It had been at least twenty-five years since entering the hallways of San Antonio College and many things have changed and others will always remain the same.

The first day of class for my Humanities: World Cultures and Global Issues and News Gathering/Writing I brought me into a computer lab, with nine other students. After introductions and brief bios, we dug right into the basics of literary journalism. Reading “A Rat in My Soup” by Peter Hessler found in the New Yorker July 24, 2000 edition, was the highlight of the class. Dissecting the content and structure of the article is where I learned there is a whole set of new words used in the world of journalism. Writers must consider things such as a lead, voice, impact, conflict and many other newsworthy elements. The most important element learned on this initial day was that accuracy and fairness are non-negotiable when producing a reported piece of journalism. The most foreign to me was the act of weblogging, which is an avenue for sharing information on line such as this web site.

I have already learned a great deal and enjoyed the positive environment established by the teaching staff. Now, if only SAC’s forever problem of “no parking” could be improved, not any time soon I am sure. Well, at least Dell computers have replaced the outdated Royal electric typewriters, (the difference twenty-five years makes).