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OK, seriously, what are they doing?

I went by the campus yesterday and picked up a copy of the DC. Because I have my priorities in order, I went straight to the sports section .... and have no idea what they're doing.

1. Nice story by Jordan Hofeditz about the women's soccer team hoping to extend a six-game winning streak.
2. Nice volleyball story by Jana Wallis about the volleyball team and its effort to get back on track as the CUSA part of the season begins.
3. A correction (that certainly should have been a full story) about how the DC accidentally ran a preview instead of a wrap-up after a volleyball match. OK, mistakes happen.

But then, above all of those stories, and taking up as much space as all three COMBINED, there's a story about NASCAR. I get the idea that NASCAR has a lot of fans, some of whom do attend SMU. But so does Tiger Woods, and he's no more relevant to to SMU than NASCAR. The story has its own label ("Life in the Fast Lane"), as if the DC is now going to be a regular supplier of NASCAR info. This is not about SMU, does not talk about any SMU grads (unless Dale Earnhardt, Jr. spent some time on the Hilltop), and doesn't even discuss something related to an SMU sport. (I know, there are those who don't consider auto racing a sport, because it is the machine that generates all the power, not muscle. That's another argument for another day.)

I realize there are times when not enough events are going on to have only SMU stories. But at least the occasional Cowboys story or the "Quinton Ross comes back to Dallas to play the Mavs" pictures are relevant (albeit barely), if only because SMU also plays football and basketball. Personally, I don't think they belong, either.

But this In the Fastlane thing is an absolute joke, and the fact that it takes up more space (a diagram explaing restrictor plates?????) than any of the SMU sports stories -- much less ALL of them -- is shameful. The little logo they have suggests it's a regular part of the paper, which is embarrassing. If game stories and previews aren't plentiful enough, how about some feature stories on SMU athletes? Sure, the students who run that paper are busy with classes, social lives, etc. -- I get that. But many feature stories aren't that time-sensitive. They could write a bunch of them and hang on to them for days when there aren't game stories and previews available. Put together stories that really offer more insight than what's visible on the field/court, but make them about athletes -- OUR athletes.

Justin Willis? Bamba Fall? Profile of Coach Dougherty? Matt Wideman? ANYTHING?

I understand that there are a lot of people who are into NASCAR. I have a lot of interests outside my alma mater, too. But when I come by the campus and pick up the student newspaper, I want to read about SMU. No matter how much time I spend (or waste) on fantasy football, the DC has no need to waste space telling me I should cut Chris Simms -- it might interest me, but it has absolutely nothing to do with SMU.

I like reading the DC, and I think they generally do a very good job. I also understand that it takes a lot of time and effort to put out a paper (I worked at the DC for a year and a half when I was in school). But unless NASCAR is quietly sponsoring the Daily Campus, this has no business appearing in the paper.

I am pushing to make NASCAR a collegiate sport.

SMU Football Blog wrote:I am pushing to make NASCAR a collegiate sport.

I think it's scheduled to be a demonstration sport in the 2024 Summer Games in Oslo.

I didn't realize there was an Oslo in Alabama.

Was the article written by an SMU student or was it something like an AP or UPI article that was just placed there? Perhaps they were short staffed due to illness or some other reason and needed something to put in the paper at the las t minute due to a shortage of local articles. Just a thought in order to try and justify the article and lack of local stuff

They do that kind of stuff all of the time...or at least they did while I was there. Lots of relevant stories about SMU or the surrounding areas that would be of interest to the SMU community, but they decide to cover other news. I think that they sometimes get thoughts of grandeur and think that they can compete on national stories with the DMN (which used to be available on campus for free as well).

The only reason anybody should be covering NASCAR is if there is a race this weekend at TMS or if it is the BIG race of the season (I guess Indy?). If anybody from the DC reads these boards, can I make the suggestion that you stick to what is relevant to the SMU community? I know a couple of times in the past, there were old articles re-printed. If there isn't enough sporting news in the metroplex, have an "ESPN Classic" type of article.

I am not a NASCAR follower but I know that calling Indy a big NASCAR race will get you killed.

When I worked there, covering something not related to SMU was not an option (only in part because we didn't have access to the AP wire, and I'm sure anyone had ever heard of the internet at that point - I sure hadn't).

SMUguy is right: there are TONS of relevant stories that could be written.

- Talk to a biology professor (or some other teacher of doctors-in-training) about the bone DeMyron Martin broke and how it affects power, speed, acceleration, etc.
- Basketball practice is underway. If the editors can't find a dozen stories that need to be written about the basketball team, or better yet, BOTH basketball teams, there's something really wrong.
- How about an update story with Steve-O about facilities plans (further improvement on Westcott, fundraising status for a new natatorium, plans for new tennis facilities, etc.)
- Aaron Stewart. The coaches can't talk about him, of course, but he sure can. Even without discussing his game (which should be included, since I gather he's really good), how can you not jump on this story? This is a human interest feature that deserves a full page. No way you run any AP/NASCAR crap on the same page when you can talk about this guy.
- Feature on the turnaround of the SMU football season - more than the standard Bennett quotes from his media lunch/press conference. Talk about what the team is doing better. Talk to players. Is it a confidence thing? Scheduling? Players mastering their assignments better? There's a lot of angles to go with on this.
- Rachel Giubilato seems to be mentioned as the best volleyball player in every press release/story. What makes her so good? I don't know a thing about volleyball - educate me (and other alums).
- How does this year's men's soccer team compare to the team that was number 1 in the country a few years ago and got bounced in the playoffs?
- Day in the life of a redshirt athlete. What's it like? I don't know, and I bet most of the campus doesn't, either. Remember when we beat Rice last year, one of the big things Bennett talked about was Mapps and Sanders emulating the Owls' option offense.
- Thomas Morstead seems to be pretty good at both placekicking and punting. Which is harder? Does he train differently for each?
- Sarah Davis has graduated, meaning Janielle Dodds will have a lot more attention in the low post this year. How does that change what the Ponies will do, offensively and defensively? Dodds is a great player - what does she expect this year without Davis there to share the opponents' defensive attention?
- Bamba Fall: I'm guessing there's more to his story than just the fact that he's 7'1" - a lot more. Shed a little light.

The men's basketball team has a tent on the 'Vard right over next to the engineering school tent, which coincidentally has the best variety of free beer if not the most available. Maybe the DC could send over a reporter to cover how many hot dogs Bamba eats next game.

mrydel wrote:Was the article written by an SMU student or was it something like an AP or UPI article that was just placed there? Perhaps they were short staffed due to illness or some other reason and needed something to put in the paper at the las t minute due to a shortage of local articles. Just a thought in order to try and justify the article and lack of local stuff

Written by the editor-in-chief of the DC.

PonyPride wrote:

mrydel wrote:Was the article written by an SMU student or was it something like an AP or UPI article that was just placed there? Perhaps they were short staffed due to illness or some other reason and needed something to put in the paper at the las t minute due to a shortage of local articles. Just a thought in order to try and justify the article and lack of local stuff

Written by the editor-in-chief of the DC.

nevermind

So the editor of the paper is a NASCAR fan, and somehow that makes it worthy of being in the SMU paper?

do you ever stop to think that these kids also have classes to attend and homework to do.

while im sure that many of them would love to sit down and have a half hour chat with "steve-o" that calculus class might get in the way, or the 4-6 page paper they have due on friday.

these are kids whose main goal is to get a degree, and while they are there they are going to inform other students about the things they can.

plus a wire story isnt always a bad thing. the one they ran on the rice player dying and the one on buck getting fired were good.

some of these kids dont get cable or any other news otlet and they need to know that there are things going on in this world outside of SMU

ponyup10 wrote:do you ever stop to think that these kids also have classes to attend and homework to do.

while im sure that many of them would love to sit down and have a half hour chat with "steve-o" that calculus class might get in the way, or the 4-6 page paper they have due on friday.

Yeah right, most people writing for the paper are liberal arts majors - not people with real classes.

these are kids whose main goal is to get a degree, and while they are there they are going to inform other students about the things they can.

plus a wire story isnt always a bad thing. the one they ran on the rice player dying and the one on buck getting fired were good.

Why is it that journalism majors aren't required to submit articles to the paper? I'm sure they write them for class, just send them over to the DC.

some of these kids dont get cable or any other news otlet and they need to know that there are things going on in this world outside of SMU

You're right! Too bad the broadband internet connection in every dorm room for every student, and in countless computer labs across campus including wireless, does not provide an unlimited source of local, national, and world news. If they only had a cnn.com.

HorsePower wrote:So the editor of the paper is a NASCAR fan, and somehow that makes it worthy of being in the SMU paper?

The Daily Campus is just another ULTRA liberal rag. Their editorial opinions that I have read are DISGRACEFUL in the way they were researched. written, and presented. Funding for the paper seems to have come from George Soros and Michael Moore. I am sure that their next column will probably have an article about Babs concert in New York yesterday and how wonderful the Bush impersonator was. However, they will forget (fail?) to mention her use of the f-bomb word on stage when someone up front questioned the use of the proceeds of his $1,000 ticket wondering whether or not her performance was actually a political fundraiser!