Don't clap for the goddamn students

OK, this is probably gonna get me lots of hate mail, but I suppose that as a journalist, I should get used to it, right?

It's only the second week of Critical Issues and already something's off. Not with the course itself - for a 200-person seminar, I think it's going rather well. And today's speaker was really interesting.

I'm talking about the number of people - students - who stand up to the mike and make broad, unsubstantiated generalizations and try to pass them off as The Truth. Then, when Prof. Wald (or anyone else) challenges their position, they can't back it up and are forced to admit they don't have all the facts.

Isn't that the exact opposite of what journalists are supposed to do?

Then there's those long, impassioned political speeches that somehow always emerge from whatever discussion we're having. I realize that seminars are all about debate, and that everyone's personal experience affects their beliefs and understanding. But there's a way of expressing that without turning class into a soapbox.

Hey, I'm all for freedom of speech. But we're also paying good money to learn about journalism from established and respected veterans of the field - not to hear our fellow students expound on their latest theory.

I'm not saying people shouldn't talk. That's the whole point of a seminar, and that's what makes it interesting. But here's a hint: if you're talking longer than the guest speaker (or if your question is longer than the reply), something's wrong.

Let the crucifixion begin. ;-)