Dennis G. Jerz | Associate Professor of English -- New Media Journalism, Seton Hill University | jerz.setonhill.edu

For New Acquisitions, UMD Libraries Choose Ebooks by Default

Increasingly book vendors provide options that allow us to purchase e-books instead of print when both are available. We’ve now formally committed to purchasing e-books when given that choice. —UMD Libraries Similar:The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months “I have always understood the Nazis,” …BooksI Never…

A Message from Hester Prynne (Student Video)

Have I mentioned lately that I have awesome students? For a “Creative Critical Presentation” in my online American Literature survey, English major Tyler Carter created A Message from Hester Prynne,  a 9-minute video that explores Hester’s psychology and spirituality, through music, dance, poetry, and cinematography. All the technology Seton Hill offers to its students would…

Scrooge Is My Brother

My daughter delivered the opening “Marley was as dead as a doornail” speech as the narrator in the Stage Right! homeschool production of A Lyrical Christmas Carol. My son played Scrooge. The show was great. During the bows, I was already pretty misty-eyed when my daughter threw her arms around Scrooge and proudly announced, “He’s…

“What irrational person would argue against your claim that hoe is a Gothic punk?”

Dictating student feedback, I said “Would a rational person argue against your claim that Poe is a Gothic poet?” My Mac typed: “What irrational person would argue against your claim that hoe is a Gothic punk?” Similar:Narrow ParsersCreating n00b-friendly interactive ficti…CybercultureCoding Bootcamps and the New For-Profit Higher EdThere are actually a number of narrative…AcademiaShe was…

Senior Tech #1: How To Master Texting

It’s funny because it’s true. Senior Tech #1: How To Master Texting Similar:Shen Yun Chinese dance troupeOne of seven touring groups devoted to s…ArtAre we spreading fake news about fake news?In a new research paper that Poynter say…CultureRussian troll factory paid US activists to help fund protests during electionRussian trolls posing as Americans made …CybercultureTo…

What kinds of local stories drive engagement? The results of an NPR Facebook experiment

  We looked at every story we geotargeted during the months of July, August, and September 2012, focusing on the ones that the localized NPR Facebook following liked, shared, and commented on at a high rate. From this group of successful stories, we identified similarities which allowed us to create nine distinct content categories. We…

What Could Have Been Entering the Public Domain on January 1, 2012?

Current US law extends copyright protection for 70 years after the date of the author’s death. (Corporate “works-for-hire” are copyrighted for 95 years after publication.) But prior to the 1976 Copyright Act (which became effective in 1978), the maximum copyright term was 56 years (an initial term of 28 years, renewable for another 28 years). Under those…

The Search for IT Relevence — Featuring Seton Hill IT Guru Phil Komarny

The Search for IT Relevence – YouTube. Similar:Faculty stacked up in launch tube beneath McKenna gym, ready for graduation 2022.AcademiaPater Noster Passenger ElevatorsSome 50 years ago, my father took me to …AmusingWhy your brain’s so bad at letting go of negative comments Negative comments engage avoidance…CybercultureAbout to DM a journalism class role-playing exercise. Surprises coming! AcademiaThe…

I’d Pay to See This

Fan Video Win Similar:FaceTime Fun: iPod Touch Rides in Jedi FighterThrough the magic of FaceTime and the ve…AmusingThe Real Reason Why You Can't WriteHave you ever stopped to think about wha…AcademiaNerdy Rainbow Loom CraftingMy wonderfully geeky tween made these Bl…AestheticsMy Kids Loved Narnia but Were Unimpressed by Turkish DelightAmerican kids today would have little id…AmusingSupport…

Distributing Candy at Holiday Parade

Similar:A pallet of cabinet fronts and structural elements to flesh out #neovictorian #steampunk i…PersonalFULL BLOOM (Aug 31-Sep 2)PersonalMan Infected with Ebola Misinformation Through Casual Contact With Cable NewsOn the other end of the link, the New Yo…AmusingBusy with Midterm GradesPosted midterm grades for the most labor…AcademiaMAGA World Is Splintering: Following the riot at the Capitol, Trump…

Results of the 18th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition

 The 18th Annual Interactive Fiction Competition has ended. Congratulations to Marco Innocenti, whose “Andromeda Apocalypse” took first place! The top three games were: Andromeda Apocalypse, by Marco Innocenti Eurydice, by Anonymous Guilded Youth, by Jim Munroe The winners of the Miss Congeniality contest were: Guilded Youth, by Jim Munroe Escape From Summerland, by Joey Jones…

At Age 11, I Named the Curiosity Rover

Wonderful story! I still remember that chilly December day, sitting in science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and decided to get a TIME for Kids magazine off of Mrs. Estevez’s bookshelf. It was the 2008 Invention Issue, but that wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye. In the magazine, there was an article…

What a 21st-Century English Major Can Do: Screencast Demo of an Inform 7 Text-Adventure Journalism Game

Have I mentioned lately that I have some really awesome students? Here’s a narrated screencast, presenting a progress report on a term project that involves programming in Inform 7 to create a text-adventure game designed to teach student journalists how to cover a campus event. This is what a 21st-century English major can do, given…