Where J-School Led Me

Forty-three years ago I climbed the two levels of concrete steps of Murphy Hall and opened the door to the "J" School for the first time. I had decided that journalism would be my new major at the University of Minnesota. I had no idea where journalism and my college education would lead me. At the time, I was more concerned about keeping my draft deferment to stay out of the Vietnam War.

I did get my degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. And did not go to Vietnam. But my six years of Army Reserve duty in Ohio nearly got me to Kent State University on that tragic May 4th in 1970. Our unit was told that we could be called up to replace Ohio National Guard troops at any time. It didn't happen. But four students were killed and nine wounded by the 67 shots that rang out for 13 seconds that day in May.

My journalism degree ultimately led me into the marketing communications business. I didn't have the "stuff" to be a news reporter or feature writer. Newspaper reporting required "speed-writing" on daily deadlines. And magazine writing required story-telling skills I didn't have.

So instead, over the years I've written about hundreds of technical products -- from industrial diamonds, carbon disc brakes, and aerospace technology to spectrophotometers, plastic caskets, and computer software. Plus written advertising and publicity to market industrial magazines, training services, outdoor and city publications, retail businesses, and professional services. More recently, I've created websites for artists and small businesses and written blogs for an art center and my own business ventures.

The "selectric"typewriter days of J-School are long gone as are paste-up of ads for "lean, meaty spareribs" during my internship days at the Minneapolis Star & Tribune. I sit here at my laptop "tic-tic-tic-ing" away on the keyboard, "grabbing" a digital photo from the hard disc, checking my email, and "googling" the internet for a world of information. All inconceivable when I took those first steps into Murphy Hall.

Looking back at my worklife, the writing skills I learned in journalism school have blessed me in inconceivable ways as well. I received the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" skills to write about anything and everything. And my love of learning and curiosity about life are still with me -- even greater now than in my 20's. For all that and more, I say "thank you" to the teachers inside Murphy Hall -- Jim Barton, Virginia Harris, George Hage, Mitch Charnley, Don Gillmor, and others.

And I'm excited about being in the audience at the Bach Festival next week when a guy who wandered Murphy Hall when I was there (even though he was an English major!), Garrison Keillor, spins his tales of Lake Wobegon and sings with Maria Jette. I suspect we won't be the only Minnesota (and Iowa)-born folks in the Hult Center that night.

Where J-School Led Me