Over the past few weeks I’ve tried to motivate those readers who still don’t know what they’re doing in college (read: undeclared majors) into becoming reporters. Really, no matter what happens to newspapers, there will still be a demand for people who can report the news, I swear.

Assuming that you’ve now decided to become a reporter (because I’m so convincing!), now you need some advice. Where do you go? How do you get started? Who can help?

To get the answers to your most urgent questions, I interviewed Stephen Magagnini, one of the most experienced reporters in California.

Magagnini has worked at The Sacramento Bee for 24 years and has been a journalist since 1976. He has reported extensively on race and ethnicity as well as reporting from places as far-flung as the Ukraine and Belarus. He has received numerous commendations for his stories and was more than happy to take some time out of his busy day to help you, the greenhorn reporter, get on the right track.

What’s a good way to get started as a journalist?

“A terrific way to hone [your reporting] ability is to work for your college newspaper or college broadcast media or to freelance stories through local media,” he said.

Getting a job at The Aggie, for one, isn’t as hard as you might think. Come on down any time to 25 Lower Freeborn and pick up a reporter’s application. The most important thing we or any other publication is looking for is writing ability. We can teach you a lot of things, but if you know how to write coherently you’ll save both parties a lot of time.

If you don’t want to work for The Aggie but still want to get published (or we don’t accept your application), you become a freelance reporter. This means that you report on a story, write it and then submit it to publications you think might be interested.

But how do you know what to write about?

“You need to pretend that you’re an editor or producer or website content creator and think about the kind of stuff you need to know,” Magagnini said. “What’s some news that you can use? What would make your life better? Think about the kind of stuff you would read and consume.”

Any story you can think of that makes a positive impact on the reader’s daily life is news someone can use. This means that this is news some editor would like to publish. But if you want to be successful, it’s not as easy as just reporting it, writing it and sending it off to a dozen different publications.

“[You need to] complete the story and submit it with a query letter which says why this is such a smoking hot story and how it’s perfect for the publication you’re submitting it to,” Magagnini said.

Keep in mind when writing your query letter that it reflects what you know about the publication (which means you need to know about the publication).

“I also believe in polite persistence,” he said. “If you can, visit the media in person; I’m big on selling yourself in person. If you can get some face time with a human being, that’s better than no face time.

“All media is being inundated with applications from laid off journalists or college graduates,” he said. “I think you’ve gotta try everything and give yourself every opportunity.“

It’s important to keep in mind that even if a publication doesn’t want to hire you (or hasn’t published your previous freelance submissions), you should keep trying; editors are always interested in new content.

As you continue to write more stories, your reporting abilities will improve. Each journalist is different and better at some aspects of the job than others. Maybe you’re quite adept at interviews and getting good quotes, but you need to work on making your sentences flow.

In next week’s column, I’ll go over some of the basics of reporting. In the meantime, Magagnini spoke about what he believes is the most critical asset for any reporter to have.

“What remains the most important criteria is the ability to identify and execute clear and accurate well-written content,“ he said.

In other words, write clearly about interesting topics consistently and you should be fine! Tune in next week for some more tips.

RICHARD PROCTER can be reached at rhprocter@gmail.com.

Admittedly, a few of the things on my Cap and Gown List were after-the-fact add-ons; they were things I did and only subsequently realized their importance. There are also things I wish I could put on my list but don’t because writing about them seems a little too revealing (or perhaps like it would get me in too much trouble to be worth the 750 words).

However, attending a performance at the Mondavi Center has always been on my pre-graduation to-do list, and I am happy to say I have successfully completed my goal. Oh, and now I have “Oh What a Beautiful Morning!” stuck in my head … but oddly I’m kind of okay with it staying there.

One of the features that puts UC Davis at the forefront of collegiate life is the renowned Mondavi Center, which serves as the stage for virtually every kind of production, from university-sponsored dance concerts to visits from the San Francisco Symphony. From Gloria Steinem (cancelled, much to my dismay), to the up-coming Patti Lupone visit, to Ladysmith Black Mambazo (awesome!), Mondavi has something for every taste.

Last weekend, I decided to make my UC Davis theater dreams come true and attended a performance of the musical favorite, Okahoma!. Beyond the fact that for a grammar nerd like me, a musical with punctuation in the title is irresistible, the UC Davis production of Okahoma! was truly wonderful.

A theater critic I am not, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as did the eight people I went with. The stage decorations were impressive, detailed and authentic; the pit orchestra was seamlessly incorporated into the acting and singing, and sounded cohesive and strong; and, the dance numbers were well choreographed and flawlessly performed.

More than any of that, though, the talent onstage was abundant. Admittedly, I chose this performance in part because I knew the female lead and therefore knew my maiden trip to Mondavi would be memorable. While I was correct in my belief that the performances would be good, my expectations were far surpassed, by my friend as well as all the other performers. I did find a bit of a green monster of jealousy situation at the singing ability of those involved, especially because “my shower hasn’t kicked me out yet” would be the best review of my vocal talents I could hope for. However, jealousy aside, I was blown away.

Watching these performers on stage, students I had seen around campus and had classes with, I was reminded how many opportunities are available to students at UC Davis in so many different areas. While there were professional actors and singers, who were very talented as well, the majority of the ensemble cast, and several of the leading roles, were students. They were able to keep up with the professionals and, for lack of a less cliché way to articulate my thoughts … they sang their hearts out.

I have always loved musicals; Okahoma! is no exception to the things that make musicals such fun to watch, and features such classics as “Oh What a Beautiful Morning!,” “Oklahoma!” and “Surrey with a Fringe On Top.” I most certainly left the theater with songs playing over and over in my head, and enjoyed the after-effects of the performance for days afterward.

Working in the department of music, I saw the immense amount of effort that went into just part of the publicity for Okahoma! I know there were hundreds of people involved in the various aspects of putting on the production and that adds another layer to an already impressive performance, as well as reminds me of the collaborative nature of a university like UC Davis.

Watching Okahoma! with my friends and hundreds of other musical-goers really enhanced my experience, especially being on campus and feeling like part of the larger community participating in culture. Ultimately, I emerged from the musical both with a smile on my face and suddenly aware of why the venue is one of the bragging-points of UC Davis and its theatre, music and dance departments.

EMILY KAPLAN is excited for the season finale of “Bones“ next week. Anyone else who is pulling for Booth and Brennan to get together should e-mail her at eckaplan@ucdavis.edu.

Super Senior,

About two weeks ago I asked my girlfriend to give me a massage, and frankly it was a bit of a disappointment. But I told her it was great because I didn’t want to make her feel bad, but now she’s offering to give me another one. What should I do here?

– Suffering in Silence

I’m sorry to hear your girlfriend’s massage abilities aren’t up to your expectations. I’d say I can empathize, but if I did I think my next massage would probably be more painful than your last one.

I would strongly urge you not to spill the beans and confess that the last massage was sub-par; it’ll unnecessarily ruin her day and decimate any potential for future happy endings.

I therefore suggest that you avoid this problem altogether by offering a solution that not only makes it unlikely that she’ll give any more unpleasant massages but will also bring you closer as a couple: massage classes.

And wouldn’t you know it, The Experimental College is currently enrolling for a Back and Neck Massage class that meets from 7:15 to 9:45 on Wednesday evenings and runs from May 13 through 27. Space is of course limited, and in fact it may be full by the time you read this.

Now, it does cost 49 bucks each (plus $10 registration fee), but I think it’s well worth the investment considering the difference between a good and a bad massage multiplied over the course of however long you plan on dating.

Besides, $49 ain’t jack compared to what those massage parlors in downtown Davis used to charge.

Super Senior,

My ex-boyfriend texted me the other day saying he was going to be in town and asking if I wanted to hang out. He broke up with me six months ago and we’re on decent terms, but lately he barely ever initiates contact with me. What’s going on? Why did he decide to text me now?

– Ex Communicated

One of two things is happening. Either he’s realized that he made a mistake when he dumped you and wants to get back to the comfortable, fulfilling relationship he thinks he remembers (with a regular supply of nookie, of course), or he just wants to have sex with you now that it’s convenient.

It really is that simple, don’t over think it, and if you go out somewhere make sure you’ve got a ride home.

As for why he never initiates conversation, that too is pretty simple: He broke up with you because he didn’t like you. So given that he doesn’t like you, why the hell would he want to deal with all your social and emotional baggage without any of the perks (i.e. the sex), when it’s clear he didn’t want to deal with that baggage even when the perks were in the picture?

He’s calling now because if you play along there’s the potential to skip baggage claim altogether and hop on a one-way flight to pleasure-town.

K.C. CODY usually answers more questions than this, but he’s still pondering how to respond to one particular inquiry. In the mean time, send your own to kccody@ucdavis.edu.

I can’t help but feel like I’ve gotten away with something.

I just graduated from the 12th ranked public university in the country with a BS in biological sciences and a 3.38 GPA, but I’m not sure I deserve it.

Because it was never supposed to be that easy. It was never supposed to be routine. It was never supposed to amount to intellectual bulimia (binge, purge, fast; cram, exam, nap).

But it did.

I was supposed to find myself startlingly humbled by the thousands upon thousands of other equally impressive intellects with equally impressive resumes from equally impressive backgrounds all congregating in the same place at the same time for the same purpose. I was supposed to pull all-nighters in the library with lecture notes and scientific journals and cold chow mein strewn across the table in front of me. I was supposed to wrestle with mind-bending concepts at the cutting edge of modern knowledge. I was supposed to have to do more reading, more papers, presentations and projects and ultimately have more expected of me than ever before.

But I didn’t.

I’ve been meaning to write this column for a while, but I haven’t been able to for reasons that, if they aren’t already, will soon become quite clear.

UC Davis is an academic joke.

And now the back-peddle: That’s not entirely true, but it felt that way far more often than it should have. From the day I moved into the dorms to the closing minutes of my last final, I’ve listened to my fellow students and asked myself the same question, daily, without fail: How did these people get in here to begin with, and how could it possibly be justified that their diploma will be issued by the same university as mine?

UC Davis as an institution would like you to believe that it’s one of the best public, nay, public or private, universities in the United States, nay, the world! But if this is truly the case, then the United States, nay, the world (!), is in for a rough ride.

There are people at this university for whom the most basic concepts – the Pythagorean theorem, subject-verb agreement, separation of powers – are unfamiliar and difficult to understand. On any given day I was within earshot of people who did not know what DNA is, that there’s a difference between “you’re” and “your,” what GDP stands for and that the UK is an island. And yet they will receive a degree, like 81 percent of us eventually do, and perhaps even better the campus average of a 3.0 GPA at graduation (statistics courtesy of the UC Davis Office of Resource Management and Planning).

And it all starts with the freshmen.

The Subject-A requirement is case in point. It’s plainly ridiculous that the university is so lax in it’s admissions standards that it needs to test students as they come in for “college-level proficiency in English composition“ before they can enroll in the daunting, intellectual gauntlet known as English 1.

Shouldn’t it be a given that admitted college students can, you know, write sentences? I remember having to put together a personal statement as part of my application; can’t UC Davis glean from those statements whether someone knows how to construct a grammatically correct series of coherent thoughts?

And yet from 1997 through 2003 (most recent data) an average of 33.4 percent of incoming students failed to pass the Subject-A exam, having to enroll in either workload English or, if English is a second language, remedial linguistics courses (Fun fact: The linguistics units count toward graduation; English is apparently a foreign language).

Predictably, these students‘ six-year graduation rates are between 4 and 11 percent lower than average, depending on the cohort.

And English is not alone. When it comes to math, instead of actually screening for ability we offer yet another test, and those who fail it typically end up in Workload 55M.

Workload 55M is a review of algebra.

Plainly put, if you can’t get into college level courses, then you probably shouldn’t have gotten into college. I was under the impression that this is the sort of stuff you learned in high school, and while being “left behind“ is a serious problem and a sad commentary on the lack of support secondary education gets in America, it’s not a problem UC Davis or the University of California itself is obligated to fix.

There are other places motivated, economically disadvantaged and thus far unaccomplished students can go. That’s what the CSUs are for. That’s what community colleges are for. That’s what The University of Phoenix Online is for.

Now, perhaps I’m being unfair. UC Davis and university system as a whole are not entirely to blame, because admitting and subsequently graduating incapable students is not entirely avoidable; there will always be those who fall through the cracks, no matter how tight the seal, and there will always be those who curry favor with the elites, no matter how grave the consequences (George W. Bush and Bill Clinton both went to Yale … go figure).

Yet there are still definite deficiencies, which UC Davis could address.

I saw no new material until the last quarter of my second year, and it wasn’t until I started upper-division courses that I saw it with any consistency. Maybe that speaks more to the strength of my high school than it does the weakness of UC Davis, but whatever it speaks to it certainly speaks of wasted time and opportunity.

Along the same vein, I found that classes here were not so much conceptually difficult as they were logistically inconvenient; the hardest part was giving enough of a rat’s ass to show up.

That said, there were absolutely courses which got my full attention and professors who drove me to discover new things about the world around me and about myself; I owe more to each of those professors alone than I do the rest of them combined. Sadly, the rest of them were perhaps too interested in their research (or perhaps did not meet the Subject-A requirement) to do much good in the lecture hall.

So what it comes down to is this: I paid this place $80,000 for a piece of paper that really only does one thing: tell the corporatocracy that I did my time. I jumped through your hoops. I played by your rules. And I paid my dues. Now give me my $45,000 salary and break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat bar.

It doesn’t have to be this way, but UC Davis has embraced it; first by admitting underperforming freshmen in the name of faux diversity – thus burdening the system with unnecessary expenses, professors with unnecessary work and me with unnecessary headaches – and second by coddling those students out of an insatiable hunger for student fees and fears of an even lower graduation rate with two full years of review and inexcusably low expectations (trying to teach physics without calculus? Physics 7, I’m lookin‘ at you.)

And I can only see these problems worsening; the UC’s decision to ease admissions requirements is yet another step in the wrong direction.

K.C. CODY would like to ask those in the administration which intend to give the party line about “promoting a diverse campus community” that’s “open to a wide variety of students with unique backgrounds” as “the best learning environment for all students“ to spare him. Anyone else can write to kccody@ucdavis.edu.