Kennesaw State University School of Communication & Media
PIPELINE
Issue No. 6: SOCM students and faculty aim high KSU Pioneers Adobe’s “Creative Campus” expansion into georgia
SOCM Alumni: Where are they now?
Remembering Dr. Matt Duffy: a tribute to the beloved professor
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Destination: Abroad Students with Unusual Jobs SOCM’s Athletic Communicators Get Involved: Student Organizations Get Involved: Owl Radio
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Rhubarb Jones
Help Us Honor the Legacy of Rhubarb Jones
Help us honor the legacy of Rhubarb Jones by contributing to the memorial fund. Friends, faculty members, business partners and students of the School of Communication & Media are invited to participate in By Paul McNally the Warren “Rhubarb” Jones memorial fund. On March 27 of this year, Kennesaw State Unversity held a ceremony This fund will honor the legacy of one of Georgia’s celebrating the life of Rhubarb Jones as well as best-known radio personalities honoring his legacy by naming the new radio and Kennesaw State University instructor. Known as the lab after him. The ceremony, which was held longest-running morning radio on campus at the Carmichael Student Center, personality in Atlanta, Rhubarb was attended by many of Jones’ friends, coJones became an instructor in workers, students, and alumni as well as his wife the School of Communication Donna and two daughters, Callie and Presley. & Media after leaving radio Dr. Barbara S. Gainey, director of the School of in 2008. His classes were Communication & Media, organized and hosted Media Management and the event. There was also a student produced Mass Communication, where video tribute, and remembrances Rhubarb captivated students with his exuberance and largerby KSU colleagues and alumni. Later, Professor than-life radio personality. Bobby Gutierrez and students led attendees on The School of a tour of the radio lab named after Jones. The Communication & Media lab will be used for student projects as well as Dr. Josh Azriel speaks to ceremony attendees about Rhubarb’s (SOCM) has established this OWL Radio productions and podcasts. dedication to his students and to the KSU community. Photo memorial fund to reflect “He loved his students. And, that is not an courtesy of Marquis Holmes. two of Rhubarb’s passions in exaggeration; he loved his students. Whether life—his students and radio. they passed his classes or failed his classes, he loved them,” said Dr. Josh Contributions will support:
Naming of the Radio Learning Lab
Azriel, interim associate director of SOCM Graduate Studies. Many of Rhubarb’s friends and colleagues shared memories of their time with Rhubarb including Alumnus Scott Bagwill. “Rhubarb was an amazing man. He wasn’t just a professor to me; he was a friend and a mentor,” Bagwill said through tears. “I remember when I first met Rhubarb . . . and we were talking and he said ‘Scott, I’m gonna stop you right there, I want to let you know you are going to do great things one day.’” All of those who spoke shared stories of laughs and love surrounding Rubarb’s larger-than-life personality. “Sometimes I’m left wondering to myself what having an impact really means when it comes to a university setting, and for me, Rhubarb embodied the idea of impact. Knowing and interacting with Rhubarb was life changing and that is what we are here to do at Kennesaw State,” said Colin Byrne, development director for the School of Communication & Media. Through this dedication, Rhubarb Jones will live on forever at KSU through his love of radio and even more through the love he had for his students.
• An endowed scholarship for Communication & Media students • Support for The Warren “Rhubarb” Jones Radio Learning Lab Large or small, your donation will help us honor Rhubarb’s memory while touching the lives of future generations of students in the School of Communication & Media at KSU.
The memorial fund is located at: http://c-fund.us/fme. Participate today to help us reach our $50,000 goal!
Students in Professor Emily Holler’s Health Communication class (pictured here) spent their morning learning about how the media presents health messages about various topics such as dieting, nutrition and eating habits. Before the information session, students participated in a cooking demo led by Bethany Wheeler, Kennesaw State University’s nutritionist. Photo Credit: Nikki Chase
Photos courtesy of Nikki Chase
Health Communication
A NOTE FROM
DR. GAINEY Major Milestones for the School of Communication & Media Choose from Four Majors August 2018 marks the end of a major curriculum revision process that the School of Communication & Media started in spring 2012. In the 2011-12 academic year, students and business partners gave us feedback that supported moving away from one all-encompassing Communication degree to more content-focused majors that made the course-work focus clear to employers. While we started working on the curriculum revision process for separate majors in spring 2012, we kept an interdisciplinary aspect to our majors. A major in Public Relations, for example, still has the opportunity to take specific courses in Journalism as major electives. The key is to focus on those courses that support your track to graduation. The Public Relations (PR) and Journalism & Emerging Media (JOUR) majors were the first to be approved by the Georgia Board of Regents. With final approvals this academic year, Media & Entertainment (MENT) and Organization & Professional Communication (ORGC) will be stand-alone majors effective fall 2018. Students petitioning for fall graduation can request to graduate under one of the new majors. This is an exciting time, with the implementation of four majors to represent the unique focus of your course of study. Effective this fall, the School will offer four undergraduate majors, a certificate in Multiplatform News Reporting, a minor in Crisis Preparedness, and a minor in Public Relations (for non-SOCM students). The Media and Entertainment major is creating partnerships with the Music & Entertainment Business certificate (MEBUS) and Georgia Film Academy (GFA). In the graduate program, we are offering a master’s degree in Integrated Global Communication and an online Digital and Social Media certificate. Adobe Creative Campus Initiative
We look forward to displaying the best Adobe artifacts at the Sept.13 Communication Colloquium! Watch for news about future opportunities through Adobe Creative Campus.
PIPELINE 5
We are thrilled to be completing the first semester of our Adobe Creative Campus pilot. About 500 students were able to register for a one-year license to Adobe Creative Cloud at no cost to the students; these students are learning to creatively solve problems through the use of Adobe tools such as Spark, Premier, Photoshop and InDesign. This pilot promotes creative collaboration among student teams and ways to communicate messages visually using digital multimedia tools.
MEET THE PIPELINE S Hayden Mathis
Marquis Holms
Paul McNally | Senior | I chose to join Pipeline Magazine as a writer because Professor Thomas Gray extended an invitation after reading my writing in a prior class. I was honored to accept and become part of the great team of writers and designers; it truly is an amazing opportunity.
Caroline Lambeth
Megan Gibbs | Senior | I love Pipeline because it gives me a chance to expand my creative ability. I also have made lifelong friends along the way!
Colin Edwards
Hannah Johnston | Senior | I joined Pipeline because I love design/ production, and I think this is a great resume builder!
KRISTI RUSSELL Creative Director
Nikki Chase | Senior | I joined Pipeline because it gave me a chance to be creative.
Marquis Holmes | Senior | I am a 27-year-old journalism and emerging media major driving towards freelance journalism/ photography and higher education. I joined Pipeline Magazine to acquire more knowledge about the art and science of feature writing/ editing and to add more to my portfolio.
Emily Hulsey | Senior | I decided to join Pipeline because I knew it would be a great opportunity to learn more about the fundamentals of designing a magazine and working with a team to get it published. Caroline Lambeth | Senior | Graphic design has always been a passion of mine, so I joined Pipeline to expand upon my skills and work on an official publication.
EXECUTIVE POSITIONS:
JOSSELYN THORNTON Sections Manager
CAROLINE LAMBETH Content Manager
TA F F
Courtney Van Winkle
Alan Malone
Ciara Hodges
Colin Edwards | Senior | I am graduating this May with a degree in Public Relations. I wanted to join the Pipeline Magazine because I just really love writing. I thought writing for a magazine would be a perfect fit for me, and I loved my time working on this issue of Pipeline.
HANNAH JOHNSTON Promotions Manager
Josselyn Thornton | Senior | I joined Pipeline to explore my love for design.
MARQUIS HOLMES Editor
Ciara Hodges | Senior | I joined Pipeline because I wanted to be a valuable asset when marketing myself to the workforce. I have experience in writing for newspapers but wanted to expand my horizons.
Kristi Russell | Senior | I joined Pipeline because I am an aspiring graphic designer, and I felt that I couldn’t miss the opportunity to be a part of this dynamic and unique publication! Alan Malone | Senior | I joined the Pipeline team in an effort to strengthen my feature writing skills.
SARAH JOHNSON THOMAS GRAY
Professors
PIPELINE 7
Courtney Van Winkle | Senior | I joined Pipeline Magazine as a writer because having others read my writing absolutely terrified me and this was an amazing opportunity to get over my fear. This class also helped me become more confident in my writing and was a great way for me to showcase my writing abilities in a creative way.
Hayden Mathis | Senior | I joined Pipeline because I love to be creative, and I have a huge appreciation for design. This class has taught me so much about magazine production, and I’m so excited to take what I have learned and apply it to the working world after college.
Involvement
ww aa rr oo ff tt hh ee WW OO RR DD SS Kennesaw State University is always eager to showcase its students’ abilities and the 2017 War of the Words competition was one of the best opportunities. The War of the Words is a writing competition held by the KSU School of Communication & Media. The event had SOCM students attend a presentation by guest speaker Garin Narain, senior vice president of Public Relations for the Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena. Participants then wrote a feature or news story about Narain’s presentation.
Professor Grindel (center) pictured here with first place winner Rebecca Washney (left) and second place winner Keith Stillman (right).
Students were given the unique opportunity of competing against their peers in order to improve their own writing. Writers can always learn a great deal from being evaluated against their peers. This competition not only gave writers a great way to critique their own work, but it also gave them a unique learning opportunity by seeing what other writers created. Most writing competitions are focused on fiction, so the fact that students wrote journalistic pieces is another thing that sets the War of the Words apart.
The War of the Words was coordinated by SOCM Senior Lecturer Patricia Grindel. The first place winner was Rebecca Washney. In second and third place were Keith Stillman and Sierra Hubbard, respectively.
Public Speaking Showcase
Kennesaw State University’s School of Communication & Media held a Public Speaking Showcase in March of 2018. The competition was open to all SOCM students with credit in the COM 2129 Public Speaking course. Participants all wrote a persuasive speech with a maximum length of 10 minutes for an opportunity to win up to $500. The first round, the semi-final round, and the final round all took place throughout the evening of the same day. This effectively tested the participants’ writing skills, presenting skills and it gave them another unique opportunity to improve these skills through competition with their peers. The event was sponsored by Benalytics and winners were awarded a total of $1,500 thanks to the sponsorship. The first place winner was Journalism major Laurenmarie Holliday, whose speech was titled “Digital Architects of the Future.” The entire Public Speaking Showcase was a success and it is yet another way that KSU provides its student body with ways to improve themselves.
colloquium
The School of Communication & Media at Kennesaw State University held its most recent colloquium in September of 2017. The subject of the seminar was the digital revolution and its effect on KSU students in SOCM programs. This topic was no stranger to SOCM students. The rise of digital media has greatly impacted how people communicate, so it makes sense that those involved in communication studies are greatly affected. There was no shortage of information present at the event. The diverse range of speakers at the colloquium featured everyone from KSU professors to food bloggers in the Atlanta area. Topics focused on teaching students about essential techniques for success in the digital age. SOCM students received information on how to be proficient with Adobe Spark, how to be successful in online media, and how the media has been affected by recent digital innovations. These are just some skills that will ultimately give SOCM students an advantage in the communication world. It would appear that digital media is here to stay. The landscape is always changing, but KSU students have proven that they can adapt to change. Thanks to KSU and events like the 2017 Colloquium, SOCM students will be well prepared for the change of communication.
By: Ciara Hodges
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Be selective in your search process
Find out what is expected of you and the level of performance you are to show at all times
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Betsy Riley
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Ask questions about the business you would like to work for; does this internship align?
Ask Professor Gray any questions you may have
Research the company and take notes
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Be confident when you go and Interview for the Follow up internship with the employer
On March 7th, Betsy Riley, editor-in-chief of Atlanta Magazine, paid a visit to the staff of Pipeline Magazine and gave the future media professionals some sound advice. Riley spent the class period speaking on her ventures as a magazine writer and editor, timeline and production schedules at Atlanta Magazine, difficulties with interviewing celebrities, and the flexibility of freelance journalism. Riley also opened the floor to the staff for a discussion, in which the students actively absorbed her knowledge. Riley is a visitor in support of KSU’s School of Communication & Media programs.
Day in the Life
Kennesaw State’s School of Communication & Media was lucky enough this past October to participate in Cox Media Group’s “Day in the Life” program. This program selects students in majors related to communication, media or journalism to participate in a full day of working at one of Cox’s subsidiaries. Last year’s “Day in the Life” was focused on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Five SOCM students were selected by Cox Media to go to the AJC office in order to learn, first-hand, about working in media. This was a unique opportunity for KSU students to get their foot in the door in a field where they want to work. KSU continually provides its students with opportunities to progress in their careers and this “Day in the Life” was one of the best examples. The location of Kennesaw is a huge benefit for SOCM students, especially commuter students, because of its close proximity to Atlanta, one of the central hubs of communication in America today.
PIPELINE 9
Internships are a vital part of every college student’s educational journey. One of the primary reasons is that they offer students valuable insight about their career direction and how they might ultimately perform in the workplace. Obtaining an internship is a great way for students to make networking connections and to be considered for a professional job down the line. At KSU the School of Communication & Media offers students several different ways to find an internship that suits their interests and major. The best way to start the process is to go to the internship site on the SOCM webpage. It is there students will find information about what is required to be eligible to participate in COM 3398, the Internship program. The link is http://chss. kennesaw.edu/socm/resources/internships. php. Students can also talk to Professor Gray if they have questions that are not answered on the website. Advisors and class professors are also good contacts to use to make the internship journey a success. Students may find opportunities in one of three ways. One is to go to the internship blog site (https://ksucominternships.wordpress. com), which lists opportunities from prospective providers who have contacted the SOCM seeking communication majors. Be sure to go through some of the previous month’s opportunities as well, since many of the internships are ongoing. Another way to find internships is to use Handshake (www.kennesaw.joinhandshake.com), which is managed by the Department of Career Planning and Development. Students may also network with family and friends in search of opportunities that fit their interests. Once an internship is found, students should contact Professor Gray to begin processing required materials to earn academic credit. Internships are designed to help both students and employers. Students gain valuable skill sets and employers are able to see potential future employees. It has been well documented that having an internship or two on the resume helps students find jobs and places them in a leadership role when looking for work. The reason is simple: employers value their real-world experience.
steps in finding the perfect internship
Photo courtesy of Atlanta Magazine
Internships 101
The School of Communication & Media continues to offer amazing opportunities to students. Studying abroad for graduate and undergraduate students, professors with real-world experience and connections, and access to state-of-the-art communication and media services are only a few of the many benefits offered. Coming up are stories of student success, saying goodbye to beloved professors, the groundbreaking partnership between KSU and Adobe, and so much more
PIPELINE 11
Students
PR CAMPAIGNS
FOSTER
LOVE 4 BY COURTNEY VAN WINKLE
Throughout the Spring 2018 semester, public relations students in Professor Emma Wertz’s class had the opportunity to assist Foster4Love, a non-profit organization. Foster4Love places children with foster care families. The organization was established on March 29, 2017 by founder Jen Moody. Moody, a foster parent herself, puts together the organization’s events. Foster4Love currently has over 500 children in its care and has three events that they put on throughout the year to support these children. There are many aspects of a campaign that can help Foster4Love thrive. Moody is thrilled to have the help from Professor Wertz’s campaigns class (PR 4465) in aiding her efforts to promote her organization and get the much deserved help from KSU’s public relations students. Moody has said that, “getting the word out and putting [Foster4Love’s] thoughts into actions,” is what she is most excited about. Creating a way for these actions to be strategically executed is only part of what the campaigns class does. The campaigns class is the capstone for public relations majors in the School of Communication & Media. Throughout the semester, students put together a cohesive campaign for a client and gain real-life experience in the process. The campaigns class gives students a hands-on experience on how to match objectives with the needs of their client, isolate problems and solve those problems. Professor Wertz’s favorite part about teaching this class is, “seeing the students put together concepts that they’ve learned, even in their lower-level Communication classes, putting together the bigger picture as they finalize their campaign books, and then they put that into action into plans that their clients can use.”
In each class, there are multiple groups that prepare a campaign for a client, providing a few campaigns to pitch to these clients. Wertz has received feedback from previous clients saying that having multiple campaigns has helped them to implement parts of each campaign into select aspects, if not the whole campaign itself. The campaigns that students work hard on all semester will have a lasting impact on these clients with one of the sole purposes of connecting these companies/organizations to its key publics and establishing how public relations can benefit them. Not only are students benefiting the clients, but it allows KSU to give back to the Kennesaw community in a positive way. The completed campaigns allow students to add samples to their portfolios and showcase all of the hard work to future employers. It’s a great addition to each student’s portfolio and should feel like a badge of honor for getting to help a real client. At the end of this semester, after all of the hard work has been pulled together to present each group’s campaign to Foster4Love, one group will be chosen by Jen Moody as her favorite and parts of it, or the whole campaign, will be implemented. This is a perfect example of how, long after classes are done, the campaigns that KSU students create, help establish positive lasting relationships for non-profit organizations.
Foster4Love founder, Jen Moody, and her family. Photo courtesy of Bazemore Photography. Black box is covering a foster child who cannot be photographed due to legal reasons.
DR.HUTCHINS’ TAKE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA + CULTURAL INFLUENCE BY COLIN EDWARDS
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Social media is something that just about every “Millennials have been able to create media Kennesaw State University student has experienced. and share media. They have been able to Many students have grown up with leverage media in ways that previous social media. Its effects on the generations haven’t done as much,” said way people communicate may Dr. Hutchins. go unnoticed by some people. Some of Dr. Hutchins’s own research Dr. Amber Hutchins, has been the focus of previous KSU associate professor of publications. The Fall/Winter 2017 issue Communication at KSU, of Kennesaw State University Magazine conducted a study on the ways had an article highlighting Dr. Hutchins’s that social media has made research on Disney fans. She focused communication more participatory. primarily on how these fans come together One big thing she noted was that in forums online. Before social media took social media has had an impact on over, “there were a lot of Disney fans who just about every company working were participating in conversations on today. “Practitioners find that they discussion boards,” said Dr. Hutchins. “It was can’t do their job without digital and ut really interesting to me. I saw how devoted C ch social media. What seemed like a fad of in s r people were.” The internet made this increased o , as is now the main form of communication s o ci a t e p ro f e s s discussion possible and it led to the creation of a and the primary channel through which more cohesive fanbase. Dr. Hutchins says that, with we communicate,” said Dr. Hutchins. As social the internet’s influence, it is now about more than just media evolved as a means of communication, it also being a fan of something. “It is a culture.” became a way to build relationships. This concept was not lost on many companies, according to Dr. Hutchins. “So many organizations have learned that it is about conversation. Social media is not a oneway posting; that is not the way to engage with relationships.” Organizations, in Dr. Hutchins’s view, are starting to become even better with social media and interacting with their customer base online. “They are not just looking from the outside,” said Dr. Hutchins. She recalled a specific example of a funeral home, of all places, interacting with people on social media. She said it was not something you would expect to see on social media, but it ended up working in the home’s If you are interested in social media, other things favor. “If you don’t have somebody who is willing to that affect communication or quite literally anything put the time and effort involved in social media, it else, Dr. Hutchins cannot recommend conducting your could really backfire.” own research enough. She has a few words of advice Social media has affected communication, but for anyone who wants to start their own research: social media has also been changed by the people “Do it.” She says finding the professional value in using it. The generation that has most affected it is also something that you are interested in is invaluable. You the generation that makes up most of KSU’s student can conduct your own research and establish yourself body. It has already been stated that millennials have as an expert in any topic that you are interested grown up with this type of media. The simultaneous in. “There are so many venues for you to establish growth of a generation and social media has resulted yourself as an expert in any sort of media,” said Dr. in a relationship that has been more influential than Hutchins. “This really is the time for students.” almost any other generation’s relationship with media.
” ” With the internet’s influence, it is now about more than just being a fan of something.
IT IS THE CULTURE.
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Students
y d d u a st Abro New Destination: Milan, Italy By Paul McNally Imagine, as a graduate student, having the opportunity to study abroad in Italy while also making professional connections and gaining real-world working experience on top of earning college credit. This experience is exactly what Dr. Josh Azriel hopes to bring to Kennesaw MAIGC students by summer 2019. Dr. Azriel, the interim associate director of Graduate Studies and professor in the School of Communication & Media at Kennesaw State University, plans to travel to Milan, Italy this upcoming summer to sit in on a three-day class at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart) to see if it is a good fit for Kennesaw’s graduate students. The public relations/mass communication course, if all works out, would be unlike other study abroad programs in that it would offer much more than just going to class. The course is called “Brand Strategy Experience: A Professional Approach,” and in addition to living abroad and going to class, the program sets students up with a major client in Italy to offer real-world experience in the form of an internship. “As graduate director, that’s what I want my students to do: go abroad and get a combination of academic and professional experience, and that is what makes me excited about this,” Dr. Azriel said. “That’s what makes this so special, typically when you do study abroad you’re just going to class ...but what makes this class special is the students would actually do a project for a company so it will look great on their resumes.”
“What makes this class special is the students would actually do a project for a company so it will look great on their resumes” -Dr. Azriel
Interim Associate Director of Graduate Studies & Professor of Communication, SOCM
Opportunities like this are available for all students at Kennesaw State University. There are many study abroad programs offered in countries all over the world for nearly every major. Many students may be turned away by the price tag but also may not be aware of the vast amount of help they can receive in funding a study abroad trip. “As a professor, I believe international experiences are really good for our students. Kennesaw has scholarship money to help them pay for it; students can get at least $1,000 to help pay for it. That is a big deal,” Dr. Azriel said. ““I believe in our field of mass communication, which can include journalism, public relations, media, and advertising, that international experience in the form of study abroad or internship or graduate level research is a wonderful component for any student who is interested in doing it.”
Opportunities Around The World The M.A. in Integrated Global Communication at KSU is a professional-oriented, 30-hour, four-semester graduate program. MAIGC is the only global communication master’s program in the Southeast that features an experimental learning module that requires students to go abroad. The Summer Engagement Abroad Module sends students abroad to study and observe communication in a foreign culture.
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South Korea
Belgium
China
Spain
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Argentina
Japan
Cambodia
Learn More
In a developing nation, few things are more instrumental to progress than a free press, one that’s able to speak out against the powers that be, regardless of political position. For some countries, an unadulterated media is the only thing that stands in the way of a complete breakdown of society. Dr. Farooq Kperogi, an associate professor of Journalism and Emerging Media at Kennesaw State University, understands this function of journalism better than most. As a correspondent writer for the Daily Trust, one of the most prominent news publications in his home country of Nigeria, Kperogi writes two opinion columns a week, both focusing on Nigerian and world politics. Recently, Dr. Kperogi’s articles have been brought into the limelight by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obasanjo—in an open letter calling out the nation’s two most prominent political parties and urging the current president to not seek reelection—actually quoted and cited one of the pieces written by the KSU professor. “I was surprised,” remarked Kperogi. “Apparently, he reads the column.” The exact quote from Obasanjo was “Remember Farooq Kperogi, an associate professor at Kennesaw State University, Georgia, United States, calls it ‘a cruel Hobson’s choice’; it’s like a choice between six and half a dozen, between evil and evil. Any selection or deflection would be a distinction without a difference.’” Dr. Kperogi, not one to steer away from political debate, maintains a common theme in his recent columns criticizing the Nigerian government; a “third force.” “There are two dominate political parties, both of which, in my opinion, are indistinguishable from each other,” he said. “They’re basically the same people, hopping political platforms.” Kperogi believes, along with former President Obasanjo, that “the salvation of the country” lies in a third party, and that neither of the major parties are acceptable for Nigeria’s future. “He probably thought, ‘Someone has already expressed this sentiment in a way that I can’t beat, so why not just quote him’.” Obasanjo’s citation came directly from Kperogi’s column. Originally titled Notes from Louisiana, Dr. Kperogi started writing the column when he moved to Louisiana
KPEROGI:
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH BY ALAN MALONE
for grad school in 2005. Originally a news editor at the Daily Trust, the column was a way for him to chronical his exploits and travels in the U.S., though it eventually became a platform with which he was able to discuss his political views on the world. In response to the popularity of his first column, he started a second column in 2009 called “The Politics of Grammar,” in which Kperogi discusses the origin and similarities of various languages and cultures. Each of his columns, which he submits via email, run once a week. With his weekly columns, one of Kperogi’s “defining moments in his political commentary” was helping start the “Occupy Nigeria” movement. “I thought that if any country needed an occupy movement, it was Nigeria,” Kperogi said. “For some, it really resonated. People started protesting, and the country came to a halt.” While organizing the people and holding the powerful accountable is one of the core goals of journalists—not all Nigerians share Dr. Kperogi’s opinions. “Of course, when you write about people in power, you get both praises and condemnation,” Kperogi explained. “I get hate mail and letters that say I’m a hero, but it’s pretty evenly divided.”
Fortunately for Dr. Kperogi, disagreement breeds discussion and allows him to discuss political differences with people who hold a wide variety of views. From his admirers and regular readers, Dr. Kperogi says he regularly is told that he should consider a career in Nigerian politics. “A lot of people have asked me to run for office, but that’s just not my strength. I’m a scholar and a journalist, not a politician.” While he’s humbled that people think that he’s up to the job, he’d prefer to stick to his commentary. “I think that my truthtelling proclivities will get me in trouble,” Kperogi said. “It’d probably get me killed,” he joked. As a professor, Dr. Kperogi uses his experience as journalist to instill in his students the values that make journalists vital to not only developing nations, but all countries. “When we, as journalists, point out errors in government, it’s not because we think we can do better. It takes someone viewing it from the outside to point out the flaws.” In a testament to his beliefs on the free press, Dr. Kperogi quoted an American founding father, Thomas Jeferson. “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without the government, I shall not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
Faculty
NEWS LAB
I
n 2017, Owl Nation became the new home of the Georgia News Lab, an award-winning investigative journalism collaborative. GNL is a partnership between leading journalism programs in Georgia, along with The Atlanta JournalConstitution and WSB TV. Its mission is to train a new generation of investigative reporters and help bring diversity to professional newsrooms. Students learn advanced reporting techniques, work side by side with professional reporters, and prepare for careers in investigative journalism. In addition to Kennesaw State, GNL’s academic partners are Georgia BY MARQUIS HOLMES State University, the University of Georgia, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University. It also draws students from other universities in the region. “We’re building a pipeline of diverse, early career talent,” said Dr. David Armstrong, the founder of GNL, now a Journalist in Residence at KSU. ”This is a way to make investigative reporting affordable for news outlets. It also helps bring previously marginalized voice and perspectives in to investigative newsrooms,” Armstrong said. In 2015, the News Lab was named the Grand Prize winner of the Online News Association’s Challenge Fund for Innovation in Journalism Education. The Society of Society of Professional Journalists has twice named the News Lab the collegiate winner of the Larry Peterson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism. It has also been honored by the Association of Opinion Journalists and the Atlanta Press Club. News Lab graduates are now working as investigative, digital and data reporters and producers at outlets such as The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Georgia Public Broadcasting, the USA Today network and CNN, as well as at regional and local newspapers, magazines, radio and television outlets throughout the country. The News Lab is backed by grants from organizations such as the Democracy Fund, Cox Media Group, the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, and the Gannett Foundation. Several KSU students have gone through the GNL program. One of last year’s KSU participants is now a reporter at the AJC. One of this year’s students was Ryan Basden, a senior in Journalism and Emerging Media and former photo editor of the KSU Sentinel. Basden has been selected for a News Lab investigative internship with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this summer. He will be working on data projects. “I got that opportunity purely through my work at the News Lab,” Basden said. “The year a person can spend at the News Lab is a valuable chance to show very experienced and talented professionals what you’re made of.” GNL has worked on several major projects with the AJC and WSB this year. One was an analysis of campaign finances of the candidates in the 2017 Atlanta mayoral race. Several pieces from that work ran in the AJC last fall. “I was responsible for turning all of the dirty, nearly unreadable campaign finance reports into something we could analyze and tell a story about,” Basden said. “The fantastic people I worked with took my data work and gave it meaning.” Although Armstrong is always looking for strong and dedicated student journalists, he makes clear that investigate journalism is hard work is not for the faint of heart. Students can find about getting involved by visiting the GNL website (georgianewslab.org) or emailing Armstrong at darmst34@kennesaw.edu
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Ryan Basden, senior Journalism and Emerging Media student
Rick Crotts looks over his lengthy to-do list as he finalizes the content for the Sunday edition of the AJC.
BE ADAPTIVE:
KSU Professor Takes on Major Role At AJC
By: Marquis Holmes
Many communication majors at Kennesaw State University know Rick Crotts as an adjunct Communication professor, but only a few are aware of his success outside of his academic ventures and how he uses these experiences to instill in his students the highest quality of education that he can offer. Crotts recently received a promotion as the curation team manager for Cox Media Group (CMG), a new position that leads a new approach for print media. The 36-year media professional now oversees the newspaper content for six publications, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dayton Daily News, Palm Beach Post, Austin American Statesman and three newspapers in Ohio. The new CMG curation team’s
scope is to divide and enhance print journalism. While current editors continue to focus on digital content, Crotts directly manages print by identifying the best stories and applying them to print. “I can see this being a template for other newspapers if it really does help the printed product,” Crotts weighed in. “I can see other properties going after this model as well.” This position allows him to travel to Georgia, Florida, Ohio and Texas— which he does not particularly enjoy. “I was in Ohio two weeks ago to talk to the editors up there, but I’m trying to avoid traveling. I’m tired of traveling,” he jokingly stated during the interview.
“It’s fun when you’re young. I don’t have the time anymore.” Crotts, a veteran journalist and designer is “excited” for the digital age of journalism but believes that news organizations are struggling to figure out a way to generate profit. Crotts suspects that print will not “be around the way it is now” in about 10 years. “I think Sunday [editions] will be here another five years — that’s my goal, then I can retire.” He also noted that content has and will always be the key, no matter what the platform may be. With leading the front on the innovation of CMG publications, he still works as the Sunday editor at the AJC. He was also recently promoted to this position after working as the Sunday sports section editor and business section editor for the past five years. His job requires
faculty
“The Sunday paper is the most important thing for the print product,” Crotts said. “That’s where all the money is—it’s the highest profile day of the week.” His recent positions have brought him back to the world of editing, a realm he has not indulged in for some time and is “not a fan of.” He consistently encourages and advocates for adaption to the constantly changing career that is journalism. He has worked at newspapers in Sarasota, Fla., Detroit, Orlando and St. Petersburg before settling with the AJC in Atlanta. “You can’t really get comfortable with anything. You have to be adaptable.” Crotts states in a passionate tone. “I am 59 and I am changing again.” Crotts holds a total of 23 years of experience at the AJC with positions that include sports design director, presentation editor, and overseeing the art department. He arrived at the AJC shortly before the Olympics was hosted in Atlanta in 1996. Crotts says that he could not have asked for a better place to be sports design director during that time. “I break the Atlanta Olympics into two parts: before the bomb and after bomb. Before the bomb, it was a big party, celebrating sports. After the bomb, it was tragedy at first, because so many people were hurt, and people died. After a few days, it was a celebration of life.”
Crotts can be recognized as a “stern but fair” type of instructor who has always showed compassion for his topic of instruction and the future
Crotts is married to Kathy Crotts. She is the person who makes sure his schedule does not get out of hand and there is quality time for them at the end of week. “My only day off, Sunday, is spent with my wife. When things get crazy for me, Kathy is not shy about letting me know that I’m doing too much and to cut it back—that forces me to stop and take a break.” They have three children, one of which is a student at KSU. Crotts considers retirement an abstract term. “If my Kathy and I settled down and planned it out, we would spend half the year in the mountains and the other half at the beach. Both are great places to relax.” They are both from Florida.
Pictured above: Rick Crotts (right) looks on as Curation Team Leader Holly Steel (left) and Curator Tom Kelley (middle) plan the next day’s front page of the AJC.
“You can’t really get comfortable with anything. You have to be
adaptable.” —Rick Crotts
Crott’s concluded the interview by urging the students of communication and social media to “be adaptive.” “I planned on being a reporter when I graduated from college and I haven’t been a reporter at all. My career has put me in a bunch of fun positions. Don’t be resistant to change. If you do, you’re going to be stagnant and you’re going to fall behind.”
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Although Crotts has a filled schedule, he uses its flexibility to teach the next generation of journalism students. He has taught visual communication, writing for public communication and digital publication design during his academic venture. He is no stranger to being busy.
development of his students. Crotts is currently serving as the academic advisor of The KSU Sentinel and has consulted students for the Signal, Georgia State University’s newspaper and Red and Black, the University of Georgia’s newspaper. Crotts biggest joy is to give back to his students. “I love talking to new students every single semester,” Crotts says excitedly when asked about his relationship with his students. “When I start knowing [the students] and following their careers, that’s a huge bonus. I have taken pride in seeing where you all are going.”
Photos courtesy of Nikki Chase
him to ensure the Sunday edition is functioning at a stellar level. As the previous sports editor, he makes sure the sports section isn’t being “messed up.”
Students
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT ADOBE BY: COURTNEY VAN WINKLE
“Pick your colors, create an identity and a personal brand, and you’re like a media outlet,” says Dr. Amber Hutchins, associate professor of communication. Kennesaw State Unviersity became one out of only 20 Universities, nationwide, to pilot the Adobe Creative Cloud Program. Just over 500 KSU students, in 10 different classes, and select faculty have been introduced to the Adobe Creative Cloud software, for free, thanks to School of Communication & Media Director, Barbara Gainey, and Associate Professor of Communication, Amber Hutchins, who started working on the initiative in January 2017. The Adobe Creative Cloud offers 25 different applications including well-known programs such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. By having the opportunity to learn how to use the Adobe Creative Cloud, students are becoming apprentices to their imminent position in the workforce. Dr. Gainey stresses that “Adobe is the industry standard for communication and media companies,” whether it is a job in public relations or as a graphic designer.
Turn an Adobe Illustrator logo that you created in Illustrator into an animated graphic with Adobe Premiere Pro. This video and film editing software is the standard for filmmakers, videographers, broadcast editors and journalists. With Adobe Premiere Pro, you can use any form of video, including a video shot from a broadcast camera or something as simple as a your cell phone. If you follow Youtube videographers, chances are they are using Adobe Premiere Pro. Behance is like Pinterest for designers. It allows the user to create an online portfolio of all of their Adobe work. Behance is also a great way to get ideas from other designers on how to create something visually appealing. All of Adobe’s software can be displayed on Behance with the simple click of a button. This is an amazing way to showcase your work.
Lightroom is a cuttingedge photo editing software that allows any photographer, from novice to advanced, to create stunning images. You can edit your photos from your cell phone, laptop or tablet. The software allows you to enhance your photos, store them in one place and share them with the world. InDesign allows users to create sensational brochures, flyers, magazine layouts, business cards, digital publication designs and much more with ease. InDesign also gives users access to thousands of fonts through Adobe Typekit which comes with this software, allowing you to put your creative thoughts onto paper and the sky is the limit. Knowing how to use this software can put you above the competition in the job market.
The most popular software out of the Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, is an amazing way to touch up photos, create stunning graphics and works of art. This software allows you to enhance photos that you have personally taken or that you have downloaded from the internet. With Adobe Photoshop, design stunning graphics that take your project to the next level.
Adobe Spark is a truly amazing software that allows you to create web pages, videos, flyers and graphics all in one software. Students can use this software to create sensational presentations for research papers or surveys. Spark is user-friendly and very easy to use. Even if you have very little experience with creating websites, Spark is the perfect software to get you started. Show your hard work visually while letting your own individuality shine through.
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Adobe Illustrator is truly a master of all design work. You can create logos, graphics, fonts, websites, packaging designs, charts, infographics and even clothes. If you stop and look at an advertisement, the chances are that it was designed using Adobe Illustrator. The best part of this software is that you can save your work and use it with any of the Creative Cloud software. Turn an Adobe Illustrator logo that you created in Illustrator into an animated graphic with Adobe Premiere Pro.
Adobe After Effects is a visual effects software that brings motion to graphics, adds more to an existing video and brings excitement to animated projects. This software allows the user to create a whole new world in their own vision. One of the most impressive features this software has is its ability to animate photos that the user has created in Photoshop. The animation is made possible with using a webcam and moving in real life to animate how you want your creation to move.
adobe cc in action
Rather than using Adobe Spark, Kristi used InDesign to create sample social media graphics for Sense 365.
The full project was presented and displayed at the third annual honors college graduation reception on Friday, April 27, 2018. Guests of the reception got to peruse the room and learn about each students’ capstone project.
Kristi Russell, a senior Public Relations major and the only SOCM student to graduate in May 2018 as an Honors Scholar, used Adobe Creative Cloud software last semester to create custom deliverables for her Honors Senior Capstone, the independent capstone project that each Honors College upcoming graduate is required to plan, propose and create over a two-semester time period with the guidance from a chosen capstone supervisor. For her project, Kristi teamed up with Dr. Pauline Howes to create Sense 365, a promotional campaign for a small company called 365 Atlanta Family. The campaign’s objective was to provide Atlanta residents and visitors with the knowledge of the various opportunities around town to exercise each of the five senses so they can get the full Atlanta experience.
students
2018 Communication
Colloquium
Experience
through exclusive discounts that will help you
see touch taste
smell hear
the city
AN IDEA A DAY TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY AT PLAY.
Kristi utilized InDesign and Illustrator the most for her project, creating the skyline, icons and logos in Illustrator, then laying it all out using InDesign.
Learning how to navigate the Adobe software will help diversify your portfolio and build your resume. To see the full Sense 365 campaign, or to see Kristi’s other examples of Adobe programs in action, scan here!
Save the Date! This year’s Communication Colloquium will be held during the evening on Thursday, September 13th. During the event, students will have a chance to learn communication skills from leading executives at world-class organizations. The evening will also feature hands-on sessions where students can interact with the cutting-edge software for communication professionals. Keep an eye on the SOCM website (http://chss.kennesaw.edu/ socm/) and social media for more information.
Interesting Jobs: About a Brand Ambassador and an Editor-in-Chief
Cory Hancock, freelance photographer and Editor-in-Chief of Kennesaw State University’s newspaper, The Sentinel, has had many opportunities to build his portfolio in and out of the classroom. Hancock has had the opportunity of having his photos featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Marietta Daily Journal and the Gwinnett Daily News. He has stated that because one story, in particular, was first broken out in The Sentinel, it led to an opportunity with the AJC. Working for the school newspaper has given Hancock an, “understanding of a workflow” and has taught him to be more dynamic with his photos. It has allowed him to make mistakes in a controlled setting, all of which has prepared him for the real world after graduation. Hancock emphasizes that “Working for The Sentinel has taught me more than any of my classes.” Along with his work with multiple newspapers, Hancock volunteers abroad helping refugees and plans on going back to Greece this summer for three weeks.
Corey Hancock’s Portfolio
Brooke Moore, a member of the Atlanta Braves Tomahawk Team, holds a special place in her heart for Major League Baseball. Moore is 1 of 15 women to be a brand ambassador for the team and help out with multiple functions in the community. As brand ambassadors for the Braves, they keep the energy up in the stands during the game and long after the lights turn off. Moore commented that “We get to experience the Braves on a whole new level that nobody else has ever seen.” The job is a great way for students to gain knowledge in their field of study, whether it be in Journalism or Marketing. One thing people should know about this job is that “You get experience in what you want to do outside of [the job]” remarks Moore. “The opportunities, the people you meet, the connections go with you far beyond the Braves.”
Football: Virgina Tech Plays at the Camping World Bowl (Right). Kids: School kids on Kome Island, Tazmania (Bottom Left). Subway: A Moment in Time, The New York City Subway 2016 (Bottom Right).
By: Courtney Van Winkle
SOCM Students on the court
students
on the field By: Alan Malone
Anaiah Boyer
Lauren Hoffman
volleyball
Lacrosse While not traditionally the first sport that comes to mind when thinking of collegiate athletics, lacrosse is one of the most physically and mentally intensive sports that a school can offer. Lauren Hoffman, a goalie from Dunkirk, Maryland, was awarded a scholarship to Kennesaw State for her performance at the high school level. “I actually played defense my entire life, and then decided in 8th grade that I wanted to play as a goalie too,” Hoffman said. “My sophomore year of high school was when I chose to pursue being a goalie in college.” As a junior, majoring in Journalism and Emerging Media and minoring in Sports Marketing, Hoffman also worked as a sideline reporter for the Owls basketball team during last season. “My dream job would be to host my own sports show that focuses on what athletes do in the community,” Hoffman says. “Not just their athletic accolades.” Not only being a collegiate athlete, but an out of state one, Hoffman says that she’s been “extremely blessed” by the level of support that her family has been able to give her, even though they live nearly 700 miles away. “My family is able to come down a lot,” Hoffman said. “But if I have car trouble or something, I can’t just call my mom who lives 30 minutes away.” Even with the long distance from her family, Hoffman says she has all of the support she needs here in Kennesaw. “I have the best friends on this campus,” Hoffman claims. “There’s nothing like going through an hour of misery, running up and down the field in the early morning, and the bond that it forms with your teammates.”
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As an NCAA Division I collegiate athlete, staying on top of schoolwork and practice can sometimes get overwhelming. Anaiah Boyer, an outside hitter on Kennesaw State’s volleyball team, seems to be able to balance both with a practiced grace. “It can be overwhelming,” Anaiah says. “There’s definitely a lot of time management involved, but the resources are there for us to succeed.” Anaiah Boyer, originally hailing from Lithia Springs High School, is currently a senior perusing a degree in Media Studies within the School of Communication & Media. Both Boyer and her twin sister, Amariah Boyer, earned scholarships to play at KSU, even turning down offers from other programs. “Amariah and I could have been beach partners in South Carolina, but Kennesaw turned out to be the perfect fit,” says Anaiah. While Anaiah admits that she doesn’t have any solid career goals after college, she does says that she’s always dreamed of being a sideline reporter. “Sports in general is my passion,” Anaiah says. “I like the freelance style of writing, so I think that I would enjoy sports reporting, as much as I enjoy watching it.” With multiple conference awards and a few published articles under her belt, Anaiah is well on her way towards achieving her academic and athletic goals, earning KSU pride along the way.
Saying Farewell By Ciara Hodges
to a Pioneer in Journalism
Carolyn S. Carlson embarked on her journalism career in the mid1970s fresh out of college and right around the time President Nixon was going through the Watergate Scandal. Carlson would closely monitor the stories coming out of the Washington Post and the New York Times to keep up on the latest breaking news of Watergate. She would read about them from the Associated Press teletype machine at The Augusta Chronicle, where she started as a rookie reporter. Later, she worked for The Orlando Sentinel before spreading her wings and landing a job with the AP. She worked for the AP for 18 years and, in that time, became the national president for the Society of Professional Journalists, traveling the country for five years. Carlson has been a faculty member at Kennesaw State University for nine years and serves as the assistant director of Journalism and Emerging Media and an associate professor of Communication. Photos provided by Carolyn Carson, current photos taken by Nikki Chase
1972-1991
The Society of Professional Journalists
Carlson joined the college chapter of SPJ, then known as Sigma Delta Chi, at the University of Georgia in 1972. Carlson made a lot of strides in SPJ, starting a professional chapter in Augusta in 1974. In 1975, she was invited by the Atlanta SPJ chapter to a news conference it was hosting with then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, just two months after the Vietnam War ended. Later that day, after she returned to Augusta, she met the man who would become her husband and spent the entire evening excitedly describing the entire experience, because Kissinger was by far the most important person she had ever covered as a reporter. “I still have my press pass (see photo to right), which I got him to autograph—his signature was an H and a K with a line after each letter.” Carlson was invited to run for national office in SPJ in the mid-1980s, when she was in New York City briefly working as a negotiator for the Wire Service Guild in contract talks with the AP. She met with the president and vice president of the AP and got their agreement for the AP to give her time off and pay her expenses during her five year stint on the SPJ national board – as treasurer, secretary, presidentelect, president and past president. They agreed to that deal because having an AP woman run for the national presidency of SPJ would bring a lot of positive press to the AP. She would embark on the years-long journey, traveling to SPJ chapters in all but two of the United States. She often took her mom on these trips as it was a way for them to bond after Carlson’s father died. During Carlson’s presidency, she helped save the financially failing organization by moving its headquarters in Chicago back to its birthplace in Greencastle, Indiana, saving the organization close to $250,000 annually in operating funds. Carlson left the national board of SPJ in 1991 where
she then took on the chair for the National Ethics Committee. She also created the first ethics manual for the SPJ. She was given the Wells Key award, which is the highest honor a SPJ member can receive, in 1993. She also won SPJ’s First Amendment Award in 1998 for her Campus Courts Task Force initiative, which got the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) amended to increase the release of disciplinary records at colleges involving serious crimes. Also, she testified before Congress for amendments to the Clery Act to make college campuses make more information about police calls available to the campus community. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s signature on Carlson’s press pass, 1975
Faculty The Augusta Chronicle
1973-1976
Carlson covered many news events for the Augusta Chronicle, but got her big break when she unveiled that a major company in Augusta had not paid their taxes in a few years, and the county government was ignoring the matter. Carlson reached out to both the company and the county government’s office, but no one responded until she told them she was releasing the story the following day. The county attorney hung up and later that day, he walked into the news room to tell Carlson that the company finally paid all their back taxes. Now the tone of the story would change, due to her tenacity. Carlson ended up winning the AP Investigative Reporting Award that year for the story! Carlson starting her career at The Augusta Chronicle, 1974.
The Orlando Sentinel
1976-1977
Carlson eventually went to Orlando to follow her husband who had been promised a new and better-paying job. She found work at the local paper and was ready to start her life in Florida. Carlson continued to cover the government and politics beat while in Orlando; however, the world of journalism was going through a rough patch when it came to gender equality in the workforce. All of the top and well-known journalists were men, and Carlson, alongside the other women of journalism, wanted to change the way the business worked. She did this by accepting a job at The Associated Press, which was being sued for sex and race discrimination at the time. When she joined the Atlanta bureau of the AP, there were over 30 men and only two other women on board (and no minorities). Later, the AP would support her becoming only the second woman to serve as an officer in the national Society of Professional Journalists.
The Associated Press Carlson at the AP Bureau in the CNN Center, 1982
1977-1996
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Carlson covered a lot of stories for the AP. She covered the Georgia Legislature for many years, as well as many election campaigns. She covered the opening of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and has interviewed former President Jimmy Carter several times. Carlson also covered the infamous “missing and murdered children” story and the arrest and trial of Wayne Williams as a serial killer in 1979-1980. The evening Williams first came to police attention, he was released and sent home. He then invited a few reporters to his home for an early morning news conference. The media invited consisted of reporters and cameramen. But Williams, who had not yet been charged with a crime, did not want to be identified, so he asked the television cameras to not show his face. The cameras, instead, focused on the reporters while Williams talked. Later, during Williams’ trial, all the reporters present were subpoenaed to testify except Carlson. She escaped having to testify because of the strategic place she sat at in the home while interviewing him. She laughed and said, “I didn’t want to be on TV because I had been up all night and looked terrible. So I sat right next to him so they couldn’t pan the cameras onto me. Later, I was glad I didn’t have to go to trial that day.” These were just some of the many stories and topics she covered during her 18-year-long stint with the AP.
Faculty
Carlson interviewing President Jimmy Carter at the opening of the Carter Center, early 1980s
We will really miss Dr. Carlson’s leadership in the Journalism major. She has been a strong advocate for the program, and a great mentor for new faculty and wonderful adviser for students. -Dr. Barbara Gainey
Director and Professor, School of Communication & Media
2009-2018
Kennesaw State University
Carlson has been well known for her research on the relationship between reporters and the government public relations professionals. Her research, which involved a series of eight national surveys, was published during Sunshine Week, which is held every March. Her work was showcased from 2012-2016. Carlson is known for her love of media law and open records at KSU. She’s taught: News Reporting and Writing, Advanced Media Writing, Sports Reporting, Interviewing, Media Law, and the Multimedia Capstone class, which is needed to graduate with a B.S. in Journalism. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Henry Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. She was awarded the John E. Drewry Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 1990. She also earned a master’s in urban studies and a Ph.D. in political communication at Georgia State University. Dr. Carolyn Carlson will retire in summer of 2018 from Kennesaw State University. She will then enjoy her retirement life with her husband at their home in North Carolina.
Carlson at the Legacy Gazebo at KSU, 2018
Introducing the NEW
MPA/MAIGC Graduate Program
The Master of Public Administration/Master of Arts in Integrated Global Communication (MPA/MAIGC) Program is a dual degree offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The objective of this program is to allow students who are interested in serving as communication professionals in the government and nonprofit sectors to register concurrently in both programs. The public’s demand for information about the actions of public sector organizations requires professionals to be well versed in how they operate and communicate effectively with different audiences. This dual degree program combines preparation in public management with communication theory and practice to make graduates competitive in the growing public communication field.
The United States Capitol Rotunda
”
-Dr. Josh Azriel
Interim Associate Director of Graduate Studies & Professor of Communication, SOCM
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“
The new MPA/MAIGC dual master’s degree program will allow our students to study and observe how communication interacts with public service. Communication in the non-profit and government sectors is critical for providing information to both the public and internal employees. Our students will learn about this in our courses, through study abroad opportunities and internships.
Thomas Hartwell
Near or Far:
Thomas Hartwell graduated from Kennesaw State University in May 2017 as one of the first to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Emerging Media. He now works at the Cherokee Tribune and Ledger News as their government reporter. Hartwell wears many exciting hats at the Tribune. “I am often writing business stories, feature stories, some crime and investigative stories, and I even get to take many of my own photos,” Hartwell said. In less than a year he has covered municipal elections, worked on a series about domestic violence, and is currently taking on a project about veteran homelessness in Cherokee County. “Stuff like this is why I went into journalism. I’ve only been in my job four months, but I’ve already been given the opportunity to shed some light on issues that people may not know existed, or didn’t want to admit were happening in their backyards,” Hartwell said. Hartwell attributes much of his success to what he learned at KSU in the School of Communication & Media. “It taught me to be confident as a journalist. Early in college, I was afraid to call people to get comments, ask questions that I thought might be obvious or ask for clarification on something that a source told me. What I learned is that it’s your job to do those things, and it’s irresponsible as a journalist not to,” Hartwell said. He also believes his acquired knowledge and skills in networking both in school and after was a major factor as well. “Get to know your professors. They are going to be invaluable resources and contacts later, just as they are now, and if you have a good relationship with them, you’re much more likely to find out about things that will be valuable to your career.” A firm believer in hard work and giving 100 percent, Hartwell gives current communication students some important advice. “Put your best into your work now, because it’s an investment. If you do your best work and have great pieces to show in your portfolio, you’ll have that to show to prospective employers.”
Thomas Hartwell hard at work, taking a call in his office at the Cherokee Tribute.
By: Paul Mcnally
Where are they now?
Melissa Butz, a reporter for Rome Reports, often translates her news stories into three different languages: English, Spanish and Italian.
George Montgomer y George Montgomery graduated from KSU in the summer of 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. He now works as Newsource Producer at Atlanta’s own CNN. His job entails working with CNN affiliates to obtain and produce content for use by CNN’s platforms and by their vast network of domestic affiliate stations. “You might be surprised to learn that CNN is affiliated with more than 1,000 local stations across the country!” CNN Newsource—the networks affiliate hub—manages the affiliate relationship and
coordinates the network’s coverage of local regional day-of news, as well as national breaking news,” Montgomery said. The day-to-day of the Newsource Producer is as ever changing and unpredictable as the news itself. “As a Newsource Producer, I travel to the scene of breaking news with a reporter and a photojournalist. Our affiliates book five minute windows where their anchors can have a live on-camera conversation with our reporter on the field,” Montgomery said. “Sometimes I’m writing packages,
Students
Melissa Butz
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wrote the English part of it,” Butz said, Melissa Butz graduated from KSU “I also have been in charge of reporting in December 2012 with a degree on various situations here at the Vatican, in Communication with a focus in including when President Trump came Journalism. From there she has landed to Rome to meet the an amazing opportunity pope.” many can only dream Life in another of. She now works for “Traveling and country is an exciting a TV news agency in adventure with a Rome, Italy called Rome living in another lot of new things to Reports. They report on country offers a experience. Many the Vatican and various people dream of events throughout different culture, packing up and moving Rome and are located mannerisms, to a beautiful foreign within walking distance language and food. country. “Traveling to the Vatican. Her and living in another job utilizes her many Working, however, country offers a different skills that she is a whole different culture, has learned including mannerisms, language three languages, other story.” and food. Working, English, Spanish and however, is a whole Italian. “I will conduct other story,” Butz said. interviews in three “Many think that life in Italy is drinking languages with many people, including coffee and relaxing all day, and then politicians and leaders from all over the world who come to meet with the pope. I having long dinners and drinking wine by night. While a portion of this can be write all my own articles and additionally translate articles from Spanish or Italian to true, depending where you are in the country, working full-time in the capital English,” Butz said. Butz has been a part of many amazing of Italy is very stressful. At the same time, it’s a beautiful experience and one that is projects during her time in Rome. “When always full of unexpected lessons.” I first arrived, I translated the whole Butz is thankful for her time at KSU and documentary by hand, only to find out credits the communication department later they had an additional program to with guiding her to her success. “The speed up the process. Regardless, it was Melissa Butz on location in Rome, communication department greatly good experience and I could claim that I Italy for Rome Reportsw helped me while I was at Kennesaw. From the amazing professors with past experience I could have only dreamed of at that time, to the constant availability sometimes I’m coordinating the seven live channels we offer to affiliates, and and advice they offered, I would definitely sometimes I’m taveling into the field to cover breaking news. Every day is recommend the major to anyone different and my job description is fluid.” interested in journalism or bettering From major hurricanes Harvey, Irma, their writing skills in any way,” Butz said. and Marie to the tragic mass shootings She even offered some advice to future at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida graduates in the communication field. and Church shooting in Sutherland “KSU offers many opportunities, so Springs, Texas, Montgomery has had take advantage of them. However, when the opportunity to cover an amzing you graduate, this is when you establish range of breaking news stories. He yourself, your career and make your says, “I learned during my career “brand,” marking the kind of journalist at KSU how to work for and get you want to be. Always, always be the things I wanted. You make your honest, as unbiased as you can possibly own success and control your own be and remember the subjects you are dreams.”Montgomery looks forward reporting on are people too, so treat to long career with CNN, “I”ve been each interviewee with the incredibly fortunate to start my career utmost respect.” George Montgomery on location in Atlanta at CNN and I don’t see myself leaving for CNN. anytime soon.” Montgomery said.
GET Involved Involvement
honor societies & student media Lambda Pi Eta
Lambda Pi Eta Members with 11Alive meteorologist, Samantha Mohr, after touring the 11Alive Studio
Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) is the National Communication Association’s official honor society for four-year colleges and universities. Lambda Pi Eta represents Aristotle’s three ingredients of persuasion defined in The Rhetoric: Logos or Lambda representing logic, Pathos or Pi representing emotion and Ethos or Eta representing credibility and ethics. LPH recognizes, fosters and rewards scholastic achievement while following the communication discipline. The requirements to join LPH include completion of at least 60 semester hours, completion of 12 hours of communication courses, a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, a minimum communication studies GPA of 3.25 and you must be enrolled in good standing. There is a membership fee of $85.
prssa
PRSSA is the Public Relations Student Society of America, which supports individuals who are interested in a career in public relations. This association offers internship listings, competitions, and chapter and national leadership opportunities and much more. PRSSA additionally helps students connect and develop relationships with current PR professionals. After graduation, PRSSA can help individuals find public relation employment opportunities by connecting with various PRSSA chapters and PR professionals. The requirement to join PRSSA is a one-year membership fee of $75.
Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is a national journalism organization. SPJ is dedicated to encouraging students to engage in journalism while protecting First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and press. The overall mission for SJP’s members is to provide information in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner. Members of SPJ are able to contact journalism professionals nationwide or locally to enhance their careers. Members additionally are provided multiple publications to keep informed in the journalism industry. A year membership includes a fee of $75. To join Kennesaw State University’s SPJ chapter, you can go to spj.org.
The sentinel
The current members of The Sentinel work to create new content each week.
The Sentinel Newspaper is a registered student organization and is a designated public forum for students. The Sentinel is comprised of student editors and managers who make content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The newspaper is published weekly on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters and twice during the summer. Between 5,000 and 6,000 copies are distributed overall. To join The Sentinel, students can go to ksusentinel.com and fill out an application. Positions available to students include opinion writer, arts and living writer, sports writer, photographer, design and marketing/ad representative.
Faculty
Bonza lets his superman cape hang while he accepts his signed picture. Bonza retired in April after a 27-year career in student media.
Ed Bonza speaks to his guests upon recieving a signed photo from the student media staff.
Every day for 27 years, he has awakened to his 6 a.m. alarm to spend time reading and watching news while enjoying coffee before making the 20-minute commute to Kennesaw State University. He then spends the beginning of the day handling administrative work before the “fun part” of his day begins— advising and interacting with students. After 27 years of contributing to developing future media professionals at KSU, Ed Bonza, director of Student Media, has retired. Bonza spent his time at KSU overseeing student publications such as The Sentinel, the Peak and Owl Radio. “One of the advantages is, we [faculty members] get to see organizations and students both—learning, changing, challenging and succeed over and over again, which is incredibly satisfying,” said Bonza. In response to his reason behind his new start in life, Bonza simply states that “it’s time.” He explains that media is very dependent on the innovation of technology and that his position is in need of “fresher blood.”
“At that time, most of the music was mine and the engineer’s, so it was a very strange combination of techy music and opera lounge music—a lot of rap pack and anime music.” Bonza’s student media career at KSU started in the field of print journalism. He developed college personnel experience from holding various student life positions during his undergraduate venture. Bonza graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1980 and a master’s degree in organizational communication in 1985, both from the University of Dayton. This blend of experience led him to his first position as director of student media at the University of South Carolina. Bonza then came to KSU as coordinator of student media, originally
in the Department of Communication. He takes pride in being responsible for the growth of all student media and its leadership. Bonza says that his first week retired will be spent sleeping in, completing house projects, playing Xbox and spending time with his wife, Carol Bonza. “The first week. My goodness, I’m going to be a sloth. I’m going to be a bum,” added Bonza. Bonza’s long-term retirement plans include traveling the country, involvement in humanitarian efforts for dogs, farming and agriculture. He currently owns a home with five acres of land in Hartwell, Georgia that he purchased over a year ago. “That’s one thing I’m looking forward to—actually seeing my wife, other than passing her on the highway,” he jokingly stated. Bonza’s last day was April 1, April Fools Day. “For the geeky ADHD kid that loves books and journalism and grew up in the [1970s] when people still did sit-ins and things like that—this has been a perfect job,” he concluded.
Join Owl Radio
Owl Radio is KSU’s student-run streaming college radio station that was established in 2007. Owl Radio streams a variety of genres that include rock, pop, jazz, indie, rap, country and many more. Owl Radio additionally broadcasts campus news, KSU athletic and intramural events, talk shows and sports play-byplay. Owl Radio can be heard on iTunes, TuneIn and Ustream. To join Owl Radio, students can go to ksuradio.com and fill out an application. Positions include working with a specific team such as music, sports, news and production.
PIPELINE 33
As Bonza retires, KSU has no intention to seek a replacement for his position due to recent changes that led to student media becoming its own organization; however, a director of student activities is expected to replace Bonza.
One of Bonza’s biggest accomplishments and legacies will be the creation of Owl Radio, which he started in 2007. Bonza took the lead in all administrative and logistical affairs, an extensive experience that led to KSU’s first broadcast on Jan. 2, 2007.
Photo courtesy of Marquis Holmes.
ED BONZA RETIRES AS KSU STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTOR By: Marquis Holmes
Best Places to Study
TIPS FROM TOP FLOOR OF S.S. BUILDING Want to study with a view? This is the place for you.
24/7 HOUR DUNKIN’ DONUTS Located off of Bells Ferry. Coffee + cramming
STARBUCKS IN S.S
More coffee. Perfect in between classes.
2ND FLOOR OF LIBRARY Big tables perfect for group projects!
KSU STUDENT CENTER
Feed your brain with notes while you feed your stomach.
STUDENTS
Faculty
GET INVOLVED
BE ORGANIZED
Get yourself a planner, it makes life easier!
STAY HEALTHY
Drink water, eat your fruits & veggies and get your sleep!
KNOW YOUR ADVISOR
Advisors can help you find your path after graduation.
GO TO CLASS
Sounds absurd, but someone is paying for you to be there!
PIPELINE 35
College Well-Being
There are so many groups on campus, find one for you!
New Faculty at KSU
director, Georgia news lab, senior lecturer, journalist in residence
Lecturer of communication
Lecturer of communication, manager of media technology
Lecturer of communication
Lecturer of communication
Lecturer of communication Lecturer of communication and student success
assistant professor of communication
Faculty
& &
Several members of the School of Communication & Media faculty are to be recognized for their publishing efforts spring semester. Dr. Charles Aust has written a chapter “Gratifications from watching movies that make us cry: Facilitation of grief, parasocial empathy, and the grief comfort amalgram” that will appear in a textbook The Role of Affect and Emotion in Rhetorical Persuasion in the Mass Media. The book is edited by Lei Zhang and Carlton Clark. It is currently in press. Dr. Polly Howes authored a book chapter on the roles of corporate public relations and human resources in creating special program for hiring military veterans and Olympic athletes. The article, “Hiring Programs for Military Veterans and Athletes use HR and PR to Demonstrate Human Dimension of Corporate Social Responsibility,” appears in Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Ethical Public Relations: Strengthening Synergies with Human Resources, published in 2017. Dr. Philip Aust and Dr. Audrey Allison published an article in Connexions Journal during the fall 2017 term. Here is the bibliographic reference: Aust, P.J., & Allison, A.W. (2017). International organizational communication assessment (IOCA): Message analysis for a global age. Connexions Journal, 5(2) https://connexionsj;.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/2017 tcaustallison.pdf
Advice from Faculty Q: how can socm students be successful?
“Pay attention to what’s going on and take your work seriously.”
“Since this is a School of Communication, my advice to be a successful student is. . .communicate! Don’t be afraid to reach out to your teachers and develop positive relationships with them.”
professor ginn
professor grindel
Dr. Vizcarrondo
PIPELINE 37
“I would encourage students to speak up and ask when there are principles or concepts they don’t understand in class. I would much rather be interrupted in a lecture than have a student walk out unsure of the material!”
i n
m e m o r y
o f
MATT DUFFY
Journalist, Teacher and Friend By Alan Malone
O
in Pakistan as a Fulbright scholar, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. His former KSU officemate and personal friend, Professor Tim Gillman, commended his courage for undertaking such an endeavor. “Can you imagine going on a Fulbright scholarship to the other side of the earth when you’re that ill?” Gillman said. “He was positive and made the best of it.” Professor Gillman, also a journalism professor at KSU, spoke highly of Duffy and the transformation of their relationship from co-workers to friends. “I never met him until we were both hired [full-time] in August of 2015, so it’s not like I knew him for 40 years; far from it.” Soon, the two co-workers fell into a semi-regular routine of commuting to work together. “He lived way on the west side of Roswell, and I lived on the east side,” remarked Gillman. “In the fall of 2015, once in a while, we’d drive in together to save one of us from driving.”
In 2014, Duffy published this book about Media Law in the Middle East
Eventually, Duffy’s health deteriorated to the point that being driven to work was no longer an efficient commuter option, it became a necessity. “Either his wife or I would drive him in or drive him home,” said Gillman. “I enjoyed talking with him. I enjoyed spending the time with him.” Duffy continued teaching over three years after his cancer diagnosis. Professor Gillman, speaking about Duffy’s insistence on persevering, recalled that Duffy would often need to rest up between classes, keeping a pillow and blanket in their shared office. Shortly after Duffy took his leave of absence, Professor Gillman decided to take his friend out for a bite to eat. This would end up being the last time that they would see each other. Gillman remembered that although his friend appeared to be struggling physically, he remained in high spirits. Regardless of the circumstances, Gillman still remembers the meeting fondly, grateful that they were able to have a final meeting. On the day Dr. Matt Duffy passed away, it seemed only fitting that the campus was shut down, almost as if the school itself were paying tribute to the man many, including his students, peers, and supervisors, would describe as exemplary. “He was a great guy,” Gillman said. “He had great journalism instincts and was a good writer. It was just a pleasure being around him.” Duffy is survived by his wife and two kids.
PIPELINE 39
n a chilly, snow-filled day in mid-January, the campuses of Kennesaw State University stood silent, closed for the day because of weather. It was on this day, Jan. 17, that Dr. Matt Duffy, an assistant professor of Communication at KSU, passed away at his Roswell home following a lengthy illness. Duffy had been a part-time journalism professor at KSU since 2013, but he was later promoted to full-time in 2015, before having to take medical leave in the spring of 2017. Less than a year into initially starting at KSU, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. “When I really got to know him was when he was on our part-time faculty,” remembered Dr. Barbara Gainey, director of the School of Communication & Media at KSU. “He was really only with us full time for one year, before he had to go on medical leave.” Dr. Gainey, who oversees the faculty in the School of Communication & Media, noted that Duffy’s “research is recognized around the world.” Not only had Duffy written for established news outlets, including a local favorite, the Marietta Daily Journal, but he was also known for his work involving journalism in the Middle East. He spent the better part of two years teaching female students at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, helping them develop an interest in media law, a topic on which he would later write a book (pictured right). In 2016, two years into his diagnosis, Duffy was able to spend more than three weeks
Faculty
School of Communication & Media 402 Bartow Avenue NW, Suite 5106, MD 2207 Kennesaw, GA 30144
Help Us Honor the Legacy of Rhubarb Jones Friends, faculty members, business partners and students of the School of Communication & Media are invited to participate in the Warren “Rhubarb” Jones memorial fund, which reflects two of Rhubarb’s passions in life—his students and radio. Contributions will support: • An endowed scholarship for Communication & Media students • Support for The Warren “Rhubarb” Jones Radio Learning Lab
Large or small, your donation will help us honor Rhubarb’s memory while touching the lives of future generations of students in the School of Communication & Media at KSU.
Donate Today! http://c-fund.us/fme