The Fall of The #5 Spartans

My Happy Place

A place where athletes are able to show their full potential and show their pride.
Where thousands of Spartan fans can come together and bleed green and white.
Where one University can become one.
Spartan Stadium; my favorite place on campus.

Fans are required to get loud and cheer for the guys in green. People from all over the state, all over the country, cheer along with the band yelling and screaming "GO GREEN."

Saturdays at Michigan State University are the highlight of the fall. Students wake up at 8am to begin a long day of tailgating. Everyone is welcome. For the only time all week, homework and exams don't matter. The only thing that matters is cheering on Greg Jones and having faith in Kirk Cousins.

Spartan Stadium is my happy place. As soon as I get past the security guards and get in line to get my student section bracelet, I'm in the zone. On the field the team is warming up and in the stands the fans are doing the same. I may not know the person sitting next to me or the person in front of me, but by the end of the game, we're likely to be Facebook friends. The student section is a community; it's a family. 

As fans, we are able to watch our fellow Spartans create a legacy. They may leave the green and white jersey behind to advance to the NFL, but MSU will always be in their hearts.

Why Is It Required?

Karl Gude, a Journalism Instructor at MSU requires his JRN 203 students to sign up and use  Twitter. He assigned the task on the first day of class and even associated it with a grade.

I passed, but only after I followed 10 Journalistic sources and tweeted. I just now realized the value of the assignment.

During an interview, I asked him why he assigned the task. He said that he believes his students need to know about Journalism beyond the typewriter.

Twitter is a powerful medium, and according to Gude, it is the best of both worlds and there are so many benefits.

The Twitter network is huge. You can follow and find almost anyone. Ideas can get passed from one person to the next and information can spread like wildfire through the re-tweeting process.

Gude said you Tweet a good lead to any story and it should instantly get the reader hooked.

The Twitter Technique

Is there such a thing? Most definitely. Is it hard to master? Absolutely. If it's mastered, will it pay off? Without a doubt and The State News has done so.

Justin Harris, the Editor in Chief, said right now Twitter is one of the best ways to deliver news and he believes the State News has expanded their readership greatly because of the medium.

According to Harris, the State News has over 4,000 followers on their news Twitter and almost 1,500 on their sports Twitter. He believes they've gained readership from all over, not just the East Lansing area.

Harris also said he believes some people are checking the Twitter accounts and then checking the website or newspaper for more information.

Because the State News was able to develop a technique that engages and encourages readers, they are benefiting greatly.

Is He Qualified?

Absolutely.

Omar Sofradzija is more than qualified to help Journalism students gain knowledge and experience.

Sofradzija spent 17 years writing and reporting news before taking the job at Michigan State University and The State News. He worked for the Peoria Journal Star from 1990-2003 and then work at the Las Vegas Review-Journal until 2007.

Along with writing and reporting fabulous columns, Sofradzija was honored with multiple awards.

Sofradzija has been honored in both Illinois and Nevada. His credentials include honors from the Illinois Associated Press Editor's Association, the Illinois Collegiate Press Association, and he Nevada Press Association.

Take a look at his resume and judge for yourself; I'm sure you'll have the same conclusion.

What Have We Learned?

Eleven new students embarked on a JRN 200 journey at the start of the Spring 2011 Semester here at Michigan State University.

Although the class was challenging and time consuming, we would all agree that we learned many valuable lessons.

We learned to always fact check. Fatals, after all, can totally ruin your day. Reporting is key. You can never have enough sources and a neutral expert can always make your story better and more complete.

In the beginning, we all struggled and we are better writers because of it. Many of us have gotten work published on SpartanEdge and we hope to continue to do so.

It's safe to say the lessons we've learned in JRN 200 will stay with us for longer than 16 short weeks.

Is Jersey Shore Degrading?

 Jersey Shore built an empire around drinking, partying, and fornication. The male cast members are encouraged to bring "DTF" girls home from the clubs, while the female cast members often look for the perfect Guido.

What lessons are youngsters learning?

Youngsters are learning how to blow a grenade whistle and 6 different ways to refer to a female as ugly. They are also learning that it is okay to get drunk and get carried home. Hangovers seem to be a reoccurring theme for the cast.

If they're able to block out the unrealistic "Shore attitude", then they are learning to idolize Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's relationship with Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola.

After all, being a member of the Jersey Shore cast for Halloween is always an option.