Podcast

I have only listened to a few podcasts before reading Dr. Levinson’s chapter, but they seemed more appealing after the reading.  The first podcast I ever listened to was actually created by a co-worker.  The podcast contained his NFL playoff predictions, and was pretty entertaining.  The format of his podcast was similar to a radio show, but I was able to tune in whenever I wanted and even pause it.   Another great feature about podcasts is the ability to transfer them to your ipod, and listen to them on the go. 

            I can’t imagine podcasts entirely replacing radio, because people like to listen to live shows; but I believe they will increase in popularity.  Similar to the way some people became famous after being discovered on YouTube, I think certain people who frequently “podcast” could get discovered and get offered positions at radio stations.

According to the “podcast” Wikipedia entry, the first community podcast was hosted at Fordham University in 2005.  

Opportunity!

Hey all!

I just want to let you know about a great opportunity coming up for those of you who are current juniors and Communication and Media Studies majors.

I and another student, Katie Corrado, have been actively working with Dr. Hardenbergh to start a chapter of Lambda Pi Eta, the official communication studies honors society of the National Communication Association here at Fordham. We have finally done it! Applications will be e-mailed out either next week or the early the following week, so don't ignore those mass e-mails! We intend to make this a mentoring program and also hope to host events where Fordham faculty volunteer to speak to the students about current issues in the media today, how students can use their degrees in the future, and even research that they are doing or have completed. There is a written application that will have to be submitted to our Lambda Pi Eta e-mail (fordham.lambdapieta@gmail.com). If you have any questions feel free to e-mail that address or post them on here.

We also have a twitter account: http://twitter.com/#!/FordhamLPE

Here is the website for Lambda Pi Eta: http://www.natcom.org/LambdaPiEta/

Lastly, if you went to the event for Comm majors yesterday afternoon and already received the application, there was a mistake on the cover letter regarding the e-mail address. We have also decided to only accept applications electronically, so feel free to discard the hard copy (since you are going to be getting it via e-mail within the next few days anyway).

Thanks!

The Importance of Facebook in College

I became a part of the Facebook Network in 2006 - my sophomore year in high school. At first, I didn't think it was that great. With MySpace, I could design my own page, all of my friends were on there, and it was a great place to listen to uprising bands. I really liked MySpace, until it was bombarded with virus and spam. My friends told me Facebook was better, so I switched.

For high school students, Facebook wasn't really necessary. I saw all of my friends every day at school. As for the ones I hang out with, they had my cell phone number. In high school, Facebook was just a fad that everyone wanted to be a part of.

Once I entered college, everything changed - including Facebook. I don't just mean the interface of the profile (though that does change very frequently), but the way students used it. Facebook was actually important and necessary. For me, I joined several Fordham groups asking questions about the living situation, what to bring, and the different groups on campus. But then, I get the letter telling me who my roommate was. And the stalking begins! I friended my roommate just so I look at what kind of person I would be living with for the next year. Because of Facebook, I learned his favorite music, movies, tv shows, etc. I also had the chance to view his photos so I can see what kind of people he hangs out with and see if he was a party animal. I remember saying to someone during the Summer "How did people do it before Facebook?" Before Facebook, college students knew nothing, unless they actually met the roommate beforehand. Facebook was my way of preparing for the school year.

After being a part of the Fordham community for over a year now, I've come to realize how important events and groups are as well. Honestly, without Facebook, I would have no idea when any of the events occur. I don't really look at fliers, usually because I'm in a rush to get somewhere or I'm talking to someone. But if you send me a Facebook event, chances of being being there are much higher.
Whether Facebook was invented to stalk people or to bring the thousands of college students on campus together, Facebook has really made a different on college campus around the world.