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Lauren Rabaino

JOUR 304

April 5, 2008

FIRST LECTURE

While Cal Poly journalism professor George Ramos can teach his students to

write with active verbs, he can't teach him what's inside ² how to approach

people and start good conversations.

"That personal growth is really what this class is about," he told his public

affairs reporting students during the first lecture of spring quarter.

Sixty-year-old Ramos of Morro Bay is a winner of three Pulitzer Prizes and a

graduate of Cal Poly. He discussed his background and outlined course topics

Wednesday from the front of the room where he himself took reporting classes

in 1967.

"I'm still the reporter. I'm still a journalist," Ramos said. "I don't really

consider myself an academic." He said he doesn't want his students to see him

as a professor, but as an editor.

Although Ramos received what he called "deer in the headlight" looks from

many students, everyone hoped to walk out of the class with an A at the end of 

the quarter.

"You're going to be stretched in different directions than you have in the

past," Ramos said.

His class is entirely hands-on; students learn not from a textbook, but from

experiences. "I'll push you out the door and you'll go out and be reporters."

Students weren't scared off by Ramos's introduction to the curriculum.

"You're a teddy bear," said student Omar Sanchez, 21, of Fresno, when

Ramos asked if the students were feeling intimidated.

"We can see straight through you," added classmate BreehanYohe-Mellor,

22, of Santa Barbara.

Although appearing fearless, each student shared one weakness that he or

she hoped to improve through the reporting class.

The ³speed/quality issue´ was what Frank Camas, a 21-year-old student from

Willets, wanted to improve. Other answers varied from overcoming

procrastination to working better under deadline pressure.

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Students are expected to report on the news talk show ³Meet the Press´ 

which airs every Sunday. Later in the quarter, each student will be assigned a

community beat to cover regularly.

 ³You¶ll get away from those damn keyboards and go out and report,´ Ramos

said. He said he expects students do face-to-face interviews. Although he istraditional, he understands that telephone and e-mail interviews are sometimes

necessary.

 ³Be able to talk to people,´ he said. ³More importantly, be able to listen.´ 

Each story has a minimum requirement of three sources because, as Ramos

said, ³A reporter is only as good as the sources he or she uses.´ 

Repeatedly throughout the lecture, Ramos emphasized that people don¶t

generally like reporters because they come into people¶s lives at bad times.

 ³If you can¶t stand it, change majors,´ he said.

With Ramos's lecture came news that after five years at the university, he

will step down from his five-year post as journalism department chairman.

Two potential replacements for the position ² Peter Spielmann, former professor

at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, and Bill Loving, former

 journalism professor at Idaho State University ² will give demonstration

lectures in the class on April 9 and April 16. Students in the pubic affairs

reporting class will evaluate the presentations.

Ramos would not comment on whether he would remain teaching at Cal Poly

for the 2008-2009 school year.