Have you ever been to the Mass Communications building here at Yuba College? Do you know where the Mass Communications building is? Have you ever even heard of the Mass Communications building?
Chances are, your answer to most or all of these three questions is “no.” I know that my answer was no to all three until about a year and a half ago.
In the Fall of 2014, I registered for Mass Communications 2. The room was listed as M-1170 LIBRARY.
Upon seeing this room listing, I became very confused. Lost and puzzled on the first day of class, I stopped in the library to ask for help.
The woman at the library circulation desk told me to walk around the library, and that I would find a building there.
I did just that, and found the Mass Communications building, which is adjacent to the library. Had I not enrolled in that class, I may have never even known about the existence of this building.
That is the truth for many of the students I have met during my time at Yuba College. When asked if he knew where the Mass Communications building was, Johnny Chase replied, “Umm, what is that? I didn’t know we had a Mass Communications building.”
Johnny also told me that he was not aware that Yuba College even offers Mass Communications classes at all. Again, this is the truth for many Yuba College students.
This is evidenced by how small many of the classes are. I have taken three Mass Communications classes, two with less than ten students, and one with only five students.
This lack of knowledge when it comes to the Mass Communications program is unfortunate, because there are some great classes that students are missing out on.
Mass Communications 4 is a Studio and Video Production class. Students learn how to use cameras, sound equipment, video switchers, etc.
Students also take turns directing productions, and serving as floor directors for the crew and talent. Each week these acquired skills are put to use while recording student-produced shows.
In fact, the studio used by the class is very new and features state of the art equipment. Perhaps if more students knew Yuba College had a such a modern studio, more people would be enticed to sign up for the class.
Mass Communications 20 is the reason you are reading this article, as it is the class that produces the college newspaper. In this class we learn valuable skills such as interviewing, the able to come up with interesting story ideas, and how to write for print, amongst others.
The lack of advertising about the Mass Communications program is one of the major reasons it remains in the shadows. If the college did a better job of advertising the program, the classes would no doubt have a lot more students.
Mass Communications classes could easily be sold as a great alternative to traditional classes such as history, English, and science courses. They are a great way to learn new skills and try out something different.
Posters placed throughout campus or counselors telling students more about the program are just a couple of ways that the program could become more well known.
Until more students learn about the program, and by the extension the building, whether through word of mouth or from the college itself, Mass Communications at Yuba College will remain invisible.
Note: This article was featured in the Spring 2016 edition of The Prospector.
Comment Policy: Comments are welcomed and encouraged. However, the editorial board reserves the right to edit or delete, without notice, any comments submitted to the blog. For more details, see our full Comment Policy.