What I have to offer

By any means, I am not an active member of our Umass community. I’m not part of any group on campus I could inform about. Mostly, I am interested in film. As I graduate I will have completed the Film Certificate program here. Information about our film program, film events in the community, and how the program fits with the Communication major is probably what I could best contribute. If our class decides our Wiki should take the form of a guide, I could explain from my mistakes how to make the most of your film interest here at Umass. As far as multimedia, it may be possible to post shorts that more successful film students have made here at Umass. It would probably span all aspects: the theaters, the festivals, rental places, classes, programs, criticisms of all. I am certainly not the most involved film student, but with some research I think I could contribute a helpful page. I could probably make it pretty imaginative too, using images from various films, quotes or what have you as hyperlinks.

Also, I have extensive criticisms of the Communications major here. If no one wants to tackle that, it would be no problem for me. In particular, this is what I would talk about: Most Communications students are interested in a career in Public Relations or Advertising. They should probably be in SOM studying marketing, but like me couldn’t get in. So they are here in the Communications major. The problem is, a lot of Communications classes talk about how these industries are damaging (especially Sut Jhally’s). More than anything, the major is a critique of the media. However, this is not what these students want to study. I feel like this creates animosity and resistance with the students in relation to their classes, limiting the classes greatly. I think we could have all had a more fulfilling education if this was somehow different.