WU administrators forgo negotiations, eliminate Webbies class
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Letters to the Editor
I graduated from Webster University a couple of years ago with a Bachelor's degree in film production. I figured I'd forward my thoughts along to this e-mail address as I know many of my other old classmates and current students at WU are doing.
The idea of canceling the Webbies class altogether is maybe one of the most painful things I have ever heard of, mainly because I realize the benefits of having such a class. Why someone would want to cancel out the opportunity for communications majors to participate in a large-scale event like the Media Excellence Awards is terrible and shouldn't go unrecognized.
Communications students need an audience. Whether you want to go into film, photography, writing or advertising, you need to educate yourself on the audience you are working for. And no matter how many short films you make at WU, no matter how much "Citizen Kane" you watch, no matter how well you learn how to read copy into a microphone, the Webbies class was a perfect ground for learning from an audience, especially for filmmakers.
I was in the Webbies class for three years, and each year it was an amazing experience to see your work unfold in front of an audience and see a live reaction from 300 people.
True, the Webbies class is supposed to make entertainment segments that will appeal to everyone and educate the audience on the communications programs WU has to offer (yawn). Every year, that was a struggle to really balance out a fun time and education, which is something a student wanting to work in a communications industry will have to face at some point. So why take such a valuable educational opportunity away from the students? I vote that it's just ignorance from the higher-ups at WU who really just don't get it. It's that same mode of thinking that puts the public relations class in charge of the Webbies.
The public relations class in charge of an awards show? That's like having an actual dog host a dog show. It's not entertaining, and the audience is bored to tears.
The idea of canceling the Webbies class altogether is maybe one of the most painful things I have ever heard of, mainly because I realize the benefits of having such a class. Why someone would want to cancel out the opportunity for communications majors to participate in a large-scale event like the Media Excellence Awards is terrible and shouldn't go unrecognized.
Communications students need an audience. Whether you want to go into film, photography, writing or advertising, you need to educate yourself on the audience you are working for. And no matter how many short films you make at WU, no matter how much "Citizen Kane" you watch, no matter how well you learn how to read copy into a microphone, the Webbies class was a perfect ground for learning from an audience, especially for filmmakers.
I was in the Webbies class for three years, and each year it was an amazing experience to see your work unfold in front of an audience and see a live reaction from 300 people.
True, the Webbies class is supposed to make entertainment segments that will appeal to everyone and educate the audience on the communications programs WU has to offer (yawn). Every year, that was a struggle to really balance out a fun time and education, which is something a student wanting to work in a communications industry will have to face at some point. So why take such a valuable educational opportunity away from the students? I vote that it's just ignorance from the higher-ups at WU who really just don't get it. It's that same mode of thinking that puts the public relations class in charge of the Webbies.
The public relations class in charge of an awards show? That's like having an actual dog host a dog show. It's not entertaining, and the audience is bored to tears.
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