Spring 2011: Welcome to copy editing

Thanks for your attendance Tuesday. I think we will have a good class this semester.
Please get your text and stylebook soon if you don't have them already. Please read Chapter 1 of the text, so that you will be prepared to discuss the material in class.
Please begin to familiarize yourselves with the stylebook, too. You may use it during quizzes and tests, but the more you know how to navigate it now, the less time you will spend having to figure out how it works.
I hope you also have browsed around the class Blackboard site to see what's available so far. More will be added as the semester proceeds. Among the items there are some extra-credit forms that may prove useful this semester. If you have any internship or work where you do what amounts to copy-editing-like work, you can print out forms and get them signed by a supervisor, and I will give you extra credit for your outside work. Editing at the Whit also is acceptable; just get the adviser or editor-in-chief to sign, in that case. Each task must be 1 hour minimum, worth 5 extra credit points, and I'll accept five such signed sheets, maximum. Either way, the total available extra credit in this area is 25 points toward your final semester grade.
A quick reminder: Please have your blogs set up by Tuesday's class, but if you have any problems, we'll take care of them then. Next Thursday will be the day your first blog assignment is due: I'm asking for a biosketch. A life history is not necessary, but please tell me a bit about yourself, your experience (journalistically and otherwise), your interests and your aspirations. This blog entry will be worth 10 points.
If you want to get tweets from me, just ask at Twitter, and I will approve those requests. Same with the class Facebook group.
I'm looking forward to the semester. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about what's going on, and I'll do my best to answer them. While e-mail generally will take care of most situations, if you think a phone call would be more expedient, please include a number where I can reach you. Talking by phone might be better than playing e-mail tag.