Visit from Robin Sloan

Journalism students were given a glimpse of the potential future of their field today, thanks to a visit from Current_ Vice President of Strategy and MSU alumnus Robin Sloan.

Sloan, who graduated from the MSU Honors College with a degree in economics in 2002, spoke to a news-writing class about his experiences in the rapidly changing world of journalism. He offered advice on how to navigate and succeed in the field's new model, which is increasingly based on the internet.

Much of the advice was given from Sloan's personal experiences. While working at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, Sloan and his younger colleagues noticed that many of their older co-workers weren't catching on to the role that the internet was beginning to play in the world of news.

To illustrate how much the internet was changing things, Sloan and a partner created a "Epic," a short film that told a fictional futuristic account of how the standard print media was overrun by internet companies.

The video garnered millions of views, and Sloan took his vision of the future to Al Gore's start-up cable news network, Current_, which gears stories toward a younger, more internet-savvy audience.

Sloan described his vision of journalism's new business model to the students, explaining that larger, more traditional news outlets would eventually be phased out by smaller organizations of journalists with devoted online followings.

He recommended that journalism students get acquainted with new technologies online and experiment with their own models of reporting. He predicted that a job with a small internet start-up company would be more promising than a position at a larger network.

Look for a follow up to this story tomorrow.

Izzo Scares Me

Whenever I watch the MSU Spartans play basketball, I find myself much more concerned with Tom Izzo's health than with the outcome of the game. The vein in his forehead is becoming much more prominent lately, jutting out whenever he lambasts his players as if its just as mad as he is. If I had to answer to that bright red face every time I missed a finger roll, I would never miss any finger rolls.

Tom Izzo gets so mad sometimes, I legitimately get scared of him through my TV. Even though I can't hear what he's screaming, the unbridled rage he expresses through his facial expressions is enough to make me steer clear of the Izzone for life. I don't want to be under that guy's jurisdiction.

But the Spartans are in the Sweet Sixteen again, so I guess I can't knock the guy for having a winning team. I wonder what kinds of things he must be saying to his players to make them play so well...

"I should have recruited your sister over you."

"Even Sparty hates you right now."

"Miss this free throw, and you die."

"I will eat your unborn children if you travel one more time."

"You guys look like U of M."

Inspiring.

Non-Tenure Union Update

Jon Curtiss, an organizer for the American Federation of Teachers, outlined his organization's goal of unionizing non-tenure track faculty at MSU today.

Curtiss said the union will emphasize job security for these workers, who often have to wait until a few weeks before a new semester begins to learn if they have been hired for that term. The union will also look to secure higher salaries for non-tenured instructors, as well as health insurance benefits and opportunities for professional development. 

A similar unionization drive occurred at the University of Michigan in 2003, where the AFT was successful in achieving better job security for its members.

A petition with the names of prospective union members will be presented to the Michigan Employment Relations Commission in about two weeks, Curtiss said. He predicted a vote will be made on the issue by the end of the spring semester.

Break

Forget the body shots and wet T-shirt contests. Thanks to the global recession, students are planning on spending this year's spring break a little differently.

"With the way the economy is, I can't afford a fancy vacation," said communications sophomore Jason Kemp. "I guess the fun is going to have to wait until next year."

Kemp is indefinitely postponing his trip to Miami that he had planned for the break due to his shrinking wallet. He says that a few days of fun in the sun are not worth the cost nowadays.

Instead, he's now planning on working at his former job in his hometown of Glen Lake for the entire nine days he has off from school.

"I see it as a responsible financial decision," Kemp said. "Now is the time to save, not blow all your money on a week you probably won't even remember."

Others, like packaging sophomore Jeremy Brown, are planning on staying financially neutral during their break. Jeremy has decided not to vacation or work all week.

"I see spring break as exactly that: a break," Brown said. "I'm going to be doing a lot of sleeping and enjoying my mom's food."

Whatever your plans for spring break, keep in mind that it only lasts a week, and this recession isn't supposed to end until around 2013 by some estimates. Have fun out there!