with college that I wrote in this blog. 

Welcome: 

"I don't know what the next year, or even four years for that matter, will hold for me, but I am looking forward to all that Pittsburgh has to offer. This blog is a chance for me to vent my thoughts, talk about my day, and keep people at home updated on my life. I will post as often as possible. I don't know if that is daily, bi-daily, weekly or even monthly. Whenever I get a moment to write, I will. I am not setting specific guidelines or a schedule for me to post to avoid creating pressure and stress of what should be a stress relieving hobby.

My grammar and spelling may not be perfect here, you may not like what useless information empties from my "fountain of useless information" of a brain, as my dad calls it.

It should not be perfect. I am not perfect. This is simply a medium to empty my thoughts and inform anyone who is interested about what happens to me in the coming months.

So enjoy - if you can, follow - if you care and share - if you must." 

This comes from my "Welcome" post. Accurate, I think. My fountain of useless information definitely expanded this year. Here's your random fact of the day: Grantland Rice was a sportswriter who became the first to do live play-by-play for a World Series game in 1921. He also called the first complete WS game in 1922. Rice is the one credited with the quote, "It's not whether you won or lost but how you played the game." I could go on for days. End tangent. 

I'm ready:

"A part of me doesn't want to leave home. That's natural. Butler will always be home for me. (Video: "Always Home") Home sickness will kick in eventually and I'm prepared for that. That's why I will have friends, homework and reporting to do in Pittsburgh."

I'm not sure that home sickness ever actually kicked in. I missed my family and friends, sure. But I never got to the point where I was dying to go home. I was busy. FOMO (Fear of missing out) is a very real thing in college and I had that way more than home sickness. 

"I've been in touch with my roommate. He seems really cool, and not a jerk. That's good. Really good.

I've made some connections with classmates through orientation and social media that I'm looking forward to expanding."

My roommate, Alex, was really cool. He was probably the best roommate that I could have honestly asked for my freshman year. I'm not rooming with him next year and I'm actually really upset about that. He's living off campus and I was hoping to be an RA so it didn't work out (I'm not going to be an RA). He was definitely not a jerk. Some of those "connections" I made before I came to school helped a lot and I'm still friends with them today. 

"I'm ready to find out if I received an apprenticeship with U-VIEW (The PPU broadcast studio). I sent a resume, cover letter and portfolio. That was time consuming. I'm itching to find out if I got a position. It's a paid position with flexible hours doing what I love. I'm at a disadvantage, however, because I am just a freshman.

Just a freshman.

I'm sure I'll hear that this year. I want to be judged by what I produce, not my age."

- I did not receive the apprenticeship the first time around. Or the second time around. I just applied for a different apprenticeship for the third time. Hopefully the third time is a charm.

- "Just a freshman." Holy crap was that accurate. If I had a dollar for every time I was told or heard that this year, I wouldn't have college debt. I am starting to be judged by what I've produced, at least I hope. I actually found that as the year progressed, "Just a freshman" became something of a positive instead of a negative. 

People became surprised when they learned I was "just a freshman." Sometimes it worked in my favor, sometimes it didn't. It happens. Next year, I'll be "just a sophomore." 

"I'm going to miss Jack a lot more than I realize. I only realized today that in a week, he won't be spoiled by daily walks anymore. Unless, of course, my brother gets away from X-Box long enough to take him out. It won't be the same.

I realized today that I won't get to wrestle with him and play tug of war every day.

He's not cuddly, he's not quiet but he is a man's best friend.

I'll miss my friends and I'll miss my family. I expected that. I didn't expect to think that I'd miss my 
buddy who defines unconditional love and doesn't ask questions when I talk to him."

I nailed that one right on the head. I cried a couple times at school wishing I had my dog. The first couple times that I came home, he didn't act like he missed me. That's the weirdo that he is. But one time he was so excited and he couldn't control himself and that made me incredibly happy. Jake got away from the X-Box a couple times to walk him, at least I think he did. I just walked him yesterday, actually. That dude is everything home means to me. 

Exploration: 

"I've been here for two days and have done almost as much in two days than I have in the past two months at home, and I was busy at home.

I've explored up and down the city and up and down buildings on campus. I've walked 9 miles around town today, according to google maps."

Calm down, skippy. Yeah, I walked a lot those first couple days. That all seems normal now, which is weird to think about. 

"The people on my floor are alright. The neighbors to my right couldn't be nicer. There are a lot of athletes on my floor who don't talk to anyone besides themselves besides the occasional girl who smiles at them.

...The men's restroom is directly across the hall from my room, accessible only by a key - one of two keys I was given. The other key is the key to my room. Three separate ways of getting into three doors within three feet of each other."

The people on my floor turned out to be my absolute best friends, my neighbors to my right included. Most of the athletes transferred after the first semester and the rest were real chill. 

The men's restroom was the most disgusting thing that I've ever experienced and I won't miss that at all. Having it directly across the hall from my room was such a blessing. The door stopped working halfway through the year and I only needed a key to get in my room, not the bathroom. Another blessing. 

"My blinds don't work. That's terrible. I'm living in a fish bowl for now. I need to put a work order in apparently to get them fixed. I currently have a blue fleece blanket as a makeshift curtain."

It took a while for that to get fixed. I was laughed at for my blue blanket and we still looked back and laughed at that. I never really touched me new blinds because I didn't want another accident. 

I go on to describe the different dorm halls. I am so happy that I did end up in Thayer and not Lawrence. It's all in personal preference, but I prefer Thayer. 

"I have yet to eat in the cafeteria. It's nerve racking and I haven't found anybody to eat with yet so I had a Pop tart for dinner with intentions of getting free food at the bookstore opening."

Listen. Eating in the dining hall for the first time was terrifying. I had no idea what to do. I never actually got the free food at the bookstore opening. I adapted and eventually got to eating well, but man I remember how scary that was. I had friends to eat with most of the time first semester, but largely got food to go the second semester because of our and my schedules. 

"Point State Park is so peaceful and relaxing. It's amazing. We then walked back to campus for lunch and met up with more commuters and went to Market Square (I told you I'd be broke soon if they let me out). I stopped at Subway and only had a 6 inch to save money. I'm cheap like that."

The Point is my second favorite place to chill in Pittsburgh, second to the North Shore. It really is relaxing. Those commuter friends that I met up with ended up being two or three of my best friends. I eventually controlled my Market Square urges. When I went to Subway in the future, I would get a footlong and eat half now, half later. It worked. 

"I talked for a while to another broadcast major who is actually the sports editor of the Globe this year (the PPU Newspaper). I'm now the unofficial assistant sports editor / columnist for the globe. Yay for connections."

Okay, I did talk to said person, but the latter sentence was complete crap. Just joking around. I want to slap August Josh for that uneducated/overzealous sentence, but whatever.

"I don't know how I'm going to learn all of these names."

Accurate.

"Walking in rush hour is easier than any other time of day that I've walked. Weird, right? With more people to walk with in the streets, I guess that's what makes it easier."

Please stop. No. It is not easier to walk in rush hour. I don't know what I was saying. That is not true. No no no no. 

Rain Never Felt So Good:

"Amanda, Alex, Emily and I all had a night to remember for the rest of our lives, and it could have been terrible. We made the best of it and enjoyed ourselves. You have to in life. Turn the bad moments into great ones. I love college so far, yes. I also love these people. Except a good number of the jocks. They're the only ones making this still feel like high school.

I love this school and I haven't even started classes yet. That comes Monday.

For now, I'll enjoy the free time, the new friends and the fantastic new, spontaneous memories."

That Emily eventually transferred, but she was a good friend the first semester. Alex, Amanda and I still look back on this night as one of the best that we had. I encourage you to read the entire post from that night.

Day 1 - Part 1

"The professor is really relaxed and "teaching City & University Life as a favor to the president." He does not care. He's so relaxed though, honestly. So relaxed that I don't know how I'll stay awake during the 8:00 classes."

I never stayed past 8:30 and he was really cool actually. Everyone got an A for existing. 

"My Journalism 150 prof was the opposite. He is precise, articulate and crazy. A good crazy. He reminds me so much of my journalism teacher in high school. He's from Cleveland and talked Brown's football for a while. The class is a lot of writing and hard work. He thought class ended at 11:00 so he let us go early. It actually ends at 11:10. I wonder how long that will last."

I ended up having David Grande for the first and second semester. He didn't realize class ended at 11:10 until there was about a month left. We were let out at 10:45 a lot because that's when he thought it ended midway through the semester. He was an interesting teacher to say the least. 

"My neighbor Justine, also a broadcast major and who is turning into a really good friend of mine, is also in the class."

Justine actually changed her major to Advertising/Public Relations midway through the year. She was one of, if not my best friend at Point Park. I'm sure she'll come up later. 

" I understand how the freshman 15 happens. All you can eat food every time you go to the dining hall. It's actually good food. I enjoy it. There was cheesecake as one of the many deserts today. I enjoy cheesecake. I enjoy food."

First of all, the freshman 15 is real. More for some than others. I gained exactly 15 points from start to finish, but whatever. It's fine. 

"It's actually good food. I enjoy it." 

I really want to know what they served that first week. Maybe I just was super excited to eat. It was NOT at all "actually good." But whatever.

I went on to talk about my English teacher. He was good, but I'm glad his class is done and I never have to write another paper for him ever again. 

"I then booked it for the neighboring building for the activities fair, which had every club on campus crammed into the Lawrence Hall lobby. You couldn't move in there. I gave my contact info to U-View TV, WPPJ Radio and the USG (United Student Gvt). I got yet another free T-Shirt from WPPJ... I then ran up 6 [actually 7] flights of stairs to go to the first Globe (newspaper) meeting. Before I knew it, I was being assigned to be the beat writer for the Point Park Rugby Football Club."

What a wild ride that was. I never did anything with USG, but did with everyone else there. The Rugby beat was the best thing that happened to me during the first semester besides my trip to San Diego. I owe a lot to those guys on the rugby team.

Day 1 - Part 2

"The overall class [Mass Communications - JOUR 101] seems so overwhelming. I already have homework in that class too. It is a 20 point online quiz that goes along with a reading from my text book. I have to purchase my sociology and MC book tomorrow with bookstore credit that I have. The money won't be available until tomorrow."

Mass Comm was the worst thing ever. I never used my sociology book. 

"We ended about a half hour early so I went back to the mailroom to look into another empty mailbox. There, a girl who I met at convocation was struggling pushing a cart with 6 packages that her parents had sent her. With time to kill, I helped her get all of her packages across the street and into her dorm in Thayer."

I'm not sure if she remembers this or not. We still talk today and she's a very nice person.

"I also joined The Center for Sports Media and Marketing which brings notable media and marketing figures to PPU to speak to students and host events. This link will show you everybody that they've brought in so far."

Thank you, August self, for doing this. Best decision of my freshman year. 

Finally:

"Wow can people dance here. My dad dance moves don't compare with people getting scholarships to go here to dance. It's obviously a dance school, and I can't dance. It was still a blast."

Extremely accurate. 

"I'm in Sociology 150 now. The professor I have may possibly cause me to break up with sociology. He can't stay on topic and goes all over the place. He is unorganized, unprepared and his lectures are made up as he goes along. I hate it."

Yeah, extremely accurate. 

"I never realized until this week how much Mr. Robbins (BTTV) and Mr. Thompson (Skyliner Newspaper) prepared me for college."

OH YES. Very extremely accurate. Those guys prepared me for so much that I didn't even know I would need. (Insert tip of cap here)

"There are a lot of seniors [at U-View]. That's a good thing. They're all graduating in either December or May. There are lots of shoes to fill and they don't know who is going to step up. Enter me."

Yeah, that's starting to happen. Accurate.

"I'm already involved with so many things, I don't know if I will be able to handle it all. That's what I thought in high school too. I never wanted to have to think back on my career in school and wish that I had done more. I don't think I'll have to do that in college either. I'm finally starting to get my foot in the door and can't wait to bust it down and jump right in."

When I look back on it, first semester wasn't that busy. I handled it. Which is why I'm taking on even more next semester! ... deep breathes. 

Solid:

"I hate makeup. It's too much of a hassle. I don't know how girls do it. I had my neighbor and another girl on my floor do my makeup for me. It was weird."

It's weird because I don't hate makeup anymore. I still don't know how girls do it. The other girl on my floor, Alexa, did my makeup for the whole first semester. I did my own the second semester. 

"When I was done, I was met with an unexpected applause...I got so many compliments on my voice and my delivery. It was such a great feeling. I'm exhausted now but I feel so accomplished and can't wait to see the finished product. Walking out, I ran into the gentleman in charge of the studio. He asked me if I was on air for the show. One of the juniors came around the corner and said, "You bet he was." He started to tell me the importance of being well rounded. The junior said, "Don't worry, he already is. He's a keeper." 

This makes me smile and chuckle. The applause was fun and it shows what I learned this year at U-View. We all root for each other. Sure, we're competing for jobs and trying to do our best. But we support and root for each other. U-View became my family. I still remember that junior saying I was a keeper. A fond memory. I hate watching my first appearance on Sideline though after everything else I did this year.

Dark Horse:

" I will have the opportunity to meet with a foreign student for one hour every week and just talk to him to familiarize him with the English language. His name is Fahad Alshmari. I am planning on meeting with him for the first time today."

Fahad and I met only once. It didn't work out. His attendance was spotty and commitment to the program was weak. I have not seen him since. I wish him the best. 

"I was put on a [flag football] team with all junior and seniors, the one I swear could crush me if he touched me with his pinkie finger but has the heart of a teddy bear.

I caught the game's first touchdown pass and then intercepted the first pass from the other team and ran it back for a touchdown. That's when they noticed me and gave me the nickname "Dark Horse." I embraced the nickname and contributed to our team's dominating first win of the season."

I loved playing flag with those guys. I was called "Dark Horse" on and off the field all season. It was a great feeling. 

..................................................................................................

Looking back at my first few posts from the beginning of the year, I was such a freshman. Expectedly. Some of my first impressions and judgments were accurate, some were not. This is why I started the blog: to go back and re-live memories and reflect. My first year was amazing, and it's all thanks to what I did in my first semester. 

Because, why not?

Josh

It will work out. It always does.

Things are starting to wind down and it's that time of year again when we're all asking, "where did the time go?"

Where did freshman year go?
Where did the first three months of 2015 go?
Wait, didn't I just move in?
I thought that paper was due next month. Oops, next month is this week.

All of the above have raced in and out of my mind the past week.

This semester has been significantly less stressful than the first. Much more of the work that I have taken on is outside of the classroom and my work inside the classroom hasn't been too intense. When I have had a lot of class work, I have tried to tie them all together somehow.

Example: I have to write a research paper on the history of baseball on television. I also have to give an informative speech. My speech therefore is going to be on the history of baseball on television. Specifically how the Pirates adapted to radio and television.

I wrote a poem that was supposed to describe myself in that speech class that apparently was super deep and the teacher told me to explain a lot of it but I couldn't. I said it was up for interpretation. He told me to enter it into "some contest." Don't ask me to explain the meaning of a lot in that poem, but apparently it was good. I thought things and I just wrote them down as they came in my head.

-------

Someone told me last week that they would love to spend just a half hour in my head to see what it would be like.

Trust me. No you would not.

The picture to the right is what it would look like if you went inside my head. Accept, the colors would be in ROYGBV order.

Organized chaos. That's what's in my head.

In broadcast history class last week, I found myself taking lecture notes on one half of the page, and writing down ideas for U-View on the other. I loved the ideas that were coming into my head and I couldn't help but write them down. Ideas for new shows, new segments, changes to the current shows, I even drew out a detailed three year plan for my role at U-View.

At the same time, I was mapping out in my head my plans for after class, for the evening and for the weekend.

I'll admit, I like having things planned out. I like having organization. But just as much as I like all of these things, I love spontaneity. I love change. I love when things don't go as planned and I have to think on the spot.

This broadcasting business, that's a daily thing. I'm in the right business.

I just got my weekly review for my column and was told it was my best piece of the year. 

I'm preparing to do play-by-play for Point Park baseball and softball games during the month of April. I'm really looking forward to that following a great basketball season.

I just was at the Winter Sports Banquet that was a really nice ceremony with great food, of course.

Now, as much as I love mapping things out, there's a few things that are not even close to being mapped out at this point.

I'm not sure when I'm moving out. I want to move out the last week of classes, the week of April 20. I only have one scheduled final so far, and I can see myself having two scheduled finals. They would be on Tuesday and Wednesday the 28th and 29th.

I move in to my apartment in Charleston the first weekend of May and begin working on the 4th.

I know who I'm living with, but I don't know what the place really looks like for sure. It's only a short walk form the stadium and within walking distance of everything in downtown.

I don't know how I'm getting home for sure when I want to go home. Or when I will go home.

Right now, I see two weekends - one in May, one in July - that are legitimate chances to come home for a weekend. I'm still trying to figure out a bus system to get me back that allows me to actually spend time at home. That's stressful.

I absolutely can't wait to start in Charleston. I'll write about what I'm expecting and what I've found in my research at a later date.

When I'm finished and move back home in August, I'll have some time to relax and visit with friends and family before moving back to school.

I'm planning on becoming a mentor for the Honors Program. I would be assigned a few incoming freshmen to just talk to and act as someone to reach out to if they have any questions about the school. I would also get to move in early and beat the rush.

But when I move in, right now, I have no idea where I'll be or who I'll be with.

All of my friends are either:

- Living off campus
- Transferring
- Transfered
- Already have roommates

So there's that.

It seems like every time a situation like this comes up, I try not to worry about it too much. If I trust that it will all work out, somehow, it works out.

I wasn't sure about my roommate this year. I had faith and it worked out just fine. I had no idea where I was going to even live this summer in Charleston. I had faith and it worked out.

I don't know how I'll get home in the summer.
I don't know how/where I'll eat this summer.
I don't know who/where I'll live with next year.
I don't know how I will have time to do everything that I want to next year.
I don't know if I can get credit for the internship (The school is being complicated).
I don't know much of anything right now.

But that's okay.

Because it will work out. It always does, one way or another.

Because, why not?
Josh

Why I'm at Point Park

Preface: When I started this blog, it was meant as a place to share thoughts, vent frustrations, give updates and provide a look into my life. The life of me. In this post, I will do each of those things and more. I may come off as arrogant or angry but that is not my intention. I may come off as if I am on a rant and this may be very boring. This is not cute, funny or inspirational. I am simply sharing my thoughts, venting frustrations, giving updates and providing a look into my life. The Life of Me. 

There have been multiple times - especially over the past two months- when I have asked myself, "why am I at Point Park University?"

No, I'm not thinking it in the context of, "Geeze, I'm in love with this place, I don't deserve to be here, why am I here?" But more like, "Wow this place was not what I imagined it would be. Why am I here?"

First off, I have to say that I am happy here. I'm glad that I'm here and I'm not at all saying that I want to leave. That is not the case.

Click to enlarge (pt.1)

It's those little voices in my head that occasionally say, "you could do so much better," or "these people have no motivation" that trigger these thoughts.

Some of the people that I have met here and the relationships that I have formed are incredible and I wouldn't trade those for the world. I really do like the people here. That hasn't changed. I love this city. That hasn't changed.

What has changed is my perspective on the university as a whole.

There is no transparency. And if there is, I haven't seen it. Tuition was expectedly raised again last week. I get that they have to raise tuition, what school doesn't? From what I can gather, students are extremely angry. Not because tuition is going up. Well, partially because tuition is going up. But because they don't know where their money is going. There is a new $75 million Playhouse that the University will begin construction with this summer. Hopefully. No tuition money is going towards the new playhouse.

Excerpt pt. 2 from the
'Our school is awesome,
so we're raising tuition' email.

Why is tuition going up? The University says basically, because we're getting better as a school. We have a new lounge that people can enjoy. More people than ever are looking into and applying to the school. My class is the largest in its history. (Well, as of August 2014 it was. Not sure what it is now after it seems like half of the class transferred or is transferring.) So because there's more of us, we have to pay more. Logic.

Also, apparently graduates have a 94% placement rate. They tell us that this is owed to faculty members. Our lovely faculty members that are always there for us and always have their doors open and... oh wait. 70% of the faculty at Point Park are adjuncts. They don't have an office. Or regular hours. They haven't seen a pay raise or change in working conditions in some time. But let's raise tuition to help them. Or not.

The University has essentially cut off student media. This makes me more mad than anything. Before I came to the school, TV's in public areas such as the Cafe or the Student Center Lobby played U-View. Our radio station WPPJ was played in the Cafe sitting area. This is because the University replaced it all with MTV University, a channel that plays music all the time and has some entertainment updates. Or something like that.

We were replaced. Replaced by MTV University. Are you serious? You mean to tell me that you are trying to give "traditional students the ability to expand their educational opportunities and experience what it will be like as they become lifelong learners after they graduate" by replacing our student media with MTV University?

I was told before I started this school year that U-View, WPPJ and The Globe were all to move into the former Nathan's Hot Dog building across the street from Academic Hall within the next two school years. I was told that again at the first U-View meeting. I was told that we would be getting a brand new studio. Which we desperately need. 

Since then, nothing has been said about it. I have been told that it has been put on hold. 

Until the Playhouse "situation" is taken care of. 

Everything at this school revolves around the Conservatory of Performing Arts, or COPA. COPA drives the school. Point Park is the number one dance school in the country apparently and everything else has to take a back seat. Including the campus media outlets that have produced a number of quality professionals over the years.

I was just told about two months ago that U-View was next on the rotation for new computers. We'll see if that happens. It needs to. 

I get it that we need to raise tuition. I also get that we as students are consumers and are paying for our education. The only thing we know is that we pay for 18 credits every semester and our money goes to good use. 

Wait, no we didn't know that. 

I, along with a significant number of my friends, are just finding out that no matter if we take the minimum 12 or maximum 18 credits, we are paying the same price. I don't know if we were ignorant to that fact, or if the university just did a really good job at not coming right out and saying that. Our first semester is automatically given to us as 15 credits. A normal amount for a college student. When I tried to schedule 19 credits, I was told that I would have to pay extra. It's in the fine print. I was told that 18 credits would be too much of a hassle. 

No, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. Have you met me? Well, no. It was the first time that I had even talked to this person. She's supposed to be an expert on scheduling and "student success." 

Well, the real reason that I feel that she didn't want me taking 18 credits is, not because I would be too stressed, but that I would get ahead of my designated "path" that is laid out for me in order to graduate in four years. I am already ahead, and the more ahead I do, the more complicated scheduling is for me. 

I get it, you want your job to be easier. 

I also get that if I graduate a semester early, like I would like to do, the school misses out on thousands of dollars of Josh Croup tuition money. 

Stop.

I am paying for 18 credits, I am taking 18 credits. If I can graduate early, you can bet everything that you have that I will. 

To start a career early? To actually have a better shot at getting hired in January instead of May? Not because it's when the rest of the people in my class graduate across the country, (okay that's a good reason), but because bosses want new employees to start in January. Not the middle of the year. Of course, there are exceptions to this, but c'mon. 

Our core curriculum is slowly changing. And when I say slowly, I mean giant tortoise slow. My junior year of high school it was supposed to change. Now, it finally is. Kind of. 

The course guide that is online says that it is the 2014-2015 Freshman Course Guide. 

It is not. 

It is the old course guide, and for some reason, the new one has yet to be posted. Half of the classes required on the old course guide are no longer required, making scheduling a nightmare. 

I wanted to declare a minor in broadcast production for next year. To complete college with a minor in the school of comm, I only need four additional courses. Each course that I will take also count as electives for my major. It would be stupid not to minor in production. 

But, again, that will stress me out too much and be too much work early on. I should take time to see if that's really what I want to do. 

Again, you haven't met me. But I get that you want your job to be easier. 

I declared a minor last week in "media production and management." So, yeah. That happened.

I could go back to U-View, but I'll stick with class complaints. 

There are really some great teachers here. There are also terrible ones, as there are everywhere. There are also terrible classes. 

I had a class last semester with a professor that was so dry, so arrogant and so condescending, that I left the room every day angry. There was one day that he showed up 25 minutes late. I got too frustrated over the fact that he hadn't shown up 20 minutes into class, so I left. It was the first and only class that I would skip until I didn't go to an 8:00 math class when it was minus 15 outside without wind chill. 

This semester, I have a class that is required for all freshman. A part of the "new core curriculum." It's called "Oral Presentation" or Comm 101. It's a speech class. I get it. A college student needs to be prepared to give speeches and comfortable with giving presentations in front of a class. 

So, why is the book that they picked meant for high school juniors, at best? Why is the universal syllabus something that makes us feel irrelevant and downright stupid? Why is a speech book $120? 

I bought the book. I was told on the universal syllabus that my grade would be reduced if I didn't have it for the first day of class. 

I didn't have a first day of class.

Actually, I didn't have four of my first six speech classes. My teacher canceled because of the weather conditions, which were not at all risky, and later took a leave of absence citing medical issues. 

I returned the book after her second cancelation. I returned it after the second class when she spent all 90 minutes literately reading the book TO us. She is a business teacher that has a a fear of public speaking. 

Her replacement was an adjunct English professor. He is a jagoff. I was called a jagoff the other day by a stranger. That was interesting. 

He's one of those guys that means well, but can't. He can only pretend that he knows what he's talking about for so long before he becomes unbearable. He can only keep repeating himself for so long to make sure we go the whole 90 minutes before people start to just leave. 

I lost points on a paper about Lou Gehrig because I said he was great because of his stats. I'd like to challenge you to find a good list of knowledgeable baseball historians who say that Gehrig isn't the greatest first baseman ever. His stats alone are enough to prove he was great. But I also went on with what a great person he was off the field. How humble he was. How caring he was. But that wasn't enough either. I also lost points because I said that he thought he was lucky. BECAUSE HE DID. IT WAS THE WHOLE BASIS OF HIS SPEECH - CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST SPEECHES IN HISTORY.

"Was Gehrig REALLY great? (--2)"

"Did he REALLY think he was "lucky"? (--2)"

 I have a math class which is so painfully easy, but that's not my fault, that's the "core curriculum's" fault. I feel so incredibly smart in that class. Not because I know what I'm doing. But because nobody else does. It's insane. I know I'm not THAT smart. That's not saying something about the school, it's saying something about it's students. You can get into Point Park with a high school GPA of 2.1. I'm not even joking. THAT is a big reason why their numbers are rising. 

Let's go back to U-View. 

There hasn't been a show that I've crewed or been on air for in a very long time where something didn't work. Where something didn't go wrong. Of course, things go wrong in broadcasting all the time. But the things that go wrong at U-View are 100% preventable. 

There are microphones that constantly go bad or don't work. This should not happen. There are people that get PAID to check mics. Faculty and students. There are days where we are 30-45 minutes late because of audio issues. 

There are days where computers don't work, or things aren't ready. 

I'm sorry, but this is not okay. Not all of it can be blamed on equipment. No, we are not HD yet. A few faculty are still stuck in the late 90's, early 00's and refuse to adapt to technology. 

News flash: this doesn't help us. But okay.

The equipment should be tested before anyone even gets there. Things are never ready or set up in time to start a show that is supposed to act as a live program. 

It is largely student ran. That's awesome, except for the fact that, it's student ran. There is an advisor, but that seems like just a title. 

The Globe is 100% student ran. Student writers, editors, everything. There is an advisor. It is not just a title for her. Every week she sends out a detailed critique of the paper giving multiple comments for each story. There is nothing even close to this at U-View. No feedback, no critiques, nothing. There is no accountability. 

The only accountability that there is rests in those preparing for graduation who need things to put on their reels. And even that's not a lot. Our best students graduated in December and since then, it has been rough. Few seem to care or even put a lot of effort in to the shows. 

Daybreak is a weekly program that is similar to The Today Show. It is the show that always has the most people attend and our most popular. There is a nice mix of news, sports and entertainment and it is a quality show. Our hosts are talented and our producer is hard working. 

The lack of maturity at Daybreak though is remarkable. Yes, have fun. Yes, enjoy yourself. Yes, it's college. YES, you are trying to get a job and preparing for work in the real world. Some people need to wake up and realize this. 

Just this past week at Daybreak, I was the sports correspondent. I felt that it was my best performance of the year. One that I could use on my reel. One that I could use to enter contests and scholarships. 

But, for some mysterious reason, the episode didn't record and everything we did on Thursday night was lost. It's our technology failing us apparently. 

The sad thing is that this isn't the first time this has happened this year. It's not at least at five times. This is inexcusable. 

Oh, and we didn't start the show until 8:30 and didn't leave until 9:15. Call time was 7:45 and start time was supposed to be 8:00. 

This, to me, is unacceptable.

We are going to school to work in an industry that is so driven on being on time and working with what we have. Well, at U-View, what we have is falling apart and is close to a decade old (February 2007).

Pioneer Sideline is our weekly sports show. Well, "sports" show. 

There are few sports shows that are 80% scripted on television. Sideline is one of them. No highlights, little analysis and a debate segment. It is the same show every week. The top teases are the same every week. It is a boring show. Our host is a good guy. He knows his stuff. But he is not the right person to host that show. I would love to hear why he is even hosting the show. As a student ran show, I feel that we should have a say in what and who goes on the air. I still haven't found someone who thinks that the host shouldn't change. I like the guy. I just don't feel that he should host. The older episodes of Sideline were phenomenal. Those people cared about their show and put so much work into it. We have been on a steady decline. 

I have a vision to make Sideline a watchable show. A show that is fun to watch and that we can actually be proud of. One with highlights and analysis that makes people want to come to the school just to be on the show. 

I watched Kent State's sports show. I watched Robert Morris' sports show. Two schools that are close by that have the same caliber of students with different motivations and maturity levels. 

If I was going to select a school based on nothing else but their sports show and what sports show I want to be involved with, my order is KSU, RMU, PPU. Point Park is third by default. I love the people at Sideline. Some do work hard and some do care. The show's product seems lazy and mediocre. Just like the athletic program. 

My next complaint: Athletics. 

Being a student athlete is no easy task. Point Park has produced some great athletes over the years and great people as well. The program as a whole seems lazy. The program as a whole seems mediocre. 

The athletic director has been at Point Park since 2006. Point Park is in the NAIA. Not the NCAA. 

The NAIA was basically formed for smaller private schools to have athletic programs as a cheaper alternative to the NCAA. Their rules are less strict and their organization is built more on character than competition. 

I am doing more research on this subject - comparing the NAIA to the NCAA - but right now I can tell you this:

1. The NAIA is free falling towards a mass extinction. 

2. For Point Park sports to ever have any legitimacy, they have to spend a few extra dollars and join the NCAA. The pros FAR outweigh the cons of joining the NCAA. 

That being said, their athletic department is irrelevant. It gives a lot of students great opportunities to do things that a bigger school couldn't offer. I give them that. If they want respect, if they want to make money, they have to spend money. Join the NCAA. 

Join the NCAA before you're forced out of the NAIA. When they go bankrupt or fall off the face of the earth, don't let your athletic program go with it. Get out of the NAIA while you still can. There are two schools in Pennsylvania in the NAIA: Point Park and Carlow. 

When I was choosing schools, there were a few things that I considered: A strong communications program, proximity and athletics. Point Park had a strong comm program, they were close and they had all the major sports accept for football. It was a small school where I could dive right in and get involved. 

I didn't realize how insignificant Point Park sports were on campus until I actually started living on campus. 

It's a big performing arts school. That being said, the COPA students aren't always your biggest sports fans, but make up a good majority of Point Park students. There are a number of COPA students as well as other students that don't even know that we have some of the sports that we do. 

We're lucky if we get between 100 and 200 people at a basketball game. Our women's basketball program is arguably one of the top in Pittsburgh. Our men's team has a coach that for some reason has been there for over 25 years. Our baseball team has won multiple conference championships in a row. Our sports teams are not bad. 

The support they get is terrible. The amount of school spirit is pathetic. I thought it was bad at Butler. At least Butler students know that we have sports teams. At least Butler students attend games. 

The only games that we have on campus are volleyball games. Baseball: Green Tree,  Basketball: CCAC South Campus, Soccer: Highmark Stadium. 

Yes, we are a city school. A small one at that. Highmark is just across the river and there are 'fan vans' that provide transportation to almost every basketball game and a number of other games. 

But there is no school spirit. Nobody seems to care about sports at the school. 

Solution: Leave the NAIA, join the NCAA. 

It's not as easy as just transferring to a different association, but it's a big start.

Besides the terrible school spirit, the school's amount of motivation and involvement as a whole are equally as terrible. 

I don't have the numbers, but boy do they seem low. They're low in every capacity. Nobody goes to the events on campus, nobody does anything with the clubs, heck the only way to get people to come to a meeting or an event is to offer an extreme amount of food and other free things. Even then, it's not enough a lot of the time. 

It's FREE STUFF people. 

Is this because people really are unmotivated and don't care? Not necessarily. 

A majority of the school commutes. Whether it be from Oakland, Mt. Washington or surrounding towns, a lot of them commute. The school does not make it easy on commuters whatsoever. There is no student bus pass, no free or reduced parking, no benefits of commuting other than saving the money of paying for room and board. Why would someone want to be a part of a club or go to events when it is too much of a burden for them to get there? I get it. 

Then again, if you really want to be involved, you'll make it work. And those who do, well, they make it work. 

All of the above make me often think what it's like at other schools. How much are students involved or motivated at other schools? What's their school spirit like? How much do they care or not care? 

Then, I think, "Why am I at Point Park?" 

I've realized the real reasons that I'm at this school only in the past couple of months. 

It's a small school where everyone knows just about everyone. I think I like this. I enjoy having the ability to say hi to people as I walk by them on the sidewalk. 

It's Pittsburgh. I love this city. I absolutely love it. I'm within walking distance of everything (including my girlfriend at Duquesne) and there are so many opportunities in the city alone.

Of course with the lack of student involvement, there are more opportunities at Point Park for me. As great as this is, I don't want to be handed things, I want to earn them. I want to prove that I'm deserving of things and have competition to give me motivation to keep improving. This worries me. The few people that there are at the school that care, the few people that there are that are extremely talented at my job, the less motivation that there is to be better. I hope that this never turns out to be the case for me, and I don't intend on it happening.

I feel like a big fish in a small pond. Already, everyone wants me to do everything. Already, I'm doing more work than a lot of seniors are related to broadcasting. Okay, more chances for me then.

Pittsburgh is great, there are a lot of opportunities, but I think the biggest reason that I'm at Point Park is to make a difference. I don't mean in people's lives. If that happens, great. I mean in the program and in the content that we put out.

I want whatever I put my name on to be a good product. Even if I was only a small part of the product, I still want it to be good. If I'm going to associate myself with something, i want it to be quality. There are a lot of things at U-View that I want to change and that I have a vision to change. There are things with the Point Park Sports Network that I think I can do to make it a quality member of the Point Park media family.

I feel that my rundown and vision for Sideline can make our show one of the best in the region. I feel that things I can do with other shows can improve the already good product. I have so many ideas for other shows and things to do at Point Park. But it's a lot to do on my own, but then again, I feel that I can do it.

When I graduate, I want to be someone that they think back on and wish that I was still there. I want to be someone who people can look up to as the person who set a new tone for U-View and at the school.

There are a lot of things wrong with the politics and the overall school. Is it the best school in the world? No. Does it crack the top 50? Not close. 100? Still reaching.

But it's Pittsburgh. That's the biggest reason that I need to go to a small school in the middle of the city where I can get involved right away.

The people that have probably had the biggest impact on me this year are not professors, not students they don't even get a paycheck from the school. The professors that have had the biggest impact on my so far don't even have an office. The friends that I've made aren't people that care about what your high school life was like. They care about who you are now. Because simply, you don't care what their high school life was like.

Unless that's all they talk about. In that case, they don't get a lot of respect from people because, you know, you already graduated.

I complained and ranted about a lot and I didn't even get to the food. College food is college food.

This post is real. It's un uncensored and legit. there's no hiding. I won't say Point Park is the greatest school, because it's not. By time I graduate from Point Park, if that's where I graduate from, if I graduate, I promise you that it will be better than when i started. Everything from U-View to the Point Park Sports Network. By time I graduate, it is my goal that people will want to come to this school to be a part of something that I had a big part in changing and improving.

They say that college is what you make of it. Well, I'm going to make it alright. Hopefully better.

Because, why not?
Josh

One man band

I haven't written in some time because I simply haven't had time. This past weekend, Valentines weekend, I had a little time to wind down to a point. Now that I have a minute, I'll take the time to catch up on the life of me.

My second semester schedule is laid out perfectly for me. It works very nicely with my "extra stuff" schedule and so far all has been good. One of my professors took a leave of absence because of health issues and her replacement has been less than what I had hoped for. Other than that, my class schedule has been nice and the work hasn't been too extreme. It is by far easier than my first semester, despite taking two honors classes this semester.

The hon. visual communications class I am taking is, from what I hear, easier than the regular class. My teacher doesn't have to explain as many things to us because we're honors students (well, most of us) and therefore we can work more independently. It is a class based heavily on designing things. My honors intro to broadcasting class is my most challenging class that requires a lot of outside work and is taught by one of my favorite professors here.

My broadcast writing course is pretty basic and simple, and my math class is painfully easy. I have a nice two hour break every day for lunch. I've been getting lunch to-go almost every day and taking it back to my room because all of my friends have class at the time I get lunch. So I usually eat and either do homework or take a nap. Mid-day college naps are glorious.

My spring semester schedule

Outside of school work is where all the heavy lifting comes in. Mental heavy lifting I guess.

I have a show of some type three days per week. This week, I will start a new radio show called Croup's Corner that is a sports talk show. After the radio show, I have Pioneer Sideline. Every-other Monday is a new show that I am working on called In Focus. It is a show where we interview cinema students about different projects they are working on. I am fortunate enough to actually host that semester.

I spend about an hour in the library on Mondays and Wednesdays reading for my int. to broadcasting class. The book for that class is on reserve in the library so I don't have to buy it. I also spend an hour or so in the Center every Wednesday as a part of my student advisory board duties.

I have been actively involved with the Point Par Sports Network this semester dong play-by-play and color commentary for the men and women basketball teams. On game days, which typically are double headers starting at 5:30, I ride the team bus out to CCAC South where we play our home games. The bus leaves around 3:15. I don't get back to campus until around 10:00. There are two more home games before playoffs begin, both of which I will be broadcasting.

My headshot for the column

For Pioneer Sideline, I stared putting highlight packages together from the games. If you've ever watched an episode of SL, you know that it is about 75% scripted without highlights. I didn't like that so I decided to start them. Putting a highlight package is easy but time consuming. I basically have to re-watch the game to record it onto my computer and then cut it down into 2 minutes with graphics. It is well worth it though.

Also, I am also doing the same national sports reports for Daybreak that I did last semester. I am also doing national/international news reports this semester as well. I was scheduled to do national news for this week's Daybreak, but the show was postponed.

On top of that, I am the weekly sports columnist for the Globe newspaper. There, I get the chance to write whatever I want about Point Park sports for that week. I have had some interesting topics thus far that have had positive reviews. This week, I decided to double my work load and also write a feature story on one of the women's basketball players. That will become available later this week.

I received The Silver Pen award for "Excellence in Sports Writing" from the Globe editor and advisor last semester. It was a huge honor to receive that as a first-semester freshman. For the award, I would like to thank the rugby club, my tape recorder and spell check.

There are two whole weeks before spring break begins for me. The break will last from the last day of February, my dad's birthday, through the entire first week of March.

Now, I should return to cutting the basketball game highlight package. I used this blog as an excuse to take a break from that.

I've really perfected the art of managing my time this semester. Sticky notes and white boards are a life saver. But there is still a little bit of the procrastinator in me.

I'll work on getting rid of that tomorrow.

Because, why not?
Josh



P.S.
Here is a list of links to everything I've done this semester. It can also be found regularly on the "Links to my Work" post. If it is not linked, it has not been posted yet.

-------------------------------------------------------------
The Globe - The weekly newspaper for Point Park

Croup's Corner - An Introduction
Croup's Corner - The polls don't matter
Croup's Corner - Focus on the rest
Croup's Corner - It wasn't their night
Croup's Corner - Track, Field and Bridges
Croup's Corner - National Player of the Week
Alexa Xenakis feature story
-------------------------------------------------------------

Daybreak - The weekly morning show resembling "The Today Show" on U-View

February 2 Episode ... National/International news ... 3:25 in

-------------------------------------------------------------

Pioneer Sideline - The Point Park weekly sports show on U-View
Men's Basketball Highlights vs. IUSE ... 4:27 in
MBB Highlight Package
Men's Basketball Highlights vs. Rio Grande & IU Kokomo

-------------------------------------------------------------

In Focus - A show that gives Point Park Cinema students a chance to show off and promote their work.

Daymon Long - Sundance Film Festival Intern

-------------------------------------------------------------

Point Park Sports Network (PPSN) - Broadcasts live streams of Point Park sports including volleyball, soccer, basketball and baseball

Penn State Beaver vs. Point Park WBB ... Play-by-play
Penn State Beaver vs. Point Park WBB ... PBP Sample
Cincinnati Christian vs. Point Park WBB ... PBP
Cincinnati Christian vs. Point Park MBB ... Color
IU Southeast vs. Point Park WBB ... Color 
IU Southeast vs. Point Park MBB ... PBP
Rio Grande vs. Point Park WBB ... Color 
Rio Grande vs. Point Park MBB ... PBP
Carlow vs. Point Park WBB ...

Carlow vs. Point Park MBB ...

IU East vs. Point Park WBB ...

IU East vs. Point Park MBB ...

-------------------------------------------------------------

Croup's Corner - My weekly sports-talk radio show on WPPJ

http://wppjradio.com/

WPPJradio.com ... Listen live every Tuesday from 4:00-5:00

1. Click on the link

2. Click the "Listen Live" banner at the top left of the page 

3. This will open up the live player in iTunes

OR download the TuneIn radio app from the Apple or Android app store and search WPPJ. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

I encourage you to view the full desktop version of the blog at JoshCroup.blogspot.com to get the full viewing experience if you are reading these instead through email updates. If you are not subscribed for email updates, you can do so by visiting that link and entering your email address in the top right corner.

Also, if you wish to send me mail, my address is:

Josh Croup
Box Number 8052
201 Wood St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-1984