A Journalism Advisor’s “Thank You” to the Coronado Explorer Class of ’10
In January of 2009, on the second semester’s first day of Journalism class, using my beloved old media affinities for talking and lousy dry erase board drawing, I narrated highlights from the “Bert is Evil” incident in Henry Jenkins’ book Convergence Culture. I even drew a “flow map” to illustrate the concept of media convergence.
Many chuckled at the dramatic irony of protesters bearing Bert and Bin Laden imagery; some furrowed eyebrows, confused about how the story related to journalism; none of us understood what we were really in for expanding from a print-based newspaper to an affinity-based, convergence media journalism staff.
I now know that in Carmel, Indiana, Hilite.org’s journalism staff operates with approximately 75 students during multiple class periods with a techno savvy advisor. We were going to do this in one room, with six computers, one class, and an advisor who had sent one text message in his life.
Thinking back, Henry Jenkins’ words on convergence rang truer than ever: convergence is coming and [we’d] better be ready, convergence is harder than it sounds, and everyone will survive if everyone works together.
This much we knew in January of ’09: we weren’t ready.
While we may have not been ready, by May we had begun seeing the results of our ideas, many of them created in “sandbox” spaces like Mesa’s Golfland or when watching Monty Python films in the computer lab.
Above: '10 Explorer Convergence Chief Daniel Nemet, '09 Editor-in-Chief Amber Erickson, and '07-08 Editor-in-Chief Christy Lau at the 2009 VNSA Booksale in Phoenix.
The hard work and trust put in by this staff and in particular, the seniors has resulted in the blooming, constant work-in-progress that is the 21st Century Coronado Explorer.
Thank you to Daniel Nemet, Web Head and Convergence Chief.
Thank you to Dreylon Dupas-Vang, New Media Literacies Head.
Thank you to Rene Romero, Graff Artist.
Thank you to Hannah Collins-Lewis, 4-year Explorer staff member and Campus Happenings Editor.
Thank you to Qori Krog, 4-year Explorer staff member and Head Lens.
Thank you to Madi Cooper, Editor-in-Chief.
Thank you to Xavier Alejandro, Entertainment Editor.
Thank you to Briana Lucero, Clubs Editor.
Thank you to Dean Pizarro, Staff Writer.
You never have to be “ready.” Life’s not a dress rehearsal and, like emerging adults, a journalism staff will always be a work-in-progress, sometimes flawed, for the entire Coronado community to see.
What I saw during this transition from “sandbox” ideas to cyberspace was something none of you graduates know for sure yet will prove ready for: the future.
"Rough draft" of the Coronadoexplorer.com website, circa February of 2009. We've come a long way.
We created the future together and you should be proud of that.
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